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Tamale Boy

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This week we are once again highlighting one of our favorite restaurants, Tamale Boy! After searching for restaurants that were offering both dine-in service and patio tables we were left with very few options. Most dine-in restaurants have very few tables and are only seating with a reservation. We didn’t plan far enough ahead for that, so when we saw Tamale Boy on the list, we knew exactly where to go. They have 2 locations, one small location attached to Labrewatory on N Russell, and a larger location on NE Dekum. Ne Dekum has a huge patio and was just what we were in the mood for.

Tamale Boy Patio tables

While we were deciding on what to order we started with a side of house-made guacamole. I love Tamale Boy’s guacamole because they add a dried chile oil to give it a bit of spice, and roasted sunflower seeds for a nice crunch. For dinner I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and actually order a tamale. I decided on the Norteño tamal frito. A deep fried tamale with chile verde, served with black beans and 2 over-easy eggs. The flavor in the tamale itself was absolutely divine and with the beans and eggs it was a very filling meal. If you want to check out the menu or order ahead, you can do so HERE

We loved Tamale Boy this week, have you been to support this business yet? We definitely recommend you visit, whether you are ready to venture out or wanting to get some take-out for home. What have you been loving? Let us know your favorite local spot in the comments so we can support them (and our tastebuds)!

What can I buy in Portland?

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We had an absolute blast filming our latest series, ‘What Can I Buy?’! We decided it would be fun to take you around Portland and show you different styles of homes at different price points to get you an idea of what you can buy in this great city! While the homes here aren’t as inexpensive as say, Ohio, we are still the most affordable metropolitan area on the West Coast!

The first season of our new series is 6 episodes and we visited each of the 6 quadrants of Portland. We know 6 isn’t called a quadrant, but Portland likes to keep things weird, so let’s just go with it. You can click on any of the photos below to be taken to the page with our series video and full details on the home!

series episode 1
The Royal, SW Portland
Chown Pella, NW Portland
series episode 3
Alberta Arts, NE Portland
The Strand
The Strand, S Portland
series episode 5
Hawthorne, SE Portland
Arbor Lodge, N Portland

Jessica’s favorite property that we toured was the New York style condo in the Chown Pella building. She loved the exposed brick, open floor plan, Pearl District living, and private roof top deck! For under 1 million, that condo is truly a great deal!

Tekela’s favorite was the Royal, the stunning contemporary home in SW Portland. She loved the floor-to-ceiling pocket windows, the gorgeous open kitchen, and the location that felt like living in the treetops! At 2.25 million, it’s a bit aspirational, but a girl can dream!

We hope that you enjoyed going on this tour with us! If you want to stay up to date on everything we are doing, follow us on social media, subscribe to our Youtube channel, and/or sign up for our newsletter!

Farmhouse Kitchen

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This week we are once again highlighting the best local take-out that we had this week, Farmhouse Kitchen Thai! After reading several posts on Eater Restaurant recommendations and seeing a few drool-worthy pics, my household decided to order the Little Lao Table from Farmhouse this past weekend. We were so happy with it! A veritable smorgasbord of delicious Thai flavors, all packed into a single buffet-style aluminum pan for the added bonus of reducing take-out waste. It even came with a couple of Thai iced teas (which we boozed up a bit, obviously) and a kid’s meal of Pad See Ew on the side!

Wooooooaaaahhh

Some of the highlights included the papaya salad which was tart and perfectly spicy, the fried chicken which was so crunchy and tender, and the curry which I gleefully poured over every noodle and grain of rice that I could. I don’t even know what exactly the concoction under the fried egg was, but I do know that I went back for thirds. The meal is advertised as dinner for 2+ a kiddo, but we found that it easily fed 4 hungry adults. For $59, that’s quite the steal! Check them out HERE.

We loved Farmhouse Kitchen this week, but what did you love? Let us know your favorite local takeout in the comments so we can support them (and our tastebuds)!

