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Meet the Makers: Juju Papers

Avery Thatcher, owner of Juju Papers.

This month I interviewed Avery Thatcher, founder and creative designer behind Juju Papers, a local line of wallpaper that brings everyday – and not so everyday – patterns to life.

Launched in 2011, Avery’s creative arts background and international travels influenced her to launch Juju Papers. The company designs both residential and commercial wallpaper offering clients an opportunity to accommodate a scale and budget for any project.

What you’ll find in the collection are beautiful designs, whimsical accents, and stylish prints perfect for home or office.

 

  1. Tell us how Juju Paper started?

During my 20s I did a lot of traveling and was introduced to different decorative styles in homes in many different countries. I realized that one of the aspects that I loved about many of the countries that I travelled to was a daring use of layered patterns – I saw this in South Africa, Indonesia, Mozambique, and other places. I was already a visual artist at the time, but I decided to switch my focus to working in pattern. I first put energies into tile, mosaic and mural style, but eventually I started designing patterns on paper and then decided to start a wallpaper company.

 

One of Juju’s designs juxtaposes the curves of the flowers.

What drives your innovation process? How do you come up with new ideas and themes for your wallpaper collections every season?

I keep an inventory of concepts, photos and sketches that I add to daily. I gathered them as I as I start designing a new line. The photos I keep are mostly compositional studies, and I keep conceptual notes in word form. When I start to design, I use these notes in order to start putting the paint on paper. I paint with ink and acrylic medium on paper at a furious pace, and the notes guide the expressive tone. There’s no shortage of inspiration in my world – cracks in a sidewalk, old signs, rocks arranged in a stream, almost any composition can excite a great pattern.

 

How do you find distribution for your collections?

I mostly work with interior designers in order to bring their client’s vision to life. I also sell through select showrooms, to customers through our website, and to design/architecture firms on larger scale commercial projects. However, the bulk of our business is building relationships with interior designers and firms.

What’s challenging about being in your industry?

The biggest challenge in our industry is communicating to our customers that wallpaper is not a nightmare to remove or install! Too many of us had to deal with very old wallpaper installations that were a nightmare to remove. As a result, many people are hesitant to hang new wallpaper. Today’s modern prep coats and pastes ensure that strippable wallpapers, such as ours, are easy to remove. Our challenge is educating a new generation about how much wallpaper has changed.

How have perceptions of wallpaper changed? What do you tell those who are a little nervous about the permanence of wallpaper? What makes Juju Paper so special?

Talk about complementary!

I am so happy to say that wallpaper is truly back! I think that the bad associations with the permanence with wallpaper came when wallpaper was an “every wall in every room and purchased at my local hardware store and in many shades of tan” kind of situation. Our clients are design savvy and select their wallpaper with precision, seeking out small-batch designer wallpapers like Juju instead of just grabbing “whatev” at a large department store. If you find a wallpaper that speaks to you, it is worth the “permanence” of having it installed, and in theory, someday removed.

My intention at Juju is to create wallpapers that literally bring magic into a room. If you find a design that truly speaks to your style – and you know it, and you hang it – that design will actually tie the personal things that you already have together into a cohesive, intentional look. Whether someone finds that in my designs or someone else’s, I love the idea that that is possible! You just have to find “the one.”

How do you source your wallpaper?

Our wallpapers are screen printed by hand with water based inks on all US sourced, sustainably-harvested pulp paper.

 

The illusion of the dots moving vertically blend vividly with the circular mirror and the horizontal lines of the desk.

What can customers expect to see from Juju Paper in the coming months?

We recently released our Graffito Collection at Design Week in NY, and for the next few months we will continue to work with all of our interior designers and firms in order to get the samples into the hands of their clients, and gathering up all of the amazing client installation photos to share with our followers.

Meet the Makers is a series about the creatives driving innovation across industries in Portland, Oregon. Every quarter, you’ll learn about one of the city’s most adored brands interviewed by Inger McDowell-Hartye, owner and creative director of With Love, From PDX, a gifting company featuring locally-made goods and products.

 

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Pearl — 810 NW Naito Pkwy #F19

$405,000 — 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath — 901 SF

Outstanding river view just blocks to The Pearl, MAX, streetcar, more. Rare upper 2 bdrm on the river. View from LR, private balcony and 1 of 2 bdrms. Watch bald eagles, osprey, otters, 2 bridges & more. Open plan w solid hickory floors, granite & stainless. Heat & cool average less than $55/month. Bikescore 99. Transit 97. Pool. Don’t miss this gem on the river, with superior views, layout, finishes and community.

