South Hillsboro will be the largest master planned community in Oregon History. It’s 1400 acres and will take 20 years to complete.
Rueters recently reported that Home Depot posted its strongest-ever fourth quarter in terms of sales growth, driven by demand for home renovations, including paint, flooring and appliances. The pickup in home renovations can be explained in part by the improved financial position of many households over the past three months due to an improving jobs market and lower gasoline prices. To what is all of this data pointing?
Guess what is coming to Portland next? A company that claims to be able to accomplish with refinance loans what Turbo Tax accomplished with tax services.
The company is called Lenda. Mike Francis with the Oregonian reported on 02/25/15 that Lenda has just launched its service in Oregon.
A 30-acre riverfront parcel, now called Zindell Yards, is about to undergo a metamorphosis. This parcel is situated allong the banks of the Willamette River and according to architects, it shall be transformed into an urban space of tranquil greenery, or a park disguised as a vibrant city.
Fun Activities for Free
If you are anything like me there is nothing better than fun free stuff to enjoy about Portland. This is good info for date night or the out of town guest. Hope it comes in handy and you enjoy.
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Brewery and Distillery Tours Bridgeport Brewing Company Clear Creek Distillery House Spirits Distillery Rogue Ales Distillery and Public House Widmer Brothers Brewing Company Forest Park The Grotto Hoyt Arboretum Pioneer Courthouse Square |
Central Library Located at 801 SW 10th Ave Portland Farmer’s Market Monthly Gallery Walks Northeast Alberta Streets last Thursday evening offers gallery shows, sidewalk vendors, live music and a street-fair vibe. Event is held on Northeast Alberta between 12th and 31st avenues. Portland Saturday Market Powell’s City of Books International Rose Test Garden Located in Washington Park |
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The topic was brought up because many new apartment buildings being built have no parking spaces. These types of building can really suit a lifestyle and age group well. Of the 40 apartment building filed last year 25 of them did not have any parking. Opponents say that the side streets will be jammed packed with cars, but planners and developers say that no parking will provide more frequent mass transit and makes neighborhoods walkable.
Click here for the full article.
The Portlanders who are aging and ready to retire in the next decade can feel good knowing that Portland State University’s Institute on Aging and the World Health Organization’s Age Friendly Cities project will help to understand how environments can support active and healthy aging.
For the full article, click here.
The US Open has started and inevitably I start thinking about who’s going to win and it makes me think about the 3 tennis giants out there, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. What makes Federer, Nadal and Djokovic stand out from the crowd? Is it God given abilities? Is it hard work? Is it training methods? Why do these guys consistently win on all surfaces and end up playing each other so many times. Let’s take a closer look at these three tennis Hall of Fame players.
Roger Federer
Physical Features: 6’1”, 177 lbs, Right handed, 31 years old
Upbringing:Roger was born in Switzerland by parents that did not play tennis themselves. He was a hot head on the court and could not control his temper, throwing his racquet against the fence every match he played. His parents were embarrassed by his behavior; then he met Peter Carter his coach who taught him every facet of the game including curbing his emotions. At 13, he was good enough to leave home accepting an invitation to Switzerland’s national training center. He would train during the week and come home on the weekends. He was depressed going back to the training center on Sunday nights because he felt isolated and out of place. He spoke German while the training facility was located in the French speaking quadrant.
Playing Style: Federer is the ultimate all court player. He understands how to adapt and change during a match to utilize the outdoor elements as well as neutralizing his opponents’ weaknesses. He’s great at everything and probably has the best God given timing to have ever played the game. He is the smoothest player with unbelievable shot making ability and virtually never sweats. He has every tool a tennis player can have from slice, top spin, serve and volleying, service winners and incredible feel for drop shots, pinpoint passing shots, incredible versatile ground game and quickness to return serve against the very best.
Training & Conditioning: His tennis strength and conditioning coach, Pierre Paganini, have worked together for a decade. They work for 10 hours per week in which he does a variety of exercises like weights, sprints, footwork and coordination drills. He makes sure to sleep 10 hours per night giving his muscles plenty of recovery time.
