Team Green PDX Asks/ Portlanders Answer, Part I

Team Green PDX gets cozy with several Portland residents about home buying.  Our first interviewee is Matthew Cuda, an MBA/ Environmental Scientist.  He currently rents and lives on the eastside.  He may or may not enjoy long walks on the beach. 

Q:  What is appealing to you about owning your own place?

A:  The appeal to owning my own place is that it would actually be mine and that I could make changes to it that suit me. For instance, in my current rental I have this tiny kitchen sink that is not very deep. Water splashes everywhere and it makes it a pain to wash large dishes. If I owned my place, I would be willing to invest into a sink that is functional. The other appeal to owning my own place is knowing that the money I pay each month to a mortgage is going towards something I could own one day (an investment). I like the idea of having the control and security to make changes and not have to worry about an increase in rent or having to move.  

Q:  What is scary about it?

A:  The commitment is probably what scares me the most. I think I could get past the idea of a huge loan, but feeling like I couldn’t move or change jobs easily scares me. Another fear is that relates to the commitment of owning a home is what if I can’t make the payments. My whole idea has been to have a job that I “liked” and was stable to make me feel good about buying a home. There are plenty of nice homes on the market that are within my price range, but I just am not confident with the overall job market. It’s the fear of the unknown……….

Q:  What is your ultimate dream home?

A:  A dream home? Or a home I could afford?  I would love to have a house with a nice size landscaped yard, a nice large patio, a fire pit, and even a pool J.  I would like to have 3-4 bedrooms with 2+ baths and a large garage. I would love to have a house that was 2 stories’, including a basement. I like the character of an older home that has been updated but am open to new construction as well. The Laurelhurst neighborhood with its craftsman style homes and large porches are very appealing. I think I could definitely find a dream place there! Overall I want a house with nice outdoor space as well as good indoor entertaining space where you don’t feel cramped. I could go on and on about other things I would find in a dream home if I had the opportunity.

Q:  What do you picture buying for your first house?

A:  I picture buying an older home (or condo) with some outdoor space. I definitely don’t picture myself purchasing a home that is fully updated with all the amenities and finishes I would like but probably something that is nice, livable, and a work in progress. I have seen some homes on the market that have the basic updates like windows, siding, carpets/flooring that are affordable. I don’t want to buy some place that requires a ton of work or that I won’t be happy in until I make changes.

Q:  Do you feel adequately educated on the process?

A:  Not really….. I have talked with a number of first time buyers and I think until I really commit to finding a place I won’t become better educated. I lack the knowledge of what I can afford and how much a monthly payment would be at each price range. I definitely feel I have more to learn.

Q:  Any advice on renting/ buying for your lil’ brothers and sisters (those coming up behind you)?

No advice on buying obviously but renting, I would say rent in areas that you think you may want to buy in at some point. Make sure you realize that if you are in a long-term rental that it may be worthwhile to buy.

Thanks Matt for your candid input; your dream house sounds pretty rad!  Here's a cute Laurelhurst home that may fulfill some of those Matt's wishes...now we just need to fix the job market!

Trying to Sing in the Rain

Commuting can be such a drag, especially by car.  Biking in the rain can get old pretty fast too.  Any way you travel, four-way stops are completely exasperating in this town, which is why we LOVE that Pemco commercial about them.  Luckily our lauded transit program TriMet is trying to make getting from point A to point B sans car just a tad easier.  They recently launched an improved multi-mode trip planner (pretty cool, indeed).  It still doesn't change the grim fact that Erin's commute via public transit would take (drum roll please)...121 minutes not including a 1/2 mile walk up a ginormous hill.  That works out to be slightly over 14 minutes per mile traveled, pretty close to the speed of walking.  Besides the obvious singing along with the radio, what other ways are there to brighten a dreary commute? 

PDX to get a farmers market in the "other season"

The article headline announces that Portland will have a winter farmers market starting January 2012.  We think winter seems a bit strong to describe the wet, damp, drippy, gray, drizzly weather of PDX.  Misusing the word winter might make winter feel really bad about itself.  At any rate, we are exuberant over the news.  A) It puts a solid reason to get excited about January (okay, maybe help lessen the dark, wet post-holiday gloom is more accurate and B) The market will have meat, fish, cheese, and sweets!  Oh, and some winter produce.

