FURNACE EFFICIENCY, SAFETY & MAINTENANCE     SIMPLE WAYS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCYHome heating can represent half of a typical home's winter utility expenses. Efficient operation can mean lower energy bills and a more comfortable home. For example, programmable thermostats can be used to automatically turn heat up or down at specified times, so that the temperature is lowered overnight or while no one is at home. Thermostats should be calibrated occasionally to avoid "off cycle" heat loss; a properly calibrated thermostat will result in more even heating between the on/off cycles, which is both more efficient and comfortable.   SAFETY AND MAINTENANCESafety is also an important factor in furnace operation. Gas furnaces can be a source of carbon monoxide if there are leaks or cracks that g... 10/27/2008

The Chinese have a proverb: "May you live in interesting times." And we are living through interesting times indeed. Whatever the political posturing regarding the rescue plan, a plan needed to be passed. Credit markets are frozen and banks are going bust every day. This is not totally because of "toxic" mortgages. This has a lot to do with FASB 157, also known as "mark to market". Each day, lenders must mark their assets to the marketplace. It's like you having to appraise your home everyday and, if your neighbor was under duress because she got very ill, divorced, lost her job and was forced to sell her home quickly, she may have sold it super cheap. Now, does that mean your house is worth that super cheap price, too? Clearly not. Why? Because you are not under duress. You have the ti... 10/27/2008

As professional home stagers we work with a variety of clients (realtors, homeowners & investors) but some of our favorite clients are bachelors ... they often need our help as a resource to prepare their homes for sale. Room Solutions Staging in Portland Oregon was recently contacted by the listing broker of this 1908 vintage farmhouse bungalow, who asked if we could help the bachelor owner;  he had basic furniture but needed accessories, art & some addtional furnishings.  We met the delightful bachelor owner of this charming home and gave him our recommendations for easy cosmetic repairs, a list of items to remove, and scheduled our staging day for two weeks later.  When we returned, he'd moved out all of the "excess" furniture, hired a cleaning company, completed some painting & land... 10/26/2008

Real Estate is local.  Yet many of us are still interested in what is going on in other areas outside of our city.  Why?  Because it does have an affect on what happens locally.  Portland has, more or less, avoided the brunt of the housing slump.  We have been below the national average in foreclosures, and our inventory has been pretty consistent (between 9-10.4 months) since April.  However, the last two months have shown a decrease in the average and median home prices in the city.  Additionally, the Oregonian reported on the front page of the Business section today that home sales have increased in the West for September compared to a year ago.  However, the article also points out that Portland is "among the cities still in decline".  We have had one of the stronger markets during ... 10/25/2008

Have a great time in Portland Oregon, even if your funds are low.   •1.   Powell's City of Books        Located at the corner or W Burnside and 10th Ave. Open   Daily 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. holidays schedules vary. Its easy to get lost here, Powell's book store is the largest book store west of the Mississippi. More then a million volumes are housed with the store that takes up an entire city block and have many levels to it. Powell's books website  Powell's history Link •2.      Tom McCall Waterfront Park Link to Park Located  between SW Harrison St and NW Glisan St.   Along the west bank of the Willamette River is a beautiful green space named after Governor Tom McCall. There's also a paved trail for walkers, runners, or bikers, which connects to the Eastside Esplanade.   •3.      Forest ... 10/24/2008

UPDATE - After sitting on the market for 7 months, the home sold 6 weeks after staging and closed on Christmas Eve.  Had to de-stage in a snow storm - new blog coming soon! Here is our most recent staging --- We were contacted directly by a homeowner whose house had been sitting vacant on the market for months.  They had been getting a surprising amount of traffic, but no offers.  Not only was the house vacant and off a busy road, but some of the wall colors were not working for potential buyers.  How about a mint green kitchen, partially painted living room, and a bright purple bedroom?  Their Realtor had already proposed painting the entire house, but the owners could not afford it.  We also knew that just staging the property as is was not going to be as successful if at least some o... 10/24/2008

