It’s our 1 YEAR Anniversary this Month!!

I can’t believe it’s been a year already,

well yes I can. The paper is going strong

and gaining momentum every month. I

truly believe that All Things Real Estate

will become the ―Go-To‖ for Real Estate.

I think of the paper as ―Our Paper‖, the

Real Estate Community's paper.

Because I am a Realtor too (my day job), I

feel like I have a leg up on what Realtors

and others in the field need in their

marketing. And I love to see

them succeed. Which goes

hand in hand with the content

in the paper. I talk to buyers

and sellers all the time and that

helps with choosing content.

Of course, I want people to

pick the paper up every month

and that means ―good stuff‖

HAS to be in here.

I am also a huge fan of small

business and GO LOCAL!

I have seen Small Biz do really well in our

community and feel it first hand with our

Real Estate Office at Dwell Realty. Being

in the neighborhood where I grew up,

went to school, work and raised my kids

in, gives me a sense of accomplishment

that I can’t really explain in words, it’s

that feeling. I love Portland and that

makes me want to work harder and do

what I can to keep it a great place to be.

2012 is already here and I expect it to be a

great year. I met with a PR company last

week who had really great ideas for the

paper and am excited to get started with

promoting All Things in a bigger, better

way. And of course one of the girls I met

with, knows one of my Real Estate

clients. Their kids go to the same school,

which is also close to my neighborhood.

We say it all the time, ―Portland is so

Small‖, but I think it’s more about the

people of Portland and how much we

love and support our community.

Yes, it’s a newspaper, but I don’t limit it

to just the printed copy. I put it ALL

OVER the internet as much as I can.

Gotta stay in the game and that means

social media. So here’s my plug, find us

on FB, LINKED IN, Issue.com, Twitter &

the great new website!

www.allthingsrealestatepdx.com

I wish everyone the best for this

upcoming year and want to say a big

THANK YOU for everyone who support-

ed All Things Real Estate this year in any

and every way. From your Facebook

comments, to your advertisements, to

stopping me at the Gym to say how great

the paper is…..that makes it all worth it.

PS-Two people who have the paper in their

business have been in Portlandia, what do I

gotta do for the paper to get a Cameo!!

*wink wink* #allthingsrealestatenewspaper

Here’s to 2012,

Tracey

FREE

January 2012 www.AllThingsRealEstatePdx.com 503.317.5834

The “Being Green” Issue

“Portland Metro’s ONLY Local Real Estate Newspaper”

Co-Market in February for

10% off Your ad!

Have a favorite Realtor,

Contractor, Mortgage

Broker, Hair Dresser, Coffee

Shop??

Create greater value by

co-marketing with businesses that complement

your services.

Earline Penson Principal Broker

Coldwell Banker Seal 2275 W Burnside

Portland, OR 97210

503-804-8781 earlinepenson@cbseal.com

www.citysmart.typepad.com

$170,000 | 23 NE Beech 1 Bedroom | 1 Bath

882 SF w/ 600 SF finished basement

ML # 11573752

Jan Page 2

Ad’s run all

Month long & are

in FULL Color.

Over 150

locations are to

Real Estate, Banks,

Mortgage & Title

Companies.

We distribute up to

10,000 copies to

over 350 locations.

Realtors get the

paper delivered

directly to their

office mailbox

every month.

Tracey Hicks 503.317.5834 | info@allthingsre.net

Why place your ad in All Things Real Estate?

Scan Me to Call Me

Portlanders have another reason to celebrate

the coming of the new year: The opening of

Portland Farmers Market’s first Winter Market

on Saturday, January 7, 2012. The new Winter

Market will operate eight consecutive

Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm, January 7 to

February 25, a time when Portland Farmers

Market in the past has hibernated with its other

six weekly markets closed.

Located downtown at Shemanski Park in the

South Park Blocks between SW Salmon and SW

Main Streets, more than 35 market vendors will

offer shoppers meats, fish, eggs, artisan breads, cheeses, wine, hot foods,

sweets, and winter produce including leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower,

carrots, beets, radishes and leeks, along with storage crops such as

apples, pears, potatoes and onions.

Portland Farmers Market is offering incentives to loyal shoppers who

frequent the market three or more times. These shoppers will be entered

to win a prize at the end of each month. Customers are encouraged to

stop by the information booth for additional details. By Deborah Pleva www.portlandfarmersmarket.wordpress.com

387,900

Christopher Johnson Windermere | www.realestatecj.com

503.880.6309 | cjohnson@windermere.com

3327 NE Bryce Portland, Or 97212

* 1926 - Restored * 3 Bedroom * 1 Bath * 2300 SF

* Fireplace * Alameda/Grant * ML# 11189893

Think again if you're considering buying a home without

having it inspected. This particularly applies to first-time

buyers who have little, if any, experience with home defects

and repairs. Even professionals can make mistakes when

buying homes without having them thoroughly inspected.

In one example, an experienced contractor bought a home to

fix up and resell. The contractor looked over the property

carefully before he bought it, but he did not have it

inspected by an impartial home inspector.

After the contractor took possession of the property, he

discovered that the furnace was shot and required

replacement. The cost of a new furnace was not included in

his renovation budget.

Home buying is an emotional experience no matter how

hard you try to keep it strictly business. You have high hopes

that nothing will go wrong and the transaction will close.

The appeal of a home could cloud your objectivity about the

real purchase price when you consider the work that needs

to be done to repair defects and deferred maintenance.

In some areas, the home-sale market has picked up. One

example is California's Silicon Valley, where job growth is

strong. There is far more demand than there are homes for

sale, which tends to drive prices up.

In some cases, buyers will waive contingencies in order to

outbid the competition. Buying without including an

inspection contingency in the purchase contract can be an

expensive strategy if you later find defects that are expensive

to repair.

The risk is minimized if the sellers provide the buyers with

copies of recent presale home inspections done by reputable

local home inspectors before they write an offer. However,

most home inspection reports recommend further

inspections. Diligent sellers take the extra step and have

further inspections done, like a roof or furnace inspection.

Many do not.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: A second opinion from a highly

regarded home inspector can't hurt. The reason to have

inspections at all is to find out as much as possible about the

property's condition before you go through with the sale.

Don't skip an inspection to save money.

Sometimes, buyers who are satisfied with the report they

received from the seller's home inspector will hire that

inspector to do a walk-through inspection based on the

seller's report. This means a second home inspector isn't

involved. But at least the buyers have an opportunity to

spend time at the property with the seller's inspector, ask

questions, and find out more about what works and what

doesn't.

Inspection contingencies protect the buyers and, depending

on how the clause is written, can allow the buyers to with-

draw from the contract without losing their deposit. This is

why sellers are often drawn to an offer that doesn't have an

inspection contingency. However, accepting such an offer

can create problems.

Inspection contingencies also protect sellers from future

legal entanglements with the buyers over items that weren't

discovered before closing. It's much easier to resolve

inspection defect issues before, than after, closing.

Inspection contingencies can create an opportunity for

buyers to ask sellers to fix defects, lower the price, or credit

money at closing to cover the cost of repair work.

When buyers ask sellers to make concessions after they

bought the house "as is" with respect to certain disclosed

defects, it can be a deal-breaker. However, reasonable sellers

will often attempt to negotiate an acceptable solution

regarding newly discovered defects rather than put the

house back on the market.

If you're buying in a competitive market and find you're

losing out because you won't waive an inspection contingen-

cy and others are willing to take the risk, consider having

inspections done before making an offer.

THE CLOSING: Make sure to ask permission from the seller

through the listing agent.

Dian Hymer, a real estate broker with more than 30 years' experience, is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist and author of "House Hunting: The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers" and "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide."

Know risks when forgoing inspection contingency

Foreclosure/Loss Mitigation Counseling

The primary purpose in offering this course is to provide one-on-

one counseling to victims of foreclosure. out service provides

advocacy with the homeowners lender/servicer and the

homeowner to determine the best option to save the home,

referrals to social service and employment agencies, as needed

as well as referrals to legal services. We also help the

homeowner identify area within their budget to save money

that will help them through their current situation. If necessary to

pull credit report, a $20 fee will be required.

Date: Daily - call for appointment

Time: 9 am - 5 pm M-F By appointment only | Fee: none

Sponsored by: African American Alliance for Homeownership

Location: 825 NE 20th, Suite 225 | Phone: 503-595-3517

North East Homes

ML# Address Bdr Bth SF Price

If you happened to catch this

column last month, you may

have already been working

through the following off-season

garden tasks: reflecting on your

past experiences, assessing

available garden space and your

personal interests, and starting a

plant wishlist. Congratulations!

These are your first three steps

toward creating a solid garden

plan. (And if you haven’t yet

gotten underway, now’s still a great time.)

But...why plan? The short answer is that putting in some

extra time up front to create a garden that really fits your

life can save you enormous amounts of time and energy in

the long run. A well-planned garden is easier to care for

and keep track of and may also be more productive than a

garden of more eclectic origin. Planning ahead reduces

impulse shopping, and therefore costs. And furthermore,

writing down and updating a garden plan helps you decide

what to do again and what to change next year.

A garden plan will include three basic elements: placement

(where your plants go), timing (when your plants should

be planted, as well as when you’ll need perform

maintenance tasks), and perhaps most importantly,

personalization (your goals! -- and leave plenty of room for

notes). Your plan can and should be a working document,

which is flexible and adaptable to real conditions on the

ground. A few more notes:

SPACE: Site location and conditions. What you’re

able to do in your space is influenced heavily by a key few

characteristics: sunlight (southern exposure, if possible,

direct at least 6 hours/day); water (including a way to get it

to all areas of your garden); soil (toxin-free, and amended

with organic material); and other special features

(including but not limited to fences, retaining walls, sheds,

water features, trees, or paths). But the most important

spatial element for a garden plan is accessibility: make sure

to locate your garden where you can get to it frequently

and comfortably, which for some of us means growing in

raised beds or containers. Yep, there’s a lot to think about.

But the #1 recommendation here, If you’re new at this or

starting anew in a new space, is to start small; next time

around, it will be easy to build on success.

TIME: Planting, maintenance, etc. Successful gardeners

might have the garden calendar in their body memory...but

especially when a person is new to gardening, or gardening

in a new space, it’s impossible to do everything by

intuition. This part of your plan is your chance to integrate

garden calendars with your own schedule. How much time

do you have to devote to your garden? If you know you

have a vacation or other extended absence coming up,

make sure to plan that into your planting/maintenance

schedule. This is a good one to be honest with, because an

accurate estimate will mean a less-stress season.

GOALS: It’s all about you. When it comes down to it,

what food do you really want to grow? How many people

are in your household? Do they like to eat what you like to

eat? Plan to grow up to double the amount of food you

want to harvest, because plants aren’t invincible and other

creatures are going to want to eat what you plant. And

that’s OK: natural gardening is all about finding a balance.

By going through the garden planning process, you will

learn a lot about your needs/wants and what your garden

space can hold; you will most certainly become a better

gardener as you create a beautiful and productive outdoor

space.

