Beautiful Craftsman with River Views

PENDING

1039 Irving Ave Astoria, OR

$320,000

Beautifully remodeled craftsman with views of the Columbia River from several rooms! This home features gorgeous wood floors, built in entryway bench seat, fenced back yard and much more! Only moments away from Downtown Astoria! Just minutes from all schools! Located in wonderful neighborhood! For more information email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com or contact Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436.

Phenomenal Renovated Victorian

765 30th St

Astoria, OR

$599,000

A spectacularly renovated Victorian with amazing views of the Columbia River from almost every room in the house! Attention to detail is apparent here from refurbished original wood floors throughout most of the house to a laundry shute for the homeowners ease! Also included with the house is an extra 50 x 75 buildable lot you can use for more yard or another house! For more information email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com or call Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436.

Great First Time Home with Good Potential

1307 S Main Warrenton, OR

$199,000

Lots of potential for this home close to downtown Warrenton! Has a large back yard with garden shed, lots of off street parking, a wood fireplace and close to shopping & schools! Could be a great first time home! For more information email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com or call Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436.

Walk Your Children to School!

PENDING

703 Alameda Astoria, OR

$198,500

Wonderful home on the sunny south side of town! Located on corner lot in great neighborhood! Be able to walk your children to kindergarten! Approx. 1,290 SqFt with 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Lots of off street parking with a 1 car garage and 2 carports! New interior paint and kitchen countertops! Would be great 1st time home or rental property! For more information email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com or contact Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436.

Brand New Construction!!

594 NW 9th Warrenton, OR

$212,000

Great home in the process of being built! Located on a large lot in a quiet dead end neighborhood! Close to parks, schools and quaint downtown Warrenton. Home features private master suite, flowing floorplan and good sized covered front porch! For more information email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com or contact Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436.

Building Site in Wonderful Neighborhood

Kensington adjacent to 140 Astoria, OR

$75,000

Build your dream home on a large lot in a great neighborhood. Lot has partial view of the Columbia River. For more information email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com or contact Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436.

Great Value for your Money

985 Bridgeview Ct Astoria, OR

$189,900

Newer home on South Slope with Youngs Bay view! Home includes fireplace, back deck, master suite and basement!Sits on a large lot in quiet neighborhood cul-de-sac! Back yard had issue with slid, contact Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436 for more information, or email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com.

Vacant lot in the Country

NEW PRICE!!!!

Laurel Rd west of 92634

$55,000

Located in Knappa, Oregon, which is just about 20 minutes from Astoria! With 2.46 acres there is plenty of room to build a home and have a large yard and/or gardens. The largest lot in the neighborhood! For more information email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com or contact Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436.

Possible Building Site

PENDING

Maggie Johnson Rd adj to 92790

$22,000

Located in Knappa, Oregon, which is just about 20 mintues from Astoria! A quaint little town with lots of wildlife to look at! This property is 1.18 acres. For more information email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com or contact Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436.

Seaside Commercial Mulit-Dwelling

712-720 1st Ave Seaside, OR 97138

$499,000

Beautiful Victorian building currently being used as a 4 unit multi-dwelling. 4 blocks to the Pacific Ocean and 2 blocks to downtown Seaside! Zoned C3. Includes 3 bedroom main unit, 2 bedroom unit, 1 bedroom unit with store frontage and a studio apartment! Good rents for all! For more information email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com or contact Mark Popkin 503-440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff 503-791-3436.

Rare Opportunity!!

Motel/Inn Just 1 Block from Beach!!

A rare opportunity to own a Motel/Inn just one block from the beach and two blocks from downtown Seaside & the Convention Center! Includes 3 cottages and a classic 6 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath vacation rental that sleeps 16! Also includes Manager's living space! A wonderful one of a kind property!

For more information email thepopkinteam@yahoo.com or call Mark Popkin (503) 440-4200 or Natalie Dyroff (503) 791-3436

What to do with your Old Phone Book?

It's that time of year again. When went home today, there they were on my doorstep....new phone books. So what does one do with the old phone books they have? The easy thing to do is just toss it in the trash. Since I am very in to recycling, I have been looking for the usual dumpster the City of Astoria places for the community, as a phone book recycle drop station.

