CMBA Holiday Party 

Tuesday, December 12, 11:45 am-1:15 pm, Sunset Athletic Club, 13939 NW Cornell Rd, free

Please join us for our annual holiday party. Lunch and entertainment will be provided. 

Free brakes with groceries!

All of December, Weekdays, 6 am-5 pm, DuFresnes’ Auto Services, 10690 NW Cornell Rd

Bring a grocery bag of food and you will get a Free Brake Inspection and if you need pads and or shoes you will get them for free. You just pay the labor.

Wildwood Trivia!

Mondays, December 4 and 18, 6-9 pm, 12545 NW Cornell Rd, free

Join us for Trivia with Brooke and Andrew! 4 rounds of General Trivia and lots of items to raffle off. Grab some friends and join us for some laughs and a great time! Drop by any time!

The Journey of Downsizing

Thursday, December 14, 11 am–noon

Ready for the new year? Don’t miss our free educational rightsizing event with Phyllis Peabody of Journey Senior Move Managers. The Journey of Downsizing will help you know when to start, what is involved, and give you the tools you need to complete the process. We’ll also share the types of resources you may need to gift, donate, shred, and repurpose forward.

Space is limited. Please RSVP to 503-350-3400.

Visit Anthology for tips to sail through the holidays

Tuesday-Thursday, December 5-7, 10-5, 910 NW 185th Ave

Season’s greetings! Come learn more about our outstanding senior living community, opening in 2024, and take home a gift to help sail through the holidays. You can view all the upcoming plans for our inspired setting and meet our professional team. Ask about our exclusive, limited-time VIP Charter Club benefits as well. RSVP required, please call 971-251-2166. Visit the Anthology of Beaverton website for more information.

The Gleamery offers innovative dental care

We often forget that our smile is the single most important aspect of not only how we look, but also how we feel. Studies from various sources emphasize the importance of a winning smile. A warm, confident smile is often considered the most memorable facial feature when meeting someone for the first time. 

As a local, woman-owned dental boutique in Cedar Hills, The Gleamery offers professional-grade, pain-free, sensitivity-free whitening treatments in as little as 30 minutes. We even offer same-day, night, and weekend appointments to accommodate busy schedules. For more information, please visit The Gleamery website.

New microbakery Dana’s Breads

Looking for quality bread made with essential ingredients only, no additives, no preservatives? We at Dana’s Breads are happy to offer our products—a variety of sourdough breads (olives, seeded, walnuts, and more), made with quality flours, fermented using sourdough only. We are proud of the fact that our breads are made with flour, water, and salt only. In addition, we offer Challah breads and different kinds of buns too. Please note: we are not a store and all orders are for pickup or delivery.

We want you to enjoy the freshest bread, so we bake according to our orders. Fresh bread on Tuesday, order until Sunday evening. Fresh bread on Thursday, order until Tuesday evening. Fresh Challah bread on Friday, order until Thursday. To order for pick-up or delivery, please visit Dana’s Breads website, or call 503-333-8043.

Sunset Credit Union’s financial blueprint for 2024

A new year is often a chance for a fresh start. That’s what makes it a great time to decide to get your finances in order so that you can find stability and independence. Whether you are drowning in debt or have dreams of homeownership, you can lay the foundation for financial freedom by following some simple steps. Use this 2024 financial blueprint to make the next 12 months your best ones yet.

Set big goals

Write down the top five things that you want to achieve by the end of the year. Maybe you hope to have at least $10,000 in savings or pay down a credit card. Whatever it is, write it down and then set achievable milestones along the way.

For instance, if you hope to save $10,000 by the end of the year that means you would need to save a little over $830 each month. If you haven’t had a significant change in income or haven’t been able to save this much before now, you will need to reevaluate how you spend your money and where you can pull from to put it in savings.

Set small goals

For example, up bills on autopay so that you never miss a payment. Or find ways to save money such as cutting unused subscriptions. Setting smaller goals can help you stay on track since you feel the reward sooner than with the larger ones.

Start with a clear-cut, manageable budget

Once you have a firm idea of your financial goals for the new year, you need to write out a comprehensive budget so that you’ll be able to make room for those goals. The best way to create a budget is to:

Figure out your net income

Track and categorize spending, set short-term and long-term goals, decide how much to spend on what, adjust your spending, and review regularly.

Finally, stash away savings

If you are debt free or close to it, the next thing you should focus on is building your savings. Ideally, you have a rainy day stash of cash that is easily accessible in case of an emergency. You should also have a more substantial amount put away in various savings accounts. With a set game-plan and personal discipline, you can make 2024 a great financial success for your future. 

