Christmas in Grants Pass, Oregon There is always something going on to beautify Grants Pass, and so much of it comes from one source. Brady Adams at Evergreen Federal Bank seems to be the full-time "beautification manager" of Grants Pass.         Every time you turn around, there are some more things appearing on our streets, brought to us by Evergreen Federal.  Here are some of the specially created, lighted Christmas murals that line downtown Grants Pass.  They will be pleasing us with their wonderful lighting displays and playing old-time Christmas music throughout the season.  They number 18 in all.   These panels weigh about 400 pounds, are five feet wide, 10 feet tall and about a foot thick.  They tell a story in lights that takes about 20 seconds for each scene to be completed.  ... 11/23/2009

The Evolution of the Virtual Culture.  An interesting commentary was recently written by James A. Crumbaugh III, CEO of Allison James Estates and Homes, and published by RIS Media.  Here is what James had to say about the evolution of the virtual culture.  I recently returned from the NAR National Convention in San Diego, California, a convention that had a feel of celebration.  I believe that's because every one of the 19,000 attendees is a survivor of the past three years of the worst economic and real estate crisis this country has seen in 80 years. For me, the experience was one of confirmation of what I believe to be the future of the real estate industry-Internet-based real estate. The business model, like ours, is a national Internet-based Real Estate Brokerage, where the Realtor... 11/22/2009

How To Stage Your Home For a Quick Sale on Howcast How To Stage Your Home For a Quick Sale. You don't have to invest a ton of money to make your home more appealing to potential buyers - a few tips and tricks might just do the trick. You Will Need Flowers Storage space Pillows Time to tidy up Good coffee Frozen cookie dough Step 1: Start outdoors For homebuyers, the first impression starts before they even get out of the car, so make your front yard and walkway as appealing as possible. Plant some flowers, rake any leaves, remove weeds, paint the fence and porch-make sure everything is in tiptop condition. Step 2: Clear the clutter Put away knickknacks and any odds and ends that wouldn't be in a model home. If you're in a hurry, just stick them in your car, inside desk drawers, or in o... 11/22/2009

Going Rogue on the Illinois River - Grants Pass, Oregon   The beautiful Illinois River is at its' finest as it meanders through the striking Oregon country on its way to join the Rogue River. Once it goes Rogue, then the tremendous power of these two rivers are an amazing and magnificent force. Even in November, the Illinois River Falls is formidable! You can hear the falls long before you see it, and if you close your eyes you can almost picture a massive freight train bearing down on you. Around every bend there seems to be another creek overcrowding its banks in its rush to join with the Illinois on its trip Going Rogue. Here and there are tranquil pools that remind one of the tide pools at the ocean just waiting for the river to regain its' full splendor when they again will be cove... 11/22/2009

Foreclosure Filings Rose 5 Percent in 3rd Quarter of 2009.  Foreclosure filings, including default notices, auctions and bank repossessions, rose 5 percent in 3rd quarter, from the previous quarter and 23 percent from a year ago, according to Realty Trac's quarterly Metro Foreclosure Market Report. One in every 136 households with a mortgage loan, or 937,000 properties, received a foreclosure filing between July and September. "Rising unemployment and a new variety of mortgage resets continue to gradually shift the nation's foreclosure epicenters in the third quarter away from the hot spots of the last two years and toward some metro areas that had avoided the brunt of the first foreclosure wave," says RealtyTrac's CEO, James J. Saccacio. Las Vegas had the highest third-quarter foreclos... 11/21/2009

Trulia, Inc. has announced that 1 in 4 homes experience a price reduction during the past 12 months.  More than 40% of the top 50 major metros across the U.S. are experiencing price reduction levels above 30%, significantly higher than the national average.  The average discount for price-reduced homes continues to hold steady at 10% off of the original listing price. Northeast Continues with Most Homes Reduced.  The Northeast continues to see the highest level of price reductions, with 29% of current listings experiencing at least one price cut - Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire are all seeing over 30% of listings with price reductions. (Regions according to the U.S. Census Bureau). -Northeast - 29% of listings with price reductions-Midwest - 28% of listings w... 11/21/2009

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I can think of many things I am thankful for.  For one, I am thankful that I have a roof over my head and a warm, cozy bed to sleep in every night.  I am thankful that I live in a country where I have the freedom to express myself on blogs like Active Rain.  And, I am most thankful for the men and women who fight (so I don't have to) to defend these very freedoms, so I can continue to enjoy these luxuries.  Take a look at these pictures of the men and women who are affording you the same luxury:  Many Things I am Thankful For! 11/21/2009

