Dianne Gregoire, Author at Property Blotter

September 23, 2023September 23, 2023

Market Activity Sept 11-17, 2023

Fall is definitely in the air and the real estate market in Lake Oswego is transitioning into the typical ebbing of the season. We had 10 new listings last week, one of which sold quickly and appears in this report as a pending sale. We had 16 properties move to pending status and 13 closed sales.

See below for RMLS data.

New Listing Sept 11-17, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
45 Eagle Crest Dr #401	Condo	$278,000	1	1	768
3672 Spring Ln	Condo	$450,000	2	2	1117
12844 Boones Ferry Rd	Condo	$489,000	2	2.5	1191
51 Greenridge Ct	Attached	$525,000	2	2	1348
1975 Mapleleaf Rd	Detached	$725,000	4	2	2330
5097 Rosewood St	Detached	$775,000	4	2.5	1920
13932 Sundeleaf Dr	Detached	$1,449,000	3	2.5	3068
47 Hillshire Dr	Detached	$1,550,000	4	2.5	3324
13084 Amber Pl	Detached	$5,850,000	3	3	5685

Pending Sales Sept 11-17, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
100 Kerr Pkwy #42	Condo	$220,000	2	1.5	822	59
30 Cervantes Circle	Condo	$277,000	2	1.5	1112	22
92 Cervantes Circle	Condo	$279,000	2	1.5	912	93
3972 Carman Dr	Condo	$395,000	2	2.5	1225	5
4306 Botticelli St	Condo	$450,000	2	2.5+.5	2043	62
18521 Don Lee Way	Detached	$475,000	3	2	1226	2
47 Greenridge Ct	Attached	$534,900	2	1.5	992	23
668 McVey Ave #57	Condo	$549,000	3	1.5	992	23
1795 Kilkenny Rd	detached	$568,000	3	2	1449	42
5053 W Sunset Dr	Attached	$595,000	2	2.5	1720	29
5051 W Sunset Dr	Attached	$620,000	2	2.5	1734	12
4 Adams Ct	Detached	$675,000	3	2.5	2287	21
378 9th St	Detached	$1,250,000	3	2.5	2019	61
4688 Upper Dr	Detached	$2,198,000	4	3.5	3962	14
7 Dover Way	Detached	$2,595,000	5	5.5	7803	106
445 Northshore Rd	Detached	$3,195,000	3	3.5	3066	151

Sold/Closed Sept 11-17, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
3876 Botticelli St #31	Condo	$355,000	$360,000	1110	27
2 Condolea Dr	Condo	$469,000	$464,000	1312	8
12886 Boones Ferry Rd	Condo	$475,000	$475,750	1182	8
49 Greenridge Ct	Attached	$525,000	$523,000	1596	3
100 Greenridge Ct	Attached	$525,000	$535,000	2004	6
5059 W Sunset Dr	Attached	$649,000	$587,500	1794	53
85 Tanglewood Dr	Detached	$599,000	$630,000	2323	1
15718 Murwood Ct	Detached	$840,000	$800,000	1988	12
2401 Mayors Ln	Detached	$900,000	$845,000	3076	30
2432 Park Rd	Detached	$875,000	$872,500	2386	5
7 Cellini Ct	Detached	$1,200,000	$1,205,000	3560	3
4230 Sunset Dr	Detached	$1,699,000	$1,600,000	3250	24
18475 Crestline Dr	Detached	$2,995,000	$2,995,000	4910	5

Criteria:Homes in the 97034 and 97035 zip code, listed, pending or sold between the dates listed above as reported by the Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS). DETACHD refers to Single Family Detached Residence, MFG refers to manufactured housing, and ATTACHD refers to single-family residences with some portion of the structure attached to another property, but not constituting CONDO ownership. DOM stands for days on market, or the number of days from when the listing became active and when it received an acceptable offer, with CDOM standing for “cumulative days on market” accounting for “refreshed” listings

September 9, 2023September 9, 2023

Lake Oswego Open Studios

Open studios is an annual event that I thoroughly enjoy. This year it will be the weekend of October 14th and 15th. It is a free event.