Where to find more information

Oregon State University Extension Service’s monthly

gardening calendar (online at http://

extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/calendar/)

Seattle Tilth’s Maritime Northwest Garden Guide

Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening

Karen Wolfgang

Independence Gardens

Jan Page 3

Planning Your Garden in the “Off-Season” - Part 2 of 2

Hot laptop?

I noticed

that when

I put my

laptop on

a vinyl

desk pad,

it got very

hot, which caused the fan to

engage. I found an easy, inexpen-

sive solution: I bought a small

(about 3”), very squishy rubber ball

at the Dollar store and cut in in

half. I put the flat side against the

desk pad and placed the back of

my laptop on the dome, which

raises my laptop by about one

inch. No more fan, I get to keep

my desk pad, and the angle is low

enough not to bother my wrists.

Just call me the “problem solver.”

Tracy Oddson

Oregon Assistant

*Built in 1912 *1522 SF *4 Bedrooms *2 Baths *Newer Furnace

*New Roof, deck & Ext Paint

*ml#11414796

$250,000

Daniela Sardo Oregon Realty Co. | 503.310.9127

oregonrealty.com/dsardo

1301 NE 73rd, Portland 97213

12075381 5120 NE JARRETT ST 4 3 3115 Auction

12132839 9516 NE GERTZ CIR 2 1 726 $30,000

12617781 9050 NE BROADWAY 3 2 1356 $88,500

11685311 19316 NE COUCH ST 3 1.1 1326 $107,000

12582193 11901 NE PRESCOTT 1 1 595 $109,900

12452881 12940 NE

BROADWAY 3 1 1056 $125,000

11677744 18930 NE FLANDERS 3 1 912 $127,000

12455832 8511 NE BROADWAY 3 2 1500 $129,000

11578398 4578 NE 72ND AVE 2 1 1019 $129,950

11499185 8920 NE EUGENE ST 3 1 864 $130,000

12218664 918 NE 177TH AVE 3 1.1 1008 $134,900

11442529 835 NE 193RD AVE 3 2 1196 $150,000

12006102 1032 NE 76TH AVE 2 2 1208 $155,000

11236156 11110 NE KLICKITAT 2 1 1010 $165,000

12064077 1124 NE 186TH DR 4 2 1825 $168,500

11651460 3607 NE SIMPSON ST 3 1 1892 $170,000

11385009 1051 NE 173RD AVE 3 2 2461 $171,600

11553532 15230 NE BEECH CT 5 3 2462 $174,900

12019424 4218 NE 131ST PL 3 2 1382 $174,900

11332045 4451 NE 81ST AVE 2 2 2362 $175,200

11165880 13090 NE WEIDLER 3 2 1628 $179,900

12377228 15867 NE DAVIS ST 4 2.1 1852 $179,900

11024013 2022 NE 160TH PL 3 2.1 1656 $179,950

11269318 15037 NE PACIFIC ST 3 1.1 2530 $179,990

12165901 19117 NE

MULTNOMAH CT 3 2 2244 $183,990

11380761 5322 NE 47TH AVE 2 1 706 $184,500

12137093 8722 NE SACRAMENTO 4 2 2328 $187,000

12396222 16421 NE HOLLADAY 5 2 2104 $187,900

11288551 2365 NE 149TH AVE 2 2 1300 $189,000

11642840 6505 NE 34TH AVE 2 1 1126 $189,900

11194530 1202 NE 174TH AVE 3 2.1 1819 $191,360

11622301 6244 NE 16TH AVE 2 1 811 $194,900

11222639 13918 NE KLICKITAT CT 4 2 1772 $196,000

11271215 3906 NE

KILLINGSWORTH ST 5 2.1 2315 $197,000

11211681 1238 NE 70TH AVE 2 1 1648 $199,000

11359485 29 NE 125TH PL 6 7 2652 $200,900

11204820 6721 NE RODNEY 3 2.1 1394 $209,000

12449837 15216 NE HANCOCK CT 3 2 1989 $209,900

12231931 10441 NE BRAZEE ST 4 2 2330 $214,000

11579046 2017 NE 148TH PL 2 2 1384 $215,000

11601772 1525 NE 73RD AVE 2 1 1532 $215,000

11448843 11627 NE PACIFIC ST 3 2.1 1420 $216,900

11096429 106 NE 116TH AVE 3 1.1 2288 $224,900

12378232 13431 NE FAILING ST 4 3 1970 $224,950

12378099 2140 NE 128TH AVE 3 2 1718 $234,900

11183394 15407 NE

SUMMERPLACE DR 2 2 1466 $235,000

12355093 13620 NE BEECH ST 4 2 1900 $235,000

11066930 5264 NE Garfield AVE 2 2.1 1201 $238,800

11375008 300 NE Emerson ST 2 2.1 1240 $238,800

11230318 148 NE 80TH AVE 2 1 1680 $239,000

12553671 715 NE 152ND AVE 3 3.1 2550 $240,000

12583766 4346 NE 42ND AVE 3 1 2308 $244,900

11349440 1215 NE 118TH AVE 6 3 3681 $249,950

11266660 6215 NE 8TH AVE 3 1 1565 $250,000

12200824 4408 NE CLEVELAND 3 2 2230 $250,000

11563514 103 NE 67TH AVE 3 1 2104 $259,900

12465697 2611 NE 131ST AVE 4 2 2508 $264,500

11181104 3724 NE 78TH AVE 3 2 1758 $269,950

11086856 507 NE WEBSTER ST 3 3 1615 $274,900

11315015 14506 NE SCHUYLER 3 2.1 2268 $275,000

11097305 5117 NE HOLMAN ST 3 2.1 2608 $279,000

11283120 5043 NE HOLMAN ST 3 2.1 2608 $279,000

11693848 10216 NE SKIDMORE 4 3 2916 $284,900

11005625 3912 NE 33RD AVE 2 1 1488 $289,000

11505351 7051 NE 6TH AVE 4 2 3074 $289,000

12630608 7700 NE TILLAMOOK 3 2 2530 $289,000

11196796 940 NE Emerson ST 4 3 1800 $307,900

11240178 930 NE EMERSON ST 4 3 1800 $307,900

11095694 5016 NE FLANDERS 3 2 2033 $309,900

12660491 2230 NE 61ST AVE 3 2 2738 $310,000

11215786 4008 NE ROSELAWN 3 2.1 2028 $320,000

11225534 3577 NE SCHUYLER 4 1 2214 $325,000

12054157 4767 NE MASON ST 3 2 2450 $329,900

12115444 4634 NE 32ND PL 3 2 1980 $338,500

11439351 2300 NE 132ND AVE 3 1 1527 $359,000

11614662 940 NE ONEONTA ST 3 2.1 2200 $359,900

12549354 5103 NE 7th AVE 4 3.1 1993 $384,977

11449968 636 NE 61ST AVE 3 2.1 1755 $399,000

11202188 6827 NE WYGANT ST 3 2.1 2433 $399,900

11348151 3281 NE FREMONT 3 3 4004 $399,900

11236978 5408 NE 23RD AVE 2 2.1 2398 $409,900

11281192 2533 NE 8TH AVE 5 3 2888 $495,000

11250637 2030 NE KNOTT ST 6 2.1 3902 $629,900

12009636 2554 NE 49TH AVE 5 4 3696 $699,900

12473286 3445 NE HASSALO ST 3 3.1 3968 $789,000

11495241 2727 NE 13TH AVE 5 4 3672 $824,900

Pathways Home: Homebuyer Education Class (2 parts)

Are you interested in learning the steps to mortgage readiness and purchasing your

home? Our Pathways Home: Homebuyer Education class takes you through the steps

to reach mortgage readiness and each step of the home buying process. This

interactive class uses current, culturally specific information and exercises from

Pathways Home: A Native Homeownership Guide (developed by the National

American Indian Housing Council, NeighborWorks America and Oweesta).

NAYA Family Center is a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency. Pathways Home

is a FREE, two part, 12 hour total class held on consecutive Saturdays taught by NAYA

Family Center Homeownership Program Staff. Lunch and materials are provided. Parts

1 & 2 must be completed for graduation. To register, contact Anna Steirer at

503-288-8177 x 289 or annas@nayapdx.org

Saturdays: 2012 dates TBA | Instructor: Sara Libby | Time: 9am-3pm

Fee: None | Sponsored by: NAYA Family Center | 5135 NE Columbia Blvd

Portland , 97218 | P: 503.288.8177

ML# Address Bdr Bth SF Price

Jan Page 4

NW & SW Condos No other place in the country is

more Green than Oregon.

Maybe it’s the lush environ-

ment that we adore that

reminds us to keep our lives as

well as our homes earth

friendly. Buyers in Oregon

respond to natural and Eco

friendly homes, and the trend is

gaining in momentum, so even

small changes and efforts will go a long way in helping

you attract more buyers to your listed home.

While preparing a home for market can be a huge under-

taking, you can possibly gain a great return on the other

green stuff (money) if you follow a few of these cost

effective green staging tips.

New paint is the most cost effective update and can

really help emotionally connect buyers to your home.

Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints are

available in most paint stores, and although sometimes

more expensive, your Realtor can advertise that the home

has been updated with low VOC paints. Indoor air is

three times more polluted than outdoor air, and accord-

ing to the EPA, is considered one of the top 5 hazards to

human health. Paints and finishes are among the leaders.

If you are looking to replace flooring, look into bamboo.

Bamboo is a hollow grass and is extremely fast growing

and is ready to harvest after five years. It is less expensive

than hardwood and is even stronger than most hardwood

flooring. It is the most sustainable wood and is leed

qualified.

Bamboo is also a great sustainable product for bedding,

blinds as well as bowls and vases. The fabric is soft and

durable and looks pleasing to the eye, and as in decorative

accessories it looks natural and adds and element of

nature to the scene.

Cork is another green product and can be used as floor-

ing and even as a backsplash. Imagine Home Staging and Finishes had an Eco friendly client who needed some

updates in order to maximize the sell of his condo.

We repainted some of his walls with low VOC paints. He

added the cork backsplash to his kitchen, and then we

staged the unit. It sold within 24 hrs!

Instead of buying new accessories to stage the home, look

to consignment shops, or borrow items from a friend or

family member. Just be sure to keep a cohesive look to

the decor and be sure that it is in tune with the lifestyle

of the potential buyer. Try staging with natural fibers for

pillows or throws. Remember less clutter looks more

sustainable.

Repurposing items by refinishing or painting is a great

way to recycle furnishings and picture frames. Using live

plants and adding real fruit to natural wood or bamboo

bowls will add natural elements to the home and will

even help with the indoor quality of air.

Consignment shops are also a great for consigning

furnishings that you may no longer need but are still in

great condition. I have had great luck with consigning

with some local shops, usually the split is 60 for you and

40 for the shop. Call the shop for details, some will even

pick up your goods for an added cost.

