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We have been asked every question imaginable from where to shop, send kids to daycare, crime statistics, home repairs, dog walkers, you name it. We do our best to connect our clients with the right people, answers and services when they need our help.
We have created a resource guide full of the people and phone numbers we turn to when we need those answers. Feel free to download a copy and please let us know if you have a business you think deserves a space within those pages. We update the guide once a year and would be happy to check out your referral.
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Just Listed - Beautiful Custom Arbor Lodge Craftsman

April 12th, 2012 by

 

6928 N Newcastle Avenue

 

Beautiful craftsman in ideal Arbor Lodge location! This house includes 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths plus  a spacious Bonus Sunporch and Den (or 4th Bedroom) with french doors. Close to New Seasons, park, bus/MAX lines, restuarants, coffee shops, park, etc… Lovely open floor plan with high ceiling throughout.  Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors, upgraded solid-core doors and solid wood trim, designer lighting package, huge mahogany front porch. The list goes on: Rare 2 car gar, tankless h20 heater, central vacuum system, gas hookup on back deck. Elfa organizational system in garage and laundry included. Sunny back yard with large deck for easy outdoor living.  This house is amazing!

 

Offered at $400,000 
Address: 6928 N Newcastle, Portland, OR  97217
RMLS# 12269333
 
Call Tracey for a private showing.
 

 

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

A long journey home...

April 12th, 2012 by

 

I met Mark and Amy over a year ago when they were living in The City by the Bay with dreams of a new home in Portlandia.  The catalyst was a new career challenge for Mark and for Amy it meant being close to family.   My challenge was to find these two the perfect home.  The list of requests seemed very reasonable: an updated 3 bedroom 2 bath home with vintage charms but modern updates and open spaces.  There were two big MUST HAVES, a gourmet kitchen and a great neighborhood for walking to dinner or coffee.  We can find that, right?  I looked high and low, took videos and chased down pocket listings not yet on the market.  The reality was they were looking for something a lot of buyers right here in Portland wanted as well.  Understandably, this was making it hard to snag houses that only last a day on the market when the buyers are unable to get here in time.  We were all trying very hard to make this happen, it just wasn’t looking so good.   Then we saw a house on NE Garfield.  Could it be true, had we found the one?  It was brand new and they were in Portland.  It was perfect, almost.  The spaces were right, the location was okay, the finishes and fixtures were wrong but could those be changed. We all talked, they considered, Mark and Amy decided to write an offer!  I get the news there will be multiple offers. I submit it for them with a letter telling of their charms and desire to buy the (almost) perfect home.  They didn’t get the house.

Instead, the builder offers them the opportunity to essentially have a home custom built for them!  In Concordia too, just blocks from Kennedy School, Yakuza, and Extracto! What an opportunity, but they needed to be in Portland by the holidays.  Move twice, really?  After much research, conversation, and contemplation, they decided to go for it!  That was in October.  They found an apartment and got right to work.  The house was under construction the holidays came and went, work piled up for both, their free time was spent choosing fixtures and finishes.  The builders worked in the rain and wind.  It was beginning to take shape, a foundation, walls, a roof, lots of rain, a garage, interior walls, flooring, paint, it’s all coming together.  I can honestly say that I wouldn’t recommend this process for all clients but Mark and Amy handled it like pros.   Now after several months and thousands of decisions, Mark and Amy are living in their new Energy Star efficient, classic exterior, modern exterior home with a beautiful kitchen and open spaces!  Now, THAT is EXCITING!

Side note, not all things are always easy in buying and getting financing for a new construction home.  This is one of things that happens behind the scenes and Mark and Amy enlisted the help of a pro.  Jen Bell at Rose City Mortgage went above and beyond for these buyers.  She walked them through the process explaining every step but arrived at the signing to answer questions and hand deliver the paperwork back to the lender.   Without Jen being there and on game, Mark and Amy would have been living in an apartment even longer than necessary.  Now, maybe Mark and Amy can get to enjoying the slower life of Portland.

Artistic Eco-Retreat

April 1st, 2012 by

This is your country retreat in the city.  This is your place to worship energy efficiency, quietness, and creativity.  I hope this home will inspire you – remind you of Frida Kahlo, Pablo Naruda and Kurt Vonnegut all at different times.  And when you’re ready to jump back into urban life, you’re just a heartbeat away.

The list of amenities, and the flexibility of the space, is impressive:

Featuring radiant heat floors, energy efficient windows, new roof, new hot water heater, super efficient furnace, corrugated metal siding, & all new insulation. Beautiful black oak floors, 3 private decks for lounging, 4 skylights, lg kitchen, sleeping loft, & garden beds. Could easily be converted to two 1bedroom, 1 bath units or live/work spaces.