Basically, you have the opportunity to visit artists in their studio. As a person who dabbles in painting, I am so enthralled by seeing working studios of dedicated artists. I also appreciate meeting them and hearing their stories and learning about their techniques.

One year I met an artist who had suffered a very severe stroke. She had examples of her art from before her stroke along with her current work, after her stroke. There was such a striking difference, and the current work was so much more brilliant that the prior work. It was a memorable experience.

The artists also offer work to purchase. I pride myself that my home has all original art: no prints, no copies. Some of it is my own paintings and sculptures, but also the work of other artists. I love living amidst art!

For more details about Lake Oswego Open Studios, click here. For details about Portland Open Studios, click here.

Once again, thank you for reading the blotter.

Dianne

September 7, 2023September 7, 2023

Market Activity Aug 28-Sept 3, 2023

Last week in Lake Oswego we had 9 properties come onto the market, 2 of which sold quickly and appear in this report as pending sales. We had 16 properties go into pending status and 17 sold/closed sales.

See below for RMLS data.

New on the Market Aug 28-Sept 3, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
284 Cervantes	Condo	$365,000	2	2	1052
16250 Pacific Hwy j#46	Condo	$449,000	2	2	1305
16200 Pacific Hwy #29	Condo	$500,000	2	2	1207
13349 Hidden Bay Ct	Detached	$,1,100,000	3	3	3012
14863 Twin Fir Ct	Detached	$1,170,000	4	3	2028
3894 Tamarack Ln	Detached	$1,499,000	4	3.5	4035
4688 Upper Dr	Detached	$2,198000	4	3.5	3962

Pending Sales Aug 28-Sept 3, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
3433 McNary Pdwy	Condo	$299,000	2	2	1008	38
4469 Golden Ln	Condo	$420,000	2	2.5	2002	30
17825 Tualata Ave	Detached	$535,000	3	1.5	1182	11
85 Tanglewood Dr	Detached	$599,000	4	3	2323	1
6 The Grotto	Detached	$599,000	3	2	1381	1
1368 Boca Ratan Dr	Attached	$610,000	3	2	1683	23
6062 Burma Rd	Detached	$639,000	5	2	1875	96
107 Kingsgate Rd	Detached	$674,900	3	2	1516	1
89 Kingsgate Rd	Detached	$675,000	3	2.5	1713	12
16 Aquinas St	Detached	$698,000	3	2.5	1720	27
16 Walking Woods Dr	Detached		3	2.5	2897	6
13104 Rogers Rd	Detached	$985,000	4	2.5	2889	3
885 Lake Forest Dr	Detached	$1,075,000	4	3	2206	11
353 3rd St	Attached	$1,195,000	3	3.5	2044	39
2600 Glenmorrie Dr	Detached	$2,298,000	4	3.5	4232	13
807 Ellis Ave	Detached	$3,600,000	5	5	5267	11

Sold/Closed Aug 28-Sept 3, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
18 Britten Ct	Attached	$649,900	$630,000	1972	56
16 Britten Ct	Attached	$665,000	$655,832	1972	1
5050 Greentree Rd	Detached	$799,900	$735,000	2052	49
5117 Greensborough Ct	Detached	795,000	$800,000	1692	4
13388 Auburn Ct	Attached	$839,500	$800,000	2492	48
412 Livingood Ln	Detached	$998,900	$935,000	3880	33
17532 Oak Meadow Ln	Detached	$1,299,900	$1,225,000	3046	35
1255 Bickner St	Detached	$1,350,000	$1,275,000	2817	25
17299 Lake Haven Dr	Detached	$1,329,000	$1,400,000	2656	4
1888 Oak Knoll Ct	Detached	$1,495,000	$1,400,000	3022	28
2301 Wembley Park Rd	Detached	$2,100,000	$2,007,500	3600	23
15575 Village Dr	Detached	$2,225,000	$2,087,870	3163	10
608 Cabana Ln	Detached	$2,595,000	$2,595,000	2000	0
547 Northshore Rd	Detached	$2,250,000	$2,600,000	3766	11
17264 Lake Haven Dr	Detached	$2,600,000	$2,600,000	3911	0
1653 Lake Front Rd	Detached	$6,998,000	$6,998,000	6274	0
4357 Southshore Blvd	Detached	$10,500,000	$10,500,000	5162	0

