April 07. 2004
(Elje Jíortlanó (Obstruer
Page A7
ü u í l / i
Calling
Portland
Home
Chemicals Hurt Environment
Homeowners
urged to change
lawn care
practices
Mortgages
Targeted to
Minority Buyers
by J aymee R. C lti
T he P ortland O bserver
The housing market in north
and northeast Portland has
changed dramatically since the
early '90s. At that time, large
homes in prime locations that
were being sold for reason­
able market prices were sit­
ting empty. T hat’s no longer
the case, but that doesn’t mean
times have changed for the
best.
The disparity in home ow n­
ership between whites and mi­
norities is wide, according to
officials in the m ortgage and
savings and loan business. Pro­
grams such as a Hom e-own­
ership Orientation class and
zero cost refinancing programs
are helping to close that gap.
“The Portland market is still
ripe. There’s a lot of activity
and now the market is hot,”
<9
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Portland's Sam Cole, a mortgage consultant for Wells Fargo, says properties in inner northeast
Portland are still reasonably affordable.
according to Sam Cole, a home
mortgage consultant for Wells
Fargo.
He says he’s excited to work
with first-time homebuyers that
are taking advantage of very
low interest rates.
C o le , a g r a d u a te o f
Jefferson High School, has
retu rn ed to P ortland a fte r
cutting his teeth in the m ort­
gage industry in A tlanta, to
find that prim e properties in
inner northeast Portland are
still reasonably affordable.
Federal and local programs
are springing up to compensate
for the homeownership dispar­
ity for minorities.
The Federiti Housing Author­
ity has implemented a new pro­
gram called the Cash Advan­
tage Bond Program, which helps
first time homebuyers and oth­
ers in need with down payments
and closing costs.
Locally, Cole is teaching a
Hom eownership Orientation
class for first time homebuyers
every third Thursday of the
month, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at
the Friends of the Children
Facility, 44 N.E. Morris. He
plans to add classes taught at
lo cal
A fric a n -A m e ric a n
churches.
For questions or more infor­
mation about the orientation, call
503-282-6780.
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Maybe It should be.
Before you reach fo r th a t w e e d and feed, please
consider this: insecticides and herbicides can harm peo ple and pets. Rain can w ash
chem icals o ff y o u r la w n and in to storm drains and streams. This pollutes th e w a te r
th a t p eo p le an d fish d ep en d on.
T he g oo d n ew s— it's easy to have a b e a u tifu l la w n w ith o u t w e e d and feed.
In te r e s t ra te s as low as 3% *
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The Portland Developm ent Commission (PDC)
has money and construction professionals available
to help you w ith home repairs. Fix a leaky roof. Make
electrical o r plumbing repairs. Install a new furnace, o r
adapt your home to meet accessibility needs, o r any
other w ork that can help protect your most im portant
investment - your home.
W ork in g w ith PDC m ean s:
An independently owned and
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Many homeowners are un­
aware of the negative impacts
various activities around the
home, including lawn care, can
have on water quality.
The Regional Coalition for
Clean Rivers and Streams, a bi­
state alliance of stormwater utili­
ties and local governments, is try­
ing to increase homeowners’ un­
derstanding of the effects of lawn
chemicals on the region’s water­
ways and on the health of people
and pets. The timing of the cam­
paign coincides with the early
gardening season, when many
homeowners make lawn care de­
cisions.
The campaign slogan poses
the question: “ Is your lawn
Chemical Free? Maybe it should
be.” The, campaign messages
include tips for achieving healthy
lawns without chemicals, such as
planting the right kind of grass,
building healthy, aerating and
thatching, and watering infre­
quently but deeply.
“The feedback we get from citi­
zens is that most of them want to
help reduce pollution and protect
their rivers and streams," said Mark
Jockers, Publ ic Affairs Manager for
Clean Water Services. “Our cam­
paign offers practical sugges­
tions for things people can do
around the home to improve wa­
ter quality. By avoiding pesti­
cides on their lawns, residents
not only protect water quality for
fish and wildlife, they also pro­
tect their personal health and the
health of their family.”
For additional information, the
campaign prontotes a Web site,
www.cleanriversandstreams.org,
and inform ation and referral
phone numbers for residents of
both Oregon (503-234-3000) and
Washington (360-397-6118, ext.
4345). Free brochures and post­
ers on natural lawn care and gar­
dening are available upon request.
The Regional Coalition for
Clean Rivers and Streams enables
participating jurisdictions to le­
verage limited resources for a
coordinated campaign. "We have
a responsibility to educate the
p u b lic about the cau ses o f
stormwater pollution and ways
to prevent it,” said Joan Saroka,
of City of Portland's Bureau of
Environm ental Services. “ By
pool ing our resources for a media
campaign, we are able to have a
greater impact with our mes­
sages.”
Coalition members include City
of Gresham, City of Portland, City
of Vancouver, Clark County,
Clean R i ver Part ners of Clackamas
County, Clean Water Services,
Metro, and Multnomah County.
PDC has a range of programs
that may meet your other
needs, such as helping firs t­
time homebuyers to purchase
and renovate a home o r helping existing homeowners
who want to refinance and make home improvements
• Build h e a lth y soil
G e t sta r te d today!
• Use organic fe rtilize rs or com post on yo u r la w n
FISH
• W a te r d e e p ly b u t in fre q u e n tly
Call PDC at 503.823.3400; o r
e-mail nhp@ pdc.us
• A e ra te , th atch , and reseed w ith a N o rth w e s t grass
Buy organic this year! Bring in this ad for
20% o ff organic lawn product or native plant.
Gresham
Flat Creek
Garden Center
503-663-4101
Portland
Portland Nursery
503-788-9000
Ridgefield, WA
Bird's English Garden
8. Nursery
360-887-3270
Tigard
The Gardener's
Choice, Inc.
503-684-2727
West Linn
Bosky Dell
Natives
503-638-5945
For in fo rm a tio n a b o u t a chem ical-free law n , visit w w w .c le a n r iv e r s a n d s t r e a m s .o r g
o r call 5 0 3-2 34-3 00 0 Portland M e tro or 36 0-3 9 7 -6 1 1 8 e x t. 4345 in W ashington.
w w w .p d c .u s /h o m e re p a ir
W orking together to build neighborhoods
Proud to partner with the Bureau o f Housing
and Community Development
• Interest rate is determined by total household income
Three percent rate does not reflect $ 100 loan fee
The Regional Coalition for Clean Rivers and Streams: Cities of Gresham, Portland and Vancouver, Clean River Partners
o f Clackamas County, Clean Water Services, Clark County, Multnomah County and Metro.
Disclaimer: The RCCRS does not make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assume any legal liability or responsibility for
products purchased with this offer.
1 offer per customer
Offer expires June 30, 2004
OD 0410
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Call 503-288-0033 ads(o'portlandob scrvcr.com