Derl Roberts- He Was One of a Kind       On a typical winter-wet day in December, 2005, I walked into the office at Vernonia Realty. After a couple of brief introductions by Ken and Helen Bateman, I was escorted back to the office of the Principal Broker. I sat down across the desk from a gravelly-voiced man, with oxygen tubing placed lightly in his nostrils, who sat tall and solid in his seat. I had just been introduced to my future mentor in real estate, Mr. Derl Roberts. On the exterior, he presented himself as a sharp, no-nonsense fellow with a nice tailored shirt, backswept silvery hair and somewhat of a gruff manner. It belied the kind-hearted and unselfish man that I grew to know both as the consummate real estate professional and father-like figure that I had the pleasure of kno... 01/23/2012

Regarding actual and literal “boundaries” when dealing with a vacant lot or a lakefront property  one can be presented with quite a challenge when living in a rural community, or on a lake like Fishhawk Lake. An original survey may have happened 40+ years ago and land changes, overgrowth happens, stakes and pins disappear under layers of earth. Unless a current owner has had a survey done and physically can find the pins marking the corners of the lot or lakefront property, or have access to an actual survey done on the property from a former owner, it’s anyone’s guess as to what really is or is not part of the land. If your property backs up to state land, who do you go to in order to accurately assess where yours ends and the state’s vast amount of trees and shrubs and ferns and vines... 01/16/2012

There’s something in the air…can you feel it?  Can you see it?  Can you smell it?  It’s fresh. It’s lighter. It’s as if the clouds are lifting and sharp rays of sunshine are breaking through a bit here, a bit there.       It’s permeating the real estate mentality. Almost as if with the “dawn” of the new year, we all woke up from that deep slumber of troubled sleep and feel refreshed by the reawakening of a sense of taking back our power. When I speak with others in my working community as well as across the states to other ActiveRain members, I am hearing many many positive and rewarding changes happening with people in their hard won victories, overcoming the slump we’ve been in and shaking off that sense of doom. Almost like the Phoenix rising. A dear friend of mine in real estate sai... 01/13/2012

 Fishhawk Lake Thoughts-Being  True-One of  The Tenets of Trust   Trust Definition: reliance: confidence in and reliance on good qualities, especially fairness, truth, honor, or ability     As a child, I was one of those kids that didn’t hold back speaking the truth. Much to my parents’ chagrin, I was REALLY honest about everything. If someone was mean or they were a wonderful person, I would tell them, and there was no gray area. One time some neighbors that we’d never met showed up unannounced, stayed for several hours, way past dinnertime (which we hadn’t had) and as they were in the entry being ushered out the door, I said, “oh, you’re finally leaving?”  It was exactly what my parents were thinking but didn’t say. I've been kidded a lot about that story through the years.   As I’ve ... 01/12/2012

One of my dear friends sent this to me (the video below). It is so simple and SO moving that I really felt the need to share this video with you, my social network of friends. I hope that if you have a few minutes that you can stop and truly watch the unfolding beauty of this piece and listen to the simple but profound messages given to us by one child and one older gentleman.   I promise you it will be worth it. Happiness Revealed...from your friend at Fishhawk Lake.     01/10/2012

On a Lake in the Country: Questions People Ask   When new clients come out, inevitably there are many questions that arise from their first visit here to Fishhawk Lake.         Either they’ve discovered our area from friends, or from a search on the internet—some finding blogposts of mine on ActiveRain or my Wordpress blog or through people who have bought property out here. Maybe it’s from past clients who are so excited that they show photos at a Christmas party because they just bought lakefront property at Fishhawk Lake and it sparks interest from people who’ve had this dream of buying a lake property for years and are just now discovering Fishhawk Lake! That was my latest scenario. “Team G” bought a  lakefront home at Fishhawk Lake from me just before Christmas and were so excited ... 01/08/2012

No longer a Facebook Virgin!   This may seem like Old Hat to some of you…   but I just got my FIRST referral from Facebook last night!    Happy Dance!     It’s a big big home, with acreage and in a place where there are several other realtors in the area! What’s funny is that I can navigate through several sites, taught myself how to create my WordPress blogsite (Fishhawklakerealtor's blog), tweak photos up the wazoo, but I can’t figure out FACEBOOK. If I had teenagers living at home, then that most certainly would help.   I was actually answering my hairstylist, confirming my hair appointment when I saw the message, “Hello, Gayle, we’re looking for a realtor…”   I’m no longer a Facebook Virgin in the referral arena! http://youtu.be/VgkOCJ9PGkk Madonna - Like A Virgin (Official Music Vi... 01/04/2012