2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms || 1622 square feet, plus 172 sf of sleeping loft || Fully Remodeled

Priced to sell at $255,000   || ML# 12126129

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, APRIL 1st – 1:00 to 3:00pm

Amber Turner
Cell: 503.804.1261
amber@livingroomrealtors.com
View Amber's Profile

Dawn puts on her big girl shoes..

March 27th, 2012 by

I met Dawn a few years ago through a mutual friend. She needed some help with pricing a home that she lived in for informational purposes. We spoke a few times and then lost track of each other. Fast forward to 2012; I got a phone call from her asking me if I was ready to help her find a house.  What an awesome surprise.

After an initial meeting, some caffeine and a lot of catching up we made a list of must haves and set a date to start looking. We looked at new construction, re-habbed homes and then started in on the fixers. She thought she had found the perfect home, but they had signed a contract 15 minutes before we previewed it-shoot, hate it when that happens! After a few more homes she was pretty sure she had found the home of her dreams. A large stately Old Portland style home. This home, we joked, called for her big girl shoes. She wanted to share it with her parents before presenting an offer. We met her parents on a cold, grey Portland morning (shocked aren’t you?). They liked the home, but wanted her to look at one they had stumbled upon. It was out of her price range, but we all decided we should head over, you never know.

There it was. The perfect blend of old and new, box beam ceilings, built-ins, butler pantry and the convenience of a new floor plan. Great room with a large kitchen and new appliances, 4 bedrooms on the same floor and laundry upstairs. A master suite that had a bath tub and shower large enough for her 6’4” partner and it was certified silver level through Earth Advantage. Not only did it have energy efficiency, but the building materials used did not contain toxic chemicals. A healthy home.

What a fun and pleasant experience I had with Vintage Homes NW and Dawn’s family as we moved through finalizing the sale. When I last saw Dawn she was pouring bubbly in her new kitchen. A great place to showcase the wine’s she chooses for her company Fruit Forward, a wine subscription service.

Let’s don’t forget that Dawn now has a master closet big enough for ALL of her big girl shoes…..

Alberta Arts: Journey to Modern

March 26th, 2012 by

By now you know I always have room in my heart for the pragmatic dreamers, the artists, and the fighters for social justice.  So, who better to work with than the two of you–who are all of the above?  It’s been amazing to watch the dreams you hatched become real, and it’s hard to summarize the years put into attaining this goal.  Simplified, here it is:

The Challenge:

  1. Must sell home to buy – not that unusual for a move up buyer. 
  2. Must find replacement property before selling.  We quickly realized there is a limited amount of modern architecture in Portland, in your price range.
  3. Must be contingent upon selling your home – but have no chance of being snapped up by another buyer during the contingency period.  Okay, now it’s getting tricky.

The house to sell:

  1. Must garner top price.  Perfection required.
  2. Small budget available for repairs.  We needed  a good idea of what repairs might come up & the costs involved.
  3. Must sell quickly.  Hmmm.   Tricky came back.

The home purchase:

  1. Must be a modern style condo with top notch quality, in a vibrant neighborhood.
  2. Must have a guest suite for frequent houseguests that provides some privacy and accessibility.
  3. Must accommodate artist’s studio — hopefully with some access for public viewing of your work.

We started this search in 2010.  The dream home appeared in 2011.  It was about fifty grand over your budget.  By late 2011, the price had dropped to within wishing distance.  We went a round with the seller and the deal didn’t come together.  The dawn of 2012 brought us back to the table and the deal was sealed. 

Bon chance, mon amis! 

Now people, I’m happy to announce that Last Thursday Artwalk on Alberta Street will soon feature a new artist.  Look for the fine oil paintings of Mr. Andre Knaebel to grace the sidewalk soon – in front of the new modern home of Andre and Kristin.

A New House makes a New Home for the New Year....

January 9th, 2012 by

Living in a condo in the energetic and busy Northwest Portland can be exciting and downright fun, but for some folks there comes a point when peace and quiet, and the ability to stretch your legs in your own living room become much more enticing.  For David and Larry that stretching is taking place in a beautifully crafted 2595 square foot OsterCraft home in the Northeast Rose City Park neighborhood.

Locally owned and operated, OsterCraft Homes, a father/son duo with unparalleled craftsmanship and ever present creativity has been providing Portland with exceptional homes since the early 1970′s.  This particular jewel is an energy efficient Earth Advantage Certified Home with an upgraded heat pump, installed at the new owners request, to take eco-friendly one step further.  The original plan was to find a vintage home, but after growing quite accustomed to the carefree condo lifestyle, the reality of old home maintenance issues seemed less and less appealing.

Upon approaching this shiny new penny, seeing the gleam of the gorgeously stained concrete front porch, these buyers accepted that for them the idea of purchasing a vintage home was indeed a thing of the past.  The fantastic details inside the house confirmed this decision as they walked through the large, open gourmet kitchen with an Italian gas range, a bonus room well suited to become a home gym, indoor theater, or spacious guest room, a separate office space, 3 bedrooms, and 3 full baths.  The magic happened when they discovered a hidden door doubling as a bookcase. It turns out this new home had vintage charm after all, and come on, who doesn’t need a secret passageway?

