Described as “a thriving but manageable city”, the article highlights what we’re best known for: being a food lover’s paradise, highly walkable and biker friendly, easy access to beaches and wine country, our award winning hospitals, and an infinite amount of art exhibits, performing arts and festivals. 

As we mentioned in a previous blog post, Portland is heading up the rising trend of condo sales in the U.S.  More and more retirees, as well as young professionals, are desiring to be in a location where they do not have to drive to their favorite restaurants and shops.   

Apparently, one need not look any further than our beloved Portland!  

Click here to view full article.

In a recent Forbes article, Trulia’s Chief Economist Jed Kolko, breaks down why it is cheaper to buy rather than rent based on current market conditions.

Since last summer, home asking prices have risen 2.3%, whereas rents have risen more than 4.7%.  Mortgage rates have dropped to a record 3.5% from last year’s 4.5%. 

What does this mean?  Based on the comparison of home prices to cost of renting in the summer of 2012, buying a home is now 45% cheaper than renting in all 100 largest U.S. metros, saving homeowners an average of $771 a month. 

Kolko outlines the major components that must be taken into account in order to save hundreds of dollars a month:

-          Can you qualify for the lowest possible mortgage rate?

-          How long will you be living in the home? (The average American lives in a home for 7 years)

-          Which tax bracket are you in and do you itemize your deductions?

The article breaks down several scenarios of tax situations, mortgage rates, and time span of homeownership.  It also displays a city by city breakdown of buying vs. renting for the top metro areas. 

Here’s the comparison chart for the major West Coast metro areas:                                                                                                    

Visit www.Forbes.com for a complete comparison chart of U.S. Metropolitan areas.

What’s your situation?  Is now the right time to buy?  Give the experts at the Portland Home Team a call for more information.

Fazio Farms Corn Maze
8433 NE 13th Ave
Portland OR 97211
503.289.2020

The Corn MAiZE at The Pumpkin Patch
16525 NW Gillihan Rd
Portland OR 97231
503.621.7110

Portland Pumpkin Farm
16205 NW Gillihan Road
Portland, OR 97231
503.621.9545

Plumper Pumpkin Patch and Tree Farm
11435 NW Old Cornelius Pass Rd
Portland OR 97231
503.645.9561

Kruger’s Farm Market
17100 NW Sauvie Island Road
Portland, Oregon 97231
503.621.3489

Willamette Valley Fruit Co. Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch
2994 82nd Avenue NE
Salem, OR 97305
503.362.8678

Pumpkin Funland at Rasmussen Farms
3020 Thomsen Road
Hood River, Oregon 97031
541.386.4622

Oregon Hill Farms
32861 Pittsburg Road
Saint Helens, OR 97051
503.397.2791

Heiser Farms
20900 Grand Island Loop
Dayton, Oregon
503.868.7512

Airlie Hills Farm
10775 Airlie Rd
Monmouth, OR 97361
503.851.6904

Bose Family Farms
35765 Cyrus Rd. NE
Albany OR 97322
541.971.0458

Thanks to Katherine Miller, editor at FOODDAY, more than 300 recipes  are available in ”The Oregonian Cookbook: Best Recipes from FOODDAY”, the first cookbook in over a century to come from The Oregonian.

“We had readers send their favorites from 30 years of columns and staff members recommended their top choices,” Miller told KGW news.

Miller has been writing about Portland’s (as well as  the entire state of Oregon’s)  significance as a rising culinary mecca for the past 22 years.  With 360 recipes covered in 18 chapters, Miller handpicked the recipes and photos, providing background on the recipes, ingredients and sources.

Highlights include: farm-to-table recipes inspired by our bountiful farmer’s market produce; helpful hints for cooking with Oregon specialities such as razor clams, hazelnuts, salmon, berries, and morels; Portland’s connection to influential James Beard; a chapter dedicated to Oregon’s award-winning chefs - including Philippe Boulot, Greg Higgins, Vitaly Paley, Maomi Pomeroy, Andy Ricker, Gabriel Rucker, Lisa Schroeder, and Cathy Whims.

This cookbook is geared to all types of cooks and schedules.  Miller admits some of her favorite recipes are time-sensitive meals, such as a tuna, lemon and olive pasta dish.  Her favorite dessert: spiced pear skillet cake.  How very Oregon!

You may have missed Miller and a panel of local food writers and editors at Powell’s City of Books Wednesday night, but here’s a complete list of Miller’s scheduled appearances.  Stop by and pick up a personally autographed copy of “The Oregonian Cookbook”!