Listed by: Laurie Sonnenfeld @ M Realty LLC

SOLD — 5 Days on Market

Outstanding river views!

This waterfront home takes full advantage of its stunning, straight-on view of the Willamette River, seen from the living room, the private balcony, and the upper bedroom. This is the rare find of a top upper unit with a direct view up and down the river. From inside your home you’ll also see abundant greenery, river traffic like tugboats, wildlife like river otters, ospreys, and bald eagles, a large firepit, common areas, a miles long greenway path, and two bridges.

Just blocks from downtown, you’ll be close to MAX light rail, the Streetcar, NW 23rd, Saturday Market, Waterfront Park, and, via streetcar: OHSU, PSU, and the inner East side. The Pearl District begins 3 blocks north, with its upscale galleries, night life, and cafes. A bike lane right out front on Naito Pkwy and a Bikescore of 99 rank it as a biker’s paradise, with a Transit Score of 97 opening up endless possibilities.

Tastefully updated throughout, the appealing open design is enhanced by beautiful solid hickory wood floors, a granite and stainless steel kitchen, and glass-fronted built-ins. Stairs lead up to the two sunny bedrooms, an updated bath with granite, and laundry area. The neighborhood schools are highly rated (9 and 10/10). Enjoy a deeded covered parking spot, pool and hot tub. The HOA of $391 includes water, hot water, garbage, pool, insurance and more. Heating and cooling have averaged less than $55 a month year-round.

These sought-after, river view, 2 bedroom condos are seldom listed for sale; don’t miss this one for its superior layout, finishes.

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Neighborhood Spotlight: Alberta Street

The Alberta Arts District is renewal defined.

Its history is anything but linear, having been nearly destroyed only to be rebuilt into a pocket of bustling Portland life, an icon of co-existing microcultures.

Alberta Street got its Anglo name from the British royalty in rule throughout the 1890s – Princess Alberta – and is tucked into the Humboldt and King neighborhoods in Northeast Portland.

As newcomers to the union ventured west and into Oregon, the Germans and Russians who permeated the surrounding streets brought new streetcar construction with them, laying the path for Alberta’s evolution into a living creative mash-up.

The streetcar became the artery bringing Alberta to life. Local businesses poured in, from markets to salons, even a theater and a library. Alberta was a line with no lines; people of all colors and backgrounds called the street home, mingling and doing business together.

The sun shines as people stroll past some of Alberta’s iconic street art.

Transportation, both a blessing and a curse, was also the culprit in Alberta’s temporary decline. The sounds of cars replaced footsteps and major freeways opened adjacent to the epicenter of Alberta, swallowing up most traffic, leaving the once-lively street more desolate. Businesses closed and families moved out.

Decades of residential and economical decline followed. The country’s disease of racial discrimination spread to Alberta, as businesses were looted and violence increased.

That all changed in the 1990s. Two organizations – the N/NE Economic Development Task Force and the Sabin Community Development Corporation (CDC) – built the groundwork that would push into motion one of the most vibrant neighborhood comebacks in Portland’s history. Then, one Roslyn Hill opened up the first new business on the street in years – a cafe enveloped by gardens – and the proverbial mural painting was on.

Committees formed. The city made Alberta a target area for revitalization. Citizens joined forces to clean the street and attract business. Artists began moving into the boarded-up buildings, and in 1997, art studios and businesses showcasing art opened their doors on the first Thursday evening of the month, turning the usually car-filled street into a giant colorful sidewalk (this would later become the popular Last Thursday event).

—–

Fast forward to today. Alberta Street is the artistic jewel of Portland, a delicate mixture of old and new architecture and business, with small and large art and music establishments peppered throughout. As you walk, you will see full-on punk rock bars across the street from sleek, modern ice cream parlors. Cozy hipster cafes are just a few doors down from some of the best, most down to earth Mexican (La Sirenita) and Middle-Eastern (DarSalam) restaurants in Portland.

 

Collage, a one-stop shop for all your crafting and journal needs.

And while you are here, grab a latte or a slice of rhubarb pie (or better, get both) at Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery – just look for the red ostrich logo. As you stroll the street, (abstract and a hodgepodge of trends and cultures), stop into Collage to satisfy all your journal and craft needs.

Go immerse yourself in local jazz music at the infamous  Solae’s Lounge , and after gawking at the incredibly detailed and beautiful murals adorning the walls of brick buildings on virtually every block, grab some tacos and a brew at Cruzroom. Want to cook a meal at home after your journey? Grab all the fresh ingredients you need at the Alberta Co-op.

