Hood River Real Estate Update

Mark your calendars now for Portland's largest Free sustainable lifestyle show.  Coming March 28-30, 2008  at the Portland Expo Center.  The Energy Trust Better Living Show features sustainable choices for your home, garden, and life. The event will feature companies and organizations with products and services in eight core areas:

• lifestyle                                               
• food and beverage                                                
• transportation                                                         
• conservation                                                            
• home and garden                                                    
• eco adventure 
• clean tech                                                             
• recycling                                                                  

Featuring:  Thousands of earth friendly products/services                                            

Music & entertainment --Local and organic food, beer & wine---Presentations and workshops---Celebrity speakers---Kid's activities---Interactive displays---A "Conversation Cafe"

Show hours are as follows:

Friday, March 28   Hours: Noon - 9:00 pm

Saturday, March 29  Hours: 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sunday, March 30   Hours: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

If you haven't visited Rejuvenation at 1100 SE Grand Ave. in Portland. OR. it's definately worth stopping by. The Portland retail store occupies 38,000 sq. feet on the 1st and 2nd floors of the historic Neustadter Building which was renovated in 1992. For many years the Neustadter Building served as a wholesale flower mart.  Rejuvenation is an amazing place with everything from vintage hardware, reproduction lighting fixtures, rebuilt antique lighting fixtures, Stickly furniture, salvage hardware-wood-plumbing fixtures-windows-etc., and so much more. It's easy to spend a couple hours wandering around, taking it all in and getting ideas. Upstairs you'll find the bargain room with marked down lighting fixtures and more. Store hours are Monday - Saturday: 9am - 6:30pm and Sunday: 11am - 5pm

If you want to sell your home here are some things to check on to prepare your home for marketing.

• Odors- Make sure your home doesn't smell. This is a main turn off for home buyers, whether odors are from cigarette smoke, wood stove smoke, cooking and grease smells, mold & mildew, or pet odors, you need to eliminate them and make sure your house has no unpleasant odors.
• Dark homes- Dimly lit homes are not inviting to most buyers. Buyers want to see the rooms with curtains & blinds open. They want to see the views & yard out the windows. Open up the drapes and let the natural light in. If paint colors are very dark, you may consider repainting in a light neutral color. Turn on some lights for the showing, but you don't need to get carried away. I've shown houses where virtually every single light, table lamps, bedside lamps, night lights, etc. was left on. I suggest turning on main lighting and some accent lighting but it's not necessary to turn on every single lighting fixture. Make sure all your windows are sparkling clean inside and out too.
• Dirty bathrooms- Dirty bathrooms are especially unappealing. Make sure your toilet, tub, shower, & sink are scrubbed clean. Put out fresh rugs and towels. Buy a new shower curtain if needed. Clean the windows and mirrors until they shine.
• Dirty kitchens- Same thing goes for kitchens. Buyers don't want to see a sink full of dirty dishes, and crumbs all over the countertops. Keep your kitchen especially clean, including appliances and it will leave a great impression.
• Busy Wallpaper- Wallpaper is such a personal choice it can be distracting to most buyers. You need to appeal to a wide variety of people when you're selling your home. You may want to consider removing dated wallpaper or borders and repainting in neutral colors.
• Bugs- Any kind of bug is a huge problem with good marketing of your home. If you have a serious insect or rodent infestation-cockroaches, ants, spiders, mice, rats, etc. Please call a professional exterminator and eradicate the problem for good.
• Gutters- Make sure your gutters are cleaned out. Buyers may wonder what else hasn't been maintained if they see clogged gutters with plants growing in them.
• Damp basement- Any damp smells in the basement may cause buyers to wonder if there are foundation leaks or drainage problems. These are not things most buyers want to deal with. You may want to check for clogged underground drains, install gutters and downspouts if necessary to carry rain run off away from the foundation.
• Curb Appeal- Your house must grab a buyers interest. Make sure your house makes a good first impression. Often buyers don't even want to go into a house with a messy yard, peeling paint, sagging doors, etc. Spend a little time on the first impression details that will set your home apart from the others.
• Sellers Who Hang Around for Showings- Home buyers are more comfortable if the owners are not present during showings. Do the agent a favor and leave the house during showings. Buyers like to look around, open closet doors, ask their agent questions, etc. and often feel awkward if the sellers are present.