• 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, Fred Meyer Hawthorne, 3805 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
• 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, Kitchen Kaboodle, 404 N.W. 23rd Ave.
• 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, New Seasons Cedar Hills, 3495 S.W. Cedar Hills Blvd.
  Beaverton
• 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, Fred Meyer Burlingame, 7555 S.W. Barbur Blvd.
• 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Oct. 27, Costco, 15901 S.W. Jenkins Road, Aloha
• 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, Costco, 7850 S.W. Dartmouth, Tigard
• 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, Kitchen Kaboodle, 8788 S.W. Hall Blvd.
• Noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, Holiday Cheer Autograph Event, Oregon Historical Society, 1200 S.W. Park Ave.
• 5-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, Fred Meyer Hollywood, 3030 N.E. Weidler St.
• 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, Made in Oregon, Washington Square
• 2-2:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, Made in Oregon, Pioneer Place

California Impressionism @ The Portland Art Museum
Sep.12th – 16th, 10am – 5pm
1219 SW Park Ave.
Portland, OR 97205

General admission: $15.00

Ringling Bros and Barnum & Baily Circus
Sep. 13th – 16th
Rose Garden Arena
1 North Center Court St., Suite 150
Portland, OR 97227

Tickets start at $20, times vary

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
Sep. 16th, 5k starts at 7:30am
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
750 SW Naito Parkway
Portland, OR 97204

Hopefully you’ve already signed up to join the race, if not, it’s not too late to sponser or donate!

Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes
Sep. 22nd, 8am – 1pm
Rose Quarter Memorial Coliseum
1 North Center Court St., Suite 150
Portland, OR 97227

1st Annual Northwest BMW Motorfest
Sept. 25th, 4 – 9pm
Blitz Bar in SE Portland
2235 SE 11^th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214

Cost: 2 cans of food, all food donation will be given to Fish Emergency Services.

Strut Your Mutt for Homeless Pets @ Laurelhurst Park
(raises money for rescue animals)
Sep. 29th, 7: 30am – 12pm
3756 SE Oak St.
Portland, OR 97214

Individuals: $30                
Couples: $50     
Kids (12 and under): $20

Portland Fashion & Style Awards
Oct. 5th, 8pm
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
1037 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205

Tickets start at $41.50

Portland Pet Expo
Oct. 6th, 10am – 6pm
Portland Expo Center
2060 N. Marine Dr.
Portland, OR 97217

Meet your neighbors while enjoying food, games, and live music by The Beat Goes On. The Portland Fire Department will stop by, as will Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici.

National Night Out began in 1983 with the intent to build up neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; increase crime and drug prevention awareness; drum up support for and participation in local anticrime programs; and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are united and fighting back. 
 
Bring a dish to share, something to sit on, and spend an evening with your Bridlemile neighbors!

Portland prices jumped 2.6% in May compared with April and 0.4% compared with May 2011. This is the first time since 2010 that the index showed an annual increase in Portland home prices. Unlike 2010, where an expiring tax incentive stimulated the market, the current increase in both price and sales is occurring on its own.

Inventories are scarce and foreclosures are making up a smaller share of sales. It is likely that prices for June and July will continue the upward trend. That would mean March 2012, when Portland hit its lowest point since the boom, marked the end of the housing crash, both nationally and in Portland.

Nationally, home prices have retreated 32.7% from their pre-recession peak in July 2006. Portland home prices are down 27.6% from their July 2007 peak, and are roughly comparable to December 2004 levels.

According to the Oregonian, several noted sources expressed similar opinions:

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What should you do? Call us as 503.222.4300

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With your choice of 85 handcrafted American beers on tap, (44 of them brewed in Oregon!), spend the entire weekend soaking up the sun, enjoying diverse cuisine, listening to live music, watching home brewing demonstrations, and most importantly, re-filling your souvenoir mug with the country’s best brews.

Here’s the full list of the 85 beers that will be available on tap.

The Oregon Brewers Festival runs 07/26 to 07/29. Tasting will be from 12pm – 9pm Thursday through Saturday, and 12pm – 7pm on Sunday.

Admission is free; a souvenir mug is $6.00 and required for sampling the beer.

Entrance to Tom McCall Waterpark is at SW Oak Street and Naito Parkway.

For more information, visit Oregon Brewer’s Festival Guide 2012.

See you there!

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