Everything. Portland. Real Estate. Blog.

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

CLICK HERE for today's just listed and price reduced bank owned listings for sale. The great finds get multiple offers immediately. I Twitter the Portland area foreclosures daily so you can catch them there if you want to watch for them. Tomahawk Island has a houseboat in here, there are also great prices on condos in that area; if you are interested to know more ask me! -Kristie McDonald, Your Portland Real Estate Agent!... [Read More]

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Check out the new neighborhood profile detailing the Clinton area in Southeast Portland, filled with quirky boutiques and restaurants, classic Old Portland homes, and some of the best dining and shopping in town. The Clinton neighborhood is full of charm and community, featuring the fun Clinton Street Theater. Clinton is close to several bridges, providing easy access for commuters to downtown Portland, and is also near the popular Division Street area.  Combining the best of urban accessibility and comfortable, small-neighborhood atmosphere, the Clinton District is quintessential Portland. If you’re looking for homes, condos, or other real estate in Clinton or other southeast Portland real estate neighborhoods, check out this information ... [Read More]

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Portland's neighborhood system is known for its enclaves of walkable retail areas, centered around restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and boutiques, and some of the most successful areas are popular because of the ease of access via public transportation and bike. The Pearl District, Nob Hill, Hollywood, Hawthorne, Clinton, and Belmont districts are all walkable and accessible for all Portland residents, thanks to our amazing transportation systems. One of the most popular modes of transportation for residents and visitors alike is the Portland Streetcar, launched in 2001. In the almost ten years since the opening of the Streetcar lines, ever area serviced by the Streetcar loop has boomed in popularity. A study in 2008 found that Portland's light rail and Streetcar system generated $3.5 b... [Read More]

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

One thing most drivers comment on when coming to Portland for the first time is how accommodating the streets are for pedestrians. All along busy streets like Division, Hawthorne, and Belmont, striped crosswalks mark places where a dog-walker, skateboarder, or baby-stroller-pushing mom can simply step off the curb and get the right-of-way, with cars stopping almost instantaneously on both sides of traffic. This system works pretty well, but studies have shown that lighted signals and flashing crosswalk signs really make a difference when it comes to driver comfort and awareness and pedestrian safety. A popular crossing point in Gresham, near the city's new skate park on West Powell Boulevard, will soon feature a solar powered crosswalk signal, the city's first, to aid traffic flow. Set ... [Read More]

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Here in Portland, we're so well known for the many bridges crisscrossing the Willamette and Columbia Rivers that our unofficial nickname is Bridgetown, and one bridge in particular remains infamous. The Sellwood Bridge, connecting the southernmost regions of east Portland with the southern West Hills, has been derided as one of the worst bridges in America. Though it's location is important, conveniently connecting areas like the South Waterfront real estate and OHSU homes and commutes, many people take the long way around, using the Marquam Bridge or Ross Island Bridge to avoid the unsafe Sellwood Bridge altogether. Luckily, committees have been working diligently to come up with a viable replacement bridge, and some final designs were looked over and rated last night. For the first ti... [Read More]

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

A pre-approved short sale!  (What does that mean you ask?- Read further below).  In the meantime, a GREAT HOUSE at a great price! 2337 sf / 2.1 bath 4 bedrooms w/ 2 car 2003 / backs to greenspace 15477 SE Thornbridge Dr. Clackamas ML# 9049856 CALL FOR A SHOWING! So what is a pre-approved short sale? It means that the seller had an offer, the listing agent worked their butt off with the bank to get it through, the bank finally processed the offer, did all their broker price opinions, accepted the offer, etc. and then the buyer walked (likely had already found and moved into a home because it took the bank so long to respond). So THE GOOD NEWS- Another buyer like yourself can slide in where that offer left off, basically "take cuts in the line" and purchase at the pre-approved... [Read More]

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

According to the Estacada, Oregon newspaper Estacada News, the popular Estacada-area retreat, Bagby Hot Springs, will experience temporary closures for several months as Mt. Hood National Forest service workers repair bath shacks, hot tubs, and other infrastructure. Workers began last week and are expected to be finished with their renovation in October. Bagby Hot Springs is located 40 miles south of Estacada via Highway 224 and Forest Road No. 70. The McDonald Group, your Estacada real estate experts, has access to the best homes for sale in Estacada and surrounding areas. The hot Springs are one of the most popular recreation spots for residents of Estacada, and the popular public recreation area with remain open through the repairs, and three of the bath houses will remain open at ... [Read More]

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Check out the new neighborhood profile detailing the neighborhood of Hollywood in Northeast Portland, filled with quirky boutiques and restaurants, classic Old Portland homes, and some of the best dining and shopping in town. The Hollywood neighborhood is full of history, featuring the stunning 1926 Hollywood Theater, and provides easy commuting access to all of Portland via the Banfield Freeway (I-84) Sandy Boulevard, Broadway Boulevard, and César E. Chávez Boulevard. Hollywood is close to the Rose City Golf Course, an expansive green lined with trees and wildflowers.  Combining the best of urban accessibility and comfortable, small-neighborhood atmosphere, the Hollywood District is quintessential Portland. If you’re looking for homes, condos, or othe... [Read More]

