Welcome to Sherwood!

named the 5th best small town in America by CNN/Money Magazine...

No Time Like the Present!

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Thinking about buying your first home, or perhaps upgrading from your current place? Thanks to the current economic climate and game-changing technology in the housing market, now is the perfect time to take the plunge.

Low interest rates
Lenders are giving buyers mortgage rates that are extremely enticing—you can get a mortgage below 4.0%. There’s a good chance these are the lowest mortgage rates we’ll see in a long time, which means affordability is at a high.

Prices are on their way up
Mortgage rates may be low, but housing prices are getting higher and higher because of demand—prices increased 5.1% year-over-year in November 2015. If you’re thinking about buying, delaying a few years could lead to a higher purchase price, or getting less home for your money.

A great job market
The United States added 2.65 million jobs in the last year. There’s increasing job security and available work, leading to high consumer confidence.

Technology makes buying simpler and less expensive
Along with listing websites like Zillow and Trulia, there are an increasing number of websites and apps that simplify the process, make it easier to shop around for homes and mortgages, and save you money.

Cheap fuel
Lower gas and energy prices mean more money in your pocket and more purchasing power. The money you’re not putting into your gas tank or toward your utilities can instead go toward saving for a down payment or affording a bigger monthly mortgage payment.

 

The Best Tips and Tools for Cleaning Some Common Household Items

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Sometimes you just can’t find the right tool for the job, even with all the usual cleaning tools at your disposal. Here are some tips for those items and places that are always a pain to keep squeaky clean.

The microwave
The solution for a clean microwave is in your refrigerator (or maybe in the produce section of the grocery store). Microwave a cup of water and a few lemon slices, and then use a sponge to clean the microwave with the warm water.

Grease stains
This one works on clothes as well as surfaces. Rub white chalk on the grease stain, let it sit for five minutes, and then wipe it away with a wet rag.

The television
Screens on HDTVs are delicate, and you want to avoid liquid cleaners, especially on LCD screens. Instead, take a dryer sheet and use it to clean the screen. The sheet will pick up dust and reduce static, and won’t damage the TV.

Air vents
It’s always tough to thoroughly clean air vents because the spaces are so small, but they attract a ton of dust. Wrap a small towel around a butter knife, and then use the knife to clean the openings in the vent.

Become A Memory Master!

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We all have so much going on in our lives that it’s inevitable that our brains will have trouble keeping up. Can’t remember the name of your new neighbors, or your bank account number, or when you scheduled your next haircut? That’s perfectly normal. But here are a few strategies for improving your memorization skills.

Get more sleep and exercise: Physical activity sends more oxygen to your brain, and a lack of sleep can be detrimental to your creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking.

Give your brain a workout: Crossword puzzles, playing a musical instrument, and even a game of ping-pong are great for keeping your brain sharp and active.

Change your diet: It’s not just a myth—eating fish, especially cold-water fish like tuna and salmon, is great for your brain. Your brain also benefits from eating more fruits and vegetables, and from drinking green tea.

Five Cool Tech Ideas For Your Home

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Looking for some cool upgrades for your home? Here are a few suggestions for tech devices that would make an awesome addition to your place.

  1. Laser Robot Vaccuum: This awesome little robot by Neato Robotics does the dirty work for you. Not only will it clean the house after you go to sleep, but it has a special laser that maps the home. This little guy knows where it’s been and where it hasn’t, and when it’s done it drives itself back in the closet!
  2. Heated driveway: If you live in a cold weather state, shoveling snow is a dreaded fact of life. What if you could throw the shovel away? Heated driveway technology, utilizing mats and cables within the driveway, can eliminate strenuous snow removal from your life.
  3. Thermal Imaging Gun: High energy bills taking their toll? Try the Black and Decker thermal leak detector. With this little device you can check your home for energy leaks. The infrared thermometer will detect leaks and let you know where the hot and cold spots are.
  4. Sun Tunnel: Looking to add natural light but a sky light may not be viable? Try the Velux Sun Tunnel. This cool flexible tube can find its way around obstructions and deliver a perfect amount of light into your room.
  5. Wireless Can Light Speaker: The Klipsch LightSpeaker system gives you the best of both worlds. This wireless speaker screws right into your can lighting. It even comes with an efficient LED light.

