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July Events

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Happy Summer! Festival season continues and we are so excited about some of the things coming up! Beer, movies, music, e can’t wait to see you at some of these great events.

Blues Festival

  • This music festival is one of the longest running and helps to showcase both local talent and national celebrities. With beautiful views of the willamette and a firework show, this festival is not to be missed!
  • Waterfront Park

$35+ TICKETS

MORE INFO

July 1st – July 4th 9am – 6pm daily

Craft Beer Festival

  • This brewfest is unique in that all the participants are brewed and created within the city limits of Portland!
  • The Fields Park

$30 TICKETS

First Thursday in The Pearl

  • Stroll through the art galleries in the pearl for an evening of art, music, and wine! Parking is difficult so public transit is recommended
  • The Pearl District
  • Free Event
  • July 7th 5pm – 10pm though gallery hours vary.

The Big Float

  • This year is the very last big float (at least hosted by the current organizers) so if you want to get in a floaty and ride across the willamette now is your chance!
  • Tom McCall Waterfront Park
  • $10-$15 TICKETS
  • MORE INFO
  • July 10th 11am-6:30pm

Cathedral Park Jazz Fest

  • This annual summer favorite is a prime showcase of Portland’s homegrown talent, natural beauty and neighborly charm.
  • Cathedral Park

*Free*

MORE INFO

July 15th – July 17th times vary

Cinema Unbound

  • A Portland tradition of watching a film under the stars but make it a little extra, with thematic and experiential surprises galore.
  • OMSI
  • $20-$75
  • GET TICKETS HERE
  • July 7th- July 31st

Fuji to Hood Beer Fest

  • Fuji to Hood is a beer and food festival between 40 like-minded breweries, cideries, and distilleries in the shadow of Oregon’s Mt. Hood and Japan’s Mt. Fuji.
  • The Bindery Annex
  • $30-$40 TICKETS
  • MORE INFO
  • July 16th

Oregon Brewers Festival

  • While we may have many beer festivals, none truly compare to this one. with over 80 different breweries, there are so many beers to choose from and its a must attend event.
  • Waterfront Park

$10 for a mug $2 per token

MORE INFO HERE

July 28th -30th

World Naked Bike Ride

  • This is one of the truly loved Portland traditions. Thousands of people bike around portland naked to protest our dependency on oil.
  • Secret Location TBD

*Free*

MORE INFO HERE

July 30th

Montavilla Street Fair

  • Stroll down Stark Street and enjoy district businesses, a farmer’s market and family-friendly entertainment and activities. 
  • SE Stark st in Montavilla

*Free*

MORE INFO HERE

July 31st 10am-5pm

We hope to see you at some of these awesome events!

Looking for something else to do? Check out our best of lists!

June Events

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It’s June! That also means it is the start of festival season! We are kicking things off with the rose fest, pride, and some beer! If you don’t love festivals, we have some other great things to do this month also! We are excited to share these June events!

Peony Festival

  • Visiting the gardens will include walking 25 acres of production fields, strolling through 2 acres of display garden, and enjoying many different colors of gorgeous peonies!
  • Adelman Peony Farm, Salem

*Free*

MORE INFO

May 1st – June 15th 9am – 6pm daily

Rose Festival

  • Parades, rides, fireworks, greasy food, what more could you ask for?
  • Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Parades are free, city fair requires a ticket

Portland Pride Festival

  • Portland is widely known to be a gay-friendly destination, but you can count on us being even more fun for the pride festival and parade!
  • Tom McCall Waterfront Park
  • *Free*
  • MORE INFO
  • June 18th and 19th

First Thursday in The Pearl

  • Stroll through the art galleries in the pearl for an evening of art, music, and wine! Parking is difficult so public transit is recommended
  • The Pearl District
  • Free Event
  • June 2nd 5pm – 10pm though gallery hours vary.

