Mr. Phillips on the bridge to the Tree House

What?  Yes.  A dozen+ homes in Huntsville, Texas defy your imagination.  Built by Dan Phillips, a very creative entrepreneur, designer and builder makes use of the waste of our building industry and gets deep about the impact of perception on our choices (esp. at 4:56).  In his witty, insightful, 17-minute TED Talk, Phillips demonstrates two ways of thinking he says are most common in building and design: Apollonian and Dionysian.  The former being the dominant and, inherently a “perfection”-driven model, is primarily responsible for the mountains of construction waste in our landfills. If something’s scratched, nicked or otherwise imperfect, it ends up in a landfill. Dionysian design and thinking, on the other hand, is more intuitive and flexible, he says. It expresses a poetry and pragmatism to building that solves the issue of construction waste. Simply put, he builds houses out of trash. Lovely houses. Inexpensive and lovely houses.

His is a socio-economic and environmental mission. A New York Times article, from 2009, paints a portrait of the man himself. Possessing a varied background that will likely surprise you, Mr. Phillips began his construction company, Phoenix Commotion, in 1997, with the intent to create affordable homes from salvaged materials. He figured it was a 2 birds, 1 stone kind of deal.  Use whatever he could from the waste stream, usually gotten for free or cheap, and create stable housing for those who could otherwise not afford home-ownership.  Despite many successes, even some of his homes were lost to foreclosure by the buyers.  With mortgage payments ranging from only $99-$300 per month, he says, “you can put someone in a new home but you can’t give them a new mindset”.  Ironically, these foreclosed homes quickly sold to higher-income buyers, who valued their energy efficiency and unique look.  The gentrification of Phoenix Commotion homes doesn’t sit perfectly well with Dan Phillips, but he says if it helps to further the idea of creative reuse, he’s ok with it. And while he’s not getting rich on this business, it has become profitable.

Dan Phillips is a beacon for sensible, creative re-use and the DIY-spirit in general.  We Portlanders (and many others) are lucky to have places like the ReBuilding Center and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  We don’t have to dig in landfills to find gems and these businesses have found ways to eliminate that middle-man altogether by making a business of “Deconstruction”.  But that’s a subject for another blog post.  Check out Mr. Phillips’ website, watch the TED Talk and read the Times article, all linked above.  Be inspired … and share some of your thoughts here!

This series exists to encourage public participation in the shaping of Portland’s future.  Participants in the Symposium will provide valuable feedback, raise critical questions and offer ideas concerning the theme of Historic Resources.  It’s also an opportunity to learn about steps that are currently being taken by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.  Participants will engage in topics of historic preservation, density, design, growth, and the balance that CC2035 should strive for in developing potential policies for the future.  The CC2035  Advisory Group will capture ideas from the symposium and integrate them into the Draft Concept plan.

CC2035 Symposium Series: Historic Resources #2
June 17, 2011
9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
1900 SW 4th Avenue, Room 2500A, Portland, OR 97201

This topic is just one of many integrated themes under discussion about the Central
City, including:

* Housing and Community Development
* Mobility
* Economic Vitality
* Civic and Cultural Life
* Historic Resources
* Urban Ecosystems
* The Willamette River
* Urban Design
* Public Safety

See you there?

The program takes place at the Ecotrust Building in the Billy Frank Jr. Conference
Room, 721 NW 9th Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the program will begin at 7 p.m.
Admission is free. The event will be broadcast on Channel 30 and streamed live on
the Portland Plan website. [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=ptiluhcab&et=1104184869570&s=20040&e=001KSxWOzwzqdHhFjNBKbw36N2AdRFvFgh1ZzhogPVD57q5bKHOb5t90iCNkiilcpaAZRI90beMV0qcLBpMvERTiseJ-1NxSHna10ZjSaAFEbhSgxLwPFdL3ThNtMcKp8Q-1g5hiN3jWEFUtqelCbA4gZt2LAkaZqQVRkrMi692wb9I_-FG2-iV4A==]

Cynthia Girling & Ronald Kellett will be presenting on redesigning our neighborhoods for greater liveability and reduced environmental impact.  Both Girling and Kellett are professors of Landscape Architecture at UBC. 