Prevent Accidents in Your Home by Following These Simple Suggestions

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Don’t ignore the old adage that most accidents happen in the home. Here are a few preventative measures you can take to help avoid some of the most common causes of accidents.

Slips, trips, and falls
The stairs are the most common cause of accidents. Be sure that the handrails are in place. They should be fastened tightly and strong enough to support an adult. Also make sure the surface of the steps have traction and nothing that would trip someone.

Beds, mattresses, and pillows
Oddly enough, these items account for a high number of accidents from people falling out of bed, and they can also cause neck and back pain. The lesson here is if your bed is hurting your back you should replace it. After all, we spend a large percentage of our lives sleeping.

Desks, cabinets, shelves, and racks
Unless you’re trying to appear on America’s Funniest Home Videos, be sure to avoid overloading these objects or loading them unevenly. If you have children, consider tethering these to a wall to prevent them from falling or tipping.

Poisoning
Poisoning affects a surprisingly high number of people, and the major issue is a toxic combination of medication. Be sure to talk to your physician if you are taking multiple medications.

How Do HOAs Work?

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When you purchase a home, there’s a good chance you’ll have to pay a homeowners association fee, especially in gated communities, townhouses, condominiums, and other similar planned neighborhoods. The idea is to keep common areas clean and maintained, and there’s usually an HOA board that is responsible for setting the rules and regulations.

Each HOA is different, but most have the same core elements. You’ll typically pay your HOA fees either monthly or annually, and it’s an important factor to consider when you’re weighing your options for a new home. So what is typically included in your HOA fees?

First, the fun stuff
Amenities are typically the big perk of living in a community with an HOA. While you lose out on some of the freedom of living without an HOA, you instead get community amenities like a maintained pool, gym, clubhouse, tennis courts, and other amenities. The HOA fees pay for cleaning and maintenance, so—in theory—you’ll always have a clean pool whenever you want to use it.

Protecting the community
HOA fees often contribute to insurance for the community amenities, as well as a fund for unexpected repairs to damaged community property—think damage from weather or accidents.

General maintenance
Your HOA fees will go toward maintaining the general safety and upkeep of the community. This means things like elevator maintenance for condominiums, snow removal, and trash/recycling services.

Be active in the association
There may be a board of directors, but homeowners associations exist for the betterment of the entire community, and every voice matters. HOA meetings—and the amenities they support—provide great opportunities to meet your neighbors and make your community a better place.

Why You Need to Move to Oregon!

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If the previous article wasn’t enough to sway you to consider Oregon as a place you’d like to live, then please read on and let us remind you why you need to move to Oregon today!

Many people consider relocating to Portland, Oregon and surrounding areas for several reasons. Do you love the close proximity to the famous Oregon Coast, St Helens, Mt Hood and more? There are seemingly endless acres of large forest available for hiking, fishing and camping. Furthermore, there are great attractions where tourists can visit including luxury villas for rent and sale. Real estate business has been doing very well in this region given its close proximity to social amenities as well as other entertainment facilities. This state sets the national bar for bicycle commuting/riding in lieu of cars, making it recognized worldwide as the innovators of revolutionary waste recycling programs. There is a plethora of well established independent performance theaters as well as movie houses which serve homemade pizzas and beer.

What else are you looking for? When you move to this state, you will definitely enjoy the easy commute in the cities and its suburbs. There is a massive transit system connecting both large and small towns in the region. Furthermore, there are lower real estate prices as well as the cost of living thus many people find it easier to live here. This state is the home to several well known amenities including green space, public transit, local arts as well as entertainment scene. If you want to start a community garden, then it will be very easy for you to start one here at Oregon. Do you really love dogs, wine, beer, art and other outdoorsy stuff in general? Then you need to take your coat off and remain awhile because you are already home. Oregon is more attractive compared to the southern and northern neighbors, California and Washington, thus for those who are seeking to move to the west coast, Oregon in general is an excellent landing spot.

