A very, very, very fine house
The Mrs. and I celebrated a warm but subdued wedding anniversary yesterday, and toward the end of the evening we found ourselves hanging out with our daughters watching the tube. First I got to see the second half of the Mariners' ballgame, which ended in storybook fashion. That was kind of cool, as it jacked up the girls' interest in the national pastime from nonexistent to faint.
Then we switched over to the Home & Garden Network, where the national House Hunters show came to Portland! It featured a first-time-homebuying young couple looking to drop around $225K for a slice of heaven. They showed some stock footage of downtown Portland, but that was misleading, because at that price all the action was taking place on the outer west side. The featured couple passed on a beat-up thing in Aloha and an oddly designed house in Hillsboro in favor of a nicer spot in St. Helens.
It was interesting watching them juggle their priorities as the realities of the marketplace set in. They were really keen on staying close to Aloha, where the wife's family lives; and on having a big yard for the dog, a music room for the husband, and a kitchen roomier than the broom closet they were living with in their rental townhouse. In the end, they got what they wanted, except for the location -- it's 45 minutes away from the folks. (The director showed a little Highway 26 traffic, moving not so swiftly, for effect.)
They wound up making a "backup offer" after somebody else snagged the St. Helens house ahead of them. But the other deal fell through, and they got the place.
The Mrs. and I agreed that they made the right choice. We also agreed that we made the right choice 13 years ago last night. All was right in the world, and off to do the weekly recycling chores we could go.
| Posted at 6:19 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (8)
Congrats on the anniversary Jack!
That yellow house in Aloha that was featured on House Hunters last night is just around the corner from my mom's house. My wife and I always thought it was cute - except for the big drainage ditch in the front. We never saw the inside until the show last night.
Aloha a pricey area? When did that happen? My mom and stepdad moved out there 25 years ago because it was more affordable than Beaverton.
Posted by Troy Wittren | August 14, 2007 6:49 AM
Happy Anniversary! Be thankful that your kids haven't been near these items....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070814/ap_on_bi_ge/toy_recall
Posted by kathe w. | August 14, 2007 8:20 AM
The follow on story...
As the cost of driving a car goes up how will this couple living in St Helens fair? Do they both work in Portland or where? Not only gasoline is going up. Governments are looking for new taxes and ways to make the cost of driving more expensive. Example: Sam Adams has spent our tax dollars on curb bullouts, speed bumps and cross walks in Linnton (do they have pedestrians in Linnton?) Now he's driving through a new tax for drivers to fix the roads he's neglected. (Do bicyclists pay anything for a Gold bicycle system?) You can likely get Sam's view on his website at commissionersam.com
Posted by Don | August 14, 2007 9:10 AM
"do they have pedestrians in Linnton?"
The traffic controls in Linnton were a mostly direct response to the tragic death of a school aged "pedestrian" a few years ago. He was hit by a speeding car after getting off of a school bus.
But by the tenor of your comment, I'm guessing that you must think that is just the price of living in Linnton and that getting through Linnton is far more important than the safety of Linnton "pedestrians."
Posted by hilsy | August 14, 2007 9:46 AM
mple: Sam Adams has spent our tax dollars on...cross walks in Linnton (do they have pedestrians in Linnton?)
The crosswalk/median project in Linnton was an ODOT project, not a COP project. It was in response to a pedestrian killed crossing US30, and was desired by the residents of Linnton.
Posted by PMG | August 14, 2007 11:19 AM
Hey hilsy, the guy wasn't speeding thru linnton.The boy ran across the highway without looking.As far as the young couple moving to st. helens,I believe that highway 30 is now the best highway in and out of portland.
Posted by tmd | August 14, 2007 3:42 PM
tmd,
Does that mean you don't believe it was good to add traffic controls to Highway 30 in Linnton? Just answer yes or no and remember that the traffic controls were overwhelmingly encouraged and welcomed by the Linnton community.
Posted by hilsy | August 14, 2007 7:09 PM
I am half of the couple featured on that "Househunters" episode. Glad it was interesting enough to inspire comments; we also think we made the right choice. Initially, St. Helens wasn't even on our radar screen, but the prices of homes anywhere near Beaverton (yes, Aloha included) were ridiculous. A comparable home anywhere in Columbia County was $20,000 - $30,000 less. As for the commute, HWY 30 is a paradise compared to HWY 26, Canyon Road, etc. Commute time is roughly the same, only you don't spend have your time going 7.3 mph. The only down side to HWY 30? If it gets backed up for any reason (accident, etc.), you're pretty much hosed, unless your car can fly. Even with that, it's still worth it...
Posted by Matt | August 15, 2007 12:54 PM