Preventative Steps for Surviving a Natural Disaster

It’s getting harder and harder to ignore the need for preparing for natural disasters and climate change-related events. This recent article in Sunset does a great job of giving you a quick overview of the best ways to prep for these events.

“Considering the array of catastrophes that the West is prone to—earthquakes, wildfires, floods, even tsunamis—can be overwhelming. While it’s true that we can’t prevent or even forecast these events, we can prepare for them, and that act can bring some peace of mind. And of course, you’ll be glad you did if the unthinkable should happen.

To make that process less overwhelming, we’ve compiled lists of all the essentials to stock and how to prepare for each type of emergency.”

Photos of Portland in the early 1900s

Stumbled upon a fascinating collection of street scene photos from the early 1900’s.

Check it out HERE.

The entire Earth In The Past web site is a rabbit hole of totally random photos-organized by region-from the early days of photography. It’s well worth a look!

Portland on my Mind's Holiday Event Calendar

Have you explored my December events calendar yet? Highly curated and chock full of all of the events we love to attend every year, such as The Tony Starlight Christmas Show or A Pittock Mansion Christmas, or new experiences we’re curious about (Twin Peaks Party, anyone?) Check out some of the fun and interesting happenings this month, and maybe I’ll see you at The Festival of the Last Minute at Saturday Market, or the screening of The Christmas Story at The Hollywood Theater.

Peruse our events for December. January and February are coming soon!

HOWNW.com

HOWNW.com™ is a free public resource for home buyers. It “was launched in 2008 as a public service website that provides real answers to common home buying questions.”

More from their web site:

The website includes a searchable, multi-lingual database of homebuying programs that are offered for homebuyers in the Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington County areas. Homebuyers may enter the area they wish to live in, number of people in their household, and their annual income to discover what financial programs and resources are available to help them become homeowners.

The website walks consumers through the homebuying process from start to finish and includes features such as a payment calculator, information on finding a loan, searching for a home, a real estate glossary and much more. In addition, information on consumer issues such as avoiding foreclosure, predatory lending, finding a healthy home, and credit is provided to help educate all consumers, including potential homebuyers.

Homebuyers may also turn to HOWNW.com™ for a list of homebuyer education and financial preparedness classes offered by our community partners that meet the requirements for homebuyer counseling required by some loan and assistance programs.

More Info…

ADU's are a Game Changer for Homeowners, Communities

From Realtor Magazine:

“Backyards with extra space are being used beyond gardening and recreation. Small, detached structures or attached apartments offer the essentials of a home for extended family, caregivers, or paying tenants.

Homeowners are recognizing the untapped potential of maximizing a property’s square footage by converting unused areas into living space. Basements and attics have long been hot spots for these transformations, but now so are backyards. Accessory dwelling units—small, detached outdoor structures built for living quarters—are sparking nationwide interest.”

Read More…

Old Portland firehouse, built to hold horse-drawn trucks, is now a home...

In a related story to one we posted in the blog last week, this article explores a beautiful conversion from an old firehouse to a home.

From OregonLive: “Karla Pearlstein lives in a fire station. She’s not a firefighter, but an expert in restoring historic homes. This one just happened to be built in 1912 as a firehouse.

Today, carriage doors swing wide to welcome friends. Originally, they flew open to let firemen, riding a horse-drawn ladder truck and steam pumper, respond when a ticker-tape telegraph flashed an alert.

Fire Station No. 17 in Northwest Portland’s Nob Hill sheltered five horses in stalls behind the engine room on the ground floor, and about a half dozen firefighters upstairs.”

Read More…

Home Winterization Tips

Winter is Coming! Check out these helpful tips and make sure you’re prepared for the coming weather changes.

The Secrets of Your Garage

The crazy history of Portland’s car shelters

A brief history of how horse stables attached to homes became garages became living spaces, then became garages again. And in the final twist, in some instances, are being turned back into tiny ADU’s…

“A car is not a horse, and it doesn’t need a barn. Cars are built well enough now so that they do not require elaborate shelter,” said Frank Lloyd Wright, who integrated a carport in his Usonian plans, including the Gordon House in Silverton.

Check out the article recently published in The Oregonian.