If you are considering making the move, please browse properties that are available for sale by clicking the “Buy Real Estate” tab at the top to get in touch with an agent today.

Why is Everyone Moving to Oregon?

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There are numerous hot spots around the nation, locations that people are flocking to in droves because the quality of living and offered amenities is simply extraordinary. Of these hot spots, it may come as a surprise to many that Oregon has topped the list for two years in a row. For us native Oregonians there is no question, this is the place to be!

In a recent study from United Van Lines where over 129,000 moves were tracked, the company found that “66% of all interstate moves in Oregon were from people moving into the state, rather than leaving it.” This again confirms what we just said, we Oregonians are here to stay. So what is it that’s attracting so many new residents?

The answer to the question is multi-faceted, though at the very core it can be attributed to the “long-term trend of migration to southern and western states where house costs are lower, climates are more temperate and job growth is at or above the national average.” The median price for a single-family home in Portland is $285,000, compared to $481,000 in Los Angeles and $881,000 in San Francisco.

In addition to lower real estate prices and a lower cost of living, Oregon is home to many great amenities including public transit, green space and the local arts and entertainment scene. Oregon is also an incredible Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts with endless hiking/biking trails, the Pacific Coast, Mt. Hood and countless other excursions. Portland’s central location to all of these amenities make it comparatively desirable to other Oregon towns.

Oregon is attractive compared to its northern and southern neighbors, Washington and California, so for those seeking a move to the west coast in general Oregon is a good place to land. Did you know that Portland has more breweries than any other city in the world? It also has the country’s highest percentage of two-wheeled commuters and is consistently voted as bike-friendliest. If you’re considering a move to Oregon then please start your property search by clicking the “Buy Real Estate” tab at the top of the page!

Oregon Fuel Prices vs. the Cost of Bottled Water

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The consistent drop in fuel prices since late last summer 2014 hasn’t gone unnoticed by anyone, and for those of us in the great northwest there is no exception. Watching the prices dip just under $2.00 a gallon in some spots has left us smug with that feeling of savings and frugality as we drive away from the pump, the high costs of the past summer just a memory by now. For the first time since 2009 the cost of a gallon of gas is cheaper than that of a bottle of water (a gallon of store-bought water averaged $2.20/gallon versus $1.68/gallon for gas)! No, we are not suggesting that you switch up your beverage of choice, let’s just take a  quick look at the numbers:

Average cost of 1 gallon of gas in the United States – $2.07/gallon
Average cost of 1 gallon of gas in Oregon – in many places less than $2.00/gallon
Average cost of 1 gallon of water in the United States – $1.79/gallon

What does this mean? This means that there has been an increase in both domestic and OPEC production. “Any time you’re able to compare gas prices to water, it’s a very unique situation,” said Allison Mac, a petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com. Granted, there are many different grades and qualities of bottled water, many of the imported ones are over $4.00/gallon. So we must also consider the marketing psychology of bottled water, where consumers decide what the buy based also on packaging, labels, colors, perceived benefit of drinking a certain brand and so many others.

“Even factoring in production costs (including gasoline to transport the product), Fisher added, ‘the actual cost of bottled water is half the retail cost – there’s at least a 100 percent markup.’ And what’s the relative value to consumers? A gallon of gasoline can move a 2,000-pound car 40 miles, Fisher said. A gallon of water might not keep a 150-pound human going for the same distance. ‘Think about the amount of work necessary to produce a gallon of gasoline – bringing up that black sludge, refining it, shipping it in crazy huge quantities — and the mount of economic value packed into a gallon,’ Fisher said. ‘It’s much higher than the work required or the economic value of a gallon of bottle water,’ he said.” – Oregon Live

With spring and summer around the corner gas prices should start to inch upwards as people begin traveling more and oil companies switch over to a different blend. The good news, experts say, is that gas is barely expected to touch $3.00/gallon at its high point this year. What does this mean for you? It means now it the time to explore, take that road trip you’ve been thinking about or move to the country now that you can afford that extra commute! For the full article please visit Oregon Live

Source: Oregon Live