As reported in the Sandy Post, experts have found several indicators that the real estate market in Clackamas County is on its way to a full recovery. New construction in the area has seen an uptick, and residential building permits pulled in more than $1.9 million for the city of Sandy. Our builder, Tom Liesy of TA Liesy Homes Northwest is continuing to build homes in Sleepy Hollow, a subdivision in Sandy that has seen a lot of success in recent years.
One of our favorite things about Portland is how dog-friendly the whole city seems to be. Portland was recently chosen the most Pet Friendly City in America on Livibility.com, and it’s no surprise to locals. Many parks, hotels, coffee shops, and even some stores are happy to welcome your four-legged friend, and a lot of Portland businesses have canine mascots. One of our local vintage shops, White Rabbit vintage off of SE Belmont on 29th Avenue is home to a very friendly and often sleepy black lab, and one of our local radio stations, KINK.fm, has a studio dog named Scouty that can occasionally be heard barking On Air. Organized events include the cult-classic Doggie Dash, with 2,000 dogs a year participating in this fun run. The Pug Crawl fundraiser for the Oregon Humane Society features a costume contest, parade, Pug kissing booth, retailers and, of course, pub fare. Oregon’s passion for dogs also means that it possesses some of the toughest anti-cruelty laws in the nation, and Portland employs two full-time humane investigators with full police authority. Portland even hosts Dog Bakeries – that’s right, restaurants and bakeries cooking up treats for your dog – there are more than 37 Dog Bakeries in the Portland-metro area!
This week, the Oregon House approved House Resolution 1, honoring the city of Gladstone’s 100th year anniversary this year. Sponsored by state Rep. Dave Hunt (D-Gladstone) and state Sen. Alan Olsen (R-Oregon City), the resolution passed unanimously. “From this small community of settlers 100 years ago, Gladstone has grown and flourished into a bustling center with a population of approximately 12,000 people and with outstanding schools, infrastructure and a strong local business climate,” said Hunt. “The rich history of this region is reflected in the deep traditions and strong values of this community we are all proud to call home.”
Although most of the national media coverage of the Rose City focuses on innovation (like food carts, green energy, and high-tech public transportation) Portland is also full of quirky places with a lot of history. One of our favorite spots is Buck’s Stove Palace at 6803 SE Foster Road in the Foster Powell neighborhood. This neighborhood gem is a veritable museum of classic wood stoves, antique heaters, and cook-stoves, and has been a vital part of the community for decades.
This weekend, trek over to Pioneer Place in Downtown Portland to check out Canstruction, the 15th annual benefit art installation for the Oregon Food Bank, sponsored by the Society for Design Administration. Canstruction is a nonprofit organization that holds annual design and build competitions to construct fantastic, giant structures made entirely out of canned food. In each city after the structures are built and the winners are declared, the creations go on view to the general public as giant art exhibits. At the close of the competitions all of the food used in the structures is donated to the local food banks for distribution to community emergency feeding programs. How cool is that?
The newest bridge planned to span the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver, Washington will be a “deck truss” bridge – the cheapest and most utilitarian of the proposed bridge designs. Budget concerns were the primary force behind the design choice for the bridge that will replace the I-5 bridge. Governor John Kitzhaber of Oregon and Governor Christine Gregoire of Washington voted to approve the new design, despite opposition from Portland mayor Sam Adams. Construction is set to begin in 2013 and could cost as much as $3 billion.
Yep! We’ve been saying it and it’s true! New construction is full force in Happy Valley! The McDonald Group is proud to be partnered with such an amazing builder and team! Read the article that came out in the Oregonian Business Section on 4/21/11! -Kristie McDonald Your new construction Realtor!
Portland is known for its outstanding art galleries, well-respected art museum, and amazing architecture, but our street corners and sidewalks are also filled with stunning works of art owned and maintained by the city for public enjoyment. The Guide to Portland Public Art (PDF) is a comprehensive map of the amazing art in our public spaces, a walking tour that takes you past a surprising mix of artistic styles, materials and settings within any given 10-block radius. You’ll find public art integrated into architectural façades, along the street, in the parks, inside public buildings and in the sculpture garden outside of the Portland Art Museum.