Go here for more info: http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/calendar_details.html?UniqueID=310&ana=sbo

Buying a Home?

FHA changes to mortgage insurance premiums take effect today (10/4/10). In the works since January, the newly implemented changes affect the amount that anyone choosing an FHA loan can be prequalified for. In hyper-summary, this means buyers will pay less, up-front, on their premium but more on a monthly basis. Whereas previous borrowers have a mortgage insurance statutory cap of 0.55% of the loan amount, according to HousingWire.com, today’s buyers will pay 1.55%. This results in weakened buying power for home-buyers. For example, on a $300,000 loan, with 3.5% down and a 4.25% APR, the borrower’s buying power is reduced by about $14,000. These changes also affect those looking to refinance their existing mortgages or modify their loans.  To hear it from the horse’s mouth, click this link.  For a more detailed description of the changes, or to find out how this might impact your home search, you can also contact me directly.  I am always happy to help!

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is installing Green Streets and Cycle Tracks along the stretch of Cully Boulevard from NE Prescott St. to NE Killingsworth St.  Green Streets are a series of extended curbs designed as planters that collect stormwater that flows (in this case) to the Columbia Slough.  The plants and soil filter out pollutants as the water passes through.  To explain what a Cycle Track is, I’ll let the BikePortland.org blog take over.  Besides beautifying Cully Boulevard, these new features will also create a physically separated sidewalk for pedestrians and riding path for cyclists, apart from all the car traffic in what is now a  rather unsightly and dangerous place to walk.  But this is just the beginning…

“Changing the Climate in Cully”:  Today, Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) announced a community-led project that partners with Oregon’s Clean Energy Works that will make 100 Cully homes more energy-efficient through weatherization measures.  These kinds of retrofits might include replacing old appliances or heating systems with new, efficient ones.  It could also include insulating walls, ceilings and floors, replacing bad windows, finding leaks in your duct system, etc.

Everyone loves an Ice Cream Social

If you live in the Cully Neighborhood and would like to learn more about it, go to the ICE CREAM SOCIAL this Thursday @ Rigler Elementary School, 7 PM – 8:30 PM.  Meet some neighbors, and, (uh, hello!) eat some ICE CREAM and learn about the benefits of participating in this Clean Energy Works pilot program.  If you don’t live in Cully yet – what are you waiting for???  This neighborhood is full of potential!  Call me and I’ll tell you all about it!  If you live somewhere else in Portland, and are firmly rooted where you are, check out the Energy Trust of Oregon.  They’ll send an Energy Auditor to do a FREE home energy review and make a prioritized list of changes you can make to “green” your home.  Oh, and P.S., there’s like a gazillion CASH REBATES and TAX CREDITS to be had when you do this!  It’s a win-win-win my friends, for your wallet, your comfort and the environment!

There is a call to responsible decision-making by home buyers themselves.  Buyers are being asked to consider the location of their next home in proximity to their daily destinations.  This means the idea of “affordable housing” is not always something to be built, but rather, created through the power of personal planning.  Choosing to live closer to your work, grocery shopping, your children’s schools, or the public transit options to get you there efficiently all adds up to dollars saved (and the environment, too!).  Pollution is prevented; time, energy money and sanity are saved by a reduced commute…   Leaving you with time to burn, instead of gas.       

So, while we wait for Obama’s new (-ish) Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities to make sweeping changes nationwide, we can each consider our own personal decisions around housing and re-assess the location for sustainability.  If you are considering moving, feel free to call me to discuss the ways your life could be made simpler, more efficient and less polluting when you choose the location of your next home.

