Sometimes it's tempting to compare today's Portland home prices with the top of the housing bubble in 2006 and think home values are down, but real estate has always been a long-term investment value.
From 2002 to 2006, average home prices in Portland went up nearly 90%, but current prices are only a little over 20% below that peak, and climbing again. So comparing 2002 to today, average home prices are up over 50%.
Here are the numbers: