Dianne Gregoire – Page 51 – Property Blotter

August 6, 2015

Street of Dreams Comes to LO!

Since 1985, August is the month for the Street of Dreams in the Portland metro area. This showcase of luxury homes can be found nation wide, but it actually originated in Portland in 1985 when the Home Builder’s Association of Metroplitan Portland decided to have this showcase to highlight and promote home builders and designers.

While I have not attended every Street of Dreams, if it’s in LO I am going to go. LO has hosted the Street of Dreams at least 3 times, that I am aware of.

There is a real WOW! factor to it. I like to look at homes that are beautiful and that are perfectly decorated. It’s a bit inspiring, but more than that I always take away ideas. It lets me see color trends, architectural trends, and even take away ideas that I use on a small scale in my own home.

What are this year’s trends? Here are some of my take aways:

Blue is the hot color right now. I saw it everywhere: even in the trim color on the exterior of a house. Seriously, that is a big color commitment. This same house had blue cabinets in the kitchen. Yes, it had BLUE cabinets.

Natural stone and granite remains a must-have element. And just as I observed after the street of dreams about 3 years ago, the stone colors are trending to black, gray, and white. There was little or no use of what are called “earth tones” such as brown or rust.

Exterior kitchens remain popular with built-in gas grills, fireplaces, and refrigerators.

The floorplans are mostly greatrooms with a huge bonus or second greatroom upstairs. The second greatroom generally has a huge sofa area for watching a mega-size TV, a wet bar or second full kitchen, and a game table area. Two of this years houses have balconies off of the upstairs greatroom that are huge and have views of the valley or Mt Hood: really nice!

Contemporary is back in demand. Over half of the homes are extremely contemporary.

Here are some things that surprised me:

There is a house with only a 2-car garage. OK, this actually shocks me. A person with the financial capability to buy in this price range ($1,500,000-$2,750,00) is a person who not only has 2 cars, but perhaps a 3rd car in addition to all of the toys that need storage like snowboards, jet skis, etc. I think the lack of a 3rd car bay is a HUGE mistake for resale.

Some of the houses have unbelievably small master closets. Again, a big “duh”, this is so basic when folks buy expensive, new homes. The master needs a gigormous closet!

The remodeled Shaw house was not well done. This classic mid-century modern is the original home for the area. It is architecturally wonderful and I give credit to the Home Builder’s Association for saving it and doing a full remodel. But the resulting floorplan is chopped up with too many small rooms. There is a lovely courtyard, but none of the major living area looks out onto it. I just came away feeling that somehow it could have been done better.

Not one of the houses was built with a lodge motif. I think this is a big gap. The look and feel of wood-beamed ceilings and the use of lots of natural stone inside remains in demand.

Last, I show a lot of property in Lake Oswego, including up in this price range. These houses are gorgeous, but they are not over the top. Many homes in Lake Oswego could hold their own in this group, quite easily.

I do want to encourage you to go. It’s the best way to see these gorgeous homes without having to get your real estate license.

Details:
August 1-30, 10am to 9pm
$17 admission, kids under 10 years are free
Park at a shuttle pickup spot (M-F at LO Jr High, 2500 Country Club Rd/Sat, Sun park at 4000 Kruse Way). The shuttles come regularly and there is very little wait time.
Saturday and Sunday you can also take the Trolley from 2nd and A in downtown LO.
Food and beverages are available for sale.

If you want to visit the Street of Dreams website, click here.

Have a good time!
Dianne

August 5, 2015

Market Activity July 27-Aug 2, 2015

Another busy week of real estate in LO. Last week we had 31 houses come onto the market, 22 go into “pending” status with accepted offers, and 25 sold/closed sales.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS for last week:

New on Market (July 27-Aug 2, 2015)

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Ft
4 Touchstone #153	Condo	$145,000	2	2	1031
668 McVey Ave #4	Condo	$179,000	1	1	636
4045 Jefferson Pkwy	Condo	$230,000	2	2.5	1182
48 Eagle Crest Dr 4D	Condo	$245,000	2	2	1445
16200 Pacific Hwy #24	Condo	$285,000	2	2	1190
3497 Devnshire Dr	Attached	$329,900	3	2	1556
147 Kingsgate Rd	Detached	$349,900	2	2	1120
15879 Kimball St	Detached	$349,900	3	1.5	1076
4582 Trillium Woods	Attached	$459,900	3	2.5	1835
15144 Boones Way	Detached	$465,000	4	3.5	2409
143 Kingsgate Rd	Detached	$475,000	3	2	2110
6511 Frost St	Detached	$539,000	3	2.5	2430
1371 Koawood Dr	Detached	$659,000	6	3	3534
17126 Hofer Ct	Detached	$668,000	3	3	2541
13852 Shireva Dr	Detached	$699,000	5	3	3065
4369 Sundew Ct	Detached	$718,950	4	2.5	3325
4467 Thunder Vista Ln	Condo	$725,000	4	3.5+.5	4494
4090 Buck Brush Ln	Detached	$750,000	4	3	2878
4079 Coltsfoot Ln	Detached	$759,900	4	4	3308
3778 Rivers Edge Dr	Detached	$765,000	4	3.5	3022
5724 La Mesa Ct	Detached	$799,900	5	2.5	3669
5635 Bay Creek Dr	Detached	$799,900	5	2.5	3669
18009 Braeden Ct	Detached	$849,000	4	2.5	3286
5455 Langford Ln	Detached	$860,000	3	2.5	3341
426 7th St	Detached	$925,000	4	2.5	3046
4176 Upper Dr	Detached	$950,000	5	3	2968
4200 Upper Dr	Detached	$950,000	3	1	1371
725 5th Ave	Detached	$1,124,900	3	3	2748
17442 Ridgeview Ln	Detached	$1,375,000	4	3.5+.5	5036
1933 Highlands Lp	Detached	$2,750,000	4	3.5	5031
16715 Phantom Bluff Ct	Detached	$4,195,000	4	4.5	4585