Criteria:Homes in the 97034 and 97035 zip code, listed, pending or sold between the dates
listed above as reported by the Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS). DETACHD refers to
Single Family Detached Residence, MFG refers to manufactured housing, and ATTACHD refers
to single-family residences with some portion of the structure attached to another property, but
not constituting CONDO ownership. DOM stands for days on market, or the number of days
from when the listing became active and when it received an acceptable offer, with CDOM
standing for “cumulative days on market” accounting for “refreshed” listings

August 27, 2023August 27, 2023

The Housing Crisis

There is a housing crisis. Not just here in Oregon, but nationwide. Simply put, there are not enough houses being built. This first started with the Great Recession. Many builders and developers shut down for about 4 years. When the housing market rebounded, the builders and developers simply did not catch back up. I heard a panel of economists on a Bloomberg podcast about a year ago quote the statistic that to meet demand nationwide, 3,000,000 new housing units need to be built each year. These can be small apartments or mega mansions, the housing need is in every shape and size. At the time of the podcast, the average being built annually was 1,300,000: not even half of the demand.

Our new Governor, Tina Kotek, has made construction of housing a top priority in her administration. To accomplish this, she is putting everything on the table, including revising, or perhaps even removing, tree ordinances. While I truly admire her willingness to open the conversation to every option, our stewardship of the environment is also a top priority for the citizens of this state. As you can imagine, it’s creating some real conversations (or should I say arguments?).

Steve Duin has written an excellent article on the subject that can be found at Oregonlive.com. To read it, click here. Interesting side note. I’ve been a big fan of the writings of Steve Duin for years. The Oregonian was a part of my daily routine and I always looked forward to Steve’s columns. Also, the very first house that I ever listed for sale in my real estate career was purchased by Steve. He still lives in that house.

To give you a summation of the article, he has in the past argued that the Urban Growth Boundary is part of the problem. In this article he admits to being taken to the woodshed by people who know better and that the real problem is not a lack of land, it’s a lack of infrastructure. Historically, infrastructure was subsidized by the Federal government. That financial support was eliminated by the Reagan administration. We have plenty of developable land currently within the UGB, trees and all, but the development costs are a huge obstacle to getting the housing built. I encourage you to read the article.

This is a bit off course from what I usually write. I hope that you have found it as interesting as I have.

Dianne

August 25, 2023August 25, 2023

Market Activity Aug 14-20, 2023

Our real estate market is chugging right along. Last week in Lake Oswego there were 13 new listings, one of which sold quickly and is shown in this report as a pending sale. There were a total of 21 properties that received acceptable offers and moved into pending status, and there were 18 closed sales.

See below for RMLS data.

New on the Market Aug 14-20, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
86 Kingsgate Rd I-202	Condo	$320,000	2	2	849
4 Erasmus St	Condo	$420,000	2	2.5	1547
4093 Jefferson Pkwy	Condo	$460,000	2	2.5	1403
2031 Bonniebrae Dr	Attached	$555,000	4	2	1611
5053 W Sunset Dr	Attached	$595,000	2	2.5	1720
5733 Kimball Ct	Detached	$669,000	4	2	1346
89 Kingsgate Rd	Detached	$675,000	3	2.5	1713
4100 Chapman Way	Detached	$858,000	4	2.5	1918
2376 Glenmorrie Dr	Detached	$874,900	4	2	2732
610 Boca Ratan Dr	Detached	$949,900	4	2	2566
2600 Glenmorrie Dr	Detached	$2,298,000	4	3.5	4232
12790 S Fielding Rd	Detached	$4,990,000	6	7.5	9124

