The excitement in a past client's voice - 10/31/07 06:35 PM
Today I had a real joy talking to one of my past clients on the phone. I had called her a couple days ago to see if I could stop off, to see how things were going, and hadn't gotten a call back until today.
It seems my client, being from Arizona, had never been to the ocean, and her son had taken her to the beach for a few days. The excitement in her voice was something I normally only hear from kids when you announce we are going to the beach.
As an adult who has lived in Oregon … (13 comments)

Buying a home in Beaverton, Oregon despite having a low credit score is still possible with help - 10/31/07 12:54 AM
Are you a buyer that has had problems in the past, and your credit score has suffered for it, but you still want to be a part of the American Dream and own your own home? Then how about having someone on your side who would like to help you repair your credit and get you into a home.
I will tell you that it isn't easy and the best ally you have in your credit repair is time! Don't be conned out of thousands of dollars by these people you see on TV that say for $2500 they can make … (10 comments)

Clients Helping Clients - 10/30/07 12:38 PM
Last night, one of my clients decided that after the inspection, based on the watermarks on the sump pumphome, they were scared that the home may one day flood and with their luck, it just wasn't worth the risk.
They decided a home in a possible flood plain was too much risk for them. But, I had another client that I thought this home would be perfect for and I told them this. They said, "Feel free to show it to them."
In a gesture of kindness (the first buyer knew I was showing the home at 1pm) to the new … (6 comments)

Why I love Halloween – Sorry Kids! - 10/29/07 01:44 PM
I love Halloween and not just because I have to test candy to make sure it isn't dangerous. As all parents now the most dangerous candies are Butter Fingers, Chocolate Malt balls and Kit Kats.
But you also get the chance to have fun with the kids, even if they don't always like you taken pictures that you can use against them later. This is why I'm posting these pictures, so I can get them out there for the world to see before they can delete them from our hard drive.
I will update this blog after Halloween, but here … (20 comments)

I don't feel like typing Saturdays: Dog day afternoon - 10/27/07 07:50 PM
Sometimes a pile leaves can be used for more than just a compost pile, as our puppy figured out real quickafter a long day of playing with the kids.
Todd Clark - brokerKastings & AssociatesPhone: (503)524-9494Fax: (503)622-8739Todd@IFoundYourNewHome.comhttp://www.ifoundyournewhome.com/

UPDATE: We lost Midge the puppy in this picture in early February and she will be missed very much by everyone who met her. Thanks midge for the great memories and some even more unforgettable laughs.
… (21 comments)

U-Haul, not me-haul for pizza and beer - 10/27/07 11:54 AM
Well, I got another call today from a friend of mine who hasn't made the jump to owning a home and is planning a move back... home? Don't ask me how they can handle that at almost 40, but mom's basement must be fun!
Now, the call goes something like this...
Friend: What you doing this weekend?
Me: Showing some homes and holding a couple open houses. Why? What's up?
Friend: Oh, just moving back home with mom and dad and need some help moving. I've rented a U-haul and have invited everyone over for pizza and beer.
Me: Sorry, won't be able … (13 comments)

OK – I need your help (My daughter doesn’t believe me) - 10/26/07 05:57 PM
I've told my daughter that the tooth fairy has rules just like banks. She thinks I am pulling her leg, which I would never do! She started to lose another baby tooth last night and I told her that if she lost it after 5pm, like all banks, all transactions after 5pm have to wait until the next business day.
I've also told her that the Tooth Fairy only works Monday-Friday and shouldn't be expected to work weekends. How would you like it if you had to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Since it is always night … (26 comments)

What is your present to yourself for reaching your yearly goals? - 10/25/07 01:38 PM
Every year, I sit down with my family, and we set a goal for sales that I need to reach. When I reach that goal, we go on a family vacation. We take a picture of that goal and put it on my bedroom door and my bathroom mirror. This reminds me as I go to bed and when I get up what my goals are and that my family is counting on me reaching them.

