In December 2025, Governor Kotek unveiled her "Prosperity Roadmap," a plan aimed at accelerating economic growth, creating good-paying jobs, and making Oregon more attractive to businesses. A key part of that roadmap is the newly formed Oregon Prosperity Council, an advisory group of 16 business, labor, and industry leaders tasked with providing recommendations on short- and long-term strategies. The council held its first meeting just recently, and they're set to deliver a r

This year feels especially timely because of the big federal win in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that restored 100% bonus depreciation for qualified property placed in service after January 19, 2025. If you bought new appliances, replaced HVAC systems, or made certain interior improvements last year, you might be able to write off the entire cost in one shot. Add in the evergreen deductions we’ve always had, and there’s real money on the table. So let’s walk through the major

You've probably seen the headlines buzzing about President Trump's new executive order targeting big institutional investors in the single-family home market. Signed just a couple days ago on January 20, 2026, it's got everyone from first-time buyers to seasoned rental owners talking. Is this the game-changer that's going to level the playing field for us small-time folks? Or is it more smoke than fire?....

Why now? Well, late 2025 brought a big shift when HUD withdrew its key guidance document, FHEO-2020-01, on assessing assistance animal requests. That old notice spelled out pretty strict rules on what landlords could ask for in verification. With it gone, we've got more breathing room to dig into questionable requests—think those sketchy online ESA letters that seem to pop up overnight. But here's the big caveat, and I can't stress this enough: the core Fair Housing Act (FHA)

Speaking of which, there's a draft bill floating around in Salem right now, LC 222, this big housing omnibus package from early January 2026. Most of it focuses on funding tweaks and permitting shortcuts, but one section caught my eye: new rules around Oregon natural disaster tenancy termination when a rental unit gets severely damaged or destroyed by events like wildfires or major storms...

You see, Sherwood isn't just sitting back while recent state housing laws chip away at local control. The city council, led by Mayor Tim Rosener, called this emergency vote to put two charter amendments on the ballot. These measures aim to push back against laws that streamline housing development by limiting public input and notifications. If they pass, Sherwood would mandate at least one public hearing and expanded notices for major residential projects, and reaffirm the ci

In this stabilizing market, losing a good tenant can hit your wallet hard—think one to two months' rent lost to vacancy, plus cleaning, minor repairs, marketing, and screening new applicants. That's easily $4,000 to $6,000 on a $2,000-a-month unit. Ouch, right? But retaining a quality tenant? That's pure gold. They know the property, pay on time (mostly), and treat the place like home. With inbound migration keeping demand steady, why risk the winter leasing slowdown? Smart l

If you rent to Housing Choice Voucher (HCV, better known as Section 8) holders through Home Forward, you've probably already seen the letter dated December 3, 2025, announcing a full pause on approving any rent increases effective on or after April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027. Yeah, that's a full year with no bumps allowed, even on lease renewals.

I've been in this game long enough to know that proactive steps on your winter maintenance checklist for Oregon landlords can save you thousands in repairs, keep tenants happy (and renewing), and avoid those middle-of-the-night emergency calls. We're talking preventing burst pipes, mold from poor drainage, or roof issues from heavy rain. Plus, with Oregon's habitability laws, staying on top of this keeps you compliant and out of hot water legally. The good news is most of the

You've seen the headlines portraying us as heartless profiteers who only chase the bottom line. That hurts more than finding out your "quiet" tenant is secretly running a drum circle at 2 a.m. (True story from one of our members—don't ask). Truth is, that stereotype fits a tiny minority. I've met thousands of you through management, evictions, sales, and classes statewide, and I can count the truly cold ones on one hand.