Columbia Gorge Real Estate Blog

I just learned about something new, home insulation made from recycled denim.  Denim insulation is friendly to both people and the environment. It is manufactured from blue jean remnants or recycled cotton material. One company that makes this cotton insulation is Bonded Logic. This insulation is made primarily from blue-jean scraps that are collected in factories.  The cotton comes from cutting rooms at companies that make denim clothing. The fiber is 100% post industrial waste. It comes from factories not from old jeans people have worn. It comes in fluffy bats that are sized to fit snugly into the framing of standard walls and ceilings. Some of the advantages to using this type insulation over fiberglass batts are:

• It has a higher insulation value per inch than most fiberglass batts
• It can be installed without wearing a respirator.
• It doen't itch
• It does not contain formaldehyde
• It requires little energy to manufacture
• It is effective at blocking noise
• It helps the environment by utilizing a scrap material

This denim insulation is fireproofed with boric acid-obtained from minerals mined in deserts in California and elsewhere. Borates are very low-toxic to humans and other mammals and very effective in adding fire resistance. They are also a deterrent to chewing insects such as termites, carpenter ants and cockroaches, and also various kinds of fungi.  The most common binder in fiberglass insulation is formaldehyde, of which in this cotton insulation there is none.

AZURE STANDARD is a bulk and natural foods company located in Moro, Oregon. The warehouse was located in Dufur, Oregon South of The Dalles for many years. They outgrew their warehouse and this July they moved to a new, larger warehouse in Moro, Oregon. They have many products available including the following: Beans, Books, Baking Mixes,Baking Products,Cereals, Cheeses, Condiments, Coffee Substitutes, Dried Fruit, Dairy Products, Essential Oils, Frozen Dessert, Frozen Grocery, Flour, Garden And Pet Supply, Grains, Grocery, Health Appliances,Health and Body Care, Homeopathics, Herbs & Spices, Infant & Child Care, Jams & Conserves, Juices & Natural Sodas, Meats & Meat Substitutes, Nuts & Nut Butters, Nutritional Supplements, Oils, Pasta, Produce, Seasoning and Soup Mixes,Sweets & Candies, Seeds, Snacks, Chips & Crackers, Soy Products, Sweeteners, Teas.  Many of the items available are organically grown. 

The delivery area is quite large including the Columbia River Gorge, Portland, Salem, Oregon Coast, Seattle areas, California, Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, Minnesota,North Dakota, and Nevada. The minimum order for delivery is $400 which can be a food group or co-ops combination. Each order in the $400 order must be at least $40.00. The delivery schedule is once a month. You can order a free catalog and find out more on their website.

October 19-21, 2007 at the Hood River Expo Center

This year is the 25th annual Hood River Harvest Festival.  A 4th-of-July-style Fireworks Show Planned for Opening Night to celebrate the 25th Anniversary. The fireworks will begin at 7:15 p.m., but the festival hours that day are from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Festival-goers are encouraged to come early to browse the more than 100 vendor booths with crafts, artists, great food, music, and locally grown produce that comprise the festival's main attractions. The Hood River Valley Harvest Fest is a must see! This is one of the largest annual events in the Gorge.  Come enjoy the bounty of the Harvest season! For details, call the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-366-3530.

Here's the latest sales data from the RMLS. When comparing Sept. 2007 with Sept 2006, the data reveals that new listings fell 3.8%. Pending sales were also on the decline at 9.4%. Closed sales slipped 25.3%.

                       Active listings    Pending sales  closed sales    average sales price      market time

Cacade Locks         35                 3                    0                

Hood River City      102               9                    11                 $401,400                    83 days

Hood River Westside  34             2                     2                  $449,500                    123 days

Hood River Eastside    7              0                     0           

Odell                        18              2                      2                  $165,500                    216 days

Parkdale                   16             1                     0                 

We are making progress each week on the house we are building. In the last two weeks we have built all the exterior and interior second floor walls, sheathing upper exterior walls, balloon framed the stairwell, double top plates all around. We are scheduled for roof trusses to arrive this Friday. We still have plenty to do to be ready for that. There are many steps that go into building a house. You have to always be thinking one step ahead to keep things moving smoothly. We are now focusing on what we need to get done and how to be ready once the trusses are set and sheathed, plumbing vents, chimney framing, roofing, gutters, windows, siding...... It  can get a bit overwhelming at times.

 Here are more pictures from this weeks work. 

HOusing for PEople, Inc. (HOPE) is a non-profit organization that came into being in 1989. HOPE has been working to provide low-cost housing in the community for nearly 20 years. HOPE provides much of the affordable housing in the mid-Columbia region. There are five apartment complexes in Oregon and Washington. The last local church in Hood River that was willing to serve the homeless was forced to close its doors due to security reasons in 1989.  The pastor of that church called community meetings to discuss the increasing problem of homelessness in the community.  HOPE was born out of those meetings.  A pledge walk and fundraiser was organized and enough money was raised for HOPE to apply for its non-profit status.  That status was granted on Jan 2, 1990.  HOPE also heads up an emergency voucher program, which provides temporary relief to those in need of emergency shelter, food, or gasoline.

The newest affordable housing project by HOPE is on the Westside of Hood River off May St.- Tyler Terrrace. Eighteen homes ranging in price from approximately $165,000 to $195,000, will be available sometime next spring to the waiting list of qualified buyers. In addition to the low-cost housing, the Tyler Terrace project will offer other lots at market rate. The proceeds of which will help subsidize the low-cost housing. There are also a couple of separate lots for sale; two along Rocky Road and May, and a 1 acre lot with a historic log cabin (built by Capt. Charles Patterson McCan in about 1912 and dubbed his "roadhouse") which will also help subsidize the project. Read the recent HOPE article in the Hood River News.

The historic log home on 1 acre is currently listed for sale for $365,000 on the RMLS.  listing #7077022

The fall Friends of the Gorge hiking season begins September 8th with 18 hikes and events that lead you throughout the Gorge.   Included are eight "member-only" hikes to special places with expert leaders.

Friday, October 05, 2007, 08:00 AM

Lower Falls Creek Falls, WA

Saturday, October 06, 2007, 07:30 AM

Lyle to Fisher Hill Bridge on the Klickitat Trail, WA

Saturday, October 06, 2007, 08:00 AM

Fall Color Photo Hike

Sunday, October 07, 2007, 08:00 AM

Tom McCall/Ice Age Floods, OR                                                   

Friday, October 12, 2007, 09:00 AM

Larch Mountain Loop, OR

Saturday, October 13, 2007, 08:00 AM

Eagle Creek, OR                                                             

Sunday, October 14, 2007, 09:00 AM

Silver Star, WA

Saturday, October 20, 2007, 08:00 AM

Bike and Flyfishing on the Deschutes

Saturday, October 20, 2007, 09:00 AM

Elowah Falls, OR

Sunday, October 21, 2007, 08:00 AM

Cape Horn Ice Age Flood Hike, WA

Friday, October 26, 2007, 08:00 AM

Moonlight Beacon Rock, WA