Ever wonder who lived in your house before?  Someone famous perhaps.  Or maybe it was a building previously used for a school or even a barn!           Saturday, November 6th from 10am to noon you can take a $13 class at the Mission Mill in Salem Oregon that will teach you how to research your property's history!  You will learn about using land records, the Willamette Heritage Center's Archives and online tools.  Visit the Mission Mill site for registration information. 10/27/2010

Carob. Whole Wheat. Carrot Juice. No McDonald's.   Staples in my diet as a child.   I wasn't allowed to eat at McDonald's as a kid. I was convinced it was some bastion of great tasting food because all my friends ate there often and thought their food was great. I'd whine and cry about not being able to go, and somehow believed that my parents were torturing me for reasons unbeknownst to me. Clearly the good parents took their kids to eat there but why did I get stuck with the bad parents? I think I was around 10 when my dad caved and took me and my sisters there.   I thought it was some of the most vile food on the planet, right up there with mustard, Twinkies, and Oscar Meyer hot dogs in my book.   What I know now, is that my parents were way ahead of the times. They got as much organ... 10/26/2010

Salem Oregon Home and Remodeling Show This Weekend Things to do this weekend from your Salem Oregon Real Estate Agent/Realtor. This weekend is the 21st annual Salem Home and Remodeling Show. Have you been thinking about making some changes to your home, with or without a contractor?  Maybe you are thinking about building a new home.   Then you will want to be sure to visit the Salem Home and Remodeling Show this weekend.  There will be vendors and contractors on hand to answer your questions, and to show you the latest and greatest hardwood, tile, granite, kitchens, bathrooms,  and tons of other home specialty items to spruce your home up, or to make your custom build perfect. Hours of operation are: Friday the 22nd - 3-8 pm Saturday the 23rd- 10 am to 8 pm Sunday the 24th - 10 am to 5 ... 10/22/2010

Buying Acreage Foreclosures Around Salem Oregon   Think buying bank owned acreage property is like buying a foreclosure in town?  Think again.   Most acreage homes around Salem Oregon have a well and septic.  Since these systems are usually underground, it is difficult to know if they are functioning properly without thorough investigation.  You also have to be concerned with property boundaries, making a survey a very good idea to protect yourself from neighboring boundary disputes.  I usually recommend that a buyer talks to the local county building department to do some investigating on their own.  Who knows what is on file at the county!  I would rather find out before buying a big problem. To read more about buying acreage foreclosures around Salem Oregon check out Salem Oregon Acr... 10/21/2010

I think the regular readers of my blog are so with it in terms of the local home trends here in Salem Oregon, that I can just post these charts with no opinions attached, right?  Say yes…I’m in the middle of beating Plants vs. Zombies on my iPad and I don’t want to have to stop to write up any kind of analysis here…   You think I jest, but I’m serious.  Have you ever played Plants Vs. Zombies on your iPhone, computer, iPad?  These cute little sunflowers happily spew out suns which you can use to grow other plants to kill the zombies that cross the lawn to try and eat your brains.  Personally I like the exploding jalapeno pepper.  The even smile when the zombies eat them.  They really need to take some karate or something and kick some zombie hiney.   What? My attempts to distract you f... 10/16/2010

Salem Oregon Things to Do This Weekend-12th Annual Harvest Festival & Pumpkin Merriment   Halloween is almost here and this Saturday, the 16th, A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village is hosting it's12th Annual Harvest Festival and Pumpkin Merriment. There will fun activities for the whole family including crafts and games, fresh pressed cider, live music and entertainment, and much more.  The festivities run from 12 p .m. to 8 p.m. and the cost of admission is $3 for members (which includes OMSI members) and $9 for non-members.  Bring a carved pumpkin and save $3 off your admission price.  The event ends with the grand lighting of hundreds of carved pumpkins underneath the Marion Street Bridge.   You can find out more details about all of the fun activities and live entertainment by visiting ... 10/14/2010