The one on the outside of my bedroom door has a check list. Whenever I close a property we have one of the kids … (25 comments)

We were driving down I-5 in Portland and were passed by a caravan of fire trucks - 10/25/07 12:11 AM
My kids, loving fire trucks, thought this was the coolest thing seeing all these fire trucks pass us, but they wanted to know where they were all going. Neither my wife, nor I, had any idea, and so when we got home we decided to go to a local news channel and see if there was a large fire that we didn't know about.
Well, it turns out, we did know about the fire and they were on their way to it. It seems our local fire departments got together and are sending our local fire trucks and fire fighters to … (8 comments)

Commonwealth Lake Park in Beaverton, Oregon (Another reason to relocate) - 10/24/07 02:26 PM
Commonwealth Lake Park in Beaverton, Oregon is another attraction in Beaverton that the whole family can enjoy. The park is hidden within a neighborhood and is really difficult to find, and unless you know its there, you would never find it.
 
But, with its trout filled lake, walking paths, playground, soccer field, and nature you can get right darn close to, it has something for everyone. Its not often you can find a fishing spot within 5 minutes of home in a major city, but thanks to the City of Beaverton and their creation of Commonwealth lake, it gives you a … (6 comments)

Not claiming to be a great chef – But it is time for Halloween fun! - 10/23/07 10:52 AM
With me and cooking, you have a choice of three different dinner entrees: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, or Pancakes!
Well, with this being October, the kids got something special tonight. Ok, not really. It was just pancakes... orange pancakes... but they thought they were cool! So for dinner next week, I think I'll try to figure out how to make orange hamburgers.
Anyone know a good recipe or any other spooky halloween recipes I can make for my kids this next week?
 

 
Todd Clark - brokerKastings & AssociatesPhone: (503)524-9494Fax: (503)622-8739Todd@IFoundYourNewHome.comhttp://www.ifoundyournewhome.com/

… (3 comments)

My fishing partner is back in action! - 10/22/07 02:24 AM
Earlier this year I wrote a post about me losing my fishing partner to knee surgery. But, I'm happy to say, the doctors have cleared him to go fishing with me again and we are set for next week to head out to the lake for a boys day out.
My dad is my best friend and we talk everyday. We love fishing together and as soon as I can get my wife to realize that my job is catching them and her job is to clean and cook them we will be in good shape.
Insert wife comments here: "When … (13 comments)

Home Depot birthday parties are fun for everyone and they are FREE! - 10/21/07 04:19 PM
For my daughters 9th birthday she gave me a gift. She wanted a party that ended up costing .50 in gas and $1.92 in cupcakes. How did this happen? Well, have you ever heard of Home Depot's Kid's Workshops that they have every few Saturdays?
 
Home Depot also offers their Kid's Workshops to parents as a Birthday Party and it is completely free! They set up the table have people there to help the kids build a variety of things. (Bird house, Racing car, Fire truck, Tool box or a Plane.) You can have as few as two kids all … (29 comments)

I have the best neighbor anyone can ask for! - 10/20/07 03:24 PM
I'm living in an investment property of mine right now while I fix it up and sell the other 38 units in the condo conversion project for the owner. Well, I've heard of neighbors like this, but in the past 20 years of living on my own, I've never experienced it!
Let me tell you about my neighbor Bonnie! Bonnie is a wonderful 78 year young lady who has lived in the complex for the past 20 years and has never been late with her rent. The owner loves her so much as well, that he bought her unit and told her she could stay and … (14 comments)

Relocating to Oregon? Where do you want to work? - 10/20/07 11:15 AM
Are you thinking of moving to Oregon? I get calls once or twice a week from people that have seen my blogs about how beautiful Oregon is, and they are surprised. They had no idea, want to leave everything they have now, and make the move to Oregon. Hiking, Camping, Skiing and everything in between, are all here.
                  