Pending Sales Aug 14-20, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
4 Touchstone #65	Condo	$317,500	3	2.5	1351	53
124 Touchstone Terr	Attached	$499,900	2	2.5	1964	11
5117 Greensborough Ct	Detached	$795,000	3	2.5	1692	4
1714 Greentree Rd	Detached	$799,900	4	3	3110	98
4798 Auburn Ln	Attached	$809,950	3	3.5	2700	4
1590 Hallinan St	Detached	$874,900	4	2	2070	4
2401 Mayors Ln	Detached	$875,000	4	3	3076	30
43 Aquinas St	Detached	$875,000	3	2.5	2138	29
17 Da Vinci	Detached	$890,000	3	2	1876	27
7 Cellini Ct	Detached	$1,200,000	5	3.5	3560	3
1255 Bickner St	Detached	$1,295,000	4	2.5	2817	25
53 Eagle Crest Dr	Detached	$1,300,000	5	4.5+.5	4918	122
2886 Upper Dr	Detached	$1,389,000	4	3	2674	6
233 E Ave	Detached	$1,400,000	3	1	1150	12
814 Lake Shore Rd	Detached	$1,490,000	3	2.5+.5	2385	119
4665 Firwood Rd	Detached	$1,495,000	3	2.5	2574	2
650 1st St	Condo	$1,500,000	3	2.5	2767	76
1550 Country Commons	Detached	$1,995,000	4	3	4818	77
15575 Village Dr	Detached	$2,225,000	4	2.5	3163	10
18475 Crestline Dr	Detached	$2,995,000	4	3.5	4910	5
975 Englewood Dr	Detached	$3,995,000	4	4.5+.5	5980	71

Sold/Closed Aug 14-20, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
152 Oswego Summit	Condo	$319,900	$290,000	1383	46
204 Cervantes	Condo	$360,000	$345,000	1138	124
4 Touchstone DR #152	Condo	$344,000	$346,000	1351	2
1602 Bonniebrae	Attached	$425,000	$395,000	864	39
6336 Frost St	Detached	$549,900	$523,200	2200	59
1437 Oak St	Detached	$672,500	$565,000	1070	31
103 Kingsgate Rd	Detached	$600,000	$580,000	1352	19
5233 Rosewood St	Detached	$699,900	$699,900	1650	4
1240 Cedar St	Detached	$699,900	$700,000	1044	5
5861 Benfield Ct	Detached	$759,900	$770,000	1658	3
1290 Pine St	Detached	$750,000	$795,000	2048	4
219 Hidalgo St	Detached	$879,000	$799,000	3756	50
875 Lee St	Detached	$899,000	$800,000	2200	40
1855 Cloverleaf Rd	Detached	$899,900	$975,000	2870	1
17656 Woodhurst Pl	Detached	$1,325,000	$1,207,000	4559	78
18635 Westview Dr	Detached	$1,549,000	$1,491,000	4943	2
1501 Country Club Rd	Detached	$2,200,000	$2,000,000	4691	27
1186 Crestline Ct	Detached	$4,750,000	$4,000,000	14411	211

August 11, 2023August 11, 2023

An Economic Snapshop

This past week I attended a webinar that featured Laurence Yun, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, and Dr Jessica Lautz, the VP of research for the National Association of Realtors. It was very interesting.

Here are some takeaways:

The increased interest rates are having an impact. Home sales are down 23% since January of 2022. I think the biggest impact is happening for first-time buyers. Interest rates have doubled in the last year and that has priced out many first-time buyers. They generally have smaller down payments and larger mortgages. I don’t think that this is having too much of an impact here in LO. Condos are still selling very strongly and a good deal of our market is dominated by buyers who are bringing equity from a home that they have sold.

People are moving less often, but are moving greater distances. It used to be on average every 5 years that folks moved. Today, that number is every 10 years. In addition, whereas in 1989 people on averaged moved 1 mile away from their previous home, today the average is 50 miles. So many people now work from home, which has really enhanced people’s options.

Cash buyers now account for 25% of sales. This percentage was 20% pre-pandemic.

I’ve posted the most recent market numbers according to the RMLS. You’ll see that some parts of the metro area have actually experienced depreciation. It’s been years since I’ve seen this. Columbia County and North Portland are particularly hard hit. The good news is that Lake Oswego is holding on and still doing comparatively well.