For Eco friendly Curb appeal Use native plants for

outdoor staging. They require less maintenance and do

not require chemical fertilizers. Ask your local nursery

for ideas on planting native plants.

Adding even a few of these touches will not only add

more market appeal to your home, but you will feel a

great sense of satisfaction in knowing that you have

prepared a sustainable environment for the new

homeowners.

Lisa & Lenny Shipley

503 643 0282

info@connectingpeopletospaces.com

www.connectingpeopletospaces.com

Sustainable Staging Tips

11118489 6566 SW TERRI CT #17 2 2 1003 $73,950

11351005 6566 SW TERRI CT #16 2 2 1003 $73,950

11465767 2109 NW IRVING ST #210 0 1 312 $95,000

11591969 709 SW 16TH AVE #307 0 1 460 $112,900

11623236 6645 W BURNSIDE RD #523 1 1 750 $115,000

11263633 1535 SW CLAY ST #213 1 1 773 $119,900

12182825 6566 SW TERRI CT #14 2 2 952 $122,800

11221704 1125 NW 9th AVE #205 0 1 533 $129,900

12036917 2703 SW SPRING GARDEN ST 2 1 832 $139,000

12671231 839 SW BROADWAY DR #71 2 1.1 870 $144,900

11645040 2417 SW NEBRASKA ST 2 2 887 $149,900

11637160 4320 SW CORBETT AVE 2 2 1123 $150,000

11674356 111 SW HARRISON ST 17C 1 1 611 $156,000

11390224 1451 SW MONTGOMERY ST 1 1 593 $156,655

11343978 810 NW NAITO PKWY 1 1 690 $159,000

12046703 908 SW GAINES ST #12 1 1 639 $164,500

11673279 3601 SW RIVER Parkway PKWY #616

1 1 636 $169,900

12154326 2533 NW MARSHALL ST #100 0 1 468 $169,900

12644287 9130 SW WILSHIRE ST 3 2 1244 $169,900

11252495 1926 W BURNSIDE ST #507 1 1 721 $174,900

12688755 1500 SW PARK AVE #101 1 1 482 $187,000

11297865 2015 NW FLANDERS ST #109 1 1 661 $189,000

11373945 5050 SW LANDING DR #204 2 2 1056 $189,000

12024765 722 NW 24TH AVE #101 1 1 492 $199,000

11216048 1500 SW 11TH AVE 1 1 505 $199,900

12245041 507 NW 22ND AVE #104 1 1 656 $199,900

11347288 300 NW 8TH AVE #305 1 1 725 $209,900

12606254 6605 W BURNSIDE RD 2 2 1126 $225,000

11267043 3601 SW RIVER PKWY #1704 1 1 782 $229,000

12211437 1500 SW 11TH AVE #1105 1 1 505 $235,000

11118087 1410 NW KEARNEY ST #912 1 1 837 $259,000

12301531 1132 SW 19TH AVE #103 1 1 865 $269,900

12415831 420 NW 11TH AVE NW #502 1 1 952 $289,000

11412093 1932 SW MILL STREET TER 2 2.5 1174 $297,000

11316349 1500 SW 11TH AVE #201 2 2 994 $300,000

11556051 725 NW FLANDERS ST #305 1 1 1093 $324,900

11672490 1400 NW IRVING ST #316 1 1.1 1253 $365,000

12523070 0841 SW GAINES ST #437 1 1.1 1163 $379,000

12183259 2309 SW 1ST AVE #144 2 2 2062 $385,000

11470144 1926 W BURNSIDE ST 2 2 1497 $389,900

11367033 2351 NW WESTOVER RD #406 1 1 1050 $399,000

11425381 2351 NW WESTOVER RD #1106

1 1 959 $425,000

12203455 1025 NW COUCH ST #1119 1 1.1 1025 $425,000

11079313 1255 NW 9th AVE #309 2 2 1267 $426,000

12530167 1748 NW RIVERSCAPE ST 101F1

2 2.1 1934 $439,900

12573077 1704 NW RIVERSCAPE ST 80F 3 3.1 1885 $449,900

12271478 1746 NW RIVERSCAPE ST 100F1

2 2.1 1934 $459,900

12343268 1708 NW RIVERSCAPE ST 82F 3 3.1 1885 $499,900

12378704 1744 NW RIVERSCAPE ST 99F1

2 2.1 1934 $499,900

12626138 5668 SW RIVERPOINT LN 2 2 1665 $519,000

11145031 1030 NW 12TH AVE #102 2 2 1315 $520,000

12440947 0841 SW GAINES ST #2102 1 1.1 1375 $565,000

11665630 937 NW GLISAN ST 431E 2 2 1498 $574,950

11357410 1221 SW 10TH AVE #1306 2 2 1570 $589,000

12017275 5620 SW RIVERSIDE LN #9 2 2 1850 $599,900

12398676 1738 NW RIVERSCAPE ST 96F 3 3.1 1885 $619,900

11385021 1420 NW LOVEJOY ST #719 2 2 1971 $625,000

12693941 3570 SW RIVER PKWY #2103 2 2 2009 $629,000

12362624 1736 NW RIVERSCAPE ST 95F 3 3.1 1885 $639,900

12387241 1716 NW RIVERSCAPE ST 86 H

2 2.1 2153 $649,900

11104984 937 NW GLISAN ST 1531L 2 2 1240 $699,950

12223100 1001 NW LOVEJOY ST #606 3 2 1503 $749,000

12408290 300 NW 8TH AVE #907 1 1 947 $750,000

11506214 0841 SW GAINES ST #2010 2 2 1672 $765,000

12348843 922 NW 11TH AVE #108 2 2.1 2022 $819,500

11216319 1830 NW RIVERSCAPE ST #803

2 2 1930 $825,000

11453640 949 NW OVERTON #307 3 3 2505 $1,027,000

11335923 1001 NW LOVEJOY ST #1210 3 2 1824 $1,090,000

11416303 2351 NW WESTOVER RD #516 3 3.1 2926 $1,125,000

11396379 1025 NW COUCH ST #1314 3 2 1978 $1,131,000

12325568 1712 NW RIVERSCAPE ST 84FF

3 5.1 3820 $1,199,900

11073963 937 NW GLISAN ST #1632 2 2 1903 $1,249,950

Asbestos testing can help homeowners and business

owners alike to ascertain the risks of dangerous exposure

for those living and working within any given building.

While many people know that this chemical compound

can be dangerous, few know exactly what it is, where it

can be found, how it's limited, and how it can be

dangerous, and who is affected by exposure to it.

What is it? "Asbestos" refers to a fibrous bundle of naturally

occurring minerals. Because its threads are durable,

nonconductive, and heat- and flame-resistant, it has been

used extensively, throughout the years. As silicate

compounds, their molecules contain both silicon and

oxygen. The two basic types of minerals include

serpentine and chrysotile, the latter of which is used most

often, commercially.

Where is it found? Since the late nineteenth century, North American mines

have produced this mineral for commercial use. Its

popularity peaked during the second World War and

began being used for many key applications in major

industries:

• Building and Construction—roofing and insulation

• Shipbuilding—insulating boilers and hot water pipes

• Automotive—clutch pads and brake shoes

It's also been used for floor and ceiling tiles, adhesives,

paints, and plastics, as well as some garden products and

even some crayons.

How is its use limited? As the dangers connected to this mineral began to be

understood, government agencies such as the U.S.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While all new

uses were banned in the late 1980s, former uses were

allowed to continue. School systems became required to

have asbestos testing performed, followed by the removal

or encasing of affected areas.

Voluntary discontinuation of this mineral has been

embraced by manufacturers of products in which the

risks have not been high enough to require regulation. As

a result of both required and voluntary limitations, the

amount of the mineral used in 2005 was only about

0.25% of what it was in 1973.

How is it dangerous? Exposure can come in any building in which asbestos-

containing products are disturbed. When the tiny fibers

of the mineral become airborne and are inhaled, they can

become trapped in the lungs. In time, the accumulated

fibers can result in scarring and inflammation, causing

breathing problems and other health risks.

Classified as a cancer-causing substance, or carcinogen,

the presence of this mineral has been documented to

increase risks of lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Who is affected? While everyone is exposed to some levels of this mineral,

most of that exposure poses no danger. However, some

are at risk: those exposed to it on a regular basis through

working directly with materials containing the mineral

or frequenting an environment in which they regularly

have contact with it. For those who are regularly

exposed, even members of their households have a

heightened risk of lung cancer.

To find out more about whether your business or home is

putting you or others at risk, asbestos testing is a helpful

first step.

5 Asbestos Testing FAQs

Jan Page 5

Community Energy Project offers free workshops on small-scale DIY

weatherization. Participants learn how to stop drafts with simple and

affordable tools, great for renters. Qualified participants receive a free kit

of weatherization supplies worth $150. Please call 503.284.6827 x108 or

email energy@communityenergyproject.org to register.

Monday, Jan. 9th

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Hewitt Townhomes

846 SE 29th

Troutdale, OR

Wednesday, Jan. 11th

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Sitton SUN School

9930 N Smith

Portland, OR

Tuesday, Jan. 17th

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Arleta SUN School

5109 SE 66th

Portland, OR

Wednesday, Jan. 25th

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Mt Scott Com. Center

5530 SE 72nd

Portland, OR

Tuesday, Jan.31st

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Alice Ott SUN School

12500 SE Ramona

Portland, OR

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conser-

vation District offers a variety of free

workshops in the community, including

naturescaping and rain gardens. For a list

of events, visit www.emswcd.org

Do you

have a free

community

Class or

Event?

Send it to us

and we’ll

put it right

here….

FOR FREE!

Oregon History Museum: Two children admitted free per one paying adult on the third Saturday of each month

World Forestry Center: $3 admission on the first Wednesday of each month

Portland Children's Museum: Free admission on the first Friday of each month from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Oregon Maritime Museum: Free admission for families with children younger than 18 on the third Saturday of every month.

Washington County Museum: Family Day from 10 am to 2 pm on the second Saturday of every month, free admission. Oregon Zoo: $4 admission on the second Tuesday of each month

Sometimes Free really is FREE! Another Round of Solarize Northeast

The Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods is proud to announce that they are offering another round of Solarize NE! This is a way to help residents learn about solar power and have solar panels installed at a reduced cost. Registration will be open through May 2012. If you'd like more frequent updates, please visit Solarize.NECoalition.org

Registration will be open before the end of the

year, with free comprehensive workshops covering solar installation and financial oppor-tunities in January, February and March.

If you are interested in getting involved with Solarize NE, please email NECN staff Gene Lee or Benjamin Adrian, or call the NECN office at 503-823-4575.

Cocktail of the Month:

Champagne Cocktail

3/4 glass full of nice bubbly 1/4 glass of some quality bourbon and a squeeze of lemon w/ lemon

grind for garnish. DELISH!

Thank you Jennifer Lundstrom with

Meadows Group Realtors and your Clients for the

great recipe!

Real Estate Photography Tip:

The public is invited to express their appreciation for

animals and animal lovers who are true heroes by

nominating them for the Oregon Humane Society’s

Diamond Collar Awards. The deadline for submitting

nominations is Jan. 31, 2012.

