This is a periodic follow up on our solar power installation of last summer. Since the system wasn't up and running until August 19, 2011, we have yet to experience a full "power year" of solar. We are still learning and being surprised by weather and celestial conditions make for good solar generation. It is not what you would think.
Solar power is generated from brightness, not heat. This idea can be counter intuitive, as a hot day isn't necessarily a powerful day. And a cool or cold day can rock. Looking at our generation for any given day doesn't necessarily tell the story. This month's power bill tells a great story!
From April 19, 2011 to May 18, 2011 our net usage for the billing period was 0 kWh and we generated 36kWh back to PGE to be credited to us on a future bill. So our daily usage was 0.0 kWh. In the same billing period in 2010, our daily usage was 10.9. hmm.
The down side is, we are of course still connected to the grid, and need to be. So even in months were we generate more power than we use, we pay for the grid. So our power bill was $9.92. Oddly, how it shows up on the bill is $9.00 for 0 kWh energy and $0.92 in taxes and fees. Oh yes, and our per day energy cost was $0.31 for 0.0 kWh per day. New math?
We continue to be thankful to the folks at Imagine Energy and Solarize Portland for such an easy process and installation.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Rain Camping
Some hearty folks partake in snow camping; digging snow shelters or pitching the tent on top of the snow. It is said that snow camping really isn't all that cold (if you have the proper gear) as it can actually be cold enough to be dry. I have never snow camped, but imagine it is beautiful.
And then there is rain camping. This may be a uniquely Oregon activity. People who have warm, dry houses pack up a bunch of gear (and not necessarily the "right" gear) and head to the mountains where it will most surely rain; for example Timothy Lake on Memorial Day weekend.
Activities while rain camping include erecting tarp villages with no ladder (and being sure NOT to get them too close to the fire), lighting and keeping a fire going in the rain, managing puddles and pools that collect in the tarp city and of course, drying shoes and clothes without burning or melting them. As a parent, an additional activity is trying to keep your kid from getting irretrievably wet, while they she is hanging out with friends not too close to you.
Benefits of rain camping include sparsely populated campgrounds; who in their right mind goes camping in the rain? Another benefit of rain camping is the exquisite pitter-patter of rain on tent, )as long as you are completely secure that no water is getting in the tent), and the close bond you establish with your co -campers as you endure, err I mean enjoy, the weekend together.
This weekend will mark our family's ninth (and last) Memorial Day weekend camping with the terrific families from Winterhaven School. There have been drops of rain all none years, and all but two of those years it has poured. Next year I expect will gather with some of the families we have camped with over the years in a warm, dry, sunny, spot.
And then there is rain camping. This may be a uniquely Oregon activity. People who have warm, dry houses pack up a bunch of gear (and not necessarily the "right" gear) and head to the mountains where it will most surely rain; for example Timothy Lake on Memorial Day weekend.
Activities while rain camping include erecting tarp villages with no ladder (and being sure NOT to get them too close to the fire), lighting and keeping a fire going in the rain, managing puddles and pools that collect in the tarp city and of course, drying shoes and clothes without burning or melting them. As a parent, an additional activity is trying to keep your kid from getting irretrievably wet, while they she is hanging out with friends not too close to you.
Benefits of rain camping include sparsely populated campgrounds; who in their right mind goes camping in the rain? Another benefit of rain camping is the exquisite pitter-patter of rain on tent, )as long as you are completely secure that no water is getting in the tent), and the close bond you establish with your co -campers as you endure, err I mean enjoy, the weekend together.
This weekend will mark our family's ninth (and last) Memorial Day weekend camping with the terrific families from Winterhaven School. There have been drops of rain all none years, and all but two of those years it has poured. Next year I expect will gather with some of the families we have camped with over the years in a warm, dry, sunny, spot.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
So How Is the Market?
You know those bumper stickers, Keep Portland Weird? Well the real estate market is helping to achieve that mission.The Portland real estate market is just plain weird.
Anecdotaly, my office and several others close in have been very hectic. Many of our buyer clients have written offers ending up in multiple offer situations, losing out. We've seen this both in the lower, first time buyer/investor price range, ($200,000- $300,000) and in the higher move-up range of $500,000 and up.
