Others will be on here later but they are probably going to want to know what type of grass it is you have.

Portland has a zone 8? Is that Sunset zone or USDA zone? Doesn't really matter other than to make the point that there is a lot of zone 8 in Texas and the deep south. Zone's are worthless bits of info when it comes to lawn care.

You actually do have compacted soil! This is not a first but it really is rare. Driving a car on a lawn that gets regular irrigation (i.e. Portland) is going to compact the soil underneath.

If you want to do this right, in my opinion you need heavy equipment to rake this and level it. The tool is a box blade and it comes on the back of a tractor. It is not a tool you rent and learn how to use over the weekend. It would require hiring a landscaper. Cost varies all over. It would be worth a few free quotes. If you want to try a less invasive approach you could cover the lawn in an inch or so of mulch for a few weeks. Mulch has the effect of allowing the soil underneath to revitalize itself with constant temps and moisture conditions. I'm thinking the compacted soil might fluff itself up when the soil microbes are allowed to repopulate in there. If you have other leveling issues away from the area where the soil was compacted by the car, then the mulch might not be enough.

How does the property drain when the rains come? Do pools of water form or is there a stream of water running through anywhere? Or is the soil raised above the surrounding concrete which would allow for drainage. Is the house clearly above the soil level by at least 4 inches (to the bottom of the "sill plate")? Does water pour or move toward the house when it rains? Is rain gutter drainage away from the house?

I'm asking because leveling can be a DIY job if the situation is good. If you don't have to remove soil, then you can do it yourself.

We always ask what kind of grass, but in this case, it probably doesn't matter. But it might matter. What do you plan to do with the yard? Will it become a baseball diamond or is it just for looking at?

I questioned zone 8 also, which is why I specified Portland. The zone finder thing on this site said 8 for my zip, idk.

Yeah... Tractors and pros are almost certainly not in the budget. Unless it can be done in an hour, and they charge like, $10/hour. I was honestly hoping to get this done for a bag of seed and some straw. I know its a lot to ask, but I am willing to put in much blood and sweat if that's what it takes. If there is a more man powered alternative to the box blade, I'm all for it. Basically, this HAS to be a DIY job, no matter the situation. Otherwise its not getting done at all.

A decent rain hit today, so I made sure to check out the drainage. Didn't notice any pools on the grass itself; except maybe a minor one near a leaky gutter, which was quickly draining into the flower bed. There are some puddles on our sidewalk from the house to the public sidewalk, and based on the overall grade of the lawn on either side, that's the only drainage point. The public sidewalk is noticeably higher than the base of our foundation, and as a result the grass does slope towards the house. However, even at its highest point, its still probably a few inches lower than the sill plate. We probably have the gear (laser level?) to check for sure, if its that important.

Tomorrow, I'll do some measuring and what not, and mock up a quick diagram of the property to help give a better idea of the situation. It's hard to describe with words alone, with all the variations. I'll also try to determine what type of grass we have, cause I have zero clue right now. :P

Essentially, its just for looking at. The most action it sees is if we walk across it to get to from the driveway to the front door or vise versa. And that's rare because we normally use the backdoor anyway.

Hit it with roundup and then get the tools and move dirt from the high spots to the low spots and eye ball it the best you can. Sounds like your only option.