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Birkenfeld, OR Real Estate News

By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake Real Estate-the Inspection-Where the Negotiations Really Begin Most buyers think the biggest hurdle is the agreed upon sales price. It is good for them to know how important an inspection can be as well as how dicey it can be.  I do this with both the buyers and the sellers at Fishhawk Lake and in Vernonia. Many a transaction can fall apart at this stage. This is one of those pieces of the real estate puzzle that I discuss with the buyer fairly early in the transaction process.                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I will have an honest talk with a new seller at Fishhawk Lake if they’ve got a property that might have problems that are easy to see…like a roof that needs to be repaired/replaced. It’s much easier to get ...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
There are times when I feel like I’m the luckiest girl in the world!  I live on a lake in the country, I get to do what I love and when I drive anywhere out here, it always offers opportunities to take delightful pictures of the countryside, weather changes, out-of-the-way places. Being on ActiveRain also affords me the opportunity to invite others into my world,virtually if in no other way. It gives them a chance to see another part of the country, stop their daily stress for a moment and take a mental break long enough to transport themselves to another venue away from their paperwork, their computer or their ipad.         IN OTHER WORDS, A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!            Having ActiveRain as this venue to just be myself has really been a blessing and has opened up this whole new worl...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
    Fishhawk Lake Creepy Creatures Nature with all of her faces can be interesting, and well….creepy, too. I have sometimes been in the right place at the right time at Fishhawk Lake to catch some of those creepy creatures…some you may not recognize because they don’t frequent your area. Some are ones we all share. This guy is a Pacific NW Salamander. They are usually shy. Also, from what I’ve read they are nocturnal. He was neither the day I saw him. He was hanging around by my back door at Fishhawk Lake early in the morning and I had the time to not only get some photos of him, but to measure him. He was NINE INCHES LONG!   Another slimy fella was traipsing past my hot tub on a rain-soaked day. Recently, I was near the Fishhawk Lake clubhouse, picking some late summer wildflowers and ...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake Real Estate-Our Day in the Sun! Today was one of those October days that everyone wishes for.  I had to head into “town” for the whole day (Portland) and basked in the amazing bursts of color and the autumn leaves skipping across the road as I drove the 90 minutes from Fishhawk Lake to SE Portland. It was a day of sun-sparked mild moods all around me. Happy, relaxed people, murmuring about the glorious weather and not a grump in sight.  Oregonians as a rule are pretty engaging folks, with a comfortable spirit about them and I have always appreciated the fact that you can talk with someone you don’t know and they will be completely okay speaking with you. When I was standing in the grocery line, I sparked up a casual conversation with a young man who was quite effusive in h...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
You Better NOT Talk to My Sellers- The Ethics of Being a Realtor   As a new real estate broker, you better read up on the ethics of being a realtor or you are going to find yourself in trouble.   Just recently, this came up because a new agent, BRAND NEW, who used to be a mortgage broker and lives part time in the area that I live in and specialize in decided that she was going to solicit one of my sellers and “give her opinions” to another one of my sellers.   When I heard about this I saw RED.   First of all, she approached one of my sellers DIRECTLY and said that she couldn’t find the seller’s listing on RMLS. The seller called me. I assured her that her listing is on RMLS and went back into my listing load and e-mailed it to her again. I later explained to her that this new agent sh...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
  I heard a song yesterday that resonated with me both for the timing of it and the lyrics. I was busy doin’ my thing, and then all of a sudden, I really heard these lyrics. And sometimes, it’s just the right song for the moment. It reflects what many of us are going through when we, as people in the real estate business try to keep our heads above water and keep moving forward.   When you want something bad enough, you got to stick to it. Ain't nobody telling me that I can't do it.  Don't let no one tell you what you should be.   Nobody in this World can say no to me. (Chorus)   Stand back, I'm coming through. Stand back, I know just what to do. It’s a song called Stand Back by The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Sometimes it’s just simple statements that say it all. Believe in yourself. Own yo...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake Real Estate Fall Frenzy!   Today has been a frenzy of activity. It started out with three new listing appointments set up, a counter offer, an agent calling about acreage I have listed, a ridiculous repair addendum, a seller who said an agent couldn’t find her listing on RMLS (CRAZY person, it was there and I e-mailed it to the client just to prove it), a call from my computer guy (because my main computer is whacked), a rejected counter offer from my buyers after a last minute counter from a seller's agent and it’s STILL GOING.   