A few years back an interesting modern condo development popped up near Portland and 7th Street called Portland II. The builder, Odyssey Homes, built five 4-level condos located in two buildings with the intention of adding additional buildings. The only problem was timing. The first phase of Portland 2 came to market in 2008, about 8 months after the market began its crash. As you can imagine, things got pretty tough and the vacant land to the north of the two buildings stayed bare.

Today, early 2012, things are different. The real estate market is booming and the owners of Portland II are busy building condos again. I had a nice chat with Brent Linnenkarr, one of the partners at DesertWise Builders, today. He is excited to be one of the first builders to bring new condos to the downtown market. His timing couldn’t be better as there is little to be had in the downtown resale market.

WHO SHOULD REPRESENT YOU WHEN  BUYING FROM A BUILDER?  We have to insert an important message here. When buying a home or condo from a builder it is in a home buyer’s best interest to have their own agent. The builder has their agent who represents their rights… why wouldn’t a home buyer hire their own? Naturally, we would love to represent you or a friend interested in buying at Portland 2 and the important message is that you really should hire your own agent to negotiate/review the contract and over see the building of your unit. The best thing is that it does not effect the purchase price and does not cost you a cent to have your own person protecting your interests and rights.

A BIT ABOUT THE CONDO/LOFT HOMES AT PORTLAND 2

The condos at Portland II are four level units. The first level is the garage level offering a tandem two car garage. Tandem garages are those where the garage is one car wide but long enough to park two vehicles. The second level is where you well find the kitchen, dining and living rooms. The third level is the sleeping zone with two bedrooms, two baths and a stacked washer/dryer laundry area. When you climb the stairs to the fourth level you will find options. The builder can configure this area with an additional bedroom, office or leave it wide open for you do enjoy as you wish. Another bathroom is found on level 4 as well as the nice size patio that offers views of the city and mountains depending on your unit.

The exterior of Portland II is stucco flooded in a vibrant mix of color. The base color is a calming moss green with accents in primary colors of red, blue and yellow. It makes a pretty picture on the downtown skyline.

Portland II has a good walk-score in the mid-80’s with a wide variety of restaurants, shops and entertainment all nearby. Students and downtown workers will appreciate the close proximity to light rail, ASU. U0fA Med School, TGen and all that makes downtown a great place to live, work and play.

We do have to mention noise. Naturally, anyone living in the core of a city should expect some noise and Portland II’s closeness to the 202 freeway may not be right for everyone. Make sure you take a good, honest listen as you preview a condo at Portland 2.

Portland 2 In a nut shell:

• 2-3 Bedrooms
• 2 Baths
• 1,584 to 1,985 square feet
• 2 Car Tandem Garage
• Range/Oven, Dishwasher, Microwave, Stacked Washer Dryer included.
• Granite counter tops and wood flooring are standard. The builder is offering home buyers to choose cabinet, counter and flooring upgrades as well.
• No Pool, No Fireplaces and natural gas service is not available.
• Priced in the high $200,000- low $300,000 range. (estimated at this time.)

If you would like to see the building site and learn more about the condos at Portland II, we’d love to be your real estate go-to-guys. We don’t work for the builder so we will be your personal advocates who just happen to have about two decades of experience. Just use the contact form below or text us at 602-486-4839.

We are the Urban Team at Realty Executives. We know and love downtown Phoenix