Last year the Oregon Legislature passed a measure allowing first-time homebuyers (or anyone who has not owned or bought a residence in the last 3 years) to set up a savings account that is free of State Income taxes if it is for the purpose of buying a home. Although this sounds like a great idea on paper, once again, our Realtor Association spent $750K lobbying for a law that will mostly help upper-middle-class Oregonians and will probably not substantially increase home ownership (particularly among the populations that are falling behind).
Considering that most folks who can't afford to buy homes are struggling with crippling college debt, rapidly increasing rent prices and out of control health care expenses, allowing folks to open a savings account with money that they don't have to pay State incomes taxes on is probably not going to help the typical renter struggling to get by make the leap to homeownership. One of the things that this Federal Government shutdown has shown us is how many people are living paycheck to paycheck. They don't have enough savings to weather one month without a paycheck, let alone take on the financial commitment of buying a home. This is becoming the norm, and so measures like this end up helping those that already have the ability to save and may even be receiving money from relatives.
That being said, the second reason most folks will not take advantage of this program is that it is not well known. Folks who have accountants and financial advisors will hear about this and take advantage of it, but everyday Oregonians may not know it exists. So for those of you who have not heard about it, and may be able to benefit from it (or know family members who may be able to), here is a link to the FAQs on the program. As always, give me a call if you have any questions about how to make your first home buying experience the best it can be!
Homebuying Resolutions /
Are you or someone you know planning on realizing your goal to buy a home in 2019? We've got an incredible resource for you.
Guild Mortgage has created a website that walks you through the less discussed aspects of purchasing a home (hint: less wainscotting, more interest rates). This is a treasure trove of information for anyone trying to understand their readiness for the financial commitment of home ownership!
Exploring the Woodlawn Neighborhood /
In the early 1860’s, settlers arrived in the area we now call Woodlawn. It developed into a small, rural farming community on the outskirts of unincorporated Albina. In the 1880s the railroad decided to build a train station in Woodlawn on it’s route from Portland to Vancouver and this brought commercial interests to the area. Woodlawn was annexed to Portland (as part of Albina) in the early 1890s.
At the turn of the century, the neighborhood immediately west of Woodlawn, Piedmont, distinguished itself as a strictly residential area. This pushed commercial interests into surrounding neighborhoods, including Woodlawn. Wander the neighborhood and you will find evidence of the long history in the varied architecture; it ranges from Queen Anne’s to craftsman bungalows, smaller homes, many of which were built in the 40s and 50s to house working class residents, ranch-style, and modern condos.
Long-time Woodlawn resident, Anjala Ehelebe, has written a rich history of the neighborhood. Her book ‘Portland’s Woodlawn Neighborhood’ is definitely worth a read, especially if you’re considering making Woodlawn your new home!
AMMENITIES
Woodlawn is close to I-5 and has Highway 30, a quick route to I-205, along it’s northern edge. There are two elementary schools in the area, Woodlawn Elementary and Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary. The nearest middle school is Ockley Green Middle School in Arbor Lodge. Jefferson High School is the closest high school, located in the Piedmont neighborhood.
Woodlawn Park is a wonderful neighborhood resource and gathering spot with abundant picnic areas, soccer, baseball and softball fields, basketball courts, a stage, and a playground area. Surrounded by large trees, this park is also a great spot for walking and it is right in the middle of the neighborhood.
CULTURE
Woodlawn is a tidy neighborhood with a bustling business district directly at its center. The seasonal farmers’ market (May-October) is held here too. You can eat and drink well without walking far in Woodlawn because most businesses hover around Dekum just off the SE corner of Woodlawn Park. Firehouse restaurant was one of the earliest gathering places to open (2008) in this most recent wave of commercial development. The restaurant is in the historic fire station and serves wood fired pizzas and other new American fare.
Directly across the street is a fantastic trifecta of businesses: Woodlawn Coffee & Pastry, Good Neighbor Pizza, and Breakside Brewing’s original location. That’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner all in one neat row! Just down the street is a one-of-a-kind business in Portland called the Oregon Public Ale House, it’s a non-profit pub that donates all proceeds (after operating expenses and contingency savings) to their select charity partners. When you order, you get to select which organization your proceeds will support.
Back towards the park is Grand Army Tavern, one of the new additions to the neighborhood. This is a great place to stop in for a cocktail and farm-to-table bites. If you venture to the east side of the park (a whopping .3 mile walk) you will be richly rewarded at Ps & Qs Market where you’ll find down-home cooking and can pick up small necessities or indulgences on your way home.