How to Tell if a Home has Good Resale Value

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Are you making a good investment? Let’s talk about buying a home with resale potential! If you aren’t into videos, jump ahead to read the transcript.

https://youtu.be/X_xG2mJtpdw
Resale Value

Last week we talked about why buying the nicest home in the neighborhood isn’t always a great idea, especially for resale value. You can find that post HERE if you missed it.  There are a lot of other things to think about when it comes to resale value as well!  Today I want to go through the top 3 other things that are important to consider. 

Most people aren’t exactly thinking about selling their house while they are looking at buying that house. It’s a little counter-intuitive and it’s certainly not as much fun to think about as decorating your new home!

I can’t wait to move into this house so we can sell it…”

It is, however, an important thing to consider because chances are good that, at some point, you are going to resell the house. We want to make sure that when we do that, you have access to as many buyers as possible. 

So, there are 3 things that most everyone is going to consider. Let’s jump right in! 

School Districts

Whether you personally are planning on having kids or not, school districts directly influence a homes value.  The better the school district, the higher value the homes will be.  This is just one of those things that gets tied together. Lots of people that buy homes do so because of a change in their family. You want to make sure that if you can buy in a good school district, you do.  That way, when we do sell down the road, everyone is so excited to have the opportunity to live in that great school district.  My favorite website for neighborhood and school ratings is niche.com

Location, Location, Location 

The second thing is of course something we talk about all the time.  Truly though, it is basically the only thing you can’t change about a home.  You can change everything all the way to tearing the house down, but you can’t change the area.  You really want to pay attention to where the home is.  Whether you want something super urban and walkable, or quiet and on a cul-de-sac, you want to really hone in on those areas. That is what the majority of people are going to want.  It is going to be much harder to sell a home sitting right on top of a freeway than it is to sell a home in the hills with a view. Everyone of course wants different things, but be mindful of whether what you want will also appeal to the masses.  

Flow and Floor Plan 

The last thing is the layout and feel of the home.  You might notice this the minute you walk in. Some houses just have weird floor plans. They will feel odd while we are touring them.  Some houses may have a very specific floor plan that is exactly perfect for your family, and if that is the case, go ahead and buy it. Just know it may be harder to sell down the road.  3 bedroom 2 bathroom homes are always going to be the most popular.  Also consider the actual structure of the home. A 1 level home is worth slightly more than a 2 level home of the same size.  Homes that follow the Feng Shui guidelines are going to be more desirable than homes that don’t.  These are all things that we know quite a bit about, so feel free to pick our brains while we are out looking at homes. 

Having a good realtor to help guide you through all of these steps is so important.  On average, people are going to sell their homes after 7-10 years and we don’t want you to come back to us after that time and then find out your home will be hard to sell.  That means that while we are looking at homes, we are going to point out things that may or may not be desirable. That way we can be certain that no matter how long you live in your home, you are making a good choice, a good investment, and that you’ll be able to sell your house again when you eventually want to do so!  

If you have any questions about this, or you want to talk about buying or selling in general, we would love to chat with you!  Fill out the form below or give us a call and we will talk to you soon.  Hope to hear from you! 

Arden

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We are back this week with another local Portland restaurant that we loved! We ordered takeout from Arden in the Pearl District, who typically strive to provide a full dining experience to help you escape from the hustle and bustle of life. While we can’t currently partake in the atmosphere of this beautiful restaurant, we are luckily still able to enjoy the food!

Chef Erik Van Kley creates hyper-local and seasonal food to help you stay connected to the community. They also have a great wine list that favors local winemakers, and you can even order bottles to go with your meal. We were celebrating my birthday this week so we ordered a bottle of Brut Rose by Patrice Colin from the Loire Valley. It was crisp and dry with slight hints of raspberries which paired perfectly with our chicken dinner for 2.

Our meal came with roasted beets served over house Labneh, roasted carrots and rapini, roast chicken with miso brown butter, wild mushroom spaetzle with herb crème fraîche, smashed fried potatoes with lemon peppercorn aioli and some fresh baguette.

