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Last year at this time I wrote about the importance of patronizing local retailers in your area. Here we are still with hard times facing many people particularly small business owners and the owners of retail establishments. Did you know Portland has a program where you can get rewarded for doing your shop
ping locally? KGW recently posted a story about the “Choose Local” Program.
Card holders register and can surf the Choose Local website, filled with hundreds of deals from restaurants to travel and tourism. The discounts are usually 10 to 15 percent.
Several months ago I wrote a post about the green shoots in downtown Lake Oswego. Just know, this is the first Christmas for many of those new store owners and they’d appreciate it if you’d shop Lake Oswego this year. One of those new stores is Ferguson’s Fragrant Nursery on A Street. 
I stopped at their nursery right before Thanksgiving and they were already set up for Christmas. The smell of the Christmas trees and all their fragrant plantings was wonderful. They have everything you need to decorate your tree and home not far from where you live..right here in Lake Oswego.
If you’ve never shopped there, now’s the time to support them and the other stores in Lake Oswego.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No 
Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws. Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Portland
This past weekend, because it’s Thanksgiving week, I posted a picture of a former 1890s church in Lake Oswego on my photo blog. Check it out if you haven’t seen it – Lake Oswego Living.A Photo Blog. Last year I wrote a “serious” post on Thanksgiving so I posted a serious picture on my photo blog this year instead. I know we all have a lot to be thankful for, but I thought I’d lighten up a bit this Thanksgiving.
If you’re stting around waiting for the turkey dinner to get done, or if you’ve eaten and you just can’t get up off that sofa because you ate too much, here’s a link for some things to do with the kids.
Or see if you can help the Mayflower find America in the maze below:
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws. Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Thursday marks the holiday season and I know there are those that need help. The Multnomah County Library had this great post on 
their website recently about the places you can go to receive Thanksgiving and/or Christmas help if you or someone you know needs some assistance.
This obviously isn’t a complete list, but if you’d rather “give” instead, here are some local organizations to help:
- Loves and Fishes (503) 736-6325 (Main number)
- Portland Rescue Mission (503) 274-4483. 222 NW Couch Street, Portland
- Habitat For Humanity (503) 245-1798. 7830 SW 40th Ave., Portland
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Portland (50) 249-4859. 1827 NE 44th Ave. #100, Portland
- Sheperd’s Door Women’s Shelter (503) 256-2353. 13207 NE Halsey Street, Portland
- SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) (503) 937-4800. 219 NW 12th Ave. #203, Portland
- OregonHEAT @ http://www.OregonHeat.org
- Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart – Deadline December 5. Pick up an empty stocking at Lake Oswego City Hall, Adult Community Center or the WEB and fill it with basic household items with a few special gifts for those in need.
- December 5-6. Purchase a Wristband and take part in Cancer Association JoyRx for children/families at local hospitals @ Bridgeport Village
- The Sharing Tree – Washington Sq. Gifts donated to local charities
- Oregon Food Bank
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws. Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
A couple months ago I received an email from a reader about the holiday event posts I had written last year. By far those posts get the most hits of any others. What the reader at that time didn’t realize was those dates were for 2008 and were not pertinent for 2009. I indicated to him that I would probably write a new holiday post for this year.
Inasmuch as the economy has affected many of our citizens, I’ve decided to do a post about mostly “free” family fun events rather than those costing a lot or any money. There are some links at the bottom of this post to check out other sites. Here’s the link to my Christmas Tree Farm Guide for U-Pick farms from last year.
LAKE OSWEGO (City of Lake Oswego Website)
- Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart – Deadline December 5. Pick up an empty stocking at Lake Oswego City Hall, Adult Community Center or the WEB and fill it with basic household items with a few special gifts for those in need.