Pending Sales (July 27-Aug 2, 2015)

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Ft	DOM
44 Eagle Crest Dr #10	Condo	$93,900	1	1	798	56
41 Oswego Summit	Condo	$105,000	1	1	764	865
103 Oswego Summit	Condo	$135,000	2	1.5	1116	283
4000 Carman Dr #25	Condo	$143,500	2	2	836	4
3433 McNary Pkwy #704	Condo	$169,000	2	2	1008	13
48 Eagle Crest Dr 4E	Condo	$209,900	2	2	1489	12
3892 Botticelli St	Condo	$235,000	3	2	1288	120
16536 Inverurie Rd	Detached	$315,000	3	1	1064	4
210 State St #9	Condo	$360,000	2	1.5	1516	12
39 Condolea Ct	Condo	$375,000	3	3	2198	39
258 Cervantes	Attached	$385,000	3	2.5	2312	13
5725 Windfield Loop	Detached	$409,900	2	2	1615	14
1528 Cedar St	Detached	$445,622	3	2	2760	5
37 Berwick Rd	Detached	$498,000	3	2	2198	65
41 Spinosa	Detached	$519,000	3	2.5	2389	2
4004 Melissa Dr	Detached	$625,000	4	2.5	2865	133
4896 Hastings Dr	Detached	$650,000	4	2.5	2785	30
1775 Palisades Terrace Dr	Detached	$661,000	4	2.5	2112	0
4833 Hastings Dr	Detached	$665,000	4	2.5	2831	1
159 5th ST	Detached	$849,000	4	3	2970	212
3119 Wembley Park Rd	Detached	$1,125,000	4	3.5	3633	7
500 Ridgeway Rd	Detached	$1,749,000	4	3.5	4554	424

Sold/Closed (July 27-Aug 2, 2015)

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Ft	CDOM
45 Eagle Crest DR #216	Condo	$112,900	$115,000	600	3
750 1st St #32	Condo	$165,000	$135,000	986	64
44 Eagle Crest Dr #29	Condo	$139,900	$140,500	798	5
4 Oswego Summit	Condo	$144,900	$150,000	1140	5
3814 Botticelli St	Attached	$189,900	$184,000	1055	21
200 Burnham Rd #103	Condo	$199,000	$203,000	873	2
750 1st St #14	Condo	$250,000	$237,150	1350	11
7 Saint Helens Circle	Detached	$335,000	$325,000	1275	3
1790 Conifer Dr	Detached	$325,000	$325,000	1003	33
236 Greenridge Dr	Attached	$344,900	$350,000	1492	2
1600 Ash St	Detached	$399,900	$405,000	2037	8
6145 McEwan Rd	Detached	$399,000	$405,000	1850	3
925 York Rd	Detached	$425,000	$425,000	2232	3
1931 Kilkenny Rd	Detached	$430,000	$435,000	2411	1
16889 Wight Ln	Detached	$469,000	$438,500	2,579	86
2550 Greentree Rd	Detached	$499,000	$478,000	2852	53
1458 Greentree Circle	Detached	$757,000	$545,000	2156	22
5020 Hampton Ct	Detached	$559,500	$552,000	2253	257
16873 Cherry Crest Dr	Detached	$550,000	$575,000	2394	4
15930 Twin Fir Rd	Detached	$669,000	$705,000	2620	770
930 Cumberland Rd	Detached	$715,000	$715,000	2960	3
3 Mountain View Ln	Detached	$750,000	$715,000	3672	127
4055 Orchard Dr	Detached	$795,000	$750,000	3354	44
251 D Ave	Detached	$849,000	$842,200	2635	8
1947 Summit Dr	Detached	$1,595,000	$1,450,000	5570	104

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.

July 20, 2015

The Swim Parks

Lake Oswego has two swim parks. Who can use them can be a bit confusing. There is a common misconception that you must live within the Lake Oswego School District to be eligible. While that is partially true, it is not the case.

The Lake Oswego Swim Park

This swim park is located at 250 Ridgeway Rd on the West end of the Lake. To use this park you must be a resident of Lake Oswego. Use of the park is free. Hours of operation at 1-6 pm daily, weather permitting. The park features life guards on duty during all operating hours, diving platforms, water sprayers, inner tubes, outdoor showers, and lounge chairs. Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by someone who is at least 16 years of age. So this park is widely available to any one who is a resident of Lake Oswego.