But, what are they forgetting when they decide to make the move to Oregon? Where are they going to work? This is where I can help! I've built up a list of internet websites, depending on what type of work you want … (3 comments)

Relocating to Beaverton, Oregon consider the cost of living - 10/16/07 10:32 AM
Are you planning on moving to Beaverton, Oregon? If you answered yes, ask yourself, "How much do I need to make in order to afford the same house and life style I have presently?"
I have many people wanting to move to Beaverton, Oregon area because of its beauty and community spirit, but what they don't realize is that they just can't get the same home for the money that they could if they stayed where they are at.
I would love to help you move to Beaverton, Oregon and would love to help you find the perfect home, I just … (3 comments)

Halloween is here, what haunted house stories do you have? - 10/15/07 09:06 PM
I love Halloween and spend a lot of money to scare teenagers. (I try not to scare little kids.) But, this time of year you hear on the news of haunted houses and other strange things happening in houses.
My story comes back from my days as a DJ. It was a warm summer night and we were about to do the tossing of the bouquet from an upper balcony of the Queen Ann Victorian Mansion in Portland and the bride was standing next to me when the bride got hit by her bouquet from the balcony above.
Now, we were 15 feet … (4 comments)

I avoided it for 10 months and stayed hidden, but the MeMe Found me - 10/14/07 09:56 PM
I understand that the MeMe is a way to get to know your fellow Active Rainers and where they came from and what they are about. I also realize that after 400 blogs and being very open about me and my sense of humor, there probably isn't much more to say, so I will start at the beginning and then post the 5 things I think you may not know.
I was conceived in the summer of 1969, oh wait is that to far back? I'll move forward a few years. I began tohate school in the third grade, because of … (9 comments)

Greenway Park in Beaverton, Oregon - 10/14/07 12:12 AM

Greenway Park in Beaverton is a very large, 85+ acre, park in Beaverton, Oregon that is full of fun for everyone. Basketball courts, ADA approved trail access, Tennis Courts, Softball Fields, Soccer Fields, Playground Equipment and Restrooms.


This park is large enough that you could spend all day and never run out of things to look at or view. With trails that follow the Fanno Creek, and a large wildlife preserve, you can even sit all day and see wildlife that you normally don't see.


If you are even looking for a place to hold a … (10 comments)

Englewood Park in Tigard, Oregon - 10/14/07 12:12 AM

Englewood Park in Tigard, Oregon is a wonderful little park full walking and bike trails wide enough for everyone to enjoy year round, thanks to some recent improvements to the path that used to flood during the winter months.
This park features 3 play structures along its paths and many bridges crossing over Fanno Creek. It also gives you a view of one of the four of the old Tigard Windmills. (This one is missing the windmill, but still shows just some of the history of Tigard.)
The park is divided in to two sections, an east and west portion, but has … (2 comments)

Thank you City of Tigard - 10/14/07 12:11 AM
Recently I wrote a blog about some unfriendly visitors to the park behind the condo conversion project I am presently working on. We had a large Hornet's nest in a tree in Englewood Park and some workers from the city actually got stung. Click here to read that post
They had pointed this out to me while showing the property to avoid us from getting stung ourselves. After my client left, I saw some other workers down at the project. I found a worker and asked what was going to happen to the nest. They said they were going to spray … (3 comments)

Oregon's Columbia Gorge - What a sight - 10/13/07 05:34 PM
Yes it is true, I wore a leash everyday during the summer when I was toddler. You see, both my parents are teachers, and during the summer months my dad worked as a camp ranger in the Oneonta State Park and Campground.
The reason for the leash was, when I was one and a half, while hiking on these trails with my parents, I thought I would take an adventure that wasn't on the map. I fell off the trail and fell down a cliff onto a ledge. Lucky for me, I was stunned, and didn't move and fall the rest … (5 comments)

