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August Events

August 1, 2022 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Can you believe we are already nearing the end of summer? Us Either! We do hope though that this lovely warm weather continues through September. We have some fantastic events for you this month and we hope to see you out there enjoying the city!

Pickathon

The three-day festival on 80 acres just outside PortlandÂ attracts a range of indie, rock and rap artists as well as the bluegrass troupes that gave the event its name. You can camp with a weekend pass, or just do a day pass!
Pendarvis Farm – Happy Valley

Weekend passes from $390 and day passes from $170

TICKETS

MORE INFO

August 4th – 7th

Vanport Jazz Festival

The Vanport Jazz Festival honors the city of Vanport and the voices that formed Portland’s jazz community.
Colwood Golf Center

starting at $60 – TICKETS

MORE INFO

August 5th: 6pm – 9pm
August 6th: 12pm – 9pm

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

August 4th
5pm – 10pm though gallery hours vary.

Bridge Pedal

Join your friends and neighbors for the one opportunity each year to bike or walk on Portlandâ€™s car-free streets and bridges. Bridge Pedal is one of the largest community bike rides in the world!!

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Starting at $35 – TICKETS

MORE INFO

August 14th

Hip Hop Week

Portland Hip Hop WeekÂ isÂ a celebration of Hip Hop culture in the city of Portland. Enjoy great performances from Portland artists and performers whoÂ have contributed to Portland’s Hip Hop scene.
Multiple Locations

Pricing varies per event – TICKETS

MORE INFO

August 20th – 26th
times vary

Adult Soap Box Derby

Put down your video game controllers and step away from your Mario Kart. The best way to race isnâ€™t on a screen, itâ€™s down an extinct cinder cone volcano in Southeast Portland. This event is so much fun, its a Portland MUST!
Mt. Tabor Park
*Free*
MORE INFO
August 20th

Hood to Coast

Hood to CoastÂ is the worldâ€™s largest running relay race, stretching 200 miles from the top of Mount Hood to the Pacific Ocean in Seaside.
Timberline – Seaside
Tickets sell out months in advance, but you can watch along the way!
August 26th

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

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

July Events

June 27, 2022 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

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

MORE INFO
July 1st – July 3rd 12pm -10pm

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 Portlandâ€™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 farmerâ€™s market and family-friendly entertainment and activities.Â
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!

Portland’s Best Fountains

June 24, 2022 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Want a free activity to help you cool off? We thought so! Going to the beach or river for the day is always a good plan, but those can be sometimes be crowded. The summer is the perfect time to check out Portland’s Best Fountains! Temperatures are climbing and there’s nothing quite like running through a fountain to help you cool you down during these heatwaves.

Stark Street Island Park

Named the rose petal, this simple fountain is a fun one for kids.
SE 106th Avenue and SE Stark Street
Portland, OR 97216

Jamison Square

Cascading waterfalls meant to simulate shallow tidepools.

810 NW 11th Ave
Portland OR 97209

Children’s Fountain

2 side by side fountains with dancing jets of water.

410 NE Second Ave
Gresham OR 97030

Dawson Park

This timed fountain allows for interactive movement that highlights the history of the neighborhood.
N Stanton Street and N Williams Avenue
Portland, OR 97227

Salmon Street Springs

This 3 phase fountain puts on a glorious display and is great for playing in.
1000 SW Naito Pkwy
Portland, OR 97204

Keller Fountain

Arguably the most famous fountain, this was designed to represent the many waterfalls in the area.
SW 3rd Ave & SW Clay St
Portland, OR 97201

McCoy Park Fountain

First municipal fountain, designed to represent the moon’s phases.
N Trenton and N Newman Ave.
Portland, OR 97203

Have you been inspired to pack on the sunscreen and run through one of Portland’s Best Fountains? The season for all of these fountains runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, so you’ll have plenty of time to check out one or all of these if you’d like. If fountains aren’t quite what you had in mind, we’ve also put together plenty of other great Portland activities to check out Here. Let us know if we’ve missed your favorite fountain!

Champagne Poetry

May 31, 2022 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Hot Spot of the week is new and delicious dessert and champagne spot Champagne Poetry! Sister restaurant to the already established (and worth the trip) La Rose Patisserie in Beaverton, now Portland proper has a spot to grab inventive sweets and tasty bubbles.

First thing you should know about Champagne Poetry is that everything from the dessert case to the flower wall is totally Insta-worthy. The flower wall in particular, adorned with neon light up wings, begs you to strike a pose and snap a pic.

The next thing to note, is that the desserts are unexpected and surprising. On our recent visit, we tried a bright pink ‘doughnut’ that was actually a fluffy dark chocolate mousse in the shape of a doughnut and glazed with a very light frosting. Similarly, the Pink Lady was a lovely combination of mousse, cake, and a chilled guava center. Obsessively drooling over Instagram videos, I have learned to always expect the unexpected when ordering a dessert from Champagne Poetry.

As the name would imply, they also have a decent selection of sparkling wines. There are a few roses, some prosecco, and even a true Champagne. Next time you are looking for a good ‘Treat Yo Self’ day, look no farther than the delightfully indulgent Champagne Poetry!

Have you checked this fun place out yet? What did you try? You can find their menu Here or check out our other Hot Spots Here.

June Events

May 31, 2022 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

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

MORE INFO
May 27th – June 26th

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

May 17, 2022 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

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?

February 28, 2022 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Iâ€™m sure youâ€™ve seen Love it or List it- where a family has totally outgrown their space but one of the partners just doesnâ€™t want to leave, so they decide to renovate.

And if the renovations arenâ€™t fixing the issue, then, and only then, do they moveâ€¦

While reality TV is fun to watch, the reality of living in a construction zone while shopping for a new house, isnâ€™t.

Thatâ€™s why I recommend doing one or the other. Letâ€™s break it down.

A lot of times, people get frustrated with their space. Theyâ€™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, itâ€™s very important to first identify WHY you are considering a move, and then go from there.

Hereâ€™s five things to think aboutâ€¦

#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, youâ€™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 youâ€™ll be totally dependent on their timeline, expertise, and quality of work. If you donâ€™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, itâ€™s important to have a good Realtor to help you understand how renovations will affect your home value and help you decide if youâ€™re better off packing up or staying put. Thatâ€™s where I can help.

If youâ€™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 youâ€™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

February 28, 2022 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

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.