Then, out comes the RMLS monthly report with the Portland market stats, which gve few if any hints to the market we have been experiencing. The ony sign of an improving market is that the average sales price came up slightly from March 2011 to April 2011 from $261,100 to $267,300. The median price also came up from $215,000 to $219,400.
But...both the number of both pending and closed sales are down, and the number of active listings on the market have increased a tad.
We know the housing recovery will be long and slow, but ...
Click here too see the full Portland market report.
Anecdotaly, my office and several others close in have been very hectic. Many of our buyer clients have written offers ending up in multiple offer situations, losing out. We've seen this both in the lower, first time buyer/investor price range, ($200,000- $300,000) and in the higher move-up range of $500,000 and up.
Then, out comes the RMLS monthly report with the Portland market stats, which gve few if any hints to the market we have been experiencing. The ony sign of an improving market is that the average sales price came up slightly from March 2011 to April 2011 from $261,100 to $267,300. The median price also came up from $215,000 to $219,400.
But...both the number of both pending and closed sales are down, and the number of active listings on the market have increased a tad.
We know the housing recovery will be long and slow, but ...
Click here too see the full Portland market report.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Oregon in the News
Two items in the Oregonian caught my eye today.
The first was the hilarious article about Pendleton's relationship to "the Dude" sweater in The Big Lebowski. They made it! Per the Oregonian article, the original sweater from The Big Lebowski is to be auctioned for charity later this month. At auction it is expected to go for somewhere in the $4000 to $6000 range. In the article, Pendelton says they are bringng back "the Dude" (and yes, calling it that) at a price of $188. I didn't, though, find "the Dude" on the Pendelton website.
The second article cited Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp as ranking second and third in the sale of green power (through voluntary programs) to their customers. It is no surprise that clean power is important to Oregonians. We like to think of our hydroelectric power as "clean", and ignore or are unaware of the coal fired power sources in our grid. Anyway, it was an interesting piece of paying for green power. We started buying green power years ago. I hope your household has made that choice also.
The first was the hilarious article about Pendleton's relationship to "the Dude" sweater in The Big Lebowski. They made it! Per the Oregonian article, the original sweater from The Big Lebowski is to be auctioned for charity later this month. At auction it is expected to go for somewhere in the $4000 to $6000 range. In the article, Pendelton says they are bringng back "the Dude" (and yes, calling it that) at a price of $188. I didn't, though, find "the Dude" on the Pendelton website.
The second article cited Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp as ranking second and third in the sale of green power (through voluntary programs) to their customers. It is no surprise that clean power is important to Oregonians. We like to think of our hydroelectric power as "clean", and ignore or are unaware of the coal fired power sources in our grid. Anyway, it was an interesting piece of paying for green power. We started buying green power years ago. I hope your household has made that choice also.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Can Pets Really Help Sell Houses?
As you well know by now, I am a borderline crazy animal person. I have two dogs and two cats, oh yeah, and two foster cats in my guest room. But, I am well aware that when it comes to selling houses, it is usually best if pets arr not seen, or smelled, especially smelled.
A friend recently sent me a link to a New York Times article on how pets can help sell. The article talks about a few rare instances where having the right pet coincide with the right buyers can make a very positive and lasting impression. For some, an animal makes a place feel homey and welcoming. I’ve had a few of these experiences myself.
Many years ago, I listed a lovely, spacious home in Portland’s Eastmoreland neighborhood. My clients had two very large, very sweet and friendly male cats. These cats were ambassadors for the house. They’d tour with prospective buyers; rolling on the floor here and there to slow folks down and help them really feel the space. The eventual buyer was moving from Switzerland, and choosing to leave behind her aging cat rather than subject her to the stresses of quarantine. Was there any way, she asked, that the sellers might actually consider leaving the cats (her realtor was embarrassed to ask) My clients, as it turned out were moving to the east coast, but would be travelling awhile before settling down. They had been worried about how to transition “the boys”, and yes, they would consider leaving the cats. Now it is kind of odd that animals are considered belongings, or personal property. So just as our transaction included the refrigerator, it included the cats.
