Live Events at the Birkenfeld Store     I recently interviewed Mike and Wendy Ingraham, owners of the Birkenfeld Store whose variety of offerings for things to do in the  Birkenfeld community is ever-increasing, especially for Fishhawk Lake members .  Their ability to provide the best in live entertainment, just four miles down the road from Fishhawk Lake Recreation Club has added another great reason to buy property out here!  It happens every Saturday night unless they have a prior event that takes precedence. It is dance music with no cover charge and starts at 7pm and goes til 10pm. The styles can range from a solo artist to 6-piece bands. The genres range from 50s oldies, to classic rock&roll, to country and blues music--a little something for most of everybody.  Along with music y... 03/25/2011

Paying it Forward is about Love Connections, but not in the way you might be thinking! I am not a matchmaker when it comes to putting couples together forever, but when it comes to "fixing people up" in my business world, I'm ALL OVER IT, whether it's matching needs or sharing ideas that will make someone money. One"Love Connection": our Firewise Community at Fishhawk Lake is having our semi-annual clean-up of dead limbs, etc. around our community to help keep our coastal range properties (that are surrounded by trees and forestation) firesafe. It's not to raise money, just to help keep our accredidation as one of the few Firewise Communties in the Pacific Northwest and we have certain things we have to do to keep that up. (from picture in The Independent newspaper, cropped, January 20,... 03/20/2011

Hello, can you hear me now?? I'm a realtor with no phone apps....I feel so naked...so unadorned...     But why don't you, you ask?  Well, good reader, I have no CELL SERVICE out here. And you know WHAT ELSE? It's a good thing.   Tell you why. In the world of convenience, instant gratification and 900 ways of getting in touch with someone immediately via every new form of friggin' technology one can grasp in the millisecond that you turn around or sneeze, I am realizing that sometimes Simplicity is Good I have one phone number, basically. Keeps it easy for my clients. I have one e-mail, no twitter, no ipad/pod, no blackberry or whatever bird or fruit contraption you might have.    tWEEt!     There's an article in the March 2011 REALTOR magazine, written by Katherine Tarbox on the latest ... 03/14/2011

  It's TIME.  It's been a "long lonely winter" Winter at Fishhawk Lake    and I am SO ready to welcome spring!!!! (I hope Mother Nature's listening). (A butterfly in my water feature)  We went to the semi-annual Home and Garden Show in Portland, at the Expo Center and saw our dear friend, Elmer Aranda, owner of All Nature's Construction (http://fishhawklakerealtor.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/a-where-to-go-who-to-call-guide-to-resources-for-fishhawk-lake-homeowners/.) He is an award-winning landscape "artist" and an all-around great guy. He's coming out to do a re-vamp of our landscaping at our new lakefront home on Fishhawk Lake. He'd done a gorgeous water feature for our old place off the lake and we always got compliments on it. I even had calla lilies blooming last summer when it was up... 03/13/2011

While going home to Fishhawk Lake on Friday,  from Vernonia Realty (my part-time office), it was late afternoon and I was passing the farm on Fishhawk Rd. where my lovely horse, Summer is boarded just 2 miles down the road from my home on Fishhawk Lake. I slowed down because I saw her standing near the barn in the distance. When I usually stop and yell her name from up on the road, she raises her head and looks for me. (Of course it always makes me think how smart she is.)   ANYWAY, I look right past the barn, and VOILA--thirty seven elk all lazily eating the greenery that surrounded them! I just happened to have my camera (yea!!) so snapped a few shots. Most weren't as clear and crisp as I prefer, but what the heck, at least the moment was one I could capture!       If you want your ow... 03/05/2011

Lake Property Services at Fishhawk Lake, Birkenfeld, Oregon, 97016: Along with the services I can provide you as your Lake Property Realtor  (and resident) I also like to share information on great services I find that will make your life easier. I bring you: A-1 Service This family business is your neighbor near Fishhawk Lake--a real find! They are an unusual cleaning business as they do BOTH residential and commercial. The Tates, Ron and Kelee have owned and operated A-1 Service for five years and are located about 17 quick minutes away from Fishhawk Lake.      They are reasonably priced, quite efficient and Ron, with A-1 Service continues to study the newest green products in the industry to create cleanliness without chemicals. I for one applaud that, because I have dogs, a cat and ... 03/03/2011

It's been over a week now. Because of non-stop snow this place has gone from a lovely lake resort community to Fort Knox.  No one's getting in--least of all any potential buyers!    This could be detrimental for some, but this is an opportunity for me.    1. The phone still works and last night I got a call from an investor looking for those hidden gems; distressed properties, sellers in trouble or buyers who need some hard money to pull a deal together.  This gets those creative juices flowing, which starts with a good conversation.   2. I am PARKED in front of my computer. HOWEVER, this is giving me plenty of time to read all of those precious posts on Active Rain that are FILLED with the newest information that's going to help my business and prompt new posts from me.   3. I was on t... 03/01/2011

