Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who decides which homes will be on the Tour?

The ICA Home Tour Committee has the responsibility of selecting homes each year for the Tour.  They solicit suggestions for possible Tour homes, contact homeowners, and after careful review, make the decision by vote of the members of the Committee.  Naturally, homeowners must agree to have their homes on the Tour and be comfortable with the idea of 1200 strangers going through their homes.  For the name of the current Home Tour Committee Chairman, see the Contacts section of this Website.  Like all ICA committees, the Home Tour Committee consists of Irvington residents who have volunteered to participate.  Because of the size of the undertaking, the Home Tour Committee has between 10 and 15 members, and there are frequent openings.  (back to top) 

How are homes selected?

First the Committee has to have some candidate homes.  These are identified by Members' personal knowledge, inquiries by interested homeowners, and suggestions by other neighborhood residents including the prior year's Tour homeowners.  Naturally, big, visible restoration or rehabilitation projects tend to draw the attention of the Committee Members.   Once a set of candidate homes has been identified, the Home Tour Committee considers a number of factors in making its selection of homes:

  • Geographic distribution across the neighborhood

  • Variety of architectural styles

  • Variety of sizes and configurations of homes

  • Ability of the homes to represent the neighborhood to a wide audience

  • Willingness of the homeowners to be part of the program

  • Convenience of crowd handling and traffic flow in the homes' interiors (this is the most common reason why we are unable to schedule a home for the Tour -- not every home is designed to handle 1200 visitors in 6 hours!)

  • No repeats on the Tour within 5 years

Before the final selection, the Committee Members personally visit the candidate homes and discuss the potential arrangements with the homeowners.  (back to top)

Aren't homeowners concerned about all those people coming through their houses?

Certainly every homeowner on the Tour has a few qualms in this regard.  Who wouldn't?  However, as they work with the Tour Committee, they find themselves reassured by the careful preparations for the Tour:

  • A well-thought-out set of Tour Rules is published and enforced to protect furnishings and the privacy of the homeowners.  

  • Trained volunteers are assigned to every room in the house during the Tour to act as guides and to ensure Tour Rules are followed

  • Traffic flow through the house is carefully planned to minimize confusion and bottlenecks

  • All guests are required to wear disposable paper booties over their street shoes or socks to protect floors and carpets (back to top)

Where does the money from tickets go?

The Irvington Home Tour is the sole fund raising activity of the Irvington Community Association.  The ICA makes grants from the proceeds of the Tour to non-profit community organizations who serve the needs of the neighborhood.  This site has a page with the latest details of the giving program funded by the Tour.  Typically, upwards of 85% of the proceeds of the Tour are available for charitable giving after Tour operational expenses are deducted.  In 2001, the proceeds available for charitable grants amounted to 89% of total ticket revenue.  Other projects designated for Tour proceeds include the multi-year effort to list the Irvington Neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic Distric (back to top)

Can I treat the ticket purchase as a charitable contribution?

Sorry, but no you can't.

Will we meet the owners?

The Home Tour Committee encourages homeowners to stay at home the day of the Tour.  Most do.  If they do, you are welcome to search them out and ask questions or share comments.  Typically, the volunteers in each home will  assist you in locating them if you have questions that the volunteers cannot answer.  (back to top)

I'd like to have my home be on the tour.  How can I put it into the running?

Anyone can suggest their home for the Tour.  Simply contact the Home Tour Committee Members.  See the Contacts page in this website for details.  (back to top)

Are all the homes on the tour big, grand mansions?

Definitely not.  While there certainly are some wonderful, large homes in Irvington, there are also many more wonderful, smaller homes in Irvington as well.  A well tended and nicely furnished 1800 square foot Craftsman bungalow is just as likely to be selected for the tour as an 8000 square foot Colonial Revival mansion.  The Committee strives for a balance of large and small homes for each year's Tour.  In fact, one of the common reasons why a home being considered for the Tour may not be selected is to maintain the desired mix of sizes.  (back to top)

What architectural styles are going to be on this tour?

The only certainty is that they will be varied!  Typically, there is a heavy weighting of Arts & Crafts and Craftsman Style homes (including Bungalows), simply because there are so many in Irvington.  Usually, there will be at least one or two Colonial Revival Style or Dutch Colonial homes.  There are many other styles represented in Irvington which also might appear on the Tour: Prairie Style, Tudor, Jacobean, English Cottage, Queen Anne Victorian, and so on.  (back to top)

What homes are on this upcoming tour?