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

A lot of first time home buyers are faced with the challenge of restoring and decorating small spaces. One of the quickest and easiest ways to maximize the look of a small room is to use paint colors to trick the eyes, making a room appear larger, taller, and more interesting. Carefully placed splashes of color and creative use of dark and light paint can make a world of difference. Whether you're planning on buying a home in Portland or preparing to sell, here are some tips for maximizing small spaces with paint, as well as the best places in Portland to get the richest colors, most reliable finishes, and expert paint advice. A well-painted house, large or small, can make a space seem more modern, cleaner, and more welcoming. We've been in plenty of homes for sale in Portland that are ... [Read More]

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Portlanders driving around Downtown will already be familiar with a few electric car charging stations, and we've all seen those tiny smart cars zipping around town, but we'd wager those few are going to turn into hundreds in the coming years. Ford and PGE announced today that Portland will be the site of a electric vehicle tour, where residents will be able to test drive new models and ask questions about the cars, the technology, and the city's plans for increasing charging stations and public awareness. Ford has made agreements with the local Portland government and Portland General Electric to increase the availability of charging in public spaces, and to fund tax incentives for electric vehicles, joining Nissan and Mitsubishi in focusing on Oregon as a hot-bed of interest in the fu... [Read More]

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Green home renovations are now benefiting the silver set as well as Portland's young, hip, urban crowd. A federally-funded set of renovations of a local senior-housing complex will leave apartments bigger, brighter, cleaner, and greener. Thanks to HUD Green Retrofit, many people who might not have the means or capability to improve the sustainability and safety of their homes will receive money and assistance to go the extra green mile, including seniors and assisted living facilities. Energy-efficient appliances, formaldehyde-free cabinets, low-flow plumbing, and new windows and insulation are just a few of the improvements in affordable housing in Estacada, Salem, and Portland. On average, tenants could save more than $250 on utility bills each year because of the improvements... [Read More]

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Check out the new neighborhood profile detailing the neighborhood of Rose City Park in Northeast Portland, filled with quirky culture, classic Old Portland homes, and some of the best dining and shopping in town. The Rose City Park neighborhood is classic and proud, and provides easy commuting access to all of Portland via the Banfield Freeway and Sandy Boulevard. Rose City Park lies next to Rose City Golf Course, an expansive green lined with trees and wildflowers.  Combining the best of urban accessibility and comfortable, small-neighborhood atmosphere, Rose City Park is quintessential Portland. If you’re looking for homes, condos, or other real estate in Rose City Park or other Portland neighborhoods, check out this information page filled wit... [Read More]

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

The McDonald Group, your Portland Realtor,  is always checking up on the latest news coming out of Estacada, Oregon, the site of our gorgeous development Cascadia Ridge. This week brings great news from Estacada High School, which will finally receive needed improvements to their baseball playing field, thanks to help from the surrounding close-knit community. Next season, the Estacada Rangers varsity playing field will be ready for game time, with very little cost to the school. The Estacada High School outfield and left-center field used to sit around five feet below home plate, presenting an unfair challenge to the school's team. Estacada coach Ryan Carpenter created Project Rebuild and enlisted the help of his fellow coaches and community members to help reconstruct a level playing ... [Read More]

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Portland has been having a love affair with bacon. In a town known for vegetarian and vegan ethics, we've also got the natural backlash: PORK lovers. We put bacon in our chocolate, bacon in our beer, on our doughnuts, even in our coffee. This Saturday, August 21st, this love affair reaches critical mass as local internet radio station PDX.FM takes over an entire block off East Burnside to celebrate everything bacon-related. With live music, eating contests, bacon-y prizes, and a bacon dance-off. For only $5, festival attendees are treated to bacon overload. It is 21 and older, as bacon booze will be in abundance. Get your bacon on at 1800 East Burnside Street, from 12pm to 8pm. Even though there will be plenty of gluttony on display, Portlanders aren't the type to get greedy without a ... [Read More]

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Looking for something fun to do in Portland this weekend? Look no further than the river that splits Portland in half. The Willamette River's yearly celebration, RiverFest, is back this weekend, bringing tons of ways to get outside and appreciate the water that shapes our streets, our sense of direction, and our sense of place. Sometimes I forget that I live in a city surrounding a major river, even when I find myself crossing bridges ten times a day. It's easy to keep my eyes on the road, and when I'm downtown or deep in Southeast, it seems like such a landlocked town. One of my favorite things, oddly, is getting stuck on the Hawthorne bridge when the drawbridge is up, letting a tall ship pass under the steel and concrete. During these rare moments, I'm afforded the opportunity to real... [Read More]