About ten years later (okay, so animals selling houses doesn’t happen everyday), I was showing a good friend and client several houses in Irvington. The kind of day when we really saw too many houses and they all blended together. Somewhere in the middle we say a great house, only two bedrooms, but it had a wonderful, spacious kitchen, sizable living room and other cool features. It also had a very large, very friendly, very white dog. The dog was quite energetic, so it wasn’t as if he was just some beautiful poser in the corner. He was front and center. And while my client didn’t even have a pet, the dog made a great impression and helped us remember this house distinctly. This house did NOT blend in with the others. My client bought that house (it was 1996 as he closed just days after my daughter was born), and to this day we still talk about ” that great dog”.
Never underestimate the power of a friendly, furry face.
A friend recently sent me a link to a New York Times article on how pets can help sell. The article talks about a few rare instances where having the right pet coincide with the right buyers can make a very positive and lasting impression. For some, an animal makes a place feel homey and welcoming. I’ve had a few of these experiences myself.
Many years ago, I listed a lovely, spacious home in Portland’s Eastmoreland neighborhood. My clients had two very large, very sweet and friendly male cats. These cats were ambassadors for the house. They’d tour with prospective buyers; rolling on the floor here and there to slow folks down and help them really feel the space. The eventual buyer was moving from Switzerland, and choosing to leave behind her aging cat rather than subject her to the stresses of quarantine. Was there any way, she asked, that the sellers might actually consider leaving the cats (her realtor was embarrassed to ask) My clients, as it turned out were moving to the east coast, but would be travelling awhile before settling down. They had been worried about how to transition “the boys”, and yes, they would consider leaving the cats. Now it is kind of odd that animals are considered belongings, or personal property. So just as our transaction included the refrigerator, it included the cats.
About ten years later (okay, so animals selling houses doesn’t happen everyday), I was showing a good friend and client several houses in Irvington. The kind of day when we really saw too many houses and they all blended together. Somewhere in the middle we say a great house, only two bedrooms, but it had a wonderful, spacious kitchen, sizable living room and other cool features. It also had a very large, very friendly, very white dog. The dog was quite energetic, so it wasn’t as if he was just some beautiful poser in the corner. He was front and center. And while my client didn’t even have a pet, the dog made a great impression and helped us remember this house distinctly. This house did NOT blend in with the others. My client bought that house (it was 1996 as he closed just days after my daughter was born), and to this day we still talk about ” that great dog”.
Never underestimate the power of a friendly, furry face.
Home Improvement, The Feline Way
As the days are getting warmer, and spring is in the air, our 20 pound cat, who was converted to an indoor cat over the winter WANTS OUT. NOW. So the idle plans we’d had for some sort of protected outdoor cat enclosure quickly became imperative.
First, some background. We live on a busy street and have been lucky not to lose any cats to the traffic. As our cats age, it seems we all have thwarted reality long enough. Guido, the twenty pounder, has been a neighborhood fixture; holding court on the front sidewalk, walking the dogs with us, going into other people’s houses and beating the crap out of their cats.
He has lived large long enough. The other bit of background is that my husband, Don, can build anything; just bring money and time. He is the champion of scope creep. More later on this.
It used to be most cats went outside, but for those coddled by little old ladies. And many never were let inside. Over time, we’ve all become a bit more indulgent of our pets, and veterinary science has told us loud and clear that indoor cats live longer, healthier lives than their outdoor relatives.
Meet the catio. The cat lovers’ answer to giving your cat a bit of outside space, safe from predators and the temptation to roam (or go in neighbor’s houses and beat the crap out of their cats). If you look at the history of home improvement trends, the catio is still in its infancy. Catios can be small or large, lavish or relatively inexpensive.
In my mind a catio should be large enough for humans to comfortably enter and interact with the cats; kind of like a patio (go figure). Below are a few pictures of a friend and client’s catio she had built on the home I sold her last winter. Truth be told, she chose this house in part for the good catio beginnings. I believe the project cost was several thousand dollars.
