Archive for the ‘Announcements’ Category
Friday, April 1st, 2011
Commuters rejoice: it looks like the Portland area is getting a new light rail line! This week, the Federal Transit Authority gave the green light to light rail service line to Milwaukie, south of Southeast Portland – a 7.3-mile, $1.49 billion project that will connect thousands of residents in the suburbs and the city. After the final design is completed, TriMet expects to sign a full funding grant agreement with the federal government sometime in mid-2012 for its commitment to fund 50 percent of the project. Once that is signed, the project can begin full construction!
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Transportation | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
Saturday, March 19th is the official re-opening of the Portland Farmers’ Market’s 2011 season, so head down to the south Park Blocks in Portland’s Cultural District bright and early for the best celebration of local food, music, and culture in Portland after its long winter break. Grab ingredients for a fantastic spring meal, or just grab a cup of coffee and meet some farmers and Portland food enthusiasts. You never know, you’re likely to meet some of the most popular chefs in Portland shopping for the day’s menu!
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Downtown, Neighborhoods & Areas, Portland Events, Portland Food | No Comments »
Monday, March 7th, 2011
Happy Valley is one of our favorite areas in the Portland region, and the area is growing fast! This coming autumn, the leased Clackamas Corner Library space the Clackamas Town Center will move east into Happy Valley and become the new Sunnyside Library branch at 13793 SE Sieben Parkway, just south of Sunnyside Road off 147th Avenue. Thanks to city and state funding, as well as donations from Happy Valley residents, the new library has secured almost $2.3 million to expand from its currently cramped 7,790 square feet to 17,000 square feet.
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Happy Valley | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
This weekend, March 5-6 2011, the eighth annual South East Area Art Walk returns to Southeast Portland. This fun event features over 200 artists showing their works and meeting art lovers all weekend from 10am to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday. If you’re thinking of buying a home for sale in Southeast Portland, this is the perfect opportunity to check out the best of the area’s creative scene. Free maps are available to be viewed online, or downloaded here (pdf) – so grab one and don’t miss the chance to stroll though Southeast Portland’s best neighborhoods and see the best of the city’s sculpture, painting, jewelry, pottery, photography, encaustic, print-making, textile, and more. The Art Walk area is roughly bordered by SE 10th, SE Hawthorne, SE 41st and SE Powell. Best of all, the event is free!
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Portland Activities, Portland Events | No Comments »
Friday, February 18th, 2011
Check out the newly updated Irvington real estate neighborhood guide detailing the gorgeous and historical neighborhood of Irvington in Northeast Portland, filled with quirky culture, classic Old Portland homes, and some of the best dining and shopping in town. The Irvington neighborhood is classic and proud, and provides easy commuting access to all of Portland via the Banfield Freeway. Combining the best of urban accessibility and comfortable, small-neighborhood atmosphere, Irvington is quintessential Portland.
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Irvington, Moving To Portland, Neighborhoods & Areas, Portland Home Styles, Portland Landmarks, Portland Real Estate | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
Check out the newly updated Lake Oswego Real Estate Guide detailing the city of Lake Oswego, the “comfortable luxury” suburb located just south of Portland. Combining the best of urban accessibility and small town atmosphere, Lake Oswego is the best of all worlds. Check out some of the charming and quirky boutiques and hanging art downtown, take a historical homes tour, grab a delicious lunch at one of the city’s amazing restaurants, catch some sun at a music festival or the farmers’ market, or sit in your sprawling backyard enjoying your view of the natural world around you. If you’re looking for homes, apartments, or other real estate in Lake Oswego or other Portland Suburbs, check out the McDonald Group Realtor Lake Oswego Real Estate Guide filled with the best restaurants in Lake Oswego, the top shopping, and neighborhood resources. Relocating to a new area can be hard, but it’s a lot easier when you’ve got the best real estate agents in Portland on your side.
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Lake Oswego, Moving To Portland, Neighborhoods & Areas, Portland Real Estate | No Comments »
Monday, February 14th, 2011
On February 14th, 1859, Oregon officially became the 33rd state in the Union. Sure, today may be Valentine’s Day, but here’s something everyone will be happy to celebrate: Happy Birthday to the best place in the country. There’s a reason this green piece of earth was the end of the road for thousands of weary 19th century pioneers, and it’s the same thing that pulls 21st century dreamers to the banks of our rivers and the waves of our shores. Oregon is still home to the best farmland, the most beautiful cities, and a population of people looking for creative change and community. A lot of people are still finding themselves on that old Oregon Trail, as the Portland real estate market is drawing in prospective homeowners nationally and internationally – we’ve got the best drinking water, no sales tax, we’re the best place to live without a car, we’ve got some of the best wine in the world, and we’ve got the hippest food scene around. We could continue listing the best things about Oregon, or you could stay tuned to the McDonald Group Real Estate Blog to keep up with the news, events, celebrations, and homes for sale in Portland and surrounding areas. We’re here to help you “Keep Oregon, Oregon” for another 152 years!
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Moving To Portland, Portland Events | No Comments »
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
Yesterday we reported about the Sunset Magazine article naming Portland the best American city to “Ditch your Car.”, and are please to add another accolade to the list of Portland’s transportation accomplishments. According to U.S. News and World Report, Portland is the number one city in the nation for public transportation. The news magazine looked at Federal Transit Administration and American Public Transportation Association data that clearly shows Portland is a step ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to accessibility, ease, and reliability of public transit.
