Gresham’s super-jumbo market is one of the smallest and most specific in the Portland metro — a function of the city’s overall price level and its fundamental identity as an accessible, value-oriented alternative to inner Portland rather than a luxury destination. But it exists. Gresham Butte — the hillside neighborhood rising southeast of the city center, where ridge-line parcels offer unobstructed views of Mount Hood to the east and the Columbia River Gorge to the north — produces the city’s most significant estate-scale residential real estate. Properties at the top of this market, on large parcels with panoramic eastern exposures, can reach $1.5 million to $2 million and above when site quality, custom build specifications, and view exposure combine. The rural eastern fringe of Multnomah County — where Gresham transitions into unincorporated territory toward the Sandy River and the Mount Hood National Forest — adds a secondary super-jumbo tier: estate properties on significant acreage where land value, privacy, and proximity to one of the Pacific Northwest’s most dramatic natural landscapes create a pricing logic that has nothing to do with Gresham’s citywide median.
The buyers who participate in Gresham’s super-jumbo market are a specific and predictable profile. They are senior manufacturing or aerospace executives — Boeing engineering directors, Microchip Technology vice presidents, ON Semiconductor plant managers — who have built significant compensation and equity over long careers and are making a generational residential investment in East County. They are Legacy Health senior administrators and Legacy Mount Hood’s most established physicians, whose tenure and compensation have reached a tier where the city’s most premium residential settings are within reach. And they are Portland-area professionals or California transplants who have identified Gresham’s Gorge-adjacent setting as a deliberate lifestyle choice — purchasing a view estate or commissioning a custom build that captures the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood in ways that inner Portland neighborhoods simply cannot match. At Loans by Lehrman, these transactions require the same portfolio lending expertise and discretion that super-jumbo buyers in any market deserve.
A super-jumbo mortgage in Gresham is a non-conforming loan that exceeds $2 million — well above the 2026 Multnomah County conforming limit of $832,750. These loans are portfolio-held, manually underwritten, and structured entirely around the borrower’s complete financial profile.
Gresham super-jumbo borrowers typically present with:
Long-term manufacturing, aerospace, or semiconductor industry compensation including base salary, executive bonus structures, and equity components from publicly traded employers
Medical practice or Legacy Health system seniority income with variable components
Significant retirement account balances — 401(k), Boeing pension, or equivalent — that represent the primary accumulated wealth vehicle
Proceeds from Portland metro or California real estate sales providing substantial down payment capital
Desire for a property that captures the Pacific Northwest's natural landscape in a way that no urban neighborhood can replicate
For ridge-line parcel purchases and custom builds in Gresham Butte where site, views, and build specifications combine to reach super-jumbo territory, we access portfolio programs designed for Pacific Northwest high-value residential transactions where the property’s natural setting is the primary value driver.
For Gresham buyers whose liquid and semi-liquid assets — Boeing pension balances, semiconductor industry 401(k) accumulations, investment portfolios — substantially exceed their current annual income, asset depletion programs convert documented portfolio balances to qualifying monthly income. This is particularly applicable to recently retired manufacturing executives who have stepped back from W-2 employment while retaining substantial wealth.
For active Boeing, Microchip Technology, and ON Semiconductor senior professionals whose compensation includes base salary, executive bonus, long-term incentive components, and possibly deferred compensation structures, we develop documentation packages that accurately present total annual earnings to portfolio lenders.
For buyers commissioning custom builds on Gresham Butte parcels or rural eastern Multnomah County acreage — where land acquisition and construction together reach into super-jumbo territory — our construction-to-permanent super-jumbo program closes once, funds in draws, and converts to a permanent mortgage at completion without re-qualification.
Gresham Butte View Estates
Gresham Butte's ridge-line residential setting is unlike anything else in the East County market. Properties positioned on the butte's upper slopes offer panoramic views that encompass Mount Hood's snow-capped volcanic cone to the southeast, the Columbia River's broad corridor to the north, and on clear days the full sweep of the Cascade Range from Mount Adams to Mount Jefferson. This topographic setting — combined with the relative privacy of larger lots and the natural separation from Gresham's urban grid — creates estate-scale residential values that bear no direct relationship to the city's median market. Custom builds here are typically architect-directed, responsive to view orientation, and built to specifications that reflect the unique character of the site rather than any production builder template. At the top of this market, super-jumbo financing is appropriate and increasingly necessary.
