Several years ago we were lucky enough to start working with  A & J  Custom Cabinets. A & J makes exceptional cabinets for all Pacific Lifestyle Homes, just check out their beautiful, quality cabinets on their Facebook page or stop by our showroom to see them for yourself. Another great thing about A & J is that they’re local and based out of Vancouver, Wash., just like Pacific Lifestyle Homes. https://www.facebook.com/AJCustomCabinets

I don’t know about you, but we at Pacific Lifestyle Homes believe that living in a great neighborhood is one of the most important considerations when buying a home. It’s also likely your home’s layout ranks pretty high. We have more than 50  floor plans, allowing you to choose the right home for your lifestyle so you can find exactly the house that fits your unique needs. Check out some of these floor plans at Kemmer Crest Estates in Beaverton, OR or on our website.

As proud members of the Portland Metro Home Builders Association (HBA), one of our biggest annual events, the Portland Spring Home and Garden Show, is coming to the Portland Expo Center February 22-26, 2012. Each year the show features a beautiful display of showcase gardens as well as great resources for your home. For more information check it out at here.

Here is an article by Jody Shenn and Prashant Gopal of Bloomberg on how the overall market looks in 2012.  Check it out here.

The transformation of the land into a scenic and aesthetically pleasing space is often referred to as landscaping, though the term can encompass a wide variety of land modifications including irrigation, design, and architectural considerations. Landscaping is typically considered to be an enhancement and emphasis on the existing natural beauty rather than a complete replacement. For this reason landscaping is considered both a science and an art form for many professionals and hobbyists alike.

Fundamental Considerations
The planning of a landscape design or space must first be subject to the examination of practicality. The purpose of the project should be well-developed in advance to any undertaking as the purpose shall guide many of the artistic and practical decisions to be made during the creation of a garden, park, or backyard space.

Some questions to consider when beginning the planning stage are:
- Who will be using this space? Elderly individuals or children will require benches and additional recreational facilities.
- Who will be caring for this space?
- What are the dimensions of the area to be landscaped?
- Where will walkways or pathways be located?

The Art and Science of Landscaping
Landscaping design and the architecture of landscape is an ancient art form and can be found around the world in various forms and manifestations. The Yu Gardens in Shanghai, the Gardens of Versailles in France, the Ryoan-ji Zen Garden in Kyoto, and the Butchart Gardens in British Columbia are all famous historical examples of the high art of landscaping. Fortunately, the basic fundamentals and aesthetic qualities of landscaping are within the reach of any hobbyist.

Some main factors in landscape design include:
- Orientation and topography
- Lighting and furnishings
- Botanical selections
- Irrigation and drainage
These considerations are simply the precursor elements to creating a landscape design suited to the needs of its caretaker.

Botanical Selections for Landscaping
No landscape is complete without the addition of pleasing botanicals that can include trees, shrubs, flowers, brushes, grasses, and mosses. Understanding the specific needs and appropriate zones for the plants selected is important to ensuring long-lasting and lush scenery. Though exotic botanicals are often an exciting addition there should be consideration of time constraints, weather patterns, and harmony with any surrounding native plants. Particular attention should be given to preventing invasive species from extending beyond the controlled boundaries of the landscaped portion or declining the use of them entirely.

A Delicious Landscape
A more recent trend in both public and private landscape design has been the use of edible or fruiting plants and trees. Many fruits and vegetables provide a pleasing palette of colors and textures to be used in creating a deeper dimension of appearance. This also has the added effect of attracting pleasing wildlife or in the case of private or community establishments providing healthful foods and sustenance.

Some popular examples used in edible landscaping include:
- Ornamental leafy vegetables such as chartreuse lettuce, rainbow chard, and ornamental cabbages
- Fruiting bushes such as blueberries, raspberries, and gooseberry varieties
- Dwarf fruit trees such as apple, pear, and plum
- Various herbs including dill, garlic, and lemon thyme

The natural world that surrounds us can be further enhanced through the careful sculpting of landscapes that compliment the natural beauty and the needs of those who enjoy it. Though the art of landscaping has been fine-tuned throughout the ages it is important for all those who would undertake the creation of a landscape understand and look to conserve and enhance natural beauty rather than to destroy or displace it entirely.

If you’re looking for professional landscaping services Perth, talk to Living Environs Landscaping Perth. Through their work they’ve quickly established a reputation as a leader in the field. Just have a look at the gallery on their site for some impressive examples.

After a long period with not a lot of positive news, finally some good news! Home values in the Portland-Vancouver area are expected to rebound this year.