Bathrooms You Won't Find in Grants Pass, Oregon!               Here is a picture of a public toilet in Houston, Texas. Now that you've seen the outside view, take a look at the inside view... It's made entirely of one-way glass! No one can see you from the outside, but inside, it's like sitting in a clear glass box! Now would you go?  COULD YOU...?   Imagine you are at a party on the 10th floor of a hi-rise building... You have to visit the bathroom...  You open the door...     This is just a painted floor.  But wouldn't this mess with your mind? Would you be able to walk into this bathroom?      Bathrooms You Won't Find in Grants Pass, Oregon! 11/20/2009

Josephine County Sportsman's Park - Grants Pass, Oregon Whether or not you are into the shooting and hunting sports, Oregon has the full freedom to own and carry firearms. The old quote, "An armed society is a polite society," runs true in our state. After living in Grants Pass for a year now, I had never been to the Josephine County Sportsman's Park and I was happy with what I found. This facility is enormous!  Nestled in the beautiful Colonial Valley, there is a huge Sportsman's Park dedicated to the shooting sports! If you want to target practice,   teach the family how to shoot or sight in your hunting rifle, they have the ranges. Pistol and revolver ranges are here at the Josephine County Sportsman's Park also. For the shotgun enthusiast, you may practice trap and skeet in competit... 11/20/2009

Balloon Bombs Fall In Oregon and the Northwest United States! Hardly remembered and largely covered up by the government during World War II, the US mainland was being bombed by Japan on a regular basis.  I remembered this when a friend and I were discussing Oregon's history and I realized that it all started about this time of year in 1944. At that time Japan began launching bomb-carrying hydrogen balloons into the jet stream intended for the Northwest United States.  Japan hoped that bombing the forests of our Northwest would cause widespread panic among our citizens and hopefully reduce our war effort by keeping large numbers of our people fighting forest fires.  Their main Balloon Bomb effort was launched during the wet season in the Pacific Northwest so the forest fires they caused... 11/20/2009

Taylor Creek - Grants Pass, Oregon Taylor Creek is made for hiking, fishing, gold panning and hunting.  Located in the Siskiyou National Forest is some of the most beautiful scenery God ever created. It can be reached by following the mighty Rogue River out of Merlin and cutting south on Briggs Creek Road. There are miles and miles of hiking trails along Taylor Creek and they can be accessed by a host of trail-heads so that you can pretty much select the difficulty and length of your hike. There are hundreds of beautiful waterfalls and tranquil ponds along Taylor Creek.  This trip in late Fall is so peaceful, the colors are spectacular and the waters are low enough that the falls that are normally underwater are now all adding to the charm of Taylor Creek by creating sounds exaggerating... 11/19/2009

Interest Rates Are Low Right Now! - Grants Pass, Oregon If you've been waiting to buy a home until the interest rates get better, then you'd better get at it soon!  Interest Rates Are Low Right Now! I remember in the mid to late 1980's the 30 year mortgage rates were running around 10 percent, just after the terrible recession of the early 1980's. The 1990's bounced around from ten percent to start, and with ups and downs in the sevens and eights and ending the decade around 7.5%.  Starting in the 2000's from a high around eight percent, we have watched a steady decline and have bounced through the five and six to seven percent rates. We have now hit the lowest rates in two decades! Interest Rates Are Low Right Now! With rates hovering around 5% for a thirty year fixed mortgage, you're ... 11/19/2009

How To Avoid the 10 Biggest Mistakes Home Sellers Make You'll sell your home faster - and for more money - if you avoid these common pitfalls. How To Avoid the 10 Biggest Mistakes Home Sellers Make on Howcast You Will Need A thorough housecleaning An open mind Home improvements Step 1: Declutter your home Get rid of as much clutter as possible. Stuffed closets, extraneous furniture, exercise equipment in living quarters, crowded countertops, overflowing cabinets, and endless knickknacks make homes seem smaller than they are. Consider putting some things in storage. Step 2: Hide your pets Hide all evidence that you own animals. Just because your potential buyer loves his own pets doesn't mean he wants a house that reeks of yours. Get rid of pet stains and odors (pay a professional if you... 11/18/2009