Want to do it all by bike? Find your two-wheeled ride at Community Cycling Center, a nonprofit ensuring people of all backgrounds, colors and ages have access to safe bicycling, hands-on bicycle maintenance and riding education. Prefer to rent a bike? The Nike Biketown bike share system has a bright orange station at the corner of Alberta and Vancouver Avenue.

About  Last Thursday : it is free and held year-round, but the summer is when things really heat up. From June to August, Alberta is closed to all vehicle traffic from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and artists, musicians, performers – anyone really – replace the metal on four wheels. From 15th Avenue to 30th Avenue, businesses of all types welcome you with local art as the sun sets.

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Let’s Talk ADUs with Kol Peterson

 

As I keep getting more and more great questions about ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), I thought it’d be helpful to have an undeniable ADU expert weigh in on the subject.

Kol Peterson got his master’s degree from Harvard Graduate School of Design, teaches ADU classes through his company, Accessory Dwelling Strategies, LLC, and proudly lives in an ADU he completed in 2011.

I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or want to discuss how an ADU might be perfect for your present or future property!

Portland has risen to become the national Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) champion, with more of the units being built in our northwest corner of Oregon than anywhere else in the country. ADUs are increasingly creative ways to add rental and multi-use space to your home.

And as Portland continues to find ways to handle population density, ADUs are a practical solution to increase density while retaining our urban growth boundaries.

What are major roadblocks people run into when building or considering to build an ADU?

Nationally, the biggest challenge homeowners run into is underdeveloped, nonexistent or inhospitable regulations for ADU development. However, Portland leads the country in ADU regulation and development.

Here, homeowners’ two biggest challenges are part and parcel of the same issue: 1) funding and financing, and 2) finding a contractor for the job.

Because supply is low and demand is high, not only is it challenging to find a contractor with time to bid an ADU project, but costs to build have gone up both in terms of labor shortages and in terms of materials nationwide, making funding a larger burden. The entry point to getting a detached ADU is at at least $120,000, but more realistically, $160,000 – $200,000. Some builders even have a minimum $200,000 bid on detached ADUs.

How has that been playing out for homeowners? How are they negotiating those challenges?

Intrinsically, ADUs are housing products developed by people who have an economic need to do so, often seeking out rental income. Therefore the demographic tends to be middle-class, or long-time homeowners who have equity in their home to tap.

Financing hasn’t been really figured out. The only ways people are able to finance are cash savings, family loans, home equity loans or cash out refinances. There isn’t a designated loan product that works particularly well for ADUs, although there are some local products that can be applied to ADU development.

Umpqua Bank has a really good construction loan product, and some local credit unions have workable renovation loan products like Washington Federal and Unitus. But they’re cumbersome, so most people who develop ADUs tend to use home equity lines of credit.

Do you have any advice on how to increase affordability and keep down costs as a homeowner?

You can go for a well-established building company with administrative staff who can do site visits, and pay more for those services, or you can work with new builders who haven’t built a lot yet, and, yes, take a bigger risk because they’re not as established. But you can potentially get in at a lower price point. That’s what I recommend to my clients and that’s what I did.

What about the return on investment for those seeking income?

More people are initially motivated by short-term rental income potential, but whether they actually stick with short-term rental in the long run is debatable. There’s no solid evidence to back up claims that most ADUs are short-term rental, but nonetheless there’s a lot of speculation going on around that topic. I think that in the long run most ADU development settles into a long-term rental stock because there’s a really strong demand for long-term rental housing of this sort, and the short-term rental market – being a hotel owner I can speak to this authoritatively – is not a predictable market for most of the year. From June to September you can make great money and there’s not enough supply to meet all the tourism demand, but from October to May most hotels are at 50 percent occupancy.

So I always caution people not to bank on the short-term rental market. Bank on the long-term rental.

So it’s safe to say you would recommend people plan their financials based on a long-term rental return?

Yes, which is a lucrative thing to do right now. In this neighborhood – Hawthorne – you can probably rent a 400 sq ft detached ADU for $1,500 per month, and if you bump it up to 800 square feet and one bedroom, probably $2,000 per month. There is a huge demand for it.

Could we be thinking about these spaces in any other ways? Is there any untapped potential?