Lake property at Fishhawk Lake means different things to different people. Part 2 goes on to describe some of what Fishhawk Lake has to offer regarding water activities, fishing and weather patterns.  Winds kick up usually in the afternoons for some personal sailing that keep some sailors really happy out on our 50AC lake. I don't see that many, but it doesn't mean you can't. I do see more paddle boats, usually operated by teens or younger kids and kayaks and canoes by both young and old. I happened to look up from my lakefront property yesterday just in time to see a couple of young boys tip over their canoe, but they were only in about 5' of water and virtually stood on the lake bottom to get their bearings and eventually get back in and continue their fun. Because it was a 90+ degree... 03/01/2011

I get clients who ask questions about the various lake options in Oregon because they are searching for a place to go that's not too far from Portland, Vancouver or the Portland airport, that will answer some of their "dreams" for a vacation home on or near a lake. So! If you are looking for a lake that is quieter, that you can kayak, sail, canoe, swim in, fish in a drift boat or use an electric motor or human power, hike around,then WE'RE THE LAKE FOR YOU!!! Now, if you are looking to waterski, jetski, or use any kind of gas motor, uh...bye bye!  The reason?  Because Fishhawk Lake is also our water source to drink, shower, use for cooking, etc!  Electric Pontoon It is fed by Fishhawk Creek and four other smaller creeks. We have our own water treatment plant and our own sewage plant.  ... 02/28/2011

An elephant in the Pacific Northwest? One would naturally think of the Portland Zoo, but this elephant can be found on Fishhawk Lake.     Aerial view of Fishhawk Lake, Birkenfeld, Oregon Courtesy of Art Mitchell It has been a four year trek through my own Serengeti, embarking on the journey of going into real estate at the age of fifty and living fulltime at Fishhawk Lake. Although a different locale than Stefan Swanepoel's Surviving Your Serengeti, a fable comparing personality characteristics in humans to animals in the Serengeti,  my tale of self-discovery tromps through any geographic lines and ties us together, from the Serengeti to Fishhawk Lake, making it seem as if my home on a lake in the coastal range of Oregon and the plains of Africa are one and the same.    Photo Courtesy o... 02/27/2011

Waterfront property as a vacation home, retirement or fulltime living has been on peoples' wish lists for many many years. Maybe they grew up going to the lake cabin for summer getaways or it's their Dream Home for the summer months or they might just love fishing on a lake!  Fishhawk Lake was the answer to our dream and we have lived here for several years off-the-lake and just bought our "Dream Home" seven months ago! I still pinch myself.   We now own waterfront property, and as the expert realtor at Fishhawk Lake, I know that everyone clammers for that cabin on the lake, whether they can afford it or not. How does one go about it? Dream Home: Good news! As a buyer, you can do what we did: buy lake property off the lake, at a good price and  with some kind of view and then UPGRADE!  ... 02/25/2011

What if you could speak directly to a home?  What would you say? Would you use different words than when speaking to its owner?  You haven't changed at all! This can be great to hear at your 30th high school reunion, but boy, oh boy, that could be tough if you're a 70's ranch with a bad color job and sad fixtures. You're a catch, what are you doing with him??  Simply put, great house, bad agent. Enough said. Whew, you STINK! We ALL know this one! From the litter box that's taken over to the 40-year smoker in denial that there's any odor (well, CHHAAAA, he/she has lost most of his/her senses thanks to that AWFUL habit) this can be a tough one to put gently and still get something done about it. And those little plug-ins...forget about it!     You're HOT, but not that hot!  Think Paris Hi... 02/24/2011

Gayle Rich-Boxman, Broker with Vernonia Realty Your Gateway to the Lake! (503) 755-2905 In Oregon real estate and in my market at Fishhawk Lake, appraisals have to be accurate, especially now because they are being scrutinized so closely. I am called often by appraisers for Oregon real estate sales at Fishhawk Lake because it's my niche, my specialty and about 95-98% of the sales/listings come my way.   SOLD!!! $280,000 2/23/2011   Getting a call from an appraiser for Oregon real estate here at Fishhawk Lake is a welcome one.  It means that they need help and they figure I can assist with that.  That's a nice feeling and it makes their job easier because I'm able to answer most questions they throw at me. I even help them when they're doing a refinance for someone who's not a buyer/sell... 02/24/2011

