...in "Loving Organic Food".  I guess I'm not the only one that subscribes the "Dirty Dozen" newsletter.  It seems as though my fellow Portlandians care as much as I do about the quality of the food that they consume.

Earlier this year, The Huffington Post had covered a Campbell Soup Company and Sperling's Best Places study that analyzed our country's organic food eating habits.  The study revealed that the top 10 cities that consume organic food are as follows:

1. Portland, OR
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Providence, RI
4. Sacramento, CA
5. Minneapolis, MN
6. Boston, MA
7. Seattle, WA
8. Austin, TX
9. Philadelphia, PA
10. Washington, D.C.

Kudos to Portland for leading the way!  We're a healthy, conscious bunch and I'm proud to call you my neighbor!  If you would be so kind, please let me know in the comments where you like to get your local organic produce!

Julie Lais

Call 503.701.7023

Part of Portland's charm is the fact that if you drive 45 minutes in just about any direction, you'll run into a farm, orchard, or vineyard.  Fresh vegetables, fruit, wine, beer, and flowers (my favorite!) are waiting to be dug up, picked, sipped, and collected.  I love a good drive out to the country side as much as the next girl, but sometimes time simply won't allow it.  Luckily, the northwest's growers and makers have found a wonderful way to bring their goods to us - the farmer's market!  Below are a completely subjective list of my favorite Portland Metro Area farmer's markets.

1.  GRESHAM FARMER'S MARKET:

When: Saturdays, 8am to 2pm, during season

Where: NW Miller Ave, Gresham, OR 97030

From Their Website: The Gresham Farmers’ Market,  is a community gathering place where you can stroll, shop and listen to live music in a casual friendly atmosphere. The market is comprised of vegetable and produce farmers, bakers, artists and the like, providing some of the best local fresh produce, meats, cheeses, breads, honey, desserts, flowers, art and hand made crafts. 

2.  HILLSDALE FARMER'S MARKET

When: Sundays, 10am to 2pm, during season

Where: 1405 SW Vermont St Portland, OR 97219

From Their Website: The Hillsdale Farmers' Market is a year-round market running weekly from the first Sunday in May through the Sunday before Thanksgiving and twice monthly December through April.

3.  KING NEIGHBORHOOD FARMER'S MARKET

When: Sundays, 10am to 2pm, during season

Where: 4906 Northeast 6th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97211

From Their Website: This market opened in 2009 to resounding success in the King Neighborhood of Northeast Portland. Established with tremendous support from the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN), the market is located one block south of Alberta Street in the vibrant Alberta Arts District. Adjacent to both King Elementary and King School Park, this market has become a family-centric destination for the neighborhood to enjoy breakfast or lunch, listen to local musicians, and explore 35 vendor stalls filled with local bounty from our region’s farmers, ranchers, fishermen, foragers and food artisans.

4.  HOLLYWOOD FARMER'S MARKET

When: Saturdays, 8am to 1pm, during season (other seasons have different times)

Where: 4420 NE Hancock St Portland, OR 97213

From Their Website: At Hollywood Farmers Market, we have farmers and other vendors come from all over Oregon and Washington to bring your weekly food. Some drive 100+ miles, some just around the corner.

5.  MORELAND FARMER'S MARKET

When: Wednesdays 3pm to 7pm, during season

Where: SE Bybee & 14th, Portland, OR

From Their Website: Cherries, Blueberries, raspberries and plums will all make an appearance! (There) will also be...Baird Family Orchards, Stonewall Banks Seafood and Liepold Farms.

Julie Lais

Call 503.701.7023

It's June and it's hot out there!  I'm not just talking about the weather, though that is one of my favorite things to talk about (thanks dad!) - I'm talking about the housing market!  If you've been thinking about putting your house on the market, there has never been a better time to get top dollar selling a home.

It's a simple matter of economics.  The number of houses that are on the market is incredibly low (supply) and the number of people looking to purchase a home in Portland is incredibly high (demand).  Plain and simple, if you've been thinking about selling your house, that's a good thing.  It means that you have something that a lot of people want.  I am seeing multiple offers, bidding wars, and homes that are going for much more than list price.  These are all signs that indicate that now might be the time to maximize home sale profit.

Now, only you will truly know when the time has come to sell your home.  As your market watchdog and soon-to-be listing representative, it's my job and it's my pleasure to keep you up to date on what the market is doing and, when the time is right, to help you get the most out of your home.  I will give you everything that you need in order to make an educated decision.

If you're interested in seeing what your home is worth, go here and plug in your address.  This should help you at least decide if it's worth looking into.