Mark it down: the 3rd Annual Earth Day Run, expected to draw more than 1,000 people this year, will take place this upcoming Saturday, April 23rd, in Tigard.Hosted by Earth Advantage, the Earth Day Run promises something fun for everyone whether they’re in running s

As of this month, Oregon law mandates that if you’re buying or selling a home or renting one, a carbon monoxide detector (CO) must be installed if there is a CO source on site. Gas furnaces, gas water heaters, gas stoves and similar appliances are CO sources.Here’s more from KGW-TV:

In an effort to green Portland’s rooftops, the city will be offering property owners and developers ecoroof incentives beginning in April.The incentives fund up to $5 per square foot on an ecoroof project. According to the city, installation of an ecoroof costs between $5 to $20 per square foot. Here are the

When it comes to crime, Portland is average. So says a new report which ranked Portland 227th out of 400 cities for crime rate.The report, City Crime Rankings 2010-2011: Crime in Metropolitan America, was publish

Half a year. That’s the average amount of time it’s taking to sell a home in Portland. Nothing should be eye-opening anymore, but this average market time grabbed my attention. Goodness. So much happens in six months’ time (except home sales, apparently). Technically, the average

In an effort to live up to its name, the Better Living Show will offer Portlanders just about everything under the sustainable sun this weekend at the Expo Center.Workshops will cover topics dealing with gardening, home energy audits, green remodeling, local food po

The usual suspects remain atop Portland’s list of most expensive areas, but prices definitively reflect the staggered state of the market. As mentioned last week, there’s been roughly a 10% drop in home values during the last year.Here are the year-to-date average and median home prices for Portland metro,

If you ever had an ecoroof question, tomorrow's the day to ask it. Ecoroof Portland 2011 takes place Friday, for free, at the Oregon Convention Center.Visitors will learn how ecoroofs work and what local resources are available. In addition to hearing from keynote speakers, attendees will also have di

I stumbled upon this video posted by the Portland Development Commission (PDC) and thought it was worth sharing with blog readers. The PDC aims to close the gaps of economic prosperity between Portland neighborhoods, in part through community level discussions and local job creation.Here’s the video which cov

Who needs sunshine? Maybe not retirees. Yes, Portland has been named one of the country’s top bargain retirement spots.According to U.S. News & World Report, Portland’s falling home prices helped the city make the

Classic homes, big beautiful trees, and great parks are character traits of the Alameda, Grant, and Irvington neighborhoods in Northeast Portland... but now coyotes are top of mind.Coyote sightings have become more prevalent in the neighborhoods recently, especially during the day, and it's raised the concern of

According to The Wall Street Journal, "More homes are being built with universal design features that will help boomers stay in their homes as they age. But these features no longer evoke a hospital room -- and they're appealing to a younger demographic, too.” The video demonstrates how.

I remind all my clients – both sellers and buyers – to always make sure the contractors they hire are licensed and bonded. It’s easy to do and can be done by visiting the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. The following video by Portland’s NBC affiliate, KGW-TV, is a pr

The best restaurant in Portland is... Well, you're bound to get a wide array of answers and food-types and it's this diversity which helped Portland rank 2nd in a list of America's Top Foodie Cities.Featured by CNBC and created

Here’s an interesting discussion regarding the status of cash buyers. According to experts at The Wall Street Journal, they’re lifting home sales particularly in distressed real estate markets. And according to the National Association of Realtors, 28% of transactions in 2010 were cash deals. Check out the video.

It’s taking more than five months, on average, to sell a Portland area home. To be exact, the average is currently 160 days. As usual, some areas are selling faster than others and some are really laboring.Here are the average market times for Portland metro, in days, from lowest to highest:

What did Portland homes sell for in January? Here are the average and median prices for home sales last month. Keep in mind that prices are for closed sales, so they likely reflect transactions that went pending in late 2010.Average & Median = Area $390,000 & $365,000 = Lake Oswego

Portland’s home price decline in January was startling. According to the RMLS, both the average and median home prices for the area dropped by double-digits compared to a year ago.The RMLS reports that the average price of a home in our area fell 11.9% in January. Last month, the average price was $248,900.

You’ve heard: “It’s not what’s on the outside that counts, but the inside.” That may be true for people, but it’s not true for homes. Especially, when dealing with new or newer construction in the Portland area.I recently spent an afternoon helping buyers look for this type of house in NW Portland

I must admit that when it comes to home improvement projects, the front door or garage door did not immediately register as the best return of investment. But the following video has its own viewpoint. Check it out.

When it comes to homes, there are different levels of green. Green shades can range from LEED and Earth Advantage certified homes found here in Portland to green materials such as cork flooring used in remodels. One simple way to green your home is to use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).Here’s a very

Portland’s one of the best cities in the American West to live in, according to February’s issue of Sunset Magazine.Propping the city’s ranking was Portland’s sustainability and transportat

Buying local and avoiding that water bottle has helped Portland become one of America’s least wasteful cities, so says a new study.The 2nd Annual Nalgene Least Wasteful Citiess study ranks Portland 4th, down from last year’s 3rd overall ranking.What was assessed in the study? The eco

Online, the house looked great and featured a new kitchen, new built-ins, and new hardwood floors.In person, the home actually lived up to the hype, but why was this home sitting on the market for almost half a year?When I showed the Portland home to some buyers, they liked much of it, but they didn�

No jobs, no problem. College grads are still moving to Portland says a new study. The Brookings Institution ranks Portland as the 4th most popular city for college graduates.Regarding Portland, t

Over the last year, the Portland real estate market has suffered about as badly as any market in the country, according to today’s Case-Shiller report.The report shows that Portland home prices fell 7.0% from November 2009 to November 2010. Nationally, prices declined by 1.6% during this time span.

The area where homes are selling fastest is currently North Portland and even in this area, homes average more than three months to sell. As for the slowest area, that's Southwest Portland where the average time is roughly half a year.Here are the most current market times (days on market), listed from lowest da

Well, I never once thought I'd write about witches in real estate, but that's the type of blow the real estate market, in Portland and nationwide, has taken. The video below shows how foreclosure buyers in Massachusetts are using witches for house cleansings.