Crush on Oregon

  • Enjoy Wine tasting, local eats, and entertainment at this annual wine festival!
  • Castaway

$50-$70

GET TICKETS HERE

Sunday June 5th

Cider Summit

  • The regions largest cider festival is back! With 150 different selections made by 40 producers, you’ll fund something here to love!
  • The Fields Park
  • $40 for general admission
  • GET TICKETS HERE
  • June 10th and 11th

PDX Beer Week

  • We may not need a special week to drink beer, but this 11 day “week” will feature specials, rare beers, and fun events!
  • Various locations
  • Prices Vary – find all the events on the FB page
  • MORE INFO
  • June 17th -26th

Festival of Balloons

  • Hot air balloons take flight every June and you can enjoy the view with just a quick trip to the south!
  • Cook Park – Tigard

$12

MORE INFO HERE

We hope to see you at some of these awesome events!

April Market Update

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Its time again to look back at the numbers and see how healthy the real estate market is. With all the news about being in a bubble and an incoming crash, it is more important than ever to really look at past and present statistics. Let’s dive in to the numbers for April 2022!

Since November we have been seeing the inventory hover right around .8 months. This means if no one else listed their home, everything would be sold in less than a month. This is still true for April, but the number is climbing. When we have the stats out for May I expect the number to be closer to .9 or even 1. We have really been feeling the extra inventory and are so grateful for it.

The average sales price is up 13.4% compared to April of last year and a whopping 4% from just last month. The former is not surprising as we have been seeing double digit appreciation for the last couple years. The 4% increase from last month is astonishing, but not unbelievable. As soon as we saw the rates increase, we noticed people throwing out crazy offer numbers so they could lock their rate in. We noticed multiple homes that closed in this timeframe sold for around 30% over what they were listed for.

Summary

Now that everyone has settled into the newly increased rate hikes things are back to “Portland normal”. We are still seeing the really cute homes fly off the shelf for about 100k over asking price. Many people are still waiving some or all of their contingencies, and homes are getting multiple offers. The biggest difference is we are mostly seeing 2-3 offers instead of 20.

We expect this trend to continue as things settle a bit. We don’t expect to see any big drops or dips. Despite what major news outlets may be saying, the market correcting itself is a good things and will benefit everyone involved!

If you want specifics about what the changing market means for your home sale or purchase, we would be happy to chat with you! If you want to chat with a lender about your purchasing power, you can see who we trust here

Love it or List it?

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I’m sure you’ve seen Love it or List it- where a family has totally outgrown their space but one of the partners just doesn’t want to leave, so they decide to renovate. 

And if the renovations aren’t fixing the issue, then, and only then, do they move…

While reality TV is fun to watch, the reality of living in a construction zone while shopping for a new house, isn’t.

That’s why I recommend doing one or the other. Let’s break it down.

A lot of times, people get frustrated with their space. They’ve had another baby, fallen out of love with their condo, or started dreaming of retiring in a smaller space near the beach. 

Whatever the reason, it’s very important to first identify WHY you are considering a move, and then go from there. 

Here’s five things to think about…

#1 Can it be fixed easily? 

If you want an updated kitchen, swapping out fixtures, painting cabinets, and buying new appliances is a pretty easy fix. But if you want a bigger kitchen, you’re going to have to move.

#2 Can you deal with contractors?

Hiring an interior designer or general contractor to manage your project will help, but renovations require you to work with multiple companies and contractors on a daily basis. And you’ll be totally dependent on their timeline, expertise, and quality of work. If you don’t want people coming in and out of your home for weeks on end, it may be time to move into a turn key home.

#3 Can you live with the mess? 

Renovations can be dusty and dirty and shrink an already hard-to-navigate environment. Tools will be everywhere, equipment will be everywhere, and people will be everywhere. Is a renovation going to get in the way of school, work, or travel? If so, something turnkey may be more appealing.

#4 Can you tolerate a move? 

You may dread the thought of having to pack up your entire home while paying a moving company thousands of dollars to pick up your heirloom armoire and try and make it through the front door. If this sounds unbearable to you, it may be cause to stay.