The awards, to be presented at February 23, 2012, will

honor Oregon animals and people. Animal heroes can be

those pets who have acted to save a human or animal life

in peril, who have performed services within the community

with undying loyalty, or who have overcome incredible

odds to survive. Human heroes can be those who have

had a positive impact on the lives of animals, exhibiting

courage and compassion in the pursuit of animals’

well-being in Oregon.

The OHS Heroes Luncheon presenting the

Diamond Collar Awards will be held

Thursday, February 23, 2012 at the Governor

Hotel, 614 SW 11th Avenue, Portland, OR.

Ticket information coming soon.

Award nominations are open for all

two-and four-legged heroes. The deadline

to nominate heroes is January 31, 2012.

Nominations can be delivered to OHS or

submitted online. Any supporting materials

for online nominations must be received by

Jan. 31, and should be postmarked no later

than Jan. 27 to assure arrival by Jan. 31.

www.oregonhumane.org Ed & Loki celebrating the holidays with Lily & Corey @ Redfin

Use a Tripod for Sharp, Crisp

Photos.

Aside from my camera and lens, the

single most important piece of equip-

ment I use when photographing home

interiors is my tripod. Even when

shooting exterior photos my camera is mounted on my

tripod.

Camera shake is a common cause of blurry images and

often it can seem like a mystery as to why the image

came out blurry. The most common cause for blurry

images is camera shake. Camera shake means that dur-

ing the exposure the camera moved. This movement

can be very small and still create blurry images. This is

especially true if you set your camera on automatic.

In the Automatic setting the camera will select the

shutter speed, and other setting, for you to what it

thinks is the proper exposure. Indoors that shutter

speed will be very slow. When the shutter speed is

slow and your camera is hand held hand movement

will inevitably occur.

Even if you have steady hands, you may cause the

camera to move while pressing the shutter release

button when the camera is not attached to something

stable.

This bathroom photo was taken holding the camera by

hand and the result is fuzzy, blurry photo. Not suitable

to use as a marketing photo for any home.

This image was taken with the camera mounted on my

tripod. As you can see, it's sharp, crisp and great for the

RMLS and printed flyers.

When shopping for a tripod you can buy the legs

separately from the tripod head. You can mix and

match the legs and head to get just the setup that works

best for you. The tripod heads come in two different

styles: a pan-tilt head and a ball head. The pan-tilt

head is the most common and usually less expensive

when purchasing an already assembled tripod. Pan-tilt

heads have separate controls for each of the three axes

about which your camera can rotate. You can loosen

the lock on one rotation axis at a time to carefully

fine-tune your composition. Which type is best for you

is entirely a matter of personal taste. Some tripods are

heavy and clumsy to carry around, I know mine is.

But, when shooting home interiors you don’t need a big

heavy tripod. A light, inexpensive model (but I would

stay away from the tripods in the $25 dollar range.

They’re just too light and flimsy) may work just fine

and you will get sharper, crisper images without camera

shake.

Kent Skewes

503.708.2486

www.BareFootStudio.biz

When it comes to social media, diversify your content; ask questions, post interesting quotes, add photos and videos. Changing up your content will keep users engaged--and engaged users turn into loyal customers.

People have the tendency to watch videos over reading text, so you might consider using Youtube to promote your business. It can give people a stronger sense of your business and can set you up as an expert in your field. And that means more sales. This approach is especially effective in reaching out to young audiences.

Laptops can be a bit more expensive to buy but they're much cheaper to run when it comes to energy costs. A laptop or notebook computer consumes around 90 percent less energy than desktop computers. You don't have to buy all new laptops; just replace as you go--and enjoy the savings on your energy bills.

M

A

N

T

A .

C

O M

January 22, 2012

from 1pm to 2:30pm

Multnomah County

Central Library:

US Bank Room

801 S.W. 10th Avenue

Phone: 503.243.1923

Websitehttp://events.multcolib.org/events

Join the Historic Preservation League of

Oregon for Preservation 101 in Portland!

The event will include information about

the history of the preservation movement,

opportunities to discuss places that matter

to you, and details about why the

rehabilitation of historic buildings matters

to communities large and small.

Participants learn about the basic

principles of historic preservation and its

practical applications to local resources,

hear about how preservation and Main

Street revitalization go hand-in-hand, and

explore preservation strategies for local

places that may be endangered or in

need of rehabilitation or adaptive reuse.

Although Preservation 101 has been

presented in small towns around the state,

the January 22nd program will mark the

first time it has been made available to the

Portland area.

And, the best part is that it's free and open

to the public. The event is sponsored by

the Multnomah County Library.

Jan Page 6

The houses shown in these lists are randomly selected and new on the market within the last 30 days. For

more information on these homes, visit www.rmls.com

ML# Address Bdr Bth SF Price Green homes have

grown in homebuyer

popularity over the last

decade. For some

buyers, a green home

is important because

they want to live an

e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y

conscious lifestyle. For others, the superior energy

efficiency of a green home offers a convenient

way to save on homeownership costs in the

long-term.

If you’re concerned about keeping green, begin

by examining the heating and cooling systems of

any home you are considering. You will find

information on Energy Star rated systems at

www.energystar.gov.

You should also check out any appliances

included in the purchase. Newer appliances tend

to be more energy efficient than older ones. If the

appliances are old, you’ll need to figure the cost

of upgrading into your budget.

The property’s windows are an important

indication of overall energy efficiency as well.

They should be triple or at least double paned. A

green home should also be well insulated in order

to minimize heat loss.

Interior features that may be considered when

buying a green home include flooring. Bamboo

flooring is a popular green option. Linoleum is

making a comeback as an eco-friendly flooring

material because it is manufactured from natural

materials and can last for up to 40 years.

The landscape of a particular property may

contribute to a home’s overall energy efficiency.

Plush green lawns require time spent in upkeep as

well as energy in the form of watering. As such,

many greener homes feature Xeriscape gardens

or lower-maintenance grasses and groundcover

such as buffalo and clover. For maximum green,

look for a property with enough space for a

vegetable garden.

Green homes tend to be smaller because heat-

ing and cooling fewer square feet is desirable to

homeowners concerned with energy efficiency.

While larger families may prefer larger homes,

smaller green homes are ideal for couples or

retirees who desire to downsize.

Consider your real estate agent’s advice whether

you buy green or otherwise. If you eventually plan

to sell the home, your agent can advise you on

properties that will earn you the best return on

your investment.

Steph Noble

NW Mortgage Group, Inc.

503 528 9800 office

503 957 7221 mobile #129002

ml-797

www.stephnoble.com

Why Buy a Green Home? Jan Page 7

NW & SW Homes

Get Out and Garden!

(age 10+) *Hands On*

Portland Community Gardens

http://www.portlandparks.org

Be one of 2,100 volunteers honoring the legacy of Dr. King through meaningful service

to communities throughout the Greater Portland area.

Portland Community Gardens provides garden space and educational events within

Portland's neighborhoods. Each month we are working in the common areas of a local

garden -- laying paths, weeding, mulching, removing invasive species, pruning,

building beds, planting, and more, depending on the needs at each month's garden.

Please dress for the weather, bring garden/work gloves if you have them, and wear

clothes you don't mind getting dirty. It is also a good idea to bring a water bottle, as not

all gardens have drinking water readily available on site.

**Win a Kindle Fire by recruiting four or more volunteers to join you over MLK Weekend!

Project Requirements:

Please fill out the MLK Adult & Youth Waiver and bring it with you to the

project. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a waiver signed by their

parent or legal guardian.

Volunteers must be 10 years of age or older to attend this project; any volunteer

under age 13 must attend with a parent or adult chaperone.

If you plan to bring your children or other guests to the event, you MUST

reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team.

You can then sign up your team for this project.

Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355. | www.handsonnetwork.org

