A Safe Halloween in Gladstone! - 10/30/08 11:17 PM
Have a safe and enjoyable Halloween this year, and come visit our wonderful little community!
The Gladstone Fire Department will be hosting an open house on October 31st from

6:00-8:00 p.m.for your trick-or-treaters to stop by for treats and a tour of the fire
station and vehicles. Come visit, let the kids meet the firefighters and honk the horns and have some fun!  The Gladstone Library will also stay open until 7:00 p.m. on
Friday, October 31st so kids and parents have an additional safe
place to trick or treat on Halloween. Come visit before or after
you visit the Gladstone Fire Station open … (0 comments)

Totally Useless Facts! - 10/30/08 11:02 PM
Totally Useless Facts...For your procastinationing pleasure!
The "pound" key on your keyboard (#) is called an octotroph.  
 The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.  
The "dot" over the letter "i" is called a tittle.  
Table tennis balls have been known to travel off the paddle at speeds up to 160 km/hr.  
 Pepsi originally contained pepsin, thus the name.  
The original story from "Tales of 1001 Arabian Nights" begins, "Aladdin was a little Chinese boy."  
Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.  
Honey is the only natural food that … (14 comments)

Go Green for the Holiday Season! - 10/30/08 09:28 PM
Some Tips on How to Reduce Waste over the Holidays:
The holidays are a time for exchanging gifts but this year, give more, waste less and lighten the load for Santa's clean up crew! Some suggestions for a less-wasteful holiday season:
Give homemade gifts, such as cookies, handcrafts, or framed photos.
Give entertainment, such as museum memberships; tickets to movies, theater,
concerts, or sporting events; gift
certificates to a favorite restaurant.
Give learning, such as language or music lessons; classes in cooking,
photography,
or other favorite hobbies.
 Give your time or talent, such as baby-sitting, pet-sitting, computer help,
or home repairs.
… (0 comments)

10 Real Estate Myths Debunked - 10/29/08 08:02 PM
This is a helpful article I found viz Rismedia!
RISMEDIA, Oct. 29, 2008-With mortgage meltdowns, plummeting home prices and soaring foreclosure rates constantly in the news, it's no wonder people are wary of the housing market these days. But contrary to popular belief, things are not as dismal as they seem, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors. Yun debunks 10 commonly held beliefs about the current housing market, and FrontDoor.com offers 10 related tips.
1. Peak-to-trough home price declines to date have been about 20%. Wrong. Measurements of home price declines can be skewed depending … (1 comments)

101 Ways to Save! - 10/22/08 09:32 PM
I got this very helpful article via RISMedia, a very helpful Site!
RISMEDIA, Oct. 21, 2008-(MCT)-Food is expensive, gas remains stubbornly high and winter's big heating bills are coming. Since loans are tough to get and our retirement funds are shrinking fast as the stock market crashes, we thought we'd share some old-fashioned penny-pinching tips.
Some come from readers who responded to a business reporter's request for suggestions. Others come from the misers on our staff. And a few come from rules our mothers taught us or hints we've read over the years.
Of course, one person's "don't need that" is … (4 comments)

September Market Report - 10/16/08 11:42 PM

Via Tony and Libby Kelly, CRS, ABR, ePro, SRES, CLHMS, CNHS:
September Residential Highlights
While sales activity in the Portland metro area continues to slide, the slope of the decline leveled off a bit in September. From August to September, closed sales have averaged a 12.9% decrease over the last five years. This year, however, closed sales only fell 7.3% (1,640 v. 1,770) from August to September. Pending sales dropped 10.6% (1,705 v. 1,908). New listings also decreased 4.5% (4,200 v. 4,398). Similarly, comparing September this year with September 2007, pending sales are down 11.7% and closed sales dropped 12.1% (see table … (0 comments)

Condo sales decline in Portland... No worries, it could be a good thing - 10/12/08 12:14 PM

Via Sara Goodwin - Portland, Oregon Appraiser:
Portland Oregon was rather late to grasp the idea of condos. It wasn't until the mid 1990s when some developers started reviving the old downtown warehouses into upscale condominiums that people started to eat up the idea of the urban life style.  And then their popularity sky-rocketed.  Around the clock eateries, gyms and shopping starting filling in on the ground floors and the old and young alike left their cars in the suburbs and moved to the city.  The views, the convenience, the culture... it all fit.  Downtown living was hip with a six zero … (0 comments)

2008 Consolidations make for great investments - 10/12/08 11:56 AM

Via Fred Chamberlin - Eugene/Springfield's #1 Experienced FHA Mortgage Consultant:
Investment tips for 2008            With all the turmoil in the market today and the collapse of Lehman Bros and Acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America this might be some good advice.  For all of you with any money left, be aware of the next expected mergers so that you can get in on the ground floor and make some BIG bucks.             Watch for these consolidations  later this year:             1.) Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W R Grace Co. Will merge and become:            Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.             2.) Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers … (0 comments)

Some fun Oregon tidbits! - 10/05/08 12:11 AM
Total population for Oregon? Think you can guess? (this is based on 2006 figures)....
3,700,758!!!!! To put into perspective....the population of California (for 2006) was 36,553,215!
1,833,458 of the Oregonians were male, while 1,867,300 were female! (that's right boys....we're building our team!)
The median age was 37.6, with the majority being between the age group of 18 and over (pre-retirement)
The total housing units? 1,586,600! (that seems like a bit of potential...huh folks?)
The housing occupancy was 1,449,662, with 136,938 that were vacant!
The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5, while the rental vacancy rate was 5.6
Some other facts that I … (1 comments)

Why work with a REALTOR®? - 10/03/08 11:39 PM
So I have this on my personal brochures and have received a lot of positive feedback from people saying it had items in it they would not have thought of in the first place. So I share with you all!

… (14 comments)

Giving your pet a pill....we've all been there! (humor) - 10/02/08 05:57 AM
As I sit here at 3:55 in the morning, wide awake, I come across a joke that makes me realize that I am laughing out loud, as suppose to inside my head, and I might wanna be quiet, so I am sharing this joy for you all, so you can laugh out loud too! (hopefully it will be a good start to your day, and not the end of one like mine);)
How To Give Your Pet A Pill...
How To Give Your Cat A Pill:
1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as … (7 comments)

Think pink...let's all do one small action to help! - 10/02/08 02:35 AM
 I'd like to remind all that  it is Cancer Awareness Month and make sure and to spread  the word.   Please I encourage you to reblog this or even forward this post to your friends and loved ones. 
This disease touches so many and changes lives forever..we can do the same but in a positive way! 
Help me Fight Cancer...the reality is there is a good chance someone you love will be affected by this disease. Please take the time and read this email. 

You never know...by following the instructions you might save a human life! 
SPREAD THE … (4 comments)