Dianne Gregoire, Author at Property Blotter

February 6, 2022February 6, 2022

The Importance of a Great Backyard

Backyards are truly something to be enjoyed. They expand the living area of a house and are the location for making memories in solitude, as well as with friends and family. When I show houses and we walk outside to find a really great backyard, it is the cherry that tops the cake of a great house. Here are 8 ideas for creating that great backyard.

Connect the indoors to the outdoors with big windows and easy access doors. From inside, you’ll enjoy looking out and having the opportunity to enjoy the yard every day of the year.
Create an outdoor workspace. Trees and landscaping make a wonderful backdrop to Zoom meetings. In addition, working outside on a nice day is a bit of a gift that you can give to yourself. To do this, you’ll need strong wifi, an exterior electrical outlet, and a sturdy table.
Let’s talk al fresco. I reguarly do large dinners for my family in my yard. When we gather there usually about 15 people. I put tables end to end to create one large dining table. I then use linens and my good china. It feels so luxurious! A covered area in which to dine, along with an outdoor heater, makes this possible any month of the year.
Add some entertainment potential. Again, a good table for board games, and perhaps a mounted television to watch football and movies.
Establish a wildlife habitat. I no longer feed the birds (there was a certain squirrel incident), but I do put out water. I have 5 birdbaths. If they go empty, the birds will literally sit on the rim and squack at me. Landscaping is also a great idea for attracting birds.
Make your yard pet friendly by fencing it. Today the fencing choices are plentiful, including fences that barely obstruct your viewing of the entire yard.
Just like the rest of the house, clutter is a big no no. Store the clutter elsewhere. Particularly when selling the house, it needs to be tidy.
Privacy is super important. If you have a house that looks into your yard, plant a tree or a hedge. In my case, my husband built a privacy screen that goes about 20 feet. Just enough to block my neighbors windows.

I hope that you have found this helpful. Thanks again for reading the blotter!

Dianne

February 4, 2022February 4, 2022

Market Activity Jan 24-30, 2022

The market is still in what I would call “winter mode” with just 2 new listings. 15 pending sales, and 11 sold/closed transactions. The new listings number is a bit in accurate. This is because in reality houses and condos are selling so fast that they go into pending status prior to the market activity report being written. 12 of the 15 pending sales sold in less than a week. This means that the new listings are more accurately 14 or so. I pull the data usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I’ve also heard it said that the spring market really kicks off the weekend following the super bowl. Watch for the new listings to kick into gear in the next few weeks.

See below for further RMLS data.

New Listings Jan 24-30, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft
16 Oriole Ln	Detached	$599,950	2	2	1520
15012 Twin Fir Rd	Detached	$2,599,000	5	3.5	3897

Pending Sales Jan 24-30, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft	CDOM
45 Eagle Crest Dr #202	Condo	$215,000	1	1	678	43
44 Eagle Crest Dr #39	Condo	$269,900	2	1	1085	0
16250 Pacific Hwy #45	Condo	$349,000	2	2	1311	45
525 Jean Rd 4501	Condo	$399,900	3	2	1500	3
5788 Kimball Ct	Detached	$530,000	4	1.5	1148	4
871 Country Club Rd	Detached	$569,000	3	1.5	1449	5
5309 West Sunset Dr	Detached	$611,000	4	2	1449	5
5207 Coventry Ct	Detached	$759,698	3	2	1858	3
351 3rd St	Attached	$924,900	3	3.5	2042	3
837 Oak St	Detached	$999,950	3	2.5	2796	5
580 Weidman Ct	Detached	$1,100,000	5	3.5	3952	5
12975 Elk Rock Rd	Detached	$1,379,000	5	3.5	4569	4
589 7th St	Detached	$1,549,000	5	4.5	3387	3
21 D Ave #9	Condo	$2,000,800	2	2.5	2411	0
13649 Goodall Rd	Detached	$2,499,900	4	4.5+.5	5288	56

