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Mississippi Bungalow has new owners (6813 N Mississippi)

May 15th, 2012 by

6813 N Mississippi - courtesy of Living Room Realtors

Michael, Nick and I met at an open house. It was a typical Sunday until they arrived and , it would seem, fell in love w 6813.

Love affairs are real. People. Homes. Dogs. Lovers. To love is to live.

Living Room Realtors.

We bring it.

Lance Marrs
Principal Broker
Cell: 503.701.5323
lance@livingroomrealtors.com
View Lance's Profile

Gretchen and Stuart take a leap of faith

May 14th, 2012 by

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to congratulate my clients and new friends Gretchen and Stuart on their transition to their beautiful new home!

These days, it’s a good idea to wrap your head around the fact that it takes some moxie and patience to to sell a house and transition into a new home. In the case of Gretchen and Stuart, they decided it was time to go for it!

After being on the market only one day, we received a great offer on their Sabin bungalow! We then hit it hard in the search for their new home.  People have all kinds of motivations for needing a new home. For Gretchen and Stuart, their home just wasn’t big enough for thier family anymore.  They had been thinking about the idea of moving for a while so when they heard that the market was turning around, they decided the timing was right!

Check out their new digs. The kitchen is absolutely gorgeous and they are planning to start a master bedroom remodel including adding a luxuriuous master bathroom soon after they move in!

Tracey Henkels
Cell: 503.715.6140
traceyhenkels@gmail.com
View Tracey's Profile

Alberta Bungalow - Come and Get It!

May 10th, 2012 by

You want to live in the heart of NE Portland and walk or bike everywhere you go?  Check out this bungalow perfectly located just a short walk to everything on Alberta, a short bike to Williams, Vancouver and Mississippi.  There’s even a garage for great bike workshop and storage.  This home is perfect for the busy lifestyle and totally turn key so that there is nothing more to do other than move in.  The house has been completely remodeled with new white marble back splash, butcher block counters in the kitchen, stainless appliances, beautiful tile in both bathrooms, laundry on the main floor, and bonus space in the basement for a rec room.  Details:

**$379,900**2026 sq ft**3+1 bedrooms**2 full baths**detached garage**stainless appliances**new roof**decommissioned oil tank**new sewer line**new electric panel**forced air gas furnace**new windows**

Call for your private viewing: Jaime Arb Haessig, 503-730-7205

 

For Sale: Craftsman Bungalow in the Best Neighborhood Ever!

April 25th, 2012 by

 

Let’s pretend we’re not in PC Portland where everyone has to win.  Portland has a lot of great neighborhoods (I’ve lived in most of them) but we’re not handing out participation trophies today.  What other neighborhood has the Pok Pok Empire? St. Jacks? Lauro’s? Broders? I’ve got to stop listing restaurants because I’m sure another one just opened while I was writing this.  New Seasons, coffee, bars (Bar Avignon, Night Light Lounge, Apex), close to Belmont/Hawthorne but lined with quiet streets instead of crazy?  Clinton/Division!  Bonus points if you got it before the restaurant list.

How about a big Craftsman with a great front porch (cast concrete pillars), an entry (so important! should be first on everyone’s list!), original woodwork, wainscoting and built-ins with leaded glass, remodeled kitchen with an island, second sink, pantry, loads of windows, playroom right off the kitchen, office/den on the main and upstairs….that unbelievably hard to find three bedrooms all on the upper floor. Plus a large bonus hang-out room  with a vaulted ceiling.  This is starting to sound like the restaurant list.  Actually it’s starting to sound like bragging but it’s all true.  (It does happen to be  my neighborhood but I’m completely impartial.)

2940 SE Woodward
$529,000
4bed/2bath
RMLS#12675441
Laura Wood 503.545.9912

 

Laura Wood
Broker
Cell: 503.545.9912
laurawood@livingroomrealtors.com
View Laura's Profile

A short sale that closed in 10 days…and why I am glad I worked on Easter

April 20th, 2012 by

Realtors don’t get many days off. I find myself working in some capacity every single day. A couple of weeks ago, on Easter, I wanted to have a nice relaxing day. The sun was shining, and I planned a day of exercise, brunch, and laying in the sun. Even on the holiday, I checked the new property listings. I do this every morning, and I almost skipped that day’s listings, since I remember thinking that surely nothing new would hit the market that I needed to see.

But I spent a few minutes looking at new listings anyway, and I found a real gem. In Lair Hill, close to downtown and OHSU, a great little Victorian came back on the market. It looked to have a ton of the original 1885 charm, and it sat in a superb location with views of South Waterfront. Listed at $175,000, it was a short sale that had been “pending” for months, and at the very end, the buyer had to back out of the purchase. The house was scheduled for foreclosure in two weeks, so the seller needed a cash offer right away.