I broke two teeth and I don’t advise you try it! - 10/12/07 11:34 PM
If you have ever broken a tooth or even had tooth pain, you know that it never happens when it is convenient. Well, when I broke two molars, it was no exception! It was 7pm on Thursday night when I bit in to a Peanut Butter Cookie and a peanut decided to use itself as a wedge to divide my two molars and broke them both.
This was one very painful experience, and I was now in search of a way to alleviate my pain. I could not find a dentist that was open at 7pm and I was starting to get … (19 comments)

Don’t pull my finger – But, I do enjoy cutting the cheese - 10/11/07 12:54 AM
 
If you have ever been to Oregon then you know why I say this. We have one of the best cheese factories in the world with the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, Oregon. There is nothing like cutting off a fresh piece of Tillamook Cheese and either eating it plain or putting it on a cracker. I will also add that it makes for a great addition to a tasty buffalo burger cooked on a smoker in the backyard.
Today I was eating both medium cheddar and smoked cheddar and boy was it good. If you haven't experienced the taste of Tillamook … (18 comments)

Market prices are falling in Oregon? I don’t think so! - 10/08/07 12:58 PM
Buyers, please stop listening to the news! You are losing out on great deals, because you think the prices are dropping and you are wrong! The news is feeding you all these lies, and both the sellers and buyers are listening. Now there is a problem that has been created.
If you look at last years stats for home sales, there are 3,000 less homes on the market, because sellers are listening to the news and are afraid to put their homes on the market. Buyers are hearing the news and wanting to wait for prices to drop, and I can … (3 comments)

Avoiding PMI in Beaverton, Oregon – Buy a home that the owner is willing to carry the 2nd loan - 10/08/07 12:58 PM
 
Are you a buyer that is being told that your payment is going to be either $150 higher because you will need to carry PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance), or that it will be $75 higher if you carry a 2nd loan at 11-12%? There may be a better way for you to purchase a home, especially if the $75-$150 a month is the difference between the house of your dreams and settling.
This other option is having the seller do a 20% carry back. I don't advise most sellers to do a carry back because of the risk involved to … (0 comments)

If you are buying a manufactured home – Make sure you own the property underneath it! - 10/07/07 10:40 AM
There is something interesting going on here in the Washington County area and I'm sure it is happening in other parts of the United States as well.  But, I know how it is affecting people here, because it happened to my Grandmother! She was at least lucky and owned it 8 years before this happened and almost had it paid off and didn't lose any money.
What has been happening is people have been buying manufactured homes for $30,000-$40,000 in a park oron someone else's land. Then less than six months later the land is sold out from underneath them and they … (10 comments)

Yelling at the repair and showing it pictures didn’t work - 10/06/07 08:03 PM
Well, I am certainly a real estate agent and not a handy man. I can now admit this. I had a leak in ourbathroom sink and I thought I could save $45 by spending $4.99 on a used home depot self help repair book. I WAS WRONG!
I've now spent $45 + $12 in gas and the $4.99 for the used home depot self help repair book. No matter how many times I showed the sink the picture in the book and yelled at "SEE, THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE", it still leaked!
So, now I'm waiting for … (15 comments)

This one is going to be a little corny, but… - 10/06/07 12:21 AM
My wife thinks I'm a little weird! (NO COMMENT FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY!) You see, I like things such aspeanut butter and banana, and also peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. But, you know, you have to have something to drink those kinds of sandwiches down with, and thanks to a Washington company called Jones Soda, that has a knack for making up strange flavored soda's using pure cane sugar, I now have those drinks. But, for only the Halloween season.
You see, my wife was out shopping the other day, and came home with two new sodas for me to try. … (13 comments)

Washington County, Oregon’s great farming history through pictures - 10/04/07 09:59 PM
They say Oregon has a great history, and nothing says that better than the Barns of Washington County. They say a picture can tell say a thousand words, but I really wish these old barns could talk. Some of these old barns have been around since the gold rush. Others have seen their owners through world wars, the great depression, and other world conflicts. Yet, they still stand and do their job, not all of them look as good as the day they were built, but just the same, they are beautiful.
I love nothing more than driving around on a Sunday … (7 comments)

