A reader posed the question: “How do I convert a duplex or other building into condos?” We both worked on the answer since it isn’t entirely straight forward. The short answer is “contact a real estate attorney.” That’s probably the long answer too. We both got the same answer from different sources.

Somewhere in the middle you have city (Portland), county (Multnomah) and state (Oregon Real Estate Agency) laws and statutes to follow. The Agency is one the final steps. They approve the Declarations, By-laws and Disclosures. These must be approved before the condo can be sold as a binding contract which is why we see new construction condos sold as reservations. The Agency supplied me with a list of real estate attorneys. I’m not going to publish it so contact me if you have questions.