St. Johns is very charming and affordable right now, but I worry about the population increasing and traffic becoming an issue, due to the limited number of ways to get in and out.
Here's a history of North and NE Portland with great photos- http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/91416 It was commissioned by PSU's Urban Planning program in 1990 and doesn't do justice to the devastating effect that the back-to-back construction of I-5, Memorial Colosseum, Portland Public Schools Headquarters, and the expansion of Legacy Emanuel had on the African American community. Literally hundreds of houses and businesses were razed in the name of immanent domain and urban development. The heart of the Albina community- a stretch of prosperous businesses near N. Russell- were razed for a hospital project that never came to fruition. That was 40-ish years ago and the site remains a vacant lot. The PDC was a real villain in all of this- justifying the demolition of whole swaths of neighborhood in the name of driving out "blight" that was essentially the result of racist housing (& employment!) policies developed by- yup- the PDC in conjunction with banks and the real estate industry. Plus drugs plus poverty.
Still, the document is interesting- waves of immigrants cycling through over many generations. Great photos of houses and businesses that are long gone.
Things that have gone wrong with my house since 1yr ago:
1. Upstairs fridge broke (repair people called) 2. Upstairs microwave broke (repair people called) 3. Downstairs fridge broke (they had to haul it back to warehouse) 4. Heat went out (repair guy called) 5. Plumbing backed up in the basement (plumber called)
All of the above (including plumbing) was BRAND NEW as of one year ago.
The newest: water seems to be seeping up through the floors in the basement.
Just throwin' it out there for all you non-home-owners. There are perks to renting.
We still don't have a dining table / chairs, or seating for the living room area. Curtains still halfway there. Fireplace not in service yet. Boxes around. No washer/dryer (need new outlet), laundry situation chaotic. Furnace needs fine tuning so it's not venting gas smell when it starts up...
Can you even imagine being a single mom or dad with house, job, and like 3 children? It boggles my mind. How on earth. Yet there are so many out there, right?
I saw my cousin who has a house and job and kids tonight and I said the same thing to her. Also told freddy I couldn't see how there's enough time to do all that.
Super not stoked to discover my cat has been peeing on the rug my friend gave us. Rug ruined and now I have black stains on my newly refinished hardwood floors.
There's no way there is enough time to both work full time, have a kid, and a house. It is insane that basically everyone somehow does this. There is NO WAY.
My parents both worked way more than full time (dad owned small town newspaper; literally never stopped working), had 2 kids, and not only had a house but had a weird house they'd built themselves with a totally idiosyncratic solar-power system that took an unimaginable amount of jerry-rigging and management, plus the house was in the middle of nowhere and lots of times we had to walk 3 miles in the snow just to get to it, and then the power would be out when we got there and they'd be out in the garage with flashlights. Somehow my brother and I were always fed and cared for gently. It is impossible. I can barely walk my dog
All that being said, I REALLY like the look of this house and it's in a cool neighborhood (I would not have thought the neighborhood was that cool until I, myself, moved close to it).
House! Comes with nice downstairs tenants. Is anybody totally rich and wanting to be our neighbors/landlords?
Ugh, don't want to move.
Also, why are all real-estate photos horribly distorted? I mean, our place already looks big, you don't need to make it look like a terrifying funhouse.
I would buy this house kick you out gut it put a single bed in the middle of the ground floor and one skylight in the roof way above and stare out at the night and think about how cool it is to be a millionaire
Comments
I love St. Johns. Would totally live there if I had a car
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/56617
Still, the document is interesting- waves of immigrants cycling through over many generations. Great photos of houses and businesses that are long gone.
http://www.redfin.com/OR/Portland/5930-SE-Lafayette-St-97206/home/26549092
http://www.redfin.com/OR/Portland/6213-N-Michigan-Ave-97217/home/26304671
Also, cute little house in NoPo for $240k:
http://www.redfin.com/real-estate#!time_on_market_range=1-&v=8&sst=&lat=45.55737015950881&long=-122.64995333620503&zoomLevel=12®ion_id=30772®ion_type=6&market=oregon
I like this Lair Hill Victorian:
http://www.redfin.com/OR/Portland/3410-SW-Water-Ave-97239/home/26495071
http://homes.mthoodrealestate.net/idx/details/homes/a001/13193450/21323-E-PARKWAY-AVE-Rhododendron-OR-97049
Who's in to split?
Things that have gone wrong with my house since 1yr ago:
1. Upstairs fridge broke (repair people called)
2. Upstairs microwave broke (repair people called)
3. Downstairs fridge broke (they had to haul it back to warehouse)
4. Heat went out (repair guy called)
5. Plumbing backed up in the basement (plumber called)
All of the above (including plumbing) was BRAND NEW as of one year ago.
The newest: water seems to be seeping up through the floors in the basement.
Just throwin' it out there for all you non-home-owners. There are perks to renting.
WHAT KIND OF A GOD WOULD ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN?
My parents both worked way more than full time (dad owned small town newspaper; literally never stopped working), had 2 kids, and not only had a house but had a weird house they'd built themselves with a totally idiosyncratic solar-power system that took an unimaginable amount of jerry-rigging and management, plus the house was in the middle of nowhere and lots of times we had to walk 3 miles in the snow just to get to it, and then the power would be out when we got there and they'd be out in the garage with flashlights. Somehow my brother and I were always fed and cared for gently. It is impossible. I can barely walk my dog
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
http://www.redfin.com/OR/Portland/6123-NE-35th-Pl-97211/home/25806487
Perhaps I like this house because of the yellow door.
http://www.redfin.com/OR/Portland/4134-N-Michigan-Ave-97217/home/26364555
We're for sale!
House! Comes with nice downstairs tenants. Is anybody totally rich and wanting to be our neighbors/landlords?
Ugh, don't want to move.
Also, why are all real-estate photos horribly distorted? I mean, our place already looks big, you don't need to make it look like a terrifying funhouse.
I'd like to point out that I knew their house was for sale before they did.
(Actually, that is a lie. But I did send them an email today making sure they were aware of it. They were.)
kick you out
gut it
put a single bed in the middle of the ground floor
and one skylight in the roof way above
and stare out at the night
and think about how cool it is to be a millionaire
NOTE THAT THE WORD ARCHITECTURE IS CAPITALIZED. THAT IS BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT! ALSO, CHARCUTERIE VARMINTS IS KIND OF GROSS.
http://www.redfin.com/OR/Portland/7803-N-Wall-Ave-97203/home/26457329
http://www.redfin.com/OR/Portland/849-N-Farragut-St-97217/home/26614759
So cheap. Definitely needs a new roof, but it's hard to find anything at this price, even tiny fixer uppers.
http://www.redfin.com/OR/Portland/7661-N-Omaha-Ave-97217/home/26448756