He does many of the usual tennis player routine workouts and also does coordination training such as a 3 ball toss and hit drill (he has someone toss three balls to him 10 feet away and he has to hit all three balls before anyone ball bounces twice. He also uses a lot of band drills such as putting a band between his legs for ground strokes. When you take the band away you can float like a bird on the court. He would also tie a band around his waist and attach it to the net so he’s hitting balls with resistance to his body on every shot. For the volley training he uses the stiff mini trampoline device while balancing on one leg (pictured right). If you can hit a solid volley on one leg imagine how you can hit a volley with both feet on the ground!
Head to Head:Federer and Nadal and have played 28 matches against each other with Nadal leading 18-10. Nadal won 12 of the 18 matches on clay. Federer has played Djokovic 28 times with Federer leading 16-12.
Achievements: He leads the all time list with 17 Grand Slam titles, 24 Finals, 32 Semifinals and 244 Match Wins. Furthermore, he has spent 293 weeks holding the # 1 ranking in the world and has earned the most prize money at $73.5 million dollars.
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Rafael Nadal
Physical Features: 6’1”, 188 lbs, Left handed, 26 years old
Upbringing: When he was 8 his uncle encouraged him to start playing left handed for a tactical advantage. Then at 12, after winning a couple of tournaments his Father made him decide whether he would play tennis or soccer for the rest of his life. He chose tennis and stopped playing soccer immediately. At 19, the first time he played the French Open, he won it.
Playing Style:Nadal is a baseliner’s worst nightmare. He’s the strongest, toughest, most fit person on the court while ground and pounding his opponents to leg cramps. He hits the heaviest topspin in the world with a unique finish above his hitting shoulder. His forehand topspin was measured as high as 4900 tennis ball revolutions per minute (rpm) while his average was 3200 rpm, in comparison Sampras and Agassi were at 1800 rpm and 1900 rpm and Federer is at 2700 rpm. He will never quit or give up on a point and rarely misses. He plays with such tenacity and grit, and defines what hard work is.
Training & Conditioning:He trains 4 hours on the court every day and 2.5 hours in the gym every evening. He also uses the Power Plate (pictured right) which uses whole-body vibration to contract muscles 30-50 times per second compared to 1-2 times per second without it. This helps to improve blood circulation, increased muscle strength as well as a range of motion. He uses the resistance bands for his shoulder and rotator cuff. His physical therapist will stretch him everyday and he trains differently for different surfaces. He stays away from eating meat or heavy meals and is more careful of what he eats heading into a match.
Head to Head:Nadal played Federer 28 times and Nadal leads 18-10 and 8-2 in Grand Slams. Seventeen of those wins came on clay and outdoor hardcourt. Nineteen of the 28 matches were in finals including 8 slams. Nadal has played Djokovic 33 times and leads him 19-14, Nadal dominates the clay and Djokovic dominates the hard court match ups.
Achievements:He has won 11 grand slam events and holds the record for most French Opens at 7. He had a 32 match win streak in 2008.
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Novak Djokovic
Physical Features: 6’2″, 176 lbs, Right handed, 25 years old
Upbringing: Novak Djokovic picked up a racquet at 5 1/2 years old. At age 7 he was being noticed so much that he went on national Serbian television telling his country that his goal was to be # 1 in the world one day. He was trained in classical music to calm him down during a match and he still enjoys it to this day.
Playing Style:He is an incredible baseline mover and is able to hit very hard and very deep working his opponents tactically until he can finish them off with a backhand down the line. He is super agile and can cover the court as good as anyone in the game and has the ability to hit huge shots on big points.
Training & Conditioning: His training consists of a gluten free diet (because of Celiac Disease), he also uses a $75,000 fitness pod (pictured right), an egg shell chamber, he uses which simulates high energy workouts at high altitudes, and before big matches he will drill until exhaustion which simulates him having to practice hitting on the run and converting defense to offense, while being tired. Before big tournaments he will train at very high altitudes which makes playing at sea level easy for him.
Head to Head: Djokovic has played Nadal 33 times and Nadal is ahead 19-14 in the head to head. Djokovic and Federer have played 28 times with Federer leading 16 – 12.
Achievements: Winner of 5 grand slams and 3 runner ups, in 2008 he became youngest player to have reached the semi final in all four majors. He had a 43 match win streak only behind Guillermo Vilas’ 47 in 1977 and Ivan Lendl’s 44 in 1981-1982. In 2011, he was 70-6 and 25-1 in grand slams, also winning 10 tournaments and $11,000,000 in prize money.