- November 27. Annual Tree Lighting
- November 28 & 29. Heritage House Art Show & Sale
- December 5 & 6. Holiday Market Millennium Plaza Park
- December 12 & 19. Carriage Rides Downtown Lake Oswego, Millennium Plaza Park
- December 19. Christmas Ship viewing
- Lake Oswego OregonLive event list
PORTLAND
- November 27. Pioneer Courthouse Square Annual Tree Lighting
- November 27. Holiday Parade (aka Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade) 503-248-5489
- November 28. Dickens Carolers
- November 29. Arts Bazaar
- December 2-6. Holiday Ale Fest
- December 8. Sellwood Marimba Band
- December 8-11. Holiday Artisan Market
- December 3-5. Multnomah Arts Center Winter Arts & Crafts Sale
- December 15-31. Lights on Peacock Lane
- Thru December 20. Christmas Ships on the Willamette River
- Through December 24. Portland Staturday Market
WEST LINN (City of West Linn website)
- December 5. Tree Lighting
- December 12. Holiday Parade
- December 13. Holiday Tour of Homes
- West Linn OregonLive event list
TIGARD (City of Tigard website)
- November 27. Bridgeport Village Tree Lighting
- John Tigard House Museum. 12 noon – 4 p.m. throughout the holidays
- December 4. Tree Lighting. Liberty Park Downtown Tigard
- December 5-6. Purchase a Wristband and take part in Cancer Association JoyRx for children/families at local hospitals @ Bridgeport Village
- The Sharing Tree – Washington Sq. Gifts donated to local charities
- Thru December 1. Breakfast with Santa. Washington Sq. Mall
OTHER HOLIDAY SOURCES OF INFORMATION
- Holiday Bazaars
- Portland Classical Chinese Garden
- OregonTravelDaily.com
- Kink FM/Holiday-Events
- Oregon Live Event Guide
- Portland Monthly Magazine Events
- Oregon Convention Center Calendar
- Friends of Tryon Creek State Park
- Pioneer Courthouse Square
- Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District
- Oregon Zoo Events
- Around The Sun Free Events
- Travel Portland Event Calendar
- Travel Oregon
- VIA-AAA Oregon
- OMSI Events
- Washington Sq. Events
- KGW Events Calendar
- Jenkins Estate
- Children’s Museum
- Oregon Children’s Theatre
- Oregon Ballet Theatre
- Oregon Symphony
- PDXPipeline
- NW Childrens Theatre
- Portland Japanese Garden
- Berry Botanic Garden
- Oregonian – Home & Garden Events
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws. Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Portland
KISMIF:
Keep It Simple, Make It Fun! Let this be your Halloween motto.
Just because we try and make Halloween night safe and nutritious, doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. The costumes, the party, and your own antics help make it fun. In fact, kids like to see parents lighten up and act like kids again. As long as you weave in safety rules with fun, children both accept it and expect it. Consider these safety issues:
- Masks and hoods can obscure the view of oncoming traffic, and in the midst of all the excitement your impulsive little ghosts and goblins may not be as attentive as they should be to what’s going on around them. Insist on the pack staying together. Don’t allow children to wonder off on their own to various houses or rush on ahead.
- Be vigilant when crossing streets in neighborhoods. Children must travel with buddies, older friends, or parents. If you’re the designated adult trick-or-treater, why not dress up and have fun? Older trick-or-treaters may be more inclined to accept a chaperon who’s dressed for the occasion.
- Walk on sidewalks instead of the street.
- Stand outside the home that your child visits. If your children are
invited inside the house, go with them.
- Bring a flashlight.
- Give your child a cell phone, if possible.
- Use reflective tape on costumes if they’re walking along dark streets.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Costumes should not be so long that children can trip on them.
- Make sure masks are easy to see and breathe through.
- Teach burn protection: tell children not to touch flaming jack-o-lanterns. If possible, use flame-retardant costumes and review the stop-drop-roll burn prevention with your child in case the costume catches fire.
- Use non-toxic face paints.
Source: Tips from Dr. Sears on how to Trick-or-Treat Safely.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws. Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Portland
Once Fall is here, it seems the year is almost over because the next several months seem to whizz past us so 
quickly. However, Halloween comes first and is just around the corner. Since Monday’s are my “fun” day, here are some tricks and treats for you. Also, check out some of my past posts:
- Halloween and Haunted Houses (2008)
- Fall Festivals and Events (2008)
- Pumpkin Patches (2008)
- All-Hollows Eve (2008)
There is lots of concern and talk these days about living “green” – reduce, reuse and recycle. Therefore, to help make your Halloween green, here are some tips:
- Buy organic and local. Visit one of the many pumpkin patches I wrote about last year on this blog. After Halloween, break your pumpkins or gourds into pieces and place them in the woods or a field far away from your house to feed deer or other animals providing them with their own Halloween treat of seeds and pumpkin flesh. Or, dry the pumpkin seeds for the bird feeder.
- If you purchase bales of hay to decorate your porch, buy barley hay which can later be composted and used as mulch for your garden or flower beds.
- There have been dentists in our area who buy back unused candy to avoid trips later to their dentist. Or, Wheels on Meals and children’s charities appreciate donations of unused and unopened candy. You can also crush hard candy and use them as toppings on your Christmas cookie dough before baking or as dessert toppings.
- Reuse old clothes from around the house for costumes. Here’s some tips for “green” costumes. If you’re out of time and need a last minute costume, here are some ideas for eco-friendly costumes.
- Donate any costumes to children’s hospitals or any number of charities.
- Instead of purchasing a plastic container or plastic pumpkin to collect those goodies, craft a treat bag by sewing a drawstring on old pillowcases and let the kids decorate them with non-toxic markers or paints instead. Or let the kids decorate brown paper bags you’ve recycled.
- Bake cupcakes without paper muffin cups or make other healthy snacks or treats and make your own goody bags with the kids and especially include Monster Toes!
