Life in Portland

Agent Andy's House of the Week: 4105 NE 11th Ave

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Cute Sabin Bungalow with Plenty to Offer

In this series, Urban Nest's very own Agent Andy Barlow shares his favorite Portland home of the week. See stunning properties from all across town and pick up valuable insight from one of Portland's most discerning real estate professionals. 

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This week we are headed up to the Sabin neighborhood to check out the cutest little bungalow on NE 11th Avenue. Built in 1922, this 1,300 square foot house may not be huge, but it’s perfectly updated and is packed with style. 

Located on a corner lot just four blocks from Irving Park (one of my favorite hangouts), this home features two bedrooms, one bathroom, a large backyard (with two raised garden beds and a deck), a large kitchen, a cute breakfast nook, and plenty of storage space in the basement. 

The first thing I noticed when walking up the steps was how big and welcoming the front porch was. I was ready to pour myself a glass of wine and stay a while. But, since I had no wine, I kept moving inside. 

The front room is expansive and bright and offers space for both a full-size dining table and living area. The floor is a beautifully natural oak, and the walls have the slightest tint of blue. Heading into the kitchen (which is a great size, especially for a smaller home) I found everything updated. They remodeled it with storage in mind and made really good use of the space, including the super adorable built-in breakfast booth in the corner. 

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The bedrooms are around the other side of the house, giving good separation from the kitchen. The master is bright and has enough space for a king bed. The second bedroom is small, but would make a perfect kids room or office. The floors in the bedrooms are douglas fir (LOVE these floors), which is common in this era of home (oak in the living areas, fir in the bedrooms).

My favorite part? Two things on this one. 1) I love how bright and airy the living/dining room feels. The front door and windows are gorgeous and I could really see myself enjoying this space a lot. 2) The breakfast booth in the kitchen. This is such a great use of space and I could picture myself drinking coffee and checking emails there in the morning, and friends hanging out there while entertaining and cooking in the evening. 

Want to check it out for yourself? Give me a ring - I’d love an excuse to go back!  

Take a look at the full listing here.

Click here to learn more about working with us to find the PDX home of your dreams today.

Urban Nest Design Tip of the Week: Best Spots to Buy a Sofa in PDX

Where to Start Your Search in PDX for Your Next Sofa

In this series, we share simple DIY solutions for maximum design impact, brought to you by our very own Agent Andy Barlow.

Are you on the hunt for a new sofa? Well, lucky you - it’s a good time to be! It seems something is in the air - everyone (myself included) is sofa shopping and there are so many sales happening, so, I thought this week I’d highlight a few to help you out. 

West Elm: Save 20-30% off sofas

West Elm is known for its modern and midcentury design, and brings a middle-of-the-road price point. My favorite sofa there at the moment is the Leon Wood Frame Sofa. It has midcentury vibes, with a bit of a relaxed twist. On sale starting at $999. 

World Market: Save on all Living Room Furniture

World Market is known for being unique and affordable and that they are! My favorite sofa there is the Forest Green Samara. This is the year of the green sofa according to many design sources, and this stylish glam sofa will only set you back $630 during the sale. 

Joybird: 20% Off Sofas

This online furniture store focuses on sofas and offers a lifetime warranty and 1-year return policy, plus free returns. And, for those on a tight budget, they will finance your purchase over 18 months. My favorite is the Preston Sofa, which comes in different lengths depending on your space. The smaller 68” sofa is on sale starting at $1039 and comes in a wide variety of fabric choices. 

Design Within Reach: Living Room Sale - Save up to 15%

DWR is known for its high-end designer furniture, with no “inspired by” tagline (these are the REAL DEAL). With a selection of modern and midcentury furniture you will surely find the perfect piece, if you can swing the high price (but just remember, furniture is an investment into your daily life, so it can be worth it!). My favorite is the Raleigh Sofa, starting on sale at $2,808.  

Urban Nest's Design Tip of the Week is written by our own Agent Andy Barlow. He divides his time between real estate and interior design, meaning that he can help you buy a house and decorate it, too. Ready to take the leap into a more comfortable space for you and your family? Get in touch with Andy here.

Agent Andy's House of the Week: 5913 NE 11th Ave

A Charmingly Historic Home in NE

In this series, Urban Nest's very own Agent Andy Barlow shares his favorite Portland home of the week. See stunning properties from all across town and pick up valuable insight from one of Portland's most discerning real estate professionals. 