The Lake Grove Swim Park

This swim park is located at 3800 Lakeview Blvd on the East end of the lake. This swim park was originally deeded to the former Lake Grove School District by the Oregon Iron and Steel Company. The Lake Grove School District merged with the Lake Oswego School District in 1953. While the districts merged, the use of this swim park remains with people who live within the former Lake Grove School District’s boundary. (For a link to the website that has a copy of this map, click here) People who live within this district pay an additional property tax to maintain and operate this park. To use the park you simply must provide photo ID with proof of your address and a park pass will be issued. You then show your pass when you use the park.

This park has life guards on duty during all operating hours (12-8pm daily, weather permiting). There is also ping pong, volleyball, tether ball, and basketball. There is a concrete wading pool for children 7 and younger. Additionally, swim lessons are offered for all children in Lake Oswego, even those who are not eligible for a park pass.

With the hot summer days we’ve been enjoying, now is the time to get out to the swim parks and take advantage of the recreational opportunities that come from living in Lake Oswego.

Enjoy!
Dianne

July 18, 2015

Market Activity July 6-12, 2015

Robust is the adjective that comes to mind when I think about what is happening with Lake Oswego real estate. Seriously, our market is hot. Houses are selling fast and buyers are in a frenzy. Last week in Lake Oswego there were 29 new listings, 33 houses that accepted offers to go into pending status, and 26 closed sales.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS for last week:

New on Market (July 6-12, 2015)

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Ft
3926 Carman Dr	Condo	$234,900	2	2.5	1129
200 Burnham Rd #305	Condo	$269,900	2	2	1328
668 McVey Ave #42	Condo	$285,000	2	1	836
4458 Thunder Vista Ln	Condo	$289,000	2	2.5	2200
12844 Boones Ferry Rd	Condo	$315,000	2	2.5	1152
5882 Kennycroft Way	Detached	$315.00	3	2	1272
4725 Lakeview Blvd	Detached	$349,900	3	2	1589
5132 Timbergrove St	Detached	$380,000	3	2	1420
93 Kingsgate Rd	Detached	$389,900	3	2.5	1669
3508 Red Cedar Way	Detached	$429,900	4	2	1425
5749 Windfield Loop	Detached	$499,900	3	3	1873
31 Walking Woods Dr	Detached	$500,000	4	3	2889
16064 Waluga Dr	Detached	$575,000	7	3	2366
432 Livingood Ln	Detached	$575,000	4	3	2527
7140 Childs Rd	Detached	$649,800	3	3	2600
1495 Woodland Terrace	Detached	$715,000	4	2.5	3960
15960 Parker Rd	Detached	$720,000	3	2.5	2566
17766 Marylcreek Dr	Detached	$769,000	4	3.5	4439
5343 Greystoke Dr	Detached	$816,000	4	3	3097
4867 Upper Dr	Detached	$849,000	4	3	2852
1600 Oak St	Detached	$950,000	4	3.5	4385
18245 River Edge Ct	Detached	$1,100,000	3	3	4830
575 B Ave	Detached	$1,125,000	5	3.5	3534
400 D Ave	Detached	$1,239,000	5	3.5	4000
12822 Alto Park Rd	Detached	$1,299,000	4	4.5	3426
462 9th St	Detached	$1,395,000	5	3.5	4357
548 Ridgeway Rd	Detached	$1,690,000	4	3	2830
1952 Highlands Loop	Detached	$1,789,000	4	3.5	4100
4140 Canal Rd	Detached	$4,495,000	8	8.5	11956

Pending Sales (July 6-12, 2015)

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Ft	DOM
100 Kerr Pkwy #42	Condo	$100,000	2	1.5	822	28
47 Eagle Crest Dr #24	Condo	$109,000	1	1	672	56
47 Eagle Crest Dr #29	Condo	$139,900	1	1	798	5
170 Oswego Summit	Condo	$145,000	2	2	1506	91
100 Kerr Pkwy #1	Condo	$149,900	2	2	1188	94
53 Church St	Condo	$153,500	1	1	588	3
668 McVey Ave #85	Condo	$199,900	2	1.5	976	14
109 3rd ST	Condo	$249,000	2	2	1016	20
12826 Boones Ferry Rd	Attached	$304,500	2	2.5	1136	6
1033 Hallinan St	Detached	$309,900	3	1	1128	159
27 Aquinas	Detached	$380,000	3	2.5	1568	10
14328 Holly Springs Rd	Detached	$439,900	4	2.5	1939	24
230 3rd St	Detached	$450,000	2	1	1316	4
16889 Wight Ln	Detached	$459,000	4	2.5	2579	86
17359 Ashley Ct	Detached	$475,000	4	2.5	2370	32
1293 Hide A Way Ln	Detached	$489,000	3	2.5	1720	4
5020 Hampton Ct	Detached	$559,500	3	2.5	2253	257
4220 Albert Circle	Detached	$565,000	3	3	2406	49
18910 Terry Ave	Detached	$579,900	4	3.5	4290	159
1097 C Ave	Detached	$599,000	3	2	1650	21
855 G Ave	Detached	$599,000	3	1.5	3165	5
12448 Orchard Hill Rd	Detached	$599,900	4	3	3336	178
4896 Hastings Dr	Detached	$650,000	4	2.5	2785	7
729 Southview Rd	Detached	$695,000	3	2	2657	141
17024 Canal Circle	Detached	$720,000	3	1	1267	39
13254 Twin Creek Ct	Detached	$749,900	4	2.5	3470	21
14009 Chelsea Dr	Detached	$765,000	4	2.5	3060	5
18137 Delenka Ln	Detached	$789,000	4	2.5	3555	0
17340 Oak Meadow Ln	Detached	$929,000	3	3.5	3718	35
983 Lake Front Rd	Detached	$1,595,000	3	2.5	2199	76
16511 maple Circle	Detached	$1,670,000	3	2.5	3342	93
1000 Atwater Rd	Detached	$2,095,000	4	4.5+.5	6391	120
1345 Chandler Rd	Detached	$2,695,000	5	4.5	6800	98