The Oregonian reports that according to the California based real estate research firm Clear Capital, home values in the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton area are forecasted to increase nearly 2% in 2012. In 2011, Portland home values ranked 27 out of 50 major metro-areas; this year our area is expected to move to 14th. Portland is also one of 20 U.S. cities seen as having a stable market in 2012. Check out the article.

Ran across this article, some creative ways to build homes into their environment.

Did you complete the items on out first winterization post? No? That’s okay, after reading this post you’ll have our complete list.

Without further ado, here’s part two.

Keep yourself safe
• Check smoke detector batteries and replace as needed.
• If your home has natural gas make sure CO2 detectors are working.
• Dust off fire extinguishers, make sure they’re up-to-date and consider taking them to your local fire department for service.
House exterior
• Help protect your house’s foundation by removing all adjacent debris and vegetation.
• Check the vents around your house to make sure they’re closed and seal any holes to keep critters from burying under your house this winter. Make sure exterior crawlspaces entrances are secure and sealed.
Plumbing
• Check pipes for freezing. Leave cupboard doors below sinks open if you’re leaving town for holiday travel: it’ll help keep pipes from freezing.
• The last thing you want is an unexpected pool in basement. Prevent pipe breaks and drain garden hoses and put insulted covers over the lines. Just in case, know where your main water line shutoff valve is located.
• If your crawlspace is large enough for humans, check pipes to make sure they’re properly insulated.
Be prepared
• Put together an emergency kit with flashlights, candles and matches in case of a power outage.
• Have battery to backup to protect your computer and sensitive equipment.
• Practice an evacuation plan in case of an emergency.
• Have enough food and drinking water in your house in case you’re not able to leave.

Use these tips to help keep your home happy and save yourself from any unexpected emergencies this winter.

Winter is here, which means its time to protect your home from the elements.

Winter is one of the most important times to project your home. A few hours each week could save you money and the headache that can come with most winter trials. To keep things simple, we’re going to break the homeowner TO DO list into a two-part blog.

Let’s start with your furnace, as it’s pretty important to staying comfortable in colder weather. When’s the last time you looked at your furnace? Can’t remember? Then it’s been too long.

We’ve compiled a few helpful tips to help keep your home in top shape all winter.

Furnace and heating maintenance
• Call an HVAC professional to make sure your furnace is running properly and clean the ducts.
• If you use a hot-water radiator, bleed the lines until water appears, the close them.
• Clean, or remember to replace your furnace filters. (Some filters need to be replaced, others can be put into the dishwasher for cleaning and then reinstalled.)
• Use technology to your advantage; if you have an old thermostat it may be time to update to a programmable thermostat to allow you to set the heat when you’re home and turn it off when you’re away.
• Santa is coming to town, which means it’s time to clean the fireplace and chimney! Just like your furnace, if you can’t remember the last time you had your fireplace cleaned, then call a chimneysweep. (Note: It’s also a good idea to have firewood cut and stacked.)
• Close all windows and make sure the seals are intact.
• Check door gaps and make sure they’re sealed. Use weather-stripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering your home.
• Check your attic insulation and add insulation, if needed, to ensure heat isn’t leaking out of your roof.
• And last, but possibly most important, move anything flammable away from the furnace.

Water and home maintenance
• Avoid water damage and clean the leaves and debris out of your gutters and downspouts. Installing leaf guards will also help with keep gutters clean and lessen future work.
• You won’t need to mow your lawn anytime soon, so drain the gas out of your lawnmower and store your lawnmower in a dry location.
• Make sure rakes and snow shovels are in shape and replace any old ones. The last thing you want is for a snow shovel to break while clearing a driveway or walkway.

Well, sounds like you have some work to do, so get out there and protect your biggest investment, your home.

Good news!  Our local economy appears to be heading toward recovery (finally!) and the housing market appears to be hot on its heels.

I recently attended the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland hosted the 2012 Housing Forecast Breakfast at the Oregon Convention Center.  Three respected economic experts presented Portland-metro area housing forecast for 2012.

To no one’s surprise, restoring our economy to a pre-recession state will take time.  Signs of a steadily improving economy are prominent, most noteworthy are decreasing joblessness and increasing migration to our area will help the market gain footing.

While the market for renting is currently strong, these indicators, rising rents and the affordability of new homes, will spark home sales.

Now just might be the right timeto consider a new home.

Here are a few stats that I gathered from the presentations to further indicate improvements in our housing market:

• Foreclosure rates peaked in 2009Q3; the rate of housing sales is expected to be 42% of normal by 2012Q4 and 61% of normal by 2013Q4.
• New bankruptcies in 2011Q3 were 18.8% below their levels of 2010Q3.
• Currently delinquency rates are at their lowest since 2008Q4.

The housing market is still not ideal, however, with the economy showing signs of steady improvement, this information should make everyone feel better about the coming years.

Kevin