So instead of pulling my hair out, I stopped and decided to put some fall touches in my home just to feel better!   I’ve added a bit here and there and still have a bag of fall décor to paw through, but that’s going to have to wait til tomorrow. ...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake Real Estate Monday Money “Cents”   Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric was interviewed recently and one of the quotes that really hit home with me was this:   “Those who are going to invest their way through this crisis are going to win”.   This makes “cents”! When sellers ask me if people are buying vacation homes right now this is what I say:  “Those who have been smart about their money are STILL smart about their money”.   If you have the cash to buy something, buy it! If your credit is exemplary, you have a good debt-to-income ratio, this is THE PERFECT TIME to see this great buying equation and take advantage of it: low interest, rock-bottom prices! A+credit, Debt-to-income is low +money in the bank=Purchasing Power!   If you have a large sum of money for a down ...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
    Paying it Forward-Taking One for the Team       Earlier this week I wrote a post about my approach with sellers about listing their properties at Fishhawk Lake.  I tell them the straight story and sometimes that means NOT LISTING, but offering other alternatives instead.   The clients I saw on Wednesday bought property at Fishhawk Lake four years ago. They were weighing out whether or not to sell at this point.   We sat at the kitchen table and discussed all of the advantages/disadvantages and one of those included possibly re-financing their 2nd home at Fishhawk Lake at a MUCH BETTER RATE.   I told them about my FANTASTIC lender, Shawn Baeschlin,  with NW Mortgage Group. He is the ONLY one I suggest.   The next day, they called me to say thank you for suggesting him. They had alrea...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake Real Estate-I Calls 'Em Likes I Sees 'Em!   That might be a down-home, "Ah Shucks" way to say it, but it's the truth! When my neighbors give me the ultimate compliment of asking me to represent them as their listing agent for properties at Fishhawk Lake or Vernonia, I wanna do right by 'em and give them the low-down, the straight story. I don't feel you need to smack someone over the head with the blunt force truth, but I do think you need to TELL THE TRUTH in a kind and sometimes humorous manner. If their house is just not going to sell in this market, or they're in too deep financially, I'm going to say: I think you ought to wait. I don’t do a formal presentation….it’s not my style. We have a conversation. These are my neighbors, after all. I do occasionally bring the ca...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Girlfriends at Fishhawk There is something pretty special about girlfriends. And after living here at Fishhawk Lake for the last 6+ years fulltime, I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life and part of that is because of girlfriends.   We girlfriends check in on each other, call if we’re heading into town and ask if we can pick up something for each other, share big pots of food if we have plenty to go around or call for that seasoning we’re missing.     A good part of the week I’m working here alone as the local realtor at Fishhawk Lake and there is no better feeling than knowing that if you need a friend, you can drop by, call on a whim and go visit, play cards, have a glass of wine,      or take a boat ride or all of those things and your girlfriends we...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake Real Estate-Monday Morning Success Story You get an e-mail from someone interested in your niche and you think, oh a new client--terrific! But, this one in particular had all the earmarks of the layers of success from building up my niche at Fishhawk Lake. This was the actual e-mail I woke up to this morning: Hello Gayle, My wife and I have been thinking about a vacation home for a while and recently stumbled upon Fishhawk Lake. We drove out there today[Sunday] and confirmed our suspicion that it is a great place. While driving around we met Glenn and Tammy, two relative newcomers to the lake who gave us your name.   We are still working out some of the details, like can we afford it, but would like to learn a bit more about the lake [Fishhawk Lake] and some of the propert...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Weather or not...is Fishhawk Lake the Right Place for You? On one of my localism posts lately, Deb Brooks commented: Gayle...don't laugh. I made my husband read about Fishhawk Lake and look at your photos the other day. I told him, "this is where I want to retire".  He doesn't like the cold winters. What's it like there with your seasons? I would rather hear it from you now instead of googling Fishhawk Lake and finding you anyway! Which got me to thinking about WEATHER and Fishhawk Lake. We have many things to offer vacationers as well as fulltimers here and weather sometimes plays into it. So, Deb, I thought I would answer your question and maybe answer some weather questions that other people interested in Fishhawk Lake ask.   For example, if you’re used to heat AND humidity, you won’...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake-Managing Forest Fires in Our Community-Volunteer Efforts   I was listening to Science Friday, NPR’s radio program hosted by Ira Flatow, on my way into work today. They were doing a live panel discussion in Flagstaff, AZ about wildfire management. I feel that it is paramount to be aware of how truly dangerous this can be for people, animals, and our habitat and how to avoid it in the first place.   At Fishhawk Lake, last year we decided to make ourselves a “Firewise Community” and deal head-on with lessening some of the dangers for forestfires to be created in our little Fishhawk Lake community, tucked into the coastal range, between state forest and privately owned forestland.   Twice a year, we, as a community, volunteer to go around our lake taking care of potentially ha...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