Sold/Closed (J6-12, 2015)

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Ft	CDOM
272 Cervantes	Condo	$159,000	$163,000	1209	6
208 Oswego Summit	Condo	$169,900	$169,900	1383	4
4334 Botticelli St	Condo	$225,000	$217,750	2298	43
16250 Pacific Hwy #56	Condo	$247,500	$229,900	1305	439
25 Oriole Ln	Detached	$299,900	$293,000	1460	18
1023 Oriole Ln	Detached	$299,900	$293,000	1460	18
1023 Hallinan St	Detached	$329,900	$320,000	1097	58
1 Peacock Pl	Detached	$348,500	$360,000	1248	13
4965 Suntree Ln	Detached	$399,900	$425,000	1572	5
304 6th St	Detached	$450,000	$435,000	941	21
5431 Willow Ct	Attached	$475,000	$460,000	2465	8
18581 Waxwing Way	Detached	$479,000	$464,000	2076	24
101 3rd St	Condo	$485,000	$485,000	1447	3
1426 Orchard Way	Detached	$549,000	$553,000	2700	4
1681 Woodland Terrace	Detached	$585,000	$585,000	2304	26
17348 Hunter Ct	Detached	$609,000	$609,900	2991	4
17336 Hunter Ct	Detached	$609,900	$609,900	3023	28
2084 Ridgewood Rd	Detached	$799,000	$650,000	2117	109
1770 Headlee Ln	Detached	$750,000	$680,000	2434	112
2737 Tolkien	Detached	$699,000	$722,337	4397	3
5728 Bay Creek Dr	Detached	$799,000	$799,000	3504	5
22 Hotspur St	Detached	$829,000	$835,000	4002	7
1854 Oak Knoll Ct	Detached	$1,995,000	$925,000	3530	237
610 9th St	Detached	$1,200,000	$1,160,000	3690	5
3301 Upper Dr	Detached	$1,400,000	$1,160,000	3690	5
16645 Graef Circle	Detached	$1,540,000	$1,450,000	3075	56

June 26, 2015

Changes With Appraisals

Something is going on with appraisals these days and it is significant enough to impact the purchase or sale of a home if the sale involves a mortgage. There are two specific changes with one leading to the other.

Appraisals are taking longer

For pretty much my entire real estate career the time for an appraisal to be ordered and completed has typically been about 10 days. When things got busy, it may take a day or two longer. When things slowed down, it might come in more quickly. This quick turn around allowed buyers the luxury of completing all of their home inspections and having the certainty that the house is something that they wanted to buy, before they had to pay for an appraisal. No more.

I am experiencing appraisals that are taking a minimum of two weeks and I currently have an FHA loan being processed in which the appraisal took a full month.

What is causing this? It certainly has to do with the fact that we are in the peak of the selling season with an above average amount of loans being processed. But I think there is another factor. Just as qualifying for a loan has become more difficult, the appraisal process has tightened up. Appraisers have to factually prove the value based upon collateral. They can not fudge the numbers with things like “an upwardly trending market”. So where there may have been 14 offers and a bidding war to gain a sale, that does not mean that the house will appraise out. This is not about emotion. This is about factually proving the value.

Plan to pay for and order the appraisal within days of acceptance of your offer

This means that to have a closing within 45 days of acceptance, a typical time expectation, you need to pay for the appraisal right away. Buyers just do not have the luxury of waiting until after the home inspection. I suppose you could simply ask for a 60 day close to allow time to inspect before buying the appraisal. Good luck with that in this seller’s market. I am seeing sellers agents commonly write that the appraisal must be ordered right away as a part of the contract negotiation at the time of the offer.

So just a heads up. This change is having a pretty big impact on closing transactions. Plan ahead, get the appraisal ordered early, and close on time. This will make everyone happy.

Dianne

June 25, 2015

Market Activity June 15-21, 2015

Inventory seems to have picked up this past week with 26 new listings, however, sales continue to outpace the inventory with 36 houses going into pending status. We had 17 closed/sold sales.

See below of further explanation of the RMLS data.