11376484 1245 SW FREEMAN ST 2 1 720 $175,000

11252771 8922 NW

GERMANTOWN RD 2 2 1496 $187,200

12360453 8300 SW 80TH AVE 2 1 1235 $199,000

12521666 6944 SW STANFORD

CT 3 2.1 1331 $199,900

11118994 8626 SW 20TH AVE 3 2 1850 $207,400

12642456 7502 SW 32ND AVE 1 1 742 $215,000

11179563 12608 SW 64TH AVE 3 1 1230 $229,900

11407408 725 NW Flanders ST

#205 1 1 1093 $256,705

11249899 4754 SW ADMIRAL ST 3 1.1 2100 $262,500

12085273 2036 SW PALATINE ST 4 2 2127 $264,900

11114683 9004 SW 75TH PL 3 2.1 1600 $269,500

11588993 9312 SW TERWILLIGER

BLVD 3 2 1256 $269,500

12149185 4417 SW PENDLETON 2 1 1272 $274,900

11401229 1429 SW HUME ST 4 3 2234 $275,000

11158314 1655 SW DELLWOOD

AVE 3 2 1260 $279,000

12645739 5575 SW SPRUCE AVE 4 3 1814 $279,000

12490302 6080 SW 68TH CT 2 2 1536 $285,000

11169319 8600 SW Crystal ST 3 2 1608 $294,900

12190717 2230 SW 77TH PL 3 2.1 1918 $324,900

12111308 211 HIDALGO ST 4 2.1 2635 $339,000

11573211 4315 SW MELVILLE

AVE 3 2.1 2102 $349,000

12685069 6731 SW 62ND PL 3 2 1654 $349,900

11165767 8724 SW 45TH AVE 4 3.1 3564 $355,000

11220133 2822 SW BOUNDARY 5 2 3389 $364,900

11628883 6945 SW 7TH AVE 2 2 2720 $369,000

11236476 734 SW CHELTENHAM 3 2.1 2198 $379,500

11153442 7335 SW STEWART ST 3 3 2398 $379,850

11009737 7825 SW 84TH AVE 5 3 3249 $394,900

11495470 5017 SW ORCHARD LN 4 2.1 2791 $419,900

11329115 2836 NW SANTANITA

TER 3 2.1 2000 $425,000

11679958 6060 SW SALMON ST 3 2.1 2304 $425,000

11023717 3109 SW COLLINS CT 4 4.1 3425 $444,900

11624055 9629 NW FLEISCHNER 3 2.1 3213 $449,900

11088531 3043 NW WILSON ST 3 2 1716 $450,000

11189015 5833 SW LANE CT 4 3 2906 $459,000

11010262 5901 SW FLORIDA ST 5 2 2953 $460,000

11537731 7487 SW ADDIE LN 4 2.1 2693 $476,800

11527666 2341 NW BIRKENDENE 3 2.1 2827 $487,500

12521801 5524 SW CALIFORNIA 4 2.1 2828 $499,900

11319426 10439 NW MAYER CT 4 2.1 2696 $518,000

12215733 9777 NW CAXTON LN 5 3.1 3348 $519,900

11081487 2914 SW FAIRMOUNT

BLVD 3 3.1 3583 $559,000

12669141 6254 SW BURLINGAME

AVE 5 3.1 3597 $559,000

11689627 1200 SW OPHELIA ST 4 3.1 4100 $569,950

11020760 8407 NW ASH ST 4 2.1 3185 $574,850

12162898 10851 SW

CREIGHTONWOOD PL 5 3.1 4780 $575,000

11417558 5820 SW MULTNOMAH

BLVD 4 4 3600 $579,000

11288072 12260 SW 13TH CT 4 3.1 4400 $589,000

11092078 16 SW ABERNETHY ST 4 2.1 2656 $595,000

11227713 6540 SW EVAN CT 4 2.1 3114 $599,000

12574527 2804 SW HILLSBORO

ST 3 3.1 3204 $625,000

12054914 7639 NW BLUE POINTE

LN 4 2.1 4592 $649,500

12089871 2636 SW 64TH PL 6 3.1 4382 $649,900

11587660 10285 SW RIVERSIDE

DR 4 3 2661 $669,000

12341349 3911 SW FREEMAN ST 5 3.1 3457 $670,000

12297644 8676 SW FAIR RIDGE

WAY 4 3.1 4324 $675,000

12588745 1518 NW BENFIELD DR 5 3.1 4278 $675,000

11473473 2710 SW OLD

ORCHARD RD 4 3.1 3728 $695,000

12420491 1617 SW MIDVALE RD 3 3 5297 $889,000

11364920 1870 SW HAWTHORNE

TER 4 3 3206 $899,000

12327773 7207 SW TAYLORS

FERRY RD 4 3 2916 $920,000

12628240 3227 SW SCHOLLS

FERRY CT 4 3.1 4216 $949,900

12697953 14628 NW ROCK

CREEK RD 5 3 3838 $950,000

11023218 5342 SW 65TH AVE 5 4.1 4592 $980,000

11001613 721 SW 68TH TER 4 3.2 4716 $990,000

11140406 3939 SW 45TH AVE 4 4 4069 $999,000

12137970 11051 SW RIVERWOOD

RD 4 4.2 6204 $1,058,300

11389533 544 NW

MARLBOROUGH AVE 3 3.2 4857 $1,095,000

12244620 7660 SW NORTHVALE

WAY 5 4.2 8182 $1,150,000

11310024 8834 NW HERRIN CT 5 5.1 7193 $1,199,900

12368658 9634 NW SKYLINE

HEIGHTS DR 4 3.1 4825 $1,300,000

11513492 3639 NW THURMAN ST 4 4.1 6107 $1,693,000

Have you kept up with the changes at LinkedIn?

Did you know you can do more for your company on LinkedIn?

By Stephanie Sammons

Www.socialmediaexaminer.com

What’s new with LinkedIn for businesses?

Do you want to increase your opportunities to network with

customers, clients, vendors, peers, potential job candidates and even

your own employees? If you’re a business of any size, you need to

have a well-developed ―business‖ presence on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn recently announced an update to company pages that can

help companies and small businesses to become more engaged on

the network.

Up until now, your company page existed in isolation. Now

businesses can update their individual company pages to enable their

followers to receive updates and insights about job opportunities,

company news, employee moves and more.

Are these the only kinds of updates that companies can post to their

pages? Absolutely not, and I’m going to suggest that you think about

this as a brand-new opportunity to showcase your thought

leadership and expanding your business!

Although it appears on the surface that the new company updates

are designed to help big brands and corporations become more

connected with potential candidates and employees, I believe small

businesses and professional services that get creative about their

company status updates and commit to being active with their

company pages can also benefit from increased engagement with

industry peers, prospective customers, strategic allies and potential

new hires.

There are some great resources from Social Media Examiner for

building a business presence on Facebook and Twitter, and both of

these networks are essential for positioning your business and

engaging your community. Now you can extend the reach of your

business with your LinkedIn company page to grow your influence

as the industry expert!

How do you take advantage of this new tool as a small business or

professional services company participating on LinkedIn?

Below are 5 steps for expanding your business through LinkedIn

company pages.

#1: Update/create and complete your company page

Currently there are over 2 million businesses with a LinkedIn

company page, many of which are corporations looking for talent on

the network.

At some point, many professionals will choose to follow numerous

company pages on LinkedIn just as they do Facebook business pages,

and the stream will become noisier. Keep in mind that with these

pages, LinkedIn provides you with the opportunity to integrate rich

media content such as images, hyperlinked banners, links to your

website and blog and videos from YouTube into your company

profile. Take advantage of these benefits to make your page more

attractive, engaging and interesting to your target markets!

To either create or enhance your existing LinkedIn company page,

focus on the following tips:

Populate your company overview page using informative

descriptions about whom you serve (your ideal customer) and

how you serve them. Include the key specialties of your

company in the designated ―specialties‖ area and use keywords

here that will resonate with your target markets. Also be sure

to pull in your blog posts by inserting your blog feed URL!

Build out your products and services pages on your profile. On

these pages you can include an image, description, list of key

features, landing page URL to your site, a link to a special

promotion and you can even embed a YouTube video both on

the products and services overview page as well as on each

individual product/service page! Take advantage of the

opportunity to integrate rich media. It will liven up your

company page significantly.

Once you have completed setting up your LinkedIn company

page, you will want to enable the page for status updates. You

must officially designate who can update the company page

within your settings. Once you’ve completed this, designated

people within your company will be able to post status updates

to your page.

#2: Build followers for your LinkedIn company page

Before you can really start to see any benefit from your LinkedIn

company page, you’re going to have to work to get company

followers just as you work to build a community of followers with

your Facebook business page and Twitter profile! Otherwise, your

updates won’t be visible unless someone visits your page directly and

decides to share or comment on a status update.

Increasing your company followers will increase your company

visibility. Your updates will be seen throughout LinkedIn and can

easily be shared by your followers with their professional networks.

Building followers for your company isn’t just a one-time process.

You should constantly be working to build followers for your

company page on LinkedIn in order to expand your reach. It doesn’t

matter if your business is big or small. Perhaps you don’t need the

masses to follow your company page. You simply need to focus on

gathering relevant followers as a small business or professional

services company.

Below are some suggestions to quickly build your unique business

community for your company page:

Encourage existing employees to link up with your page

(existing employees can help extend your company’s reach by

sharing your status updates with their connections on

LinkedIn).

Follow the company pages of industry peers, vendors, current

customers and prospective customers (many of them will recip-

rocate the action). Also consider following companies outside

of your industry that are in your same geographic location!

Send an announcement to the appropriate LinkedIn personal

connections. (Best practice: Always provide 2 to 3 concrete

benefits for why someone should follow your page. What will

they get out of it? How can it help them to be better at what

they do?)

Consider sending that same ―call to action‖ message to your

existing database of customers and prospects, especially if many

of them are on LinkedIn.

Post a ―call to action‖ to follow your page within relevant

LinkedIn groups.

Remember, the more relevant followers you have for your LinkedIn

company page, the more opportunities you have to be visible and

build influence with your target markets!

#3: Provide interesting and value-added company page

updates

Although LinkedIn suggests that you post status updates to your

company page about jobs and breaking news, these types of posts are

all about you and your company. If you want to engage followers,

make it all about them and provide interesting and value-added

updates that can help them to succeed in business!

This is your opportunity to establish your company as the industry

expert. Also, don’t forget to include rich media such as an image in

your company updates in order to make them stand out and capture

attention!

A great example of this is HubSpot. They update their company page

with valuable resources and insights that can help marketers and

businesses to be more successful in their online marketing efforts.

Notice how they end their status update with a question. This is a

great strategy to engage your company followers.

#4: Engage and network with people from companies you

follow

Want to get on the radar screen of a business you’d like to work

with? Watch for their company updates and engage with them! Just

as you can engage with individual status updates that you see on

LinkedIn, you can do the same with company page updates.

Perhaps a company that you follow is looking for a qualified

candidate to fill a position. Point them to several professionals in

your network who might be a good fit!

Maybe a company posts something that is helpful to you in your

business. Thank them for the resource publicly and share it with

your connections!

By helping the companies that you care about grow their visibility,

you’ll also expand your influence with the company. It’s a very

simple concept that most people don’t think about. Promote and

refer the companies that are important to your business by liking,

sharing and commenting on their updates. These companies may

also return the favor and help to promote your business on LinkedIn

as well.

In order to find the right companies to follow on LinkedIn, I would

suggest utilizing LinkedIn’s advanced search features to find and

follow industry partners, companies in your geographic location,

companies that you currently do business with, companies that

you’d like to do business with and companies within your same

industry (competitors and non-competitors).

Engaging and networking with relevant LinkedIn company pages

will also help you develop and grow your personal LinkedIn

network with other professionals who are engaging with these

companies. You may discover other professionals who share the

same business interests.

#5: Monitor and focus your efforts

LinkedIn does provide a nice ―Analytics‖ feature to help you

monitor and track visitors to your company page, but these metrics

do not yet highlight how effectively you are engaging your target

markets. However, on the main landing page for your company

profile you will be able to see who has engaged with or commented

on any of your company updates.

Carve out time specifically for ―company‖ networking on LinkedIn.

Update your company status frequently, check for comments and

engagements on those updates to determine what’s working, and

continue building followers for your page through the strategies

mentioned in section #2 of this article!

Also remember to keep your LinkedIn company page fresh and

interesting. Add new videos or images from time to time, run special

promotions, etc.

I have found that if you focus your time with your social networking

efforts, you can accomplish greater success rather than just

skimming the surface.

There are several places within LinkedIn to focus on company

networking. On your LinkedIn home page under ―Companies,‖ you

can view the updates from the companies that you follow.

Or you can visit ―LinkedIn Companies‖ home page (see image

below) to see the same update. I find this to be a better place for

focusing, as you won’t be distracted by all of the other items on your

primary LinkedIn home page. Finally, you can also visit a company

page directly and engage with any of the status updates right there

on the page itself. Monitoring the companies you follow on the

"LinkedIn Companies" home page.

Regardless of the size of your business, it’s important to invest in

your LinkedIn company presence. I believe that going forward, this

will be one of the very best ways to set your company apart and

provide ongoing value to your customers and prospects.

Don’t forget that your LinkedIn company page will also be indexed

by search engines, which can provide another positive gateway

online to your business.

Archery Summit 18599 NE Archery Summit Rd.

Dayton, OR 97114 (800) 732-8822

www.archerysummit.com

Domaine Serene 3222 NE Hilltop Ln. Dayton, OR 97114 (866) 864-6555

www.domaineserene.com

Stoller Vineyards 16161 NE McDougall Rd.

Dayton, OR 97114 (503) 864-3404

www.stollervineyards.com

Adelsheim Vineyard 16800 NE Calkins Ln. Newberg, OR 97132

(503) 538-3652 www.adelsheim.com

Arbor Brook Vineyard 17770 NE Calkins Ln. Newberg, OR 97132

(503) 538-0959 www.arborbrookwines.com

Sokol Blosser 5000 Sokol Blosser Ln.