Charity Spotlight /
Oregon Environmental Council
Membership-based, nonpartisan and nonprofit, the OEC brings Oregonians together to protect water, air, and land.
They fight for equitable environmental policies & practices to ensure that every Oregonian gets a fair shot at acting on their environmental values, being part of decisions that affect them and living in a healthy environment.
Our City & Climate Change /
Even if you've missed the most recent National Climate Assessment, it has been nearly impossible to ignore the urgency to address climate change. It is having a direct impact on the way we conduct our Real Estate business as well.
Climate change has lead to us adopt new areas of due diligence in regard to issues of flooding and fire protection areas and dig deeper on issues of energy efficiency and the carbon footprint of various house construction technologies.
Our assumption at this point is the areas that are unstable, near water and/or subject to wildfire will be affected more by climate change as time goes on. One of the resources we use repeatedly to check for flood zones, liquefaction areas, unstable slopes, and fire hazard zones is Portland Maps. If you type in your address and then click on “public safety” and scroll down, you will see the hazard zone map links.
For energy efficiency stats, we have a new tool at our fingertips: the Home Energy Score. This assessment has been required for any homes listed for sale as of 1/1/2018. After almost a year of observing the program, I think it is flawed but helpful. It is flawed because it is based on a US Department of Energy home energy scoring system, which does not account very well for our local inventory and construction styles. But overall, the fears that these evaluations would be expensive and delay listings have not come to fruition, and it does give consumers objective information on the relative cost of utilities for individual homes.
One of the bright spots in our region is that Portland residents made a bold move by passing Measure 26-201 this last November, which creates a fund to train low income and people of color to work in the field of clean energy and upgrade the energy efficiency of residences for low-income folks and expand local food production. This measure not only recognizes that people at the margins of the economy are often the most vulnerable to climate change, but that they have also been excluded from this emerging sector. Click here for a video on the measure.
For more information on a statewide effort to bring clean energy jobs to Oregon, reduce pollution and protect our natural resources, check out Clean Energy Jobs and consider “signing on” to their work. Together, we can make a difference!
Exploring the Linnton Neighborhood /
For those with civic pride and community spirit, who want a respite from the bustle of city life, Linnton Neighborhood is just the spot. Surrounded by Forest Park and nestled along the Willamette River, Linnton is a bit more isolated than most Portland neighborhoods, but the hard workers and artists who reside here have a strong attachment to the rustic place they call home.
When the city lights do call, however, they can head five miles southeast to downtown Portland, and when its time for some more bucolic pleasantries, they can find Sauvie Island another three miles to the northwest. Linnton Neighborhood is set along NW St. Helens Road (US Route 30), which runs near the river, and is just a hop over the St. Johns bridge to Cathedral Park and the St. Johns neighborhood.
The Town of Linnton was platted in 1843 and from 1889-1975, it actually had its own post office. When Linnton was annexed by Portland in 1915, it had served five years as a company town for the Clark-Wilson and West Oregon lumber mills and the Columbia Engineering Works shipyard.
Today there is still a significant industrial section along the waterfront, and St. Helens Road acts as both a major throughway for traffic passing through town and the main commercial strip for local residents. In order to take back the road as their own and calm things down a bit, Linnton residents found funding in 2000 to construct brick medians planted with trees, designed to slow commuters. Similarly, local resident and artist Ivan McLean constructed decorative “Linnton” signs for use at bus stops and along the roads, as well as fish-backed benches and bus shelter icons, all of which add flavor and charm to an otherwise dull highway.
The real soul of the Linnton neighborhood can be found at the Linnton Community Center, which offers support to the community in a variety of ways, including Spanish exposure pre-school, Linnton Hungry Families, after school and breakfast club programs for kids, and summer camp. The kind of community building found there is what makes people stay in this secluded yet passionate part of town. Linnton's proximity to Forest Park is also a great asset; the 4800-acre park offers miles of beautiful hiking trails and a welcome escape into nature. And due to building on hills facing east, the Cascades are always there for someone craving a mountain view.
Explore Linnton Neighborhood with its historical mills and shipyards, and discover its independent and friendly spirit.
LINNTON AT A GLANCE
Linnton Neighborhood Association
Elementary Schools: Skyline Elementary, Opal Charter School, Emerson School
Middle Schools: Skyline Elementary, Metropolitan Learning Center, Da Vinci Middle School
High Schools: Lincoln High School, Metropolitan Learning Center, Benson Polytechnic High School