Sold/Closed Jan 24-30, 2022

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	DOM
572 State St 8C	Condo	$324,900	$317,500	914	47
16250 Pacific Hwy #75	Condo	$355,000	$350,000	1593	29
1694 Bonniebrae	Attached	$415,000	$445,000	864	2
16191 Lake Forest Blvd	Detached	$550,000	$550,000	864	14
1247 Cedar St	Detached	$550,000	$600,000	2,022	9
6472 Dawn St	Detached	$695,000	$624,016	1032	110
12363 Clara Ln	Detached	$699,999	$709,000	1390	3
770 5th St	Detached	$975,000	$975,000	3180	45
1011 Spruce St	Detached	$1,049,000	$1,019,000	2101	4
6720 Childs Rd	Detached	$2,395,000	$2,200,000	6898	64
1475 Oak Terr	Detached	$4,349,000	$4,100,000	3674	114

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

January 23, 2022January 23, 2022

The Best Playground, Ever

The playground at Hallinan Elementary School is, in my opinion, the best playground that I have experienced with both my kids and with my grand kids. It’s HUGE with so many slides, things to climb on, and a vast array of simple to complex physical challenges for kids.

Before I moved to Lake Oswego, over 20 years ago, I lived in SE Portland. I must have discovered this playground while showing houses in the neighborhood. After I found it, I began driving to Lake Oswego with my children to enjoy it with them.

Along with the playground, there is a huge field that has a walking path around it. When my kids got older, I could bring them there and take a walk while having a visual on them as they played.

Bear in mind that it’s only available when school is not in session. The school is located at 16800 Hawthorne Dr in the Hallinan neighborhood of Lake Oswego.

Get out there and enjoy the fresh air with your kids and your grand kids! And, as always, thanks for reading the blotter.

Dianne

January 21, 2022January 21, 2022

Market Activity January 10-16, 2022

We are still in the slowness of winter with just 4 new listings, 9 pending sales, and 7 sold/closed properties in Lake Oswego last week. Having said that, it’s a hot market. Inventory is just so low and when a house comes onto the market, bidding wars are common. As we move into February, I expect the inventory to improve. It is a great time to list your house for sale!

See below for RMLS data.

New on the Market January 10-16, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft
959 Lee St	Detached	$719,000	3	2	2340
17763 Mardee Ave	Detached	$741,900	5	3	2110
566 4th St	Attached	$1,549,000	4	4.5+.5	3376
5001 Park Bluff Pl	Detached	$2,200,000	4	4	4022

Pending Sales January 10-16, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft	CDOM
4632 Lower Dr B2	Condo	$320,000	2	1.5	1170	29
19 Britten Ct	Attached	$535,000	2	2	1394	5
4 Preakness Ct	Attached	$550,000	3	2	1985	32
17617 Sydni Ct	Condo	$799,900	5	2.5	2634	35
13522 Provencial Hill Way	Detached	$899,000	3	2.5	3244	1
17154 Lowenberg Terr	Detached	$1,295,000	5	3.5	3412	40
180 Iron Mountain Blvd	Detached	$1,495,000	5	4	3378	124
16538 Maple Circle	Detached	$1,550,000	4	3.5	2854	4
567 10th St	Detached	$1,800,000	4	3.5	4706	85

Sold/Closed January 10-16, 2022

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	DOM
58 Galen St	Condo	$224,900	$215,000	687	25
156 Ridgeway Rd	Condo	$450,000	$420,000	1758	174
2320 Glen Haven Rd	Detached	$649,000	$680,000	1346	1
326 Lake Bay Ct	Detached	$820,000	$820,000	1427	3
1500 Morning Sky Ct	Detached	$1,178,000	$1,098,000	4,402	107
769 4th St	Detached	$1,965,000	$1,965,000	3922	29
2643 Southshore Blvd	Detached	$3,300,000	$2,750,000	4543	146

January 8, 2022January 8, 2022

Market Activity Dec 20, 2021-Jan 2, 2022

The winter break is such a breath of fresh air. We all get to slow down a bit and enjoy our home hearth with our family and our friends. Thank you all for being readers of the blotter, and for allowing Linda and I to take a break for a couple of weeks. But now we are back at it. The market is healthy and strong and we are gearing up for the late winter and spring housing market.

