Ultimate Open House

Consumer interest in real estate surged in July with significant month-over-month increases in both traffic (29%) and time spent on site (26%) on Realtor.com, the #1 homes-for-sale-site. In fact, year-over-year page views on Realtor.com increased by 22% as consumers spent more time this year searching properties in popular and unexpected metro areas than they did this time last year.

Read more on Market Watch.

Back to school time can be especially stressful after a recent move.  These 5 tips will help your child make a smooth transition to your new school.

Keep a positive focus - As the first day draws near, begin talking to your child about her expectations, hopes and fears for the upcoming school year. Reassure her that other children are having the same feelings and that she’s sure to have a great year. Present school as a place where she’ll learn new things and make friends.

Early to bed, early to rise - If your child has enjoyed a vacation of late nights and lazy mornings, getting him up for school on the first day can be difficult. Help make this transition easier by starting his school-year sleep routine a week or two in advance.

Take a trial run - Take some time before the start of school to make sure you and your child know where to go and what to do on that first morning. Show your child where the bus stop is, or, if she walks, map out the safest route to school, avoiding vacant lots and places where there aren’t a lot of people. Warn your child to always walk with a friend and scout out safe houses to go to in case of emergency. If you can find out what classroom your child will be in, visit the classroom ahead of time so she knows exactly where to go in the morning. You may even want to call the school in advance to find out about any special first-day procedures.

Prepare the night before - To avoid the morning rush, organize what you can the night before. Lay out clothes, make a lunch and assemble any supplies your child may need. Be sure to get everyone up extra early so you’ll have plenty of time to calmly get ready and get out the door on time.

Get a healthy start - Encourage your child to eat a good breakfast and pack a healthy snack to help her get through the day.

Join us tonight starting at 6pm to view art by local artists Michael Neilson, Diane Uy, Pat Condron, Ron Dobrowski, Marla Schroeder-Swade, Amber Sosa, Rob Sanford and Frank Nichols at the Street of Dreams.  Art ranging from stretched fabric tension structures to elegant photopraphy will be for sale.

The artists will line the street with thier art, answer questions and inspire your with their unique and innovative design ideas.

From the Oregonian, August 22nd 

Air conditioning makes a summer hot spell bearable — but at a cost.

Air conditioners suck electricity, picking your pocket and increasing demand on polluting power plants. Conventional air conditioning uses chlorine compounds, which are suspects in depleting the ozone layer and contributing to global warming.

Home air conditioners make constant noise. They operate best in closed houses, so allergists warn of molds and dust, while psychologists worry that individuals become sealed off from one another.

But you don’t have to hurt the Earth, or your psyche, to stay comfortable in the summer. Some quick and easy solutions:

Cover windows against the sun. Exterior awnings or shades stop the sun’s rays before they hit the window and can reduce heat by as much as 75 percent. Thick, close-knit draperies trap heat, and even indoor blinds help turn back some of the sun’s rays.

In the cool of the evening, open windows at the highest and lowest parts of your house to create a chimney effect for removing hot air. A window fan facing out also sucks the heat out.

Sources: www.planetfriendly.net, www.earthshare.org, www.sustain.tribe.net

Wouldn’t you like to have your lights come on 1/2 hour before dusk every night so that you didn’t have to come home to a dark house? What about a single button to push that will turn off all the lights in the house before bed? How about putting your movie or music collection on a hard-drive so that it is easily accessible from any room in the house?

Learn how to incorporate today’s latest technology into your home this weekend at the Street of Dreams.  Special learning tours will start every hour on the hour from noon - 4pm.

From The Oregonian, story by Eric Mortenson photo by Randy L Rasmussen 

Every house on the market has its issues, and the Northeast Portland home that Emily Gardner was touring with broker Kirsten Kaufman is one of those the real estate fliers delicately refer to as “needs TLC.”  It’s small, smells bad, needs fresh paint everywhere and the electrical system is funky. Filthy carpeting covers the hardwood floors. The basement has a mysterious puddle, and it looks as though squatters kept a diary on a closet wall.

But the street is quiet and the house has a garage tucked under the main floor — perfect for rolling bikes in and out to the street. From here, Gardner figures, she could whip down Ninth Avenue to Going Street, hop onto the Vancouver-Williams couplet with its comfortable bike lanes, cross the Broadway Bridge and in 15 minutes be at work downtown at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.

Gardner is among a burgeoning class of prospective homebuyers. In addition to checking price, square footage and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, some now are looking for houses that will allow them to ride a bike to work.

Read more….

Join us tonight starting at 6pm to listen to local Portland Jazz/Pop singer and songwriter, Mary Kadderly, perform live on the Bank of America Entertainment Deck while touring the Street of Dreams homes.  There will be wine tasting provided by Oak Knoll and food available.

Biking is a great choice for short to medium trips. In a region known for great cycling, there are many reasons to consider biking as a transportation option from cost savings to improving your health and fitness.

Biking is healthy, for you, and the planet. A short, four-mile round trip by bicycle keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe.

Biking will increase your level of physical activity, help you lose or maintain weight and improve your energy level. Biking will also help you beat high gas prices as you pedal your way to better health.

A variety of conveniences throughout the metro area, including bike lockers, racks and changing facilities, make biking a great option for getting where you need to go.

Click here to learn more about Bike There! Metro’s popular bike route map.

Did you visit the REX project during the Ultimate Open House?  Keep up with the progress on Oregonlive.com’s Ultimate Recyle blog.  See a recent blog by Shannon Quimby below…. 

From the beginning of the Reuse Everything eXperiment, I’ve disliked the word “standard.”

“Everyone wants under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen; it’s standard” says the electrician.

“It’s standard to have the sink faucets centered,” says the installer.

“Bathroom vanities are a standard 32 inches high,” says the cabinet builder.

My reply: “Nothing is standard at the R.E.X. Project.”

So when the electrician showed up to install the doorbell and complained that the siding crew had covered his wiring, I was ready. I explained that I never wanted an electric ringer to begin with. Then I threw it at him: “Gosh, I hope you didn’t charge me for something I never asked for.”

Do I expect guests to bang on the door? Nope. I bought a crank chimer from Hippo Hardware for $98 — a bit more than the modern electric and wireless doorbells. It is installed in the door; turn the lever to ring the bell. It uses no electricity.

That’s not a lot of energy savings to get pumped up about, but it’s something and will pay for itself and more over time.

As for the faucets, mine are off-center. My bathroom vanities are 36 inches high — and true to the R.E.X. Project, they were built out of old doors, flooring, and window and door trim.

The word “standard” sits right next to “can’t” — and neither gets any respect from me.

The Street of Dreams opens today! 

In addition to touring homes, discovering how to make your home energy efficient, being inspired by unique design ideas and standing atop of Mt. Scott (the highest point in Portland), there is a wide variety of special events happening at the Street of Dreams. Mark your calendar now so you don’t miss out…

Friday, Aug. 15th - 6:30pm-10:30pm - A Midsummer Night’s Dream 25th Anniversary

Saturday, August 16th - 12pm to 5:00pm - American Family Insurance Family Day

Thursday, August 21st – 6pm to 9pm - Wine and Jazz

Thursday, Aug. 28 – 6pm to 9:00pm - Artist Night

Friday, Aug. 29th – 6pm to 9:00pm - Date Night sponsored by It’s Just Lunch

Thursday, Sept. 4 – 6pm to 9:00pm - Wine and Jazz

Friday, Sept. 5th – 6pm to 9:00pm - Ladies Night

Saturday, Sept. 13th - 12:00pm to 5pm - American Family Insurance Family Day