  A tradition here in Portland, Oregon during October is visiting  Sauvie Island and the numerous Pumpkin Patches.  With or without children, its a fun tradition.  My wife and I have been do this every year.  Sometimes we visit the "Corn Maze", but we usually go to pick out our pumpkins, try some apple cider, and enjoy the island.  This year our daughter seemed more interested in the tractor ride than anything else going on around her.  Judging by the traffic every year during October, its a tradition in many Oregon families. What is Sauvie Island?  Sauvie Island is an island in the middle of the Columbia River, about 15 minutes drive along Highway 30 to the NW.  It is a highly agricultural island with plenty of U-Pick farms for flowers, berries, pumpkins and more.  It has about 800 res... 10/24/2008

Buyers wanted now more than ever for all view homes and frontage homes. call luke rummell and a1 realty.com 10/23/2008

Last week I hired a Tree service to come to my home to give me an estimate for trimming back some trees.  The wonderful thing about Portland, Oregon is that we have plenty of beautiful old trees in many of the old established neighborhoods.  However, you have to make sure that those trees are cared for properly, or you can have problems down the road.  So a few tips: 1)  Have branches cut back that are touching your home.  When the wind blows you can avoid damage to your home by taking care of the issue before it becomes a problem. 2)  There should be a four foot clearance from your roof to a branch.  Some of these branches are heavy, and if they break free they can cause plenty of damage. 3)  Dead branches should be cut back properly to keep them from falling on cars, your home, or  pe... 10/22/2008

44  mid-century urban homes otherwise planned for demolition have been saved by contractor Matt Burton in hopes of relocating them somewhere in the Portland area.  Once said and done, the cost to move these houses with run $15,000 a piece.  In addition, Burton would like to build basement foundations for these houses in order to turn them into duplexes which will in turn add $115,000 to each house... not including the cost of land that they have yet to find. The would-be demolition is to make room for some additional facilities for Concordia University. (The image below is of their latest library expansion project). This is quite a feat considering that the company and the city would like to keep all of the houses together and near city transit lines.  This would mean that a valuable fo... 10/21/2008

Whenever I visit my parents in Arizona, its HOT.  I'm told, however, that it's a dry heat.  Well the market in Portland is sliding, but it's a SLOW slide! Pending and closed sales are down around 12% compared to September of last year according to the RMLS Market Action Report.  For the second month in a row we are seeing the median sale price ($267,000) and the average sale price ($315,300) drop, this time close to 5% from August.  Quarterly stats show that compared to the 3rd quarter of 2007, we have a 15% decrease in new listings, and a 26% decrease in closed sales.  We have a little more than 17000 active listings citywide, and with the rate of sales as it is it would take us 10.4 months to sell out of these homes. The good news is that our 10.4 months of inventory is almost identic... 10/21/2008

Homebuyers for the oREGON COAST WANTED NOW AND NOT 50 YEARS!! FROM NOW. PRICES WILL NEVER GET ANY BETTER THAN THEY ARE NOW FOR THE OREGON COAST FRONT AND VIEW HOMES, LET A1 REALTY.COM SHOW YOU HOME..... 10/20/2008

  Whether you are making an addition to your home or remodeling your bathroom cabinets, eco-friendly choices can help you conserve resources and reduce your impact on the environment. As the demand for green building materials grows, major manufactures are expanding their affordable sustainable options, so the green choice may also be the less expensive one. Here are some green guidelines to consider during your next remodeling project. Consider renewable sources for cabinetry. Choose wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which will be harvested from sustainably managed forests. Spruce, eucalyptus or reclaimed wood are durable, sustainable options from sources that rapidly replenish. Use eco-friendly paint. Most paints release toxic fumes called VOCs (volatil... 10/20/2008

  This home SOLD in 24 days for 98% of listing price, after it sat vacant on the market for 15 months and was then staged! This spacious freshly-painted condo has stunning views of Mt. Hood and the Willamette River from almost every room. 2 minutes from downtown Portland .... 1710 sq ft, 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths.  After over a year on the market the listing agent contact us for a staging proposal.  Let us know how our services can help sell your property! 10/18/2008