I wouldn’t say untapped potential. If you ask people what they’re going to do with an ADU, often their response is this: “We want to use it for long-term rentals, but we might want to use it for short-term rental, and we also might want to use it for a family member who may move here or family and friends that are visiting, or maybe even just some flex space for us.”

It’s hard to quantify these ADUs, and they change use over the course of a year, which is part of the appeal of an ADU in the first place for many people (the flexibility one can provide). I don’t see any significant trend changes beyond perhaps that short-term rental market.

What do you think the most strategic use of ADUs are for homeowners?

If a homeowner is thinking strategically from a financial sustainability perspective, and if they are a one or two-person household, the best thing they can do for themselves is imagine living in the ADU, now or down the road, and build that ADU to be their dream home. It’s not always possible, but if they can wrap their head around it, it works out really well. Even if they end up spending more on the ADU, then they can get more rental income off the main house and it will cover the mortgage and then some.

Do you have any design tips or compelling innovations you’ve seen out there?

The one tip I’ll give is a technique that is fairly common, and has worked well every time I’ve seen it. It’s a great room on the first floor with a lofted bedroom over one half of the second floor. Whether that lofted bedroom is enclosed or not, whether the bathroom is up or down, and however the floorplan works on the first floor doesn’t matter; as long as the upper bedroom is taking up not much more than one half of the second story, it creates a really voluminous ADU.

Looking forward, we know that the SDCs (System Development Charges) have been waived for ADU development through July of 2018. What impact does this currently have on ADUs, and what impact will the extension or expiration of the waiver have on future ADU development?

One issue now is the growing number of small designers and builder companies who could be interested in scaling up their businesses if they had predictability around whether the ADU market was going to continue to flourish. However, they can’t make long-term decisions around their business in the absence of certainty around the SDC Waiver Extension.

From two surveys I conducted two consecutive years after my ADU tours, 75 percent of people responded that if there were a $17,000 SDC fee associated with their ADU development, they would no longer proceed with building an ADU. These SDCs add up to $17,000 to $20,000 for each ADU.

It’s impossible to know the impact of an SDC returning would be, but it’s fair to say that it would have a very substantial impact on the rate of development. Almost, perhaps, devastating or catastrophic for ADU development. Perhaps. We don’t know.

The three-year extensions have been great and this last extension was for two years, but I think at this point it makes sense for the city to consider doing some kind of permanent SDC fee, reduced SDC fee for ADUs, or perhaps, you know, I would advocate for potentially eliminating them permanently. I can understand why bureaus would feel the need to capture some fees, I just think that some thought needs to be given to what those fees should be and how they can be scaled to be in accordance with the relatively minimal impact that ADUs have on the infrastructure, and that creating a more predictable marketplace in the long-term would be a really good thing for businesses. I recommend that homeowners, builders, designers and all other stakeholders write the five city council members who vote on this waiver, including the mayor, about this issue.

Thank you so much for your time and insights! Where could someone interested go and see an ADU? Can you tell us more about the ADU tour?

Absolutely. This year the tour will be on Saturday, September 9th and Sunday, September 10th and we’re in the process of solidifying which ADUs will be on the tour. We will have roughly ten units in Northeast Portland on Saturday and roughly ten in Southeast Portland on Sunday.

As an event we have three goals: to help homeowners see the ‘fit & finish’ options of a variety of ADUs, to give people an opportunity to meet and talk with homeowners about their ADU build experience and to connect people with designers and builders of ADUs.

This is the single-best event for homeowners to attend if they’re interested in building an ADU – both for practical information as well as inspiration. This will be our fifth tour with Tiny House Caravan co-hosting the event, along with other local organizations.

To follow Kol’s research, insight, and work, visit accessorydwellings.org as well as pdxadu.blogspot.com to get more info on his ADUs for Homeowners class held every six weeks.

This interview comes from the May issue of All Things Real Estate Magazine. My professional media team at M Realty creates and publishes the magazine monthly. To learn more, or to advertise, feel free to contact me!

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Explore Nob Hill

“It is all here,” says Peggy Anderson of the Nob Hill Business Association, when asked about what sets Nob Hill apart from other Portland neighborhoods.

Nob Hill is the bustling, diverse pocket between Burnside, 27th Avenue, Wilson, and Interstate 405. It is home to libraries, a number of schools, parks, religious institutions, a major hospital, and even an emergency room for pets, as well as countless cafes and boutiques. The neighborhood is an eclectic mix of the old and the new– traditional Craftsman style houses are shuffled in with sleek, modern apartment buildings. New businesses, like Aria Portland Dry Gin, are budding next to mainstays that have stood in the same location for decades. The result is a dense, destination neighborhood, but with affordable retail rents and manageable parking.

