Have you ever noticed the air after a big storm?

It feels clear, as if some giant scrubbing machine swept through in the night and gave the whole world a marvelous bath. The trees look brighter. The sidewalks shimmer. Even the scent of the earth feels renewed—fresh, awake, alive.

Storms have a way of clearing things.

April proved to be quite the perfect real estate storm for me.

This time of year is typically the busiest season in Portland real estate. Spring energy is in the air, buyers are active, sellers are hopeful, and the market tends to hum with momentum. I had four listings come on the market, three of which went pending quickly. I was also working with multiple buyers, one of whom had just secured an accepted offer on a condo.

Everything looked like it was lining up beautifully.

And then, like dominoes falling in reverse, within ten days all four of those pending transactions collapsed.

Real estate teaches you that every transaction has its own energy. Yet lately, more deals across the country have been falling apart before the finish line. According to a recent market report, nearly 1 in 7 home purchase agreements were canceled in March. So perhaps this wasn’t only my personal storm—it was weather moving through the whole market.

Buyers are feeling the weight of interest rates, affordability, insurance costs, insurance increases, and uncertainty—and many are stepping back at the last minute.

Not one of these deals fell through because of the homes.

One buyer became afraid to leave the security of their current job. Another said it was family-related, though who truly knows. A third shared that their family didn’t want them living downtown. And the buyer I represented walked away just five days before closing.

Twenty-one years in real estate, and I had never experienced anything quite like it—especially not during prime season.

I am a firm believer that people end up where they are meant to be. It became very clear to me that none of those buyers were supposed to be in those homes. Still, knowing that truth doesn’t erase the sting.

There was disappointment for sellers I care deeply about. The emotional labor of helping them regroup and believe that the right buyer would come. The mental strain of so much work dissolving overnight.

And then, just for extra flair, I had recently paid my taxes.

Last year I doubled my business—something I am deeply grateful for—but success comes with responsibility, and yes, the IRS noticed. I had also chosen to put a substantial amount into retirement to offset taxes, which meant I was counting on several April closings to restore the flow.

Instead, they vanished.

That got my attention.

Of course, it wasn’t the only thing happening in my life at the time. But it was the lightning strike that made me stop and listen.

So I stepped away.

I took a break from my team. A break from the noise. A break from trying to push forward when everything in me knew I needed to pause.

I recognized it for what it was:

A major reset.
A sacred interruption.
A time to evaluate.

And just as storms do, it began to clear.

One of those homes is now back under contract. Another great buyer got an accepted offer on a beautiful home last weekend. Life is moving again. Real estate, like the tides, always has its ebb and flow.

But I walked away with something more valuable than a closing.

I walked away with the strong impression that no matter how well old ways worked in the past, everything is asking to evolve moving forward.

This is an invitation:

To refine.
To elevate.
To step out of habitual patterns and expectations.
To release the idea that what worked yesterday is guaranteed to work tomorrow.
To be open.
To trust more.

This is also the very process my buyers and sellers go through every day.

Buying or selling a home can stir enormous emotion: hope, fear, excitement, grief, anxiety, joy. It is a roller coaster of uncertainty and possibility.

I often hope that I serve as a grounding force for my clients. A steady hand. A wise guide. A calm voice in the chaos.

But truthfully, we all have to find our own way.

And sometimes, on that path, we hit a bump in the road.

Sometimes it feels like the perfect storm just rolled through our lives.

When that happens, becoming still enough to hear its message—and brave enough to carry that wisdom forward—is everything.

Because after the storm?

The air is clearer.

And so are we.

Warmly,
Pam

YogaBug Real Estate 💛
Licensed in Oregon & Washington

📞 503-347-8551 | 💻 yogabugrealestate.com