Jazzercise is Alive and Kicking in Portland and Beaverton!
July 19, 2010 by Jane Roundtree · Leave a Comment
Wouldn’t this gal motivate you to jump around and get in shape? Meet Nicole, dancing to Jazzercise tunes since before she was born, in her mom’s belly, over 20 years ago. She’s been leading happy students since December ’09, at the Beaverton Jazzercise center as well as in Corvallis where she’s attending OSU. She started taking classes herself at age 13, going at 7:15AM, before school, in addition to playing soccer, softball, basketball and running cross country. She was hooked! Jazzercise does that to you. Now she’s the newest instructor there and holds her own with confidence. Her classes are delightful. As she sang along with one of the dance songs the other day, “It’s never too late to get a good workout.”
I’m a major fan of Nicole’s and the other 12 or so instructors at the Beaverton center because I happen to be an absolute Jazzercise junkie, going to classes 5-6 times a week. There are 43 different classes offered Monday through Sunday, starting at 5:30AM and finishing at 7:45PM. No excuse that you couldn’t make it to a class! It’s become my life line, my foundation, since I restarted classes 3 years ago. I had done Jazzercise for 4 years or so, after my 2 kids were born (20 years ago!), to get back into shape. Then tennis came along and I left it in the dust. I’ve never been one to enjoy going to the gym on a regular basis, but it’s always been really important to me to stay fit. When I developed tennis elbow, I went back to Jazzercise. If you play energizing, fun and varied music (jazz, country, rock, top 40, funk, Latin), lead me through creative dance aerobic steps, tell me I’m looking good (as they tell everybody, and they mean it!), then I’m sold on coming as often as possible. I’m back to tennis, but won’t let go of Jazzercise this time around.
Jazzercise has been around for over 40 years, started by Judy Sheppard Missett, a professional dancer who loved jazz, in Illinois. Her philosophy is that “fitness is an important aspect of well-being and it enhances the overall quality of people’s lives.” Now the headquarters are in Carlsbad, CA, with classes taught all over the world. In 1979 Judi began standardizing her innovative routines, sending videos every 10 weeks, of her choreographed steps, to all the certified instructors to provide consistency. You can step into a class anywhere and recognize what to do. Judi’s daughter, Shanna Missett Nelson, became president of the company in 2010, so we know Jazzercise will be around for a long time! Whew!
I was excited to introduce my 24 year old daughter to Jazzercise 1 ½ years ago. Sold! She also runs and gets to the gym, but swears by Jazzercise. It’s especially fun when, with our busy schedules, we can take a class together. She recently brought her boss, who has since signed up and now goes regularly, looking to lose some pounds and tone her body.
There are Jazzercise studios all over, and they are constantly having promotions.
Jane Roundtree is a Real Estate Broker with eXp Realty in Lake Oswego, Oregon
Jane@portlandpowersearch.com 503.806.0517
Portland’s Tryon Creek State Park: Urban Hiker’s Paradise
July 9, 2010 by Jane Roundtree · Leave a Comment
Be ready for surprises…..I’m not sure which was more exciting to spot, the deer we saw last week that bounded away through the bushes, so close to our trail, or the great blue herons we’ve seen several times, swooping along the creek. I know some very patient folks who discovered where the owl nests were this Spring and kept a keen watch on them.
We don’t often make it to the Nature Center, but maybe you should! You can learn lots from the educational exhibits. If you’re wheelchair bound, check out the .35 mile paved trail through the woods. Really, there’s a reason for everybody to explore this beautiful natural environment. Find yours!!
Jane Roundtree is a Real Estate Broker with eXp Realty in Lake Oswego, Oregon
Jane@portlandpowersearch.com
503.806.0517
5 Great Reasons to Buy a New Home Today!
June 19, 2010 by Bob Weaver · 1 Comment
Lately, it seems like all we hear about is how bad the economy has gotten, and how awful the housing market has become. This is a tough time to sell a home. Bad news travels fast, as they say, and it sells a lot of ads for the media. What you don’t hear is that this is actually a great time to buy a new home. Prices have not been this low in years, and interest rates are still near record-lows. Here are a few important factors to consider:
- Your future is going to be expensive. Financial experts suggest that to retire, you’ll need to build up enough in savings and investments to generate yearly income of 70% of your pre-retirement income. That’s a tall order and a reason to start amassing some serious capital NOW while it is less expensive to assume.
- This is a buyers market.. But not forever. Right now the supply is still greater than the demand which means there are more homes for sale then the normal amount. This is good for the purchaser because there is more to choose form, the sellers are move eager to sell and you can get the best deal for your money. History shows that it will not always be that way and the market will swing back. The time to buy is now.
- House prices tend to rise over time, so a house is one of the best investments you can make. Home prices in the U.S. have risen three percent to six percent a year for the past 20 years. That trend is likely to continue. So if you buy a home now, you’ve put your capital in a safe investment where it is likely to grow in years to come.
- You’ll be buying a piece of real property rather than putting money in a landlord’s pocket. Right now you can purchase a home for close to the same amount you pay in rent. But there won’t be any more rent increases when you own your home… Even better you get great tax breaks for homeownership; the biggest is reflected in the house payment you make each month since, for most homeowners the bulk of that check goes toward interest. And all that interest is deductible.
