Understanding Radon

AND A COOL INTERACTIVE MAP, TOO!

 The map areas correspond to zip codes. Click on each for a summary of information about radon in the area. The map areas correspond to zip codes. Click on each for a summary of information about radon in the area.

Radon is dangerous. I think just about everyone knows that. But how dangerous is it? That’s where things start to get a little fuzzy. A friend and colleague recently endured a few months of radon poisoning with almost deadly results. This can happen to anyone that lives in a home with exposure risk. It’s important to understand this deadly gas, why you should be aware of it, and how to mitigate the risk to you and your family.

The State of Oregon publishes an interactive map of indoor radon risk levels that was recently updated. This is a useful tool, but be aware that no matter the risk level in your area, you can still encounter a radon problem.

SO WHAT IS RADON?

You can’t smell it, see it, or taste it. It’s literally radioactive. It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. But what in the world is this stuff and why does it want to kill us? Let’s go into geek-speak for just a second.

 Not the best illustration, but it Not the best illustration, but it’s colorful!

Radon is a colorless, chemically-unreactive, inert gas discovered in 1899 partly by Ernest Rutherford and in 1900 partly by Friedrich Ernst Dorn. It is 9 times denser than air, which is an important factoid to remember. It easily penetrates almost any material in a building, including sheetrock, concrete block, wood paneling, and most insulations.

Radon is naturally occurring in the ground and is the result of the breakdown of uranium present in soil, rock, and water. It occurs in several isotopic forms, of which radon-222 occurs most frequently. When this gas is released into the environment, it results in the formation of decay products that are radioisotopes (a chemical element that has an unstable nucleus and emits radiation during its decay to a stable form) of heavy metals (polonium, lead, and bismuth). These decay products can easily be inhaled because they rapidly attach to other airborne materials (like dust). It also may be ingested if it is highly concentrated in groundwater (well water), but the inhalation of radon is of higher concern.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF RADON EXPOSURE?

Respiratory problems are the most common signs of radon-related distress. These problems can include: a persistent cough that doesn’t get better, difficulty breathing, chest pains, the coughing up of blood, wheezing, hoarseness and recurring respiratory infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis. Radon exposure can lead to lung cancer.

A lesser known symptom of radon exposure is neurologic issues. Anxiety, memory loss, and depression could be a sign of radon exposure. However, brain health and function issues have many, many other possible causes, so this is not a symptom often mentioned.

Serious effects from high radon levels are cumulative over a long period of time. It’s important to periodically test for radon, but the presence of high radon levels in your home or a home you are thinking about buying is not a reason to panic.

WHERE DOES RADON OCCUR?

Radon is found in every state in the country. If you take a look at the map and find that you are in an area that is considered low-risk, you still may encounter a radon problem. It often enters the home through cracks in floors, cracks in walls, gaps around service pipes, joints between floor and walls, gaps around drains/pipes, etc. You may have no problem at all with radon while your immediate neighbor is dealing with extremely high radon levels.

HOW DO I TEST FOR RADON?

 Okay, so this vat is 100% more like the stuff the Joker falls into than it is like radon, but I Okay, so this vat is 100% more like the stuff the Joker falls into than it is like radon, but I’m running out of visuals, here.

Short term, long term, and continuous tests are available for radon. Tests should be conducted in the lowest livable area of your home (remember how radon is denser than air?). If you are considering selling your home, I highly recommend conducting a short term radon test before listing the home on the market. It doesn’t cost much and is very much worth knowing the results before you’re in the middle of a transaction!

Most people start with a short term test to determine whether or not further testing is necessary. The test takes between 2-7 days and are then mailed to a lab to determine the results. These are available at most home improvement stores and online.

Long term tests measure radon levels between 90 days and a year. They are more accurate than short term tests because radon levels can vary significantly from day to day and month to month. These tests are usually available through state agencies and online retailers.

Continuous radon testing devices plug into an outlet and can be used for both short and long term testing. They will give you a running average radon level. These are available from online retailers such as Amazon.

Home buyers: It’s important to note that if you purchase a home in summer and conduct a radon test, you should conduct another test in winter when radon levels are more likely to be an issue.

SHOULD I TAKE ACTION?

One out of every 15 homes in the U.S. have radon levels that should be lowered. Fortunately, reliable techniques exist to reduce radon levels in homes so that almost any home with high radon levels can be fixed. If you have a radon problem, you can hire an experienced radon contractor or accomplish the repairs yourself.

The EPA recommends doing a second test if an initial short-term test registers 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher. A long term test is ideal, but you can perform a second short term test if you need results quickly. If the second test results in levels higher than 4 pCi/L, consider taking action to mitigate radon levels in the home.

WHAT CAN I DO TO MITIGATE RADON IN MY HOME OR REDUCE RISK?

 Ventilation = good Ventilation = good

It does take more than just sealing cracks in the foundation to mitigate radon risk and/or exposure. Active soil depressurization or fan and exhaust systems have proven to be cost-effective and reliable.

Radon that escapes out into the air is not a problem as it quickly becomes diluted. Therefore, ventilation is key. Ventilation can be increased through opening doors, windows, and vents. Many people like to block their crawlspace vents in winter and/or install additional insulation in their crawlspace. Blocking crawlspace vents provides very minimal energy savings so unplugging these vents and possibly moving some insulation around may be all it takes to mitigate a mild to moderate radon problem. A heat recovery ventilator (air-to-air heat exchanger) can also be installed to increase ventilation.

