“As the popularity of the Bethany area as a residential enclave and business center continues to grow, so does the flow of traffic negotiating the junction of Bethany Boulevard over Highway 26 and nearby intersections.

According to Washington County transportation statistics, the Bethany overpass carries 19,300 vehicles per day, while 27,000 vehicles traverse south of Bronson Road and 15,400 north of Cornell Road.

A package of projects to improve the area’s traffic flow is set to commence next spring, with an eye for completion by December 2013.

Matthew Costigan, senior project manager with Washington County, presented an overview of the Bethany Boulevard Overcrossing project at Monday night’s meeting of Citizen Participation Organization 7 in the Community Room of Bethany, 15220 N.W. Laidlaw Road.

The project will add two lanes — approximately 28 feet to the east — to the four-lane, two-span bridge that carries Bethany Boulevard over Highway 26. Two lanes will be added in each direction on Northwest Bethany Boulevard between Bronson and Northwest Cornell roads, and a second right-hand turn lane will be added on westbound Bethany just north of the highway.

“Right now (the overpass) is a four-lane ODOT structure,” Costigan said, referring to Oregon Department of Transportation’s jurisdiction. “It was not a high priority for ODOT. It is for Washington County. We’re willing to take it on.”

The proposed improvements for the projects, which will total $25 million ($15 million for widening and $10 million for the overcrossing), also include the following components:

• Widening Bethany Boulevard between Bronson and West Union roads to two lanes in each direction with an intermittent turn lane;

• Adding an additional northbound through lane;

• Adding an additional southbound left-turn lane at the eastbound “collector/distributor,” or frontage road, that parallels Highway 26;

• Adding bicycle lanes, a sidewalk on the east side of Highway 26 and a multi-use path on the west side;

• Sight distance improvements at the adjacent intersections; and

• Traffic signals, including a new signal at Bethany and Bronson, will be adjusted to accommodate the changes.”

Check out this great article from MSN!

Last night Congress restored the loan limits for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for two years.

In late September the FHA, Fannie Mae; and Freddie Mac loan limits were reduced in 42 states pricing potential home buyers out of the American Dream of home ownership and holding back the housing recovery.

NAR immediately went to work with the goal to get the loan limits restored in Congress. For weeks that goal seemed unlikely.

Many REALTORS® from all over the country worked to educate Congress that well-qualified buyers didn’t need yet another hurdle to access affordable mortgage financing.

They finally listened. Because we were persistent. And because we were right.
The reinstated FHA loan limit formula and cap change will help make mortgages more affordable and accessible for hard-working, middle-class families in 669 counties in 42 states and territories, where the average loan limit reduction after the reset last month was more than $68,000. The provision reinstates the FHA loan limits through 2013 at 125 percent of local area median home prices, up to a maximum of $729,750 in the highest cost markets, the floor will remain at $271,050. However, Congress chose not to apply the loan limits restoration to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie-and-Freddie-backed mortgages will remain at 115 percent of local area median home prices up to $625,500.

The bill also provides for a short-term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program through December 16, 2011. NAR will continue to press Congress to use the additional time to complete their work on a five-year reauthorization of the program, which ensures access to affordable flood insurance for millions of home and business owners across the country.

Red Tricycle recently held a contest for the “Most Awesome Birthday Party Supply Store” in Portland and Bethany’s Fancy That was voted number one!! Congrats to Lisa Komer, owner of this great little shop located inside the Bliss Bake Shop in Bethany Village, 4708 NW Bethany Blvd. Portland 97229.

Here’s the article from Red Tricycle:
“Fancy That is number one for Birthday Party Supply Stores for a reason. Their stuff is awesome. As in Totally Awesome. Would you like a Rainbow Bright theme complete with a rainbow cake? They can help with that. What about a garden party where lady bugs are the main event? They will have your back like you wouldn’t believe. Awesome.”

Top 10 Finalists
Fancy That
Lippman’s Party Supply
Piece of Cake Bakery
Le Cookie Monkey
The Doll House Tea Room
Party Depot
Captain Henrys Pirate Store
Balloons on Broadway
Bakery Bar
The Dessert Tray

Butternut squash panini

“Though summer clung to Oregon well through September, the leaves are beginning to turn and the air is crisp. Gourds have taken the place of figs as our centerpiece, and pumpkins grace the stoops of neighborhood homes.

Fall has arrived! Season changes are busy times for the kitchen, and even though Janet loves hot weather, she admits that fall is one of her favorite “food times.” Produce deliveries are looking less like strawberries and more like butternut squash, wild huckelberries, and chanterelles.

Comfort foods are back! The panini grill has come down off its lonely shelf, and as requested by customers, our butternut squash panini has returned to the specials board. No one can get enough of Janet’s warm beet salad, served with creamy chevre over swiss chard. Our dessert menu has shifted towards tummy-warming bread pudding and Oregon berry crumble, which pair well with the tasty hot drinks we’ve added to our cocktail list.

It’s a beautiful time of year, and no place is more cozy than our dining room!”

Allea

The right phrasing in real-estate listings can speed a sale and even boost the final price, a Canadian study says. And here’s a tip: If you must sell, don’t put “must sell” in your ad.
By Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate

In real-estate listings, what’s the difference between describing your home as “beautiful” versus “move-in condition”? About $12,500 on a $250,000 home.

Professor Paul Anglin, a real-estate economist in Guelph, Ontario, says that homes described as “beautiful” in real-estate listings sell for 5% more while “move-in condition” has no effect on sale price.

Anglin and his colleagues from the University of Windsor and researchers from Canada Mortgage and Housing examined about 20,000 real-estate listings and sales data in Windsor and Essex counties, Ontario, from between 1997 and early 2000. Among other things, they studied how listings’ phrasing affected sale prices and the length of time it took for the listings to close.

When speed is of the essence
Listings with the words “beautiful” or “gorgeous” sold 15% faster. “Landscaping” in a listing hastened a sale by 20%. Describing a property as in “move-in condition” quickened the sale by 12%. Calling a home a “handyman special” cut sale time by half (researchers excluded listings that used the term to describe a workshop or hobby area).

Other familiar jargon, such as “must see” or “vacant,” or including the information that a seller was moving, had virtually no effect on the time before a sale.

The kiss of death appears to be language that reeks of desperation — words such as “motivated” and “must sell.” These slowed sales by 30%. The term “ranch” house slowed sales by 10%. Properties described as rentals (income-producing) took 60% longer to sell.

Click HERE for the rest of this article…

A lot of Washington County’s increase over the past decade is thanks to its focus on recruiting high-tech
businesses to the area. Both Intel and SolarWorld have significant presences in and around Hillsboro,
employing thousands. Additionally, Washington County has much lower housing costs than Multnomah
County. Not only does that help bring companies to town, but it attracts young families.

As well as increasing employment at a higher rate, the median annual household income is also higher
than either of the other two major counties. Clackamas County’s typical household earns $59,876, while
Multnomah County’s is at $50,733. Meanwhile, Washington County’s median household income sits at
$60,963, over $12,000 more than the statewide median household income.

And it is unlikely that these trends will turn around anytime soon. Metro, the state’s regional planning
government, recently unveiled its future growth plan for land boundaries and over 13,000 acres of
undeveloped land were designated for future growth in Washington County. Of that, 310 acres were
earmarked for industrial development, meaning the county is likely to continue its aggressive pursuit of
manufacturing plants and high-tech firms.