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This Week's Earth Day Run Expects Large Crowd

2011-04-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

Mark it down: the 3rd Annual Earth Day Run, expected to draw more than 1,000 people this year, will take place this upcoming Saturday, April 23rd, in Tigard.

Hosted by Earth Advantage, the Earth Day Run promises something fun for everyone whether they’re in running shoes or not. On the course, races include a 10K run, 5K run/walk/doggie run, Kids’ race, and a Kids’ Recycle run.

Off course, healthy living and a healthy planet will be celebrated. Live music, organic food and local beer are on tap. Plus a Green Living Fair will showcase green building, local nonprofits, and sustainable goods.

Remember to bring old tennis shoes no longer in use to the event. Nike will be there to collect running shoes for recycling!

Proceeds from the Earth Day Run will go to the Ace Academy, a school that bridges the gap between core academics and application within the professional technical arena.

For more information and to register for a race, click here.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors Now Required In Many Oregon Homes

2011-04-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

As of this month, Oregon law mandates that if you’re buying or selling a home or renting one, a carbon monoxide detector (CO) must be installed if there is a CO source on site. Gas furnaces, gas water heaters, gas stoves and similar appliances are CO sources.

Here’s more from KGW-TV:

Portland’s Ecoroof Incentives Are Back

2011-03-30T06:54:00.000-07:00

In an effort to green Portland’s rooftops, the city will be offering property owners and developers ecoroof incentives beginning in April.

The incentives fund up to $5 per square foot on an ecoroof project. According to the city, installation of an ecoroof costs between $5 to $20 per square foot. Here are the requirements needed to participate in the program which is part of Portland’s Grey to Green initiative.

According to a recent report, the program has funded 111 ecoroofs equaling 8.2 acres of rooftops. Its goal is to fund 43 acres by 2013.

The application deadline is June 1.

Crime In Portland? Just Average

2011-03-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

When it comes to crime, Portland is average. So says a new report which ranked Portland 227th out of 400 cities for crime rate.

The report, City Crime Rankings 2010-2011: Crime in Metropolitan America, was published by CQPress, a publisher of books and reference publications, using crime data reported to the FBI. There were six categories analyzed: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft.

Beaverton ranked 50th best and Gresham ranked 176th. According to the report, the city with the lowest crime rate was Colonie, New York. The worst crime rate belonged to St. Louis, Missouri.

Of note, last year Forbes ranked Portland as the second safest city in America.

Six Months To Sell? That’s The Average

2011-03-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

Half a year. That’s the average amount of time it’s taking to sell a home in Portland.

Nothing should be eye-opening anymore, but this average market time grabbed my attention. Goodness. So much happens in six months’ time (except home sales, apparently).

Technically, the average is 177 days- 15 days longer than a year ago. Let me be clear. As I’ve said often on this blog, real estate is local. It’s micro. Certain areas, neighborhoods, and houses will simply sell faster (or slower) based on a variety of factors.

Keeping that in mind, here are the average market times for different areas of Portland metro, listed from the least days on the market to the most.

DOM = Area

112 = North Portland
132 = Northwest Washington County
133 = Southeast Portland
155 = Gresham, Troutdale
163 = Milwaukie, Clackamas, Happy Valley
166 = Northeast Portland
168 = Beaverton, Aloha
191 = Hillsboro, Forest Grove
208 = Oregon City, Canby
220 = Lake Oswego, West Linn
234 = West Portland
238 = Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Wilsonville

Data was provided by the RMLS.

The Better Living Show Is This Weekend

2011-03-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

In an effort to live up to its name, the Better Living Show will offer Portlanders just about everything under the sustainable sun this weekend at the Expo Center.

Workshops will cover topics dealing with gardening, home energy audits, green remodeling, local food policies, and more. There will be activities for kids, as well as vendors and booths to learn what Earth friendly products are available in our area.

And, it is free of charge.

The show starts Friday and finishes Sunday. Here’s a brief commercial on what to expect:

A Double-Digit Drop In Home Prices Looks Like This

2011-03-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

The usual suspects remain atop Portland’s list of most expensive areas, but prices definitively reflect the staggered state of the market. As mentioned last week, there’s been roughly a 10% drop in home values during the last year.