Northwest 23rd (or trendy third) was named One of America’s Best Shopping Streets in 2012, by US World Report. “You do have Williams-Sonoma,” Peggy says, “but most of them [the businesses] have five or fewer employees, and are locally owned, and I think that’s what makes us unique.”

Child’s Play, the Nob Hill toy store that guarantees smiles and a constantly changing selection of the best toys, has been delighting families with kids for over 35 years. Adults might be more drawn to an evening at Cinema 21, the famous, single-screen movie theater that has its own unique brand and reputation, uniting movie lovers through consistently high-quality films. The New Renaissance bookstore, which Peggy describes as a much smaller Powell’s, offers everything from coloring books to meditation classes. Dazzle, a fashionable, locally owned boutique is sure to live up to its name, with artfully curated clothing and sparkling jewelry. There is something for everyone, whether you are a permanent resident, or just visiting for the day.

The same is true for real estate in Nob Hill. The area offers such a wide variety of homes– from the Old Portland style houses, with their welcoming porches and beautiful woodwork, nestled throughout the Alphabet district, to the classic red brick apartments, as well as plexes, townhouses, and condos– ensuring there is something for practically any buyer’s budget. New condos and apartment buildings are continuously under construction, providing additional opportunities.

“My quip is,” Peggy says, “that I went to a lot of business association meetings all over Portland, but I really liked going to the Nob Hill one.”

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Leaky basement? Adapting to this rainy year.

Wow what a winter we’ve had. 

If you haven’t had water in your basement or crawl space before, this may have been the year that you did. In fact, if you have a crawl space instead of a basement and you haven’t looked in it lately, it would be a good idea to check it during or after the next heavy rain and see if it is dry. 

I’ve gathered some resources for you for moisture issues and I may post more of them in upcoming newsletters, but feel free to email me if you need the whole list sooner rather than later. I am not an expert in these areas; most of what I have learned is gleaned from listening to hundreds of home inspections over the years. I like to learn something new at every home inspection. 

First the basics. Keep your gutters clean and your downspouts unclogged. Go outside in a heavy rain and look at how they are flowing. Are the gutters overflowing? All the water should be flowing down the downspouts without backing up or spilling over. This can mean cleaning your gutters and downspouts more than once or twice a year. If your downspouts are disconnected from the storm sewer, the water should be directed away from house, first touching the ground at least 4 to 6 feet away from the house or going into a “drywell” in the ground or other storm management system.

www.theconservationfoundation.org rain garden design

Some people use rain gardens or beautifully arranged pebbles to guide the water away from the house. 

If your downspouts are still connected to the storm sewer, and you suspect they are backing up or broken, you might try checking out Grumpy’s Drains. One of their specialties is clearing rain drains, the drains that go from your downspouts to the street or storm sewer. 

Another drainage company my clients have gotten help from in the past is Ability Plus Drainage (Greg Brimhall). They, like many drainage contractors, get very busy at times like these and can be challenging to reach and schedule with.  But keep trying. This company is very knowledgeable and can sometimes design creative solutions that are more affordable than a complete waterproofing job, including french drains and other methods.

If keeping stormwater away from your house doesn’t do the job, many contractors will recommend a sump pump. These have a variety of features, and sometimes more than one is needed, so do the research before having one put in. Other steps may include sealing the foundation from the exterior, which usually involves digging down to get access to the foundation. 

Keeping water out of your basement or crawl space is an important step in preventing mold in your home and resolved basement moisture problem is a plus for resale. Check with me for a list of contractors for this or other projects. I’d be happy to help. 

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Food Halls


 
We have all had this experience: You and a friend decide to grab some food and catch up, but you can’t agree on what sort of meal you should have. The food cart pods downtown, while varied and unquestionably delicious, get cold and wet in the winter. Neither of you have enough time to go to a sit down restaurant. The food court in the mall does not quite have the atmosphere that you are both looking for, either.

The idea of fast-casual dining, where quality food is served at a faster pace than traditional sit-down restaurants, is not a new one. This is especially true in a food-conscious city like Portland, which is likely why food halls have been gaining traction for the last year. Food hall vendors don’t tend to have large menus, focusing instead on perfecting one or two dishes; yet having all of these vendors under the same roof makes for a remarkably diverse menu overall. Additionally, food halls often carry a shared liquor license, so that any alcohol can be carried and consumed between micro restaurants in the common dining space.