As of June inflation is at about 3%. 2% is considered to be optimum. It takes time for the results of the Federal Reserve adjustments to be felt in the economy. Mr Yun predicted that by the end of this year the Fed will easy up on interest rates. I am going to hope so.

After several decades in this business I’ve seen and experienced the cycles. We had such a booming market from 2016 to 2022. Appreciation was double digit annually for several years in a row. The economy making adjustments is normal and healthy. Yes, interest rates have priced out many first-time buyers, but so has the cost of housing. We need the entry level buyers. I think I’ll call it trickly up economics. That first-time buyer creates a second- time buyer.

Please reach out to Linda or I if you have any questions. And, as always, thank you for reading the blotter.

Dianne

August 9, 2023August 9, 2023

Market Activity July 31-Aug 6, 2023

Last week in Lake Oswego there were 18 new listings, two of which sold quickly and appear in this report as pending sales. There were 18 pending sales and 13 sold/closed properties.

See below for RMLS data.

New on the Market July 31-Aug 6, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
5225 Jean Rd #307	Condo	$425,000	2	2	1100
4469 Golden Ln	Condo	$439,500	2	2.5	2002
2 Condolea Dr	Condo	$469,000	2	2	1312
12886 Boones Ferry Rd	Condo	$475,000	2	2.5	1182
16 Aquinas St	Detached	$699,000	3	2.5	1720
5187 Rosewood St	Detached	$770,000	3	2.5	1654
16950 Lakeridge Dr	Detached	$868,000	4	2.5	2346
12974 Knaus Rd	Detached	$1,095,000	3	3.5	3169
5382 Royal Oaks Dr	Detached	$1,180,000	4	2.5	2970
3620 Wren St	Detached	$1,189,000	4	3.5	3056
13531 Fielding Rd	Detached	$1,395,000	4	3.5	4566
233 E Ave	Detached	$1,400,000	3	1	1150
4255 Chad Dr	Detached	$1,425,000	4	3.5	385
4353 Snowbrush Ct	Detached	$1,500,000	5	3.5	3808
19175 Pilkington Rd	Detached	$2,300,000	5	4	4129
2275 Glen Haven Rd	Detached	$2,349,000	4	4	4109

Pending Sales July 31-Aug 6, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
205 Cervantes	Condo	$275,000	2	1.5	1216	15
45 Eagle Crest Dr #400	Condo	$279,000	3	2	1348	89
5062 Foothills Dr G	Condo	$439,000	2	2	1252	35
18316 Terry Ave	Detached	$574,900	3	1.5	1250	39
18963 Longfellow Ave	Detached	$659,900	3	1.5	1232	73
16 Britten Ct	Attached	$665,000	3	2.5	1972	1
19443 Kokanee Ct	Detached	$775,000	4	2.5	2888	24
13388 Auburn Ct	Attached	799,500	3	2.5	2492	48
1714 Greentree Rd	Detached	$799,900	4	3	3110	89
2432 Park Rd	Detached	$875,000	4	3	2386	5
1855 Cloverleaf Rd	Detached	$899,900	5	3	2870	1
2411 Glen Eagles Rd	Detached	$1,250,000	5	2.5	2100	9
17532 Oak Meadow Ln	Detached	$1,299,900	5	3	3046	35
17299 Lake Haven Dr	Detached	$1,329,000	4	2.5	2656	4
2301 Wembley Park Rd	Detached	$2,100,000	4	3.5	3600	23
611 Ridgeway Rd	Detached	$2,139,000	4	5.5	4847	42
915 Oak Terr	Detached	$2,324,900	4	4	3816	298
1120 Crestline Ct	Detached	$4,950,000	5	5.5	6440	28