Enter the Kloss / Franz family of investors. They just sold their last rehab project and had started looking for a new one. They had already missed out on one house (they wrote an all-cash offer, $40,000 over asking price, and didn’t get it!) and so they were prepared for a long search in the competitive fixer market. When I told them about the house in Lair Hill, they were eager to check it out.

After seeing in person that the house was a real gem, they wanted to write an offer. The sellers already had two cash offers in hand, so we had to rush to get one in. I wrote it up and made my usual plea to the listing agent of why they should take my clients’ offer, and it worked; they accepted my clients’ offer.

With the foreclosure date looming, we had to rush through inspections, and run to the closing table. Today, ten days after the offer was accepted, the sale closed. Now I can’t wait to see this Victorian beauty restored to its former glory!

Tim Pitts
503-317-4312
tim@livingroomrealtors.com

 

2503 SE Yamhill - City Living and Coffee Enjoyment

April 20th, 2012 by

I have gotten particular about my city living.  What’s the fun in walking to coffee if you have to deal with city noise and city craziness while you’re home?  I have solved my own problem.  This house is in the middle of it all – walk to coffee, restaurants….my goodness, you could walk downtown if you wanted.  Then come home to the beautifully designed gardens and hang out in your own little paradise.  There’s a birds’ nest where the birds return yearly and teach their fledglings to fly in the backyard.  Squirrels will eat out of your hand and the sun always shines…this weekend anyway.  This is my favorite type of bungalow-  low slung with a full front porch (complete with swing), big, symmetrical windows that let in lots of light, hardwood floors, fireplace with built-ins, spacious living room and a separate dining room.  There are two bedrooms on the main and two adorable slanty-ceiling bedrooms upstairs, plus a big bonus room upstairs.   Classic Portland 1920s Bungalow.  Stop for a cup of coffee and then come on over the open house – there’ll be cupcakes.

2503 SE Yamhill
4bed/1bath
2735 sf
$324,000
RMLS #12478590
Open Sunday April 22nd 1-3

 

When Location is EVERTHING!

April 20th, 2012 by

1732se35th-frontpic Oh sure, there’s a couple of other issues like condition, size and price but seriously, for Karen, location was EVERYTHING! A busy enterpreneur who has lived, walked and worked in the same zone around SE Hawthorne for over 20 years, Karen knew that the number one driving force was LOCATION!

I have certainly had clients who have been very specific about location.  I’ve had Piedmont buyers that wanted to live within 8 square blocks of a certain spot and Ladds Addition clients that won’t even leave their street!  When home extends far beyond the walls of your house into the streets you walk, the place to grab coffee and of course the neighbors you meet, it’s a unique home search.  It’s challenging in this hot eastside market to wait out a new listing and hope that you can bring the best offer among competition ranging from 3-10 offers, but if you know what you want and what you are willing to do to get it, you are most of the way there!

Karen called me about a recent listing I had just listed in Hawthorne but the property went pending the second day on market and was no longer available.  When she described her desires, I recalled that I had met a neighbor at the open house who mentioned there was a new listing coming available in the next couple of weeks.  She had given me the rough location and a description so I dropped a card and asked if their agent would call me.  Once I connected with the agent it was quickly underway.  The Seller finished up the final details preparing the home for sale and we were there (with about ten other people) the first day it hit the market.  Of course Karen had walked by once or twice (or twenty times) so she didn’t need much to fill in the blanks.  Super light and airy, the perfect size and beautiful sun filled yard with *gasp* a re-built garage (in Hawthorne?).  This was the one.  We assembled a strong offer and hoped for the best.  After reviewing multiple bids, the Sellers were moved by Karen’s passion for the property and her deep roots in the community and they accepted her offer!

But it gets better.  This was not just the right location, but a gold standard of a home with significant upgrades and period restoration.  Smooth sailing through inspections and the loan process and Karen is tickled!  So am I.

1732 SE 35th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97214

 

 

Onward to the "House of Tomorrow"!

