Office: (503) 661-2858
Cell: (503) 504-6824

Frequently Asked Questions

 

So you want to know something more about the builder? You're thinking, things sound good so far, but you wish you could connect with him more on some level, but what in the world do you have in common? Well here are some hints, click on any of these key words to learn more about my checkered past or interests. [These links may not be working while I fine-tune my site - sorry.]


Band Computers Kids Siblings Water Polo
Born Where Eagle Scout Lived Where Soaring Wife
Boy Scouts Early Jobs Music Swimming
Church Electronics Parents Texas A&M
College High School ROTC Trumpet


Band (Trumpet)

I started playing the trumpet in 5th grade and kept it up through college, playing in various pep, concert and marching bands along the way. While never very good, I enjoyed playing and it helped keep me out of trouble.

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Born Where?

I was born a little outside of San Antonio, Texas. I am the 3rd of 4 boys.

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Boy Scouts (Eagle Scout)

I started in Cub Scouts and stayed active all the way through receiving the Eagle Scout award in Boy Scouts. I loved the camping trips in the Northwest and especially, summer camp. During two summers, I worked as a camp counselor at Camp Meriweather on the beach. There, I started doing kitchen duty before being "promoted" (in my opinion) to the waterfront as a lifeguard and swimming/rowing/canoeing instructor. The water was cold, but the work was fun. From 2002 through 2010, I enjoyed leading my own boys through the Scouting program. In spite of some negative Scouting press, I still think it is a great program worthy of your consideration and support. The values taught are ones I still hold dear and believe if these core values were held by all, this world would be a much better place.

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Church

Attended Parkrose United Methodist Church while growing up, but now a member of Gresham United Methodist Church. Current duties or interests have me active on the finance and planned giving committees. I was raised with church being an important part of my life. Yet, after college, there were a number of years where I was less than dedicated to participating and regular attendance. In recent years, I have become active again and am enjoying God's grace in my life. If you are without a church home and would like to visit, we would love to have you as our guest.

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College

I graduated from Texas A&M in May of 1982 with a BBA in Management. Few things have impacted Aggies so much as their time at Texas A&M and I am no different. I remember arriving as a boy and leaving as a..., well certainly more manly than when I arrived. Mom and Dad shipped me off via plane with all my possessions in a footlocker and duffle bag. Before my first day was over, I was saying yes and no sir and doing push-ups for upperclassmen in their ROTC program. I wanted to be an Air Force pilot. While that never worked out, I reaped huge pains and rewards from this program, that dramatically shaped the way I am today. For more info on my ROTC activities, jump to ROTC.

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Computers

Computers and programming have fascinated me since I saw my first one in high school. While never particularly adept at programming, I certainly always recognized the benefits they had as tools in business. I remember drooling over the very first models that Radio Shack put out. After college, I guess I followed that interest into sales at Radio Shack where I was soon giving classes in word processing and spreadsheets and other productivity software. I still remember each of my computers and their capabilities. Let's see, there was the Radio Shack model 16, the Compaq AT compatible system, the off-brand CompuAdd 286, then 486, then the Gateway Pentium 200 Pro, and am currently using the Dell Pentium 3/866. My dream machines last 3-4 years, it seems, and then it's time to upgrade to the cheers of my kids, who get the old one. It has been very helpful that my PC knowledge goes all the way back to 1982 and earlier. I don't think I would go so far as to say I am a geek, but certainly an enthusiast.

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Early Jobs

Growing up, my first jobs were door to door selling of stationary. The little old ladies were charmed off their feet when we came a calling. Still, I couldn't say I enjoyed it that much so I moved on to paper routes. When I was old enough, I started working at Kmart as a door greeter, then a coveted position in appliance sales where they actually paid a commission. That was great experience at the time. And during two summers of high school, I worked at a Boy Scout camp as a lifeguard and waterfront instructor.

Following college, there was the first job at a Radio Shack Computer Center, which specialized only in computers at the time. I went on to manage a computer department within a larger mall based Radio Shack. From there, I went to work for Centel Business Systems selling PBX and key telephone systems as well as some computers when they augmented the phone system. This was a very competitive field at the time and I probably struggled here, more than anywhere else. After that, it was back to selling primarily computers and some key telephone systems for AmeriSource.

In 1986, I went to work for a small company after working for three Fortune-500 companies (or their subsidiaries). My job satisfaction improved immensely as I tackled sales and then service and support areas for a data processing service bureau. UDP, Inc. served independent telephone companies throughout Texas and elsewhere. I was often still dealing with personal computers, but also larger "mini computers" and networks. Here I gained a foundation in various wiring schemes that has helped me understand home automation issues in my building practice today. I was reluctant to leave this position in 1993, because I enjoyed the company and the work so much. However, I thought if I made dramatic gains in job satisfaction downsizing from the big companies to one with 25 people, imagine how great it would be if I were a company of 1 - being my own boss. While I miss the technological edge of my last employer, I thoroughly enjoy what I am doing now.

