Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher

Portland’s Heated Patios

January 20, 2021 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Heated patios are in high demand during these winter months as the temperature drops and our desire to dine out increases. We couldn’t possibly list all of the patios that Portland has to offer, but we did pick a few of really great local places that will keep you warm while you dine out.

Cafe Nell

1987 NW Kearney St. Portland, OR 97209
Open Mon-Fri 12:00-10:00 Sat-Sun 10:00-10:00
French-inspired American classics made with local ingredients.
Menu Here

Laurelhurst Market

3155 E Burnside, Portland OR 97214
Open 7 days a week 5:00 – 9:30
Part steakhouse- Part butcher shop
Menu Here

Gado Gado

1801 NE Cesar Chavez Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
Open Wed- Sun 5:00- 8:00
Chinese Indonesian Fair
Menu Here

Grain & Gristle

1473 NE Prescott St, Portland, OR 97211
Open Tue- Sat 1:00- 8:00
Local farm-to-table fare
Menu Here

Migration Brewing

2828 NE Glisan St, Portland OR 97232
Open 7 days a week 12:00- 8:00
Elevated pub fare
Menu Here

Guero

200 NE 28th Ave, Portland OR 97232
Tue–Sat 11:00– 9:00, Sun 11:00- 8:00
Mexican tortas and more!
Menu Here

Prost

4237 N Mississippi St, Portland OR 97217
Open 7 days a week 11:00- 11:00
Authentic German food and beer
Menu Here

Radio Room

1101 NE Alberta St, Portland OR 97211
Open 7 days a week 9:00- 11:00
American bistro fare
Menu Here

Flying Fish Company

3004 E Burnside St, Portland OR 97214
Open Wed- Mon 10:00- 8:00
Fish all different ways
Menu Here

Petite Provence

3420 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97232
Open Mon- Fri 8:00- 2:00 Sat- Sun 8:00- 3:00
Pastries and brunch
Menu Here

Did you find which one of Portland’s heated patios your next meal will be coming from? If not we have several other great suggestions around Portland! If you are interested in what else Portland has to offer check out our Blog for more Hot Spots and Portland’s Best Lists!

5 Reasons to Buy New Construction

January 20, 2021 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

This week we will be talking all about new construction. Here is a quick video on some of the reasons to buy new. If you’re not into watching the videos read down below.

Customization

No matter how much you love a home, there is always something that you are going to want to change. If you buy a resale home you won’t have any design options. Most new construction companies will let you select from a package. Some include flooring, back splashes, light fixtures, and appliances. You can truly make the home exactly the way that you want it.

Home Warranties

We can negotiate a home warranty into any purchase, but with new construction you get so much more than the bare bones. Typically you can expect to get a 10 year structural warranty, a 3 year warranty on all the appliances ,and an extensive warranty on your windows. The chances of things breaking down in the first couple years is low, but it is so nice to have that peace of mind.

Community Amenities

Most new home communities have quite a few amenities to offer. Even the most basic ones will have lots of parks and a play area. But some of the larger developments will have community centers, gyms, and even pools. There is an HOA attached to these communities, and while there is an added fee, they ensure the community stays beautiful and maintained which makes home values climb quickly!

Inventory

We talk about inventory a lot, but it is very difficult to buy a home right now. That isn’t the case with new construction. Developers sell homes as they are being built, so there is almost always available inventory. Depending on the size of the community you can typically expect between 4 and 15 homes to be available. You can also pre-order homes if you have a lot that you absolutely love!

The New Home Feel

One of the most attractive features of buying a new home is that its yours and only yours. No one else has lived in the home, slept in the bedroom, or cooked in the kitchen. That’s a pretty cool feeling!

One last thing

They all have sales offices. If you walk into the community alone they will tell you that you don’t need a realtor. Please don’t believe them. They work for the builder and therefore, they have the builder’s best interests at heart. We will work for you. We can typically get some sales incentives or a price reduction on those new homes, we will guide you through the inspection process and facilitate the final walkthrough to ensure the home is perfect.

If you feel like you are ready to explore some new construction areas, or just house-hunting in general, we would love to sit down with you, either in person or virtually, to talk you through all the options. Just let us know when it works best for you!

If there is anything else you need, know we are always here, and can’t wait to talk to you!

Check out our other blog posts Here.

December Market Update

January 19, 2021 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

The market stats for December 2020 were recently released. It is time to dig into them and see what they mean. Almost every stat dropped last month, in some areas that is good news, in some it is bad news. The only number that rose last month is the number of sold listings. This lines up with what we know about the Portland market. There are tons of buyers out looking for homes.

Stat Breakdown

The average sale price dipped a bit, this almost always happens at the end of the year, a lot of people take a break for the holidays, so with less offers driving prices up, we saw the number drop down a bit. The days a home sits on the market are still continuing to drop along with the inventory levels. If we remove the outliers, the average days on market is actually just 7 days. So houses are flying off the market. In general we will see them listed mid week, open all weekend, and pending by early the next week. Because of this, Inventory has dropped all the way down to .8 months. As a reminder, this means if we don’t list any new homes, everything on the market will be sold before the end of the month. It’s lower than it has ever been, so if you have any thoughts of selling, now is the time!