Here are the year-to-date average and median home prices for Portland metro, listed from most expensive to least expensive:

Average & Median = Area

$379,300 & $330,000 = Lake Oswego, West Linn
$363,500 & $316,500 = West Portland
$319,100 & $298,300 = Northwest Washington County
$272,000 & $262,000 = Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Wilsonville
$271,200 & $233,800 = Northeast Portland
$237,600 & $227,700 = Milwaukie, Clackamas, Happy Valley
$214,500 & $209,900 = Oregon City, Canby
$204,500 & $189,900 = Beaverton, Aloha
$202,900 & $194,200 = Hillsboro, Forest Grove
$198,300 & $175,000 = North Portland
$197,000 & $167,000 = Southeast Portland
$190,700 & $175,000 = Gresham, Troutdale

Data was provided by the RMLS.

Ecoroof Portland Is Tomorrow

2011-03-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

If you ever had an ecoroof question, tomorrow's the day to ask it. Ecoroof Portland 2011 takes place Friday, for free, at the Oregon Convention Center.

Visitors will learn how ecoroofs work and what local resources are available. In addition to hearing from keynote speakers, attendees will also have direct access to architects, consultants, engineers, researchers, community organizations, and more.

The event takes place from 10:00am-6:00pm. For more information, visit Ecoroof Portland.

See you there!

Portland Home Prices Stay Down

2011-03-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Portland home prices are still taking a beating.

According to the RMLS, the average sales price in Portland metro dropped 10.5% from February 2010 to February 2011. In 2010, the average sales price was $273,100 and this year it's $244,500.

Median home prices equally suffered. They declined 9.1% during the same time span. In 2010, the median home price was $235,000. This February the median price was only $213,700.

It's also taking longer for homeowners to sell their homes. The RMLS reports that the average market time to sell a home is currently 177 days. Last year, the average time was 150 days.

There were slight improvements in the market. February's housing inventory fell to 10.9 months – a level that still highly favors buyers – which is the lowest February level in two years.

Closed home sales were up 5.8% compared to last year. New listings, however, dropped 26.1%.

Families Go Wild In Guided Nature Walks

2011-03-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

“Some kids don’t know what woodpeckers are. They just don’t make good cartoons like they used to,” jokes Christal Florin, a park ranger at Tryon Creek State Natural Area, alluding to the once-famous Woody.

On the grayest, rainiest Saturday morning you can imagine, even by Portland standards, Florin guides a trio of families, four kids and seven adults, on a nature walk around one of the park’s half-mile loops. The goal: to find as many signs of wildlife as possible, including the woodpecker.

This is not for the faint of heart. Or at least those who want to stay clean. Level, but muddy, the trail is a kid’s natural playground. Little boots land in every puddle. Soaked dirt gets kicked and flung care-free. Then suddenly, it all stops.

The group discovers its first sign of wildlife: a great horned owl’s nest. Florin explains that owls use stick nests built by other birds, typically hawks or crows. This nest, she adds, contains eggs that are expected to hatch owlets in about four weeks. Because of the expected due date, the male owl normally stands guard close-by.

Scanning the green forest, the park ranger spots him perched on a nearby tree about 40-feet high. “He’s got some really pretty white feathers right along his chest. You guys can check him out with my binoculars,” says Florin. “Cool. Wow. Amazing,” rings out from the kids (and parents).

The muddy march continues, as does the fascination. No, dinosaurs will not be found today answers the park ranger. Yes, animal poop is most definitely a sign of wildlife. This hike turns out to be nature playing show-and-tell.

“Look, I see a hole in the ground,” points a rain-soaked little boy. He learns that’s probably a mole hole. A few steps later, the boy finds another hole- this one in a tree. “This looks like a woodpecker’s hole,” Florin states. “Do you know what woodpeckers like to eat? Bugs. They knock on the wood and then they listen and if they hear some insects scurrying around, they use their tongue to stick into the wood to see if they can find some delicious bugs to snack on.” This time, it’s the adults who seem most fascinated.