#5 Do you love your location? 

If the view, zoning, corner lot, or amazing neighbors are the reason why you moved to your current house to begin with, then moving may not be the answer. In this case, it would be better to renovate the inside of the home to match the amazing benefits of the outside of the home. 

No matter whether you decide to love it or list it, it’s important to have a good Realtor to help you understand how renovations will affect your home value and help you decide if you’re better off packing up or staying put. That’s where I can help.

If you’re thinking about making a move (or know someone who is), Please reach out! No pressure, no sales tactics, just helpful advice and the guidance you need!

And finally, if you’re not thinking about making a move just yet, feel free to save this page for future reference, so you can come back to it! 

If you want to get to know either of us better you can go to our pages Jessica or Tekela

Portland Distilleries

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Here in Portland we love our alcohol, distilleries are no different! Most people know Portland for our IPA’s or for our pinot noir, but we also make some incredible liquor! Sorted by location, here are some of the places we think you should visit! As a bonus, these distilleries are all a part of Portland’s distillery row, you can buy a passport and have many of the tasting fees waived, or get other fun perks! You can see all the details over on the website.

Freeland Spirits

  • 12-6 pm daily
  • 2671 NW Vaughn St
  • Women owned and operated
  • Gins and Bourbon

New Deal Distillery

  • 12-6 pm daily
  • 900 SE Salmon St

Vodka, whiskey, gin, rum, liqueurs, pre-made cocktails.

Westward Whiskey

  • 12-7 pm Thursday – Monday
  • 65 SE Washington St

A variety of whiskeys

Straightaway Cocktails

  • Hours vary, visit website for details
  • 901 SE Hawthorne Blvd

premixed cocktails made with various liquors

Stone Barn Brandyworks

  • 11-5 pm Monday – Friday, 12-5 Saturday and Sunday.
  • 3315 SE 19th Ave B

Brandy, Whiskey, Liqueurs

503 Distilling

  • 3-9 pm Thursday – Sunday
  • 4784 SE 17th Ave

Cocktails in a can!

Shine Distilling

  • 4-10 pm Wednesday – Sunday
  • 4232 N Williams Ave
  • LGBTQ owned and operated
  • Vodka, Gin, Whiskey

Wild Roots Spirits

  • 12-6 pm daily
  • 77 NE Grand Ave

Vodka, Gin, Vodka sodas

Aimsir Distilling

  • 4-10 pm Wednesday – Sunday
  • 2117 NE Oregon St

Gin, Whiskey, Bourbon

Aria Portland Dry Gin

  • 12-6 pm Daily
  • 2304 NW Savier St

Gin

Bull Run Distilling

  • 12 – 6 pm Wednesday – Sunday
  • 2259 NW Quimby St

Whiskey and Vodka

Did we miss anywhere that you love? Let us know in the comments!

Year End Market Update

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The year end numbers are out for the Portland market for 2021. The year was absolutely insane in many ways, so lets dive into the numbers!

year end review
Appreciation

Firstly, if you bought a house more than a year ago, you averaged a 15.8% appreciation. To put that into perspective a $500,000 house is now worth, on average, $580,000. Some areas are even seeing much higher numbers. For example, Oregon City and Troutdale both saw an average appreciation of over 19%. The rural areas around Mt. Hood are up over 30%. If Covid has taught us anything, it’s that people wanted more space. So rural areas had really aggressive bidding wars and some serious price jumps.

Average Home Price

The average home price in the Portland metro is now at $582,000. I know many people are waiting on the market to drop and this simply isn’t going to happen. It will cool down, especially as climbing interest rates push people out of the market, but prices will continue to climb and affordability will continue to be an issue. We predict that 2022 will be just as competitive as 2021 was. We are still seeing houses get bid up to 100k over list price in many instances, and almost everything is still getting multiple offers. If you are on the fence, now would be a good time to get off of it.

