Displaying blog entries 331-340 of 354
Check out this link to see the events scheduled for this weekend. Lots of art and wine events hosted through many local businesses.
After nearly 15 plus years the Resort at the Mountain in Welches is not having the Wine and Arts Festival this November. As a regular attendiee of this event I am sadly disappointed. I am hoping the new management comes up with events to replace this mountain favorite!
This is big news for buyers and sellers who are closing real estate transactions in Welches, Government Camp, Rhododendron or Brightwood. Clackamas County, as of November 1st of this year, will be closed on Fridays. Their new hours will be 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Thursday. So, keep this in mind if you are recording documents or going to the county with questions or getting building permits.
Locals and travelers passing through the Brightwood, Welches and Rhododendron area in August will be slowed down a little bit by an Oregon Department of Transportation project. A long awaited turn lande will be added between Wildwood to Wemme. There will also be paving from the Hiway 26 Salmon River Bridge all the way to LoLo Pass Road.
Expect single lanes at times but the traffic will always be moving. If you would like more details on the project check out this link:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/MtHood/project_wildwood.shtml
It's snowing again in Welches and for a late March date, this is a bit unusual. The weather has had a rather substantial impact on real estate this year. Access into the forest service cabins in the Mt. Hood National Forest, mainly from Government Camp to Rhododendron, has been limited since the end of December when the snow has been falling at record levels.
These National Forest roads are not plowed, except for Road 10. Many cabin owners have not been able to use their cabin this winter unless they have a good four wheel drive with high wheel based capabilities. Of course some owners have skied or snowshoed in. At last count a local towing company said at least 200 vehicles had been pulled off of forest service roads. The snow has reduced listing activity and sales activity for these cabins over the past three months. This has also delayed many owners completing their compliance requirements for the new permit set to start January 1, 2009!
Government Camp has been buried most of the winter. Snow plows have not been able to keep up with the load.. When trekking up for a showing this winter, not only could we hardly identify the cabin from the road, snow up to it's roof nearly, but there was no way we could scale the 20 foot bank that had been snowplowed toward the front of the chalet. I can only imagine some of the damage many of these properties have suffered this year from collapsing chimneys to crushed decks and other snow related issues. Bottom line, if you don't like to shovel snow, don't even think about purchasing in Government Camp.
The lack of accessibility has also hampered the Government Camp sales except for condos.. Under the strict appraisal requirements coming from lenders these days, I doubt a lender would even consider an appraisal until the snow melts further and they can eyeball the property.
Sales statistics will tell the story soon. Stay tuned for additional updates.
If you've noticed lots of BIG TREES coming down in the Brightwood area, the highway widening is beginning now. Streams of florescent tape mark the North side of Highway 26 near Wildwood Park. Not only is the visual impact going to be huge, I feel sorry for the homeowners who have lost a major noise and visual buffer from their homes along this stretch!
This is the beginning of a summer full of road construction and paving in the corridor from Brightwood, Welches and Rhododendron. Locals and second homeowners will need to be armed with lots of patience this summer.
Agenda
1. Welcome & Board Introductions
2. Review and approve minutes, November 17, 2007
3. Resort at the Mountain: Upgrades and Plans for the Future
-- Frank Casarez, General Manager
4. Presentation on "911" -- Hoodland Fire District
5. Clackamas County Report -- Christine Roth
6. Audience question and answer period
7. Adjourment
Record snowfall in the area has slowed down home showings and scheduled home inspections over the past several weeks. Nearly the entire forest service cabin areas above Rhododendron are inaccessible by vehicles due to nearly three feet of snow in some areas. Local roads still have substantial snow banks at access areas making some less traveled roads difficult to access.
I recently took a client to Government Camp to see a chalet and not only was the home completely obscured by the snow plowed away from the road but the mountain of snow to climb to get to the front door was not negotiable.
Look for extended marketing times this winter due to serious snow amounts.
Folks are trying to dig out today after record snowfalls hits the Welches area. I'd say there is a good two feet in my yard right now and it's getting heavy. Residents are in their driveways with shovels in hand. Here's the golf course and the Old Welches Inn.
OK, get ready. It looks like three evenings of plummeting temperatures coming up tonight, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, dipping down to 18 degrees or so. We all remember what happened the last time temperatures plunged to the teens on the mountain. Many homes were flooded and suffered extensive damages. So take precautions now! Here are some handy tips from Liberty Mutual Insurance Company’s web site:
During a cold spell: If your pipes freeze: Before the cold weather hits
If your pipes burst:
Displaying blog entries 331-340 of 354