- Use nature’s bounty for decorations utilizing Fall leaves, hay bales, corn stalks and more of the pumpkins,gourds and apples. Make old- fashioned candy apples as the treats. Help the kids make a scarecrow, or two.
- Craft – Buy or make decorations that can be reused. There are many outlet stores locally where you can buy inexpensive items and decorate further for Halloween to make them look like something out of a magazine.
- Check out this website – Green Halloween - for more eco-friendly ideas.
- There’s an eco-friendly website that lists “green” crafts, projects for Halloween.
- Recycle items from around the house. Use old milk bottles and use as luminaries to light your walkway or cut off the top and use as a plastic bucket for the treats. Use egg cartons to create decorations like this bat.
- When buying treats, buy in bulk or products with limited packaging. Or, better yet give non-food treats like funky pens or pencils.
- You can also reuse a brown paper bag by crafting items that can be reused later for other purposes like this grocery bag.
- Don’t litter with left-over candy wrappers, figure out a craft project to use up all the wrappers. While in Hawaii last year, there was a cart in the local shopping mall that had purses and other accessories all made out of recycled candy wrappers, juice containers, etc. that they were selling.
- Walk, don’t drive to neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. Better yet, have a masquerade party for the kids.
- Trade decorations or costumes with the neighbors or family. Get more mileage out of what either you or they already have.
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Last November, I wrote a post “In Search of The American Dream”. We’ve beeen “laboring” extremely hard over the last several years and, on this 2009 Labor Day, I wanted to take another look at what we’re working so hard to achieve.
Recently MetLife completed a study and reported their findings in 2009 MetLife Study of the American Dream. From my Residential Specialist magazine comes this synopsis of their study:
While the American Dream is still defined first and foremost by financial security (66%), the current version also emphasizes strong personal relationships. Nearly half of respondents (44%) say the current economy has caused them to reevaluated their priorities.
About 1/3 of Americans feel they have already achieved the American Dream, down slightly from 37% a year ago; 72% believe they can still achieve it in their lifetime. However, nearly half (495) worry that they won’t be able to sustain that dream.
The study also finds that 50% of Americans are only 1 month (two paychecks) away or less from being unable to meet their financial obligations if they were to lose their job, and more than half of these people say they could not survive financially for more than two weeks. Nearly 3/4’s (74%) of Americans admit to having an inadequate financial safety net, and 62% of these respondents say they wish they had more cash on hand to tide them over for 3-6 months in the event of job loss. Nationally, 44% of Americans expect the overall economy to continue to be worse in 2009 than in 2008 and 49% believe that the creation of new jobs will do the most to boost the economy.
John Wasik author of ”The Cul de Sac Syndrome” says:
“It was largely a vestige of our ego, of our aspirations, of the things we wanted most out of America. And that’s why I really fault the overemphasis on actually owning homes in terms of the American Dream.”
The Wall Street Journal had an article about the “American Dream” as well:
‘Surveys show that Americans buy into our gauzy platitudes about the character-building qualities of home ownership—at least those who still own them. A February Pew survey reported that nine out of 10 homeowners viewed their homes as a ‘comfort’ in their lives. But for millions of Americans at risk of foreclosure, the home has become something else altogether: the source of panic and despair”
Because of the financial crisis, people have changed their idea of what their American Dream is. This Labor Day many are struggling and their “American Dream” has vanished.
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
In 2005, I toured the house on Arch Street. The brick rowhouse, with alternate glazed bricks, is a two and a half story, eight-room rowhouse whose design was influenced by English Quakers. It’s the kind of house that the middle class would have lived in and was originally built in 1740 with a later rear addition. The rowhouse was restored in the 1930s to its 1773-1785 era. Its facade was constructed using a Flemish bond pattern of bricks of black headers and red runners. With memories of the devastating fire of London in 1661, the Quakers decreed all the houses built would be of brick, rather than wood.
It’s a small house. My feet aren’t overly large, but the steps going up were about half the size of my foot, its narrow staircase leading to tiny rooms. Its occupants must have been of small stature as the rooms aren’t very large, yet one of the residents’ daughters and her six children came to join the people who rented and lived in the house. Standing in one particular room, I actually got “goose bumps”. Because you see, it’s the Betsy Ross House - actually Elizabeth Griscom Ross Ashburn Claypoole’s house born January 1, 1752.
The house sits just a couple of blocks from the Delaware River wharfs, north of Independence Hall where our founding fathers signed our Declaration of Independence and our country was born. Walking towards the house you pass the resting spot of the Liberty Bell and past the cemetery where Benjamin Franklin and many other notable citizens are buried. In the opposite direction you have Elfreth’s Alley, our nation’s oldest residential street and site of historic row houses, only two blocks away.
