Tag: cheri harney

Lavender Fields Forever!

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Drink up the sun.

Summer is the season for a bounty of lavender flowers and that makes it the perfect time to try your hand at making homemade lavender tincture. A few drops of this delightful mixture transforms any drink into a crafted cocktail.

 

Bring your lavender dreams to life.

Gather a bundle of culinary-grade lavender and cut the excess stems off the flowers. Fill a large canning mason jar about 2/3 full of fresh lavender flowers. Top off the flowers with high proof alcohol. I used 80 proof Vodka for the high alcohol content, neutral flavor, and low price.

Be sure to use enough liquid to cover the flowers. Close the jar with a lid and place it in a cool, dark place. Every day you’ll need to shake the jar for about a minute. After two weeks, open the jar and check the fragrance.

Once you have a nice strong lavender fragrance you can strain out the flower debris and decant the tincture into storage jars. I’ve used coffee filters, cheesecloth, or muslin fabric for straining out the flowers.

I like to store it in dropper bottles so it’s easy to drop a bit of flavor into a cocktail. Dark tinted glass bottles are recommended to help preserve tinctures.

If you’re interested in visiting a lavender field to gather your own fresh blooms, you can check out Wayward Winds Lavender Farm in Newberg, OR. Their fields are scheduled to open July 1st with free admission.

 

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Tulips, as far as the eye can see.

Posted on by Living Room Realty

This Spring is a bit of a late bloomer.

While the constant showers and cloudy Pacific Northwest weather persist, you can catch a glimpse of Spring at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. This fabulous annual event has been running for 39 years, and my family and I have been happy attendees for the last 30. Here’s a throwback photo to one of our first trips.

Cheri Harney and her daughters at the tulip festival in the early 1990s.

This year, the festival runs from March 24 through April 30. With rows upon rows of blooming tulips, it’s a must-see attraction in Oregon.

Be sure to grab your tickets online before planning your trip. And check the bloom status field report to see which tulips are flowering. Since the weather has been a bit chilly, the field is a bit behind schedule. While there are currently tulips blooming, the best time to visit will probably be in mid-April.

Be sure to bring your kiddos and explore the family activities, food, and flowers for sale. While you can get fresh bouquets, you can also order some bulbs to grow at home.

Take a page out of my family’s book and embrace the Spring feeling with a trip to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival.

 

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Make 2023 merry and bright.

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Light up the new year.

We all know Portland in February can be dark and stormy. The Winter Light Festival offers a wonderful reason to get outside after dark and have some fun, whatever the weather. With bright, interactive displays, this festival combines art and technology in a family friend experience and takes place at numerous locations around the city.

My husband and I have enjoyed the festival in the past and always round out the evening with warm beverages in a cozy nearby bar. It’s always a great evening and I’m looking forward to this year’s event.

If you’re looking for something to do this winter, check out the 2023 Winter Light Festival. Mark your calendars for February 3-11, 2023, and don’t be afraid to brave the elements to experience the breathtaking colors, art, and performances!

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Yet another reason to love fall.

Posted on by Living Room Realty

It’s the hoppiest time of year.

As Autumn arrives in the Pacific Northwest, there are many reasons to welcome the change of season. Cooler temperatures and clear crisp evenings, football games, and fresh local produce are some of the things we enjoy in our house. But there is one sign of the season that especially excites my family – it’s FRESH HOP BEER SEASON!

If you’re unfamiliar with it, have no fear. Hops are green, cone-shaped flowers and are used to brew every single beer currently on the market. Over 90% of the hops grown in the United States are sourced from the Pacific Northwest. The harvest season is short, stretching from August into September. After harvest, the hop cones are usually kiln dried and made into dried pellets. Most beer in the world is made using dried hop pellets.

But during the fresh hop season, the hops are never dried. The brewers in Oregon have developed close relationships with many of the area growers and when the harvest begins, they race out to the fields to gather the freshest of cones to make fresh hop beer. The idea is to make beer within a few hours of harvesting the hops to make the freshest beer possible.

Fresh hop beers are unique. They are aromatic and flavorful. But they don’t age or travel well, so they need to be consumed quickly — that’s never an issue in our house! Breweries don’t send their fresh hop beers out of state. If you’re looking to sample a seasonal brew, you can find some canned at your favorite local grocery stores.