Everything tasted phenomenal but the sauces were the real stars of the show. Each one was perfectly seasoned and expertly paired to make all of the flavors of the dish truly sing. I cannot wait to go and support this business again and enjoy the dining room when it is finally safe to do so. In the mean time, you too can support Arden and order online. You can find the takeout menu HERE.

We are always looking for great takeout options to support local! Where should we head next?

If you want to check out the other hot spots we love, you can see them all HERE

*photos courtesy of Ardenpdx

Why you don’t want the nicest home in the neighborhood

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Today, we’re talking all about buying the right house at the right price point in
the neighborhood that you love. 

https://youtu.be/-oNRttpv9-s

We all love looking at houses, that’s why we are all so hooked on HGTV.  My personal favorite show is Million Dollar Listing, I love looking at those LA modern mansions, they are basically what dreams are made of. 

If you’re anything like most of my buyers, you’ve likely had your eye on your ideal neighborhood for some time now. Maybe you’ve taken drives through it or walked down its streets. Maybe you’ve even toured a few open houses and are still waiting on your dream home…
But sometimes that dream house might not be the best investment. I’ll explain why.

Here’s the thing about houses…although they are places where we make our nests, they are also massive investments. Often the biggest investment you’ll ever make. So despite the warm fuzzies that come with the idea of THE HOME, you still want to look at it as an investment, which means resale value should always stay top of mind. So it’s important to consider the following: 

#1 Buyers Want Mid-Range Homes 

A lot of people want that big expensive house, but they know the mortgage that comes with it. So many people compromise with a lower-priced home in their ideal neighborhood. This means that there are more buyers looking for mid-range homes. And when demand goes up, so do the price. This is why mid-range homes often command a higher price per square foot than bigger homes in the same neighborhood. 

#2 Your Home Value is Determined By The Homes Around You 

If you have the least expensive home in the neighborhood, the other homes will actually drive your home value up. But the opposite is also true. If you have the most expensive house, the other homes will drive your home value down. This is another reason why mid-range homes tend to have a higher price per square foot than the fancier homes down the street. 

#3 Your Home Will Be Harder to Sell In Tough Times 

 If the market shifts, and it does about every 7 years, you may be stuck at the top of the market in your area. When times are tough, buyers will opt for a less expensive home in hopes of getting a better deal. 

This is where having a good agent is incredibly important.  it’s imperative that they understand the importance of resale value. and help you to understand resale while we are looking at homes.  We won’t run around pointing out the negatives of a home, but we will help you to understand the potential quirks of the home you just fell in love with. 

If you’re thinking of buying a home, I can show you what characteristics to look for, in order to help you get the maximum resale value if you sell down the road. You can start your search HERE
If you’re thinking of selling, I can help you determine the current value of your home by giving you a complimentary market analysis. You can get an instant one HERE

PaaDee

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Hot Spot of the week for pick-up/delivery this week is delicious modern Thai spot Paadee! They are rocking out a great family-style dinner to go for $49. This is a fantastic option when you are sick of the sight of your kitchen, but want a tasty and well-rounded meal. Check out the menu and order here.

PaaDee takeout on Instagram

Their set menu consists of 4 starters/mains plus jasmine and sticky rice on the side. Dungeness Crab fried rice was one, which had wonderfully plump morsels of our fave NW crustacean. The Som Tum Thai papaya salad had the perfect level of spice for our crew, plenty of heat without eradicating our tastebuds! The Ba Me Pitsanulok was a nice brothy offering. Plus, they smartly packaged the noodles and pork belly separately to avoid any potential sogginess. Finally, there was my personal favorite, the Gai Grop Sam Yan. This was a crispy chicken dish with cashew, scallion, and dried chili. Somehow even as a takeout dish, the chicken was so crispy and crunchy and delectable!