New on the Market (June 15-21, 2015)

Address	Type	Price	BR	Bths	SF
47 Eagle Crest Dr #27	Condo	$129,000	2	1	947
3964 Carman Dr	Condo	$229,800	2	2.5	1129
109 3rd St	Condo	$249,000	2	2	1016
12828 Boones Ferry Rd	Attached	$320,000	2	2.5	1136
7 Saint Helens Circle	Detached	$335,000	2	2	1275
39 Condolea Ct	Condo	$375,000	3	3	2198
14328 Holly Springs Rd	Detached	$439,000	4	2.5	1939
15948 Quarry Rd	Detached	$464,000	2	1	920
5895 Burma Rd	Detached	$474,900	4	2.5	1781
674 Lexington Ct	Detached	$574,000	3	2.5	2477
213 Hidalgo St	Detached	$575,000	4	3.5	3964
2302 Overlook Dr	Detached	$579,000	4	2.5	3125
1097 C Ave	Detached	$599,000	3	2	1650
13254 Twin Creek Ct	Detached	$749,900	4	2.5	3470
16717 Sylvan Ct	Detached	$749,999	4	3.5	4949
19133 Megan Pl	Detached	$774,500	4	3.5	3724
14205 Edenberry Dr	Detached	$792,500	3	2.5	3051
18383 Old River Dr	Detached	$895,000	4	4.5	4548
4948 Hampton Ct	Detached	$939,000	3	3.5	3434
17622 Lake Haven Dr	Detached	$1,089,000	2	2	1400
18347 Lothlorien Way	Detached	$1,098,000	5	3.5+.5	4141
3820 Southshore Blvd	Detached	$1,295,000	5	4	4855
16847 Greenbrier Rd	Detached	$1,895,000	3	2.5	2304
2025 Cedar Ct	Detached	$2,200,000	3	4	4062
674 Livingood Ln	Detached	$548,900	4	2.5	2714
5413 Langford Ln	Detached	$759,995	3	2.5	2879

Pending Sales (June 15-21, 2015)

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	SF	DOM
16 Crestfield Ct	Condo	$95,500	1	1	550	36
10 Condolea Dr	Attached	$240,000	2	2	1312	33
668 McVey Ave #24	Condo	$249,900	1	1	626	70
750 1st St #14	Condo	$250,000	2	2	1350	11
4851 Madrona St	Detached	$299,900	3	2	1434	14
1033 Hallinan St	Detached	$309,900	3	2	1128	134
234 Greenridge	Attached	$329,900	3	2	1492	2
236 Greenridge	Attached	$344,900	3	2	1492	2
5861 Benfield Ct	Detached	$379,000	4	2	1557	36
6145 McEwan Rd	Detached	$399,000	2	2.5	1850	3
1600 Ash St	Detached	$399,900	3	2	2037	8
4965 Suntree Ln	Detached	$399,900	3	2.5	1572	5
11 Churchill Downs	Detached	$430,500	4	2.5	2336	81
7 Hidalgo St	Detached	$439,900	3	2.5	2408	57
14594 Wilmot Way	Detached	$448,000	3	2.5	1710	10
4793 Auburn Ln	Attached	$450,000	3	2.5	2083	20
643 2nd St	Attached	$450,000	2	2	1457	2
16889 Wight Ln	Detached	$459,000	4	2.5	2579	65
1500 Woodland Terrace	Detached	$486,000	3	2.5	2645	42
2550 Greentree Rd	Detached	$499,000	4	3	2852	53
4124 Orchard Way	Detached	$549,000	4	2.5	2700	4
16873 Cherry Crest Dr	Detached	$550,000	4	3	2394	4
2250 Park Rd	Detached	$559,900	3	2	2072	98
5045 Greensborough Ct	Detached	$569,900	4	2.5	2107	9
4311 Orchard Way	Detached	$585,000	4	2.5	2804	20
1511 Woodland Terrace	Detached	$599,900	5	2.5	3439	78
820 Lake Forest Dr	Detached	$599,950	4	2.5	2676	29
16750 Phantom Bluff Ct	Detached	$614,500	3	3	2267	7
18420 Deer Oak Ave	Detached	$629,900	4	3	2476	1
930 Cumberland Rd	Detached	$715,000	4	2.5	2960	3
321 5th St	Detached	$719,000	3	3.5	2737	158
251 D Ave	Detached	$849,000	4	2.5+.5	2635	8
2024 Palisades Terrace Dr	Detached	$975,000	4	3.5	4819	6
19320 Lorna Ln	Detached	$1,100,000	4	3.5	4192	208
1578 View Lake Ct	Detached	$1,499,000	4	4.5	4476	35
16645 Graef Circle	Detached	$1,549,000	4	4.5	3075	56

Sold/Closed (June 15-21, 2015)

Address	Type	List Price	Closed Price	Sq Ft	CDOM
15 Oswego Summit	Condo	$131,000	$100,619	1212	373
19 Crestfield Ct	Condo	$157,900	$154,000	923	19
17780 Hill Way	Detached	$275,000	$275,000	960	4
18651 Don Lee Way	Detached	$399,000	$399,000	1,630	21
14145 Redwood Ct	Detached	$539,000	$508,000	2452	64
4725 Firwood Rd	Detached	$569,900	$575,000	2557	6
4263 Sunset Dr	Detached	$625,000	$615,000	3250	27
2464 Marylhaven Pl	Detached	$610,000	$630,000	2898	4
8 Cellini Ct	Detached	$705,000	$671,920	3494	19
5626 Grand Oaks Dr	Detached	$749,000	$741,000	3387	21
5955 Sunbrook Dr	Detached	$759,000	$759,000	3110	5
18120 Delenka Ln	Detached	$759,900	$759,900	3157	14
17583 Shepherds Ct	Detached	$774,900	$770,000	2997	47
18430 Pilkington Rd	Detached	$795,000	$795,000	2946	18
2764 Rivendell Rd	Detached	$819,000	$812,000	3220	0
17620 Blue Heron Rd	Detached	$1,198,000	$1,150,000	4041	67
2322 Knaus Rd	Detached	$1,595,000	$1,539,000	4875	19

June 8, 2015

Open Houses

It has been a hectic 5 days (2 new listings, both sold within days, whew!) so I apologize for the lateness of this posting. I had intended to do this last week.