"The Birth of Our Nation's Flag" by Charles H. Weisgerber
Although she may have been small in build, Betsy Ross was huge in historical significance. Not only was she a single woman, a working class businesswoman who owned her own upholstery business and an entrepreneur in colonial America during the 18th century’s Revolutionary period, she was also the woman who was commissioned by George Washington to sew the first American flag. At least so the story goes because there is no known historical document stating that as fact but was only a family story passed down through the generations. The personal story of Betsy Ross actually was a sad one. To read more about her life here’s a link to this remarkable woman.
This July 4th, while Americans recognize and celebrate collective achievements such as the writing of the Declaration of Independence or the victory in the Revolutionary War, it is individual accomplishments that are cherished the most. Thomas Jefferson’s, George Washington’s and Betty Ross’ contributions defined the course and meaning of history. When we view the flag, we think of liberty, freedom, pride and Betsy Ross. The American flag flies on the moon, sits atop Mount Everest, and is hurtling out in space. The flag is how America signs her name. It is no surprise that Betsy Ross became one of the most cherished figures of American history and I felt honored to have toured her home.
Facts About Our First Flag
What do the red, white, and blue of the flag represent? The Continental Congress left no record to show why it chose the colors. 
However, in 1782, the Congress of the Confederation chose these same colors for the Great Seal of the United States and listed their meaning as follows: white to mean purity and innocence, red for valor and hardiness, and blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. According to legend, George Washington interpreted the elements of the flag this way: the stars were taken from the sky, the red from the British colors, and the white stripes signified the secession from the home country. However, there is no official designation or meaning for the colors of the flag.
Why are the stars in a circle? The stars were in a circle so that no one colony would be viewed above another. It is reported that George Washington said, “Let the 13 stars in a circle stand as a new constellation in the heavens.”
If Betsy sewed the flag, who designed it? Betsy Ross’ daughter, Rachel Fletcher, testified in 1870, the following: “[The committee] showed her [Betsy Ross] a drawing roughly executed, of the flag as it was proposed to be made by the committee, and that she saw in it some defects in its proportions and the arrangement and shape of the stars. That she said it was square and a flag should be one third longer than its width, that the stars were scattered promiscuously over the field, and she said they should be either in lines or in some adopted form as a circle, or a star, and that the stars were six-pointed in the drawing, and she said they should be five pointed.”
Why would Betsy Ross be chosen to make the flag? It was usual in that day for upholsterers to be flag makers. As Betsy Ross prayed in the pew next to George Washington and had already sewn buttons for him, and she was a niece of George Ross, it is not exceptional that these members of the Flag Committee formed by the Continental Congress would call upon Betsy Ross to make the flag.
Where is the first flag? No one knows what happened to the first flag. Very few flags from that time have survived.
(All photos from the Betsy Ross House, Elfreth’s Alley, Independence Hall and U.S. History websites.)
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
I recently read this article in the City of Tigard’s July Cityscape monthly newsletter. It’s a reminder of what not to do or what you should
be doing in regards to those fireworks. So many people needlessly are killed or injured during this holiday. That shouldn’t happen if you take the care necessary. Certain fireworks are illegal in Oregon, but with Washington at the edge of our state and where fireworks are legal, people go over there to buy them.
This holiday, however, I’m also reminded to keep your pets indoors and safe. Many years ago my cat ran away on July 4th. She was gone for 2 years and 10 months – yes, you read correctly, 2 years and 10 months and then one day just came home. I never even got a postcard while she was gone…….She’s already used up 5 of her 9 lives (some stories you wouldn’t believe) so I keep her indoors over this holiday. She loves going outside and chasing bugs, jumps in the air, rolls in the grass and she’s going on 23 years old! I inherited her by default and I guess she’s decided to stay put now.
Keep everyone safe, including yours pets, this holiday.
Source: City of Tigard
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
The following was written on June 15, 2008, and aired on the TV show – CBS Sunday Morning (CLICK HERE to view) by favorite TV personality and financial guru – Ben Stein. Although he has many followers, there are some who have criticized his financial advice. Frankly I love his sense of humor. All the Dad’s who always receive neckties on Father’s Day, may not appreciate his comment on “ties” however. Happy Father’s Day.
“You see this lovely silken thing around my neck? It’s called a necktie.
When I was a lad and a younger man, men wore these to show they did not work with picks and shovels and pitchforks.
Ties were a symbol of white collar status, although even some workmen wore them under their leather aprons.
If you had on a necktie, it showed you had some sense of organization, some sense of dignity about yourself.
Even schoolboys wore them. At fabulous boarding schools like Cardigan Mountain in New Hampshire, where my handsome son went, boys still wear them. It showed, to use a word that you rarely hear, class.
Now, I read in The Wall Street Journal, on the front page, if you please, that men don’t wear neckties any longer unless they are in subservient posts. (<CLICK TO VIEW WSJ STORY).
This will probably come as a bit of a surprise to Senators McCain and Obama, as well as to President Bush. They generally wear neckties, at least on TV.
It will probably come as a shock to all of the network newscasters and the late night talk show hosts. They’re the coolest guys on the planet, and they wear neckties.
