Last Thursday

Last Thursday … the crazy street party that happens monthly in our new neighborhood.  This month, we didn’t even realize it was coming up– we were slaving away in our backyard, hauling rocks and concrete back and forth, when we noticed the streets filling up with people … ahh, of course– it was the last Thursday of the month!  Not a time for manual labor!!

Last Thursday is a random mix of street vendors, art, weird people, dancing, music, food .. It’s an unorganized street fair, where anyone can show up and set up a table to offer their own original craft or street fare.

Sarah was having a tough time transitioning from working mode to party mode, but I convinced her that her wearing a tutu and me wearing my fire pants that she made me was best … Last Thursday is no place for yuppie-wear.  Of course, her tutu received *many* complements … this is Portland, and keeping it weird is the moto!

This month, Last Thursday felt like a mini version of Burning Man … as it turns out, this is the last Last Thursday before Burning Man!  As such, street vendors were catering especially to the types of goods that Burners might want … and Sarah and I couldn’t resist!  One fuzzy hat, Elmo fleece, and ripped tie-dye shirt later we were dancing to dub-step music in the streets!

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Buying a House!

Big news!

Sarah and I have decided that we love it here in Portland too much to leave in the next couple of years, so we’re staying for a while … and buying a house!  With prices being down in Portland 28% from their 2007 high, with the market showing some signs that the worst is over, and with interest rates so low, it just seems like a great time to buy a house.  Prices are at the same levels they were at in 2004!  That’s 7 years of appreciation wiped out.  Not good if you already owned a house, but good for first time buyers.  Even taking into account all the costs of buying and selling a home, it still won’t cost us all that much more than the equivalent rent, even if the market stays flat.

All that said, we’re not doing this as an investment anyways– we’re doing it because we’re excited to plant our feet and feel rooted in a neighborhood, at least for the foreseeable future.  And as of yesterday we have had our offer on a house accepted!  We’re moving onward now with the inspection process and the mortgage process, but if all goes smoothly and inspection doesn’t turn up any big surprises, we’ll be in our new place on June 2nd!  Holy cow!

Our new place we’ll be in the Alberta Arts neighborhood.  It’s on the corner of two quiet streets, one of which is a bike boulevard and has lots of speed bumps to deter cars.  In the many hours we spent in the neighborhood last weekend, we only saw a few cars go down the street (but lots of bikers, runners and families)!  We’ve also had a chance to meet some of the neighbors and everyone has been very friendly.  We’re also just a few blocks from a very fun street with lots of restaurants, shops, and a theater.

Very excited!

 

 

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