Modern architecture is growing in popularity among home buyers. There is an appeal found in the wide-open spaces and large windows that draw the outside in. We think it stems from the natural beauty that surrounds us in Oregon and our connection to the outdoors. Or maybe it is the simplicity of clean lines and minimalism that you find in this genre. A movement towards acquiring less and doing more. Whatever the connection, the demand for Modern homes in Portland is growing and so is the need to easily find Portland Oregon modern homes for sale.
Why RMLS Stands in The Way of a Modern Home Search
So how does one go about sifting through the thousands of Portland homes for sale and finding that perfect modern home? That is a great question. And one that comes with a not so simplistic answer. You see, RMLS does not have a data input for realtors to mark their listings as modern. So agents are left to mark their listings as either contemporary or mid-century modern. It is left up to the understanding of the agent to input the data to their interpretation. Usually if the home is of the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s the home is marked as Mid-mod. And if the home is newer, it is marked as Contemporary.
So why is this problematic? Mostly it is because agents will check both boxes and make notes about the home being modern within the public remarks section. So then when buyers search for Portland Oregon modern homes for sale, they get results that are confusing and scattered. You see if someone is looking for a craftsman bungalow, they don’t want to find victorian style homes in their search results, right? I mean that is why we have style categorizations in RMLS to begin with. To help agents market their home listings to the “right” buyers.
Defining What a Modern Home Is
Maybe we need a clearer defining of what a portland modern home is as a style and how that differs from Mid-Mod and more specifically Contemporary. That way buyers and realtors alike can work to both market homes and search for homes in a better way. There is a pretty good article on Houzz called Modern Or Contemporary What Is The Difference that sheds more light on this subject.
What are the architectural elements that defines a Mid-Century Modern home?
- Modern homes built in the mid 20th century.
- A style characterized by clean simplicity and integration with nature.
- Post & Beam architectural design that eliminated bulky support walls in favor of walls seemingly made of glass.
- This style emphasized creating structures with ample windows and open floor plans, with the intention of opening up interior spaces and bringing the outdoors in.
- A ranch home built in the 1950’s-1970’s does NOT automatically qualify it as mid-mod.
What are the architectural elements of a Contemporary home?
- Contemporary is the architecture being produced now, the architecture of the moment. Building upon the values of it’s Mid-mod predecessor.
- The angles and cantilevers are complex and eclectic.
- Composition is more free form than modern, lacking symmetry.
- Texture and materials are atypical.
What are the architectural elements that define a Modern home?
- “Modern” recreates the early- and mid-20th-century architecture embodying the ideals of the machine age or the traditional styles before the industrial revolution.
- Flat pitch roof line with overhangs.
- The absence of ornament.
- Corner windows
- Large expanses of glass to draw the outside in.
- Whitewash (usually stucco over brick) or another minimal exterior expression.
- Wide open floor plans.
- Symmetrical, box construction.
Ok so now that we have a better understanding of what the differences are between these similar styles, how do we find listings better?
How Google Helps You Find Modern Home Listings
A quick Google search for Portland Oregon Modern Homes For sale, reveals a mix of results from national data aggregators to local realtor web sites to a local home builder site. The information on these sites vary. Google is trying to serve up the best sites that meet the searchers intended use. Within the 10 results on page one you will find a couple of realtor websites that provide some decent value. They offer resources for understanding modern architecture but offer a very limited home search and not much information about Portland neighborhoods or any other types of architecture.
Zillow is found on page one with a simple list that is limited to Mid-century listings and there is no local knowledge or information provided. Two more realtor sites are found with an emphasis on Mid-century or Contemporary listings. These sites also offer a limited search and not much in the way of content for home searchers. The Rummer Network facebook page is also on page one of Google and is a great community resource for those that know and love the famous builder of Mid-Mod homes Robert Rummer. If you are a fan of Rummer Homes, you might like our article, Portland Modern Homes, How To Sell A Rummer Home.
Why Compare Sites In The Top 10?
Remember the title of this post, How to Find Portland Oregon Modern Homes For Sale. We want to help you find the best resource for finding Modern homes for sale. And frankly we think you’ve found it. Urbanvue offers a simplistic property search. We curate the best list to simplify the searching process so you can find your perfect space with ease.
The only downside to this search tool is that it is still reliant upon the average realtors knowledge and use of the word modern when they input the listing into the database that we pull our listings from. So with that said, its always good to find an agent that has a strong understanding of modern homes and ask them to sift through listings and send them to you hand-picked. This is a service we offer at Urbanvue. Just email us and we’ll gladly customize a search for your needs.
Portland Oregon Modern Homes For Sale
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