But never mind. The Journal says only 6% of men wear neckties to work, and the necktie is being run down by history.
I hereby quote my late great friend Bill Buckley and say, I am going to stand in front of the train of sartorial history and shout, “STOP!”
The necktie is a sign of a man who is there to work, not to play. It’s what a man who takes his responsibilities seriously wears. Men who want to look and act like small children dress like small children, or surfers, or hoboes, or something.
Plus, the necktie covers over a little part of one’s paunchy stomach. And it just generally makes a man look better, smarter.
My fellow men: stop dressing like children. Start dressing like grownups and acting like grownups. The necktie is a start.”
Kids, it’s the perfect time of year to get your dads a necktie. Get with the program, before we become a nation of open-collared slackers.
I mean it. Right now. And then straighten up your room.”
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Here’s a link to the post I wrote last year about the Farmers Markets throughout Portland and Oregon. In addition, here’s yet another link 
to this year’s calendar from the Oregon Farmers Market Association that may prove helpful. Take your Mom to one of these Farmers Markets this Spring/Summer and support our local area growers.
There are lots of gardening events coming up and Spring happens to be my favorite time of year:
Adelman Peony Gardens in Brooks @http://www.peonyparadise.com is open May 1-June 15. My peonies are doing great this year – don’t know if it was the long sleep and cold they had this winter or whether my 9 peony plants are getting of the age to start blooming profusely – in any case, I know they’re going to be gorgeous this year. By the way, I’m personally looking for the Mt. Hood Peony – anyone know where I can find it?
Schreiners Iris Gardens @http://www.schreinersgardens.com has not only beautiful fields to enjoy but lots of celebrations coming up as well. I’ve personally purchased all my iris’ from this garden and have been there many times including for their fun events.
There’s a garden I’ve never been to and am planning on going there soon – The Connie Hansen Garden at Lincoln City @http://www.conniehansengarden.com. The million times I’ve been to Lincoln City yet I’ve never been to this garden. It is now on my “To Do” list for this year.
And, one of my absolute favorite flowers – the Lilac. The Hulda Klager Lilac gardens in Woodland, Washington @http://www.lilacgardens.com - is a must see.
With all the talk of people planting their own vegetable garden, articles on the Victory Gardens of the depression-era and the new White House garden, locally even our own City Hall here in Portland is planting a garden. In addition, Oregon is lucky to have a nationally-renowned seed company in Albany. This is just another place I’ve been wanting to go to - the Nichols Garden Nursery @http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com.
For even more gardening events, here’s the link to the Oregon.live Home and Garden publication for some additional May events. “So much to do and such little time……….”
Happy Mother’s Day.
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
HAPPY EASTER to you and your families: 
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Every year on this day I think of someone. It happened on my first “real” job. My first adult job. I was naiive, very gullible, yet eager to 
learn and conscientious.
My new boss one day kept asking if Loof Lirpa had called. It started out casually then as the day wore on, he asked me constantly if Mr. Lirpa had called him and had left him a message. I kept insisting that Loof Lirpa had not called. He started to become somewhat agitated with me and because I was so “green”, I almost started taking it personally.
The day ended and Mr. Loof Lirpa still hadn’t called my boss. Increasingly I started getting concerned. Right before I left for the evening, I went into my boss’ office, apologized and explained to him that I was certain Mr. Loof Lirpa had not called him. At that time, he started laughing and said “No, indeed Loof Lirpa had not called him and APRIL FOOL!”.
If you hadn’t figured it out by now – Loof Lirpa is April Fool spelled backwards and he sure got a kick out of fooling me. I’ve never forgotten that or him.
HAPPY APRIL FOOL’S DAY!
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Since it’s St. Patrick’s Day, I thought it would be a good day to discuss what “going green” really means to you as a homeowner. You hear
about LEED builders but you too can make your existing home “green”. Many people think just putting down a bamboo floor means they have made their home green while others think installing a high-efficiency furnace is going green but perhaps they didn’t seal it properly – not green! To become green, there are solar panels, Energy Star appliances, systems to conserve water, just to mention a few things that add your home being green.
Here’s a link to a great visual showing an entire house and how it can go green, showcasing each element necessary from the National Association of Home Builders. And, to make your house more energy efficient, here are some tips and ideas.
The National Association of Remodeling Industry has a website that defines what green remodeling actually is.
What is Green Remodeling?
NARI’s approach to teaching Green Remodeling is an all-encompassing approach that emphasizes making a home healthy, comfortable, and efficient. Consideration is given to indoor air quality, energy conservation, resource conservation, reduced material waste, and the use of products that are better for the environment (and for people).
Why Go Green?
It’s easier on the earth, it lowers costs, and it provides a healthier home in which to live. According to the Sustainable Building Industry Council (SBIC), housing alone consumes 20% of America’s energy.