Dundee, OR 97115 (800) 582-6668

www.sokolblosser.com

Erath Winery 9409 NE Worden Hill Rd.

Dundee, OR 97115 (800) 539-9463 www.erath.com

Argyle Winery 691 Hwy 99W

Dundee, OR 97115 (888) 427-4953

www.argylewinery.com

Solena Estates 17100 NE Woodland Loop Rd.

Yamhill, OR 97148 (503) 662-3700

www.solenaestate.com

Youngberg Hill Vineyards 10660 SW Youngberg Hill Rd.

McMinnville, OR 97128 (888) 657-8668

www.youngberghill.com

August Cellars 14000 NE Quarry Rd. Newberg, OR 97132

(503) 554-6766 www.augustcellars.com

Jan Page 8

5 Tips for Using the New LinkedIn Company Pages

Energy Efficiency vs. Energy Conservation?

As we slip past the holidays, we all give a silent sigh of

relief as we get back to ―normal‖ life and work as we let

out our belts a notch. In the great Pacific Northwest, we’re

set to go through the bulk of our winter season without the

distraction of the holidays. This brings many of us to

consider the reality of our seemingly ever increasing heat

and energy costs. Cutting down energy use is the only

thing that most of us can do about energy costs. Some may

wish to consider making substantial changes to curb or

control these costs. Others want to do what they can to

operate what they have in more energy conservative ways.

These 2 approaches are the basis different strategies and

terms.

Energy Efficiency is about equipment, construction,

insulation, design, things like that. Energy conservation is

about behavior. At 1st look, most people think efficiency is

hardest, conservation is easiest. It also seems that hardest

measures produce the best results. The truth is much

different. The best results for reduction of energy use are a

combination or marriage of both efficiency and conserva-

tion. Updating equipment and efficiency of a building is

easy if you can ―write the check‖ or obtain financing.

Changing behavior is an ongoing struggle. My ―point of

view‖ for this subject comes from my experience as do

most things. I am a Home Performance Trade Ally with

the Energy Trust and a Building Performance Institute,

Building Analyst & Weatherization Trainer. I’ve been

doing ―Energy Audits‖ and ―Energy Surveys‖ of different

types for years. I am also an Energy Star Verifier, which

has to do with new construction and is quite interesting.

However, my real interest is in making existing buildings

more efficient. New construction will take generations to

have a real impact nationally on our energy use as a

country. Making our existing homes and buildings will

make a difference now. For me that’s pretty powerful and

a driving force.

Making an existing building or home more energy efficient

involves looking at all the aspects and systems of a building

and developing a complete plan, based upon a hierarchy of

energy savings to return of improvements. This is called a

SIR or Savings to Investment Return Ratio. Caulk is king.

Caulk is the cheapest thing you can buy for your house and

it will usually do more to cut energy loss than any other

single thing. The added benefit of protecting the building

from moisture intrusion is just gravy (to the energy saving

enthusiast in us). Better insulation in the attic floor or

ceiling, crawlspace, these come next. Although wall

insulation is important and can be dramatic (going from

none to fully insulated), the high cost of insulating and

repairing un-insulated walls, lowers the SIR. Duct sealing

of leaking HVAC ducting can be the single most universal

and significant energy saving repair. Duct sealing is also

very cost effective and therefore has a very favorable SIR.

Many people want new windows, and although newer,

more energy efficient windows do help in seal the

building, insulate and cut down on solar heat gain (the

latter not our big issue here), The high cost makes for a

long return and therefore usually not high on the list of

recommendations. Here, I part ways with ―conventional‖

energy programs and audit standards. There is more here

than just the gas bill. This is a home, loved by the present

owners and an investment for the future, based upon the

next owner’s perceived value. Under most conditions, all

new windows add value to the home. Therefore, I believe

you should consider the increase in value or equity in a

decision to replace windows and not just the energy

savings. If that is done, new windows would score high in

recommended upgrades. I’ll get off that particular soap box

now…

New HVAC is a major upgrade and if it is needed, a newer

more efficient unit can make a substantial difference in

energy use. However, if it isn’t truly needed (i.e. the exist-

ing unit near or at the end of its useful service life) HVAC

replacement is costly and other improvements more

effective. Going to a tankless water heater is actually a

huge savings and gets a terrific SIR rating (in spite of the

high cost of a tankless vs. tank water heater unit).

Planning energy efficiency can be a complicated process on

your own. You can get help from the energy trust who

will give you a basic walk through audit at no charge.

Most Home Performance Trade allies can perform a

Building Performance Institute standard energy audit and

may credit the cost of the audit towards improvements you

hire them to do. There are a few, independent building

science analysts around like myself, who can perform a BPI

audit, including Infrared diagnostics. This should also

mean ongoing support as you implement improvements.

There is a lot of sometimes confusing information out

there and it’s hard sometimes to figure out what may

actually produce the best results. Every building is

different, and every approach should be as well.

Next month, I will tackle Energy Conservation or

Behavior. I will try to discuss, people’s behavior and

education without offending anyone. I’m not really sure I

think that’s possible (for me) but I promise to try…

Scott Harris

PropertyExam.com

Tales from the Crawlspace

ML# Address Bdr Bth SF Price

Jan Page 9

North Homes & Condos

Q & A with Cascade Radon, Inc.

President & Founder Steve Tucker

Re: National Radon Action Month,

January 2011

Q: What is radon?

A: Radon is a naturally occurring

radioactive gas that is invisible,

odorless and tasteless. It occurs from

the decay of uranium in rock, soil, and

water, and is dispersed into the air.

Q: Why do homeowners need to

be aware of radon?

A: Although natural, radon can be

dangerous. When radon accumulates

in enclosed areas, such as homes and

buildings, it can reach harmful levels,

and exposure to elevated levels of

radon over time can increase an

individual’s risk of developing lung

cancer. Roughly 20,000 people die

each year in the U.S. from

radon-related lung cancer.

Q: How prevalent is radon in

Oregon?

A: Radon is present at elevated levels

in more than 20 zip codes throughout

Oregon. Some of the most elevated

levels are found in the Oregon cities of

Banks, Corvallis, Forest Grove,

Gresham, Hood River, Lake Oswego,

Portland and Salem. The latest

research shows that one in four of the

residences in the greater Portland

metro area have elevated radon levels.

Q: How do we know if there is

radon in our home?

A: The only way to determine if a

radon problem is present is to conduct

tests. Testing homes for radon is

simple and costs about $15 to $25.

Radon test kits can be purchased from

radon testing companies or at

hardware and home improvement

stores. Qualified contractors can

perform additional testing, consulting,

mitigation and system design. When

elevated radon levels are detected,

contractors can redirect the flow of gas

using a ventilation system or seal out

the gas in new structures using

―radon-resistant‖ construction tech-

niques. Radon levels fluctuate

throughout the year based on the

weather and season, so we advise

homeowners test for radon in the

winter and in the summer to get a

more accurate reading.

Q: Why don’t more people know

about the effects of radon?

A: For the most part, people are less

likely to pay attention to the health

implications of something they cannot

see, smell or taste. However, since

radon is the second leading cause of

lung cancer and the leading cause of

lung cancer among non-smokers in the

United States, it has caught the

attention of agencies, individuals and

organizations who are speaking out to

encourage the pubic to protect their

homes and families from high radon

levels. Local businesses, including

Cascade Radon, are working alongside

the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, the American Lung Associa-

tion and state agencies such as the

Oregon State Radon Program to

educate Americans about the dangers

of radon exposure during National

Radon Action Month in January.

Q: How can Oregon homeowners

learn more about radon?

A: For more information about radon,

homeowners can visit www.epa.gov/

radon/nram or http://www.epa.gov/

radon/states/oregon.html. For radon

consulting, testing or mitigation,

Oregon homeowners can contact their

local contractor.

11286611 8008 N BURLINGTON 1 1 729 $65,000

11035791 8538 N CENTRAL ST 1 1 729 $80,000

12606972 8635 N GLOUCESTER 1 1 1144 $85,000

11029556 7112 N RICHMOND

AVE #10 2 1 866 $95,000

11446260 6918 N LEONARD ST 3 2 1146 $114,900

12553901 3523 N ALASKA PL 3 1 946 $117,900

11201800 8633 N HAMLIN AVE 2 1 1344 $125,000

11549229 8240 N MONTANA AVE 5 2.1 2544 $129,000

11356721 9538 N BURR AVE 3 2 1200 $134,900

11193929 6759 N SALEM AVE 2 1.1 950 $134,990

11461651 9834 N MACRUM AVE 2 1 1428 $139,999

12150895 4836 N HOUGHTON ST 2 1 864 $150,000

11246931 9317 N CHARLESTON 2 1 944 $157,900

11440663 3143 N FARRAGUT ST 1 1 1108 $158,888

11307194 5938 N NEWARK ST 2 1.1 2090 $159,900

11562260 10334 N BARR AVE 3 2 1148 $159,900

11285847 8326 N FESSENDEN 3 1 1608 $165,000

11211105 9639 N HAVEN AVE 3 1.1 1344 $167,000

11545056 7037 N WALL AVE 2 1 748 $169,950

11001556 4830 N VANDERBILT 3 1.1 1484 $174,900

11335181 856 N RUSSET ST 4 1 2234 $179,000

11626998 10924 N MOORE AVE 3 2.1 1560 $179,950

11429800 8806 N HARTMAN ST 2 1 1370 $184,999

11175944 8610 N ENDICOTT AVE 3 2 1432 $194,000

11277643 5718 N BOSTON AVE 3 2 1227 $199,000

11360076 9337 N MOHAWK AVE 3 2 1176 $199,900

11686085 7635 N CHATHAM AVE 2 1 1105 $210,000

11605063 968 N KILPATRICK ST 3 2.1 1500 $214,950

11058190 3914 N MASSACHU-

SETTS AVE 1 1 1320 $215,000

11444729 9120 N BUCHANAN 4 1 2470 $215,000

12072809 9449 N CHICAGO 3 1.1 1295 $215,000

12268657 9595 N BUCHANAN 3 2 2050 $219,900

11225000 2426 N WATTS ST 3 2 1437 $225,000

11686083 6843 N FENWICK 3 2 1736 $227,900

11308453 1626 N WILLAMETTE

BLVD 4 2 2232 $229,900

11152636 6028 N MONTANA 4 2 2124 $230,000

12105279 6415 N CAMPBELL 3 1 1512 $245,000

12305717 6807 N AMHERST 3 1 1980 $249,950

11187681 4635 N MINNESOTA 3 2 2496 $269,000

12665719 4115 N MASSACHU-

SETTS AVE 3 2 2352 $275,000

11544534 9660 N Central ST 6 3 3228 $279,900

12527493 647 N TOMAHAWK

ISLAND DR 2 1.1 1816 $295,000

12163784 6807 N AMHERST 3 1 1980 $299,950

11327665 3536 N FARRAGUT 4 1 2388 $309,900

11134385 7632 N WABASH 3 2 1824 $314,900

11005777 7301 N LANCASTER 3 2.1 2145 $319,950

11407508 6725 N ATLANTIC 3 2 2479 $349,000

11437431 6916 N MCKENNA 4 3.1 2350 $350,000

12386320 6813 N MISSISSIPPI 4 2 3127 $369,900

11361186 1550 N SUMNER ST 4 2.1 2420 $399,000

11183817 3748 N MISSOURI 3 2.1 2193 $409,900

11465355 7219 N FOSS AVE 3 4 3691 $425,000

12068956 2107 N VANCOUVER 3 2.2 5070 $449,900

11542532 2446 N Humboldt ST 4 3 2917 $524,900

Hacienda CDC - The ABCs of Homebuying

Hacienda CDC - The ABCs of Homebuying in English & Spanish. The purpose of this course is to educate

first-time homebuyers in all aspects of the home buying process and homeownership responsibilities. The

course is designed to assist all participants in making sound decisions when purchasing a home and

understanding the resources available to them. Pre-registration is required.

