Ultimate Open House


HBA Announces 2010 NW Natural Street of Dreams Show Site

January 7, 2010

Filed under: Street of Dreams — uoh @ 12:08 am

For the last 34 years, the NW Natural Street of Dreams has encouraged attendees to dream and be inspired by the most innovative and impressive luxury homes the building industry has to offer.

And in honor of its 35th anniversary, the show’s organizers, the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland, title sponsor, NW Natural, and presenting sponsors, John L. Scott and BASCO, will invite attendees to dream once again…this time from the heights of Northwest Portland.

The 2010 show, which takes place July 31 through Aug. 29, is set for Cresap Summit, a new development located atop Forest Heights off Skyline Rd.

“The 2010 NW Natural Street of Dreams site is about the three L’s: location, location, location,” said Rick Bernard, 2010 show chairman, owner of Bernard Custom Homes and a builder in 19 NW Natural Street of Dreams. “It has a rural feel while being right next to an urban area. You have the beauty of nature right out your front door while being close to tons of amenities and the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s a dream site for a dream show.”

At least five homes will be in the 2010 show, and two experienced NW Natural Street of Dreams builders have already agreed to bring their knowledge and skill to the endeavor. Previous “Best of Show” award winners Renaissance Homes and Hearth and Home will each display presold homes, and two to three other builders are expected to sign on in the near future.

The 2010 homes will be more moderate in size and price, but still emphasize luxury living. Innovative building and design will be featured in these more attainable dream homes, which are expected to range in price from $750,000 to $1 million and in size from 2,700 to 3,500 square feet.

All the homes will be built to Earth Advantage Silver standards or higher, which reflects the HBA’s continued commitment to sustainable building and the will of the public.

“The trend in luxury building right now is to build smaller, more affordable homes that have more flexible living spaces and leave a smaller carbon footprint,” said HBA Director of Shows Nancy Haskin. “We are incorporating that trend into the NW Natural Street of Dreams and have already received a lot of support for the concept. For example, most of the homes are pre-sales, which is a good indicator that the market is coming back around and the public wants the product we’re offering.”

NW Natural will once again team up with the HBA to bring this unique show to life as it has since the show’s inception in 1976.

“The HBA of Metropolitan Portland is responding to what homebuyers and today’s public is demanding – high quality, innovative homes with a focus on sustainability,” said Dave Williams, VP of Utility Services. “NW Natural supports the HBA’s focus on energy conservation, and we are proud to be the title sponsor of the 2010 show.”


Cycle the Dream to Showcase Portland’s Cycling Culture

August 15, 2009

Filed under: Street of Dreams — uoh @ 4:13 pm

The NW Natural Street of Dreams, put on by the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland, has taken the Pearl District by storm for the month of August. And, for one day only, attendees have the unique opportunity to view the show on two-tires.

On Sunday, Aug. 16, biking enthusiasts can join hundreds of like-minded individuals for Cycle the Dream, an event designed to show the public how easy and fun it is to experience the Pearl by bike. Along their special journey, riders will enjoy special events, clinics, product demonstrations, giveaways and tasty treats with their Pearl Pass…all while taking in the beauty of the show’s four buildings and nine luxury condominium homes.

This event, which is the brainchild of Mark McGregor, owner of Clean It Up, Mark! And long-time HBA member, caps off the HBA’s Green Week at the Street and further demonstrates the association’s dedication to sustainability.

“When I heard the HBA was putting on the most sustainable version of the show to date, complete with LEED certified buildings, carbon offsets, recycling and green seminars, I knew I had to get involved,” said McGregor. “Cycle the Dream is the first step toward my long-term goal of incorporate cycling into all HBA events and gaining support for bicycle friendly developments and homes.”

Peal Passes can be purchased for $15 online or at the 937 building upon arrival. Additionally, attendees can rent a bike from one of the available vendors at Block 90 or the Encore or bring their own. All-day parking is available for $5 at NW 12th and Pettygrove.

A complete list of vendors, events and freebies available during Cycle the Dream is below:

Location: 937 Condominiums (937 NW Glisan St.)
Event: Buy your tickets here to gain access to the show!
Other Goodies: Extra bike parking available, courtesy of Bike Racker and free biking maps

Location: Block 90 (323 NW 13th St.)
Event: Bike Tours at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., courtesy of Kirsten Kaufman, one of the only biking Realtors in the country
Vendor: Renovo Hardwood Bikes (hollow frame wooden bicycles)
Other Goodies: Bike rentals available!