- Homeowners who choose to remodel green can lower their energy consumption by 30-50%. It’s widely agreed that forests produce 40% of Earth’s oxygen, and that building supplies use 25% of its forests.
- Remodeling green by incorporating recycled materials or sustainable species will help homeowners to tread more lightly on Earth’s natural resources.
- Green remodeling is becoming more popular as homeowners consider health issues, skyrocketing energy costs and Earth’s natural resources
Facets of Green Remodeling
Energy Conservation
The average home today utilizes systems for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and most homes are not built as efficiently as they could be, all of which result in high energy consumption. The U.S. Department of Energy believes if current buildings were green-improved, they would use $20 billion less energy per year. Green remodeling puts a strong emphasis on making homes as efficient as possible with modifications like energy efficient appliances and thermostats that can be programmed at different temperatures for different times of the day.
Indoor Air Quality
There are many sources that contribute to the air quality inside a home. They include pollutants brought in from the outside, toxic chemicals existing inside the home, and the activities of the occupants that create pollutants. Major polluting contributors are tobacco smoke, smoke from the burning of wood, coal, kerosene or other such substances, toxic fumes from sealants or chemicals from cleaning products, lead paint, asbestos from insulation, damp carpets or fabrics, and certain pressed-wood furniture products that release chemicals into the air. Green remodeling seeks to remedy these problems with things like better ventilation systems and using wood, paint, and sealants that are nontoxic.
Reduced Material Waste and Resource Conservation
When remodeling a home, there is often a large amount of construction waste. This amounts to 136 million tons of waste annually, according to the EPA, which in turn makes up 20% of the waste in landfills. Green Remodeling focuses on reducing this waste during remodeling and reusing materials whenever possible, as 85 to 90% of materials thrown out can be recycled. Using local materials, building with engineered lumber, and using recycling companies to remove waste are all ways this can be achieved during remodeling.
Environmentally Safe Products
Many products and practices used in the remodel of a home have negative effects on the environment. From chemicals and materials that pollute the air to the disturbing of the surrounding landscape, a myriad of actions taken can cause harm. With green, care is given to minimizing or eliminating products that could cause harm to the environment or the occupants during remodeling or after.
Overall green remodeling proves to be very beneficial for homeowners.
Green Remodeling:
- Reduces operating costs in the home by increasing efficiency
- Conserves natural resources.
- Increases the value of the home
- Reduces waste
- Reduces emissions costs
- Increases productivity of occupants
- Improves quality of life
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and go green!
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws. Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Portland
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Finally, it’s here. We made it. We’re done with 2008. I feel lots of optimism for the New Year, for the economy and for our real estate market. Having been through rough times and recessions before, I for one am ready to get this recession over with. It’s been rough going for lots of people. With a new year brings new hope and new promises. I’m feeling the end has got to be closer than ever. Here’s a recent article from RIS Media that says the same thing.
The other day I wrote a post about Portland being a good bet for housing in 2009. In some past posts I’ve stated I don’t think most economists really know what lies ahead. I’ve written two posts “Has Housing Hit Bottom”, and “The “R” Word (Recession) And The Economy” showing where economists have been wrong. In fact, even BusinessWeek is now saying that most economists got it wrong in 2008! Personally, I feel all predictions should be taken with a “grain of salt”. Real estate is local and what happens in Portland is like predicting the weather, it depends upon where you live and local conditions at that particular time.
Oregon
The Sunday Oregonian recently had this to say in their Real Estate section (reprinted in part):
SIGNS OF HOPE: New year brings optimism for local real estate market
Sunday, December 28, 2008
By JOHN KIRKLAND, The Oregonian
New Year’s Eve can be bittersweet: a mix of nostalgia for the year ending with uncertainty about the year ahead.
But can anyone feel nostalgic about what’s happened in the economy — particularly real estate and real estate lending — over the last four months? Please, don’t raise your hands all at once.
The coming year is starting to look pretty good by comparison, according to professionals in the Portland real estate sector. While no one is saying that all the sector’s ills will be cured during the next 12 months, most are saying that the worst has already happened in terms of declining home prices and excessively tight credit. They’re looking ahead with optimism.
Looking at the glass half full
Portland home prices have been falling since July 2007, and the consensus is they’ll bottom out and start returning to an upswing sometime in 2009, perhaps in the third or fourth quarter according Jerry Johnson of Johnson Gardner, a Portland real estate consultant. Then, prices will likely follow the 6 percent annual growth trend they were on from 1987 to 2003, and will return to the 2007 peak sometime in 2012.
Homeowners might worry about the continued slip in home prices in the first half of 2009, but State Economist Tom Potiowsky is urging Oregonians to count their blessings. “We’re not going to see the 30 percent price dips like they’ve had in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Miami and some of the metro areas of California,” he said.