What happened to the dome (aka the igloo)?

If you’ve been a member of Sunset Credit Union for more than a few months, you’ve probably noticed that the building (which we lovingly called ‘The Igloo’) behind the main building of the credit union is no longer there.

The Sunset Credit Union property used to be a church (which you can tell when you enter our office.) The ‘igloo’ (actually a geodesic dome, popular in the ‘60s) was used as the church’s pastor’s office for years, and then as a Sunday School. 

After Sunset took over the property, a massage therapist rented it for a while, and then it was used for storage, Board Meetings, Cedar Mill Business Association Board Meetings, the Cedar Mill News office, as well as for some events and gatherings. 

Woodpeckers took to boring into it and other weather-related incidents made the property too much to maintain, so we had a company demolish the building. We’ll be doing some new things in the now-vacant space in the future. Look for changes coming soon!

Sunset Credit Union is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in Washington County. To learn more, stop by their office at 1100 NW Murray Blvd, visit the Sunset Credit Union website or contact us at 503-643-1335

2024 real estate forecast: all you need to know

Elevated mortgage rates, high home prices and limited housing inventory are making the dream of homeownership difficult for Americans, according to NAR (National Association of Realtors) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. Yun analyzed the current state of the U.S. residential real estate market and shared his 2024 outlook during a recent Residential Economic Issues and Trends Forum. 

He explained that high mortgage rates and low inventory have dominated 2023, saying, “Twenty-year-high mortgage rates have held off home buyers. There’s also a lack of housing inventory to sell, which means fewer opportunities for sales in the marketplace.” Yun said that home sales will likely decline by 18% this year, compounding a 17% reduction last year. Driven by extraordinarily high interest rates, 30-year-fixed mortgage rates remained elevated in 2023, climbing to as much as 8%. 

Yun discussed high home prices: “Lack of inventory is providing the support for high prices, but it’s also making it super difficult for first-time buyers to enter the housing market.” Yun said the 30-year mortgage and Fed funds rates have likely crested. “I believe we’ve already reached the peak in terms of interest rates”. “The question is when are rates going to come down?” Yun forecasts that interest rates will drop to between 6-7% by the spring buying season and anticipates that more sellers will enter the market. 

“Builders are back on their feet, up 5% in newly constructed home sales year to date,” said Yun. “Builders can simply create inventory. In a housing shortage environment, builders are really benefiting.” He explained NAR’s advocacy efforts are working to help create inventory, but it will take time. “Pent-up sellers cannot wait any longer. People will begin to say, ‘life goes on,’” said Yun. “Listings will steadily show up, and new home sales will continue to do well.” 

Existing home sales will rise by 13.5% next year. Yun also said that international buyers have declined, but once they return to the market, there will be a boost in buying. He reiterated the value of homeownership, stating, “Consumers are happy with real estate service. The market is fiercely competitive with so many business models among which to choose—from do it-your-selfers to iBuyers to discount brokerages, to full service and rebates. American home buyers have benefited immensely from such wide-ranging choices in real estate services. Moreover, homeowners have accumulated sizable wealth over time.”

If you have real estate questions, it would be my pleasure to answer them. I have 38 years of estate experience and would love to learn your plans to help guide you through this complicated process. Don’t hesitate to call me at: 503-706-6358 or email jdempsey@windermere.com.

Maximizing Your Home’s Equity: Strategies for Homeowners workshop

Thursday, January 18, 6-7 pm, Wildwood Taphouse, 12545 NW Cornell Rd, free. Please register here.

A lot of education goes to first time homebuyers, but what about first time home sellers? And home sellers in general? We know there are many homeowners who have significant equity in their home but may be unsure about how to take advantage of it or what their options may be.

This workshop gives real examples of homeowners using their equity to help pay down debts and/or buying their next home even in a rising interest rate environment. Whether you’re just starting to contemplate a home sale and purchase or have a vague interest in understanding your options, this class equips you with valuable information to begin your exploration.

Please join us for pizza, drinks, and a casual chat. All attendees will receive a one-year home warranty and a $500 closing cost credit when they work with us. The workshop is hosted by Megan Jumago-Simpson (503-389-3177); Oregon Principal Broker & Washington Managing Broker, Sonder Northwest, Keller Williams Realty Professionals; and Loan Officer, Bethany Brady (512-508-9538).