It was over a year ago. I did it with eleven other women, the ladies of the lake.  We had fun. No regrets. Let me explain. It was Kathy's idea. Just a smidgen of sex; bare shoulder here, a little cleavage there. It didn't hurt anyone, we all knew exactly what we were getting into. We had pseudonyms. I was Miss Take it to the Bank. Do I have your attention yet? We gave it away. We even made money for others, like The Birkenfeld Store and a couple of shops in Vernonia.  I gave it to my clients for a whole year. And they loved it. So did I. It created quite the buzz. WHAT WAS IT, you ask??                 FISHHAWK LAKE 2010 CALENDAR         I was August and I signed up for this because it was a creative way to "sell" my business and EVERYONE can use a calendar, especially if it's free!!  G... 02/21/2011

Businesses have them emblazoned on their walls, business cards, trucks.  Franklin Covey suggests it as part of their success system and it's common for those employed by businesses to understand that that statement is a part of the Big Picture of how they approach or care for their customers. The start to my personal mission statement "officially" began at sixteen,with my first job as a "busgirl" in a swanky restaurant and then for the next fourteen years, I was in the restaurant business doing either parttime work during college or fulltime in between career moves. Learning to be a server was humbling, fun and a LOT of work. Since that time, I've said to many people that I think EVERYONE should be a server for one day in their lives to really get a sense of what this is like and then m... 02/21/2011

Four years ago, I got my education completed and became a broker in Oregon just about the time the downturn took place...oh my. Because I had a list of homeowners' addresses I had done something very old-fashioned and sent out a letter to about 300 people in my private lake community in the coastal range of Oregon just after I got my license. My VERY FIRST LISTING:  Call it divine intervention or whatever, but there was a need for someone to sell and a need for someone to invest and it literally took five minutes, three phone calls and a full-price offer on a vacant lot made/accepted!!  It was CRAZY. I never even had time to put up a SIGN. I had gotten a follow-up phone call in response to my letter from an owner of this vacant lot who was clear across the country in New Jersey and he a... 02/20/2011

Seven Words to Avoid and Seven Words to Embrace While I was running this morning, this occurred to me and I thought I would share some of these. You might have a completely different list.  Seven Words to Avoid  (or use sparingly):   Should- Years ago, my sister wrote in a card to me "Eliminate should from your vocabulary". That was it, with no further explanation. After thinking about it, it came to me that this word puts you on notice and makes you feel uncomfortable about not doing something as if you need to feel guilty..."well, I should be exercising at least 4 times a week", "I should get out there and date because all of my friends are saying that I need to". As opposed to I want to_________(fill in the blank). It is one of those words that seems to drag you into doing something ... 02/19/2011

Whether you volunteer for a local organization, become a matchmaker, social networker or do some of what I've done in the past (which I'll go into in a minute) it's all about the LOVE aspect for doing something GOOD for someone else. It's like a good  drug, the more you do it, the better it makes you feel. After having a successful year in real estate when many around my area were getting out of the business, I decided to say a special thank you to my clients, both sellers and buyers alike.  So, what I decided to do as sort of a Thank You/Christmas gift was to ask what charity they would like me to make a donation to and I would do it in their name.  It was absolutely delightful to see what clients felt passionate about!  I even went so far as to suggest a few of my personal favorites i... 02/14/2011

  Gayle Rich-Boxman, Broker with Vernonia Realty and Fulltime Resident at Fishhawk Lake Your Gateway to the Lake! For listings, visit my website: http://www.lakehomesatfishhawk.com/ I get asked this question periodically and decided to get some real answers for all you folks who have fishing on your wishlist of living on or near Fishhawk Lake as your 1st, 2nd or investment home.  I interviewed one of my fishing gurus  (who also happens to own Vernonia Realty and has lived in this area all of his life) and tried to keep it within an hour's drive at the most  from Fishhawk Lake. Here's the lowdown: Trout Season: May (usually Memorial Day weekend) to October 31st forFishhawk Lake and the coastal streams in the  Northwest zone.  You can catch and keep up to two cutthroat trout per day, 8" o... 02/05/2011

By: Gayle Rich-Boxman, Broker with Vernonia Realty For listings, please see my website: http:/ www.lakehomesatfishhawk.com  Your Gateway to the Lake! I love to take photos, have since I got my first 35MM camera, a Canon AE-1 way back in the 70s. Most of the time, I like to take rather odd photos, and especially love old barns, landscape shots, sunsets...you get the idea. Here is a smattering of photos I've taken since we've owned property at Fishhawk Lake, starting about 2002 (unless otherwise noted).  Whether it's spring, summer, winter or fall, it's a lovely drive from Portland to Fishhawk Lake. My lovely and historical landmark office: Vernonia Realty (photo courtesy of Helen Bateman) Another landmark along Hwy. 47 through VernoniaThe Historical Museum: (Photo courtesy of Helen Batem... 02/04/2011