Website: www.haciendacdc.org/programs/homeownership/home-buying

Date: Two-part class: 1/10/2012 & 1/17/2012 | Instructor: Homeownership Staff | Time: 6-9 pm

Fee: None | Sponsored by: Hacienda CDC | 5136 NE 42nd Ave Portland , 97218 | P: 503-961-6406

South East Homes ML# Address Bdr Bth SF Price Is there really a difference between cheap

furniture and expensive furniture? Aren't I

just paying for the name?

This question seems to come up a lot and it always puzzles

me. I guess I just expect people to know the difference

between buying quality items versus cheap items. No, a $400

mass produced, non-warranty sofa will not last as long as a

made to order, quality wood frame, lifetime warranty sofa.

Up to a certain price point, you are paying for better quality

and craftsmanship. Not that opting for the less costly version

is wrong. You just need to think about some key points

before making your decision, so you aren't disappointed in

the long run.

1. How long are you expecting this piece to last?

There is a reason younger people go for Ikea and discount

shops. They are looking for items that will work for the time

being until they have the cash to invest on something that

will be with them for years. First apartment and newly

married furniture isn't the same quality as higher end pieces.

Now, if you're one of those people who bores easily and

seems to constantly be changing your home design, you

wouldn't want to be blowing a bunch of cash on new

furniture once every couple of years. However, if you're

looking for an item to grow with you and possibly pass down

through the family, particle board and laminate probably

aren't what you're looking for.

2. Do you have pets and/or kids?

Obviously, kids and pets mean more spills, dirt, destruction,

etc. Be aware of the type and quality of materials that are

used. In general, cheaper furniture will be made with

cheaper materials. There are pros for both sides of this one.

Cheaper furniture won't last as long but you also won't be

out a ton of money if something does get ruined.

3. Is being "Green" or purchasing products made in

the USA important to you?

There are always exceptions to the rule, but for the most

part, the really low priced items are manufactured outside of

the US and aren't produced with sustainable materials. If you

would like to find out more about sustainable options,

Sustainable Furnishings Council is a great resource.

My philosophy is... If the price seems to good to be true,

don't buy it. If you don't love the piece, don't buy it. If you

feel like you're settling, don't buy it. Regardless of cost, you

should always be happy with your purchase.

Lora Coburn

CoCo Designs

Jan Page 10

Via: wilton.com Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila – you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.

5 of the 25 clever ideas to make life easier

Via: jengrantmorris.blogspot.com Brilliant space-saver: install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles. Genius!

Via: apartmenttherapy.com Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

Via: unplggd.com Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40 (also works on walls).

Via: realsimple.com Attach a velcro strip to the wall

to store soft toys..

Want the rest of these clever ideas?? Go to

www.thedailybuzz.com or you’ll have to wait for next 5 in Feb’s edition of All Things

Real Estate!

12073453 15336 SE DIVISION 1 1 504 $49,990

11287005 7405 SE 83RD AVE 2 1 728 $64,500

11323499 6324 SE 84TH AVE 3 1 884 $65,000

11147519 10611 SE CORA ST 3 1 960 $80,000

12219469 10107 SE HAROLD 2 1 1436 $89,900

12175676 3404 SE 116TH AVE 2 1 900 $97,200

11071219 12110 SE BOISE ST 3 1 1006 $109,000

11514033 2421 SE 116TH AVE 3 2 1115 $110,000

11647517 2539 SE 107TH AVE 3 2 1676 $112,900

12525775 6135 SE MALDEN 3 1 888 $115,000

12352304 16322 SE MILL ST 3 2 1348 $117,900

12182290 12829 SE MAIN ST 3 2.1 1267 $126,500

11131332 6810 SE 67TH AVE 3 1 1088 $126,900

12524634 6916 SE BOISE ST 4 2 1719 $129,000

12467395 16814 SE RHINE ST 3 1 1152 $130,000

11232643 2837 SE 170TH AVE 3 2 1228 $132,100

11378311 3905 SE 80TH AVE 4 2 2208 $139,000

11150313 622 SE 137TH AVE 3 1 912 $139,900

11339288 4644 SE 84TH AVE 2 1 1808 $139,900

12408820 5704 SE 84TH AVE 3 1 1758 $139,900

12131020 3710 SE 160TH AVE 4 2 2407 $140,000

11677947 8026 SE DIVISION 3 2.2 2448 $141,400

11692282 16317 SE SALMON 3 1.1 1028 $144,900

11481548 1045 SE 112TH AVE 2 1.1 1720 $145,000

11265639 2850 SE 136TH AVE 3 1 1416 $145,600

12093097 8526 SE TOLMAN 3 2.1 1251 $147,777

11152224 6103 SE MALDEN 2 1 708 $148,800

11171221 6931 SE 64TH AVE 3 1.1 1026 $149,000

11003256 7421 SE MARTINS 2 2 1368 $149,900

12585399 6537 SE FLAVEL ST 3 2 3011 $149,900

11354819 5431 SE FLAVEL ST 2 1.1 1450 $150,000

12443278 18457 SE

STEPHENS CIR 2 2 1412 $152,950

12319253 2236 SE 158TH AVE 3 2.1 1394 $154,000

12365763 18527 SE

STEPHENS CIR 5 3 1760 $154,400

12384314 17024 SE ALDER ST 3 2 1462 $154,999

11112978 11753 SE BOISE ST 3 2 1233 $158,888

11466077 11919 SE

RAYMOND ST 3 1 1608 $161,000

12321712 11022 SE CLINTON 3 4 1860 $161,200

12652632 10718 SE HOLGATE 3 2 1382 $169,800

12584853 7428 SE 66TH AVE 2 1 1880 $169,900

11598087 15020 SE BUSH ST 3 2 1343 $179,900

12006535 11601 SE FLAVEL ST 3 2 1794 $189,900

12559394 16024 SE FLAVEL DR 3 2 1812 $189,900

11217083 6718 SE RHONE ST 3 2.1 1338 $197,600

12102199 14124 SE MILL ST 3 2 2200 $198,900

11191842 12470 SE CENTER 4 2.1 1584 $199,900

12052000 5922 SE HOLGATE

BLVD 2 1.1 2448 $204,990

12139195 3921 SE 30TH AVE 2 2 1544 $206,500

11382148 4022 SE 125th PL 3 3 1639 $206,900

11218259 12466 SE Center ST 5 2.1 1793 $209,900

11246906 3646 SE FRANCIS 2 1 1448 $214,900

11620972 6531 SE 57TH PL 3 2.1 1816 $219,900

12353602 9610 SE LINCOLN 3 1 1893 $224,000

11643849 4617 SE 33RD AVE 2 1 950 $224,950

12036013 7222 SE HOLGATE

BLVD 3 2.1 1486 $225,000

12371766 7050 SE HARNEY 4 2.1 1915 $229,900

12444828 20 SE 154TH AVE 3 2 1533 $229,900

12466510 5130 SE

GLADSTONE ST 2 2 1900 $229,900

12589115 4425 SE 125TH AVE 4 2 1548 $229,950

12684265 4212 SE COOPER 2 1 1544 $235,000

11199019 9905 SE Liebe CT 3 2 1878 $235,900

11629678 4415 SE 26TH AVE 1 2 1376 $239,900

12574829 9900 SE LIEBE CT 4 3 1938 $239,900

12633849 3663 SE 38TH AVE 2 1 1649 $249,900

12361545 6320 SE GRANT ST 3 1.1 1174 $257,900

12400595 121 SE 136TH AVE 4 3 2307 $259,500

12528167 18024 SE MARIE ST 4 2 2200 $269,900

11382299 1625 SE BELMONT 3 1.1 2307 $295,000

12463505 3125 SE 52ND AVE 4 2 2125 $298,000

12193401 2025 SE 117TH AVE 3 3 3042 $299,000

11470419 1907 SE REEDWAY 3 2 1470 $309,900

11054671 13842 SE TENINO 4 3 3060 $319,900

11113251 3834 SE CRYSTAL

SPRINGS BLVD 3 2 1438 $325,000

11226283 5005 SE LINCOLN 3 3 1792 $345,000

12566057 6513 SE IVON ST 2 3 3430 $348,400

11678689 523 SE 53RD AVE 3 2 2834 $359,900

11525679 7707 SE 18TH AVE 3 2 2676 $390,000

11306327 1545 SE 31ST AVE 4 1 2610 $399,900

12154957 3011 SE TIBBETTS 4 2 2513 $439,000

12540673 126 SE 52ND AVE 4 2 2784 $450,000

12142986 6430 SE ASH ST 4 3 3192 $519,000

11029871 364 SE GILHAM AVE 4 3 1000 $529,000

11027150 1626 SE 35TH AVE 4 2.1 2724 $624,900

12111921 2103 SE LINCOLN 4 1 2360 $624,999

12203370 5122 SE JENNE RD 5 4 4135 $849,900

11398802 1151 SE 72ND AVE 3 2 2916 $895,000

Design Junkie

Jan Page 11

By Betty Benson,

Rubbish Works of Portland

Ready, Set… GO! (Get Organized)

Out with the old, in with the new!

One of the most common New Year's

resolutions is 'Get Organized!' So

common, in fact, that the National

Association of Professional Organizers

(NAPO) declares January as Get Organized Month. But for

most people, clearing away clutter or becoming more

organized remains an ongoing goal throughout the year. For

those preparing to relocate, it takes on a whole new level of

importance.

The purpose of today’s article is to offer some tips and tools

for starting the year off right… whether you are preparing

for a move, or just getting organized.

The big picture can be overwhelming, therefore; it’s

important to look at each space as its own project and to take

the step-by-step approach. I liken it to eating an elephant…

one bite at a time. Once you’ve decided which room to tack-

le first, try these simple and effective steps for turning the

chaos into order:

Make a plan. Take a few moments to write down or

map out your vision for the room, allocating plenty of time

to complete your project. After all, you didn’t accumulate it

overnight. Ask, ―What is the purpose of the room (office,

bedroom, den)?‖ How do you envision the room looking –

and how is your vision different from what it looks like

now? What do you want to see first as you walk into the

room? How do you want to feel when you’re in the room?