Most of these things can be done without spending much money. If you are planning on putting your home on the maket, prepare your home before you list.

The Carson Hot Springs were discovered by Isadore St. Martin in 1876. St. Martin was on a hunting expedition when he noticed steam along the river and found the hot springs bubbling up among the rocks. He later filed an Indian Homestead claim at the site. St. Martin's wife, Margaret, suffered from neuralgia. He took her to the hot springs which relieved her condition.  This news spread rapidly and people began arriving in large numbers to bathe in the springs. The early bathers navigated up the Wind River to the original bathhouses.  St. Martin began construction on the Historical Hotel in 1897, completing it in 1901. In 1923 the cabins and bathhouse were added which are still used today.

This famous mineral water contains the following elements: Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfate, Ammonia, & Phosphate

Listed below are some of the acclaimed attributes of soaking in this mineral water:  

• Release energy from cells
• Regulate fluid balance
• Ensure proper clotting of the blood
• Protect against osteoporosis
• Contraction and relaxation of muscles
• Assist in absorption of Vitamin B-12
• Help form stong bones and teeth
• Maintain proper function of nerves
• Activate enzymes controlling energy metabolism
• Maintain healthy hair and nails
• Helps eliminate some skin diseases
• Stimulate the liver and increase the flow of bile
• Detoxify some poisons in the body 

When you visit the Carson Hot Springs Resort you can enjoy a rejuvinating bath in an original 1930's bathhouse complete with clawfoot tubs. An attendant will guide you through the process of soaking in the mineral water pumped directly from the riverbed. A swaddling wrap will help purify and energize cells while relaxing you.

You can enjoy renting a room at the resort, a full service restaurant, and also a golf course.

           Little White Salmon River                      Hood River sunset                               Mt. Hood

             Columbia River views                    Northwestern Lake                      Skamania County trees

  Rowena Crest Trail                             Hood River sunrise                      Ruthton Park view                           

Here are some questions for buyers to ask themselves when they are looking to buy a house.

• What are the most important features in a home to me?
• How many bedrooms?  how many bathrooms?  Will this number work for my family?
• Does it have a garage/workspace if I need one?
• Do I like the overall setting and neighborhood of the home?
• Does it have special features I desire like a garden or a fireplace?
• Do I want a new home or an older home?
• How important is the location of the house? distance to specific schools, my job, etc. 
• Is the house located in a good school district?
• If I have children are there kids in the neighborhood close to my kids ages? 
• If it is an older home is it in good condition or does it need a lot of repairs and how much will that cost? 

Buying a home is probably a persons largest investment and it helps to know exactly what you want and have a plan. A good agent can help you with this process. By letting your agent know what you want and need and the style and setting you prefer in a home, your agent can select homes that fit this criteria. It is important that buyers educate themselves to the home buying process as it can be a stressfull experience.

The Columbia River Gorge has a wide range of micro climates along its approx 120 mile long corridor. On the western edge where the Gorge begins just past Troutdale the climate is much the same as Portland. Rainfall averages about 45" annually. Winters tend to be more severe than other parts of Portland however, with ice and wind due to the influx of cold air coming through the gorge from the East.

By the time you reach Cascade Locks, OR and Stevenson, WA appr. 30 miles from Troutdale you will find yourself in a virtual rainforest. The annual rainfall here is about 75-80" per yr. The trees are lush and green with abundant ferns and undergrowth. The East winds are typically strong in the winter, freezing rain and snow occur here more often than Portland.

Twenty miles further East to Hood River, OR and White Salmon, WA you will find the climate shifting slightly once again. Here you will find about half the rain that Portland experiences. That is about 25" annually including snowfall. Winters typically are slightly colder than Portland with more snowfall. We do not experience the cold East winds like Cascade Locks, Stevenson, or Troutdale. I would say it is really not typically windy here in the winter and I have lived in Hood River for 14 years. Often in the winter however we do get an inversion effect. This is where the clouds and fogs get trapped along the river and the sun just doesn't come out or clear off. This happens at times during Dec. thru Feb. It can be a bit gloomy and depressing. If you drive South toward Mt. Hood you will often get above this and get into the sunshine.  Summers are warm, sunny, and this is when we get the wind-predominately from the West. Hood River summers are typically warmer than Portland. Summers  are a favorite time here with all the sunshine, and fresh windy air.  