Insofar as investments go, food halls are not nearly as expensive or risky as opening an entire standalone restaurant. This gives small businesses (food carts, for example) more and better opportunities for expansion and exposure. Each micro restaurant front is designed with the owner’s personal style and flair, something that makes for a multifaceted and exciting overall atmosphere that patrons enjoy being a part of.

Currently there are three food halls in Portland: Pine Street Market, Cart-Lab, and the Zipper. Soon there will also be the Portland Food Hall, and with the trend gaining so much momentum there will likely be more in the future. Having so many different cuisines accessible under the same roof means there is something for everyone in a food hall, which is probably the most genius thing about them.

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Lasting Trends in Home Design

 

Lasting trends? What? Isn’t that a paradox?

Well, it might be, but let’s go along with it. I think these rising Portland trends have enough classic touch and practicality to stick around.

 

 

Not so hidden jewels

Eccentric, vibrant colors are in. This is increasingly common in the Portland Metro area, and elsewhere, as homeowners seek to add flair and evoke more emotion in their homes. This often adds stark and beautiful contrast to the warm, earthy colors already prevalent in homes.

 
 
 

 

 

Go small

The younger generations tend to prefer smaller -albeit more humble- living spaces. Combine this with an ever-growing desire to be mobile, and voila! We have ADUs and separate dwellings. Permanent homes- often much smaller- are built alongside the main home, and used as an extra living space or a cozy abode for visitors (permits are required, click here to learn about Portland’s ADU requirements).

Some of the more transient folks out there go a step further and stick these tiny homes on a set of wheels, allowing them to ride off into the sunset from the comfort of their own homes.

 

 

 

Get some you time

Truly private places are becoming more and more important in an overconnected world. Cozy, quiet places are quickly becoming must-haves in new and remodeled homes. Some folks turn these into silent reading spaces, others into music-jamming spaces. Whatever strikes your fancy, carving out your own personal space is surely the true path to home-owning enlightenment.

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Your very own bar

Full bars and islands are exploding in popularity, as homeowners love keeping the night out at home. Often, family-style or picnic tables- complete with a bar-  are plopped right into the middle of the kitchen or dining space, even the basement, and used as a full-featured party space.

Portland- you love beer. Imagine the awesomeness of gathering your growlers and friends for a night out and completely making it your own.

 

 

 

Use it again

Repurposing materials- especially wood- is definitely a priority for Portland homeowners in 2017. Creating healthy living spaces- such as installing cleaner air systems and using no-formaldehyde cabinets- strengthens the growing repurposing movement. This is a microcosm of another rising trend- remodeling instead of buying a new home altogether. Remodeling saves time, stress, and money- not to mention it has less of an impact on the environment.

 
 
 
 

 

 

Sources:

http://www.customhomeonline.com/houses/2017-design-trend-predictions-from-zillow_s

http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2017/01/top_design_trends_2017_neil_ke.html

https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2015/9/14/sponsored-neil-kelly-2

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Non-Alternative Real Estate Facts

 

Regardless of where you stand on our colorful political spectrum these days, the term “alternative facts” has likely been a recent invader your personal media stream. As an antidote to that concept, here’s a handful of non-alternative facts about real estate. That is to say, they’re not arguably not true. They are, in fact, just fun facts that (hopefully) few people will spend their time arguing.

  • The most expensive Portland home sold last year carried the final price tag of a mere $5,441,294.
  • If you happen to be on the prowl for a trophy home, don’t despair… the most expensive property on the market, a 16,359 square foot villa in West Linn listed at a cool $18,000,000, is still very much available.
  • While January 2017 bedecked Portland with 8.39 inches of snow, it was nothing compared to our record winter wonderland of January 1893 that blanketed the City of Roses with 31.8 inches of snow.
  • January 21st, 1943 still holds the record for most snowfall in Portland in a single day at 15.5 freezing inches.
  • Portland’s more traditional precipitation, warm liquid snow, led to the Willamette River flood of June 1894, where it reached its highest recorded mark at 33.5 feet. Flooding was so bad that downtown businesses sold their wares to boat traffic from their second floor windows.
  • 122 short years later, in 2016, Money Magazine named Portland the “Best City in the West” due subjective things like our undeniable charm, as well as more concrete numbers like our median home price of $349k and unemployment rate of 4.7%.
  • Several large tech companies agree with Money Magazine’s assessment, planting their own roots in our tree-studded home. Portland has recently earned the nickname the “Silicon Forest.” Feel free to use that when you’re traveling and people ask you where you’re from.