But....it's not there this year! So I went ahead and called Western Oregon Waste to see where it is, or will be. They informed me that because of the disappointing low turnout last year, the City of Astoria and Western Oregon Waste have made arrangements for us to place our old books in the curb side recycle boxes. Same goes for businesses. I think the curb side recycle is great, and wanted to share with you the how easy recycling is these days. Being able to drop your phone books in there now, is a plus! Our office has already done the transfer. I too have cleaned out my home.

If you are curious about your local recycle system, it only takes a minute to call. For people who live in our county, here is the web site http://www.westernoregonwaste.com/

So remember to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It has been made so easy for us to do these days!!

The Way to Start the Day

Like many of us, I imagine the night before, tomorrow's cup of coffee at the java joint, and the subsequent peaceful immersion into the morning paper. The anticipation itself provides solace until the actual moment. Then there is usually something disturbing that transforms tranquillity into tumult. It could be as little as grating voices from an adjacent table, an annoying cellphone call, or an irritating story. This morning it was amazingly peaceful. I managed to wend my way through the predictable paltry politics, the Wall Street whining, and the credit crisis crunch, and found a lovely article on Archeology in Oregon.

It was about sandals. Evidently in 1938 an archaeologist, while digging in a cave near Paisley, Oregon found more than 70 pairs of sandals crafted by warp and weft from sagebrush. They were estimated to be 10,000 years old, making them close to the oldest known artifacts in America, similar to those found of the Clovis people in New Mexico. This week, new carbon dating indicates that extracted human DNA is at least 14,300 years old, making the Paisley, Oregon, cave the oldest known human community on our continent.

During my peaceful moment, I was reminded again of my enjoyment in being an Oregonian. My mind wandered through time and space, and I saw those ruddy people living amidst the amazing vistas of our state eking out their existence. Like them, I was a member of a long chain of appreciative residents. Soon I would be leaving for work. My sandals would take me to the office. There I would be, tucked against the majestic Columbia River, flowing, as it did in past days, down to the sea.
Lee

Home Sweet Home Revisited

A friend suggested that in my next blog I might say something exciting about Astoria. He added, it could be a good marketing piece for my town and my real estate company. As I sit here considering the subject, my mind travels back in time over the past 38 years I have lived in Astoria. For years, I gushed to every outsider who would listen about the romantic atmosphere of the town, with its distinctive waterfront fish canneries, its unique Scandinavian, mainly Finnish community, with its colorful dress, language and wit. These are now gone. Like so many places in America, regionalism is of a bygone era. It is easy to be nostalgic and remember the good old days but the old Astoria had its decrepit side as well. Fortunately, unlike many other place which replaced their character with strip malls, Astoria has done a great job in reinventing itself. The old, tawdry Elliot Hotel boarding house is now a tastefully appointed, quality hotel. The rotting caneries have been refitted into lodgings, office space, and restaurants. The smoke enveloped plywood mill has vanished and, in its place, is Mill Pond Village, a community of quality homes clustered around the old mill pond. This modernization may not seem unique. Other communities have streets filled with art galleries, bistros, and tasteful gift shops. Yet, many visitors to our town are still overtaken by Astoria's enchantment. What remains of its past beauty radiates through the magic of the Columbia River. Its riversong, composed from the movement of massive water, changeable sea breezes, ship horns, and riverfront activity, is in the air of the town and permeates the walls of the remaining Victorian and Scandinavian-styled homes. Whenever I return to Astoria, I see the river, the incredible bridge, the hillsides, and the sky, and I am momentarily overcome by awe. I feel, how fortunate I have been to have lived here in the past and proud to be here in the present.Lee

C.A.D.Y. Mentor Program

Mentoring is one of the most significant ways that you can make an impact on the life of a young person! I've decided to do just that. I recently just signed up for the C.A.D.Y. (Caring Adults Developing Youth) program...with some persuading from a friend. Although I was worried about being thrown into the world of teens again, it has turned out to be such a great thing! I look forward to the times when I can "forget" about my own responsibilities and help someone else in need. Every week it's encouraged to spend at least 2 hours with your youth doing fun activities while being a good listener. This week we grabbed dessert at one of my favorite restaurants, T Paul's Urban, and just talked about life. It's amazing how insightful and mature a 14 year old girl can be! Next week we meet up with other mentors/youths and build bird houses with the elderly at Clatsop Care. I've always wanted to get into volunteering and didn't know where to begin. If anyone feels like this would be a great fit for them don't hesitate to get a hold of me!

Katrina Dawson
thepopkinteam@yahoo.com

SOLD!!

This great Svensen property now has new owners.

Youngs Bay View

215 Bristol, Astoria OR 97103

$190,000.00

Outstanding Bay/River view south slope home. Cheery, open floor plan features high ceilings, large windows, spacious rooms with great lighting. Full basement, newer furnace, updated electrical and low maintenance gounds are a bonus for this move-in ready home.

For more photos & info go to AREA Properties website.

Contact Laurie Duey @ 503 791-6518 or Sandy Calvert @ 503 791-2682.

Peace in our Time?

Two weeks ago I wrote an article, "Finding The Positive," which underscored the government's commitment to do whatever was necessary to avoid an economic catastrophe. In the past two weeks there has been the Bear Stearns bailout and new federal and state proposals to address a myriad of problems. There have been numerous articles debating the extent of the financial and housing problem, some saying the crisis will be averted and others saying the worst is to come. The housing market is good in some places and getting better, and in others, it is dire. Government spending and subsidies to bolster the economy are a necessary band-aid, it is said. Others say this "solution" makes matters worse, since it leads to continued destabilization of the dollar, to greater inflation which in turn erodes America as a financial super power, ultimately impoverishing more of its inhabitants. A free fall with the natural flow of the market, it is suggested, may be preferable.
These times with their continual mostly-negative economic news seem to be increasing the stress level of many people I meet. I see it in my office among the agents and support staff and among my friends. Of course, I have little contact with younger people who are generally idealistic and who don't remember those halcyon days, nor do I fraternize with the religious who are gladdened by what may be viewed as the approaching of the end of days. There may still be joy in Mudville, but I don't sense it anywhere in my community.
What does a person do then to be happy? In the past it was often suggested that one avoid reading the newspaper or that one shouldn't study the Dismal Science, Economics. Instead, it is good to immerse oneself in other activities like art, science, light reading, travel, gardening, or community service. Then there was always sports, television or religion to take one's mind off of life's exigencies.
For me, blogging has become such a diversion. It is creative, self-absorbing and it doesn't really cost anything. I have even developed contact with others who I have met through this venue. Today it is pouring rain.. What do you expect? It is March and I live on the Oregon Coast. It is a good day to stay indoors around the non-existent, and if I had one, energy-inefficient fireplace. It is not gardening weather and I don't have to drive through traffic to Home Depot to buy an expensive bag of manure. No camping or fishing trip is in order either, thus I don't have to be depressed by crowds, noise, parking fees, license fees, costly supplies or $4.00 gasoline. Here I am in front of the screen, in tune with my voice, away from it all, enriched by my creativity and completely distracted from the big, bad world. Whoops, there goes my cellphone. Lee

Till the Cows Come Home

For the past week I have been reading many news stories about the housing crisis and the impending financial crisis facing the country. The news affects me as an individual who wants to protect his portfolio to insure a comfortable retirement, as a parent who wants to protect his children from a diminished lifestyle, as a business owner who wants to generate yield on his investment, as a broker who wants to see his staff do well during challenging times, as an agent who wants to give good advice to his clients, as a friend who wants to see those close to him not face financial ruin and as a brother and uncle who wants to give sound leadership and advise to his family.