Believe it or not, open houses are actually fairly controversial among Realtors. Years ago I worked in an office where one of the agents had a large sign he used at listing appointments. It had the words “Open House” with one of those big red “O’s” with a line through it. In other words, he let people know right up front he would not be doing any open houses. That is one side of the argument, that they don’t work. I am on the other side, I think that they do work.

For some real estate agents I think they feel it is a waste of time. It is true that the Internet is way more affective to generate interest in a house. The other thing that’s affective is correct pricing. And as someone who has spent many, many hours in open houses, it can feel like a waste of time. But I do them anyway.

Why? Because they work. Not every time. In fact, not most of the time. But they are a tool. Why not use every tool available? In 28 years of selling houses, I have held open houses for every listing I have ever had if it stayed on the market for more than a week. This means I do open houses nearly every weekend and sometimes 2 in one day. But you know what? I sell a house off of my open house efforts every now and again. I am writing this post because I sold a listing off of an open house about a week ago.

Now a word of caution. When an open house is held, the listing agent has no control over who attends. This means that the public is coming through the house. As a home owner, you need to put away any tempting items that could be pilfered: jewelry, little clocks and collectables, money, watches, and prescription medications. As a Realtor, you need to not allow anyone to use the bathrooms and you’ve got to keep an eye on the people who come through by going through the house with them and watching them.

In a nutshell, I don’t think open houses are a waste of time. Because I do them, I have seen them work. If I didn’t do them, well that would doom them to failure from the get go.

So here’s wishing you some happy house hunting on a nice, sunny afternoon like today.
Dianne

June 2, 2015

Market Activity May 25-31, 2015

We are definitely in the full throws of the spring market. It is hectic! Last week in Lake Oswego there were 21 new listings, 19 houses that went pending, and 22 closed sales.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS for last week:

New on the Market (May 25-31, 2015)

Address	Type	Price	BR	Bths	SF
3812 Botticellil St	Condo	$239,000	3	2	1200
17780 Hill Way	Detached	$275,000	2	1	960
36 Wheatherstone	Condo	$300,000	3	2.5	1692
15112 Quarry Rd	Detached	$364,900	3	2	1968
820 Boca Ratan Dr	Detached	$399,000	4	3	2220
4793 Auburn Ln	Attached	$450,000	3	2.5	2083
5431 Willow Ct	Attached	$475,000	3	2.5	2465
15941 Inverurie Rd	Detached	$495,000	4	2	2611
37 Berwick Rd	Detached	$510,000	3	2	2198
4311 Orchard Way	Detached	$615,000	4	2.5	2804
760 Timberline Dr	Detached	$624,500	4	3	3058
5335 Carman Grove Ln	Detached	$695,000	3	2.5	2316
17024 Canal Circle	Detached	$785,000	3	1	1267
2221 Overlook Dr	Detached	$799,000	3	2.5	3628
5590 Koderra Ave	Detached	$828,800	4	2.5	3289
3788 Southshore Blvd	Detached	$900,000	3	3	3224
769 2nd St	Detached	$1,150,000	5	2.5	3308
610 9th St	Detached	$1,200,000	4	3.5	3690
3914 Edens Edge Dr	Detached	$1,745,000	5	5.5+.5	6891
129 Furnace St	Condo	$1,995,000	4	4.5	5772
3142 Lakeview Blvd	Detached	$4,350,000	4	5	5554

Pending Sales (May 25-31, 2015)

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	SF	DOM
4 Crestfield Ct #4	Condo	$145,000	2	1	923	14
19 Crestfield Ct	Condo	$157,000	2	1	923	19
226 Ridgeway Rd	Condo	$170,000	1	1	756	5
5276 W Sunset Dr	Detached	$319,000	2	1	840	23
5340 Chinook Ct	Detached	$374,500	3	2	1801	5
1637 Devon Ln	Detached	$399,900	4	2.5	2494	7
15921 Kimball St	Detached	$499,900	3	2	2309	3
147 Del Prado St	Detached	$519,000	3	3	2790	31
17101 Chapin Way	Detached	$519,000	3	2	1949	74
17820 Westview Dr	Detached	$524,900	3	2.5	2407	25
4736 Amherst Ct	Attached	$575,000	3	2.5	2812	4
1982 Park Forest Ave	Detached	$585,000	4	3	2765	24
14309 Meadow Grass St	Detached	$599,999	4	2.5	2620	1
2737 Tolkien Ln	Detached	$699,000	4	3.5	4397	3
5864 Stewart Glenn Ct	Detached	$790,000	4	2.5	3224	4
18430 Pilkington Rd	Detached	$795,000	4	3	2946	18
851 9th St	Detached	$999,900	4	2.5	2699	6
15451 Village Dr	Detached	$1,075,000	3	3.5	4154	12
3140 Douglas Circle	Detached	$1,395,000	4	3.5	4333	54