During the hour-long walk, the group hears a winter wren fill the quiet air with song. Kids learn where chipmunks, bark beetles and squirrels live. They discover trilliums starting to bloom. Amazingly, this is happening smack in the middle of a 670-acre forest located in the city.

“That’s very unique. Coming from Chicago, we don’t have anything like this unless you drive miles and miles,” says Denise Johnson, visiting with her family.

The tour ends, still raining, beneath the neck-lifting alder, cedar, maple and Douglas fir trees. Kids get a sticker. Parents get a free, family-friendly activity. Everyone gets an outdoors education.

Tryon Creek State Natural Area provides year-round guided nature hikes, classes and camps for kids. It is the only state park in Oregon located within a major metropolitan area. For more information, visit www.tryonfriends.org.

Here are highlights from the nature walk, shot with a Flip camcorder.

Portland Development Commission Focuses On Local Level

2011-03-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this video posted by the Portland Development Commission (PDC) and thought it was worth sharing with blog readers. The PDC aims to close the gaps of economic prosperity between Portland neighborhoods, in part through community level discussions and local job creation.

Here’s the video which covered a community summit held to address these issues.

Portland: A Top Retirement Spot

2011-03-08T06:24:00.000-08:00

Who needs sunshine? Maybe not retirees. Yes, Portland has been named one of the country’s top bargain retirement spots.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Portland’s falling home prices helped the city make the cut, but so are the other things that make Portland special. Notably, “Free things to do in Portland include hiking in the 5,000-acre Forest Park, strolling among the 7,000 rose bushes at the International Rose Test Garden, and perusing plants from all seven continents at the Hoyt Arboretum. Many of Portland’s breweries and distilleries also offer complimentary tours and tastings."

Here are the top bargain retirement spots, as listed by the publication:

Portland, OR
Tallahassee, FL
Tucson, AZ
Wake Forest, NC
Cathedral City, CA
Wahiawa, HI
Weatherford, TX
Dover, Del.
Sycamore, Ill.
St. Charles, Md.

Coyote Sightings Raise Concerns In Northeast Portland

2011-03-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

Classic homes, big beautiful trees, and great parks are character traits of the Alameda, Grant, and Irvington neighborhoods in Northeast Portland... but now coyotes are top of mind.

Coyote sightings have become more prevalent in the neighborhoods recently, especially during the day, and it's raised the concern of residents. Here's a report from ABC-affiliate, KATU.

New Thinking For New Homes

2011-03-02T06:45:00.001-08:00

According to The Wall Street Journal, "More homes are being built with universal design features that will help boomers stay in their homes as they age. But these features no longer evoke a hospital room -- and they're appealing to a younger demographic, too.” The video demonstrates how.

Video: Oregon Contractor Licensed? Should Be

2011-03-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

I remind all my clients – both sellers and buyers – to always make sure the contractors they hire are licensed and bonded. It’s easy to do and can be done by visiting the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. The following video by Portland’s NBC affiliate, KGW-TV, is a prime example as to why.

Portland, A Top Foodie City

2011-02-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

The best restaurant in Portland is... Well, you're bound to get a wide array of answers and food-types and it's this diversity which helped Portland rank 2nd in a list of America's Top Foodie Cities.

Featured by CNBC and created by Sperling's Best Places, Portland finished second in the study behind Santa Rosa/Napa, California.

According to the researchers:

“In this study, we looked at the food culture of each place, not just restaurant ratings,” says Bert Sperling, lead researcher for the project. “By measuring the ratio number of local restaurants to chain outlets, we can highlight the cities where residents support regional dining. The number of community farms and markets indicate a preference by residents for fresh and healthy groceries. We analyzed the number of wine bars and shops, but acknowledging that wine isn’t everyone’s beverage preference, we also included 3,000 brewpubs and microbreweries nationwide.”

“By considering these criteria and more, it gives an excellent insight into the areas of the United States where locals care about the food they eat, prepare, and share with their friends and family.”

In regards to Portland, “Portland has gained increasing recognition for its innovative food scene. With diverse restaurants that range from novo-Peruvian to the famously quirky doughnut shops, Portland is not lacking for unique cuisine. Portland’s green-friendly city also has the largest number of vegetarian and vegan options for diners.”