But the best place to sample fresh hop beer is at the brewery itself. Or get the full experience and try a bunch of them at the PDX Fresh Hops Festival at Oaks Park on September 30 and October 1.

Grab an heirloom tomato topped pizza, open a can of your favorite fresh hop beer, and be thankful you live in the best hop area of the world!

Cheers! Prost! Sláinte!

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Marvelous Milwaukie Bungalow

Posted on by Living Room Realty

3916 SE Jackson St, Milwaukie, OR 97222

RMLS #22030597

Price: $510,000

This adorable Milwaukie bungalow features four bedrooms and two updated bathrooms. French doors off the living room adjoin a room with beautiful natural light. This is a great space for a bedroom or family room.

The stylish lower level living space has a gas fireplace, kitchenette, two bedrooms with egress windows, and a bath/laundry room. The current owners used to rent the lower level as a permitted AirBnB. It has a separate exterior entry.

This fabulous home features many fresh updates including a new roof, gutters, siding, exterior paint, and radon mitigation system. The main floor bath is refurbished with new tile and vanity.

A covered front porch and back deck, a perennial garden, and raised beds in the front yard make for a comfortable, charming outdoor space.

All appliances, Gas BBQ and two Window AC units will stay with the house.

4 Bedroom | 2 Bath | Detached garage

Taxes: $4,490.67 (2021)
Square Feet: 1968
Lot siz: 0.11 ac
Home Energy Score: 6

 

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Fabulous Alberta Arts Four-Square

Posted on by Living Room Realty

4915 NE 15th Ave, Portland, OR 97211

RMLS #22371731

Price: $699,000

Lovely four-square in the vibrant Alberta Arts neighborhood offers Craftsman styling and charm of old Portland with gracious open concept living.

Gorgeous remodeled kitchen has custom alder cabinetry, stainless appliances, oak hardwood floors and a gas fireplace.

The upstairs bath features luxurious heated tile floors, restored clawfoot tub, dual sinks and marble counter. There’s also a lovely 1/2 bath on the main floor.

ADU potential in the unfinished full basement featuring side door access, laundry, and existing bath. More potential in unfinished 3rd floor attic with stairway access.

Large 2-car garage and long driveway with lots of parking, raised garden beds, fenced backyard, and an awesome front porch.

3 Bedroom | 2.1 Bath

Taxes: $2,406.04

Home Energy Score: 1
Walk Score: 93
Bike Score: 100

 

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Vintage NE Cutie with Detached Workshop / Flex Space

Posted on by Living Room Realty

1345 NE 63rd Ave, Portland, OR 97213

RMLS #22238205

Price: $425,000

This Vintage NE Cutie in Rose City Park neighborhood has charm and a classic front porch. The home is move-in ready and features an open layout with an updated kitchen, two bedrooms, and a combined bath/laundry all on one level.

The interior is freshly painted. All appliances will stay with the house, including two window air conditioners. The roof and sewer were both new in 2015.

Fabulous detached workshop/flex space offers 196 sq. ft. of potential. The shop was built in 2018 (no permits), is unheated, and has power. Buyers will have plenty of ideas on how to use this extra space.

There’s extra storage space in the foam insulated attic. Furnace and utilities are in the unfinished basement, which is accessed by an exterior door and has a dirt floor.

The yard is fully fenced with raised beds and a fire pit. The home is conveniently located just 0.3 mile away from the MAX station.

 

2 Bedroom | 1 Bath | 1391 Sq.ft. | 0.11 ac. lot

Taxes: $2595.83

Home Energy Score: 5
Transit Score: 67
Bike Score: 78

Schools: Rose City Park Elementary, Roseway Heights Middle, Leodis McDaniel HS

 

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Yay You’re Here!

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Getting keys from afar.

This cheerful doormat greeted me as I retrieved the keys for my buyers on their closing day.

Unfortunately, Claire and Jono are in the process of relocating and weren’t yet in town on Key Day. But we still celebrated!

They asked their dear friends (who are also past clients of mine) to stand in for them on the big day. We did a walk-thru, took lots of pictures, and celebrated long-distance with the new homeowners. But don’t worry, we’ll celebrate all over again when they pull-up in their moving truck. And the door mat will still be there to greet them with “Yay You’re Here” all over again.

