Real Estate Information Archive

Blog

Displaying blog entries 1-9 of 9

Live in Portland, Known as "FIT CITY"

Wednesday, July 25, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Bruce Hecht
For many people exercising rates right up there with paying taxes and cleaning gutters.  In a recent MSNBC Poll it was reported that 34% of us really hate it and another 24% said that they "tolerate it"!
 
Frankly, people that own homes in Portland Oregon are not sure what all of the whining is about.  Regular exercise is just a way of life in Portland Oregon.  In Portland, many home owners and general population folks take advantage of what is in our backyards and just down the street.  In the Portland area we have two rivers, the West Hills, Mt. Hood and we are home to the largest relay race in the entire world, Hood to Coast.
 
According to Men's Health Magazine, Portland Oregon ranks among the Nations Top 10 Fittest Cities, based on park acreage and number of Health Clubs.  Portlanders have figured out the secret to staying healthy and fit: having fun!

Try this out for size:
 
18 holes of golf at Rose City Golf Course. This is Portland's second oldest course.  It has 6,500 yards of lush, green fairways including many hills that will jack your heart rate up and make your thighs feel like you are indoors on a stair climbing machine.  You will want to walk the course, which is about 4 miles for the average golfer.  $32 for 18 holes
 
If you do not like to kill and chase little white balls, try a salsa class.  Take the up-tempo class, 180+ beats per minute instead of the 100 beats per minute in the waltz class.  A great spot to dance is at Viscount Dance Studio. 
 
If the more modern "Hip-Hop" dancing is your thing, try www.devinefunk-dance.com  the hour and 1/2 hour classes.
 
Another indoor popular activity that will get your heart racing is:  Tennis.  You can take a lesson at the Portland Tennis Center.  They have classes for all ranges and abilities.
 
My personal favorite is going to www.portlandonline.com/parks  and checking out Wilson High School's 6 lane outdoor lap pool.  You can swim while the kids use the slides and float down the lazy river.

Good luck, and say goodbye to fat and hello to your new home in Portland Oregon and watch it go up about 10-15% per year.
Add Comment

Dining at Portland City Grill

Wednesday, July 25, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Shawn Headlee
Good Day All,
 
Hope you all had a great weekend. I went to the Portland City Grill this weekend for dinner as an agent had given me a gift certificate. I am sure you have all heard in was mentioned on Dirty Dining on one of the news stations. We figured that since they just had a bad inspection that everything would be extra clean by the weekend.  Well, the food was great and the view even better. They are located on the 30th floor of the US Bank Tower. It is hard to explain the view, just go some time and have happy hour, you will then under stand.
 
Have a great week!
Add Comment

Seller Not Sure About Oil Tanks

Wednesday, July 25, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties

Submitted by Sandra Hanis

It seemed like there would be no problem. Our buyer found a great home in Southeast Portland with some gorgeous gardens. The newer gas furnace gave no hint that there was an oil tank but when we looked over the tax records, it showed there was an oil furnace at one time. We of course stated on the sales contract that the buyer would do a test to locate whether there was an abandoned tank in the ground. We were told the seller had the paperwork to show an oil tank had been decommissioned. Fortunately the listing agent said she would get the papers issued from DEQ (Dept of Environmental Quality). When the seller went to provide the papers, we learned that the company that did the decommissioning is now out of business and never went that final necessary step. The good news was that we started this inquiry during the 10 day inspection period so there was time for the tank locator to do the necessary inspection on the soil and if it is needed, the seller is willing to do any needed clean up and provide DEQ certification. My buyer knows that they will need to deal with this later with another buyer so they must have the DEQ certification. Also if you do not have DEQ certification and rules change in the future, you would probably need to meet new requirements. In this instance, everyone was working together to make this sale happen and by doing so the seller was able to move on and my buyer was delighted with their new place!  You can learn more about oil tanks at RobLevy.com under recommended links.

Add Comment

Greatest Cities in the Portland Area

Thursday, July 19, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Shawn Headlee
Good Morning All,
 
Hope everyone had a great weekend. SmartMoney.com has a great article with the 100 greatest places to live. The highest ranking for the Portland/Vancouver area was Lake Oswego ranked 32. Camas and Salem both made the top 100. Apparently the author has not been to Camas when the wind is blowing in the wrong direction!  Most of the cities on the list were small towns of 30,000 or less. I grew up in a small town and it was great as a kid, but there is not much to do now except fish and hunt. 
 
Hope you all have a great week!!
Add Comment

Oregon Historical Society For All Your Local History!