Lincoln City, Oregon, fun for the whole family - 10/04/07 06:14 PM
If you are looking for a fun day at the beach, or even looking for a great place to water ski during the summer months, then Lincoln City, Oregon is the place for you. You can head to the beach, the outlet stores, or even go fishing or skiing on Devils Lake.
Lincoln City has something for everyone when it comes to your beach visit. As you walk the beach you can find many treasures, and it truly is finder's keepers. The wonderful part about the beach at Lincoln City is how clean it is compared to most other beaches I've … (2 comments)

I WILL NOT DO IT – I guess I’m not a friend of the environment (Sorry) - 10/04/07 10:43 AM
he City of Portland is a great place to live, but sometimes I think they don't really think about what they areasking people to do. They ask everyone in Portland to bike to work at least one day a week.
Even though Portland was voted one of the top 10 bike cities in the United States, that doesn't mean that it smart to ask that. Have you ever been around someone who has biked even 5 miles? I wouldn't want to sit next to that at work all day. Most buildings don't come with a shower.
The next thing is with all that … (10 comments)

The fed’s lowering the interest rate doesn’t really help you qualify for a loan - 10/03/07 11:46 AM
I had four clients call me this week asking me, "Since the fed lowered interest rates this week, can I get atraditional loan?" Well, in a simple answer, "NO!"
I am willing to help these people work on their credit over the next couple years. But, if you couldn't getapproved for a loan last week, more than likely the feds lowering the interest rate isn't going to help you.
The only thing the fed's lowering interest rates can do for buyers is basically get them more home for theirdollar. You see with a ½ of a percent interest cut on a mortgage, … (3 comments)

A bunch of fruits helped sell this house to my buyers - 10/03/07 01:07 AM
Yep, the house was exactly the same as the one next door, but the difference was a bunch of fruits in the back yard. The backyard had grapes, apples, plums, and even an Asian pear tree.
This house wasn't anything special and neither was the neighborhood, but because this seller planted these items 15 years ago, today, it helped them sell their home! If you own a home and have the room for trees, and want pies or canned fruit, and want to increase the perceived value of your home in a few years, PLANT A TREE!
                  Apple Tree                      Asian … (15 comments)

I just got yelled at by a lady because I wouldn’t show her a house NOW! - 10/02/07 02:33 PM
I just had a lady call me on the phone to show her a couple houses out in an area where I have another listing. I asked her the normal questions and I asked her if she has an e-mail address so I can send her a couple other listings I think she might like.
She then said, "Well I'm working with another agent they are just not available right now!" I then proceeded to tell her, "That if she is working with an agent then she needs to contact her agent to show the home." She said, "But, she isn't … (39 comments)

Help your buyer while making it easier for the seller - 10/02/07 12:36 AM
When you have an inspection on a home do you just give the seller a repair addendum and call it a day? Then wait for their response and wait for the things to get done before close?
If you really want to make it easier for the seller to say yes to your repair addendum and make sure the work done is of a quality work, do what I do! I get three quotes from qualified individuals to have all the work on the repair addendum done and turn that in with the repair addendum.
This makes the repair addendum price … (9 comments)

Explaining a lease option in simple terms - 10/01/07 02:56 PM
I had a question this morning from someone who called about lease options after reading my articles here on Active Rain still didn't quite understand how they worked.
So I explained it this way...
At Christmas time, you have found the perfect toy at a great price but you can't afford it today, so you put 5% down to have the store hold the item at the present price until a certain date, when you can afford it.
But, if you don't buy the product by the date you agreed to pick it up by, the store keeps your 5% and … (8 comments)

 
Helping Families Home is a blog set up to help families find that perfect home for them. I have a family and I understand how hard it can be to find a home that everyone is happy with. Let me help you find that home and help your family home.


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