E Burnside Street at 8th Avenue is looking west. The view from this location today is very similar to the one we see in this 1934 photograph.
Arcaded building at East 8th and East Burnside Street, Jan. 4, 1932: A2004-001.621
Month: January 2015
Three Tips for Reducing Your Closing Costs if You’re Looking Forward To Buying a Home in the Spring
Spring is approaching fast and it is usually the busiest time of the year for home buying. After a long and cold winter, many people are ready to enjoy the nicer weather and begin to shop for a new home. Spring is also the perfect time for home buying for families with children because it allows them to move during the summer without interrupting school.
Home buying has costs associated with it other than the mortgage itself. Known as closing costs, these fees are a part of the home buying process and they are due at the time that the mortgage is finalized. Buyers, however, can negotiate these costs and reduce the expense with a little bit of effort and with the help of a good mortgage professional.
If you are thinking of buying a new home in the spring here are three helpful tips to reducing your closing costs.
Compare All of Your Mortgage Options
If you’re using mortgage financing to cover some of the up-front purchase cost of your home you’ll have other closing costs to pay including lender fees, mortgage insurance and more. Be sure to compare all of your options with your trusted mortgage adviser to ensure that you’re getting the best possible deal and paying the least amount in fees and interest.
You may also be able to save a bit on your closing costs by choosing a “no points” mortgage. In this type of mortgage you’ll end up saving on closing costs but you’ll be left paying a higher interest rate. Spend a bit of time doing the math to determine the best course of action.
Third Party Fees
Some of the closing cost fees will be associated with third party vendors that must perform required services. Home appraisals, title searches, and costs for obtaining credit reports are some of the items included in this area. While these may be a little harder to negotiate because the lender uses specific companies to perform these services, it does not hurt to ask if you can use your own appraiser or title search company.
Zero Closing Cost Mortgages
Buyers may also wish to inquire about a no closing cost mortgage. This type of mortgage eliminates all closing costs. The lender covers all of the closing cost fees in exchange or a slightly higher interest rate on the loan. In most cases the increase is less than one-quarter of a percent. This type of loan can be very helpful to buyers. Buyers can then use the money that they saved on closing costs to help with the move.
With a little preparation, you can find the best mortgage product for the up-coming spring season. Be sure to contact your experienced mortgage professional, as they will be able to help you find the right mortgage for your specific needs with the lowest out-of-pocket expenses.
Paying to Pee on Airpnp
This could bring back he outdoor toilet and become an income stream for some homeowners.
The emergence of the sharing economy has opened up new entrepreneurial avenues to make a buck – shared rides, shared rooms and, now, shared potties.
Nothing contours itself better to the technology of the times and the meme “there is an app for that” than airpnp, which can help you locate the nearest bathroom on your smartphone in your moment of great distress.
People with excited bladders and sudden urges are already accustomed to scouting the locations of restrooms in advance. Airpnp is the same idea on steroids. It can find where to go virtually anywhere.
While people are willing to pay for a ride and a room, the question out there is whether they will pay to pee. Early indicators suggest people will pay when they have no choice and some change in their pocket.
Airpnp originated in New Orleans and can be traced to that city’s famous Mardi Gras celebration…
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N Interstate Avenue, 1963
The Alibi has not changed much in 52 years!
N Interstate Avenue at N Shaver Street, looking north in 1963. It provides a great view of The Alibi, which is still in business.
View of the Alibi Resturant on N Interstate at N Shaver(VZ 444-63), 1963: A2011-013
Back To The Old Nabe
The topic of gentrification has yet again come up. Not in any real conversation I have had … no, I don’t see actual people anymore. It is to online and the kingdom of the 4.0 Estate that these peeps and murmuring comes, complaints from the middle class that they are being pushed out of their poor neighborhoods (AKA “working class neighborhoods” but without class consciousness these psudo-proles would not be considered more than a lumpenproletariat by way of Messrs. Marx and Bakunin) and replaced with trust-fund-kids (AKA Trustafarians) who look upon the middle class kids and wonder what it is to live “among The People,” to only live enjoying the moment, not just working to work but because bills need to be paid. I am convinced the actual “poor people” of these areas don’t even register to the Trustafarians, to them the others are a colour from outer space.