Today I feel the burden of responsibility more than at any other time in my life. Not only because I am a student of history do I have a sense of concern, but also as a sixty-two year old, do I tend to look with less optimism at life than I did as a younger man when death was so far in the distance and when I knew less of the human condition. All that being said, what do I do and what do I say to those around me for whom I have a sense of responsibility and leadership?
It is easy to say that it is fun and interesting to sit on the sidelines and watch those in power do their best to right the ship in order to avoid a Depression or worse events, since there is little else to do because it is beyond the little man's control. It is easy to prognosticate what could have been done or what should be done on economic subjects that are so complex and beyond my understanding. Watching and waiting, or ignoring and hoping is what a cow might do with its life, especially when it is already at the stockyard.

Using one of my sister's favorite expressions, it is a good idea to be proactive. She may have learned this concept at a young age growing up in our family. She learned how our father smelled the dangers of Naziism and took steps to engineer the moving of our extended family out of harm's way. This was a time when many others just watched the events unfold, ever hopeful, and then were ultimately led to the slaughterhouse. Now I am not saying I think that disaster is imminent, it is just that survival in nature requires insight, cunning, and luck. Those who fail to recognize that and depend on passivity and faith, religiously perish. I do not have a list of suggestions for those who matter to me. Is it time to buy Euros, invest in foreclosures, pay off debt, stockpile vegetables, or buy a gun with plenty of bullets?

All I know is that the air smells differently, the problems seem almost insoluble. Even though there are short-term aids, the leadership seems frightened of an impending storm, and that scares me. I know there is always a crack in the fence for those who look for it. The question for me today is whether there is a safe haven. It wasn't simple for my father to choose and plan a new life in America for his family. He had the strength to plan. I wonder today whether the direction for myself and those I care about is to think about planning. There is an old expression, "Either moo or move." Lee

Finding the Positive

This week a number of people have asked me to foretell the future. Instead of the question I am generally asked which is, "How's real estate?" now I am asked something like, "Has real estate bottomed out yet?" I usually blunder out avoidance-like comments such as "That depends where you live, or some areas have fallen more than others, or some areas have had greater appreciation than others." In any case, my answers were a well-calculated conversation stopper. The questioner leaves with nothing tangible and is unsure of my opinion, and yet with the impression that I sounded knowledgeable. I wormed my way through the rest of the week, hoping to avoid the subject altogther and felt intellectually inadequate and emotionally uneasy about our economic times.
Then I read Blanche Evans' March 7th article in Realty Times which listed the opinions of reputable housing crisis prognosticators. For the most part, the article described a grim picture and an ominous future with references to the Great Depression of 1929. Other than a few geographical exceptions, real estate was overvalued throughout America and due for a great correction, the most overvalued location, Bend Oregon, from where I am writing today. Likewise, new construction was due for a big hit as well, with sales according to NAHB to be off 22%. With such dire predictions, I went into survival mode and decided to reread passages from a favorite college text of mine, William Leuchtenberg's Perils of Prosperity hoping to find a better understanding of how to survive financially in the wake of crisis. Likewise I reviewed the events of the Panic and subsequent depression of 1893-1897. The same theme reoccured. Poor financial planning, deficit spending and amazing greed spelled the demise for millions of people who had little direct involvement or had shared in the blessings of the time.
Of course policymakers today understand the past. Fed chairman Bernanke has repeatedly confirmed his commitment to do whatever is necessary to prevent the downward spiral of housing, which could lead to massive unemployment and fortunes lost.
What seems to be the best hope for avoiding a catastrophe is creating the spin that the worst is over. We have hit bottom, and that this is really a great time to buy. In this way consumer confidence is bolstered and the trend is reversed. Banks make lending easier, FHA bails out subprime loans, and investors are given incentives to back real estate securities and, like the post depression song, happy days are here again.
Alexander Pope in Essays of Man wrote, "Hope springs eternal in the human breast, Man never is, but always to be blest." It seems like fabricating optimism in our world of great marketing is a preferable alternative to turn the economic tide than participating in some new war. Many argue that the Spanish-Ameican War was our saving grace in 1897 and that the beligerencies in Europe and WW2 did more to resolve the Great Depression than all of FDR's New Deal.
There is a lot to say for optimism. Scientists have even isolated a place in the brain where optimism resides. I have more confidence in it today than in political solutions. Give Pope, poetry and the spin doctors a go at it. What's there to lose?! Lee