For the whole Portland metro, homes are selling at an average of 6.7% over asking price. For a $500,000 house, that is $30,000 over asking price. As a buyer it is more important than ever that you pay close attention to your budget. If you only want to spend $500,000 we need to be shopping in the $450,000 range.

It is tough out there right now for buyers, but with a savvy agent, and a little luck, people are finding homes that are a great fit. We are helping our clients get into homes that they love right now, so if you want help with your home search, fill out the form below and we can’t wait to talk with you! If you want to see our other market updates, you can head HERE.

Posh Baby

January 18, 2021 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

There are so many options when it comes to shopping for baby things. We like to keep as much of our shopping local as possible. So when I needed to get a new car seat, I researched for somewhere that I could go check out our options in person. When I walked into Posh Baby I was immediately greeted by a very kind sales person and asked what I was looking for. She guided me through the options and was thoughtful about giving space and allowing me to peruse without hovering.

The car seat that I ended up ordering they didn’t have in stock, so they ordered it and had it shipped to my home for free. She also sent follow-up emails to let me know when things were shipping, when they would arrive, and asked how the product was working out. I haven’t had customer service like that in many years and I truly felt like a VIP customer.

They had tons of options for gear; car seats, strollers, cribs, bouncers, and carriers. They also have a large selection of eco friendly and organic baby clothing, as well as locally made outfits. Basically if you have a baby, they have what you need!

They do specialize in higher end clothing, so expect to spend more than you would at Target, but you will also get far superior service, high quality items, and be supporting a local company. I know that this will be new go to for all my gear needs. I’ll also shop there when we have baby #2!!

Let me know if you have been to Posh Baby, did you also have a fabulous experience? You can check them out online HERE. Also if you have somewhere you think we should check out, leave us a comment!

Cabezon

January 10, 2021 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Cabezon calls themselves a neighborhood bistro in NE Portland, but they are so much more than that! The menu changes almost daily, depending on what is fresh and in season. They focus on locally sourced seafood and wood fired meats. Every item on the menu looked so good, we wanted to try everything! Each item blew me away, and somehow was better than the last. Cabezon clearly knows how to satisfy anyone’s appetite because they have been going strong since 2009.

We started our meal with basil and phyllo wrapped shrimp. The shrimp were plump and juicy inside and the phyllo was perfectly crisp. They were served with a creamy cashew sambal sauce and glass noodles which paired amazingly. Shrimp hasn’t always been my favorite because it’s so often overcooked, however, my opinion on shrimp has been forever changed.

Our final course consisted of cioppino and pancetta wrapped monkfish. I have had my fair share of cioppino as I often make it for myself at home. There were pretty high hopes for this one. I was served dungeness crab, muscles, clams, and white fish, in a silky tomato broth. There was a very slight spice and lots of aromatics coming off the broth. This was truly one of the best I’ve had. Lets talk about the monkfish. Wow! What a well thought out dish. Black trumpet leek ravioli, Kale, Brussels sprouts, and leek fondue all under a piece of monkfish. The broth was earthy, rich, smokey, and slightly sweet.

Do you have a craving for seafood yet? If you want to see what is on the menu tonight at Cabezon check out their current menu Here. If you’re looking for other great options take a look at our other featured businesses Here.

Portland’s Best Take-out

January 7, 2021 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Take-out has been my go-to lately. I want to do what I can to support the restaurant industry, and I get bored of my own cooking. Luckily Portland has so many good options! We couldn’t possibly list everything that is available, so here are some of the things that we just can’t get enough of at the moment!

My Brothers Crawfish

If you’re looking for Creole cooking then look no further. They specialize in seafood boils, but also have a full menu of southern classics such as gumbo and hush puppies. Open 7 days a week from 3pm- 10pm. Check out their full menu Here

8230 Se Harrison St, Portland Oregon 97236

NimbleFish

In the mood for sushi? We’ve got you covered! Some of your options include maki rolls, Nigiri, and of coarse miso soup. Open 7 days a week 12pm-8pm. Check out all the menu options Here
1524 SE 20th Ave, Portland, OR, 97214

Miss Delta

How about some BBQ? There are plenty of options to satisfy your smoked meat craving. Some of your options include brisket, baby back ribs, and pulled pork. The options don’t stop there however, They offer an entire brunch menu as well! Open Monday 3:30-8pm Thursday 3:30-8pm Friday 12-8pm Saturday 11am-8pm Sunday 11am-8pm Take a closer look at the menu Here

3950 N Mississippi Ave, Portland OR 97227

Assembly Brewing

Detroit style pizza at its finest! Options vary from meat lovers to veggie friendly, but don’t forget the beer on your way out. Open 11 am-8 pm 7 days a week. Menu Here

6112 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR 97206

Pollo Bravo

Rotisserie Chicken is pretty hard to beat when it’s done perfectly! You’ll never be disappointed here. Options include 1/4, 1/2, or 1 whole bird with some pretty awesome side dishes like Radicchio Salad and 5 different sauces to pick form as well. Open Sunday – Thursday 4:30 – 8:30, and 12:00 – 9:00 Friday and Saturday. Take a look at their full menu Here

126 sw 2nd ave, Portland, OR 97204

If you want to see a full (or close to full) list of the restaurants available, Eater does a great job of updating their list constantly. Or if you want to see what else we have been loving, you can see our other “best-of” lists HERE. Let us know what you are loving in the comments.