 

If you’ve got some non-alternative facts of your own to share, I’d love to hear them!

As always, it would be my honor to help you formulate your property plans. Please consider me your resident expert for all things real estate. I’m always happy to be of service, even if it’s for something not necessarily sale related, like answering questions about testing for radon levels or finding a trusted vendor to make repairs on your property. All my contacts and experience are at your disposal!

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Portland Traffic


 

Portland traffic, now ranked ninth in the nation (even worse than Boston, Chicago, and other large U.S. cities) has continued to grow over the last year- increasing by 6 percent according to state stats. Rush hour travel times are unpredictable, with frequent delays, and a single accident or spot of bad weather is capable of clogging up an entire area.

In order to avoid the rush hour commute, many Portland area companies are embracing alternative schedules, such as the compressed work week where employees work more daily hours than usual but fewer days a week, or flex time where employees work a set amount of hours per week but are given flexibility as to when they arrive and depart.

The opening of the MAX orange line has also cut down on congestion, especially downtown and in SE. Using public transport to and from work has the added benefit of avoiding difficult and expensive parking situations. Additionally, car-sharing websites like Drive Less Connect are growing in popularity, allowing users to carpool with other people going the same directions.

As the weather improves, many commuters switch to biking to work. Biking not only allows commuters to fly past slow-moving traffic jams, it’s also great exercise and reduces pollution. According to a study by the Portland Bureau of Transportation, over 7% of Portlanders bike to work, which is the highest percentage in the nation. Unlike our traffic ranking, that’s a statistic we can feel good about!

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Portland’s New Home Energy Scores

New Portland Energy Score Policy 


This won’t take effect for a year and it will probably be a good thing in the long run. It affects sellers and buyers. A seller will need to pay for a report about the home’s “energy score”  before putting their home on the market. The report will allow buyers to get an objective look at how efficient a home is before they even go look at it.

It may be a little bumpy in the beginning like any new policy but it will be interesting to see how it all turns out! In the long run it will probably encourage sellers to do more energy retrofitting before they list their home. 

 

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Event Rescheduled!

Rescheduled! 

CREATE COMMUNITY–Gathering empowers us.

I’m hosting a cozy gathering at my Hawthorne storefront office near 15th and SE Hawthorne, tentatively rescheduled for sometime in January. 

In these times, being in community and spending time together with new and old friends is more important than ever. Along with live music, we’ll have a chance to vision a bit about how we would like to build stronger communities, and stay empowered, and we’ll play with other inspirations for the coming year too.

Masterful blues and folk guitarist Howard Wade will play. We’ll have hot cider, coffee, beer from John Harris’ wonderful Ecliptic Brewery and lots of snacks. Please stop in if you can and stay for part or all of the evening. Anandi is co-hosting with me and will bring warm and fun items available from her store up the street, Karuna Contemplative Living. Gathering can help empower us. I hope to see you!

Address: 1465 SE Hawthorne, Portland OR 97214

Time: 7 to 9 pm

I have found that parking is easier just south of Hawthorne in Ladd’s on Maple or Holly streets.

**Rescheduled to sometime in January!

 

 

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How’s the Market? December 2016

How’s the market? As always, it depends on your plans. Inventory is still low. We don’t have enough houses for sale to meet the buyer demand.  But interest rates have been going up since the election. The fed is expected to raise the bank’s rate this week which down the road could impact mortgage rates further. In my experience, when rates rise, prices may eventually soften because buyers will not be able to afford as much of a loan.

So if you are considering selling, call me sooner rather than later to discuss a plan.

Buying? The note above makes it sounds like buyers should wait because prices may soften. But if you are financing a purchase and rates rise, you will probably get more house by buying sooner than by waiting. If you are a cash buyer, then you could wait it out and see if prices soften. Confused? Happy to clarify, just give me a call.

Some homes are not selling as quickly as they were earlier this fall, and we have seen some price reductions this fall. Savvy buyers are considering these “leftover” homes that are sometimes ripe for a price reduction or have a motivated seller. 

Homes that are marketed with panache are attracting the people who will love (and buy) them. Homes that are appropriately priced, prepared and marketed are still eliciting multiple offers. Here’s an example of one of M’s listings that sold over asking price, and in less than a week.

We are working with many buyers who are looking for their dream home.  Call me if you’d like to get your home treated with our superior and unique marketing service called TrueView. I’d love to hear about your real estate goals and help you determine the best way to meet them.