April 19th, 2012 by

Birkmeier, Burkmeier, Birkemeier, Birkenmeier, Birkmeir, or Birkeemeier?—SURVEY SAYS… Birkemeier!

collage by Doug Decker

Kenneth L. Birkemeier, 1905-1996, was an innovative and thoughtful designer and builder of homes.  He had his hand in approximately 700 homes and apartment units constructed in Portland, Oregon from 1932-1952.  Kenny Birkemeier, like many designers, evolved through time and presented a thoughtful portfolio of work that spanned Colonial, English, and conventional ranch style homes.  But the style most recognizable today, and perhaps the most sought after, is the “Birkemeier Modern” or as Kenny may have said, the “House of Tomorrow”.  Birkemeier took special care to make each home unique and most often built “on spec” for challenging or interesting sites.  Birkemeier was fond of whimsical details and curves which repeated in his work throughout the years.  Fortunately, this leaves behind some distinguishable features to help identify his work.  So without further ado–

How to spot a Birkemeier*:

  • Complex overlapping roof lines
  • Roman brick on the facade
  • Oculus (or round window)
  • Rough brick patterns on exterior
  • Rock terracing materials, especially for hillside homes
  • Curved exterior walls &/or walkways
  • Curved rails of wrought iron
  • Brick fireplace or Roman brick fireplaces
  • Interior stone work
  • High peaked vaulted ceilings
  • Large front-facing windows
  • Open, flowing floor plans
  • Well-crafted wooden built-ins
  • Natural unpainted fine grade wood beams, trim, built-ins, closets, &/or cabinetry
  • Basement wet bar
  • Large 4” hexagonal tile counters
  • Same color large 4”x8” subway backsplash
  • Light turquoise/sea foam green kitchens
  • Light turquoise/sea foam green and pink bathrooms
  • Linoleum kitchen floors
  • Pass-throughs from kitchen to dining room
  • Curves: scalloped cabinetry trim, crown moulding, kitchen counters, front door entry trim, wooden closet pulls, living room ceiling beams, you name it–it’s curved.

Let me take a moment to congratulate two friends and clients for their recent Birkemeier purchase.  Congratulations Laura & Tommy!.  Dreams can indeed become a reality, please enjoy your architectural gem!  Here are some photos of their tastefully updated Birkemeier in NE Portland, Oregon.

*  This list is not to be construed as the end all, be all, yet it is my own compilation of observations of what Birkemeier has left behind from the entire length of his career.  There may be omissions and certainly this is not to be construed as a complete list.  Many of Birkemeier’s homes differed in style and many had overlapping elements.  In other words, buyer to do own diligence.  ;)

Have something to add?  Please contact Heather at (971)255-9868 or pdxrealestatebroker@gmail.com

References:
Doug Decker
Jack Bookwalter
Lynette
Lynette
Brian Libby

Picture Yourself in a Boat on a River...

April 11th, 2012 by

Who needs time travel or hallucinogenic substances!  Just hang out with your favorite realtor for a meaty day of touring and you’ll be amazed at the places you go.   Built in 1972 on a .37 acre lot, this untouched beauty worked its way into the hearts and souls of Brian and Michelle who purchased the perfect adorable Tudor/Mediterranean combo in the heart of walkable NE PDX, a mere 2 years ago.

 ”Kari, it’s Michelle.  I know this is crazy.  Brian doesn’t even know I’m calling you but, there’s this house…”  And so it began – one heck of a real estate journey with a capital J.

First, Michelle and Brian had to sell.  Done, thanks to the walkable NE part and, let’s just be honest, some serious divine intervention…

Then there was the easement-encroachment-environmental overlay-built on a slope-ancient furnace-90 feet of failing sewer in the slope and under old growth cedar-cake walk.  Add a few back up offers on both ends of  Brian and Michelle’s purchase and sale, and you’ve got your self one pressure cooker of a real estate situation.

Again, no problem thanks to everyone involved but special mention must be given to good old Mom, whose clear head prevailed in spite of the g-force real estate roller coaster drop her daughter and son in law were experiencing.

Prevail we did, and Brian and Michelle can now truly picture themselves in a boat on a river, thanks to that stream they now own.

Now there’s just the matter of a little wallpaper removal.  Grandpa and one-year old Ben seem to have it covered…

BOUGHT!

4027 SW 53rd Place

Wilcox Estates Neighborhood

$284,000

3 bedrooms

2 baths

.37 Acre Lot

Classic Beauty soon with a Twist

April 9th, 2012 by

Classic Alameda Beauty about to become uberhip.  My clients have a very good eye – we toured this house and they could appreciate the gracious spaces, the wrought iron bannisters, untouched tiled upper bathroom and were able to overlook the dizzy making 50s linoleum and some unlovely touches from the 80s (what happened in the 80s anyway? Surely something good must have happened in the design world).  We poured over Jessica Helgerson’s website and her entrancing remodel of a White Brick Mediterranean for inspiration.   My clients bought the house and are embarking on a fabulous remodel with Orange  Construction.  I can’t wait!  All the fun of remodeling with none of the expense and hassle.  For me, anyway.

Laura Wood
Broker
Cell: 503.545.9912
laurawood@livingroomrealtors.com
View Laura's Profile

 
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