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Electronics

You can see I have some background and interests in computers and electronics. That extends into home automation issues as well. There are all kinds of interesting things you can do with a well wired home. So if you have interests in this area, please be sure to raise the issues and we can show you how we would handle those applications.

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High School

I attended Parkrose High School after attending Fremont Jr. High and Shaver Elementry here in Portland. I graduated in 1978. My primary interests were in the bands and in swimming and water polo.

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Kids

Kathy and I have two great kids, Michael and Kyle. We adopted Michael in '92 in San Antonio and Kyle in '95, here in Portland. Both were very special experiences in their own way. Michael is extremely inquisitive, a great conversationalist, and typically very thoughtful. Kyle is a very loving and cuddly kid who can entertain himself for hours and is also thoughtful. Both have said yes to wanting to try any sports or new activities. Michael seems to like basketball and Kyle likes soccer. We couldn't be any more blessed.

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Lived Where?

We moved to Harlingen, Texas at about age 2. Moved to Dodge City, Kansas at about 3-4, then to Salina Kansas at about 6. By age 8, we had moved to Portland, OR. I went back to Texas to attend college at Texas A&M. The day after graduating, I married Kathy and so left A&M together, for San Antonio in 1982. Kathy had to finish college at the University of Texas at San Antonio. We moved to Corpus Christi, TX for the summer of 1984, then back to San Antonio. Then in 1993, we moved to Portland. Kathy was raised in Victoria, Texas. Kathy clearly calls San Antonio home and I am torn between there and Portland. I guess we left too many good friends down South.

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Music

Country and Western music is my favorite ever since I learned I to dance - knowing I got to hold the object of my affection. However, I enjoy a variety of other music too and, as long as I can understand the words, I figure it's not too hard or edgy for my tastes.

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Parents

My parents are the greatest. What an original thought. They'll be 60 years together in 2012, which would seem amazing to me if I weren't married to someone equally special to me, albeit not that long. Dad retired from John Deere Company and Mom, from the IRS. After retiring, Dad started building duplexes for investment properties. When he had enough duplexes to manage, he quit building them and started building homes. Brother Glen started building sometime later and then I started in 1993. In about '96, Dad retired from building and concentrated on duplex management, then mostly retired from it last year in favor of Glen and I taking that work over.

When Mom retired, she also kept up with the duplexes and and does volunteer work, mostly at church. She enjoys traveling and walking so combined both by endeavoring to walk in all 50 states through a Volkswalking group. She has done all of the states and a number of other countries too, with Dad joining her occasionally. They both seem to stay busy.

Mom and Dad have been generous and supportive of our endeavors. Of course, I wouldn't be building with out their support and mentoring. They have been excellent role models for us and I am glad that we are so close as to share their lives - and to have them not only be positive influences in our lives, but to our kids too.

I should point out that Kathy's mother, Joyce, also moved up from Texas to stay close and she is equally important in our lives and with the kids. She raised Kathy mostly as a struggling single Mom and centered her life around Kathy. Retired from apartment management, now she spends her time mostly either being with the grandkids or looking forward to the same. Yes, it would be hard for us to be more blessed.

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ROTC

At Texas A&M, there was no bigger influence in my life than the ROTC program. There, I learned many leadership skills...(still developing this section)

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Siblings

I have three brothers. Chuck is about 5 years older than me and lives in Lansing, Michigan, where he is a Financial Advisor for the Centennial Group, which represents Minnesota Mutual, a large and well respected Life Insurance company. Chuck also attended Texas A&M, like Dad did before him. Wayne is about 4 years older than me and lives in Pflugerville (just outside of Austin), Texas. He is in sales for Wincor-Nixdorf, where he does volume sales of cash registers and/or similar equipment. Glen, is a year younger than me and is also a builder here in the East Multnomah County area. Glen has actually been building a few years longer than me. Wayne and Glen both attended Oregon State University.

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Soaring

OK, so I have only done this once, but given the time, would love to do more with a sail plane.

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Swimming & Water Polo

For some reason, I always took to the water. When I was a High School freshman, someone asked if I wanted to try out for Water Polo. It sounded a little scary at the time, but soon I loved the game. I enjoyed swimming but competitive swimming was monotonous, so while I continued with the swim team, I did it primarily to be a better water polo player. Haven't played since High School.

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Texas A&M

Texas A&M was an outstanding university for me to attend. It is very tradition rich and the ROTC program I was active in, played an important role in those traditions. At the time, some 33,000 students attended A&M.

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Wife

Kathy and I met on a blind date in 1981. In the spring of 1982, I saw an opportunity to make graduation extra special. I was the only one in my outfit to graduate on time (thanks to summer school <g>). By getting married the day after graduating, I thought it a perfect opportunity to have all of those important to me, be there. Luckily, Kathy agreed and it was a busy spring for her as she planned. Like most couples, we have had our ups and downs. Still, we feel as committed to each other as we did on day one. Before kids, she worked in real estate appraising. Today, she is a stay at home Mom and volunteers at the kid's school. She also helps me out with the paperwork and various errands that need to be done - a tremendous help when called upon.

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