Sold/Closed July 31-Aug 6, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Closed Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
4901 Childs Rd	Detached	$497,000	$415,000	1440	40
14318 Camden Ln	Detached	$945,000	$806,000	2980	57
18591 Waxwing Way	Detached	$889,000	$933,000	2145	5
17079 Cherry Crest Ave	Detached	$1,100,000	$955,000	3002	41
592 Weidman Ct	Detached	$1,150,000	$1,060,000	3035	38
5525 Bay Creek Dr	Detached	$1,100,000	$1,100,000	3377	2
20 Nansen Summit	Detached	$1,220,000	$1,150,000	3768	43
5726 Charles Circle	Detached	$1,339,000	$1,240,000	3196	45
17269 Bryant Rd	Detached	$1,399,990	$1,400,000	3641	32
655 7th St	Detached	$1,999,000	$1,975,000	2796	23
3331 Fir Ridge Rd	Detached	$2,499,000	$2,360,000	3771	276
2410 Glen Eagles Rd	Detached	$3,400,000	$3,000,000	3523	39
584 Ridgeway Rd	Detached	$5,250,000	$5,130,000	4944	17

July 31, 2023July 31, 2023

Recycling is Being Expanded

If you are thinking of moving to Oregon from some other part of the United States, one of the things that you’ll be come immediately aware of is that Oregonians are big on recycling. We were the first state in the country to pass a bottle bill. (This is where you pay a small deposit when you purchase beverages in bottles or cans and then get that deposit back when you return the container to a recycling center.) You’ll find recycling receptacles at most public venues, and curbside recycling is easy and convenient.

Curbside we have been able to recycle paper, glass, metal, and yard debris for decades. Then, about 10 years ago, Lake Oswego added composting. This allows you to put food scraps and some paper products into the yard debris bin where it all composts together. Now batteries are being added. You simply put your batteries into a plastic bag and place it in with the glass. They will be collected and properly disposed of.

I don’t know about you, but in my household we goes through a lot of batteries. In the past we have saved them up and then taken them to metro. Metro is in Oregon City, about a 15 minute drive from LO. So being able to recycle them curbside is a very nice addition to the curbside options.

I have a personal philosophy that we need to be good custodians of our environment. No, we can’t fix all of the problems associated with industrialization and our expanding population, but we can take care of our little corner of the planet. Today, it’s just a little bit easier.

As always, thank you for reading the blotter.

Dianne

July 30, 2023July 30, 2023

Market Activity July 17-23, 2023

We are having glorious weather with beautiful sunny skies and mid 80’s temperatures. I feel really blessed to live in the Pacific Northwest.

Last week in Lake Oswego we had 25 new listings, one of which sold quickly and appears in this report as a pending sale. There were 12 properties that entered pending status and 14 sold/closed properties.

See below for RMLS data.

New on the market July 17-23, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
100 Kerr Pkwy #42	Condo	$237,500	2	1.5	822
205 Cervantes	Condo	$275,000	2	1.5	1216
15290 Quarry Rd	Detached	$515,000	3	1	990
34 Churchill Downs	Detached	$824,000	4	3	2080
17753 Overlook Circle	Detached	$824,900	4	3	3455
17 Da Vinci St	Detached	$890,000	3	2	1876
43 Aquinas St	Detached	$899,000	3	2.5	2138
2401 Mayors Ln	Detached	$900,000	4	3	3076
885 Lake Forest Dr	Detached	$1,100,000	3	3	2206
3814 Rivers Edge Dr	Detached	$1,100,000	4	2.5	3213
15550 Quarry Rd	Detached	$1,100,000	4	3	2714
10 Independence Ave	Detached	$1,195,000	4	3.5	4192
524 Weidman Ct	Detached	$1,298,000	4	2.5	3450
1225 Bickner St	Detached	$1,350,000	4	2.5	2817
378 9th St	Detached	$1,350,000	3	2.5	2019
14143 Taylors Crest Ln	Detached	$1,449,000	4	3	3453
1178 Tyndall Ct	Detached	$1,750,000	4	3.5	3850
13571 Westlake Dr	Detached	$1,799,000	5	4.5	4078
1777 Skyland Dr	Detached	$2,595,000	4	3.5	4871
19777 Sycamore Ave	Detached	$3,499,000	4	4.5+.5	4432
4200 Old Gate Rd	Detached	$3,500,000	5	4.5	4871
13799 Atwater Ln	Detached	$3,995,000	4	4	4700
12850 Fielding Rd	Detached	$11,500,000	9	9.5+.5	19444
1500 Northshore Rd	Detached	$11,500,000	5	6.5+.5+.5	13462