Here are the top ten cities:

1. Santa Rosa/Napa, CA
2. Portland, OR
3. Burlington, VT
4. Portland, ME
5. San Francisco, CA
6. Providence, RI
7. Boston, MA
8. Seattle, WA
9. Santa Fe, NM
10. Santa Barbara, CA

Cash Buyers Make Their Mark

2011-02-22T06:34:00.000-08:00

Here’s an interesting discussion regarding the status of cash buyers. According to experts at The Wall Street Journal, they’re lifting home sales particularly in distressed real estate markets. And according to the National Association of Realtors, 28% of transactions in 2010 were cash deals. Check out the video.

Average Time On Market In Portland

2011-02-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

It’s taking more than five months, on average, to sell a Portland area home. To be exact, the average is currently 160 days. As usual, some areas are selling faster than others and some are really laboring.

Here are the average market times for Portland metro, in days, from lowest to highest:

DOM = Area

119 = Northeast Portland
124 = Southeast Portland
135 = North Portland
141 = Milwaukie, Clackamas, Happy Valley
142 = Oregon City, Canby
145 = Gresham, Troutdale
156 = Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Wilsonville
165 = Hillsboro, Forest Grove
168 = West Portland
182 = Beaverton, Aloha
197 = Northwest Washington County
258 = Lake Oswego, West Linn

Data was provided by the RMLS.

Portland Home Prices In 2011

2011-02-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

What did Portland homes sell for in January? Here are the average and median prices for home sales last month. Keep in mind that prices are for closed sales, so they likely reflect transactions that went pending in late 2010.

Average & Median = Area

$390,000 & $365,000 = Lake Oswego, West Linn
$358,500 & $300,000 = West Portland
$319,800 & $302,500 = Northwest Washington County
$282,300 & $279,500 = Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Wilsonville
$280,700 & $255,000 = Northeast Portland
$247,400 & $231,900 = Milwaukie, Clackamas, Happy Valley
$209,500 & $200,000 = Oregon City, Canby
$208,300 & $206,000 = North Portland
$207,600 & $198,500 = Hillsboro, Forest Grove
$201,800 & $181,200 = Beaverton, Aloha
$198,800 & $182,000 = Southeast Portland
$193,300 & $175,000 = Gresham, Troutdale

Data was provided by the RMLS.

RMLS Reports Portland Home Prices Tumble

2011-02-16T06:48:00.000-08:00

Portland’s home price decline in January was startling. According to the RMLS, both the average and median home prices for the area dropped by double-digits compared to a year ago.

The RMLS reports that the average price of a home in our area fell 11.9% in January. Last month, the average price was $248,900. A year ago, however, the average price was $282,400.

Examining the median price, in January, the amount was $215,000. In January 2010, however, the median price was $240,000.

Otherwise, news was mixed. Closed sales were slightly up compared to last year while pending sales (those under contract, but not yet closed) were slightly down.

Housing inventory, which indicates the supply of homes for sale and their absorption rates, is at 11.3 months. That’s a high level and an increase from December’s 7.9 months. That said, January’s inventory level is historically the highest month of the year and normally rises from December’s level. The current level of 11.3 months is also lower than last January’s 12.6 month’s supply.

The average time on the market to sell a Portland area home is 160 days. A year ago, it was 145 days.

Four Very Different Backyards

2011-02-14T05:36:00.000-08:00

You’ve heard: “It’s not what’s on the outside that counts, but the inside.” That may be true for people, but it’s not true for homes. Especially, when dealing with new or newer construction in the Portland area.

I recently spent an afternoon helping buyers look for this type of house in NW Portland and the backyard, like it is for most buyers, is important to them. On this day we found four completely different backyard situations.

One house was fairly typical. Near Findley Elementary, it was in the middle of a Legend Homes subdivision on an average sized lot and neighbored by similar houses. It didn’t have tons of privacy, but it didn’t feel like being in a fishbowl either.

A second home near Bonny Slope had a smaller than average backyard with no grass (Realtors call this “an easy maintenance backyard.”). Houses to the north were elevated higher than this home making privacy non-existent.

