Before Woodstock was a lovely neighborhood in inner Southeast Portland, it was wilderness. In 1848 the Kelly family, led by father and Methodist minister Clinton Kelly, migrated West because of the looming threat of civil war and the promise of free land in the Oregon territory. They were searching for suitable farmland and found it in the area we know as Woodstock.
Read MoreAmazing Oregon: Women of Portland /
The last two months have been a painful reminder of how rough and tumble the world still is for women. During times like these, we love to hear stories about courageous women as a reminder that incredible things are possible even when the deck is not stacked in our favor.
We are thrilled to tell you that on Friday, November 30th (6:30 to 8 pm) Portland's Architectural Heritage Center is hosting a lecture honoring some of the many women who significantly contributed to this place we call home.
The lecture will share information about women in various fields–not only architecture–who "radically changed the Oregon landscape."
This event is FREE ($5 suggested donation) with limited seating, so we recommend that you register in advance right here.
Veteran's Day /
The meaning of this day can easily get lost in the shuffle of its namesake retail sales and three-day weekend plans. If you know someone who is serving or has served in the military take a moment to thank them today. In fact, maybe just go do that right now while you're thinking about it.
Looking for a way to offer support to an organization doing incredible work to support our veterans when they return home? Team Rubicon is a two-for-one kind of charity; they organize and provide additional training for veterans to prepare them to serve on aid and relief teams deployed to be of service during disasters. Lack of support for veterans and disaster recovery (hurricanes and wildfires anyone?) are two of the most serious issues we're facing today. Team Rubicon addresses both issues in a pragmatic and thoughtful way that leaves everyone–veterans and communities wrecked by disaster–in better standing.
Pay it Forward: Dress for Success /
We could not be more in favor of an organization whose official vision is "A world where women do not live in poverty, are treated with dignity and respect, and are strengthening their families and shaping their communities." Dress for success has been providing crucial support to women in Oregon since 1999.
November 13-17th is our 18th annual Dress for Success Clothing Drive. We are inviting all of you to participate with us in our effort to support women in our community! Drop off gently used women's professional clothing or cash donations to our office* or call us to schedule a time we can pick up from you.
Learn more about the amazing work of Dress for Success here, and get details about acceptable donations here.
We hope to hear from you!
*Our office is located at 3803 SE Gladstone Street in Portland and we are here Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm or by appointment on weekends.
Exploring the Roseway Neighborhood /
The majority of Roseway is single-family residences, most built between 1920 and 1950, and mature trees line nearly every street. Sandy Boulevard cuts diagonally through the heart of Roseway and serves as its primary commercial corridor.
Read MoreA Taxing Issue /
'Tis the season of too much Halloween candy and Property Tax bills. I can’t help you with the candy part but will try to address some of the frequently asked questions related to the recent tax bills.
Oregon has a somewhat complicated process for determining taxes on real property. This is mostly due to a combination of tax limitation measures voters have passed and subsequent legislative actions that clarify or adjust the tax code to account for what we’ve voted in. Although the Counties collect taxes, tax policy is set by the State.
The most common misconception is that taxes themselves can only go up 3% a year. This is not the case. Your home’s Assessed Value, which is used to set the taxable amount, can only go up 3% a year but when we vote for bonds to build schools, fix infrastructure or buy land, those costs are incorporated into our tax rate before it is multiplied by the assessment. This year, that additional amount was larger than normal and has caused a lot of confusion.
Bottom line, we are taxed on the lower of these 2 values:
Assessed Value (which was set in 1997 at the tax value of your property in 1995 minus 10%) times your tax rate*. The assessed value is only allowed to rise 3% per year unless the property changes (eg: remodeling and/or additions).
Your Real Market Value multiplied by the Measure 5 limits of $5 per $1000 for Education taxes and $10 per $1000 for General Government taxes. This amount is then added to the amount for items that are excluded from the Measure 5 limits, such as bonds.
*You can find your tax rate by looking at your tax bill and finding your levy area code at the top and looking at this nerdy tax spreadsheet to find your total tax percentage.
For many of us, the Assessed value calculation is lower than the 1½% of Real Market Value calculation because the assessed value of our property is much less than the Real Market Value. But where Real Market Value and Assessed Values are close in amount, it is possible that this will cause the second formula to be enacted.
If you believe that your Real Market Value is too high and that there may be a case for appealing, you can appeal yourself or engage a tax appeal company. There are companies that will review your tax bill at no cost to see if there may be a case of over taxation. Keep in mind that in the appeal process you would have to show that the actual market value as of January 1, 2017 was low enough so that 1½% of that would be less than what you are paying for education and general government services. Call me for details.
For more information on taxes check out the following websites:
FAQ for taxes in Multnomah County