Sold/Closed (May 25-31, 2015)

Address	Type	List Price	Closed Price	Sq Ft	CDOM
44 Cervantes Cir #44	Condo	$132,500	$125,000	912	21
16250 Pacific Hwy #67	Condo	$149,900	$140,000	841	45
191 Oswego Summit	Condo	$150,000	$100,000	1506	304
16200 Pacific Hwy #21	Condo	$269,000	$259,000	1,190	113
15434 Stephanie Ct	Attached	$315,000	$320,000	1566	2
7 Condolea Dr	Condo	$380,000	$380,000	2388	23
44 Northview Ct	Attached	$385,000	$385,000	2340	7
4972 Galen St	Attached	$430,000	$421,000	1942	175
5189 Tualata Ln	Detached	$475,000	$440,000	2422	150
683 5th St	Detached	$450,000	$450,000	2100	0
556 6th St	Detached	$450,000	$450,000	1560	0
1297 Hide a Way Ln	Detached	$525,000	$522,000	1832	6
18728 Bryant Rd	Detached	$544,995	$524,995	2736	45
3170 Royce Way	Detached	$539,900	$535,000	3193	6
5326 Childs Rd	Detached	$549,901	$538,000	1801	57
17650 Westview Dr	Detached	$579,900	$555,000	2849	101
3009 Wembley Park Rd	Detached	$598,500	$570,000	1704	122
4201 Haven St	Detached	$649,900	$625,000	2678	33
77 Garibaldi St	Detached	$829,000	$817,000	3023	49
496 8th St	Detached	$879,000	$850,000	2899	35
1901 Summit Dr	Detached	$899,000	$899,000	3444	7
720 Kenola Ct	Detached	$1,200,000	$985,000	3727	53

May 17, 2015

Attitude is Everything!

I have been spending the last several weeks getting my 84-year-old Mother ready for a move to a new home. In all of the sorting and cleaning, I came upon a printout of an early propertyblotter post that my Mom had saved. It is one of my very favorite posts. Feeling sentimental, I thought I would share it with you again. Enjoy.

Please remember this was written in January of 2009, early in the Great Recession.

You may have noticed that both Linda and I tend to approach our careers in real estate with a pretty positive attitude. We share a world-view that allows for positive outcomes. I don’t know about Linda, but I do know that I have received criticism for maintaining this perspective while so much that is going on in the world, particularly in the current economy, is just so terrible. Because we are beginning a New Year, and I intend for 2009 to be a great year, I thought this would be a good time to share with you where I learned my positive attitude.

For those of you who know me, you also know that my mom was a Realtor before me. She was my mentor and role model not just in life, but also as a Realtor. And she is the one who taught me to have a positive attitude. She taught it by example. Her story is really quite remarkable.

My mom, Audrey Slater, was 24 years old the summer of 1954. She lived here in Lake Oswego and was the mother of a young child. She was one of 8 people who were residents of Lake Oswego who contracted polio that summer. For such a small town, it was considered to be an epidemic. 3 of those 8 people died. My mom was one of the lucky ones. She wasn’t killed by it. But she was paralyzed from the chest down. At that time there was no vaccine to prevent polio and there was no proven treatment. Fortunately she was well cared for. The nurses and doctors wrapped her in hot, wet, wool blankets and regularly moved her to help prevent muscle atrophy. When she recovered her future was uncertain. She was told she could quite possibly never walk again. She absolutely refused to accept that possibility. She spent the next several years of her life regaining her strength and learning to walk all over again. She went from her bed to a wheel chair and then to crutches and finally to walking on her own. She went on to be the mother of 3 additional children, including me. I clearly remember her overcoming many challenges that being a polio survivor brought, and foremost in my mind I remember her on-going insistence on maintaining a positive attitude.

This was the era of Norman Vincent Peale. The author of “The Power of Positive Thinking”, he spread a message of hope and good living through books, letters, and his work with people.

My mom took it to heart. She used it to overcome so much. Today, after raising a family and being a very successful Realtor here in Lake Oswego for 28 years, she is such a fine example of a life well lived and a life that has been lived to its fullest, despite tremendous challenge.

Are these times hard? Sure they are. Do they amount to the sum of our human existence? Absolutely not. This is a moment in time: a moment in history. And, frankly, there is much to be hopeful and optimistic about. It is our challenge to choose how we approach the day. Are we going to make it a good day? Or are we going to surrender to negativity and allow it to become a bad day? Will we allow news reports to keep us from moving on with our lives? Will we allow fear to keep us from noticing all the good things about this point in time relating to real estate…like record-low interest rates and prices? I would argue that a positive mindset allows for more rational decision making when coupled with an assessment of the variables.

This does not mean that I am unwilling to be realistic about facts and the current economy. It does mean that I will approach the current market and find a way to make it work to my clients’ benefit, whenever possible. It also means that even when the situation is tough, I will pledge to handle it with grace and good humor.