From Dicken's wonderful story: As Tiny Tim would say:                   12/24/2011

Winter photo ops come often at Fishhawk Lake. I decided to look through my photo archives for more pictures that I’ve taken since moving here fulltime in 2006. So, here we go!     This was the view from my old home at the first entrance to Fishhawk Lake, on Northshore Drive, where the spillway and fishladder are.            This cabin was built at Fishhawk Lake by a bunch of brothers from Alaska for their sister. Truly a log cabin at the lake!               This lonely little tree was sitting high atop a hill in the woods.                     Then there was the snowgoose.         And the picnic table.              I love the stark beauty of the blues and grays and shades of white in winter. This beach photo was taken in December at Cannon Beach, an hour away from Fishhawk Lake.         ... 12/18/2011

Do you know the feeling of coming up with a surprise Christmas present that you KNOW will bring a smile of utter joy??   My husband is a tough one to shop for at Christmas. So, there’s always a bit of angst involved in that holiday process. Well, this last weekend, we went to one of our favorite art galleries, the Jeffrey Hull Gallery at one of our favorite getaway places, Cannon Beach Oregon. We had decided that for our 11th anniversary we would pick out something for the house. Last year we bought Haystack Rock Sunset, which is a natural monument in the Pacific Ocean at Cannon Beach          and the Hulls delivered it and hung it for us in our new home. This year, Larry let me choose my favorite, Return to Fall. (I love the quietness, the Asian feel to it and the mystery that the fog ... 12/16/2011

Cannon Beach Oregon-A Weekend to Remember-Travels from Fishhawk Lake   Going to the beach in December might sound a bit crazy and yet it can bring about wonderful surprises to those who choose the “off season” to head to the Pacific Ocean for a weekend.   My husband and I were celebrating his birthday and our 11th anniversary. Our favorite coastal town is Cannon Beach Oregon only an hour away from our home at Fishhawk Lake where I specialize in real estate. We also have our favorite dog-friendly hotel, located right on the beach, called the Surfsand Resort on the beach.    It’s always a delicious pleasure to sneak away from the 24-7 business that he runs and my all hours of the day and night real estate biz. We don’t care what the weather is like at Cannon Beach because it’s just us enj... 12/12/2011

Fishhawk Lake Thoughts Elk Reserve Jewell Oregon   The morning of December 16, 2008, it was 10 degrees outside, one of the coldest that winter. The call I received that morning meant being outside for several hours, but it was going to be worth it. A small group of us who are Fishhawk Lake residents, located inBirkenfeld Oregon got a last minute chance to be part of the daily feeding of big herds of wild elk at the Elk Reserve in Jewell Oregon, seventeen miles away. It entailed a hayride on the main highway for about a quarter of a mile, then into the reserve itself to throw out their rations of hay. While on the buckboard, we were going to have an up-close-and-personal view of these magnificent creatures and for those of us who love nature photography, it would be a momentous occasion.... 12/07/2011

Festive Fotos of Fishhawk Lake!   I thought it would be fun and festive to show pictures of winters past at Fishhawk Lake. Here are some from the archives.   This one was taken by the spillway and the Fish Ladder, where the salmon spawn yearly. There was snow on my lens that made it look like a moon. This is from the same vantage point, but a different day. I didn't change the tone of the photo, it came out this way because of the light....or lack thereof! This one was in front of my old house one winter's night. Our water feature looks natural, but was put in by a wonderful landscaper (using indigenous rock) by Nature's Construction. "Grandpa Wonder's Watering Can" is what I call this. He was a longtime resident of Fishhawk Lake and I sold his cabin a few years ago.  There are also cre... 12/03/2011

The Gods Must Be Crazy….Fishhawk Lake (Real Estate) Thoughts   The Gods Must Be Crazy…crazy GOOD that is. They are shining down on me, creating sunshine and success in the stormy downpours of a November in Oregon.   In approximately the last 3 weeks, I’ve seen three transactions close, a new listing/sale pending in 2 weeks (I’m representing both sides), a cash buyer pop into the office (yes, a WALK-IN!), make a quick offer on a lot of mine, to build a spec home that I will list and this will close tomorrow. I have two more new listings since yesterday AND a cash buyer who made an offer that was accepted by my buyers over the phone immediately!   As if THAT’S NOT ENOUGH…Thanksgiving Day, I happened to have had a minute to look at the ActiveRain Daily Drop, while waiting for food to cook ... 11/29/2011