Heading East another 20 miles you will reach The Dalles, OR and Dallesport, WA. As you drive you will notice the scenery continues to change with dry hills replacing the tree covered cliffs and hillsides. When you reach this eastern edge of the gorge you will be in the high desert climate, much like Bend in Central Oregon, but with hotter summers. The Dalles is very dry with just 12" of precipitation annually.  The winters can still be cold but often when it is cold, wet, and miserable in Stevenson, the sun will be shining in The Dalles.

Pics include: winter snow in Hood River, Skamania County trees & ferns, Hood River rainbow, High Prairie, Hills around The Dalles

Located at 6,000 ft elevation on the south side of Mount Hood about 60 miles east of Portland is the grand Timberline Lodge. It is located in the Mount Hood National Forest and accessible through the Mount Hood Scenic Byway.  Timberline Lodge was constructed from 1936-38 during the great depression by the WPA-Works Progress Administration in Oregon. It was dedicated in September 1937 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt who declared it a venture made possible by the WPA to represent new opportunities in the United States.

In 1978 the building was declared a National Historic Landmark. The Lodge is an inn and ski resort, but also a museum-housing a catalogued permanent exhibition of American design, painting, and craft work of the 1930s. Artists working under the Federal Art Project created works and furnishings for the Lodge, which remain intact today at the Lodge.  Timberline Lodge remains a popular resort destination in Oregon with more than a million visitors annually.

Here's an interesting website I discovered www.oldhouses.com This is an interesting site with listings, resources, and plenty of helpful information. The cost for real estate agents to include a listing on this site is $50.00 for 90 days. For multiple listings, every 5th listing is free.

Another old homes site is www.historicproperties.com

Thompson House  205 W. 3rd Street, Built:1889-97

This Queen Anne style home is now used as a commercial office building. The home was built in 1889 by John L. Thompson, a blacksmith who arrived in The Dalles from Boston in 1869. It was used as a single family dwelling until 1949 when it became a boarding house.

 Vogt Hall  307 W. 4th Street, Built: 1921, Mission style

This building is distinguished by its entrance portico and by the Germanic or Palladian front dormer in the roof. It was built in 1921 as a Catholic boy's high school. The building was never actually used for that purpose. It is in restorable condition. It is currently listed for sale for $349,900 http://www.rmls.com/ listing # 7048314

  Victor Trevitt House  Age- unknown  

Victor Trevitt was a succesful businessman who was instrumental in real estate and other commercial ventures. This house was named to honor him. It is uncertain whether or not he lived in the home.   When a neighboring commercial structure needed more room for parking, the home was relocated to a city park where it remained for many years. It was moved again in 2007 to a lot on Lincoln St.  The house is currently undergoing renovation.

 Second Wasco County Court House 105 W. 3rd Street, Built:1881, Italianate Architecture

This is the second of three Wasco County Courthouses. This particular building has an octagonal clock tower with a Seth Thomas clock that has served almost 100 years in the tower.  The first floor houses a funeral home and the second floor houses the Masonic Lodge Hall. This courthouse replaced an earlier wood frame courthouse in 1881.

 Elks Lodge   202 E. 3rd Street, Built: 1910

This Georgian Style building has four columns with a terra cotta exterior. The columns support a pediment and balcony. Pilasters on the north and south elevation provide a major decorative element as does the westside balcony with five sets of French doors. It was originally constructed with several rooms on the third floor for use by residential members. This building's facade has been virtually untouched since it was built in 1910. This building is currently listed for $650,000 and is sale pending RMLS #6033165.

 St. Peter's Rectory  409 Lincoln Street, Built: 1922 

This Colonial Style building is a part of the former St. Peter's Catholic Church complex, consisting of the St. Peters landmark (formerly St. Peter's Church), the rectory, the Vogt Hall, and St. Mary's Academy (no longer standing). It is currently listed for sale for $575,000  http://www.rmls.com/  listing # 7025266

 St. Peter's Landmark   3rd & Lincoln Streets, Built: 1897-98, Gothic Revival

The St. Peter's Landmark was rescued in 1970 from being sold and torn down by a group of concerned citizens. This Gothic Revival style church is brick masonry construction measuring 120 by 40 feet. Tours of the building which is open to the public are free.