Wow! Another hot week and another hot new listing! This week I headed up to the Vernon neighborhood to check out an amazing 1907 Bungalow just a short walk to everything on Alberta and Killingsworth, like La Taq, Handsome Pizza, Tea Bar (again!), and one of my favorite places - Hat Yai. And, more so, it’s just a short walk to Alberta Park and the Woodlawn Triangle (talk about a great location).

Entering the front sidewalk to the house, which sits far back off the street, you feel as if you’ve entered a sort of magical retreat. The yard is lush and the front porch invites you in to stay for a while. When I finally made it in through the front door, I couldn't even believe my eyes.

I haven’t seen a house that is so rich with details like this in a long time, especially for a price like this. There is woodwork across the entire ceiling, built-ins, moldings, beams, and walls. And, to find such a large open floor plan in home this age is really rare. The main level consists of two seating areas, one with a fireplace, a dining area, and a kitchen boasting original charm. 

Heading upstairs there are three bedrooms and a full bathroom. Each room continues with this feeling of a magical woodsy retreat, and the detailed woodwork continues (literally there is so much woodwork in this house it’s crazy!) And the floors throughout the home are aged Douglas fir, and for anyone who has been following my home blog knows that this is my absolute favorite. 

“It's a really unique house with the open layout and box beam ceilings,” Ashley Shabo, the listing agent, told me. “The whole house is tongue-and-groove wood, which I’ve never seen. It definitely feels like it takes you back in time.” I couldn’t agree more. 

My favorite part? Besides all the details and extreme woodwork? Besides the beautiful main level? The history! Check out this postcard that Ashley found in the wall. I’m not sure who Mrs. Young is, but I bet they threw a fabulous dance party.

Take a look at the full listing here.

Click here to learn more about working with us to find the PDX home of your dreams today.

Urban Nest Design Tip of the Week: Pet Hair Solutions for Wool Rugs

Easily Remove Pet Hair From Wool Rugs With One Simple Tool

In this series, we share simple DIY solutions for maximum design impact, brought to you by our very own Agent Andy Barlow.

I want to talk about flat-woven wool rugs this week. I love flat-woven and Kilim rugs, and they are a really popular choice in design right now. However, for those who own one and have pets, you may have noticed just how much they seem to act as a magnet to pet hair. Well, worry no more because I have the solution! 

Meet the Cotton Picker: Strings Attached mitten. My mom actually gifted me one of these a while back and I had no clue why, or what to do with it. But then, after purchasing a flat-woven wool rug and getting frustrated by how quickly all the cat hair was sticking to it, and how unsuccessful vacuuming or lint-rolling was working, I decided to try out mom’s gift. 

My first reaction: HOLY SMOKES! My rug was looking brand new again! All you have to do is put on the mitten and rub it over the rug in circular motions and it literally grabs all the hair like magic. This little mitten is a game-changer when it comes to owning a Kilim rug - gets it looking brand new and causes no damage! And the best part, they are only about $5 and last for about a year. They also work well on other fabricated furniture, so pet hair be gone! Thanks mom! 

Check out the before and after photos below. 

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Design tip bonus: This rug is the Pradeep Flatweave Wool Rug from World Market. This is a beautiful rug, and isn’t outrageously expensive. My favorite is the runner (sized 2.5’ x 10’), perfect for a hallway, and costs just $169. 

Urban Nest's Design Tip of the Week is written by our own Agent Andy Barlow. He divides his time between real estate and interior design, meaning that he can help you buy a house and decorate it too. Ready to take the leap into a more comfortable space for you and your family? Get in touch with Andy here. 

Urban Nest Agent Insight: Munir Henry on Reframing Escalation Clauses

Munir Henry - Munir believes that being Realtor is about much more than houses. It’s about the people.

Munir Henry - Munir believes that being Realtor is about much more than houses. It’s about the people.

Reframing Escalation Clauses With Urban Nest's Own Munir Henry

In this series, we share home buying and selling advice, insight, and trends from our esteemed agents that keep their fingers on the pulse of Portland's real estate market.

Sometimes buyers ask about using escalation clauses as an offer strategy -- this is where you offer a base price and then offer to beat a competing offer by a certain amount up to a max price -- but many often worry that they're tipping their hand to the sellers by letting them know what they would really be willing to pay. 

There is a chance that the seller would counter the buyer at their max price, without a competing offer being present. 

However, I like to reframe this idea as a chance to 'get the house for less.' For example, say a buyer was going to offer $375k on a house with no escalation clause. Using this strategy, they could instead offer $350k and promise to beat a competing offer by, say, $5,000, up to a max of $375k. 

This leaves them no worse off than if they went with the original offer with no escalation, but gives them the opportunity to possibly get the house for less.