Alexsandra Stewart, Broker -Portland Oregon Real Estate-

The Moreland Farmers Holiday Market was such a success last year in spite of a cold and damp day that it's back and better than ever!

The 2nd annual Holiday Market , Tues Nov 24 3-7 pm has an indoor location and promises to be an even bigger success than last year.

There will be food and gifts for your Thanksgiving Feast, and a chance to 'do good' as well. You might even be able to get a start on some Holiday gifts!

Here is some great news: Because the market is being held indoors you won't have to shop in the cold or rain!

This years location is at Fred G. Meyer Memorial Boys and Girls Club
7119 SE Milwaukie Ave (between Rural and Ogden Streets)

The market will featuer winter produce, fruits, cranberries, baked goods, cheeses, honey, nuts and specialty items,

Enter a drawing to win $100.00 gift basket from New Seasons.

You can pre-order desserts, to pick up at the Market, from Finales by calling 503-222-0547 by Nov 19th.

Savory tarts can be pre-ordered from Little Pots and Pans, by calling 503-236-8196, Tart orders must be placed by 20 November.

The Moreland Farmers Holiday Market is also bringing you an opportunity to share with others. Bring new hats, scarves, gloves, sweaters, and other warm clothing to the market, for the Boys and Girls Club Winter Clothing Drive Cash contributions are welcome also.

For more information see the Moreland Farmers Market web site.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has established a web site with some frequently asked questions about the Home Buyer Tax Credits. The site has FAQ's for both first time buyers and repeat home buyers. I thought it was a useful site and found the general information extremely interesting. Two items in particular caught my attention.

The first item said that "Repeat buyers do not have to purchase a home that is more expensive than their previous home to qualify for the credit."

Wow! Seems to me this would be great news for those homeowners who are thinking about downsizing, or relocating to a less expensive part of their region or of the country.

The second attention getter was the statement: ‘Any home that will used as a principal residence will qualify for the credit....' provided that the purchase price is less than $800,000. The item went on to say: ‘The definition of principal residence is identical to the one used to determine whether you may qualify for the $250,000 / $500,000 capital gain tax exclusion for principal residences."

Another Wow! Seems to me that this means - and I have been told - that a current home owner would not have to sell their current residence in order to take advantage of the tax credit. For some it would make sense to consider making it into a rental property, start a real estate investment plan and move into their new principal residence!

Of course there is much to consider: Tax implications for current homeowners, qualifying for the credit in the first place, credit scores, personal goals and life stages to name a few. I am not a tax expert, financial planner or mortgage expert. Each person needs to consult the appropriate expert for insight into their particular situation.

I found myself getting excited at the doors the new, current home owner credit opens. For those qualifying for the full $6500 tax credit, and who do plan to sell their current home, the credit might help soothe the feelings that lower property values have created. For buyers who bought their first homes six and seven years ago, this may be their chance to move up a little sooner than they had thought possible. And for some, those ‘starter homes', depending on variables your realtor can discuss with you, could make great rentals.

These are great options for right now! The window is short. Now through April 30 to be in a solid and binding contract is NOT a long time when you think about it all that goes into getting to that solid place.

Talk to your trusted advisors soon and take advantage of the newly opened doors!

Clip art from Public Domain Clip Art, and used with permission.

To increase consumer awareness for Seniors Real Estate Specialists® the SRES Council will be exhibiting at the AARP consumer show. This show draws up to 30,000 AARP member attendees! We will educate consumers how they can benefit by using an SRES Designee! But don't just come for the education, come for the entertainment! Some of the lineup includes:

• Faith Hill
• Gloria Estefan
• Kool & The Gang
• The Zippers
• Duke Ellington Orchestra
• Tito Puente Jr.
• Visit this site for complete line-up / schedule.
  

Also noteworthy, is that this year's identified charity for the event is: Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

Photovoltaic - Photovoltaics (or PV) is the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells for energy by converting solar energy (sunlight, including ultra violet radiation) directly into electricity.

Apparently, consumers in Oregon are buying together to increase their overall purchasing power. Buying through organizations such as congregations or whole residential neighborhoods in quantities of 25+ at a time really shaves down the out of pocket investment and makes going green much more appetizing to many Oregon consumers.

Another trend is that most of the mid to large size installations are merely hosting the systems through Purchase Power Agreements, resulting in virtually no out of pocket investment to the hosts, and reduced electricity costs (compared to local utility rates) as well...in this instance, the tax benefits would be to the owner - not the host - but overall, this is a good arrangement for everyone, especially the environment.

Prices on the systems have come down in the last year or so, about 5%, making these systems even more attractive for their owners.

Grants are now available from the federal governement to help rural ranchers and farmers to take part in this solar technology. You can get more information on that here.

Combining Solar and Thermal energy is a great way to reduce waste and to really USE what we have. Research is underway to determine the best ways to utilize the "waste" heat at the back of the PV system, possibly for space heating, hot water heat or other yet undetermined uses...the best thing about it is that they don't want their to be wasted energy.

If you are interested in utilizing Solar energy in your home and everyday life, please contact me, Alexsandra Stewart, I am an Energy Trust of Oregon Real Estate Professional trade ally. In addition, I am certified by Earth Advantage S.T.A.R. (Sustainability Training for Accredited Real Estate Professionals). I can suggest energy efficient improvements for new and existing homes and talk to you about cash-back incentives as well.

There was a surprising sight tonight in Laurelhurst Park! Hula hoopers!

The event grew gradually, from a few people to perhaps 50 by the time it was dusk.

Tricks with hoops, dancing with hoops,hoops in the air and three women in one hoop - talk about teamwork, they got it going!

We watched, and wondered who the hoopers were, and why they were at the Park with enough hoops for five times the number of people present.

As we were leaving one of our group asked. Turns out it was World Hoop Day today.

Their mission according to the World Hoop Day web site: "Since 2006, World Hoop Day has been dedicated to bringing dance, exercise and toy hoops to under-privileged children living in extreme poverty and underdeveloped neighborhoods of our world."

Some of the hoopers teach classes, organize 'hoopjams' and make hoops to sell.Two of them can be found at Hoopshine and Hooperville.

I got a tip on using a hula hoop - I've never been able to keep one going longer than two seconds! Maybe by next year I can take part in World Hoop Day and not embarass myself.