Bethatasitmay…
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VA loan closing costs: An added benefit
Besides the advantage of requiring no down payment for qualified VA borrowers, there’s also a distinct advantage for the borrower regarding closing costs. The veteran is limited to the types of closing costs that may be paid, helping the veteran save money at the closing table. But if there are costs associated with a VA mortgage and the veteran isn’t allowed to pay for them, who does?
The Types
A common way to remember which costs a veteran is allowed to pay for is to remember the acronym ACTORS. That stands for:
A Appraisal
C Credit Report
T Title Insurance
Origination Fee
R Recording Fee
S Survey
These are common charges found on most every VA mortgage and while they can vary a bit by amount; these fees are the ones that can be paid for by the veteran. But what about these charges?
Attorney
Underwriting
Escrow
Processing
Document
Tax…
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Live a better life through lighting decoration
Most people spend nearly all their time in their residence, and individuals who either work on home or don’t have employment, exist much more frequently. Your house ought to be a haven in the outdoors world, where one can relax and refresh. You’ll have a personal spot to relax and unwind. This information has lots of good ideas , help your house be an appropriate retreat.
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Sheridan Fruit Co., circa 1929
A number man is standing outside the Sheridan Fruit Company, located at the corner of Union Avenue (Martin Luther King Blvd.) and Alder Street.
Sheridan Fruit Co 333 SE Alder St., circa 1929: A2009-009.2435
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Does the Federal Reserve Directly Effect Mortgage Interest Rates?
The Federal reserve has a dual mandate of keeping inflation in check and keeping the economy growing. When the Federal Reserve increases interest rates it is increasing the Federal Funds Rate & the Federal Discount Rate – both of which are very short term interest rates. This will help stabilize the economy depending on the current situation. Long term interest rates increase or decrease based on supply and demand which is effected by the state of the economy. So the answer is that No the Federal Reserve does not directly impact Mortgage Interest Rates, however they do indirectly effect Mortgage Interest Rates. Click here for my video
Selection of Interior Designer – WIP
Portland Hotel, 1895
A large number of the 87,000 black people in Oregon can trace their heritage back to this hotel. For many black people this hotel is why they are in Oregon today. 100 years ago their Great Grand Fathers and Grandfathers worked there and for a few of us so did our Grandmothers. When my Grandfather came to Portland in 1935 he was able to work there for 2 weeks learning the “Boot Black Hustle” (Shine Shoes) He was filling in for someone else while they were away. He made as much as $2 per day there at 10 cents a shine and he felt he was rich. He use to say a man could feed himself well with that hustle and he did not have to worry about cops.
These men in the carriage are outside the Portland Hotel in 1895. L.L. Hawkins is at the reins on the occasion of the University of California men’s chorus visit to Portland. L.L. was a member of the first class to graduate from the University. The date is from the original print of the photograph that included the exact date printed on the front of the image.
A coaching party at the Portland Hotel, 1895: A2004-002.648
Williams Reaches Substantial Completion
Just before the ball dropped to celebrate the new year, Portland Bureau of Transportation announced that the “N Williams Safety Project reached substantial completion”. One of the major tasks completed in December was installing the permanent light at Cook. There is still some minor work to do on Williams and the Rodney Bikeway portion has yet to begun. It is nice for travelers along the corridor, whether in a car, on a bike or on foot, to see construction wind down and to take advantage of the improvements.
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SE Hawthorne Blvd., 1951
A 1951 view of SE Hawthorne Blvd. at SE 20th Avenue, looking west. The three buildings on the right side of Hawthorne are still standing.
SE Hawthorne Blvd. and 20th Ave. looking west, 1951: A2005-001.301