Rural East Multnomah County — Sandy River Corridor
East of Gresham's city limits, the terrain transitions rapidly from suburban grid to unincorporated rural landscape. The Sandy River — one of the finest steelhead and salmon rivers in the Pacific Northwest — flows through Troutdale and the rural Multnomah County landscape toward its confluence with the Columbia. Properties along the Sandy River corridor, in Corbett, and in the community of Larch Mountain offer rural estate settings on acreage that combine natural beauty with reasonable proximity to Gresham's urban amenities. When land value, custom residential improvement, and the privacy premium of rural Multnomah County are combined, super-jumbo territory is reachable for the most premium properties in this tier.
Columbia River Gorge Viewshed Properties
Gresham's position at the western gateway of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area means that properties with unobstructed Gorge viewsheds — whether on Gresham Butte, at the top of the Powell Butte plateau, or on the hillsides above Troutdale — carry a view premium that is nationally recognized and distinctly Pacific Northwestern. The Gorge's federal scenic area designation restricts development that would compromise this viewshed, creating genuine long-term scarcity in properties that capture it. For buyers who are purchasing for the view — not the address — these properties can reach values that require super-jumbo financing.
Access to portfolio lenders with Pacific Northwest estate and manufacturing executive borrower expertise
Boeing, Microchip Technology, and ON Semiconductor executive compensation documentation experience
Asset depletion programs for retired manufacturing professionals with pension and 401(k) wealth concentration
Construction-to-permanent super-jumbo for Gresham Butte custom builds and Sandy River corridor estate projects
Full discretion throughout the process
Rural Multnomah County appraisal familiarity — we work with appraisers who understand East County's unique value drivers
Ryan Lehrman, NMLS #235295
Credit: Typically 720 or above; 740+ for most favorable program terms
Income: All sources considered — W-2 base salary, executive bonus, aerospace pension, semiconductor RSU, deferred compensation, and investment income; asset depletion available for qualifying borrowers
Reserves: Typically 12 to 24 months PITI in liquid or semi-liquid accounts; Boeing pension and manufacturing sector 401(k) balances typically documentable as reserve assets
Property: View estates, custom builds, rural acreage properties, and unique residential settings; considered with appropriate appraisal methodology for each property type
Confidential financial review — We conduct a complete assessment of your income sources, asset position, employer compensation structure, and target property before recommending a program.
Documentation strategy — We develop a presentation of your financial profile — including pension, 401(k), executive bonus history, and any manufacturing sector deferred compensation — that accurately reflects your capacity to portfolio underwriters.
Lender selection and term negotiation — We identify the right portfolio lending partner for your specific loan characteristics and negotiate terms on your behalf.
Appraisal — Super-jumbo appraisals on Gresham Butte view estates and rural Multnomah County parcels require specialists; we manage this from selection through delivery.
Closing — We coordinate with your legal counsel, financial advisors, and title company to ensure a complete and fully managed closing.
In Gresham, super-jumbo financing primarily applies to Gresham Butte ridge-line view estates at the top of the custom build market ($1.5 million to $2.5 million and above), Columbia River Gorge viewshed properties where federal scenic area protections create long-term scarcity, and rural Multnomah County estate parcels along the Sandy River corridor where land and residential improvement together exceed $2 million. These are rare transactions — Gresham is not a volume super-jumbo market — but they occur among the city's senior manufacturing, aerospace, and healthcare executive tier.
Yes, in most cases. Boeing defined benefit pension income — whether currently being received or projected within a documented timeline — can be incorporated as qualifying income under most super-jumbo portfolio guidelines. Boeing 401(k) and ESOP balances can typically satisfy reserve requirements. For retired Boeing executives who are no longer W-2 employed but have substantial pension and investment wealth, asset depletion programs can convert documented portfolio balances to qualifying monthly income, allowing a high-value property purchase without relying on current earned income.
Yes. Our construction-to-permanent super-jumbo program is available for custom builds on Gresham Butte, provided the borrower profile, builder qualifications, and parcel documentation meet program standards. For buyers who have secured a view parcel on the butte and are commissioning an architect-designed home, this structure closes once before construction begins, locks the rate, funds in draws as milestones are met, and converts to a permanent mortgage at certificate of occupancy — eliminating the re-qualification risk of a two-loan approach across a 12 to 18 month build timeline.
Super-jumbo transactions benefit from early engagement. Let’s have a confidential conversation about your property and financial profile.
Originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I moved to Phoenix to attend Arizona State University and have proudly called Phoenix home ever since.
My journey into the mortgage industry began with a friend’s encouragement, who saw how my energy and people-first mindset could make a difference. He was right — I found my calling.
I’ve always embraced what makes me different. With ADHD as my secret weapon, I thrive in fast-paced, detail-heavy environments. I’ve built my career on clear communication, creative problem-solving, and putting clients first, always.
Outside of work, my greatest motivation is my wife and three amazing kids. I’d be honored to help guide you through your lending journey with care, clarity, and commitment.
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