• Cedar Mill Farmers Market
• Last Day of School Celebration at Bethany Village Centre
• Bodelite Grand Opening
• Financial Literacy for Kids and Teens at our own CU
• How to Prepare for College AND Pay For It
• How will commission changes affect buying or selling a home?

Cedar Mill Farmers Market

Saturdays through October, 9-2, Safeway parking lot at Murray & Cornell

Happiness is a trip to the farmers market! We are open, we are here and each week more produce is becoming available. Fresh, local, delicious! Something different each week in the Community, Sustainability, Power 0f Produce booths, plus live music and ready-to-eat food. Come for the produce and other goodies, stay for lunch!

We have had many questions (which we love) at the Information Booth. One that was asked several times is “where is all the produce???” Here is the answer: Seasonal fresh local produce, picked/gathered fresh, is from their farms/orchards. Six of them are here now & are bringing what is currently ready. Our farmers/growers will bring more & more as the season progresses. Please keep coming back…it is changing every week!

Currently the produce vendors at the market are: Dairy Creek (only honey now but will bring some veggies later in the season); Granja Nuevo Horizonte; Kjelsrud Mushrooms; Martinez Family Farms; Nuts About Berries; Sweet Oregon Berry—feel free to talk with them about what is coming when!!!

Coming in the very near future: Baird Family Orchards (coming 6/8 or 6/15); Flamingo Ridge (possibly 6/22); Kiyokawa Family Orchards (7/6); Peachy Pig Farm, Duycks (possibly 6/22)

Last Day of School Celebration at Bethany Village Centre

Wednesday, June 12th, 2-5 pm, 4720 NW Bethany Boulevard, free

Goodbye school, hello summer vacation! Join us for an unforgettable Last Day of School Celebration! Bethany Village & Bethany Library are hosting a summer kick-off event for students from Beaverton and Portland. Enjoy music, free activities from Bethany Athletic Club, free access to the game truck and a fun and safe environment. Explore various vendors offering Kona ice, crafts, Churros, permanent jewelry, and henna tattoos. Come ready to support and have a great time with us!

Bodelite Grand Opening

Thursday, June 20, 3-7 pm, 15160 NW Laidlaw Rd #100, free, RSVP appreciated, see ad in this issue for a QR code

You’re cordially invited to the grand opening of Portland’s Premier Body Contouring Med Spa. Immerse yourself in an environment of sophistication and rejuvenation as we unveil our array of esteemed treatments. Experience the Gold Standard in non-invasive fat reduction with Coolsculpting, a cutting-edge technology designed to sculpt your body without surgery. CoolTone awaits to tone and strengthen your muscles, while the SculptPod Max Red Light Therapy Bed stimulates collagen production for radiant skin. Indulge in the luxury of Diamond Glow facial and body treatments, promising the epitome of skincare excellence.

Some highlights of the event include educational speakers for Coolsculpting, Cooltone, and Skin Medica products; exclusive pricing packages for those who attend; a raffle with giveaways; and Cooltone and Red Light Therapy demo for those that want to try out those treatments. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails included!

Financial Literacy for Kids and Teens at our own CU

If you have a child or teenager, you should know about Sunset Credit Union’s free educational course called Banzai, a web-based financial literacy program where kids get their own accounts, and they work through assignments that are based on real life.

With Banzai, students learn to manage unexpected expenses such as parking tickets, interest charges and overdraft fees. The educational program also introduces students to auto loans, bank statements, entertainment costs, savings, and more.

To get your child or teenager started with the course, visit Sunset’s website at sspfcu.com and select the age-appropriate Banzai course. Upon completion of the course, Sunset will deposit $25 into your child’s savings account. If they haven’t become a member of the credit union yet, they’ll deposit the first $25 into a new account with the credit union.

Sunset Science Park Federal Credit Union is open to anyone who lives, works, or attends school in Washington County. For more information, stop by their office at 1100 NW Murray Blvd #200) or visit their website at sspfcu.com.

How to Prepare for College AND Pay For It

Tuesday, June 18, 6-7 pm, online, register here.

Gain insights about the college admissions landscape, recommendations about preparing strong applications and strategies to stand out. We will also discuss college costs and how to maximize financial aid and scholarships. Space is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. All registrants will receive a confirmation email with a link. Presented by Apella Wealth.

How will commission changes affect buying or selling a home?

By Jan Dempsey, Realtor, Windermere Realty Group

A landmark settlement between a number of parties with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) is bringing major changes to how you buy or sell a house, with new rules set to go into effect in August. Who pays the fees for agents representing buyers will be at the core of the changes.

As a licensed Realtor in Oregon, I am required to be a member of NAR and other trade associations. The MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is a database of properties for sale used by real estate brokers and shared with their clients. Currently, the Buyer Broker fee/commission is published under the BAC, or buyer’s agent’s commission, in RMLS. Historically, the fee paid to the buyer’s agent has been determined and paid by the seller out of their proceeds from the buyer’s purchase amount. From August on, the buyer will pay their agent’s commission.

The premise of the lawsuit is that having the commission listed on the MLS would incentivize buyers’ agents to only show their clients homes which would result in a good payout. It also incentivized the seller to set a competitive rate in order to get access to more buyers. A series of lawsuits from sellers said that this arrangement amounted to antitrust behavior by the National Association of Realtors. In March the trade group settled for $418 million.

The settlement is an attempt to change past practices to address the allegations of collusion and antitrust behavior, thereby changing the industry significantly. The biggest change is that buyers will now have to sign a contract with their agent laying out what services they will be receiving and the amount they will pay for those services. With home prices so high, and budgets so tight, the temptation for buyers to go their own way may be too much to resist. My worry is that the home buyers who have the least resources, will end up resorting to using the seller’s agent (who represents the seller) or they will try to do it themselves to save money, and actually lose money.

One of the big questions surrounding this change is, what will it do to home prices? Economists and experts have weighed in on nearly every side, some saying prices will go down, others say they will go up, and others say there won’t be any impact at all. In Portland, with our low inventory, and multitude of buyers, our purchases have often been over the asking price, with multiple offers, therefore raising the home’s price. One thing we all agree on, it will take time to pan out.

It would be my pleasure to meet with you, to learn your plans, and to help you navigate this transition. This is a very complicated market; I would love to help you understand it. Don’t hesitate to contact me at 503-706-6358 or jdempsey@windermere.com.