Quaintrelle

December 28, 2020 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

This week I went out to Quaintrelle. I had heard great things from friends and was very excited to visit! Dining outside in the winter isn’t always comfortable with the rain that Portland is so well known for, but Quaintrelle makes it feel comfortable and warm. There is a large white tent on the cobblestone patio with multiple tables, bistro lights, and a large heater to keep the space warm. Regardless of weather, at least one side of the tent is left open to allow for proper air flow.

Our Food

Quaintrelle makes Pacific Northwestern food sourced from local farms and purveyors. Seasonality is a huge part of their menu so it changes frequently which allows you to return over and over and always have a new experience. We started with green curry mussels with house made pickles. The mussels were plump and buttery. The broth they were served in was rich, full bodied, and had just a hint of spice. Next was the “Whiteout”. As the name suggests everything on the plate was completely white. Parsnip, egg, celeriac, pear, yuzu, and wasabi snow. The dish was playful and imaginative. This paired perfectly with my sparkling wine. They also have a small cocktail menu with some of the classics.

We moved into our second course by ordering the whole striped bass with miso and nuac cham, brussels sprouts with ginger, hoisin, and puffed rice, and beets with Meyer lemon custard, barley, and Roquefort powder. The bass was perfectly cooked, it was moist and fell away from the bones effortlessly. Quaintrelle took just as much care with their vegetable sides as they did with their main entrees. Each dish had the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and bitter notes.

I would highly recommend Quaintrelle to anyone that hasn’t had the chance to try it. If you’re in the mood for some great local Northwest cuisine, you will not be disappointed.

Have you tried Quaintrelle yet? Let us know in the comments! If you have yet to try it out, you can check out the menu here. To see what else we have featured, you can check out those here!

Why Use a Realtor

December 22, 2020 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

So now that you are ready to buy a house why on earth should you use a realtor? Well, watch the video below to find out! Or skip ahead and read about it!

I get it, realtors have a bad reputation and tons of people think we are under qualified and over-paid. So why would you hire one when you can just do it yourself online? Well, here are our top 5 reasons that you will want to hire us.

#1 – It’s Free

That’s right, as a buyer, you don’t have to pay me. If you could get 10 years of sales experience for free wouldn’t you want to use it? I only get paid when we successfully find and close on a house and the seller pays that fee so there is literally no cost to you for using me.

#2 – Home Tours

You need a realtor to get access to most houses. You can’t just knock on doors and expect to get a tour, you could try, but people will think you are crazy and that is not what you want when you are trying to convince someone to let you buy their home. Of course you can go to open houses, but not everyone hosts them, and some houses sell before they have had a chance to be open on the weekend. Hiring me means we can go see that house anytime that suits your schedule so you can e one of the first people in the door.

#3- Pocket Listings

Not all houses get listed on the market. We see houses all the time that are offered as office exclusives that sell before they hit the market. If I know what you are looking for I am going to be searching within my network to see what they have coming up. This can give you the upper edge if we are able to get into these homes before the reset of the public sees them. Zillow can’t offer you that.

#4- Paperwork and Contracts

I can help you understand and write a way stronger contract. Real Estate contracts are no joke, it’s a 13 page document that outlines all the important timelines, who pays for what, who gets to keep what, and when you get to move into the house. There are also over 30 addendums that could apply to your transaction. We know the paperwork and how to write things so you are getting as much as you possibly can, even in a seller’s market.

#5 – Gifts!

Lastly, you’ll get a cool present. I love giving gifts, so you’ll get something nice when you close on the house, plus a home-anniversary gift, plus a holiday gift or party, plus some random thing at some point during the year. We love our clients and believe in taking care of them before, during, and after the transaction. We won’t pick up a paycheck and then disappear on you, we like you too much!

Now you might be thinking, this all sounds great, but I don’t want to buy a house right now. Even if you aren’t quite ready, we can start narrowing down neighborhoods and keeping our eyes on good deals for you, you never know when they will come up or when you will be ready to jump in. The more we know about you, the better we can help you! If you want to set up a zoom call to just going over basic questions and criteria, we would love to chat, just send a message over!

I appreciate your time today, be sure to follow us on facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with what we are doing! You can also search for homes with the button below, or fill out the contact form and we will get in touch with you!

Home Search

Stay in Touch!