There are  many exciting things in the way of 4th of July celebrations in and around the Portland Oregon area.  Fireworks, food, friends and fun are at the top of every persons list today.  Because there's more to Independence Day than just 4th of July celebrations, many travel this time of year as well.  Just a short drive to the beautiful Oregon Coast there are many communities along the beaches that offer interesting little events and happening around the holiday. In fact, this is the time when the Oregon Coast shows the world just how much the area has to offer beyond exceptional scenery... You'll find 130 miles of Oregon Coast participating with 4th of July shindigs as we speak.  While you have to be prepared for major crowds and traffic, you can still plan to spend the day at the... 07/04/2009

Sherwood Oregon Real Estate Market Update for June, 2009   Market Update Criteria: June Numbers for Single Family Residential (SFR) Detached Homes on Lots NOT Exceeding .25 Acre in Sherwood, Oregon 97140 Sherwood Homes for Sale: 117 - Of these listings, 33 were listed/relisted in June. Sherwood Homes Sale Pending: 19 Sherwood Homes SOLD in June: 26 (12 More than Last Month) Grand Total of ALL Sherwood Homes SOLD Year-to-Date: 89 The sun isn't the only thing up in Sherwood, Oregon this summer... the sales are too! Days on market are decreasing. The difference between the list price and sold price is also decreasing. These are indicaters of a strengthening market. While it is still a "buyers market" the market is moving. As you know, when things hit bottom, they always bounce - Now is the... 07/01/2009

Sherwood Oregon makes the "top 10" list of "perfect" family friendly towns.  As the local Realtors, we see allot of wonderful towns, communities and neighborhoods.  Honestly, you pretty much can't go wrong anywhere in the surrounding area, but living here in Sherwood, rasing our children here and being part of this strong, caring community, we'd have to agree.  It's pretty darn fantastic. Just in 2007 Sherwood was named by CNN Money Magazine, #18 "TOP Best Places to Live in the Nation"  In June, Family Circle Magazine named the provincial town of Sherwood one of the most family-friendly communities in the United States.   The article from KGW.com reads... Sherwood, just outside metro Portland, joined other communities outside Augusta, Ga., Austin, Tex., Charlotte, NC and Minneapolis, Mi... 07/01/2009

Lifestyle is Everything... Come Discover Sherwood © There's a quiet grandeur amidst the enchanted Sherwood Forest that provides the perfect landscape for this one-of a-kind community.  Located at the gateway to Oregon's wine country, showcasing majestic views of Mt. Hood and home to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Sherwood offers something for everyone whether right at your doorstep or within the surrounding areas including Tigard, Tualatin, Newberg, Hillsboro, Wilsonville and Portland. You'll discover Sherwood is a thoughtfully planned, residential and recreational community offering an abundance of amenities and activities to please all Oregon lifestyles.  Named in 2007 as one of the best places to live in the nation by CNN Money Magazine, Sherwood members and their fami... 06/29/2009

You heard it here first - 1. The official blog "Discover Sherwood Living" has NOT moved.  It is still at the same easy address www.DiscoverSherwood.com.  But do stay tuned - in the weeks to come you will experience new changes to the look, feel and flow, but the address will still be the same - www.DiscoverSherwood.com - So for our many subscribers, you won't have to lift a finger, the RSS feed will follow! We're excited about the new investments we're making to create a more user friendly experience so our readers can better discover Sherwood Oregon living, the real estate and lifestyles our area has to offer.  In the mean time, our domain name www.DiscoverSherwoodLiving.com is pointed to our new blog-site which is under construction.  Please continue to use www.DiscoverSherwood.com - ... 06/29/2009

Get ready to rev-up your engines and head to Old-Town Serwood for the 19th annual Sherwood Crusin' car show on Saturday, June 13th, 2009 Hot Rods | Classic Cars | Show Cars | Custom Cars | And More! Stay in the know about all things Sherwood and the surrounding areas.  Save www.DiscoverSherwood.com to your favorites and visit often for your community news, happenings, events, the real estate market, everyday living tips, trends and more.   Visit the Crusin' Sherwood Website for more event details at http://cruisinsherwood.com/   FridayJune 12th 5pm-7pm 5pm Show and ShineClassic cars will prepare for a traditional cruise at the Sherwood Plaza with food and music to set the stage for our trip back in time 7pm and 8pm Friday Night Thunder CruiseA real Cruise back in time through Old Town ... 06/12/2009