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So what can the big three teach us? First make sure to grow to at least 6’1″, second have the goal setting of Djokovic at a young age, third have the commitment to your sport like Nadal at age 8, and learn the mental side of the game like Federer, all the while maintaining the drive and work ethic of all three. That is a recipe for defining excellence.
Is it Andy Murray’s time now? Who do you think is going to win? Go John Isner! I’d love to hear about who you think will win and why, or what makes these three players special.
Big retailers are back and excited about Portland. As reported on KGW, Barnes & Noble is setting up shop at Bridgeport Village in a space Borders used to be while focusing more on technology. At Washington Square House of Hoops and Tesla the electric car dealership are in the works, at Pioneer Mall, Ross Dress for Less is moving into another space, and TJ Maxx will launch it’s first location in a downtown area. H&M is adding another location at the Lloyd Center and the Yard House Brew Pub will be taking Saks Fifth Avenue’s location at Pioneer Place.
What does all this mean? It’s yet another indication that Portland’s economy has turned and is further stabilizing. Big retailers considered Portland a sub par market just a few years back and now many of the companies are considering Portland again as an ideal location for their business. Read Here.
Have you experienced Thumbtack yet? It’s a great tool to find local professionals when you don’t have a referral. I decided to put my services on Thumbtack. Check me out here, I’m listed as a Real Estate Seller.
Here are three Oregon senior communities you can grow old and enjoy. They offer retirement living, assisted living, personal care and memory care. In add it on you receive, wellness care, physical activities, events and much more. The three communities are:
Edgewood Point Assisted Living, SW Scholls Ferry Rd
7733 SW Scholls Ferry Rd
Beaverton, OR 97008
Stoneybrook Assisted Living, SW Hollyhock Circle
4650 SW Hollyhock Circle
Corvallis, OR 97333
Somerset Assisted Living, Cason Road
8360 Cason Road
Gladstone, OR 97027
To catch more of the Information about Living In Style at these communities visit
Do you remember that really cool horse show with incredibly beautiful horses, acrobats and actors that took place in the Pearl District around Christmas time? Well Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality is not happy with the way the show disposed of gravel. The fine was $4941 for water quality violations and was charged to Hoyt Street Properties who is the owner of the land. DEQ claims that because the gravel did not go through an appropriate washing it could put fish habitat at risk.
To catch more of the FOX 12 Article
Have you ever thought you could increase values in your neighborhood when prices are dropping just by being a good neighbor? Well think again. Good neighborhoods have good association and community groups that ensure pride and appeal and if you’re neighborhood is more appealing than other similar neighborhoods than it’s safe to say your value will also be more appealing.
What are some of the key ingredients to maintaining a great neighborhood association? Here are a few below.
1. Public safety groups help to reduce crime and help moral in the community
2. Neighborhood watch programs also reduce crime and keep neighbors checking in on other neighbors.
3. Keeping the community and common grounds all beautiful and looking clean and neat. This helps to instill pride and has a carryover effect making other want to help to keep their environment clean and beautiful.
4. Newsletters and publications
5. Handing out welcome kits with information on local businesses and contractors that are familiar with the neighborhood or even members of the neighborhood.
6. Putting on events
7. Use the community as the selling point.
8. Community Workshops? What are they and what do they accomplish?
9. Build great community organizers and volunteers.
This program was created to increase the finances of working families and allow them to have more access to affordable rental housing as well as home ownership. Washington says it will have great long term effect and have little to no cost to the taxpayer.
Furthermore this program stimulates low mortgage rates and helps low and middle income borrowers to purchase or rent affordable homes for the long haul. This initiative is divided into two separate parts, the bond purchase program and the program to facilitate liquidity. The bond purchase supports new lending. The temporary credit improves access of the Housing Finance Agency (HFA) to liquidity for HFA bonds.
The Department of the Treasury and HUD, together with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, have developed this initiative to maintain the viability of HFA lending programs and their infrastructure. The two main aspects of this initiative are:
1. New Issue Bond Program. This program will provide temporary financing for HFAs to issue new mortgage revenue bonds. Using authority under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA), Treasury will purchase securities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac backed by these new mortgage revenue bonds. The program can support several hundred thousand new mortgages to first-time homebuyers this coming year, as well as refinancing opportunities to put at-risk but responsible and performing borrowers into more sustainable mortgages. The new bond issuance will also support development of tens of thousands of new rental housing units for working families.