As there weren’t any boozy takeout options, I made my own favorite home cocktail which was actually perfect with the meal. 1 1/2 oz gin, 1 oz Aperol, .5 oz blood orange, 2 dashes Angostura bitters all shaken and strained into a rocks glass and then filled to the top with Brut Champagne or Cava. A nice non-alcoholic pairing that is my Thai go-to is one of the Som drinking vinegars with soda water.

If you’re family are heartier eaters, I would recommend ordering a few add-ons from the wonderful PaaDee takeout menu!

What has been your favorite Portland takeout recently? Let us know in the comments!

Disaster Movies

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Continuing on with our Quarantine activities, this week we bring you Disaster Movies! From zombies to natural disasters, and engineering failures to viruses, we have you covered on this list. While there is a good amount of movies on here to simply entertain you while you kill a couple hours, there are also some tearjerkers, comedies, and critically acclaimed movies. In no particular order, here are some of our favorites!

Zombie Movies

28 Days Later

Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.

Streaming on Hulu

Train to Busan

While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.

Streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime

Shaun of the Dead

A man’s uneventful life is disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.

Streaming on Hulu or Starz

Zombieland

A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting tough guy trying to find the last Twinkie, and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America.

Streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime

Little Monsters

A washed-up musician teams up with a teacher and a kids show personality to protect young children from a sudden outbreak of zombies.

Streaming on Hulu

Natural Disaster Movies

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

A washed-up musician teams up with a teacher As an asteroid nears Earth, a man finds himself alone after his wife leaves in a panic. He decides to take a road trip to reunite with his high school sweetheart. Accompanying him is a neighbor who inadvertently puts a wrench in his plan.

Streaming on Hulu and Starz

Armageddon

After discovering that an asteroid the size of Texas is going to impact Earth in less than a month, NASA recruits a misfit team of deep-core drillers to save the planet.

Streaming on Hulu and HBO

Day After Tomorrow

Jack Hall, paleoclimatologist, must make a daring trek from Washington, D.C. to New York City to reach his son, trapped in the cross-hairs of a sudden international storm which plunges the planet into a new Ice Age.

Streaming on Hulu and HBO

Twister

Bill and Jo Harding, advanced storm chasers on the brink of divorce, must join together to create an advanced weather alert system by putting themselves in the cross-hairs of extremely violent tornadoes.

Rent on Amazon Prime

The Impossible

The story of a tourist family in Thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Streaming on Hulu or Showtime

Engineering Disaster Movies

Titanic

A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.

Available to rent on Amazon

Deepwater Horizon

A dramatization of the disaster in April 2010, when the offshore drilling rig called the Deepwater Horizon exploded, resulting in the worst oil spill in American history.

Available to rent on Amazon

Finest Hours

The Coast Guard makes a daring rescue attempt off the coast of Cape Cod after a pair of oil tankers are destroyed during a blizzard in 1952.

Streaming on Disney+ to rent on Amazon

Towering Inferno

At the opening party of a colossal, but poorly constructed, office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it.

Streaming on Hulu or Cinemax

Airplane!

A man afraid to fly must ensure that a plane lands safely after the pilots become sick.

Streaming on Tubi

Viral Disaster Movies

Outbreak

Army doctors struggle to find a cure for a deadly virus spreading throughout a California town that was brought to America by an African monkey.

Streaming on Netflix

Contagion

Healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a pandemic as the CDC works to find a cure.

Streaming on Hulu or Cinemax

Blindness

A city is ravaged by an epidemic of instant white blindness.

Streaming on Hulu or Cinemax

Flu

Chaos ensues when a lethal, airborne virus infects the population of a South Korean city less than 20 kilometers from Seoul.

Streaming on Amazon Prime

12 Monkeys

In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.

Streaming on Showtime, or to rent on Amazon

Hopefully you enjoy some of the movies on this list! We will be back next week with another great list to help you stay entertained at home. If you have something specific you’d like us to cover let us know! You can also check out all the other lists we have do so far Here. Have a great day!