Portland Oregon Real Estate Broker * Jennifer Bukaty *

It’s just another rainy day. Not even fish rain, but you might think so with all the umbrellas clouding up the sky. Tourists on their maiden voyage. They flare up like neon in the Oregon rain. We love them. We really do. And they were everywhere this morning with their umbrellas sailing high along the footpaths and hiking trails at Multnomah Falls.

But it didn’t start out that way. I awoke to the drumming pelt of rain at an unreasonable hour and felt such a ridiculously strong pull to hike up the Wahkeena trail that it seemed to me as if gravity was playing an ornery little trick. I set out with a solitary vision of me and the trees and the pungent smell of the mossy spray. At first it seemed as if I’d have my perfect morning.

I tucked my hat into the crook of a tree to retrieve on my way back down, knowing it would be safe and waiting for me. How lovely it was with no people in sight and only the soft Oregon rain for company.

My boots got wet and before long, my pants were soaked through. It was glorious. Exhilarating. And suddenly, … crowded. Umbrellas sprouting everywhere like gardenias at moonrise. All these visitors who don’t understand the old cliché, When In Rome.

Lose the umbrella people. We don’t use them – we don’t need them.

After spending the past several weeks working with buyers who plan to relocate here, it occured to me that they, too, need to lose their umbrellas. Things are different here in Oregon. While sales have slowed a bit, overall, purchasing real estate here is still an excellent investment. That’s a fact worth staking your bank balance upon. And yet, my buyers have all expressed one reservation after another about the unlikely prospect of getting wet in this market. Each has found the perfect home and yet instead of throwing off their galoshes, they’ve gone inside to wait out the storm.

Well here’s a friendly little weather report for those looking to relocate to my beautiful Pdx: It’s just a little drizzle.

Real estate is not a short-term investment. Now IS the perfect time to buy. Don’t let a little precipitation cause you to throw up an umbrella that will only obscure your long-range view. After all, real estate is a big picture investment. When you find your perfect home – buy it. You won’t regret it.

It’s always possible to go back and reconsider the path not taken. But what you might find is a lost opportunity. So when you come to Oregon, leave your umbrella behind.... come play in the rain.

If you’re considering relocating to our beautiful Pdx, I’ll be happy to provide you with all of your real estate and relocation needs to support you and your family with your transition into Portland.

Jennifer Bukaty

RE/MAX equity group, inc.

Portland, Oregon 97202

503.495.4824

JennifersPdxHomes.com

It's no big secret that I’m sweet on babies. It’s pretty much all I dream about lately… to have my own little "Baby J". Girl or boy, it doesn’t really matter. And no, I’m not making any big announcements. Just yet. But if I were, I couldn’t be in a better place to give birth.

• Portland has a very low rate of maternal and infant mortality, according to the CDC;
• We have 116 midwives per 1,000 births - the national average is 37 midwives per 1,000 births;
• 14.3% of Portland deliveries have a midwife in attendance;
• Portland boasts one doula for every 146 live births – the national average is one per 649 live births;
• Portland is home to a large number of high risk pediatricians – 69% more than average per capita.
• Women are free to breast feed in all public places - and we do! Thanks to Oregon’s progressive laws on nursing, 88% of Portland babies are breast fed, and for a longer period of time, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Portland has more retailers of organic foods and vitamins than most places, supporting good health and nutrition for both women and our chiildren.

If you’re thinking of starting a family, P-town is the ideal place for making your baby dreams come true. A place where pregnancy is an enchanting experience, viewed as a natural and beautiful life event. Where birthing and early childhood resources are abundant, and like-minded Moms and Dads-to-be are plentiful. Whether you elect to have your baby at home, in a birthing center, or in a hospital birthing unit, you’ll find support and expertise that surpasses all other cities.

Now that my adorable little boy isn’t so little anymore, I find myself longing for another tiny sweet pea. And if there's one thing I do know for sure, it's that once pregnant, we have an unbreakable appointment to meet a stranger. So while I don’t know exactly when that appointment will be … I do know where. Because as it happens, I’m already in the perfect place.


Portland IS the place. If you’re considering relocating to our beautiful Pdx, I’ll be happy to provide you with all of your real estate and relocation needs to support you and your family with your transition into Portland.

JennifersPdxHomes.com

* Credit to FitPregnancy Magazine for the above statistics on pregnancy and childbirth in Portland Oregon.

My little guy once upon a time.....

We're different and we know it. You won’t find us running with the pack or playing by the rules.

They may call us ‘scenesters’, but that’s just not who we are. Flying below the radar smacks of our autonomous Pdx spirit, so is it any wonder that the current state of our local real estate market is still such a secret? While much of the nation is experiencing a slow down in the housing market, our town is still thriving! We’re a sparkling example of an independent community with priorities that define us as caring, supportive and locally involved. And it’s paying huge dividends….

~ We’ve seen an 8.9% gain in the median sale price for the second quarter of 2007 as compared to the same period in 2006, far outdistancing the national average of just 1.8%. Who else can say that?

~ Industry experts say that steady job growth, a inflow of newcomers, and fewer sub-prime mortgages made to high-risk buyers have helped bolster our home values and have led to a delinquency rate of only half the national average.

~ Growth constraints in our Oregon land use planning system is one of the reasons we're faring so much better. Our thoughtful perspective on development has impeded the unchecked over-building so prevalent in other housing markets. We protect our exquisite surroundings.

~ We have a nearly balanced buyer and seller market as defined by the national industry standards (NAR) with a 5+ month supply of inventory. We have something for everyone.