“I always find it helpful to ask what their favorite piece of clothing is,” she said. “   Aagggghhhhh she picked all hot pink clothes for school this year. I mean ALL hot pink.” I replied. Considering it took us four coats to cover the hot pink that had been there previously, I wasn’t too excited about the prospect of doing that again, but it was time for a change. Several years ago I was in a home that made the issue of undertones crystal clear to me. They wanted to sell their Salem Oregon newer construction home and talked with glee about how they picked out all their cabinets and paint colors. The problem, as I saw it, was that the kitchen with its nice granite slab counters, cherry cabinets, and tile floors needed to be redone. The problem: undertones. The cabinets had a red underto... 10/13/2010

Property Taxes too high for your acreage home around Salem Oregon?   Join hundreds of Salem Oregon residents in the appeal process to have your property taxes reduced.  With home and property values down as much as 30%,  why continue to pay property taxes on values set in 2007?   If you live in Marion County, just visit the County Assessor's website to download the free brochure explaining the process, complete your application and turn it in for review.  It's that simple!  The deadline for filing an appeal is December 31st, 2010 for the 2010-2011 tax year. According to the assessor's website, the deadline for filing an appeal is December 31st, 2010 for the 2010-2011 tax year.  Using the value of your neighbor's house, or their property tax bill is typically not enough documentation to ... 10/09/2010

This is my now 2 year old Warmblood filly, Esmerelda.  This photo was taken when she was about 2 1/2 months old at the ISR NA Oldenburg Inspectionl.  She won High Point Champion Filly, the judges from Germany scored her on her confirmation, movement and overall impression.  Needless to say, they were impressed! 10/08/2010

September Market updates for acreage in Salem Keizer Oregon   Sellers of acreage homes in the Salem and Keizer area saw an increased market time, up to 147 days in September, this is 19 days longer than August.  But the good news is they saw 94% of their asking price at the closing table, up from just 87% in August.  So maybe it was worth the wait? To read more about the Salem Keizer Oregon acreage market visit the site that is all about acreage and horse property around Salem Oregon 10/07/2010

The cabinet under the kitchen sink is a highly neglected area. This is the area that we shove highly noxious cleaners and surfactants. Many people even have garbage cans under their sinks. For me, the soap and cleaners are no exception however I do not keep any garbage under my sink. In fact I keep a tub to collect some of the best stuff that my household produces. The tub holds all kinds of material that is just full of macro and micro nutrients. It is organic, all natural and when I take it to it's place of magic, outside, it is just teeming with molds, fungus and all sorts of wiggling organisms doing their part to better my life. The tub is a significant part of the process however the real magic does not happen till it goes outside.  Once the tub's payload is delivered the previous... 10/07/2010

The best thing about being a home inspector here in Salem, Oregon is the chance to learn CONSTANTLY!  There is always stuff to learn about with homes, materials and situations.  Sometimes education comes from the most unlikely places..........like agents!  (just kidding!) A few years ago I was on a roof and the agent asked me if I could tell her the age of the roof. I told her that I couldn't tell for sure, but that I guessed that it was maybe 1 or 2 years old. She asked me why didn’t I look at the date stamp on the flashing boot? ………….(•blank-home-inspector-look•) The whaa……? Yup, every so often even the know-it-all home inspector has something to learn. Right there, stamped for all to see, is the date that the flashing was made. Of course this is not an exact date of roof installatio... 10/07/2010

Things to do This Weekend in Salem Oregon-Chef's Night Out     Chef's Night Out is this weekend on October 3rd from 4-7 at Willamette Valley Vineyards.  This is one of our favorite events of the year, and the best part is that it is the biggest yearly charity event for the Marion-Polk Food Share. So, you can have some fun and support the community at the same time. Tickets are $75 and you can order them by calling  503-581-3855, ext. 315, or you can stop by the Food Share to pick them up.  All ticket proceeds go to provide food to families in need.  Many sponsors make this possible with their donations. What exactly is Chef's Night Out?  Well, it is a huge event, so huge that everyone parks down below the vineyard in the Enchanted Forest parking lot, and shuttles shuttle everyone up to ... 09/29/2010