2. Temporary Credit and Liquidity Program (TCLP). Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will provide replacement credit and liquidity facilities available to HFAs that will help reduce the costs of maintaining existing financing for the HFAs. The agreements will serve to help relieve financial strains experienced by HFAs and enable them to continue their important work. Treasury will backstop the GSE replacement credit and liquidity facilities for the HFAs by purchasing an interest in them using HERA authority.
In regards to the tax payer having little effect here is what the white house press release said in their statement. “Pricing under the program will reflect both the cost of any financing required by Treasury as well as a fee designed to cover any risk posed by the HFA. While there is risk that losses could exceed estimates, the fee schedule Treasury has adopted is designed to cover net losses under most stressed conditions and thus would minimize risk to the taxpayer.”
When times are bad and money is more difficult to earn these days the scam artists come out of the woodwork needing a paycheck. One of many real estate scams that are hitting the nation is identity theft. Scam artists will get your information from your trash and recycle, from phishing on-line, stealing your mail or your wallet. They will then take out mortgages in your name and fraudulently sign the paperwork and leave with your equity in your home after they’ve transferred the deed over to them without your knowledge. Do you know anyone that cannot sell their home and has to rent it out? Well landlords need to be very cautious who they rent to. Make sure the renters are not using your home as a location to scam you or others. Check on your property regularly, make sure they are who they say they are and work with your neighbors of that home so if they notice anything strange going on they will work with you.
Another scam going around right now is for lenders or mortgage brokers to offer loans to customers and then get the person to pay an out of pocket fee for service. An upfront fee is very unusual. Another big scam is involving relocation companies. You may contact a moving company or get solicited by a moving company that sole’s purpose is to get your stuff and sell it. Make sure you ask to see a copy of their insurance policy, ask how long they have been in business, ask for a reference and get a detailed estimate of work to be performed. You need to make sure they are legitimate. This same advice should be used when working with a contractor. Anyone who may have to access your home should be flagged.
Here are some helpful items to remember: never keep your social security card and or birth certificate in your wallet. Never respond to an e-mail from your bank and never pay in advance for a loan or loan fees, be very leery of wiring money and whenever someone tries to initiate a conversation with you document the conversation very well and never give out your personal identifiable information. If they say they are from your bank, then simply hang up and you call your bank to make sure your bank really is trying to get a hold of you. If it was not your bank make sure to record the phone number, call the police and let your bank know too. If something does not seem right than it’s probably not. Life is tough enough, don’t be a victim from these pathetic desperate people!
Yes. At Pohl Real Estate we’ll listen to what you’ve already agreed to with the buyer and we’ll put the transaction together as well as make sure all documents are in place to not only protect you but also the buyer. We do this for a very nominal fee and it’s worth every penny. Many times when buyers or sellers come to me to help them put a transaction together they forget about or don’t think about a lot of items that I deal with everyday.
If you are asking yourself any of these types of questions give me a call we’ll work out a fee agreement based upon your needs.
1. I’ve heard I need title insurance is that something I can skip?
2. I’m wanting carry back a loan for the buyer but I’m not sure how to set that up? Will they pay me or can I get them to pay an independent third party? Should I record the note? How do I prepare the note? What about a trust deed? What about making sure the buyer has an insurance policy? What if my loan will be a second mortgage how will that impact me should he stop paying me? What if the buyer wants to assign the Note to another party?
3. How do I make sure that all the stuff that’s in the home will stay in the home?
4. What about alarm systems and water and sewer systems?
5. What about home warranties?
6. What happens if they want a home inspection and something comes up? Who should fix it? What if I just want to lower the price? What if I want them to pay for it? Do I have to fix the items? How do I make sure that I get what I want in the contract?
7. Do we need an escrow company? What do they do and why?
8. Are the taxes paid in full? How do I know? What happens if I buy a home and they owe taxes who’s responsibility is it then?
9. What is earnest money?
10. What if the other party claims that I would pay for something when I wouldn’t? How do I make sure I protect myself?
11. Can I tell the buyer that something in the house works when I know it doesn’t? Is it there responsibility to check?
12. If the buyer pays a downpayment or earnest money and at the last minute they don’t want to buy the home do I get to keep that money as consideration?
woods, admire the 110 foot stone cliff or ride the elevator to the top of the bluff for impressive views of Portland. 
et.com