Their charming bungalow style home was built in the 1920’s. While it’s not huge, it features the cozy fireplace, hardwood floors, and nicely updated home systems that will make it a wonderful place to settle in and call home.

Congratulations to these new homeowners!

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

When the stars align.

Posted on by Living Room Realty

We looked at only one house… and then Catherine bought it!

The house came on the market at the end of September. She saw the listing, got excited, and called her lender to get pre-approved. But wow, the house went pending immediately.

But the seed had been planted. She loved the idea of owning a home on a good sized piece of land, and being closer to her job in Oregon City. She started having visions of getting chickens — and maybe even a goat.

The house went pending so fast that she never got in to see it. But she did get her loan pre-approval process started.

Fortunately, the stars aligned just right. The day after her lender completed her financing pre-approval, Catherine’s dream house came back on the market. We hustled out to see it within hours. It was competitive. The home received multiple offers again, but Catherine wrote a strong offer and hers was the winner. From there, we moved into the home inspection process and negotiated a brand new roof.

The house sits on almost half an acre with an expansive yard, a kitchen garden, potting shed, space for chickens, covered outdoor patio, and so much more. There’s a big kitchen with huge windows overlooking the back garden. The home has a fireplace and hardwood floors. Admittedly, those floors aren’t in great shape but Catherine has the vision to know they’ll be beautiful once she gets to that project.

Congratulations to Catherine — and good luck with the chickens!

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

When the first house is the perfect house.

Posted on by Living Room Realty

While that’s not usually the case, sometimes you just get lucky.

 

Jenn and Paul were referred to me by their friends who are my past clients. We met up for a patio happy hour to get to know each other and discuss their wish list for a new home.

We covered the nitty-gritty details of home buying — including the process of identifying homes, touring, writing offers, and navigating home inspections. They hoped to find a house or condo located in walkable proximity to public transit for easy commuting to the South Waterfront, with at least 2 bedrooms, some outdoor space, and a kitchen worthy of someone who cooks professionally.

I set up customized daily Homesearch emails for them and we planned an outing to tour homes together. Then, they mentioned they had just seen a new Open House posting that looked intriguing. It was for a condo listed by one of my Living Room Realty coworkers. Paul and Jenn were excited to make that their first stop on the house hunt.

Well . . . it turns out that was their only stop! They loved it.

Fast forward a month and they have the keys to the cutest condo. And it checks ALL the boxes on their wish list. Congratulations and Welcome Home!

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Delayed Gratification is a Pain

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Congratulations to Emily, Patrick and Elliott!

Key Day is always a big deal, but these keys in particular were a big hit with little Elliott. With the keys to their new home in her hot little hands she was ready to unlock every door in sight!

Unfortunately, this little family won’t be moving in for a few weeks. One of the terms that helped get their offer accepted was an agreement to allow the seller to occupy the home after the closing date.

That delayed possession can be a little frustrating for excited new homeowners. But in this competitive market a willingness to provide sellers with that flexibility can help get your offer accepted.

I’ll be celebrating with with these happy homeowners again in a few weeks when they take possession of their home and finally get to use those keys on the front door.

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Dialed-in Darling in Montavilla

Posted on by Living Room Realty

8541 NE Hassalo St, Portland, OR 97220

RMLS #21305880

Price: $450,000

This delightfully dialed-in Montavilla home is stylish and move-in ready. The cheery, bright yellow door welcomes you into a lovely light-filled living space with hardwood floors, tasteful colors, and updated light fixtures. The large L-shaped living room area overlooks a beautiful front garden that’s cheerful even on a rainy day when water trickles down the rainchains at the front porch overhang.

The updated kitchen adjoins the dining area and features a tiled floor and stainless appliances, including a recently installed gas range. The kitchen window has a view to the backyard filled with seasonal plants and trees. Enjoy outdoor living and entertaining in this spacious fenced yard with concrete patio and pea gravel patio with a firepit. Start your foody garden in the raised beds and store your garden gear in the cute tool shed.