Just another thing to add to list of reasons we all love Portland so much that we are 100% completely okay with the winter weather in PDX!

We think Meadows could have a rad winter farmers market

    

Easing into the Coze

Welcome Fall!  Maybe we are jumping the gun a wee bit, but there are definitely boots and sweaters in the office today.  Not that we aren’t excited to see the sun (it really is gorgeous out there right now) but, you know, boots, sweaters, wool dresses, and tights all absolutely, definitively trump rumpled sundresses.  This time of year is always probably going to be a big yay for clothes, but always feels a little melancholy.  That’s okay – console your inner angst with autumnal strolls through Forest Park or on Mt. Hood, yummy treats, and much, much better outfits.  There are plenty of activities to ease you into our “cozy” (and longest) season.  One happening has caught our interest is the upcoming fundraiser for In Other Words feminist bookstore and community center; you may be familiar with the site as the bookstore that is home to several sketches on Portlandia.  Not sure if Fred and Carrie will be at the October 6th fundraiser like they were for the August event, but there will be music, raffles, food, and beverages.    

 

we could order that for you; it'll take a year to get here

We were also thinking about going to GoGreen next Tuesday, but collectively our team has already been to several green business events or continuing education courses this year.  And we already have the big ones booked for next year.  If you go, fill us in on the extra special bits!     

Carefree, CarFree

Today marks another World Carfree Day (WCD, as some call it, ugh acronyms).  For many of us, participation in this event is hard if not impossible without calling in "carfree" from work.  Portland is absolutely a great place to walk, cycle, or use public transit to get to work.  However, in America, a relatively recently developed country, we have LOTS of infrastructure built for automobiles.  Driving and certainly parking in Europe is not nearly as easy or fun as driving in the US.  (Yes, there are some scary stories around this experience.)  Like Elaine from Seinfeld, we tend to prefer the luxury of wide lanes/ streets.  Which has always made us wonder - are insurance rates a lot higher in places with tiny, cobbled streets and kamikaze pedestrians??

For some of us lucky enough to have some flexibility in our work lives, enjoy steering clear of the hassle of driving today:  traffic, running out of gas, road rage, pesky curbs, shiny distractions.  Instead dust off the good old legs for a tune-up; it is amazing how much neglect they can take and still work.  If there isn't really a feasible way to stay away from the car today, we think picking your own day this weekend to avoid the metal beast (or tin can whatever the case may be) would be a great way to participate in CarFree Day.  Actually, creating your own personal CarFree Day might get you some sort of bonus points...

parallel parking nightmare

These boots were made for walking

We love to help people find the perfect place to nest.  For many souls in the Pacific NW, a neighborhood needs to be walkable to truly feel like home.  One fun way to discover the most walkable communities is by hoofing it all over town!  For those of us that aren't made of time, walkscore is a great way to explore the walkability of your hood (remember how much more exercise we got before the information superhighway?).  You can also check out cities you are contemplating living in or visiting.  For kicks, we checked out three of our home addresses...we are proud to announce that one of our very own teammates lives in a 100 out of 100 "walker's paradise" here in PDX.  As you may have guessed, it is a downtown address.  If you are unhappy with the lack of pedestrian-friendly thoroughfares in your little corner of the world, you can always help foster change.  For those of us in or near Portland, the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition is a wonderful and effective way to get involved.  If you have been enjoying the new bike lanes and crosswalks on N. Rosa Parks near Peninsula Park, you can stop by to thank Erin as she contributed to the RFP with some telling photos!

MFNW and then

Looks like tonight starts off Music Fest NW.  It always so tough to decide which shows to try to see.  The last time we tried to hit one, we must have chosen well because we got nowhere near getting in the door.  Here's what this year brings.  If you are feeling too old (or just too cozy in your phat pad) maybe next week's Heart & Def Leppard event is more your speed!  Not feeling in the mood for music?  No problem, Def Leppard gives a mean in service on being denim-clad :)

hipsters