Living Beaverton - Your guide to everything Beaverton

The Academy Theater in Portland, Oregon, is a great little theater located at 7818 SE Stark Street and it takes you back in time to the late 40's and early 50's. They have completely remodeled it back to that time and it is absolutely beautiful.

Now to give you a little history, I first went to this theater by accident because I promised my daughter if she read the book, "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", I would take her to see it in the theater. But, the problem was when she finished it, it was already out of the major theaters and the Academy Theater was the only place showing it.

Now, when we got there, I was presently surprised at its charm, and the prices were even a bigger surprise and joy to my pocket book. You see, for adults the tickets were only $3 and for children under 12, only $2. So for a movie that I was expecting to pay $15 for, I ended up only having to spend $5 for my daughter and me.

We have now been there a few times and each time we get the same experience, nothing but good movies in a small little theater at great prices. Yesterday we went to see "Prince Caspian", the sequel to "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" and we took the whole family as it was so inexpensive. Having to only pay $12 for 5 people couldn't have seemed better to me, but when we got there, we were told it is Tuesday and tickets are buy one, get one free, so our total movie experience was $8! I can't even go see a movie by myself for that at a normal theater and here I was with 3 kids and my wife for that price.

Now, one of the things I love most about this theater is when there is a movie that is way too adult for my seven year old son and my four year old daughter, they offer baby sitting services for $7.50. Yep, you read that correctly. They offer baby sitting services, so there is never a reason I can't go see a movie with the whole family.

If you are ever in the Portland area and want to see great films at even better prices, I suggest you take a step back in time and visit the Academy Theater. You won't be disappointed.

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Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Have you ever had a strange experience with a listing agent? So strange that when you were done, just had that look on your face that asks, "Are you serious?"

Well, I can say I just recently had one of those experiences and even my buyer's called me afterward and asked if the agent was "Off her rocker". The sad part is, I couldn't disagree with them.

This agent was speaking for the seller and was trying to convince the buyers that they needed to sign a waiver on the home and that it was safe and didn't need permits. She said that she has known the seller for years and they wouldn't have lived there if they thought their family wasn't safe with the remodeling that was done.

What? They didn't need a permit because you have known them for a long time and they wouldn't have done them if they thought they were unsafe? I used to jump from the swings when I was a kid because I didn't think I would get hurt either. You know what? I was wrong despite what I thought before doing it!

There is a reason for the permit process, and it isn't for the people that think that they are going to do it unsafely. It is for everyone and I truly believe this agent was putting her license on the line, had it been a duel agency situation and she had convinced a potential buyer that permits were not needed and something in the future happened.

So, no matter how bad you want a sale, if permits are required, then permits are required! It doesn't matter how long you have known the sellers and how safe you feel the job they did was.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Photo courtesy of e-master

I think one of the easiest things to do to increase the curb appeal of your home is to paint it. Have you ever looked at an old car and see the paint is all chipped and primer is showing all over? What do you think of that car and the owner of the car?

Well, the same thing is being said about your home. When someone drives up to the house, in the first 30 seconds they have already decided if they are going to even go in or if they are going to buy it. Curb appeal is a very big thing when it comes to first impressions of a home. You never get a 2^nd chance at a good 1^st impression, so you had better make it count.

What do you think a buyer is doing when they are standing behind their Realtor waiting for them to get the key out of the keybox? I can tell you they are looking at the door and the paint on that home and looking for every flaw they can. So, a simple paint job to the door and the house can increase the likely hood of them buying the home.

For more information on painting your home, I suggest you call your local paint store and ask for professional help in picking what paint best will work for your home and fit within your budget.

I think painting the home is so important that I invite you to print the coupon below and take it to your local Shermin-Williams Paint store and save 20% on your paint to bring your house up to snuff, before you continue to sell. I'm betting that you will get more from your home if you paint it, than you would spend on the paint to do it, especially with this coupon.

Good luck and call me when you're done, I would love to see the finished painting and help you sell your home for top dollar and in the quickest amount of time.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Hammerle Park is a 5 acre plus park located in West Linn, right off Hwy 43. This park, during the hot summer days, is great for kids as it has a wading pool that is only about a foot deep, but to a hot child, that is all they need!

This park also has swings, slides, and two different sets of playground equipment, one for older kids and one for kids under three. (Personally, I love this, as usually younger kids get run over on the bigger equipment by older and faster kids.)

Located at the north end of the park they have a Tennis court for anyone to use, and on the North side, they have two baseball fields that are pretty well taken care of compared to some of the ones I've seen in recent years.

The park also has bathrooms, so no need to leave the park if the kids should have to go, and for those of you with kids, you know how frustrating that can be.

The park also features a covered area for picnicking. But on the summer weekends, you do need to reserve it, as the park can be rather busy.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Weasels Dancing in the Park has a live auction, raffle, and games for ferrets and their owners with all the proceeds go to the Oregon Ferret Shelter, a 100% no kill ferret shelter located in Oregon City, Oregon.

This year's event takes place at Hammerle Park in West Linn, Oregon, on July 27^th, 2008, from 10am-4pm, and as always admission to the event is free. Below is a map to Hammerle Park. If you click on it you can get point to point directions from Google.

For more information on the event you can either call the Oregon Ferret Shelter at 503-557-8369 or you can visit their website at www.OregonFerretShelter.com.

Look forward to seeing you there again this year. This is my 15^th year supporting the shelter and its great cause. If for some reason you can't attend, and would like to make a donation to the Oregon Ferret Shelter, please visit the donation page by clicking here. 

