Blog & News

September 9, 2012

If you’re about to put your home on the market, understand that you are about to engage in a war of sorts. Selling your home is a battle with other listings for the qualified buyers that are out there, a battle with everything else a buyer has to do for their time and attention and…

August 24, 2012

Renaissance Homes Custom Homes Division recently broke ground on 16 acres of private land off SW Scholls Ferry Rd. Renovations has teamed up with the owner of the property to complete site improvements and build a 3,800 sq ft home, which was designed by our in-house design team specifically for their property. The entire project…

August 22, 2012

When construction started for our new Ainsworth on NE Dean, we were excited to become a part of such a unique, up-and-coming neighborhood. We couldn’t have picked a better time to do so either, as the neighborhood is about to make history with the opening of the first ever non-profit bar. Although the bar won’t…

August 14, 2012

Every community needs a commons where people can gather as friends, neighbors and citizens. This can be a grand public square, a humbleMain Streetor a vacant lot with a few handmade benches where locals sit down for conversation. Or even a bridge, beach or bus station, as the examples below. What’s important are the connections…

July 31, 2012

Staying cool this summer doesn’t necessarily mean you have to pay a fortune to keep the air-conditioning running day and night. Here are tips—most costing less than $25—that will keep you comfortable and cut the typical $1,000 cooling bill by as much as half. What’s needed to get the temperature to drop? Only a little…

July 29, 2012

My wife and I thought about moving out of the city to cut our expenses. Then we ran the numbers and realized it made no sense. If you want to save money these days, you have to move into the city. Crazy, but true. No wonder McKinsey & Co., the strategy consultant, recently produced a…

July 24, 2012

It has been a controversial question in the home real estate market for years. Do houses with lots of energy-saving and sustainability features sell for more than houses without them? If so, by how much? Some studies have shown that consumers’ willingness to pay more for Energy Star and other green-rated homes tends to diminish…

July 9, 2012

Lake Oswego is one of Family Circle’s 10 Best Towns for Families. The communities featured in the magazine’s annual roundup of perfect places to call home combine affordable housing, good neighbors, green spaces, strong public school systems and giving spirits. The results of the comprehensive survey appear in Family Circle’s August 2012 issue. This year’s…

July 6, 2012

Taking steps to reduce your electricity and energy use at home is a smart choice — and the good news is you won’t have to replace all your windows or move to a yurt do it. Here are a few quick and easy projects to get you started. 1. Insulate electrical outlets. Insulate the electrical…