Do you fancy yourself an electrician? Perhaps a plumber? Certainly a painter? If you are anything like me, you may think that the easiest, quickest and most inexpensive solution to your home improvement needs is you, your trusty hammer and a reliable YouTube tutorial. Over the past year the DIY industry has been in full swing as more homeowners have been tackling their own house projects. From the bathroom to the garage and everywhere in between, the yearning to correct that wonky cabinet door, replace a loose shower tile or build a backyard fence is evident and the solution clearly in your hands. Yet, homeowners have reported spending an average of $184.13 to fix their failed DIY house projects, according to a new survey from Cinch Home Services, a home warranty company.
These are the most common DIY fails, according to the survey:
If you are all right in handing over the hammer to a professional, from roofers and landscapers, to chimney and foundation specialists, I’ve amassed an extensive list of reputable (local) vendors for your every home need. Just say the word and I will happily share a contact, or several. It’s always a good practice to consult more than one vendor for ideas and pricing and never hurts to get a second opinion, aside from that of your loyal pet or significant other.
Market Update: May 2021
The strong sellers market continues to loom large. Interest rates remain at historic lows, multiple offers are the norm on well positioned homes and the average sales price ($557,900 in Portland Metro) is still on the rise. For those considering a home sale, it behooves you to take advantage of exceedingly high buyer demand and before you have any added competition in your neighborhood, with all the competition out there it is best to remain positive. Be patient and try to keep emotional decisions to a minimum – we want you to enjoy your home and your investment for years to come.
There is still a ways to go before we see an abundance of homes on the market but there are some promising signs as of late. As the economy continues to improve (along with those flush with newfound equity and aiming for new horizons), and people get vaccinated and feel more comfortable getting out, more inventory is certain to appear.
Fannie Mae reports consumer positivity regarding home-selling conditions matching an all-time high. And a realtor.com survey concluded that one-in-ten homeowners plan on selling this year, with 63% of those looking to list in the next six months.
Please feel free to reach out if you’d like a custom home analysis or have any questions.
Local Artist Spotlight: Me!
For the past twenty years, I’ve been designing program logos and communication collateral for corporate events. These were created largely for business meetings and incentive campaigns that took savvy travelers to destinations around the globe. Sadly, these elaborate events came to a screeching halt at the onset of the pandemic. As a result, hundreds of thousands of livelihoods have been upturned, including my own; it will be some time before they return in full.
In the spirit of Beeple, the digital artist who recently created and sold the most expensive piece of NFT (non-fungible token) art, I’ve compiled dozens of my own creations, favorite logos from over the years. From Bora Bora to Prague, Japan to South Africa, my aim was to capture the essence of these dreamy locations within a single brand. And now for your armchair-travel-viewing pleasure. If you’ve been looking to jump into the crypto-currency arena and are in the market for an NFT, perhaps I can put my screen-savvy sons to task in getting this onto the EPH blockchain.
I understand most of you are relatively settled in your current homes. But if your friends, family members, neighbors and work colleagues have expressed any interest in seeking greener pastures, your referrals would mean the world to me.
Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Tulsa, Oklahoma, I developed an affinity for the seasons. Delightfully, here in Portland, we get a wonderful taste of all four seasons, from the *generous* rainy season to some gorgeous spring days, a handful of summer scorchers and even some blustery snow days. The variety is as welcomed as it is vital, to my mental state anyway. Even the recent ice storm was something to behold. While entertaining in its drama, it was certainly disconcerting for many of us. And yet another reminder of how dear it is …our place called home.
Now it was time for some of the planting fun! We chose a few beauties to be focal points in the garden, including a Japanese maple, weeping blue cedar, bonsai and a pink hydrangea and rhododendron. Additionally, we planted a handful of ferns and grasses in groups of 3. We are fans of not over planting and giving everything room to grow. These were purchased from multiple Eastside businesses including 
With the plants in place, it was time to purchase mulch and rock. Lucky for us, fabulous 
One of our final tasks on the project was to produce our own concrete circles in the path. My partner had a bit of experience working with concrete from his previous house, and he was excited to put his cement mixer to use again. To create the large circles, he constructed molds out of fiberboard and we placed them in the empty path. Then the concrete was mixed and poured in multiple batches. We made the small circles off to the side and simply placed them in the path after they were dry, and then finished filling in the river rock. 
In-person tours are still an option in many cases when necessary, but with precautions we take very seriously. We recommend live video tours for anyone that has cold or flu symptoms or concerned about a possible COVID-19 exposure. This goes for clients, as well as, agents. Our agents are following the recommended 6 ft of social distancing and strict hand-washing and disinfecting policies. Our agents provide our COVID-19 Safe Showing policies to clients for review prior to visiting any property in-person so you can make the best decision for your health and safety.
For those of us invested in the stock market, we’ve all been wondering if the historic run of this bull market was ever going to end. No one, however, could have predicted the coronavirus or imagine its global impact. The next few months are still unwritten and as we brace ourselves for how far reaching the effects will be. It’s unsettling for everyone. The stock market volatility is reminiscent of 2008, but the cause is totally different, and it will have different effects. A recent New York Times article titled 
The news around COVID-19 feels surreal right now with everything seemingly in a holding pattern, but the root cause of what’s driving Portland’s housing demand will not be affected in the long run. Portland is one of the strongest real estate markets in the country. It’s during times of crisis that people take the time to reflect on what’s really important. The certainty of having a safe place to call home tops most lists. Also, the push to create a stay-at-home economy makes where you live more important than ever. Companies may realize that having their employees work from home has some financial benefits. This could very well make a shift to more people getting to decide where they want to live. Lifestyle is a major driver to Portland’s growth. Are we now poised more than ever to see accelerated growth? I don’t have a crystal ball, but I would be willing to make a bet that the net effect of what’s happening right now will make people pause and consider what’s really important in life.