Professional Home Stagers get a work out nearly every day stripping. This work is not for those looking for an easy job.  It can mean long hours and lots of hard, demanding work. Come with me and see what we do!         We strip away dirt - and make sure home sellers have their homes sparkling. From the front gutter's mildew to the caulking around the tub -- if your home is for sale this is the cheapest thing you can do to create a great impression on home buyers! Need something cleaned?  We know experienced professionals and products that perform!  (Did you know you could get your windows washed for $4 a pane - inside/outside AND the track?)     Professional Home Stagers strip away the years. If your home has dated decor,  wall colors or furniture a staging consultation can help you cr... 09/27/2010

I have missed the last few Fridays, so I thought I would get back on schedule today.  This picture is 3 years old, taken of my first colt foaled here at home.  I had just finished feeding the horses and saw the silhouette so I ran to get my camera.  Taken on a late summer evening, in a pasture behind my house.     09/24/2010

I think it is a good time to buy a home that is a fixer.  Before you start thinking that I’ve been wandering around in our national forests and maybe partaking of some of the “natural flora” that we have out there, let me explain. It’s a good time to buy a fixer in our corner of the Salem real estate world.  I can’t believe I used the words it’s a good time to buy because it makes me feel like I need to use some anti-propaganda soap after a NAR shower.  Unfortunately, saying “It’s an agreeable moment to acquire real property,”  makes me sound like I need to get ready for a Cotillion.  I’m not a fashion designer, only guessing here, but I think my hiking boots would clash with my petticoat.  So alas, I’m stuck with “It’s a good time to buy.” Some of you may know that I purchased a house... 09/24/2010

Dear Creative Concepts: Is it worth the money to buy "high hiding" primer or just do an extra coat or paint when painting over bold colors? Sincerely, Dreading to Paint Dear Dreading: I totally understand how you feel!  I've hesitated in the past to purchase a "special" primer -- but know that using paint primers can: reduce surface preparation improve coverage block stains prevent peeling and make topcoating faster! Surfaces that are properly primed will attain the truest paint color in fewer coats. Hmmm -- but is it REALLY worth the $$?  (I hate wasting time, but really hate wasting our clients money too!)  I just finished a project and have to say emphatically YES! Here's a pic of this wall before -- a dark eggplant color. Dreaded painting over this one! (Yes  - this is the same fire... 09/24/2010

Salem Oregon-Things to do This Weekend-Salem's First Beer and Cider Festival Are you looking for something to do this weekend in Salem Oregon?  This Saturday just happens to be the first ever Salem Beer and Cider Festival which is being held at Mission Mill Museum from noon until 10 pm. This Salem first is being hosted by Gilgamesh Brewing and Wandering Aengus Ciderworks. There will be eleven local craft breweries, two ciderworks and one vineyard.  Each brewery will have several of their favorite special brews on hand to try.  The event  includes live music from four local bands throughout the day.  There will also be edge artworks available for viewing and purchase by local artists.  Food will also be available for purchase from Adam's Ribs Smokehouse,  and Venti's Cafe. You can also r... 09/23/2010

Things to do in Salem Oregon-Cook's Tour     This coming Monday, September 27th from 10:00 am to 5 pm.  will mark the 19th annual Cook's Tour that the Assistant League of Salem puts on.  This year will feature 9 lovely homes in Deer Lake Court in beautiful South Salem.    Tickets are available prior to the show for $25.  For more information, and to preview the homes that will be hosting the Cook's Tour this year,  visit the Assistant League's page dedicated to the Cook's Tour. This event is one of the Assistant League's charitable fundraisers, so $20 of your ticket is tax deductible. For more information on things to do in Salem, Oregon and places to eat, visit the community section of Real Estate Salem Oregon.   09/23/2010

Andaluz-Salem Oregon-New Tapas and Wine Bar We have a new wine and tapas bar in Salem that is really good.  It's actually REALLY good!!    This weekend was my husband's 40th Birthday. We already had a party three weeks ago when we were back in South Dakota with his family, so we were looking for something new and different, and somewhat quiet. We had heard about this great new and different place that David Rosales and his father Pedro, opened as a joint venture. Now, you may already be familiar with the other restaurants this family owns. David also owns La Capitale, and his father Pedro owns La Margarita Co. This new venue that they opened features Tapas, Wine and Sangria. Perfect for something new and different that works for happy hour or dinner. We arrived shortly after opening at ... 09/19/2010