You may know that the gold standard in environmentally responsible homes is known as passive housing—but what exactly does that mean? And is it possible to make your current home more passive? To find out, we talked to Katrin Klingenberg, executive director and co-founder of Passive House Institute US (Phius), a nonprofit dedicated to making passive […]
Many Americans doubt their ability to cover the costs of buying a home. But that only means exchanging monthly mortgage payments for monthly rent payments. Renting vs. owning — what are the advantages of each? Here are some things to consider before signing your next lease. Advantages of Renting Renting a house or an apartment has […]
Not all rooms are blessed with natural light—but that doesn’t mean you should bury your dreams for lightness and brightness. There are a handful of tricks you can employ to pull almost any space out of the dark. From low-lift tweaks to crank up the lumens to renovation ideas for rooms (i.e. windowless basements) that […]
Falling to his hands and knees, Cameron Rauenhorst excitedly peels back the shrubbery of a moss-covered hill to reveal a light-orange, button-shaped mushroom standing a few inches above the dirt. “Mushrooms love to hide,” he says. “It’s all about training your eyes to find that tiny hint of color.” After 20 years of foraging for […]
Portland’s dedication to play for all is producing creative, accessible playgrounds for kids of all ages and abilities. It all began in 2009 when two Portland parents, G Cody QJ and April Goldberg, took matters into their own hands in an effort to create a play space where their then-five-year old daughter, Harper, could play […]
This year may go down in real estate history as the year of correction. After a pandemic-fueled, seller-benefitting boom — with bidding wars, inventory shortages and spiraling prices all over the country — the housing market began to cool down in 2022. The impact of inflation and fast-rising interest rates dampened buyers’ interest, causing sales […]
Painting the walls inside your home is a tried-and-true way to make an old space feel new again. While some homeowners hire professional painters, others do the job with their own two hands. But be forewarned: If you’re a DIY kind of person, a seemingly simple paint project can go awry. It might seem like all you […]
One of the nation’s best state parks systems is busy updating facilities, studying climate change, and becoming a more welcoming environment for all types of visitors. IMAGE: COURTESY JAKKAPAN/DIGITALLY MODIFIED BY PORTLAND MONTHLY S ince Oregon’s first state park was established 101 years ago, visitors have come to delight in the ability to easily access some of the […]
Finally. You put your signature on the closing paperwork. You’re happy with your loan … well, as happy as you can be, considering the magnitude of the debt you just accepted. Stress dreams have mostly subsided, barring the occasional vision of some movers dropping your grandmother’s curio cabinet, shattering this priceless antique while they run […]
If you’re in the process of buying a home, one of the more challenging aspects can be saving for a down payment. When you’ve found your dream property, you want to do everything you can to expedite the process and become a homeowner, and once you calculate the down payment, it may not end up […]