- More resources to help you purchase a home today. Rates are great for FHA with 3.5% Down and Conventional hovering with 20% Down. Buying prior to year’s end secures a tax incentive for the entire year. mortgages interest and prepaid. Plus any Tax credits available is real money in a buyer’s hand after filing taxes!!
Written by Bob Weaver at eXp Realty in Wilsonville, Oregon. Bob is a veteran real estate agent, specializing in the Greater Portland, Oregon real estate market, including the Wilsonville, Villebois, and Charbonneau areas.
Bob Weaver
Helping you with online searching & Real Estate questions
eXp Realty Greater Portland Area
503-705-3098
bob.weaver@exprealty.com
www.wilsonvillepowersearch.com
www.portlandpowersearch.com
Jane’s Happy Client Stories
June 15, 2010 by Jane Roundtree · Leave a Comment
Selling your home in these crazy times can feel almost like winning the Lottery! We have some happy sellers here!! Jake and Darla were worried about how long it would take for their home to sell in the slow market of 2010, but, lo and behold, it sold for full price in just 5 weeks! They did all the right things…..
- They had it showing beautifully, thanks to meticulous attention to detail
- They made it easily available for buyer viewings
- Their pricing was realistic, given market trends
- Last, but not least, they chose the right Realtor to work with!!
Of course, there’s always a little luck involved in attracting the perfect buyer. The buyer for this home had been looking for a year, having viewed close to 100 homes. This one grabbed him immediately. Sold!!
And why did it so instantly appeal to him? An interesting undercurrent was the fact that the buyer had been through intense surgeries over the past several years to repair his heart. Essentially, it was a miracle for him just to be alive. The seller’s special line of work involves cardiac imaging. She put her home on the market in order to be able to move across the country to attend a specialized institute that deals with arrhythmia technologies, allowing her to specialize even more with heart stressed patients. Quite the coincidence!!! I speculate that the vibes in the home spoke to our buyer!
Needless to say, Jake and Darla are beyond excited to be moving on with their lives, and it was, as always, my sincere pleasure to do my part.
Thanks for reading! If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in the Portland area, please give me a call. I would love to be your Realtor!
Jane Roundtree 503.636.5060 jane@portlandpowersearch.com
Spring is Coming to Wilsonville!
February 16, 2010 by Bob Weaver · Leave a Comment
Wow, time is really flying by. I just looked up and realized it was February, my favorite month. My hometown, Wilsonville, is busy preparing for Spring and all of the wonderful activities it brings. On the Willamette river, boats are going into the water at Wilsonville docks. Charbonneau and Langdon Farm Golf Clubs are drying out their courses, with some great tournaments planned.
What is happening in Wilsonville real estate?
- 20 homes sold in Wilsonville since January 1st.
- First time home buyer credit extended until April 30th, with closings allowed through June 30th. Now is the time to get out there and find your new home and get that great tax break!
- A new area of Villebois has opened for sale. (call me for details!) NW Oregon’s premier urban village is really starting to take shape, with beautifully landscaped green areas, parks and tree-lined avenues.
- Wilsonville Meadows prices are still holding up. Even in this tough market, the popularity of this wonderful community has helped to keep it’s value strong and steady.
Langdon Farms golf course
Villebois Village Center
Wilsonville Docks
Check out Portlandpowersearch.com to see what is on the market in Wilsonville and the Greater Portland area.
Written by Bob Weaver at eXp Realty in Wilsonville, Oregon. Bob is a veteran real estate agent, specializing in the Greater Portland, Oregon real estate market, including the Wilsonville, Villebois, and Charbonneau areas.
Bob Weaver
Helping you with online searching & Real Estate questions
eXp Realty Greater Portland Area
503-705-3098
bob.weaver@exprealty.com
www.wilsonvillepowersearch.com
www.portlandpowersearch.com
A Sundeleaf home in the Uplands neighborhood of Lake Oswego
February 10, 2010 by Rich Peralta · 1 Comment
Designed by Richard Sundeleaf in 1952, this home has views of three mountains and an easement for lake access.
It boasts a new studs-out remodel in the kitchen, formal dining room, library, 4 bedrooms and 3 and 1/2 baths. Five fireplaces (one in the master bath) will warm you as you move from room to room and four skylights will brighten each step you take.
Once outside this spacious ranch style house with daylight basement, in the 2/3 acre private backyard, you can entertain in many spaces with four decks and a firepit all fully fenced.
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Uplands is one of the only neighborhoods in Lake Oswego where you can walk to all three schools; Uplands elementary, Lake Oswego Junior High and Lake Oswego High school. A very convenient location within Lake Oswego, Uplands is bordered by the Oswego Lake Country Club to the east, Iron Mountain Park to the south and east, Boones Ferry to the west and Country Club Rd to the north. Living in Uplands puts you very close to downtown Lake Oswego, access to I-5, 217 or the 43 and only minutes to downtown Portland.
For more information about this incredible property, contact
Gertrud Otzen, eXp Realty
503.754.8034
gertrud@portlandpowersearch.com
Rich Peralta is available to answer your real estate questions or set up a customized home search for you.
Just email him at Rich.Peralta@exprealty.com or call 503.961.2181
www.findmyoregonhome.com