Average Days on Market

The average days on market dropped yet again to the lowest numbers on record. We had just over 2 weeks of inventory for the month of December. This isn’t surprising because it’s December, there are a lot of holidays, and not many people want to move during this time. We have seen a lot of houses coming on the market in the last couple weeks and that number will start to tick back up.

We hope these numbers help you to get a pulse on what is going on in and around Portland! If you want specific numbers for your neighborhood, let us know and we will happily send them over. If you need anything else real estate related, feel free to submit the form below and we will get right back to you!

Ready to jump in but want to know more about us? You can read about Jessica or Tekela! Also, if you need a lender, you can find some that we love HERE

Montelupo

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Hot Spot of the week is very cool Italian Market and
Restaurant, Montelupo! This great NE spot has a very neat business plan and something for every one of your needs. In the mornings, they have coffee and pastries, at night they have dine-in (and heated patio) delicious dinner, and throughout the day they have an excellent grab ‘n go market with wine and wonderful pantry goods. Recently, we took advantage of the heated dining tent and sampled a whole bunch of Montelupo’s dinner service and it was delish!

To start, of course, we tried a cocktail. I opted for the Daisy Chain, a bright and citrusy gin concoction that was too good not to down in about 3 minutes. To follow we ordered a bottle of prosecco, which was pleasantly crisp and complemented the rich food very well.

We wanted to try so many things on the menu that even after a lengthy ‘paring-down’ debate, we still definitely over-ordered. We were not sad about that however, as we got to have Montelupo lunch the next day! To start we went with the Dos Hermanos pull-apart bread, which is a must have in order to mop up sauces as well as eat plain with EVOO. We also got the burrata, which was delicious and fresh, served with olive, tomato aioli, and greens. We also had the arancini, stuffes with rice, bay shrimp, and cheese. Finally, we tried the roasted and carrot with sunchokes (a new favorite) accompanied by tahini and gremolata. The starters were all wonderful and also quite filling.

Even though we were practically stuffed at this point, you can’t go to an Italian restaurant and not try the pasta! We went for the pappardelle, prepared with braised pork ragu and a broccollini-basil pesto for one. For our second choice we tried the fusilli with wild mushrooms, parsnips and cream. The pastas were both well-prepared and the ingredients did not overwhelm with flavor, instead letting the noodles shine.

Too full to even think about dessert, we grabbed an extra bottle of bubbles to go from the market inside and headed home to sip and plan out our next visit. Want to check out Montelupo Italian Market? You can head right over Here.

Do you know a Hot Spot that we should checkout next? Let us know in the comments below!

Sandwich Shops

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Portland excels in many types of cuisine, from fine dining to food carts, but did you know we also have some really phenomenal sandwich shops? Whether you are grabbing a mid-day work meal or packing up a picnic to take to the woods (or coast or mountains) here are some of Portland’s best sandwich shops.

Bodega PDX

6231 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR 97206

Open Mon-Sat 10am- 11pm, Sunday 9:30am-10pm

Check them out Here.

Devil’s Dill

1711 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214

Open Sat-Tues 12pm-11pm, Weds-Fri 12pm-1am

Take a look at those sandos Here.

EastSide Deli

4626 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215

4823 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203

Open Every Day 11am-6pm

Tasty Menu Here.

Lardo

1212 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214

1205 SW Washington St, Portland, OR 97205

4025 Mercantile Dr, Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Portland Locations Open Every Day 11am-10pm

Lake Oswego Every Day 11am-9pm

Check em all out Here.

Tails and Trotters

525 NE 24th Ave, Portland, OR 97232

Open Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm

Get some Deliciousness Here.

Taste Tickler

1704 NE 14th Ave, Portland, OR 97212

Open Daily 11am-7pm.

See Some Great Sammies Here.

Which of these awesome sandwich shops will be your next stop? Let us know in the comments below! Is there a Portland’s Best List you really want to see? Let us know and we’ll make it happen!