I don’t think that there has ever been a better time to put a house on the market. Truly, list now if you are planning to sell. The inventory is very, very low. The Federal Reserve has announced that they intend to impliement several interest rate increases in the coming year and there are hordes of buyers wanting to buy before that happens. This is a GREAT time to list a house!

Looking at the numbers in real estate for Lake Oswego in the last two weeks we saw just 3 new listings, 10 houses go into pending status, and 25 sold/closed properties.

See below for more RMLS data.

New Listings Dec 20, 2021-Jan 2, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft
45 Eagle Crest Dr #311	Condo	$285,000	2	2	1046
1247 Cedar St	Detached	$550,000	3	2	2022
302 Laurel St	Detached	$679,000	3	2	1907

Pending Dec 20, 2021-Jan 2, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft	CDOM
572 S State St 8C	Condo	$319,900	2	1	914	47
4000 Carman Dr #92	Condo	$349,000	2	2	999	12
16191 Lake Forest Blvd	Detached	$500,000	3	1	864	14
6317 Carman Dr	Detached	$599,000	3	1.5	1344	78
4966 Galen St	Detached	$600,000	3	2	1699	5
2320 Glen Haven Rd	Detached	$649,000	3	1.5	1346	1
52 Northview Ct	Attached	$649,900	3	2.5	2198	54
6472 Dawn St	Detached	$650,000	3	2	1032	110
1118 Oak St	Detached	$650,000	3	1.5	1320	12
115 Touchstone Terr	Attached	$670,000	4	3.5	2560	79

Sold/Closed Dec 20, 2021-Jan 2, 2022

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	DOM
9 Oswego Summit	Condo	$218,000	$218,000	764	6
44 Eagle Crest DR #36	Condo	$250,000	$248,500	903	3
4000 Carman Dr G108	Condo	$249,000	$271,500	767	3
59 Oswego Summit	Condo	$295,000	$295,000	1140	2
7155 Childs Rd	Condo	$278,000	$300,000	916	4
86 Kingsgate Rd E103	Condo	$355,000	$355,000	924	66
17347 Ashley Ct	Attached	$650,000	$645,946	2117	34
16989 Tualatin St	Detached	$690,000	$650,000	1491	50
4104 Lakeview Blvd	Detached	$849,000	$722,000	2244	87
13470 Peters Rd	Attached	$799,500	$827,000	2324	4
1407 Greentree Circle	Detached	$835,000	$876,000	2201	3
4080 Coltsfoot Ln	Detached	$899,900	$884,900	2884	11
365 3rd St	Attached	$899,000	$910,000	2154	3
17288 Blue Heron Rd	Detached	$1,775,000	$1,050,000	4128	405
755 Ellis Ave	Detached	$829,000	$1,100,000	2248	5
3777 Rivers Edge Dr	Detached	$1,095,000	$1,100,000	2875	6
18168 Westminster Dr	Detached	$1,099,000	$1,150,000	4220	5
14405 Pfeifer Dr	Detached	$1,250,000	$1,250,000	3853	4
828 7th St	Detached	$1,250,000	$1,400,000	2418	4
1300 Tyndall Ct	Detached	$1,299,950	$1,400,888	2418	4
5918 Seville Ave	Detached	$1,289,800	$1,405,345	1776	24
2245 Glen Haven Rd	Detached	$1,950,000	$1,950,000	3830	9
637 Englewood Dr	Detached	$2,825,000	$2,695,000	4231	19
2101 Wembley Park Rd	Detached	$2,750,000	$2,700,000	4710	19
1101 Crestline Ct	Detached	$3,695,000	$2,775,000	7226	415

January 8, 2022January 8, 2022

Notary Services at the Library

Did you know that the Lake Oswego Library offers free notary services the first and third Saturdays of each month? It does, including today. Volunteers provide the notary as a community service. It’s free.

The library is located at 706 4th St in First Addition. For more information click here.

I’ll have the market activity report up shortly. Thank you for your patience.