Pending Sales July 17-23, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
152 Oswego Summit	Condo	$285,000	3	2	1383	46
1602 Bonniebrae Dr	Attached	$425,000	2	1	864	39
36 Condolea Dr	Condo	$465,000	2	2	1432	28
6401 McEwan Rd	Detached	$499,000	3	2	1050	6
1290 Pine St	Detached	$750,000	3	2	2048	4
791 4th St	Detached	$774,900	3	2	1568	44
17280 Westview Dr	Detached	$819,900	3	3	2324	13
4584 Trillium Woods	Attached	$925,000	3	2.5	2174	8
5316 Childs Rd	Detached	$1,200,000	5	2.5	3854	21
2094 Ridgewood Rd	Detached	$1,250,000	4	2.5	2616	21
17656 Woodhurst Pl	Detached	$1,250,000	4	2.5	4559	35
16902 Chapin Way	Detached	$1,895,000	4	4	3829	37

Sold/Closed July 17-23, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Closed Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
48 Eagle Crest Dr 5F	Condo	$300,000	$300,000	1370	128
4000 Carman Dr #60	Condo	$324,900	$312,000	866	54
4366 Woodside Circle	Attached	$589,000	$625,000	1962	8
4152 Harvey Way	Detached	$600,000	$635,000	1866	16
65 Greenridge Ct	Condo	$695,000	$699,000	1298	3
54 Touchstone	Detached	$789,000	$841,000	1622	5
2661 Lookout Ct	Detached	$1,095	$942,000	3212	40
449 C Ave	Detached	$999,000	$950,000	2261	10
13354 Green Bluff Dr	Detached	$1,699,000	$1,606,000	4210	19
804 2nd St	Detached	$1,725,000	$1,700,000	2961	39
550 Middlecrest Rd	Detached	$1,999,900	$2,075,000	2332	2
890 Lake Shore Rd	Detached	$3,199,000	$3,138,000	3555	5
14056 Goodall Rd	Detached	$4,100,000	$4,100,000	7113	0

July 16, 2023July 15, 2023

The Importance of the Front Door

I have written about this once before, but it has been several years and it feels like a good time to revisit the topic of front doors.

As you get your home ready to put it onto the market, there is usually a list of must do’s: clean, touch up paint, de-clutter, it’s a very important list because it will enhance your proceeds to maximize your investment. Right at the top of that list should be preparing your front door.

A concrete walkway bordered with hedged shrubs leads to the front door of a home. There are windows on either side of the door. Horizontal shot.

Think about what happens at the front door. A Realtor arrives with clients. The lockbox must be located and opened, then the door needs to be unlocked. This takes just a few minutes, but during that time the perspective buyer is standing at the front door, looking around. Is the paint chipped? Is the door dirty? Or is everything spotlessly clean? Perhaps there is an interesting arrangement of plants or flowers? Perhaps a tasteful wreath is hung on the door? As the buyer stands there, they develop an opinion about what they are going to find inside. If the opinion is negative, well, that is a very bad start to the showing of your house. I believe that as buyers enter homes, they are looking to reinforce the opinion that they have already formed.

I also want to mention that you do not want to over decorate. One holiday item is enough. It should not look like your attic threw up all over your front porch. It should also not be crowded. Keep is simple and tasteful.

The front door is also one of the few items of home improvement that you will get back 100% of your investment. This is according to the National Association of Realtors. They put out an annual study with the rate of return on improvements and the front door is always right at the top of that list.

Wash the door thoroughly, even the weatherstripping and the threshold. Polish the hinges, handles, and knobs. If it needs painting, paint it. Be just as thorough around the porch and along the front walk. It’s not as big of a project as many other improvement items. It should be a no brainer.

Please let us know if you have questions and thank you for reading the blotter.

Dianne

For the National Association of Realtors remodeling report, click here.