That's our little secret! The homes on the Tour are revealed the day of the Tour when the Programs are distributed to Tour guests.  We'll tell you enough in advance to whet your appetite and suggest the types of homes you'll be seeing.  Check out the Tour Information page in this website for details about the upcoming Tour starting in March of each year.  If you are feeling adventurous, you can look for the Irvington Home Tour signs posted in front of the Tour homes two weeks before the tour.  (back to top)

I don't live in Portland, can I buy tickets by phone or Internet?

You can purchase tickets on-line directly from this web site.  Go to the Tour Information page (Tickets, Times, Dates link on the Home page) and look for the link to On-Line sales.  Once there, you can use your regular credit card or PayPal account to pay for tickets.  Tickets will be mailed to you if there is enough time before the Tour or will be held at "will call" at the Portland White House Bed and Breakfast the day of the Tour.  If you prefer not to use a credit card for Internet commerce, you can also print out an order blank and mail it in with a check.   (back to top)

What do you do when it rains on Tour day?

This question gives you away as an out-of-towner!  This is Portland, after all, and it rains in May... sometimes every day in May.  We simply carry on as planned, if it does.  But, we must tell you that in most years the weather has been beautiful for the Tour.  (back to top)

How many people does it take to put on the tour?

Lots!  Typically each home on the Tour will have 10 to 15 volunteer guide positions plus two Home Hosts.  Each guide position is filled by two individuals working in 2-1/2 hour shifts.  That alone requires upwards of 125 volunteers.  Then there are ticket sellers, sign haulers, graphic artists, homeowner dinner hosts, etc., etc.  Altogether close to 200 neighborhood volunteers participate to make the Tour a success each year.  (back to top)

How can I volunteer to help?

In February or March of each year prior to the Tour, contact information will be posted on this site for volunteering for the many assignments in making the Tour a success.  See the Volunteering page for details.  (back to top) 

Where do the photos come from that are used for the Tour Program?

Irvington resident Jim Heuer has taken the photos most years as part of the photo shoot that provides the photos for this web site.  The home owners receive a box of greeting cards with a photo of their home as a token of thanks from the Irvington Community Association.  (back to top)

When will the date of next year's Tour be announced?

The date for next year's Tour will be announced on this website in mid-March before the Tour.  Typically, the Tour is held on the third Sunday in May.  Check out our Tour Information page in this website for details.  (back to top)

What's the Irvington Community Association?

The Irvington Community Association is the officially recognized (by the City of Portland) neighborhood organization for the Irvington Neighborhood.  All residents of the neighborhood are automatically members of the ICA and are eligible to vote for Board Members and to serve on committees.  The ICA Board of Directors holds monthly meetings to which all members are invited.  See the main ICA informational website for details of meeting times and places along with recent community news, minutes of recent meetings, and newsletter articles.  All positions in the ICA are staffed by volunteers.

How can I contact the owners of one of the houses shown in this site?

We are sorry, but in the interest of the privacy of the homeowners, we cannot give out names or phone numbers.  If you have a question about one of the houses, you are welcome to direct it by e-mail to the Webmaster who will forward it on to the homeowners.  Please understand that we are asking a lot of the homeowners when we ask them to have 1200 people walk through their homes in a 6 hour period on Home Tour day.  Beyond that, they deserve their privacy.  Remember that with the exception of the Irvington Tennis Club, the Portland White House, and the Irvington School, all locations featured on the tour are private residences.  They are not open to the public on other days, either before or after the Tour.

Why do you cap the Tour ticket sales at 1000?

In prior years we have experimented by selling as many as 1300 tickets.  The result was long lines at many homes, crowding, and unhappy attendees.  Unlike at some other home tours, our attendees are able to see all floors of most homes.  This takes time and limits the number of people who can visit any one house in 6 hours.  We want the Tour to be fun and a good experience for all.  By capping the sales at 1000, we help ensure that result.  We provide ample opportunity to buy tickets in advance.  If you are unable to buy tickets on the day of the Tour, we apologize for the inconvenience and hope you'll understand!

 

copyright ICA, 2001

The Irvington Community Association also maintains a website to provide services internal to the Irvington Community.  We invite all Irvington neighbors and others interested in NE Portland community affairs to visit that site as well.

Updated Friday, March 28, 2008

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