Sort, Pack and Purge. As you prepare to purge

your excess, sort the unwanted items into four categories:

a. Keep: This pile is all of the things that will go back

into your living space during the re-organization

b. Store: This pile is for items that may still have value to

you but are not currently serving a purpose. Put these

items aside (with other like items) to be stored. If you

are preparing for a move, the boxes containing these

items should be clearly marked for storage.

c. Donate or Repurpose: This pile is where you can put

items that are no longer needed or wanted, but could be

used and enjoyed by someone else.

d. Discard: This pile is for items that no longer have any

practical value or use to anyone.

When you’re done sorting, immediately remove the Donate

and Discard items to free up your space and give yourself

working room; reducing the temptation to store them and

deal with it another day. Move the storable items to their

proper storage area.

And, as always, if you are looking for some hands-on help to

move out the old and make room for the new, Rubbish

Works can help! Give us a call at (503) 928-6894 or visit our

website www.rubbishworks.com/portland to learn more

about our unique services.

Re-organize the space based upon

your plan. With the items you decided to keep, you’re

ready to transition to a new space or freshen up your current

space. I call this part of the process, purposeful rearranging.

By default, things end up in the craziest places when life gets

busy, so before you just reload your dressers, closets,

cupboards and drawers, ask yourself whether or not each

item is helping realize your vision, or if it may be more

useful in a different location.

Take your time -- be brave and creative!

When you’re finished, step back and take in each room,

enjoying the delightful feeling that surrounds you in your

new space. Welcome Home!

Winter. The word conjures different images: ski slopes,

children on sleds, the warm glow of fireplaces… and some-

times neighborhoods darkened by power outages and utility

crews working fiercely against the forces of Mother Nature.

That work, however, is preceded by plenty of effort to

prevent outages, to prepare to react, to forecast the arrivals

of storms and to limit the severity of any resulting outages.

Consulting with meteorologists and other reliable weather

watchers is standard procedure for Pacific Power on a

seasonal and – especially during the winter – a daily basis.

―La Niña conditions have returned just in time for the

upcoming winter storm season,‖ reported Debbie Guerra,

Pacific Power dispatch and emergency management director.

―Our region will probably see conditions similar to last year

– higher-than-normal precipitation and snowpack and

normal or slightly-below-normal temperatures.‖

Preparation begins long before winter hits the

Northwest:

Snowcats and other winter equipment are tuned up

and ready to go.

Transmission lines are patrolled by air.

Managers at all levels review outage response

plans, systems and procedures.

Emergency action center members complete yearly

training and work through checklists.

Customer Services notifies customers to be

prepared for potential interruptions and provides

steps to take to minimize the impacts.

Pacific Power’s storm plans include appointments of specific

employees for emergency situations.

―Many times people take on different roles and responsibili-

ties,‖ Guerra explained. ―For instance, we may have a

foreman, serviceman or troubleshooter work as a circuit

captain until all service on that circuit is restored, or we’ll

assign estimators or others to do triage-type assessments of

situations to help schedule crew assignments.

―It is critical that we have good damage assessments and

respond quickly to wire-down situations, so we know the

extent of the damage and can formulate a plan to restore

service as safely and quickly as possible,‖ she added.

When needed, the company calls in contract tree crews or

line crews from other areas to support restoration efforts.

―During regular business, safety coordinators make crew

visits,‖ Guerra said. ―During inclement weather, they’re

onsite with the crews to help keep the focus on safety.‖

―Customers expect us to plan and minimize electrical

interruptions due to weather events,‖ Guerra added. ―So we

work hard to prepare for Mother Nature’s impacts.‖

How you can prepare It’s a good idea also to prepare your business to minimize

disruption in the event of an outage.

Develop a plan outlining tasks and responsibilities

for your employees so they know how to respond

during an outage. As part of your plan, mark the

location of your electrical supply panels and note

how to turn off power, label equipment power

switches to find them more easily and identify

outage procedures for all critical equipment.

Compile a list of emergency telephone numbers.

Identify your needs for back-up electrical genera-

tion. Your business might benefit if the financial

impact of losing power to critical functions and

equipment is significantly greater than the expense

of buying and installing a back-up power system.

Prepare an emergency kit, including flashlights

with extra batteries, battery-operated alarm clock,

manual can opener, battery-powered radio, and

bottled water and store it in an easy-to-find

location.

Keep emergency lighting in good working order.

Keeping Your Power Flowing Through the Winter

20 Solar Energy Facts and Figures

1. Solar panel technology emerged in the 1800's.

2. The first "true" solar panels were created in the 1950s.

3. Solar cell's efficiency may be as little as 4% (organic cells) or as much

as 40% (experimental multiple-junction solar cells). The higher the effi-

ciency of the material, the more expensive it will be to manufacture it.

4. One 100W light bulb that's constantly on, costs around $100 per year.

5. One photovoltaic roof shingle can produce as much as 15W of

electricity. Several solar roof shingles could run one 100W light bulb

that's constantly on.

6. A solar cell with 10 percent efficiency output and a 100 sq centime-

ters (15.5 sq inch) surface can produce about 1W of power.

7. An average household uses about 9,000kWh of energy annually.

8. A 350 Sq foot panel that produces 15W of power per Sq foot would

produce a total of about 9,000kWh of energy yearly, which could

power an average household with all the energy that it needs.

9. An average homeowner that uses electricity from their utility grid

could spend $50,000 in the next 25 years on their electric bills.

10. Tax incentives for buying solar can be as high as 30% of the

purchased solar powered system's cost.

11. In the US, tax incentives can result in shortening the time for the

panels to pay back for themselves down to as little as 6-8 years.

12. You can get solar panels for free from homeowners or businesses

upgrading their systems.

13. Solar panels typically have a 20-25 year warranty and 40 year

lifetime expectancy.

14. In order to achieve the most out of solar panels, they have to be

facing south and be installed at 20-50 degree angles.

15. You can wire solar cells to increase the Voltage of the system (series

wiring), to increase the Current of the system (parallel wiring), or to

increase both, Voltage and Current (series/parallel wiring).

16. Solar powered systems with a battery can provide a homeowner

with electricity even during the time of local power outages.

17. You do not have to connect a home in the woods to a power grid, if

you provide it with a powerful enough solar power generator.

18. Solar energy is very safe for the environment, since it produces

negligibly small amounts of elements, and only during the process of

manufacturing the solar materials.

19. In the future, we may see cars and houses painted with a

translucent solar paint to generate energy.

20. Solar energy won't run out until the sun ceases to shine, which is

estimated to happen in about 5 billion years from now.

As you can see, there are numerous good solar energy facts. It's also a

fact that the whole world is anticipating further drops in the price of

solar material, so that everyone will be able to enjoy all of the solar

power benefits at a reasonable cost. www.articlesfactory.com

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Increase your chances of buying a

home for a steal by avoiding these

errors.

For some home sellers, it's been a long year

without a home sale. That means some buyers,

smelling the desperation, may be able to cut a

better deal.

Sellers who have had their homes on the market a

long time are eager to move on, especially at this

time of year, says Bill Golden, a real-estate agent

with Re/Max in Atlanta. The closer it gets to the

holidays, the more anxious unsuccessful sellers

can become, he says.

Other sellers will choose to let their listings expire

and try again next year. They, too, may be willing

to make a deal in order to sell their properties,

even if they're no longer actively trying to sell,

says Patrick Carlisle, chief market analyst for

Paragon Real Estate Group in San Francisco.

The key to making an aggressive lowball offer on a

home is to start by finding properties that have

languished on the market for a long time. The

softer the market, the more likely the strategy will

work, Carlisle says.

But buyers can get tripped up. Here are six

mistakes people commonly make when making a

lowball offer.

Not understanding the market Before submitting an offer, your real-estate agent

should do a full comparative market analysis of

the property to determine what its fair market

value is, Carlisle says.

For instance, it's still a buyers market in the

Richmond, Va., area, where Susan Stynes works as

a real-estate agent for Long & Foster. Stynes says

she wouldn't hesitate to encourage a client to

make an aggressive offer, after considering the

time the property has been on the market and

neighborhood comparables.

But in other markets, a low offer won't get you

far, says Stephen G. Kliegerman, president of

Halstead Property Development Marketing in

New York. "In general, sellers today in Manhattan

see that inventories are down, interest rates are

historically low, and there is a pretty large

appetite for purchase right now because of those

factors. Sellers will hold closer to their asking

prices," he says.

Not picking the right real-estate agent Some real-estate agents caution buyers against

making an offer that is so low it could offend the

seller and halt negotiations. But sometimes agents

are too reluctant to make aggressive offers,

Carlisle says. They may be more focused on

completing a deal and collecting their commis-

sion, rather than making the best deal, or their

negotiation skills might not be up to par.

"If it's an appealing, well-priced property that has

five or six offers on it, well, going in 10% or 20%

under asking isn't going to get you anywhere," he

says. But on a property that has been overlooked

by the market and doesn't have multiple bidders,

it often doesn't hurt to go in low.

Not backing up your price There's an art to presenting an offer that's

substantially less than the asking price. A low

offer could start negotiations off on the wrong

foot if you're not careful, Golden says. The key is

for you or your agent to explain the offer when

presented.

"Sellers want to know why you're coming in so

low. Include recent (comparable sales in the area)

or issues with the property that validate why your

offer is so low," he says. Don't be too harsh with

your criticism, however — that can also work

against you.

Not knowing what you're willing to pay Buyers these days have a strong motivation to get

the best possible price on a property, especially if

they believe that home values will fall even more,

says Jay Butler, professor emeritus of real estate at

the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona

State University. Their biggest worry is often that

people will say they overpaid, he says.

But sellers have limits, too, most often dictated by

the amount of home equity they have, Butler says.

Before negotiations begin, it's important for a

buyer to decide what his walk-away price is,

Carlisle says. "At some price point, the deal is no

longer worth doing, no matter how great the

property."

While a buyer should know how high she is

willing to go, don't put limits in the first offer,

Kliegerman says. You lose integrity if you say it's

your "best and final" offer, but then are willing to

come up with a few thousand dollars more in

order to buy the property.

Not making a clean and easy offer When you make a low bid, you want other

elements of the offer to be attractive to the seller.

And a deal that can close quickly will often have

appeal.

Make sure there are as few contingencies as

possible, Golden says. It's best if buyers don't have

a home to sell in order to buy the one they're

bidding on, Stynes says.

Also, have your financials in order from the start.

Loan qualification is more difficult these days, so

it's important to have a lender preapproval letter,

Carlisle says.

Assuming cash will always get you the

best deal Cash is king, but in the end, a seller often wants

the most money for his home — regardless of

whether the buyer needs a mortgage or not. So

don't think making an all-cash bid will automati-

cally mean an accepted offer.

www.realestate.msn.com

6 mistakes homebuyers make with lowball offers

Jan Page 12