Rising home prices are beginning to slow nationally as more would-be buyers are finding houses out of reach. 

Home prices rose 6 percent in July compared with a year earlier, according to the S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller home price index, the smallest increase since September. Fifteen of 20 major metro areas included in the home-price survey saw similar slowdowns in July.

The rest of the country’s major metropolitan areas are following the pattern seen earlier in the Portland area, which went from the nation’s hottest housing market in 2016 to the middle of the pack. Portland still saw prices rise 5.6 percent year-over-year.

Las Vegas, Seattle and San Francisco are now seeing the fastest-rising prices in the nation, according to the index. Home prices aren’t falling in any of the 20 metros included in the survey.

The cooling market is welcome news for people hoping to buy homes, who have seen prices climb at rates far exceeding that of wages. That’s been paired with rising rents, which has made saving for a down payment difficult.

“Until recently, home values in many of the nation’s largest and hottest housing markets had been growing at double-digit annual rates, which can make saving for a down payment feel like trying to hit a rapidly moving target,” Aaron Terrazas, an economist for the real-estate website Zillow, said in a statement. “Home value growth slowing to merely an ‘above average’ pace could give beleaguered buyers a chance to catch their breath.”

But it also comes as mortgage rates are beginning to rise after years near record lows. Low rates have kept monthly payments manageable even as prices soared, and the reversal will further curb buying power.

Home sales have slowed, suggesting the market has reached the limits of affordability. Rent growth has also slowed on average, which would give renters considering buying a home more leeway to wait.

Meanwhile, more homes are coming on the market, and they’re selling more slowly. That’s giving would-be buyers more choice and some opportunity to negotiate. The inventory of homes on the market, however, remains low by historical levels.

The median price for Portland-area homes sold in July was $401,600, according to the listing service RMLS. It rose to $407,500 in August.

View the full article here at Oregon Live

There are plants to get into the ground and others to get back into the house before it’s too cold.

There are lawns to fertilize, roofs to de-moss and a whole lot of deadheading to do.

The best part of all this, of course, is it gives you an excuse to spend more time outdoors at a time of year when, let’s be honest here, the scenery is flat-out incredible. Not to mention — but I will anyhow — it can be fun gardening while wearing a fleece.

And if there are fall outdoor chores you have forgotten — or that never occurred to you in the past — we’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

Don’t worry; you’ll still have more than enough time to fill out that holiday shopping list.

And if it helps, might we suggest not only buying WUG the gnome of his dreams (shudder), but getting dear Auntie Christy a Star Wars R2-D2 coffee press? You know they’ll love them.

I’ve been out in the garden doing the usual dividing, moving and planting this fall. I also got rid of an old trellis and several chainsaw-carved madrone logs on OfferUp, which is a great way to keep stuff out of the landfill.

You know that old saying, “one person’s old, tired garden junk is another person’s treasure?” I may have mangled that just a little bit, but it’s true nevertheless.

I’m looking forward to my winter indoor nesting time. Who knows, maybe we’ll even finish sanding and staining our kitchen cabinets, which we started last fall. There just never seems to be enough time.

Maybe we need a fifth season: Winter, spring, summer, fall and where did all the time go?

15. Fertilize, seed and mulch your lawn

Prepare your finest glass cleaner and step through the looking glass, astral voyagers. October’s cosmic clarity is brought to you by the sign of Libra, and the zodiac’s aspirational aesthete has us both reckoning with our spatial reality, and vision-boarding our dream houses.

Libra energy’s notorious sense of “balance” actually reminds us that coming into equilibrium is a highly dynamic, individualized process. Our thresholds for certain extremes, and carefully concocted calibrations are as personal as paint chips.

Consider the concept of alignment in all its various guises this month. What is off kilter inside your heart and inside your space? Take October to look it straight in the eye with love, and to right any crooked paintings on your metaphorical wall.

The other major cosmic news is Venus’ retrograde journey through Scorpio. Contrary to some astral fear-mongering, retrogrades are delicious times to invite that planet’s energy into a private dance, and Venus’ slowed-down sojourn wants us to delve into our desire nature and clear out any cobwebs around worthiness and self-critique.

So dream it big and beautiful, astral voyagers. But don’t forgot to honor exactly what’s here. October wants you to throw back the blinds and let the light, the darkness, and everything in between, flood your boudoir without judgment.

In the Stars: Happy birth month, aspirational angel! You’re capable of a powerful cosmic mixture of realism and idealism, and this particular Libra Season asks you to deeply align those ideals with your blood and your bones. With Venus’ retrograde journey through Scorpio, you’re being asked to really feel into any blocks around intimacy that come from an unwillingness to get friendly, first and foremost, with your own shadowy bits. There is an unprecedented amount of humanness and self-forgiveness available to you this month, Libra. Take this time as an invitation to dance and romance yourself fully without any trace of shame.

In Your Space: Let this down and dirty self-love fest start at home, with all of the hearts, stars, and animal prints one cavern can hold. Follow your tastes completely, no matter any clashing or critical voices buzzing inside your head. It’s a month for unabashedly loving what you love, and letting this remind you that personal palettes and perspectives are invaluable to the world outside your doors. Start with your vanity table and shower rack, and trick them out with collections of items and fragrances that you can simply wear and relish solely for yourself in the comfort of your own boudoir.

In the Stars: Originally, Libra and Scorpio were one sign, and this collaboration between the zodiac’s light and dark sides of partnership will serve you well this month, Scorpio. Where have deep dives into the underbelly started to leave you exhausted and longing for some straightforward sensual release? With Venus traveling retrograde through Scorpio, and Jupiter poised to make its final, expansive stand in your sign, you’re being asked to loosen your grip around your desires, and get touchy-feely with what simply feels good. Let it be easier, sweet Scorpio. And know that this process of embracing ease may just be your most badass move yet.

In Your Space: Easy and breezy are your key design terms this month, Scorpio, and anything that feels heavy, oppressive or challenging simply must go. If you’re able to budget for it, ask for help at every turn. A professional design eye, and cleaning or furniture assembly service will serve as a potent reminder that you don’t have to go it alone, and that you absolutely deserve comfort without having to prove it with blood, sweat, and tears. Swap out old duvets, plump up pillows, and upgrade pasta bowls. It’s time to settle in with your snacks and celebrate your spatial worthiness.

In the Stars: As the Libra Sun forms a supportive angle to your sign, you’re being asked to hone your focus so you can best utilize the resources on hand. The concept of narrowed focus sometimes makes you feel stifled, but this month, treat the art of strategy like a grand reconnaissance adventure. Gather information on the ground. Be willing to open wide to another, seemingly oppositional point of view. Friction and perceived limits are actually your besties right now. With Jupiter poised to enter your sign for a year-long transit, starting in November, you’re being asked to pause and realign before this next cycle’s radical leaps.

In Your Space: Follow the motto that how you do one thing is how you do everything, Sag, and start with a single room overhaul, or even a closet. There’s no need to pull spatial cleansing all nighters, or to stage epic redesigns right now. By all means, you can hold the big picture vision in your mind’s eye. Just let it unfold step-by-step without having to fly into excess mode. And celebrate the creative potential of seeming constraints by working around statement pieces, upgrading wall art, and reveling in the finely-tuned potential of drawer organizers and storage pieces.

View the full article here at Apartment Therapy