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Downtown, Moving To Portland, Neighborhoods & Areas, Transportation | No Comments »
Friday, January 28th, 2011
We’ve got exciting news! As of January 27, Kristie and Scott McDonald of The McDonald Group Realtors have branched off and started their own real estate agency, and are ready to take on the Portland real estate market with an innovative new strategy. The new McDonald Group Realtors will maintain a strong interest in new construction and unique custom Portland homes, while expanding our team with only the most experienced, successful agents. “We’ve experienced what agencies do well and what they don’t do well for their agents, and ultimately for the buyer and seller” said Scott McDonald of the McDonald Group, “and what we’ve found is a glaring lack of consideration to ensure every agent working with a client is experienced and knows what they’re doing. As far as we know we are the only agency around that can guarantee if you work with one of our agents, you will be working with an experienced agent that sells a lot of homes every year.”
(more…)
Posted in Announcements | No Comments »
Thursday, January 27th, 2011
Google announced this week that they will be ending their real-estate listings service in Google Maps by February 10, 2011. The end of Google Real Estate search capabilities has been tied to an apparent lack of use, as well as the fact that real estate websites have developed superior search tools for localized markets. The search tool embedded into Google Maps was helpful in seeing the overall layout of available homes in an area, but the listings were often out of date and poorly described. Google Maps also mixed rental and sale properties, with some homes listed multiple times, which could be confusing to searchers. Here at the McDonald Group, we know that for most people, working with experienced real estate agents with an intimate knowledge of the area results in more successful home searches. We’ve got excellent real estate search tools, detailed coverage of Portland neighborhoods, and great resources that are specific to the unique Portland area. Best of all, our agents are on call 24/7, so if something catches your eye in your Portland Real Estate search or you have a question a computerized program can’t answer, we’re here for you.
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Listings, Real Estate Tips | No Comments »
Monday, January 24th, 2011
Victorian, Craftsman, Ranch, modern, mid-century, “Portland Style.” If you’ve spent any time looking for homes for sale in the Portland Real Estate market, these words should be very familiar – but do you really know what they mean? If you were to do a search in the Portland Real Estate Market for “Tudor” homes, you’d no doubt come up with drastically varying results. What are the characteristics that make up a Tudor home, or an English cottage, or an “Old Portland”-style house? If you love classic built-ins, fireplaces, and hardwood floors, what words should you be using? If you want a truly modern West Hills home, what can you ask for to avoid being shown all the ranches and mid-centuries? We’ll answer those questions and more with our upcoming guides to Portland Home Styles.
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Archetecture, Moving To Portland, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips | No Comments »
Thursday, January 13th, 2011
Portland’s South Waterfront Neighborhood is about to get a bit more pedestrian and bike friendly.Work has started on a new bridge over Interstate 5 that will connect South Portland’s Lair Hill neighborhood to the up-and-coming South Waterfront district. The pedestrian bridge, called the “Gibbs Street Bridge” will run under the popular OHSU Aerial Tram, from the intersection of Southwest Gibbs St. and Kelly Ave. on the east side to the intersection of Southwest Gibbs St. and Moody Ave. on the west. Portland Real Estate is increasingly bike friendly, with many homes for sale in Portland within easy walking or biking distance to neighborhood resources like restaurants, grocery stores, and public services like libraries.
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Green Homes, Moving To Portland, Neighborhoods & Areas, New Construction, Portland Landmarks, South Waterfront, Southwest Hills | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
Fred Meyer, the original Oregon superstore chain that combines a complete grocery supermarket with a drugstore, clothing store, shoe store, fine jewelers, home decor store, home improvement center, garden center, electronics store, toy store, sporting goods store and more under one roof, has been planning a location in Portland suburb Wilsonville for over 20 years. Now, residents of this charming community south of Portland along Interstate 5 has finally been given an opening date for the new shopping superstore – the 145,000 square-foot Fred Meyer will open in late July 2011, at a new 19-acre, $70 million development in Wilsonville known as Wilsonville Old Town Square. The Wilsonville Old Town Square will house the new supermarket as well as many other retail shops around the central location. Many of those retail spaces have already been leased, including a wireless store, several salons, a frozen yogurt shop, a branch of Oswego grill and a new McMenamins restaurant that will occupy a former church next to the Old Town Square development. This new shopping center will bring many new opportunities for employment and shopping to Wilsonville residents. Fred Meyer stores are throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, but they started in Portland in the Hollywood District (the first Fred Meyer Shopping Center, located directly across from the Hollywood Theater, is now home to a Rite Aid) and come with a certain amount of Portland, Oregon area pride.
(more…)
Posted in Announcements, Neighborhoods & Areas, New Construction, Portland Real Estate, Real Estate Tips, Wilsonville | No Comments »
Sunday, December 12th, 2010
Okay, it’s not a street it’s a Lane but I love it! I am so excited! Kristie Lane! Thank you Novastar! This is the best gift I’ve received in a very very long time! I have so enjoyed meeting the people in our community, watching homes getting decorated for the season and the opportunity I have been given to be involved with not just an amazingly talented builder (Tom Liesy of TaLiesy Homes NW) but with a developer that has strong ethics, is efficient at what they do and is so fun to be around as they do it! Thanks again Novastar!!! -Kristie
(more…)
Tags: Cascadia Ridge, Estacada, street sign, TaLiesy Homes NW, tom Liesy
Posted in Announcements, Awards, Cascadia Ridge, Estacada | No Comments »