Save the Date The Annual Heron Ridge Estates & Conzelmann Farm Estates Neighborhood Garage Sale Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th  |  9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m Both Days, Rain or Shine     Having been Heron Ridge residents for many years and still loving the community just the same, The Gardner Team has been organizing the neighborhood garage sale since the community was developed, 5 years ago.  Heron Ridge Homes, together with two neighboring communities consist of over 200 homes invited to participate in this event each year.  We are looking forward to helping our fellow neighbors clear out the clutter, make some extra cash and have an even bigger event year-over-year. Resident Participation is FREE & Easy... Set up.  Run.  Clean up. The Gardner Team will take care of the rest fro... 05/21/2009

Don't miss Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country, 2009 From Friday May 22nd, through Memorial Day on Monday May 25th, there is something exciting going on for people of all ages in the Sherwood Oregon area.  A main attraction that draws people in from all over is the opportunity to experience our award-winning wine country.  Visiting our welcoming wine country will allow you to take full advantage of the charm, leisure activities, and stunning natural beauty that Willamette Valley is famous for... Just don't be surprised if you find it to be a place where you'll LOVE living.  The Willamette Valley is the heart of Oregon's agriculture country. During spring and summer growing seasons, roadside stands dot the country lanes, and farmers' markets appear in the valley's historic towns. Cover... 05/19/2009

Clients say The Gardner Team "Exceeds Expectations"... Now that's worth sharing! Business has been better than ever.  It's been such a pleasure working with the referrals past clients have sent our way and the new families this year.  Being the trusted advisor of our clients during such a pivotal moment in their life is truly an honor.  There is simply nothing more important than what clients have to say about their personal experiences using our professional real estate services.  Our clients satisfaction is the life-blood of our business, just as it is anyone's and we strive everyday to deliver results that exceed expectations.  Today, I ran across a very nice email in my inbox.  It was a recommendation that came from one of our social network sites Linkedin that we'd like to share w... 05/06/2009

Real Estate is Local If you've been thinking of buying or selling a home, you've likely been paying attention to media reports about how much home prices have fallen since the market's peak.  One of the media's favorite housing price indicators is the Case-Shiller composite index, which reports how much homes have appreciated (or depreciated) over a finite period. Though it may seem like a good national housing snapshot, the report can be misleading for several reasons. Firstly, the 20-city composite shows home prices sliding almost 30 percent since the market's peak in 2006. That number is more than double the losses we've seen in either Portland (12 percent) or Seattle (11 percent).  Because the composite includes cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, that "national snapshot" doesn't app... 04/25/2009

More Sherwood Oregon Homes Just Sold by The Gardner Team We listed and sold this home in record time.  A fantastic first-time home buyer find! This 1,401 square foot home on Brittany Lane in beautiful Sherwood Oregon offered desirable features, easy one level living, beautiful landscaping, hardwood floors, granite counters and so much more.  A lifestyle amongst a desirable community just a short distance to Snyder Sports Park. A special place to appreciate the lifestyle & simple abundance this home came to offer. Listed Price $259,900 | Sold Price $259,900 Congratulations on the successful sale of your home!   We helped our buyers find this adorable home on Colfelt Lane located in Sherwood Oregon. This  home offered a Great Room design with 9 ft ceil on main. Covered Patio, Master Bedro... 04/22/2009

This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime.  We're excited to announce NEW upgrades being made to our website for First-Time Home Buyers.  On our Home Page and throughout our interior pages, we've added a live hot button for easy access to what you're looking for.  You can also get there by going to www.FirstTimeHomeBuyerTeam.com - STAY TUNED!! This is a historic time with BETTER home prices, BETTER selections, BETTER interest rates, BETTER programs and an even a BETTER home buying experience with FREE buyer representation from your local award-winning real estate team.  You're gonna LOVE all you get with the Gardner's exclusive Buy Smart kit... We'll be there to guide you through every step of your journey and help you get a loan, find a home and start living!  START searching for hom... 04/22/2009

 USDA Modifies Income Limits for Their USDA Guaranteed Rural Home Loan I received an announcement today from the USDA indicating that the changes that we have been hearing about regarding the income qualification levels for the USDA Guaranteed Rural Home Loan are in deed fact. As of 4/20/2009, the USDA will change the income tiers. This will open up an already great program to even more Oregon and Washington borrowers, as well as the rest of the nation. As an example, currently a single person would qualify based on significantly less income than a family of 4. Now, the two borrowers would qualify at the same income tier. Here's the bulk of the email update: Income Limit Modification As a result of a direct final rule published in the Federal Register, income limits will change effectiv... 04/17/2009