A Poem That Spoke to Me On a mid August evening, Jeanean snuck this beauty in...and it was one of those gentle pieces that I immediately fell in love with. It captures the essence of why I love where I live and I wanted to honor that by sharing it with my friends who may not have been graced by it the first time around.   A Poem by Jeanean Gendron - The River of Knowing       I am the water flowing, the stone that caresses the swirl, that which smoothes and polishes, made round and complete.   River endless curved and gracious flowing, giver of life and taker unbeknown, woods of shadow and light, sparkling from endless flows.   Come that I know the source of life you hold, whispers of nature to be made known, beauty of small and large, may I know you well.   I the fisherman find not fis...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake     Location! Location! Location!   In real estate this is a perfect phrase. But, this phone call put a whole new spin on that phrase today. This man is a photo shoot location scout and producer and he found out that I was the “expert at Fishhawk Lake” (his words) and wants to see about doing some apparel shoots out here!   I have often thought this would be the PERFECT LOCATION for a movie or photo shoot.     Fishhawk Lake has such a delightful array of  lake cabins, flora and fauna and terrific backdrops that our slice-of-paradise could easily work for many types of shoots and in a variety of seasons.     I am personally excited that this man found me because I used to be in this business oh-so-long ago and actually helped do location scouting for Nike at one point. I KN...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake Real Estate Locals-Hobbits and Mushrooms Gary Woltal (in my post yesterday) suggested I go back and find hobbits. Well, I went around my local area at Fishhawk Lake and just happened to find those as well as mushrooms.   You have to be quiet and sneak up on them, 'cause they both can be shy.       I didn’t capture all of the mushrooms I would like, so I will pull a photo of one that we grow around here and tell you a bit about it. Chanterelles are a wonderful fall delicacy among mushroom aficianados. There's a mushroom phrase to use to err on the side of caution when hunting for mushrooms::  "When in doubt, toss it out".    Chanterelles are orangish, not white like this one.    Chanterelles grow in the Pacific Northwest,  but until you can readily identify them, I would su...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake--Today's Drive on Highway 202 Today was a day of driving in the rain. Going along country roads, seeing old buildings.  Thinking of my “Barn-ey Friends” in ActiveRain.   I saw  scads of elk but they were so far away, there was no reason to take their picture. Not this time. The Elk Reserve is in Jewell Oregon...doesn't that sound lovely? About 17 miles from Fishhawk Lake and Jewell is one of the school districts for Fishhawk Lake children.                             I saw a red barn (my favorites) and stopped to shoot it.       The door eschew looked so endearing to me…dunno why. And the line-up of the little windows called to me in their sweet uniformity, I guess in relation to the door being off kilter, it made for a nice balance of character.     Several miles down the...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
No Cell Service?  No Computer? No Problem! Things to do with Kids at Fishhawk Lake   Yup, folks that’s what I’m talkin’ about…what you can do with your kids that doesn’t involve technology. Buying at Fishhawk Lake gets you much more than just a vacation property.   Here’s a smattering of some of the “simple life” you can experience with your kids at Fishhawk Lake when you own property here: 1.Take a walk around the lake—it’s roughly about 3 miles. Good for beginners.   2.Watch the salmon spawn. This happens every year in several of our creeks  at Fishhawk Lake and you can literally see dozens of them 2-3’ away and sometimes see them “jumping” the fish ladder   3.Go to the Beach at the lake! Right by the clubhouse is a small beach and you can walk right into the water. Good for all ages!...
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By Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate, "Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843
(John L Scott Market Center)
Fishhawk Lake-A Little Bit of History As the season of summer wanes, and we look at the fall colors beginning to be dotted amongst the trees, I wanted to take a look back at our Fishhawk Lake history.    This  sweet little cabin, originally owned by a Watson (first name unknown) was located here long before Fishhawk Lake was a lake and a community and the area was only a meadow. It was moved to its current location to make way for the manmade private lake now known as Fishhawk Lake Reserve and Community   that was being developed in the late 60s.It is the first “cabin” on Fishhawk Lake, now owned by a gal who bought it online several years ago—sight unseen—from what I’ve been told! This photo presented itself to me on a morning walk with my dogs to the clubhouse last October, almost a y...
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