David and Larry are now centrally located in historic Northeast Portland and nestled amongst beautiful parks, quaint dining spots, the Rose City Golf Course and so much more.  I can think of few better ways to ring in 2012!

Eco-Modern Alberta Arts Ranch Available for Short Term Rental

October 6th, 2011 by

Looking to host the holidays and show off Portland’s hippest neighborhoods but don’t have a large enough pad to house your extended family?  Or, maybe you’re hoping to rope some close friends into moving from the other side of the country and think they should spend a week living nearby?  What better solution than an Alberta Arts short term rental, just two skips to the best restaurants, cafes, and tea shops in Portland!

This spacious mid-century ranch has been completely overhauled by local Encircle Design Build.  With a decade of experience in Green Building, Encircle focuses on one project at a time with an eye toward reusing, and renovating in an environmentally friendly manner.  Here they used reclaimed fir to build custom bathroom cabinets. With an eye for looking past what is there and seeing the true potential of the space, this team has created quite a masterpiece out of what had priorly been a failing house at best.   To get a better sense of this transformation, check out Encircle’s YouTube video.

Rent this 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, at http://www.vrbo.com/371370. It sleeps 6-8 people, has an open floor plan, and a 1,000 square foot completely finished basement, plus beautiful outdoor space in a neighborhood bustling with activity.

Amber Turner
Cell: 503.804.1261
amber@livingroomrealtors.com
View Amber's Profile

September 24 Build It Green! Home Tour

August 31st, 2011 by

Here at Living Room Realtors, we care very much about sustainability.  That’s why we are proud to be in a city that shares our passion.  Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is holding its 10th annual, self-guided Green Home Tour on September 24, 2011.    Tickets are $15 with a free info tour at 10 a.m. if you want to meet green vendors for your remodel!

If you are looking to buy a certified green home, contact Living Room Realtors at 503-719-5588 and speak to any one of our Earth Advantage Certified Brokers.

Perserverance Pays Off

August 19th, 2011 by

Jenn, Jason and Oliver move into their new home

 
When we started the home-buying process together, Jenn and Jason were definitely leaning towards buying an energy efficient, new construction  home. You see, I met Jenn and Jason at my booth at the Muddy Boot Festival in 2009 shortly after their son Oliver was born. I was over the moon when I got their phone call over a year later when they were ready to find a new home.  Given where we met, I was not surpised that sustainability and energy efficiency in their new home would be very important. I just knew that we would be a perfect match to work together!
 
Well, let’s just say that we encountered a few bumps in the road along the way.  In the end, through a healthy dose of perseverance, this adorable family have moved into their new rad Energy Star certified home in the beautiful Beaumont Neighborhood! I want to acknowledge Jenn and Jason for being amazing and gracious people. Their “stick to it” attitude and trust in the process (and me) payed off BIG! I also want to thank the fabulous JJ Lee Kwai at Rose City Mortgage for taking such great care of Jenn and Jason throughout the entire loan process. Ahhh, I love happy endings. 
This home was built in 2011 by Urban Housing Development. The many green features throughout the home are what make this an Energy Star Certified home. Check out this link to the Earth Advantage website to see the personal, economic and environmental benefits of owning a Green Built Homes.  Not only is this home energy efficient, it is gorgeous and have many valuable upgrades that make this home a show stopper! See photos below.
 
The family is in the process of getting settled in their new abode just as our summer has finally arrived. Congratulations to my friends and may they have many years of happiness in their amazing new home!
 

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

Sold – Modern Irvington Condo

August 10th, 2011 by

Tanzamook is a 10 unit condominium development on the southern edge of Irvington. These modern homes offer bright, open spaces with great finishes, on a bike boulevard. Jenelle and I took on the exciting task of selling the last 2 units, which had been on the market for over a year.

We reacquainted ourselves with Tanzamook in a meeting with the developers, and what we saw was an amazing development that just needed some freshening-up. We proposed a simple approach–we wanted to stage a model unit with smart modern furnishings, and implement our proven multi-pronged marketing plan.

To stage the model unit, we turned to our staging partners, Spade and Archer. In a matter of days, the model unit was fully furnished with modern furniture that showcased the condo’s great design. We put our marketing plan into place, utilizing traditional components, such as professional photography by Jillian Doughty and direct mail pieces, as well as reaching out to the Realtor community, blogging about the property, and promoting it in our storefront on NE Alberta. The response was tremendous, and in less than a week, we had an accepted offer on our model unit.

Then we turned out attention to the last remaining unit. We moved our staging into this unit, and threw the marketing into high gear. Sure enough, after being staged for only a few days, we had another accepted offer, and the sale just closed. The development is now full of the happy residents it deserves.

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

 
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