The softer landing in the Portland metro is due to a number of factors, Potiowsky said, including its urban growth boundary, which prevents sprawl and thus helps maintain home prices, and the fact that Oregon did not have the same level of subprime lending that other places did, reducing our exposure to foreclosures.
According to Johnson’s figures, average Portland prices will have declined only about 12 percent from their peak by the time they bottom out next year. Also bear in mind that prices rose much faster than the local average between 2004 and 2007, so the recent decline is more of a return to normal following a boom-distorted run-up.
It makes sense: prices are down and interest rates are at a 40-year low. In some ways, real estate professionals are looking at this as one of the best times in the last decade to get into a new home.
Also sweetening the pot is the recently enacted First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, allowing buyers who bought their first home on or after April 9, 2008, to get as much as $7,500. The tax credit works like an interest-free loan, and must be paid back over a 15-year period. The credit expires June 30, 2009, so buyers need to act within the next six months to take advantage of it.
Tom Skaar, head of Pacific Western Homes, said the National Association of Home Builders is lobbying to make the tax credit a better deal than it already is. The organization wants it to apply to any home buyer, not just first-timers. He’s hoping the industry could get a significant shot in the arm with the next stimulus package, is happy that rates are dropping, and is expecting the liquidity problems to start fading away.
“I’m not prepared to say we’ve found bottom, but we’re awfully close,” said Skaar, 2009 president of the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland.
Several high-profile Portland-area builders declared bankruptcy or went out of business in the last six months. The challenge for the industry is to weather the current skittishness in the market and to concentrate on building the kind of product people want to buy.
“Builders will be looking to build at the under-$400,000 level. That’s the sweet spot for buyers,” he said.
Homebuilding and home buying will resume at healthy levels once the public starts feeling more confident. In that sense, politics may be one of the biggest factors of all in setting the stage for a more prosperous 2009. Said Potiowsky, to the extent that people will feel more confident under the new Obama administration, that will go a long way in getting us out of this recession.”
As far as the Portland real estate market is concerned, I feel there is a lot of pent-up demand. Sellers want to sell as shown by our large inventory of homes for sale and buyers want to buy but are unsure of their jobs and don’t think we’ve reached bottom. In my “Has Housing Hit Bottom” post, I stated that I feel you need to make the best decisions you can for your family regardless of what economists say or whether housing has hit bottom or not. If you wait for housing to hit bottom, you will have missed some excellent buying opportunities because no one, absolutely no one, knows when or if that has happened.
NationalCity Economics still states that the Pacific Northwest is the only area that is overvalued. Sellers still aren’t pricing their homes to sell as our inventory clearly shows. We have too many houses on the market for sale that need to be cleared out. Builders hopefully will re-think the size of houses they are building. The” McMansions” on small lots are passe’ and new homes need to become more affordable. I recently read on the National Association of Home Builder’s website that builders are considering constructing houses geared to the Baby Boomers. I’ve been preaching about that in many of my posts. Finally, perhaps, we will see the smaller, affordable, quality single-family houses. I can only hope in 2009 that will start happening. 
There are some good financing programs available especially for first-time buyers along with the first-time buyer tax credit and that market will only become stronger as we go into 2009. There will be even more financing options available in the future. Interest rates are extremely low and despite the many naysayers, I still feel now is a great time to buy. A recent posting on Donald Trump’s blog said “Real Estate is Not Dead” encourages people to buy. We have the inventory and rates are at low, historic levels. Once our new President takes office, there will be more confidence in our financial system.
Through all this many of us Realtors® have survived and some haven’t. I’m still listing and selling real estate full-time and I’m still here to do more business in 2009. Our Board of Realtors® hasn’t indicated how many Realtors® have left the industry, but I’ve been told around 2,000 have left in Portland alone. Nationally I’ve read 20% of real estate agents have quit the business. The survivors are left, the survivors who know how to market your property to get it sold. The survivors who weren’t the “order takers” during the “hot” market time of the last five years. We’re still here selling real estate full-time. We’re experienced, knowledgeable, we know the neighborhoods and know how to get the job done. We’re still here and hope to be able to work for you soon. Experience counts. Knowledge counts. Education counts. Hire the agent who has all those things to offer you and more. We’re ready to be your Realtor® in 2009.
Thank you for your continued support and readership. 2009 will be a much better year than last year, I just know it. My best wishes to you for a healthy, prosperous and successful year. Happy New Year.
***So what do you think? Weigh in and give your opinion on what 2009 will hold in store for us here in Portland, Oregon. I will publish comments in an up-coming post. Email me with your responses at bettyjung@remax.net***
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
I am finding that my blog is defining who I am or at the very 
least magnifying those topics or causes that are important to me. Lead poisoning is of interest to me because of my grandchildren, my personal health and the health of others. It is also of interest to me because years ago I sold a house to a pathologist here in Portland who wrote his doctorate on lead poisoning. We’ve had lengthy discussions about lead.