Today the sun shined over Happy Valley and the entire Portland metro area, and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful afternoon to celebrate the grand opening of the Sunrise Heights model home with radio host Savannah Jones from 99.5 The Wolf!. Thank you to all who made it out to see the hard work of the entire team, including our amazing builder TA Liesy Northwest, our lender Beverly Liesy, and everyone at the McDonald Group. We are so proud of these gorgeous custom homes that are changing the way Portland thinks about real estate. The event was a blast, as you can see from these photos – the house looked beautiful, the radio filled the air with great country music, and we were so happy with the turnout. Come down to Happy Valley to check out the new construction that’s been getting so much attention.
Join us tomorrow night to donate food for kids in the Portland Metro area who need help meeting their nutritional needs. The Sunrise Heights community, TA Liesy Homes Northwest, and the McDonald Group Realtors will hold a food drive from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 15 at 13064 S.E. Verlie St. in Happy Valley. Suggested donations include granola bars, peanut butter, fruit cups and other non-perishable items that will go to Backpack Buddies, a local program serving more than 800 elementary and pre-school students in the Clackamas School District who need food on the weekends.
The McDonald Group is proud to show off our newest residential community with an exciting weekend of kick-off events. This Friday, April 15th, the McDonald Group and TA Liesy Homes are hosting an Evening Social from 5 to 8 pm to see the ways the McDonald Group are helping make Happy Valley a thriving community one house at a time. There will be refreshments and appetizers and a chance to learn more about the amazing real estate opportunities in Happy Valley new contruction, especially our newest development, Sunrise Heights. The event will take place at 13064 SE Verle Street in Happy Valley. Just take Interstate 205, head east on Sunnyside, turn north on SE Misty Drive, west on SE Verle Street, and it’s the second lot on the right!
Tom Liesy of TA Liesy Homes NW has plenty to say in his recent interview with the Clackamas Review about the new construction housing market. Tom is seen in the attached picture just out front of our model at Sunrise Heights in Happy Valley. As you will see from the picture Tom has plenty to point out in our current market, and he isn’t kidding when he says we can’t build them fast enough. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Tom as his Realtor on some of his bigger projects (such as Sunrise Heights) and the amount of interest we get daily is amazing. We have many people waiting for our grand opening event taking place this weekend, 4/16 & 4/17 where we will be opening the door to one of Tom’s latest home designs, “The Whitman”- a vintage style plan in the heart of Happy Valley! Our prices, product and lots just can’t be beat! -Kristie McD. Your Happy Valley Realtor
Don’t miss your chance to welcome summer to the Pacific Northwest with Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day on April 12th – noon to 8:00 pm at all participating locations. A percentage of the proceeds of supplemental sales on Free Cone Day in Happy Valley and Portland will be donated to The Backpack Buddy Program, a volunteer-run organization to provide packs of food to children in need on Fridays to take home for the weekend. Many children rely on the school lunch program for most of their food during the week, and need extra help meeting their weekend nutrition requirements. The program aims to help more than 700 children in the North Clackamas area – and you can do your part by eating ice cream… great deal, right?
You’ve got to check out this inspiration and beautiful video from Travel Oregon – Hike and Explore Oregon – about Teddy Keizer, a seventh-generation Oregonian who has hiked almost every mountain, trail, lake, park, and natural area in the state. Teddy’s ancestor Thomas Dove Keizer led the Keizer wagon train over the Oregon Trail in 1843 (It is said that he was the first to bring covered wagons over the entire trail) His homestead was used to name Keizer, Oregon, outside of Salem.
Here at the McDonald Group Portland Real Estate Blog, we know Portland is the best city in America, but it’s extra special when people outside of Portland recognize that fact. This week, Seattle Weekly posted a list of the Top Ten Reasons Seattle should be jealous of Portland – and we totally agree. It’s no coincidence that the list is primarily food-related. Portland has the best food scene in the country, and it’s only getting better. You probably know that Portland (and the state of Oregon) have no sales tax, so these great eats are often cheap eats. What more could you want?