One of the things that I miss most about Portland, or anywhere in the North for that matter, is the variety of house colors. I had to explain to my wife why we can't do the same thing down here: considering that we're getting approximately three times the solar radiation received in Oregon, most brightly colored house paints turn to watercolors after only a couple of years. Hell, the sun is strong enough to blast car paint into watercolor after about five to six years, so house paint doesn't stand a chance.