Category: General

One thing that always interested me about custom houses is the potential for them to have secret rooms, panic rooms, or underground bunkers. It isn’t that I am paranoid of ever needing to use them, it is more so that the mysterious allure of them existing is something that intrigues my inner child. Books like: The Secret Garden, Alice in Wonderland, and even Anne Frank had a hidden passageway that were either critical or whimsical. In movies they where what bridged the gap between what is real and what is fantasy: Coraline, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Sleeping Beauty.
In person I have only a few recollections of seeing thoroughly hidden secret rooms, one that was more-so just a tiny door which lead into a much larger room. And in girl scouts I had a troop mate that had a hidden reading nook in her house above her bedroom. Of course I visited the Winchester Mansion, which had secret rooms, secret stair cases, and a wild assortment of wacky architectural direction.
My friends know that I am a broker, and often times will send me links to custom houses where people have put forth the effort to make secret rooms. About nine times out of ten they are panic rooms (my friends and I are really into zombie games, so it is kind of a joke with us). But every now and then we stumble across hidden man caves. Where sports and games line the wall of a hidden room, and one entire side of the wall is a large flat-screen TV; of course designed for the discerning and incognito game enthusiast. The hidden reading nook is a popular one, where you climb a tiny staircase behind your bookshelf to a little cozy room next to a window.
In perspective you can really have a secret room for just about anything. The whole point to it being there is that is, for whatever reason, your personal little space.

So that is what I have to share with you this week. I hope you all are having some good holidays this time of year. Have fun and stay safe!

*disclamer* This photo does not belong to me.

With the cold weather out in force, and people preparing for the holidays, it would be safe to assume that the real estate market might be slow; that houses and the demand for houses decrease. However I have personally noticed that this is not the case.

I am working with about five people right now, who are all buyers. Three of which are ready to pick a house and start calling the moving company, two are just casually looking for “the house” to emerge from slumber somewhere within the Portland Metropolitan area. It is with my active buying clients that I am starting to see a trend: Every house we place a bid on has some kind of bidding war going on! Most of which have a set deadline where the listing agent will present all offers to the seller, and the seller will pick their highest and best bid to win the house.
Unfortunately, for those looking to move right now, this means that you may have to pay more for a house that needs a bit of work. Something I was telling one of my clients just last week was:
“The cost for this house is not in the quality (as it needed a new roof and some major work in the kitchen, yard, and bathrooms), but what you are paying for is the convenience of location.” (not to mention it had other bids, but we did not know this at the time)
This was kind of a jagged pill to swallow because she did not want to move so far out of town that she felt so out of reach from her friends and family, but she also did not want to spend all of her money on a house that would require more money to fix up. I don’t think anybody wants to feel left out of the goings-on when you have everybody so close into Portland.
So one of the things that I have suggested when we decide we want to enter into a bidding war for a property close to home, is write a letter. Simple and sweet. The thing about writing a small one-page note (and maybe a scanned picture) is that you are reaching out to the seller on a more human level. Selling your house can be pretty emotional, sure the highest and best bid might be the greater offer. But sometimes there are sellers that are willing to sell their home to a reasonable buyer who reminds them of themselves, or has something interesting going on in their lives (marriage, children, cool hobbies). I once had a buyer whose bid was accepted because I had mentioned that my buyer collected motorcycles! It really could take just that simple thread of showing a bit of identity with your offer that means you beat all offers out of the water.

In any case, my buyers are still surfing the market looking for the right house, as I have noticed all have multiple offers. And I’m sure if you are in the market to buy right now you may be running into the same issue. So try writing a little one page note introducing yourself and your family, and who knows. It might just evoke the holiday spirit, and you win a bidding war on the house of your dreams.

Written by: Whitney Gregoire

Here in Oregon we gear up for the persistent rainy season – which usually lasts from October until June (or perhaps it would be fitting to call our summer the one and only sunny season).
In any case, Oregon is very much known for its greenery and its rain. So how do we locals get ready for the rain?

Rain jackets and wind-breakers. Though wind-breakers are virtually fashionable sheets of waterproof rubber, these bad boys remain the mark of the state! In fact many who have lived here for generations will opt for their wind-breaker rather than an umbrella. Wind-breakers are also nice because you can wear them on the outside of your cloth warm jacket or work blazer. Get yourself a charming pair of rubber goulashes and you’re set!

Art: “Smile At The Rain” – by Beth Mendrickson Logan
(I chose to use this piece of art, which belongs to Beth Logan, because as a little girl I remember seeing it in my classroom. My teacher said: You can tell an Oregonian by how they hold their head up high in the rain.)

Hello everybody! I hope fall has been pleasant and enjoyable. We seem to be having some of this warm weather stretch out, which will hopefully mean a fun and dry Halloween!
Halloween is my favorite holiday, not only because of the candy and costumes but also because you get to walk with your family around the neighborhood and see the creative decorations that your neighbors worked tirelessly to put out.
One such addition to our spooky decorations that we may be seeing in Lake Oswego is the presence of a teal pumpkin. With food allergies becoming a growing concern the Food Allergy Research and Education has launched a project to encourage households to hand out non-food treats for the little ones. This way children with food allergies can enjoy this holiday without risk of getting sick.
There is an official pledge that I strongly suggest you visit here, though you can be an unofficial participant simply by having a teal pumpkin out and handing out toys instead of candy. When your teal pumpkin is out that will let parents know that you provide non-candy options. Though I do recommend you check out the official web site to learn a bit more before doing this.

Here are some non-candy ideas:
Spooky Halloween toys
Jelly bracelets
Spooky Halloween stationary (like pencils and erasers)
Bubbles!
Spooky Halloween jewelry
Glow sticks!

I hope everybody here in Lake Oswego has a safe and fun Halloween!

The TEAL PUMPKIN PROJECT and the Teal Pumpkin Image are trademarks of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).