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Photo courtesy of jamie6784

I love Activerain and yesterday was just another reason to love it even more. I have a house listed that has some amazing history behind it and one of the things that was found during the remodel was some love letters written during World War II.

The Schiller Station home was an amazing home that was a stop along the Portland to Estacada rail line and the Schiller family built this home along the rail line in 1912 where they raised their five kids. In 1951, after all the kids had moved out, and even though some of the kids still lived in the neighborhood, they sold part of their farmland, along with the Schiller Station home, to a family with six kids.

Now, let's fast forward to 2008 where my client and builder brought this home back to life and now put it up for sale after four long years of work. The flyer box is outside and a friend of the family that moved in during the summer of 1951 drives by and grabs one of those flyers. One of things we advertised with this home was that we found a lot of things in the walls like magazines, post cards, and even some love letters from 1944.

I wrote a post about these on Activerain and when she searched for Schiller Station, she came up with my Activerain post about the home and the love letters. It seems the postcard that we thought was the Schiller's turned out to be of the Walker Family that moved in over the summer in 1951. The person who picked up the flyer recognized her friend from the picture on the postcard. She went to the website to see a larger picture so she could confirm that it was her friend's picture. She contacted her friend, who used to live in the house and told her what she had found.  The prior occupant of the house contacted me to see if she could get the postcard back.

The current owner, of course, agreed and last night we spent two hours walking through the home, found out what has changed in those 50+ years, and to our surprise she brought even more pictures of the home and her family to share with us. I will be getting copies from her soon.

Well, as we talked and showed her the post cards, we showed her the love letters since her last name matched the one on the cards. Guess what, those letters were being written to her mom from her father who had written them while at basic training in 1944.

Now, here is the awesome news about those love letters. Her mom is still alive and we have handed all the love letters over to her.  Her mom is going to be coming out in the next few weeks and we can't wait to walk her around the property and show her how good it looks now, and hopefully, even get some more stories about the house.

So, thanks to Activerain and the story of the love letters, love have found its way 64 years later, but the love letters have now been returned to their rightful owner and we couldn't be happier about it. I can't wait to write about how the showing goes with mom and what she thinks of the remodel.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Today is Friday, July 25, 2008 and it is time for another breakdown of homes sales in the Washington
County, Oregon market. This week the stats came out for June 2008 versus June 2007 and the numbers are pretty amazing. Despite an average drop in home sales in Washington County of 33.95% from last year at this time, the prices still rose and average of .62% from last year. This is an interesting situation, because even though we have less people buying, we also have less people selling. So what does this mean to buyers who think we are completely in a buyers market? It means you better act fast before the interest rates rise and you lose the home of your dreams to someone else who decides not to wait. I look forward to reporting this summers sales at the end of August and hopefully I will have some good news.

So, if you have a family home that you are thinking about selling, this is a great time to get it on the market!

Here is a breakdown of homes sales for the week by neighborhood. Just click on the link to your neighborhood for the complete breakdown of what the average of homes that are on the market, how long they have been on the market, how many have sold, what their average price was, and how long they were on the market.

As always, if you are looking to buy or sell in the Washington County, Oregon area, I would love to show you how you can save the most money by being on your side during the negotiations.

Neighborhood # of Active Listings

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Have you ever had a client say hi to you in a store, a movie theatre or maybe even a restaurant? Well, I know I have, but the other night one of my past clients scared me pretty darn good just to say hi.

It was 9:30 at night and we were driving down one of the local highways and came to a stop light. I was just looking at the light when out of the darkness came a knock on my window. It seems two cars back was one of my clients and she just wanted to say hi.

I told her, "You scared the crap out of me! You could have just called and said you were behind me!" Nope, she thought it would be more fun to scare good old Todd and say hi and wave to my family.

I'm glad my clients like me enough to want to say hi, but I think in the future I would prefer that they did it at a public place such as a store or a restaurant.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Photo courtesy of Cieleke

I'm proud to be the white trash of the room. I sit there in the corner of this house and do my job. Call me what you will, but I know that my job is more important than what my outside portrays. I have two siblings on each side of me and they are white trash also, but I'm the one that is really green on the inside.

You see, every Wednesday I'm taken out with my sibling to the curb, but unlike my siblings who fill the landfill, I'm filled with recycling that can be reused. I am truly green inside. I'm proud to be the white trash (can) that sits quietly, that looks like all the rest, but it is my green insides that make me the proudest in the room.

So, please don't judge me for being white trash, because on the inside, I'm really helping the environment. Tell your owners that they too can be proud of their white trash if they just remember to be green once a week and look for the items that have the recycling symbol on the bottom.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Recycling logo courtesy of scol22

Hey everyone, help me welcome Mona Makela, the owner of Heavenly Maid Cleaning Service to Activerain. I met Mona about 6 months ago when she and her crew were doing the cleaning at our condo conversion projects the day before clients were to move in.

She and her team came in and did a great job. They left the place move-in ready despite what they had to clean up after. They were left with a lot of construction dirt and debris, but they left that place spotless!

Now after talking to Mona and finding out more about her company I thought that leaving a place clean for someone would be enough of a service, but when she told me about her gift package that included a massage and a house cleaning for only $110, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

I've certainly been thinking that my wife might be getting some maid service this Christmas, but if you know someone who has a birthday coming up in the Portland area, can you think of a better idea of not having to clean the house on their birthday and while the house is getting cleaned they are getting a massage? (I know I can't)

So, if you are looking for some good affordable maid service then I suggest you look no further and give Mona a call.

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739