I've been in this business for +20 years and I've seen these ups and downs before.  (I'm old enough to have been through the Savings and Loan crisis!) Is this a good time to buy?  Well, it is certainly time to be actively looking!   It is just the way the market works:  someone's loss can be your gain.  There are still good deals out there and I can help with the financing. The hottest thing right now is the Portland Development Commission's (PDC) "Mortgage Credit Certificate"  (MCC) and the "Ownership Through Partnership Loan" (OTP).  I am approved to offer both programs.  Contact me for more information and a free personalized analysis of how these programs can help you. The Oregon Bond is usually where people start because of the discounted interest rate.  But, I've found that the PD... 10/18/2008

Real Deals are home decor shops that more than live up to their name!  Their obsession (mission) statement says they "will WOW you with amazing decor at prices too good to be true!"  And yes -- it really is true! Home stagers become expert shoppers seeking quality, beauty and functionality at great prices and Real Deals Home Decor is our favorite secret shopping spot.  Wishing to get the looks you see in magazines of pulled together rooms with fantastic accessories?  Looking for a fabulous gift, something unique, seasonal decor that doesn't break the bank?  You'll find everything from furniture to candles at these incredible shops.  Kelli Basso and Tricia Granquist are the franchise owners of the Real Deals Home Decor in the Sellwood neighborhood located at 1657 SE Tacoma in Portland.  ... 10/17/2008

  Good news! According to an article in the Daily Journal of Commerce posted online today, the commercial real estate market in the Portland area remains steady despite financial unrest nationally.  Despite the seesaw numbers on Wall Street, Portland’s real estate sector has remained relatively steady during the third quarter.   The article states that leasing rates remain steady with a slight increase in the vacancy rate, and that developers are holding off on projects until the financial future becomes clearer.  Portland’s many attributes contribute to the steady climate:   The region, according to Raicht, continues to be recognized for its investment in public transportation, its emphasis on sustainability and its small-but-growing technology cluster.    Read the entire article at:  ... 10/16/2008

Flow Charting to Train and Retain New Employees What makes a good employee and how do you retain them? Some years ago when I hired my first assistant I set about creating in written form my goals for this new employee. The first draftwas a list of all the activities that I hoped they would be able to accomplish. Of course it was as full as any child's Christmas wish list. My list was structured from a belief process. It is my belief that an Agents daily activities should be to be in front of a Buyer or a Sellerthroughout the day. The Assistants job should be everything else. The second draft broke down those activities into priorities. What did I need done first and which could wait till later. Full descriptions of those activities followed with plans for implementation including instru... 10/15/2008

via Alex and Kelli's blog ---  sign up for the Run For Ed.5K to benefit Sellwood Middle School.  The walk will be along the Springwater Corridor on Saturday, October 19th. Registration begins at the school at 8:30 am. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Sellwood Middle Shool Foundation and directly support the school's diverse electives program of art, band, Spanish and industrial arts.  One of the treats in my life is that I live across the street from the school and have the privilege of hearing the various bands practice.  They march right past my house, in formation, looking and sounding great!  The sound of the marimba band fills my garden on spring days and makes the weeding go that much better! It's a sad fact that now days there aren't funds for the kinds of activities ... 10/14/2008

Avoiding The 10 Biggest Pit Falls When Buying a Home    •1)      Failing to have your real estate agent provide detailed market analysis on your homes value.  •2)      Failing to get a building inspection on the residence you are purchasing. •3)      Neglecting to have a full staked survey on the property you are purchasing. •4)      Making a low ball offer and discouraging the seller from negotiating with you. •5)      Failing to get pre-qualified for a loan prior to making the offer to purchase. •6)      Not allowing enough time to complete all of the necessary building and title examinations and inspections. •7)      Neglecting to work with buyer's agent. •8)      Purchasing a for sale buy owner FSBO or other real estate with out the use of a real estate professional or attorney. •9)... 10/13/2008