Did You Ever NOT Want to Sell Your Clients’ Home? (Because you DIDN’T want them to leave?)   In my community at Fishhawk Lake, I live here and have the time of my life selling real estate in this great vacation destination. HOWEVER, every now and then I meet up with sellers that I fall in love with and I really don’t want to sell their home!   Mr. and Mrs. M bought one of the very first lots here waaaay back in 1967, before the lake even had water.  They camped for years, sharing stories of sleeping at the very small clubhouse, (one of the first buildings here) then built their home themselves after hiring an actual “barn builder” to do the exterior structure, taking their time, finishing the interior in 1982. The rich history of memories of Fishhawk Lake are a firm part of their family... 11/22/2011

Thoughts from Fishhawk Lake-Think of your brain as a muscle and pump it up!   Stimulating the brain by reading never goes out of fashion. So put down the remote and start “exercising”,pick up a book or listen to talk radio, books on CD or subscribe to a new blogger. Get those neurons pumping!   Some current favorites: Good to Great- Jim Collin’s book on how successful companies have made it to #1(and why some did and some didn't) NPR-National Public Radio-my personal go-to station for staying in touch with what’s going on in the world Walden-Henry David Thoreau’s literary feast (my nightstand book, an annotated version that has actual drawings of his, which even has his drawing of a fishhawk!—but that’s not the only reason why I love Thoreau) The Help- Kathryn Stockett, a terrific novel... 11/21/2011

Forget the "I"s Use the Ears to Engage A Client     Recently, my husband and I were buyers in a men’s clothing store. The young man kept trying to talk us into items that he himself owned. “I have this suit”.  “I own three paisley ties!” We were put off by his “I”s and will not be going back.   Asking open-ended questions can help you navigate through the maze of “getting to know” your client, putting the focus on them. The five “Ws” are such an easy method to utilize, so easy to forget! Who, what, where, why and when…it’s one of those interviewer’s tools in gathering information that offers up more than just a yes or no and gives you more to go on, expanding your insights into what makes your client tick.           No one learns by talking, but by listening.  Some clients find it hard ... 11/17/2011

Autumn Foliage at Fishhawk Lake A Pictorial     All of these were taken within minutes of each other on a November morning at Fishhawk Lake.  You photographers would have a "field day" here at Fishhawk Lake! It's a photographer's paradise.  It almost felt like this tree was waving!        To show you how different this can be, I took this next picture (in front of the home I just sold) in the same area as the water feature (above), but facing the sun over the mountain in the background, instead of having the sun behind me.        (I thought this felt very Christmasy). I was trying to capture the cobwebs, but my angle wasn't right.          Come and enjoy Fishhawk Lake through your camera’s eye or up close and personal—let me show you around our slice of paradise. It’s a dream come true ... 11/14/2011

Welcome, new neighbors (and new friends!) to Fishhawk Lake! It was a picture-perfect day in every respect. I headed over early yesterday morning to heat up the house for my buyers who just bought two properties (house and adjoining lot) here at Fishhawk Lake. The sun was glimmering through autumn-toned leaves, the fog lifting, but still lingering around the tree tops and I was just hours away from welcoming our newest additions, the Barlows to Fishhawk Lake. I couldn’t have ordered a more perfect November day! They brought their sweet kitty, Addie who was a bit ADDLED by the drive and all of the hoopla, but she took it all in and even let me scratch her 21 lb. self later.   I gave them my favorite closing present, a  Gurgle Pot  in moss to match the marble counters in their kitchen (sor... 11/12/2011

Not only is my business mushrooming* at Fishhawk Lake, but my yard is, too! I had no idea there were so many varieties out my back door.                                                         This particular mushroom is a chanterelle, a delicacy which grows all over the Fishhawk Lake area and is very expensive to buy in stores.   *2 solds this week, one next week, new listing of lakefront property, which has an offer (buyers contacted me through ActiveRain), and a new client yesterday! Life is mushrooming!   Cream of Mushroom Soup   1/2lb.mushrooms, chopped fine 4TBL butter 1/4c.finely chopped onion 3-4Tbl.flour 4cups chicken or vegetable broth 1/2cup cream salt/pepper Melt butter in pot, add onion, mushrooms. Cook slowly on low heat about 15 mins. Sprinkle flour, cook a few more minut... 11/09/2011