Seems like we’ve had nothing but rain the last few weeks… and weeks, and weeks, and weeks.  It may be raining cats and dogs now, but soon enough Portland summer will be upon us!  Our dry, hot summers remind us clearly of the importance of water conservation.  However, it’s important that we conserve water year round!  The less drinking water we remove from the system for all of our in-home plumbing, the less we are putting into waste water treatment.  Now, I like sewage treatment systems probably more than the average American, but they are not perfect. The water that comes out of them is certainly cleaner than what went in, but nowhere near as clean as what comes out of your tap.  I mean, would you go drink that effluent?  I didn’t think so.

So, the less waste water we create, the less we pollute our rivers and the more money we save individually on our water/sewer bill and as a City!  To help us live up to this goal, the Portland Water Bureau offers Portlanders FREE KITS to conserve water!  By stopping persistent leaks and minimizing the amount of water we send down the drain, or put on our lawns, we’re protecting the Bull Run watershed and all the other living things that depend on it.  We’re also improving the Willamette River, Columbia Slough and Columbia River!  Did you know you could do all that during your morning shower???  Sweet!

It’s really easy… you can order a kit from the Water Bureau’s website, and they will send you one for free.  In the kit you’ll find: toilet leak detectors and water savers, faucet aerators for your bathroom and kitchen, a high-efficiency shower head and little hour glass timer – so you can time your shower more easily!  They’ll send you in-home water usage auditing devices and lawn watering gauges – so that you water your yard or garden just enough!  Brilliant!  And FREE!!! 

Here is a direct link to the ordering form.  It’s my goal to assist you with all of your Portland Real Estate needs and connect you with tools and resources for sustainable living.  If there is anything I can help you with, please call or email.  And let’s start thinking “SUMMER”!!

Love,

Your House Wren

Sandra & Kris are psyched about their new plant starts!

Sunday Parkways 2010 kicked off with a route in NE Portland and I was there in a new capacity!  In the past, I’ve enjoyed the Sunday Parkways as a participant or volunteer.    This year, however, I got to experience the S.P. as a vendor! 

My new team, EcoSphere Realty Group had a  booth set up at Alberta Park.  We had a free raffle drawing, where we gave away The 3 Sisters plant starts (corn, beans & squash – see the cute photo – @left!), a 2-hr Permaculture design consulation, a Chinook Book and passes to Common Ground Wellness Center for free 1-hr soak ‘n sauna sessions.  (Mmmmmmm… soak & sauna…)

This day was also significant for me because it was the big debut of EcoSphere Realty Group… Hollah!!    After 5 weeks of intense preparation and decision making, we showed up at the Parkways event knowing who we are and what we do for our clients.  You might even be wondering that very thing yourself.  Who are they?  What do they do? 

Glad you asked.  We are a small group of Realtors from Prudential Northwest Properties that have banded together because of our mutual passion for  Sustainable Living and “Green” design.  EcoSphere Realty Group is composed of Realtors, including yours truly, with specialties in Alternative Commuting, Permaculture & Land Stewardship, Co-housing and Home Wellness.  We are backed by Earth Advantage and Eco-Broker certifications and are a Trade Ally of the Energy Trust of Oregon.  We help our clients acheive their sustainability goals by finding them appropriate homes and land to steward and in proximity to their daily destinations.  We connect our clients with information resources and trusted contractors to make any necessary changes to their homes for energy efficiency, healthy living spaces and landscaping. 

It was a really great day!  Not only did the rain clouds burn off after some morning showers, but the steady stream of smiles on the faces of cyclists, walkers, roller-skaters and even babies in strollers going by left my cheeks hurting.  I had a perma-grin from 10 – 3!  We gave out flowers with wire stems for handlebars to nearly everyone passing by – and hopefully that *bling* spread the smiles all across town! 

Come see us at the 4 remaining Sunday Parkways!  More raffle prizes and bike bling to be had!  Next one is: June 27th in NoPo.

This “shaping of Portland” is continuous.  Where we are at today, as the Nation’s “Greenest City” will not be enough for tomorrow.  We must engage, ponder, create a vision and act.  There are existing groups that want your feedback and participation.  You can also act independently.  We can’t ”rest on our laurels”, as they say.  Those of us that are here now, no matter how long we’ve been here, need to continue shaping this town with a vision towards a sustainable future.