There’s a bedroom on the main floor and 2 more upstairs, all with hardwood floors and good-sized closets. The upstairs bedrooms have adorable window alcoves that face the front yard—one of them has a built-in window seat with wall-mounted bookshelves nearby. Current owners admit both their kitty and their baby will miss this cozy snuggle spot.

The laundry area is in the unfinished basement which is clean and freshly painted with nice ceiling height. There’s plenty of room for storage and whatever else you envision for the space.

Buyers will appreciate that the home has been nicely maintained and updated. The home exterior was professionally painted in 2020 and new air-conditioning was installed then as well. All appliances will stay with the home. The home has a gas furnace, double-paned vinyl replacement windows and insulation has been added in the attic. There is a radon mitigation system already installed in the home.

3 Bedroom | 1 Bath | 1705 Sq.ft.
0.13 ac. lot with fenced backyard

Built 1919
Taxes: $3073.05

Home Energy Score: 5
Bike Score: 96

Schools: Vestal Elementary, Roseway Heights Middle, Leodis McDaniel HS

Take the 3D Tour

 


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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Third Time’s a Charm!

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Try and try again.

Home-buying is competitive lately, but newlyweds, Eamon and Pam were successful with the 3rd offer they submitted. We went in strong with an offer at 5% over the listing price and they included a commitment to move forward with the purchase as long as the home appraised for at least the listing price. That did the trick. Inspections took place during the chaos of the February ice and snow. Despite the crazy weather we got the job done and negotiated seller credit to cover some important repairs for the home.

The South Tabor home has been owned by the same family for 90+ years, since it was built in 1930. There’s a nice big yard that overlooks another neighbor’s even larger yard. The setting almost feels like it backs up to a park. Rarely do we find a small home with grand house features like this one. The living room has charming leaded glass windows and a fabulous fireplace. Built-in cabinets add old-world charm. The bathroom is spacious with cool vintage tile and hardwood floors run throughout the main floor. Clearly the house has been lovingly cared for by it’s original owners, but there’s great potential for the buyers to invest some sweat equity and polish things up a bit. Maybe someday they’ll finish off the basement. But for now they are picking out paint colors, planning a garden and settling in nicely to the South Tabor neighborhood. Congratulations to my favorite pandemic newlyweds!

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

Just Listed! Contemporary Ranch in Mt. Tabor

Posted on by Living Room Realty

6135 SE Sherman St, Portland, OR 97215

RMLS #21480847

Price: $635,000

Lovely, updated daylight ranch in Mt. Tabor. Buyers will appreciate the fresh paint, new carpeting, laminate flooring, and updated bathrooms. Floor plan is convenient with 3 bedrooms and two baths on the main level. Primary bedroom has ensuite bath and french door access to the deck and backyard. Lower level includes a large family room, bedroom/office, full bath and laundry/multipurpose area. It would also make a great roommate space with the potential for separate living area. Great proximity to Mt. Tabor park, trails, reservoir, dog park, community garden, and bike routes.

Home Energy Score: 3
Bike Score: 81

4 Bedroom | 3 Bath | 2209 Sq.ft.
2 Car Garage | 5,000 Sq. ft. lot with fenced backyard

Built 1984
Taxes: $6,416

Take the 3D Tour

 

floor plan

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Interested in making Portland your home?

Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.

A Homebuyer’s Journey

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Jon and Katie just bought a great house. It wasn’t quick or easy, but they scored a win in the end!

Over the course of 6 months they wrote 6 offers. Cash buyers kept edging them out of winning position. Jon and Katie were doing all the right things. They made strong offers and wrote personal letters to the homeowners and they worked with a great local lender. We tailored their offers to meet the sellers needs and schedules. We’ve all heard the phrase “Cash is King,” and that is a reality for homebuyers!

Sellers tend to favor cash buyers because a deal can close quickly without the challenges that sometimes occur with lenders, appraisals, and loan underwriters. Jon and Katie persevered with resilience and an optimistic attitude. They had a clear vision of what they wanted in a house and where they wanted to live. They appreciate old home style and character, and they were drawn to the Alameda neighborhood in NE Portland where Jon grew up.

In the end they were rewarded with the keys to a nicely updated Alameda home with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and a beautiful, private garden. Congratulations and welcome home!

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Interested in making Portland your home? Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.