A third property actually had a very big backyard, especially for a new home. The lawn was level, the yard was fenced, and there was good distance in between neighboring houses.

And finally, there was the fourth home. This was probably the nicest, grandest house of all. It was also next to a very busy street. In fact, it backed up to Cornell Road meaning the backyard, which was small, was very noisy. There were also power lines from the road hovering close to the property.

While most of the backyards were more or less typical for new homes around here, only the fourth house had a backyard obstacle that was too big to overcome. In this case, it wasn’t the inside, but the outside that counted most.

Hmm, That's A Different Way Of Thinking

2011-02-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

I must admit that when it comes to home improvement projects, the front door or garage door did not immediately register as the best return of investment. But the following video has its own viewpoint. Check it out.

A Simple Green Step For Your Home

2011-02-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

When it comes to homes, there are different levels of green. Green shades can range from LEED and Earth Advantage certified homes found here in Portland to green materials such as cork flooring used in remodels. One simple way to green your home is to use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

Here’s a very good video from Common Craft explaining how CFLs work and their benefits to you and the environment:

Because CFLs contain mercury, they should not be thrown out when no longer used, but they should be recycled at local hazardous waste collection facilities. IKEA and Home Depot also accept them.

Portland Named A Best Place To Live

2011-02-07T05:47:00.000-08:00

Portland’s one of the best cities in the American West to live in, according to February’s issue of Sunset Magazine.

Propping the city’s ranking was Portland’s sustainability and transportation options. Here’s what the publication wrote in regards to the Rose City:

About four months ago, the New Seasons natural-foods chain made a quintessentially Portland move: It dedicated more parking to bikes than cars at its newest store. “There’s this subculture of people in their 20s and 30s who don’t even think about owning cars,” says Michael Andersen, who last year parted with his ’99 Toyota and used the proceeds to fund a startup newsmagazine, Portland Afoot, that covers “low-car living” in the City of Roses.

Bikes aside, Portland excels at alternative options. The TriMet buses link seamlessly with 52 miles of light rail and the nation’s first new streetcar line in a half-century. But Portland’s commitment to cycling is mind boggling, with upward of 300 miles of bike lanes, bike paths, and specially marked “bike boulevards,” where car volume is kept low. There are countless bike shops, bike clubs, bike races, bike blogs, and bike nonprofits, not to mention bike-thru coffee shops and bike-polo matches. One local credit union even offers bicycle loans.

Other cities that were featured included:

Salt Spring Island, B.C.; Salt Lake City; Taos, N.M.; Bellingham, Wash.; Eureka, Calif.; San Diego; Sonoma County, Calif.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Crestone, Colo.

Portland Earns High Ranking For...

2011-02-02T07:11:00.000-08:00

Buying local and avoiding that water bottle has helped Portland become one of America’s least wasteful cities, so says a new study.

The 2nd Annual Nalgene Least Wasteful Citiess study ranks Portland 4th, down from last year’s 3rd overall ranking.

What was assessed in the study?

The eco-study questioned 3,750 individuals living in the top 25 largest U.S. cities, gauging behavior on waste, sustainability, shopping, transportation and more. The results were weighted to give more credit to behaviors that had immediate and significant impact on the planet (e.g. driving less, recycling or reducing trash) to small habits that are more indicative of a mindset and non-wasteful approach to life (e.g. reusing containers, limiting shower time or saving wrapping paper and ribbons).

Here are the top five least wasteful cities:

1. San Francisco
2. Seattle
3. New York
4. Portland
5. Boston

Portland's high rankings:

2nd Buying locally grown/produced foods
2nd Using reusable bottles in place of single-serve bottles of water/soda/other beverages
2nd Avoid buying bottled water
2nd Composting fruits and vegetable scraps
2nd Using reusable grocery bags
3rd Buying secondhand items, including clothes, electronics and furniture
4th Participating in their city’s sustainability/environmental programs
4th Never driving their car for trips that are less than one mile from home

Portland's Low rankings:

20th Shutting off the lights when not in a room
21st Saving leftover food/meals to eat again