Yesterday our evening news had information about this year’s Christmas toys that contain lead and how you can find out which toys those are. The website that has that information is healthytoys.org. HealthyToys.org includes test results for more than 1,500 toys and children’s products. It lists the toys that are safe and those that are not and they aren’t all from China. In addition, there are other chemicals in the toys that are dangerous to kids.
At this Christmastime, the toys your children may want could be hazardous to their health and it’s worth checking to see if those toys they are longing for are tainted with lead.
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
If you’re not in line yet for the 6 a.m. Black Friday sales, think local instead.
In years past, I’ve tried to support our local retailers whenever I go shopping. One year, I never left Lake Oswego but did all my Christmas shopping locally, never even going near a “big box” store or mall.
The other day I got to thinking, now more than ever, our stores here in town need us to support them. We have an abundance of stores and shopping opportunities right here in our small town. Besides everywhere else there’s long lines and hard-to-find parking.
A couple of days ago, I met a client for lunch in downtown Lake Oswego’s Lake View Village and some of the local stores I used to shop at now have “FOR LEASE” signs in their 
windows. Recently, I read in the Portland Business Journal that the large shopping malls are having financial problems and are close to bankruptcy (Clackamas Town Center for one) and I can only imagine what the smaller retailers are going through. Small businesses struggle most times and now, in particular, they are hurting.
I encourage you to shop your own small areas of town as much as you can, I’m sure the local economy and the small business owners would appreciate it.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws. Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
During the course of the last month or so, I’ve wondered what or how to say
what I feel this Thanksgiving Day. I’ve been hearing from many clients who are facing difficult times. It’s very easy to get negative in today’s world. However, every morning, in my quiet time, I reflect on how I feel when I get up. I have a choice as to how I will greet my day.
Many people don’t have a roof over their heads, others throughout the world have nothing to eat while still others are cold. Today, I’m grateful for the simple things. I have a roof over my head, I have food to eat and I am warm. I am blessed.
The world is in a state of turmoil but I can’t control that. I can only control my attitude and the small world around me. This Christmas my grandchildren won’t be seeing as many toys or presents. But they have far too much anyway. My clients won’t be seeing the huge gift baskets I make every year, but I will still find a way to remember to thank them for their business. Instead, today I hope to help another person have food to eat and feel warm because I am very grateful I have all that and more.
None of us knows what the future holds, but I as everyone else am really looking forward to positive news, to a change in our economy, to a new era. We will get through this downturn and during this time, we need to stop and examine what matters in our lives and what is of value to us. We aren’t defined by how much money we make, how many toys we have, how big our homes or cars are. Instead, we should examine who we are as individuals and Americans. What are our beliefs and values? Are you healthy? Be grateful. Do you have a family who loves you no matter what? Be grateful. The United States is the greatest country in the world where we can get a fresh start regardless of our past failures and can achieve to our highest level possible. Be grateful.
During some extremely difficult times in my life and when I was ready to give up, I have a friend who would remind me “there’s always hope” even during the times when I had none. What I learned was that we can get by without a lot of things, but hope is not one of them. Our material possessions and our businesses can be rebuilt again. My friend has taught me that we must cling to hope and keep a proper perspective on what we can control and what we can’t. I know first hand that these are hard times and I too have tough decisions to make. I am not minimizing people’s pain and I sincerely feel for everyone in need. But when I look at how people in dire straights choose such radically different responses, I realize how our attitude truly does predict our own reality. This time period has been painful for so many, but it does not have to be a hopeless one. Regardless of how things may appear to you today, don’t give up. Put one foot in front of the other, greet each day with hope and embrace its endless possibilities.
We have a saying in the real estate industry, ”just wait five minutes” because things will change. Perhaps we had no real estate business that day, perhaps all our sales failed, but just wait five minutes and something will change. You’ll either get a call from an old client or somehow a new one just found you. Real estate changes minute by minute, life changes minute by minute. Keep your hopes and dreams alive and know that each day can bring you far more than you ever imagined. Stop and count your blessings and above all, be grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving.
© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Betty Jung
Jewels Of The Day. What Are We Missing?
November 23, 2009 in Commentary, Holidays | Tags: All About Portland Oregon Real Estate, Betty Jung, www bettyjung.com | Leave a comment
During these holidays we get so busy, we are always in a hurry, and we don’t take the time to enjoy some of the simple, and best, life has to offer.
When I first started writing this blog, I wrote a post “In Awe”. I had written about the simple things I really enjoy…the things that take my breathe away such as the smell of fresh grass, a rainbow, lights shining on freshly fallen snow, etc. The following is a reposting from another blogger in San Diego (San Diego Blog by Gary Glaser), that pretty much talks about the same thing I did in my post and it made me stop and think again. I took some time to dwell on what he said.
This week marks the start of the holiday frenzy. Don’t forget to take some time for things that don’t cost any money and could be the jewels of your day during this holiday season.
(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Portland