‘No Californians,’ Declare Stickers on For-Sale Signs

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(Photo by Quinn Irvine)

Californians aren’t too popular in Portland.

Someone in the hipster-heavy Oregon city has been slapping stickers on for-sale signs with an image of its neighbor state crossed out, similar to “No Smoking” signs, the Oregonian reports.

The message is clear: No Californians welcome here.

“A lot of these homes are going into bidding wars and going over ask price,” agent Quinn Irvine of M Realty told the Oregonian. "And a lot of these guys are getting outbid. And I think they’re going around to agents who have properties that have sold over ask price and putting anti-California stickers.“

It’s true that the Portland market has been exploding as Northern Californians have been priced out of Bay Area real estate. Locals worry their city could “become the next San Francisco.”

On average, Portland homes have been selling for $25,000 over list price in just the last three months, Irvine told news station KGW.

Agent Lori Fenwick of Premiere Property Group told the Oregonian that on one of her for-sale signs, someone covered her name with the phrase “STOP THE BUBBLE.” Several members of a local real estate Facebook group reported seeing anti-California stickers, too.

For the past five years, 25 to 30 percent of new Oregonians have been California transplants, KGW News has found, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down.

"Unfortunately, Portland’s retired hipsters are going to have to get jobs if they want to live in North Portland,” said Mark Charlesworth, another real estate agent whose for-sale signs were vandalized.

More crankiness on Yahoo Real Estate:

Man Saws in Half His Neighbor’s (Allegedly) Encroaching Building
HOA Horror Stories
Grim News, Renters: Brace for Market That’s Even Worse