Finally, I have a video I want to encourage you to watch. Think of it as a little New Year’s gift. This is a video of a man who has overcome adversity so far above and beyond anything that most can imagine. To view it, click here.

I would like to wish you a positive and prosperous New Year.

May 13, 2015

Market Activity May 4-10, 2015

Another great week in real estate has come to pass. Last week Lake Oswego had 20 new listings, 29 pending sales, and 11 closed sales.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS for last week:

New on the Market (May 4-10, 2015)

Address	Type	Price	BR	Bths	SF
47 Eagle Crest DR #43	Condo	$124,900	2	1	932
19 Crestfield Ct	Condo	$157,900	2	1	923
5849 Fernbrook Circle	Detached	$275,000	3	1.5	1239
16173 Lake Forest Blvd	Detached	$335,000	3	1	1334
208 Greenridge Dr	Attached	$337,500	3	2	1392
5276 W Sunset Dr	Detached	$349,000	2	1	840
44 Northview Ct	Attached	$385,000	2	3	2340
17902 Meadowlark Ln	Detached	$519,900	3	2.5	1950
17820 Westview Dr	Detached	$524,900	3	2.5	2407
1500 Woodland Terr	Detached	$559,000	4	2.5	2798
1982 Park Forest Ave	Detached	$585,000	4	3	2765
17336 Hunter Ct	Detached	$609,900	3	2.5	3023
18295 Westview Dr	Detached	$624,950	4	3	3580
55 Northshore Rd #11	Condo	$749,000	2	1.5	1910
14053 Pilkington Rd	Detached	$795,000	4	3	2946
18493 Ray Ridge Dr	Detached	$1,125,000	4	3.5+.5+.5	4401
4350 Lords Ln	Detached	$1,199,000	5	4	3888
2464 Palisades Crest Dr	Detached	$1,199,000	4	2.5	3897
583 2nd St	Condo	$1,250,000	2	2.5	2304
14053 Amberwood Circle	Detached	$782,500	3	3	3126

Pending Sales (May 4-10, 2015)

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	SF	DOM
104 Oswego Summit	Condo	$99,000	1	1	764	4
44 Eagle Crest Dr #26	Condo	$136,500	2	1	908	0
4000 Carmen Dr G101	Condo	$149,900	2	2	869	12
3892 Botticelli St	Condo	$225,000	3	2	1288	32
1316 Cedar St	Detached	$230,000	1	1	1594	0
48 Eagle Crest Dr 3D	Condo	$248,000	2	2	1434	20
16200 Pacific Hwy #21	Condo	$269,000	2	2	1190	113
668 McVey Ave #76	Condo	$274,900	2	1	836	14
5860 Lakeview Blvd	Detached	$289,900	2	1.5	1435	14
4324 Woodside Circle	Attached	$309,900	2	2	1216	3
13985 Sundeleaf Dr	Detached	$359,990	3	2	1278	23
18651 Don Lee Way	Detached	$399,000	4	2	1630	21
14710 Davis Ln	Attached	$399,999	2	2.5	1680	3
16953 Greentree Ave	Detached	$420,000	4	3	1941	4
4596 Lamont Way	Detached	$424,900	4	2	2236	7
18481 Waxwing Circle	Detached	$453,000	3	2.5	1840	52
16915 Crestview Dr	Detached	$459,000	4	2.5	2180	8
5221 Rosewood St	Detached	$469,000	3	2.5	2226	18
6276 Frost Ln	Detached	$489,900	4	3.5	2304	17
4725 Firwood Rd	Detached	$569,900	4	2.5	2557	6
17833 Hillside Way	Detached	$575,000	4	3	2668	32
2464 Marylhaven Pl	Detached	$610,000	4	2.5	2898	4
17244 Fernwood Dr	Detached	$649,900	4	2.5	2617	7
17065 Tualatin St	Detached	$739,000	3	2.5	2733	9
5955 Sunbrook Dr	Detached	$759,000	4	3	3110	5
15195 Lily Bay Ct	Detached	$898,000	4	2.5	4099	66
3301 Upper Dr	Detached	$1,295,000	4	3.5	4555	29
2322 Knaus Rd	Detached	$1,595,000	4	3.5+.5	4875	19
1495 Oak Terrace	Detached	$1,995,950	4	4	3983	542

Sold/Closed (May 3-10, 2015)

Address	Type	List Price	Closed Price	Sq Ft	CDOM
15938 Quarry Rd A5	Condo	$164,900	$159,000	996	7
668 McVey Ave #33	Condo	$284,900	$270,000	852	58
3 Condolea Dr	Condo	$325,000	$296,500	2198	146
13901 Sundeleaf Dr	Detached	$399,000	$378,000	1,900	60
629 5th St	Detached	$529,000	$425,000	1122	266
1981 Summit Dr	Detached	$647,500	$490,000	2579	630
18640 Tualata Ave	Detached	$463,500	$525,000	2076	4
238 5th St	Detached	$725,000	$635,000	2134	69
17656 Woodhurst Pl	Detached	$825,000	$760,000	4597	51
13554 Peters Rd	Detached	$899,850	$885,000	3036	36
3131 Westview Ct	Detached	$1,150,000	$1,120,000	4688	4