Dianne

December 18, 2021December 18, 2021

Choosing a Home Inspector

There is a tendancy to shop for good value. It’s bread into us by the reality that making our dollars go further enhances our ability to invest and plan for the future. This is a good trait in people, but when it comes to home inspectors, you really do get what you pay for.

You can get a home inspection done for around $300-$400. The inspectors that I recommend charge twice that. So what’s the difference? Time, my friend. The difference is time.

The good inspectors book 1 or 2 inspections a day. The cheap inspectors book 3-4 a day. This means that in saving money you are probably hiring someone who is checking their watch and thinking that they need time to drive to the next appointment to get there on time.

You just don’t know what is going to turn up in a home inspection. Your inspector needs time to dwell on details and figure the house out. The two companies I recommend most highly are Associated Master Inspectors and Inspectek West. Both have mulitiple employees and anyone of them is terrific. In addition, AMI maintains a contractor list that is long and well vetted. Painters, asbestos abatement, electricians, you name it, they have it. For the AMI contractor list click here.

I want to assure you that I am not in kahoots with either company. I have attended many, many home inspections. I know what a good inspection looks like. In my entire career, I’ve never had a client come back to me after the sale with a horror story of something missed in the home inspection.

I also had a client a few years ago that was certain that I must be recommending people who would go easy on the house so that the sale would be more likely to happen. She hired an inspector who inspected the roof from the driveway. He did not even walk on the roof.

I want my clients to know what they are buying. If something so bad turns up that makes them change their mind about buying the house, I am happy it happened early in the process and that they didn’t buy a problem.

As always, thanks for reading the blotter,

Dianne

December 16, 2021December 16, 2021

Market Activity Dec 6-12, 2021

While a bit slower than the market when we are not in the Holiday Season, real estate continues to chug along. Last week in Lake Oswego there were 8 new listings, 17 pending sales, and 13 sold/closed transactions. That is strong activity for this time of year.

See below for RMLS data.

New on the Market Dec 6-12, 2021

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft
4000 Carman Dr #92	Condo	$349,000	2	2	999
16250 Pacific Hwy #75	Condo	$355,000	3	2	1593
200 Burnham Rd #206	Condo	$358,000	2	1	1199
4 Preakness Ct	Attached	$550,000	3	2	1985
8 Pheasant Run	Detached	$649,950	4	2.5	1845
1720 Kilkenny Dr	Detached	$685,000	3	2.5	1348
17617 Sydni Ct	Condo	$799,900	5	2.5	2634
18000 Sarah Hill Ln	Detached	$1,999,900	4	2.5	3280

Pending Sales Dec 6-12, 2021

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft	CDOM
100 Kerr Pkwy #19	Condo	$170,000	1	1	617	52
100 Kerr Pkwy #51	Condo	$179,000	1	1	617	7
58 Galen St	Condo	$209,900	2	1	689	25
9 Oswego Summit	Condo	$218,000	1	1	764	6
44 Eagle Crest Dr #36	Condo	$250,000	2	1	903	3
4000 Carman Dr #81	Condo	$289,000	2	2	1129	4
86 Kingsgate Rd E-203	Condo	$325,000	2	2	924	3
4429 Thunder Vista Ln	Condo	$459,900	2	2.5	2002	111
1455 Hallinan St	Detached	$639,900	3	2.5	1325	5
52 Northview Ct	Attached	$649,900	3	2.5	2198	3
17347 Ashley Ct	Attached	$650,000	4	2.5	2117	34
13470 Peters Rd	Attached	$799,500	2	2.5	2324	4
5756 Ridgetop Ct	Detached	$935,000	4	3	3162	5
1011 Spruce St	Detached	$1,049,000	3	2.5	2101	4
425 Kenwood Rd	Detached	$1,090,000	3	2.5	3527	6
1500 Morning Sky Ct	Detached	$1,148,000	5	3.5	4402	107
1155 Crestline Ct	Detached	$1,995,000`	5	4.5	7438	73