All information above is provided for educational purposes. It is always recommended to consult a radon professional if you have any concerns about radon in your home.

Brandi Whitaker

Portland Quarterly Housing Market Report

Report Dates: January-March

Each quarter we pool our knowledge and experience to evaluate the latest real estate market data. We provide our thoughts here to give you an insider’s look at what’s going on in Portland.

The Portland real estate market has been going strong for several years now with home values consistently trending upward. Based on the quarterly market data, the latest data that we have pulled for 2017 so far, and our observation, this will continue to be the case for the near future.

March residential sales and new listings remain almost on par with 2016’s activity, which is to say that the Portland Metro saw 3600 homes come on the market in March, then watched just over 3000 of them go pending, and about 2500 sales closed. March 2017 showed the same scant 1.3 months of available inventory as a year ago, down from 1.9 months in February (a healthy market typically has 3-6 months of inventory!). In all, the number of closed sales increased by almost 50% over the previous month. This has continued to drive the strong “seller’s market” conditions, although homes that are too aggressively priced are now resisted somewhat as the inventory in April has increased and May threatens to do the same; buyers seem hopeful that more listings are coming and feel less pressured to settle and to overpay.

Nevertheless, the average sales price in March 2017 went up nearly $25K over February’s (!) and at $428,400 is $43,300 higher than it was a year ago. That’s more than 11% overall!

It seems worth noting that many of the west side communities (notably NW and SW Portland; and also Hillsboro/Forest Grove) are enjoying pending sales up 20-30% over the March/April 2016 period. Buyers appear to be expanding their geographical parameters to meet their budgets and still check the required boxes for features and amenities.

What’s in store for summer and beyond?

There are many factors to consider when trying to anticipate what will happen to the Portland real estate market as the year continues, especially when trying to predict whether or not there will be any major changes. Two factors to keep an eye on are interest rates and the economy.

Home loan rates did see an increase toward the end of 2016 but remain very low. If the rates rise significantly in 2017, it could affect buyer activity. The economy is always a big factor when it comes to housing. New state and federal policies and policy changes may promote uncertainty. Locally, there is some fear that our strong seller’s market may not be sustainable for much longer.

These and other factors could result in more people deciding that 2017 is the year to list their home(s) for sale. Look for the possibility of 2017 being the year that inventory begins to swing upward. Keep an eye on current inventory by visiting our featured listings page.

Farm Life Dreams

I met Miles and Brandy at a wine night dinner party with mutual friends. They were a smart, hilarious couple, with a house full of three kids, a dog, and chickens (well, the chickens were technically in a coop in the backyard). I liked them immediately.

Last year they contacted me about selling a house they owned in SE Portland – a BEAUTIFUL vintage home in a FANTASTIC neighborhood! I was thrilled. We did a walk-through and originally the plan was to wait until the tenant’s lease expired, but with the Portland market being so strong and the location what it was, I thought we could sell it with the lease in place.  Which is exactly what we did.  Success!

 SE Portland BEAUTY! SE Portland BEAUTY!

But that was just the beginning…

Miles and Brandy had a plan, a grand plan, a farm plan. The goal was to sell the SE Portland home then sell the house they were living in at the time in SW Portland and finally find a dream country property with a few acres and plenty of space for the entire family to live the farm life!  We listed their SW Portland home which was near Multnomah Village and started looking in Newberg for the dream property.

 SW Portland – Home #2 SOLD!  That much closer to dreams of “farm life!” SW Portland – Home #2 SOLD!  That much closer to dreams of “farm life!”

One day, we came across a listing for a house that was in need of “a little TLC.” We made it out to the property and drove up a VERY long and daunting gravel driveway with several tight switchbacks. The whole time I was thinking “I hope my Jetta makes it. I hope I don’t get stuck.  I hope this is worth it, once we get to the top.”

Wow, was it ever worth it!

It was like magic, once we made it to the property at the top of the hill. The view was spectacular and it just had a very special feeling. Then we turned around and looked at the house which had been vacant for quite some time. We thought “Oh, cool!  Look at that eco-roof!” Then quickly realized the entire roof had been severely lacking in maintenance and had literally grown an entire ecosystem. I had never seen anything like it. We got inside to find that the roof was leaking (and had been for some time), there were spiders and dead flies everywhere, and almost every inch of it needed to be updated. I thought to myself “This will never fly.  Beautiful property, but just too much work for them.” Boy, was I ever wrong.

 1980’s farmhouse, before the gut remodel.  Note the “eco roof.” 1980’s farmhouse, before the gut remodel.  Note the “eco roof.”

Brandy and Miles listed and sold their SW Portland home with me and they bought that Newberg property in need of “a little TLC.” They did a complete gut remodel and turned this tired, sad, neglected house, into a beautiful and unique dream home for their family: a truly contemporary farm-house.

 The Remodeled Exterior! The Remodeled Exterior!

They are the most adventurous couple I have ever met.  They are creative, smart, funny as heck, and absolutely not afraid to get their hands dirty! This was my third transaction with them in less than a year. Third time was the charm: their farm-life dreams were officially a reality. It was one of the most rewarding real estate experiences I have had the pleasure of being a part of. Thank you Miles and Brandy for allowing me represent you throughout the process. It was a fantastic ride I will never forget! I am looking forward to checking out the solar eclipse this summer at “The Farm!”

Before and Afters of The Farm

-Morgan Cox