The Easter Bunny will  make 2 local stops this Saturday the 11th, 2009.  Hundreds and hundreds of plastic eggs filled with candy and prizes will find new homes of the happy hands of many children.  The Tualatin Lions Club will be hosting their 25th year annual tradition hosting their Egg Hunt at Tualatin Community Park at 10:00 a.m. In Sherwood Oregon, the Woodhaven Community Church will continue the 8 year tradition of hosting their annual Egg Hunt for all ages at Stella Olson Park, Saturday at 1:00 p.m.   Click Here for More Info. Wishing You a Happy Spring from The Gardner Team!   04/07/2009

"Cheers" to Our Clients Success! The Gardner Team is proud to share that John L. Scott Real Estate announced their 2009-Q1 results and named the "TOP 10" Real Estate Producers for ALL of Oregon and SW Washington...  The Gardner Team is in the TOP 10! Jason started his life-path in real estate with a clear mission... "Committed to YOUR Success" Today, that rock-solid commitment is the foundation of our successful husband & wife team.  If you ask our clients, they'll say we provide exceptional service with honesty, integrity and straight forward real estate advice.  We'd agree. We pride ourselves in the higher-level of service we provide to our clients.  We know "results" are at the top of your list...  Especially in this climate.  We'll continue to share the successes in real estate bec... 04/06/2009

Providing real estate market reports can be quite complex.  Most people are looking for detailed information that satisfies their specific needs, but often have a hard time finding it.  There's a sea of  homes out there that vary by size, area and present different attributes and obsticles to different buying audiences.  Your needs are unique... Let's assume you'd just like to ask some questions about the market, maybe it's time to focus on building your financial portfolio or you're ready to purchase and/or sell your home.  The very best way to address your needs whether that be personal growth, moving up, down sizing, first time homeownership or looking to invest, is by having a detailed Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) completed for the purchase or sale of the properties in question... 04/05/2009

For the month of March we SOLD & CLOSED on FIVE homes.  That means FIVE more happy Home-Buyers and Sellers of The Gardner Team... "High-Five" Spring is in full swing.  We're seeing better weather is bringing out more home buyers to tour homes.  If fact, as many as 35 people come through one of our recent open houses!  We're seeing that buyers are much more aware of the FHA products available to them, the first time time home buyer tax credit and the 100% financing opportunity available through the USDA loan program are making a significant difference as well.  In my last blog-post I shared two beautiful Sherwood Oregon Homes in sought after Woodhaven and Heron Ridge Estates that we JUST SOLD... Here are the other three homes JUST SOLD in March by The Gardner Team...   Quick Tip for Buy... 04/02/2009

Survey: Households Say Now is Good Time to Buy Survey Source: Realtor Magazine Online More than three-quarters (78 percent) of potential first-time home buyers say that now is a good time to buy a home, despite widespread concern about the economy. Out of the 1,000 prospective U.S. first-time home buyers surveyed, 68 percent think now is a better time to buy than six months ago.Prices are the driving motivation for potential first-time home buyers with more than eight of ten first-time home buyers (85 percent) saying they consider current home prices affordable and 73 percent citing that taking advantage of current prices is a major factor in their decision to buy. Interestingly, potential first-time buyers are still split between "being willing to consider an offer now" (42 percent) an... 03/26/2009

"There's allot of good going on in real estate."  Something we say often when we're asked the very common question "how's the real estate market?"   While we continue to provide the latest "positive" news and ratings here on www.DiscoverSherwood.com, we're also personally living it being on our 14th real estate transaction SOLD or Pending already in 2009, with several more in the process!  When broken-down, The Gardner Team has been averaging a home sold every week alone, continuing to make good local news even when the housing media may be projecting otherwise.  This is a good example of how all real estate markets are local and why choosing the right Realtor is so important to your best success. Our April 2009 1/2 Page Feature Appearing in the Sherwood Gazette Newspaper... "We had a f... 03/25/2009

Meet "Paws for Elegance" in Sherwood, Oregon    Located in the Sherwood Business Center off 99W at 20345 SW Pacific Hwy is "Paws for Elegance!"  Professional pet groomers serving the Sherwood area since 1996.  We've been taking our dog Gizmo there for a long time and just love the service.  It's very open, clean, affordable and friendly.  Gizmo comes home very handsome with his new doo and stylish bandana they always place around his neck.  Gizmo truly has a sense of confidence about him when he gets home from his "Paws for Elegance" treatment.  We thought it'd be fun to share the "Paws for Elegance" experience with you, right here on Sherwood's blog, www.DiscoverSherwood.com. From their full service - self serve area, professional grooming by appointment, use of only natural products o... 03/14/2009