And just like that, it’s February 2020. If someone asked you when you were a kid what you thought 2020 would look like, did you picture this? I visualized space travel, robots, flying cars, lasers and futuristic stuff…not this everyday adulty life gig.
prices” part though. Affordability is a major concern. The chasm between the cost of Portland real estate and our median household income seems to be growing. Jobs are coming but wages haven’t caught up and the cost of living keeps climbing. This pushes buyers to outlier markets (Vancouver, Milwaukie, Beaverton, Oregon City, etc). For the urbanites that don’t want to pay for the high priced houses but want to stay in town, they’ll drive demand in the ‘attached’ market (townhouses/condos) which had a slow 2019. This will stabilize pricing in the attached market. Properly priced, well-presented, detached houses from the $200k to $1m range will continue to fly off the shelf. The $1m-$1.5m market is a ‘move up’ market for many wanting to upgrade from their existing home . This market presents opportunities for buyers to make a great purchase; however, tapping their “trapped equity” from their existing home in order to make this purchase can present challenges (certainly not insurmountable but can be daunting to the client). In surprising fashion, Portland’s upper end market ($1.5m +) is moving at a pace you may find interesting (fast). Of course, these properties need to deliver the full package to fetch the price, but this market segment seems very confident in Portland as a place to make these big purchases. I find these big numbers surprising as I clearly remember how freaked out I was when I bought my first house in Mt. Tabor for $185k. However, like many other places, we are bursting at the seams. The numbers for incoming population growth are staggering which in real estate economics translates to demand. Portland is in high demand which has all but diminished the lower end of the market and made it feel normal to buy and sell very expensive real estate. 
Even though we’re not living in the Jetson-like society that I envisioned as a kid, 2020 is chock full of new and exciting stuff: self-parking, electric cars, virtual reality, and an impressive (and concerning) amount of technology & connectivity. At the push of a button, you can have almost anything you want delivered to your doorstep within hours. Heck, you can push a button and order up a random Realtor to open up a house for you (but how dare you do that!). Real estate is no exception to the expectation of today’s “now society”. As professionals, our response time must be faster, our knowledge deeper and our ability to navigate this market must be sharp and focused. One thing that technology can’t change, is the human factor that is necessary to create happy buyers and happy sellers in real estate transactions. This is our wheelhouse. We embrace today’s disruptions & technology and use them as tools to enhance our clients’ position and experience; however, we feel more strongly than ever that real estate is a people business and we are here to stay. 
Another thing that makes it totally Portland is that a lot of times, when someone buys a home there, the people selling the home will pass their decorations along to the new buyers. But like I said, one of the things that makes it so very not like Portland is holy crap, it’s crowded! At least for the second half of December. The cops block off the street to car traffic now, which I guess makes it even more Portland. If you live on Peacock Lane and you have an emergency at 5:30 on a December evening –– like you’ve run out of kombucha or something –– you’re sure as heck not getting in your car to get more. I mean, not like you have to. There’s a Walgreen’s right down at the end of the block where, yes, last time I checked they sell kombucha. There’s also a weed dispensary around the corner which used to be this place called Immortal Piano –– broke my heart when it closed because, with a name like Immortal Piano…
So I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Well, Brian, that’s all super interesting. Do houses on Peacock Lane cost more than equivalent houses a block or so away?”
As I mentioned in another post, in Portland we have 20 blocks to a mile so even if you’re out by 82nd, you’re within biking distance of downtown. And it’s a nice ride, too, through Clinton, Ladd’s Addition, and over the Hawthorne bride. You can’t even get lost. Just follow the thousands of other bike commuters making the same trip. It’s a good ride back home. Short enough to do it every day. Strenuous enough that you can justify …you know where I’m going with this …
This is the time of year that many of us slow down, spend more time with family and friends, reflect on our year and start setting our intentions for the New Year. The holiday season, for many, prompts a feeling of gratitude. Maybe it’s because we slow down, take time off, reflect on the year as it winds down and what it has meant. But, did you know that the act of feeling and expressing gratitude has extreme benefits for our physical health, psychological well-being and relationships with others? Scientific studies have been going on for decades trying to understand the full benefits of simply expressing gratitude. 
Research has shown that gratitude helps us celebrate the present and participate more in life. It helps block negative and toxic emotions like envy, resentment and regret that can destroy happiness. Grateful people are more stress resistant and have a higher sense of self-worth.
Let me start by saying we’re not curing cancer here. I know that. What we do is help people do something they’re going to do anyway.
People, though. People can be happy.
I’ve already gone on about Division (
You also have two optometrists, a boutique that sells kid stuff …even two real estate offices.
These four simple words “outside of the ordinary”, turns a switch in the brain. It’s freeing, kind of like coloring outside the lines. It’s an opportunity to explore the options of what’s possible and not feel hemmed in by preconceived limits or expectations. I remember my second-grade teacher telling me to color inside the lines; she had no idea what she was saying. Having the courage to be creative and go beyond what’s expected is the goal. How am I going to be unique or extraordinary today? What can I accomplish in my life and career if I actively seek what is outside of the ordinary?
In the world of real estate, brokers have the opportunity to think outside the ordinary daily. Helping people buy and sell real estate is not cut and dry by any stretch. No two deals or clients are alike so having the ability to think outside the box is paramount in providing true value. Personally, I have found the best way to do this is to have an exceptionally organized plan, be proactive, have steadfast balance in your life, an immaculate and positive attitude, the ability to look for solutions when faced with obstacles and last, but not least, a client-centered approach.
If you are looking for an extraordinary advocate to help you navigate the world of real estate, please reach out. I will take the reins and guide you to your dream home!