 

 

6828 SE Ash St – $750,000

Sold in 3 days, $30k over asking!

Beds: 3 | Baths: 2.1 | 2,719 sqft.
This fantastic Mt Tabor contemporary home has been beautifully updated! Enjoy quick access to tons of SE Portland dining and entertainment options, while the nearby I-84 and I-205 are perfect for commuters. Neat landscaping decorates the front yard, welcoming guests to the home. A two-car garage offers tons of space for parking and storage. Entertain with ease in the backyard, where a sizable deck overlooks the lovely garden. A large patio sweeps around the side, leading to fruit trees and another garden space!

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
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Adventures in Milwaukie and Oak Grove!

Christmas Ships in Milwaukie Bay, Milwaukie Oregon, coming around again this Saturday at Milwaukie Riverfront Park.

Adventures in Milwaukie and Oak Grove

Did you know Milwaukie and Oak Grove are just south of Sellwood?

Both Milwaukie and Oak Grove have many beautiful woodsy areas with larger lots and a mix of vintage homes from the 1910s through the 1940s, and many mid century and new homes as well. There is a long stretch of waterfront homes along the Willamette Riverin Oak Grove and Jennings Lodge. A little known haven for many artists and musicians, Oak Grove continues to grow a warm but informal sense of community, where many artists and musicians have been developing their crafts for years. Neighborhood street fairs, open mikes, art shows, potluck groups and more make Oak Grove a sweet place to call home. The end of the line light rail station at Park and McLoughlin is making Oak Grove even more convenient. Many cyclists are moving to the area because the new Trolley Trail bike and pedestrian way connects to the Springwater Corridor and easy and direct routes to downtown.

Outside of rush hour, the beautiful bayfront Milwaukie Riverfront Park is a short 15 minute drive from Hawthorne and SE Martin Luther King Blvd. Getting to town by bike is easy too! And the Portland Metro area welcomed the MAX Orange Line a year and a half ago–a 7.3 mile stretch of easy-to-access public transit aiming to alleviate congestion on the McLouglin/Highway 99E Corridor and serve a growing residential community. The new transit option has opened up more home buying opportunities on the east side of the river, particularly in up-and-coming Milwaukie and Oak Grove!

Prices are up in this blossoming area, but there are still good deals to be had in both Milwaukie and Oak Grove. With large lots and big trees, this area can feel like a welcome retreat, yet it is 5 minutes to Sellwood cafes and shops. I’ve been selling homes in this area for quite a long time and I have some favorite areas and hideaways, so don’t hesitate to ask me if you’d like to know more.

Perhaps unbeknownst to many folks, Milwaukie is home to a world class comic book publishing house, Dark Horse Comics, and the purveyor of organic ingredients, Bob’s Red Mill. A fantastic large farmers’ market meets every Sunday in the warmer months along with a First Friday celebration that fills downtown with people. It includes salsa dancing at one end and varying live music at the other, with sidewalk cafes, booths, and more. The lively downtown scene is seeing an uptick in new businesses.  With the Orange Line providing an easy way to get into city without the hassle of traffic, Milwaukie or Oak Grove may just be the the right option for you!

With lower home prices on average than Portland, both Milwaukie and Oak Grove might belong on your radar next time you’re poised to enter the market. I know this area very well. If you’d like to know more about homes in this burgeoning real estate market, give me a call. I am always happy to help!

 

MAX Orange Line Map

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The Cost of Waiting

 

You’ve heard that “time is money” and it actually applies to our current real estate market. If you’re considering buying someday soon, there’s a definite cost to waiting.

For most people, the true cost of purchasing a home boils down to the property’s purchase price and the interest rate you can secure for your loan. This past year both those factors have been on the rise:

Rates have been rising since the 2016 election.

That might not sound like it would have a significant impact, but let’s take a look at an example of a $250,000 home with a 1% increase in interest rates. Those increases are likely to result in an extra $188.50 in your monthly payment, according to one of the mortgage pro’s we work with. That’s $2,262 a year and a total of $67,860 extra over the life of a 30-year loan. This is, by no means, reason to panic. But it’s absolutely something to consider if you’re thinking of buying in the near future. Looking for a $500,000 home? Double those numbers. (Of course the impact will vary depending on the percentage you put down).

What’s important here? If you’re not ready, don’t let these factors sway you. But if you’re on the fence, it might be wise to consider hopping into the market.

Are you thinking about a move? I’d love to answer any questions you have and help you formulate the best strategy for getting you into your ideal home!