Sold/Closed Dec 6-12, 2021

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	DOM
4 Touchstone #78	Condo	$224,999	$212,000	1351	30
324 Cervantes Circle	Condo	$229,000	$241,000	832	3
204 Cervantes Circle	Condo	$305,000	$332,000	1138	3
5077 W Sunset Dr	Attached	$500,000	$500,000	1720	47
4301 Lakeview Blvd	Detached	$635,000	$617,000	1,223	19
1335 Laurel St	Detached	$850,000	$699,000	1898	62
3225 Tempest Dr	Detached	$799,000	$800,000	2231	12
3795 Tempest Dr	Detached	$815,000	$860,000	2753	19
6810 Childs Rd	Detached	$950,000	$935,000	3282	2
14145 Redwood Ct	Detached	$825,000	$975,000	2519	5
18 Touchstone	Detached	$998,000	$1,055,000	4378	18
17561 Lake Haven Dr	Detached	$500,000	$1,720,000	3879	0
456 Lake Bay Ct	Detached	$1,600,000	$1,725,000	2393	2

November 30, 2021November 30, 2021

Tinseltown Trolley

The Lake Oswego Trolley is a favorite of mine. The trolley runs from State Street, along the Willamette River to the South waterfront in Portland. It’s a blast! One year, I packed a picnic and took my Mom for a trolley ride for her birthday.

The scenery is lovely. It meanders along through Dunthorpe ( a gorgeous neighborhood!) and has expansive views of the river. There is also a long tunnel that is pitch dark inside, except for the lights of the trolley.

This year the trolley is offering a Tinseltown experience. The event is December 10, 11, and 12. Departure times vary with 3 rides on Friday the 10th, 6 on Saturday the 11th. and 6 on Sunday the 12th. The cost is $20 for adults and $17 for youth (0-17). The trolley is decorated for the season and there is a special guest on board from the North Pole. For more details, click here.

What a fun holiday event for everyone!

Seasons greetings, and, as always, thanks for reading the blotter.

Dianne

November 29, 2021November 29, 2021

Market Activity Nov 20-26, 2021

Real estate took a back seat to Thanksgiving last week with only 4 new listings, 13 pending sales and 8 closed/sold properties.

See below for RMLS details.

New on the Market Nov 20-26, 2021

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft
4083 Jefferson Pkwy	Condo	$366,900	2	2	1202
871 Country Club Rd	Detached	$625,000	3	1.5	1449
4080 Coltsfoot Ln	Detached	$899,900	4	2.5	2884
312 9th St	Detached	$1,650,000	3	2.5	2686

Pending Sales Nov 20-26, 2021

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft	CDOM
156 Ridgeway Rd	Condo	$429,000	3	2.5	1758	174
5077 W Sunset Dr	Attached	$500,000	2	2.5	1720	47
5020 Jean Rd	Detached	$599,000	3	2	1837	3
16989 Tualatin St	Detached	$650,000	3	2.5	1491	29
1407 Greentree Circle	Detached	$835,000	4	2.5	2201	3
5431 Bonita Rd	Detached	$859,000	4	3	2784	15
4939 Hampton Ct	Detached	$875,000	4	2.5	2971	62
365 3rd St	Attached	$899,000	3	3.5	2154	3
770 5th St	Detached	$975,000	3	3.5	3180	5
17288 Blue Heron Rd	Detached	$1,200,000	4	2.5	4128	405
14405 Pfeifer Dr	Detached	$1,250,000	5	3	3853	4
1300 Tyndall Ct	Detached	$1,299,950	5	4.5	3866	7
4247 Lords Ln	Detached	$2,275,000	4	3.5	3785	57

Sold/Closed Nov 20-26, 2021

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	DOM
5051 Foothills Dr D	Condo	$340,000	$330,395	991	14
3433 McNary Pkwy #804	Condo	$329,000	$337,000	1136	3
239 Cervantes	Condo	$399,000	$367,500	1100	48
14798 Davis Ln	Attached	$590,000	$595,100	1698	3
32 Aquinas St	Detached	$600,000	$657,010	1,596	2
18470 Ray Ridge Dr	Detached	$1,350,000	$1,295,000	4329	136
18939 Palisades Lake Ct	Detached	$1,499,000	$1,535,000	4570	34