Monday, July 9, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties

Submitted by Sandy Morley

The Oregon Historical Society is now open on Sunday from noon until 5 pm through September 2nd and Tuesdays through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm. (Closed on Mondays)

Current Exhibits include

Satin, Lace & Tulle - Rose Festival Gowns Through the Decades                             (On display through September 8th)

Breaking Records - Breaking Barriers... Rarely Seen Sports Artifacts from the Smithsonian (On display through August 26th)

Oregon Art (Permanent Collection)

The Battleship Oregon (Permanent Collection)

The Oregon Historical Society is located downtown at 1200 SW Park Avenue, between Madison and Jefferson streets.  Upcoming exhibits are: The GI Dream coming September 28th and The Art of Gaman with October 19th.

 

 

Add Comment

Don't Miss Cathedral Park Jazz Festival July 20-22!

Monday, July 9, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties

Submitted by Kate Baldus

The 27th annual Cathedral Park Jazz Festival is coming soon!  This year festivities begin July 20th at 6 pm with The Strange Tones and Charlie Musselwhite at 8 pm.  Enjoy more music Saturday, July 21st, from Pete Krebs, Keith Hinyard, PDXV - jazz quintet of Portland, Steve Cannon and the Blowhard Big Band featuring Mic Gillette beginning at noon and lasting until 8ish. Sunday the 22nd wraps up the festival with Devin Phillips, Sneakin' Out, Al Andalus, and Plas Johnson & John Heard featuring Nancy King also beginning at noon and ending around 8 pm.

The festival began in 1981 as a friends and neighborhood party to honor the St. John's resident Howard Galbraith and has grown into the largest and oldest jazz festival west of the Mississippi, and the best part... it's FREE! Up to 5,000 people attend the festivities daily and more than 90,000 listen to the music as long time radio sponsor Kmhd 89.1fm simulcasts the event over the airwaves.

Held under the St. John's Bridge in beautiful Cathedral Park on the east bank of the Willamette River - the weekend is a perfect escape within the city.  There will be food vendors, as well as a beer and wine garden to enjoy.  Just a short walk/drive is downtown St. Johns neighborhood with restaurants and cafes like Anna Bannanas, Proper Eats and McMenamins.  Also check out the St. Johns Booksellers, Weir's Cyclery (Bicycle Shop) and Greg's retail shop.

Add Comment

Other Cities Spend Money Building Roads That Cause More Traffic, not Portland

Thursday, July 5, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Bruce Hecht
 
Here are some facts about Portland's environmentally friendly ways:
More people in Portland, Oregon drive Hybrid cars than any other city
 
More people in Portland, Oregon fight to bring money to the city to grow,expand and improve our MAX Light Rail system
 
Portland, Oregon ranks 3rd in the US that wear seats belts when they drive their cars
 
More people in Portland, Oregon ride their bikes to work than any other city
 
More new businesses are opening in Portland, Oregon that are building Solar Panels to power many new ideas in self sustaining energy
 
The world is looking to Portland ,Oregon for ideas and examples on how to go more Green in designs for buildings and infra structure
Add Comment

Walking Tours of Portland

Monday, July 2, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Cathy Hill
 
Many of Portland’s residents are fitness-oriented, making it an attractive city for outdoor enthusiasts. In 2005, Men’s Fitness ranked Portland as #6 on the list of America’s 25 Fittest Cities, an improvement from the #8 ranking in 2004. I’m a regular at my neighborhood gym, and when spring and summer arrive, I mix it up with some outdoor challenges.
 
I recently bought Portland Hill Walks, a book written by hiking enthusiast Laura Foster. The book provides routes and information on 20 Portland neighborhood walks, including details on distance, difficulty, and landmarks along the way. Many neighborhoods of the city are covered, including North Portland, Southwest Portland, Northwest Portland, Southeast Portland, and Northeast Portland.   Getting out and about on foot provides a fun way to learn our city, and a nice cross-training experience away from the gym when the weather begs us to get outdoors! Enjoy. 
Add Comment

Blazers Pick Oden!

Monday, July 2, 2007
by Rob Levy, Prudential Northwest Properties
Submitted by Shawn Headlee
 
Hello All,
 
Big week for the Trail Blazers! I have not been this excited about the team for a long time. I really like the character of this team. Management has done a wonderful job of cleaning house. It may take a few years, but we will be in the playoffs again. SI.com had some great analysis of the draft. Portland was basically rated #1 for the moves and picks they made.
 
In the real world, people are remembered more for who they were and not as much for what they did.
 
Have a safe 4th of July!!
Add Comment

Displaying blog entries 1-9 of 9

Syndication

Categories

Archives