The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary puts a professional spin on their cat enclosures, but then they house hundreds of cats in groups settings spread over a number of buildings and enclosures:
Our cat enclosure is not a catio per se. As yet unfinished, even will done it will be a cat space, not a people space. It will be composed of a few modular pieces. The main part is pictured here on the back deck, and encompasses the “dog” house, which the cats have used exclusively since Don built it seven and a half years ago:
When complete, Guido will access this via a 24″ wide and high ramp out one of the dining room windows. The majority of this is built from steel 2″ by 2″ material of a pretty thick gauge. The material itself provides the structural strength. Construction is mostly welding. Once conceived, Don added a few gates for access to the litter box and such (scope creep). We expect we’ll build (Don will) more “modules” to go out other windows, though I expect this will be the largest. The budget for this first installation will reach about $400 including saw blades and grinding wheels.
To learn more about catios and see more examples, the New York Times wrote on catios here. And my friend, Kate Benjamin, of Modern Cat has an ongoing web page on catios here.
When making your next move, don’t forget to consider your animal friends!
Guido
He has lived large long enough. The other bit of background is that my husband, Don, can build anything; just bring money and time. He is the champion of scope creep. More later on this.
It used to be most cats went outside, but for those coddled by little old ladies. And many never were let inside. Over time, we’ve all become a bit more indulgent of our pets, and veterinary science has told us loud and clear that indoor cats live longer, healthier lives than their outdoor relatives.
Meet the catio. The cat lovers’ answer to giving your cat a bit of outside space, safe from predators and the temptation to roam (or go in neighbor’s houses and beat the crap out of their cats). If you look at the history of home improvement trends, the catio is still in its infancy. Catios can be small or large, lavish or relatively inexpensive.
In my mind a catio should be large enough for humans to comfortably enter and interact with the cats; kind of like a patio (go figure). Below are a few pictures of a friend and client’s catio she had built on the home I sold her last winter. Truth be told, she chose this house in part for the good catio beginnings. I believe the project cost was several thousand dollars.
Catio; no dogs allowed.
Cats enjoying the catio, furniture and all.
Best Friends Cat Enclosure
Don working on the cat enclosure.
To learn more about catios and see more examples, the New York Times wrote on catios here. And my friend, Kate Benjamin, of Modern Cat has an ongoing web page on catios here.
When making your next move, don’t forget to consider your animal friends!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Predicting Price Reductions in Portland?
Predicting Price Reductions in Portland?
Trulia, one of the real estate data aggregators, has come out with a new, Home Offer Report. The first report debuted March 31st, 2011; the end of the first quarter of this year. The report shows, by area and even zip code, how often prices of listed properties are reduced, what the average percentage of reductions is, and the probability of a second, or ensuing reduction.
Forbes, in conjunction with this report, issued a list of the top ten cities with the biggest price discounts:
#1 Phoenix, AZ
#2 Mesa, AZ
#3 Minneapolis, MN
#4 Long Beach, CA
#5 Baltimore, MD
#6 Oakland, CA
#7 Las Vegas, NV
#8 Sacramento, CA
#9 San Diego, CA
#10 Tucson, AZ
You can read the full Forbes article here
To access the Trulia interactive map go here. At a glance, I think the Trulia map looks reasonably accurate. As this is the first iteration of the report, further reports will speak to accuracy. Trulia projects this report will help buyers settle on offer prices by anticipating when and by how much a seller might reduce a property price. I’m not sure the data will be quite that accurate as every seller’s situation and motivation is different. I do though, find it an interesting tool.
Forbes, in conjunction with this report, issued a list of the top ten cities with the biggest price discounts:
#1 Phoenix, AZ
#2 Mesa, AZ
#3 Minneapolis, MN
#4 Long Beach, CA
#5 Baltimore, MD
#6 Oakland, CA
#7 Las Vegas, NV
#8 Sacramento, CA
#9 San Diego, CA
#10 Tucson, AZ
You can read the full Forbes article here
To access the Trulia interactive map go here. At a glance, I think the Trulia map looks reasonably accurate. As this is the first iteration of the report, further reports will speak to accuracy. Trulia projects this report will help buyers settle on offer prices by anticipating when and by how much a seller might reduce a property price. I’m not sure the data will be quite that accurate as every seller’s situation and motivation is different. I do though, find it an interesting tool.
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