The Weather Outside Is Frightful! - Grants Pass, Oregon Or is it?  Remember the saying; "It's an ill wind that blows nobody good."  So what is good for somebody about winter storms? I was reminded of this by the ninety plus mile an hour winds that just pounded our northern Oregon coast. I know there will be a lot of beachcombers for whom the ill wind will "blow good!" We've all seen the Japanese glass floats in the gift shops, but did you realize that they haven't been made of glass for years and years?  Many of them have been floating around the Pacific for ten or twenty years before they wash up on a beach somewhere!                                                       The secret (the experts tell me) is to get out right after the storm and search carefully along the beaches.  Don't ... 11/18/2009

Coffee Girl - Astoria Oregon.  Many people who know me, know that I am a huge coffee lover.  From the first time  I visited Portland Oregon in 1987, I fell in love with the atmosphere and ambiance of Oregon's coffee houses.  Little did I know then, that I would eventually move from  southern California to southern Oregon.  It's been 10 years since I walked into the Dutch Bros Coffee House in Grants Pass Oregon for the first time.  The atmosphere was a bit funky and eclectic, but nonetheless warm and inviting.  After tasting a Dutch Bros mocha, triple shot topped with whip cream, I knew I was hooked.  It didn't take long for this coffee girl to acclimate to her new surroundings.  Upon searching the Web for various Oregon attractions, I stumbled upon a video of the Coffee Girl in Astoria,... 11/17/2009

Myers Creek - Grants Pass, Oregon Finding an old growth forest in the land of logging is a pleasant surprise.  It's just off the Briggs Valley Road outside of Merlin, Oregon.  This beautiful area is just a few miles north of Grants Pass and lies about 12 miles off the over-the-mountain road that goes from Merlin to Gold Beach on the Oregon coast. Stopping at Big Pine campground and following the well maintained trail leads you through a magnificent old growth forest.  In the midst of all these beautiful trees is the most majestic Ponderosa pine. It stands 250 feet tall and at its' upper stories, it branches into two huge trees!  It is almost 18 feet in circumference. This beautiful creation is around three hundred years old.  It was a full grown tree when America earned her independence... 11/17/2009

Cause for Pause.  As I was walking to the Grants Pass MLS office, which is located only a few short steps away from my office, I had a cause for pause.  You see, there is a resident homeless man who camps out on the side porch of our local MLS office.  As I was walking on the sidewalk, he called out to me saying; "Watch your step, you don't want to trip, like the last time."  Initially, his comments startled me as I didn't see him right away.  My next reaction was to focus on the sidewalk which was barely visible this time of year due to the fallen leaves from the trees,  There is a raised section of the sidewalk that has buckled from an over-grown tree root.  I had taken a tumble there once before, which was witnessed by the homeless man.  He offered to help me then, but I quickly said... 11/16/2009

Are You Upside-Down In Your Home? - Grants Pass, Oregon So you owe a lot more on your home than it's worth!  This is a dilemma that many people are in right now, but it should not be a long lasting problem, and will not really affect anything unless you need to sell right now. Many people get very panicky when they find their home value has plummeted, but don't let it create rash decisions!  It's not like the market won't recover!  It's not like having bought the new Suburban three months before gas went sky high. Owing more on your home than it's worth (being Upside-Down ) is not good, but there is every likelihood that the market will soon recover.  Not like my Enron stock.  It said, "goodbye and don't bother to write" when it went down!  It's not like a stock portfolio where you jump... 11/16/2009

The Active Rain Welcome Basket - Welcome to the Neighborhood!  Whether you know it or not, you have landed here by divine appointment.  We know how unsettling it is to move into a new neighborhood (we have all been there, and done that).  So we want to invite you to your first House Warming Party.  Your new Active Rain neighbors have filled your Welcome Basket with all sorts of goodies for you to enjoy.  As with any new move, you may experience some difficulty finding your way around.  That's okay, we have all gotten lost a time or two.  In your basket, you will find some great navigational tools, so you can always find your way back home.  We also know how hungry you might be, since your fridge and cupboards are still bare.  Not to worry, there is plenty of meat and potatoes in the ba... 11/14/2009

How Grants Pass, Oregon - Got It's Name.  Grants Pass is a quaint Oregon town nestled between two mountain ranges (Cascades & Siskiyous) in the Pacific Northwest, approximately 55 miles north of the California border.  In the 1860's, Grants Pass was called "Louse Creek."  The locals had petitioned the U.S. Post Office to establish a local post office (at that time, residents had to travel 17 miles to pick-up their mail).  They didn't think the name "Louse Creek" would draw people to the area, so they decided to name it "Grant" in honor of General Ulysses S. Grant.  However, they were told to choose a new name, as there was already a town named Grant, Oregon. As originally told by George Parker, an early local historian, one day while a road crew was eating their lunch after a hard morn... 11/13/2009