This really is the perfect time to buy…

If you’re even considering making a home purchase, you have an abundance of properties to choose from with interest rates that are very affordable. If you have good credit, cash reserves and a plan to hold on to your property for a few years - and why not? You love it here, right?
- then you should be taking advantage right now while the market is still hot.
Portland real estate is an excellent investment!

Sellers... You still have an advantage…

If you've built equity in your home and if you price your property realistically, you can take advantage of our recent 12-day decrease in average days on market. The imports love our low-key, open-minded attitude, and they’re pouncing on our properties. This is an excellent time to sell!

Resources: PSU Center for Real Estate, RMLS and Oregonian

Almost sunset. I walk a little faster, hoping to secure a sweet little spot on the hillside where I’ll spread my blanket and settle in before the annual show begins. Heads are turning in every direction, searching for the first sign. But there is nothing yet. I lay back, staring into the silken blue nothingness that hovers high above me. Soft voices emanate from all sides, the social web of Portlanders making random connections across the schoolyard in that certain way we do. Mount St. Helens slowly melts away as the last light of day disconnects it from the sky marquee. Backlit now, the soft hues of a late summer sky frame the giant smokestack that is the focus of our collective attention.

A sudden hush falls over the crowd camped out here on the lawn at Chapman School in Northwest Portland. First one, then five, now a dozen Vaux’s swifts alight from nowhere and circle the chimney from a safe distance. I think of tiny black A-6’s on a reconnaissance flight, but then hundreds more circle in, diving and swirling in elaborate formation. It is extraordinary.

I stand in awe and slowly raise my arms without even being aware. I lift them higher still, as though my subconscious mind expects to lift off into the sky, light as air, like a paper ornament. I am transfixed. Diving in perilous beauty, thousands and thousands of little birds engage in an elegant waltz across the darkening sky. Each swift eventually disappearing into their cavernous roost on this cool September night.

There is no larger congregation of Vaux’s swifts anywhere in the world. Thirty-five thousand birds flock to this single boiler chimney for a couple of weeks every year before returning to Central America for the autumn migration. An artful biological spectacle I dare not miss. And just like the little birds, I return here too. And each year it seems I have never seen anything quite so beautiful.

VIDEO: Birds in Motion at Chapman School

I was organizing some old family photographs the other day when I discovered something curious. While drifting back in time, I became conscious of a repeating image lurking behind the smiling faces of my tiny Mother and tinier aunts and uncles. There, in nearly every photograph, stood my architectural heritage. Silent and strong, the humble bungalow graced the backdrop of every generation of our family over the past century. It’s no accident then that I’m crazy about beautiful old houses. You might say I’m under a spell of sorts.

Enter the bungalow. Humble, yet poised, the bungalow debuted on the American architectural scene at the end of the industrial revolution at a time when Americans were falling out of love with fussy Victorians. Which is fitting given the straightforward nature of my immigrant ancestors. This new style of house enjoyed immense popularity through the late 1930’s as an affordable dwelling for families of modest means. For about $1000, the flowing floor plan paired with tasteful artistic appointments meant the typical American household could enjoy an attractive modern home of sturdy construction.

The Arts & Crafts movement came slightly later, and quickly married style to the solid structural elements fundamental to bungalow design. With a low profile and prominent horizontal accents, the bungalow sports one to one and a half stories beneath a low-pitched hip roof that spreads comfortably into a wide overhang. Beautifully exposed rafter tails, beams and brackets beneath gables, and square columns; the bungalow bestows a sense of welcome congeniality.

As tiny as a portico or as wide as the house, the front porch defies pretense by opening directly into the living room. Some regard the front porch as the true hallmark of this breed. It was certainly intended as an extension of outdoor living. And that’s exactly how I remember it. The wide, ascending brickwork alongside the front steps of my Grandmother’s house provided a miniature stage for our childhood performances. We performed flips and aerials off the edge while Grandma pieced together puzzles at her outdoor table. Neighbors wandered over after dinner to share iced tea and gossip on the front porch as we played one last game of tag in the front yard before the evening light disappeared.

The warm glow of golden oak floors and generously proportioned millwork brings quality and light to this 5-7-room abode. And somehow the modest size has never felt crowded to me. With one bedroom on the main floor, our parents and grandparents enjoyed a measure of privacy. While upstairs in our slanted bedrooms, we whispered and giggled undisturbed far into the wee hours of morning.

Spellbound, I live and love in my own bungalow thousands of miles away from those imprinted in my childhood memories. So far away, and yet these familiar bones I call home let me know at the end of each day that I am exactly where I belong.

The troubles in the housing market are worsening, they say. Global warming is accelerating, butter flavored microwave popcorn may kill me, and my favorite shade of lipstick has just been discontinued. Again.

But I won’t listen to a word of it. I have too many wonderful clients who rely on me to help them realize their dreams. And I will. This gorgeous planet is still the most dazzling point in someone’s night sky. And my lips smile warmly at the prospect of discovering an even prettier shade.

So take your bad news elsewhere because I don’t believe in you.

I believe in the power of my own determined and enthusiastic spirit. Doubt and fear have never served me – nor have I served them in return. I don’t buy into the collective belief that all is lost because someone announces it is so. My limitations will not be decided by forces external to me.

I will decide.

I decide that the market is filled with buyers and sellers who need each other – and I will be the broker to bring them together. They will choose me because I offer the positive outlook that is in such short supply in our industry.

I decide that with all this love for our enchanting Earth, we will succeed in saving it before it’s too late. I know this is true because so many have already decided to make it happen.

I decide that a trip to the mall is exactly what I need today. I work hard and often forget that I need something too.

And it’s just a good thing I don’t like microwave popcorn, because I’ve already decided what’s for dinner. And it isn’t on the menu.