Location: The Encore (949 NW Overton St.)
Event: Bike maintenance clinic at noon
Vendors: Sweetpea Bikes (women-specific bikes), NoPo Mobile Bike Repair Shop, and Unitus Credit Union (loans for bikes)
Other Goodies: Bike rentals available through Waterfront Bike Rental, free popsicles from Sol Pop at 1 p.m., and free smoothies from Pacific Perks from 2-4 p.m.

For additional information about the event, visit www.cyclethedream.com.


NW Natural Steet of Dreams Starts this Week!

July 27, 2009

Filed under: Street of Dreams, Uncategorized — Tags: — uoh @ 3:50 pm

Oregonlive contest

The 2009 NW Natural Street of Dreams “Views of the Pearl” opens August 1 and showcases four of Portland’s premiere condominium home developments, featuring nine incredible penthouses ranging in price from $1 to $2.5 million. With a focus on LEED standard and eco-friendly materials, the dream condos include the latest in home innovations and design, including wrap around balconies and hot tubs with a stunning city view.

Viewing the 2009 NW Natural Street of Dreams is a snap. Simply click on the tickets link to buy your 2009 Street of Dreams Pearl Pass.

Not only will your Pearl Pass provide access to nine gorgeous penthouses, all featuring the latest and greatest in design and sustainability, it will provide you with savings of over $6,500 at local Pearl District businesses, free rides on the street car and discounted parking for the month of August.

Don’t miss the NW Natural Street of Dreams website where you will find ideas and inspiration from the show, descriptions of the featured condos and profiles of the developers and designers.


2009 Street of Dreams to feature condos, sustainability and the Pearl District

March 30, 2009

Filed under: Street of Dreams — Tags: — uoh @ 3:36 pm

For the first time ever, the NW Natural Street of Dreams is going urban. In honor of its 34th year, the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland (HBA) is bringing America’s longest running luxury home show to the heart of the city.

street-of-dreams-kgw

Click here to see KGW story

The 2009 show will take place Aug. 1st-30th in Portland’s Pearl District and will highlight approximately 10 high-rise condos priced between $1 and $4 million. HBA had been working on sites in more suburban locations, but also had plans under way for adding an urban component to this year’s show. Changing market dynamics, combined with strong industry and consumer interest in the urban component, created an opportunity to focus exclusively on an all-urban show featuring some of Portland’s finest luxury downtown living.

“Dream homes come in different shapes, sizes and styles,” said 2009 HBA President Tom Skaar. “This year’s Street of Dreams focuses on the height of urban living in one of Portland’s residential jewels. It will bring tens of thousands of people to the area’s galleries, breweries, unique restaurants and shops. In essence, the Street of Dreams in The Pearl will give showgoers an authentically lifestyle experience and invite them to see all the wonderful things the city has to offer.”

The 2009 Street of Dreams will also feature a significant increase in its emphasis on sustainability. Most of the homes will meet LEED standards and have other sustainable site development and construction practices that exceed current code. Eco-friendly materials and furnishings and energy efficiency will also be showcased in the condos interiors. Sustainable practices also will be incorporated into the show’s production, marketing and operations. This emphasis demonstrates the HBA’s commitment to being earth-friendly in all its shows and events.

Attendees will be encouraged to take advantage of the region’s public transportation systems, including the MAX, light rail and Portland streetcar to reduce driving and traffic, to stroll around the highly walkable Pearl, and to pop into local businesses, which will offer special promotions in coordination with the show.

“The 2009 show will offer the public the things they’ve come to love and expect from the Street of Dreams with a new focus and feel,” said Roger LeClair, this year’s Street of Dreams Chairman. “It will still feature innovative homes, showcase the latest, greatest and finest the building industry has to offer and inspire people with the beauty and unique features of the sensational homes it highlights. The show focuses on dreams and will continue to do so for many years to come.”


This year, Catch The Streetcar

March 23, 2009

Filed under: Street of Dreams — Tags: — uoh @ 8:57 pm

by Ryan Frank The Oregonian, Saturday, March 21, 2009

This year, catch the streetcar to an urban Street of Dreams For the first time in its 34-year history, Portland’s Street of Dreams show in 2009 won’t line a leafy suburban street.

The Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland, deterred by banks’ reluctance to lend money for new suburban homes, shifted this year’s show to the high-rise condo buildings of Portland’s Pearl District.

Nancy Haskin, director of membership services and events, said the group had planned for the 2009 show to feature six new homes in Lake Oswego and some new Pearl District condos. But they cut out the Lake Oswego site because builders couldn’t find loans amid the recession and credit crunch. The Portland market in February had enough homes to last for 16.6 months at the current sales pace, far above a healthy market.

The 2009 show, which runs Aug. 1 to Aug. 30, will feature about 10 condos priced between $1 and $4 million. Haskin said the group hopes to satisfy visitors who have shown in past surveys that they want to see more urban living features in the show.

Haskin said they hope to attract 50,000 visitors to the Pearl show.


Street of Dreams builders downsizing dream

November 22, 2008

Filed under: Builder's Corner, Street of Dreams — uoh @ 11:52 pm

by Dana Tims, The Oregonian  

The flagging economy will suck some of the starry-eyed extravagance out of the 2009 NW Natural Street of Dreams.

Promoters insist the 34th annual show of luxury homes will survive the downturn, but houses will be smaller, far more energy-efficient and perhaps half the cost of last year’s edition.

And, with the exception of the two or three houses that show host Chad Eslinger had already planned to build at his 7-acre Bella Terra development in Lake Oswego, they will all be sold before so much as a single nail is driven.

“These are all just signs of the times,” said Eslinger, owner of Eslinger Builders, based in Lake Oswego. “The goal here is to bring this back closer to reality.”

Unlike recent years, when footprints for Street of Dreams offerings grew to 7,000 square feet and beyond, houses this year are likely to be closer to 4,500 square feet, he said. Prices that routinely tipped $4 million in the past will be closer to $1.5 million.

“When times get tough, you are forced to be more creative,” said David Nielsen, CEO of the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland, which relies on the Street of Dreams as a major revenue source. “That’s definitely been the case this year.”

Among the firsts now under consideration, for instance, is the possibility of staging a multi-venue Street of Dreams. Chances of that happening would increase, Nielsen said, if no other builders step in and offer to buy lots in Eslinger’s Bella Terra development in southern Lake Oswego.

A second location might feature even smaller high-quality houses or, in what certainly would be a first for the Street of Dreams, urban-style condominiums.

Sponsors also will promote a sustainability theme. All houses will be certified as Earth
Advantage, indicating high insulating values, energy-efficient appliances, managed storm water runoff and related features.

When the Street of Dreams premiered in 1976, it was the first of its kind in the country. It has since been replicated by builders’ organizations in hundreds of cities across the country.
The Portland show has consistently proved a huge draw with the public, luring tens of thousands of people each August.

More recently, a staggering homebuilding market cast doubt on whether a 2009 show could attract enough builders to make it go. Some longtime show participants, including those who still haven’t sold houses built for past shows, have bowed out.

“I’d like to think there are willing participants to continue the Street of Dreams,” said Gerald Rowlett, whose Westlake Development Group already had a buyer for the $2¤million house it sold in last year’s show. “But if I’ve ever seen the conditions for a complete roadblock, this is it.”
Greg Heinze, whose Shelburne Development is still trying to sell the house it built for the 2008 Street of Dreams, welcomes the changes for 2009.

“The trends we’re seeing for this year are actually pretty favorable, since bigger and bigger houses are going the way of the dinosaur,” he said. “The Street of Dreams won’t evaporate, but it will definitely morph into different things.”


Wine and Jazz Night at Street of Dreams

September 5, 2008

Filed under: Street of Dreams — uoh @ 1:27 am

Join us tonight starting at 6pm to listen to local Portland Jazz/Pop singer and songwriter, Devin Phillips, 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.


Artist Night at the Street of Dreams

August 28, 2008

Filed under: Street of Dreams — uoh @ 1:35 am

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.


Home Technology Weekend at the Street of Dreams

August 23, 2008

Filed under: Street of Dreams — uoh @ 1:33 am

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.


Wine and Jazz Night at the Street of Dreams

August 21, 2008

Filed under: Street of Dreams — uoh @ 1:11 am

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.