Author: Dianne Gregoire

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Open Houses 9/16/12

This Sunday is going to be a perfect day to go and see some nice homes. The weather is supposed to be sunny and mild, so enjoyable in every regard. There are 28 houses being held open, including Linda’s listing at 979 Devon Lane.

Linda’s listing has stunning views of the City and Mountains. It also has a truly unique floorplan that was custom built to take full advantage of the views. With 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths, it is a tremendous value for $397,000. Linda will be there from 1 to 4pm. Stop by and say hello.

Address Type Price Baths BR Open
1041 Hemlock St Detached $299,900 4 3 1 to 3
13 Saint Helens Circle Detached $345,000 3 2.5 1 to 3
2593 Greentree Rd Detached $374,500 4 3 1 to 4
979 Devon Ln Detached $397,000 4 3.5 1 to 4
14722 Uplands Dr Detached $397,000 3 2 1:30 to 4
475 Country Club Ct Detached $419,000 3 2.5 1 to 4
1454 Glenmorrie Dr Detached $425,000 4 2.5 1 to 3
16439 Lexington Ct Detached $449,000 2 2 1 to 4
31 Touchstone Detached $479,000 5 3 1 to 3
29 Spinosa Detached $489,000 3 2.5+.5 1 to 4
17802 Treetop Ln Detached $529,000 4 3.5 12 to 2
17357 Oak Meadow Ln Detached $535,000 4 2.5 1 to 3
17561 Shepherds Ct Detached $550,000 4 2.5 1 to 4
15655 Fieldstone Dr Detached $589,500 4 2.5 12 to 2
5533 Fieldstone Ct Detached $599,500 4 2.5 12 to 2
18160 Delenka Ln Detached $609,500 4 3 1 to 3
18096 Pilkington Rd Detached $625,000 3 2.5 1 to 3
135 Middlecrest Rd Detached $699,900 3 2.5 1 to 3
1985 Country Club Rd Detached $699,999 5 4 2 to 4
568 9th St Detached $799,900 3 3.5 1 to 4
582 9th St Detached $799,900 3 3.5 1 to 4
828 8th St Detached $825,000 3 3.5 1 to 4
16805 Scott Ct Detached $892,000 3 3.5 1:30 to 3:30
8 Dover Way Detached $975,000 6 4.5+.5 2 to 4
18202 Bella Terra Dr Detached $1,039,500 4 3.5 12 to 2
2092 Summit Dr Detached $1,295,000 4 4.5 1 to 3
16743 Graef Circle Detached $1,595,000 4 3.5 2:30 to 4;30
112 Northshore Circle Detached $1,625,000 4 3.5 11 to 4
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Realtor with a Capital “R”

The State of Oregon requires Realtors to take 30 hours of very specific continuing education to be re-licensed every two years. And the National Association of Realtors requires that every four years Realtors must take a class on the Realtor Code of Ethics.

I’ve taken this class quite a few times. There is very little variation. To be a Realtor, that is with a capital “R”, a licensee must adhere to the Code of Ethics. I belong to one of the very few vocations that actually has a code of ethics. I think it goes without saying that it shouldn’t be necessary, but it is. And I am very proud of my profession that we have taken this position to maintain fair dealings and integrity.

Oregon has a pretty interesting history on this front. Oregon was the very first state in the United States to adopt a code of ethics on July 29th, 1913. So it isn’t just the bottle bill with which we have led the Nation.

The code has 17 Articles that stipulate fair dealings with fellow Realtors, with the our clients, and with the public. Each local real estate board is charged with enforcing the code of ethics. Yes, Realtors are held accountable.

Think about it, real estate involves the most important financial dealings that most people make within their lives. It must be handled with ethics.

My favorite part of the Code of Ethics is the preamble. I’d like to share with you just a sample:

“Under all is the land. Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. Realtors should recognize that the interests of the nation and its citizens require the highest and best use of the land and the widest distribution of land ownership. They require the creation of adequate housing, the building of functioning cities, the development of productive industries and farms, and the preservation of a healthful environment.”

And that is just the beginning. It is a beautifully written document and a standard that I am proud of in my profession.

Dianne

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Market Activity Aug 27-Sept 2

Last week brought 16 New Listings to Lake Oswego, 21 Pending Sales, and Closed Sales.
See below for further details on last week’s Market Activity:

NEWLY LISTED (August 27 to September 2, 2012)

Address Type Price BR Bths SF
4 Touchstone #74 condo $158,000 3 2.5 1351
5785 Carman Dr detached $265,000 5 2.5 1934
466 5th ST #14 condo $299,900 2 1.5 1092
5745 Windfield Loop detached $369,000 3 2.5 1950
1935 Fernwood Dr detached $409,000 4 3 2100
5499 Royal Oaks Dr detached $409,900 3 2 1780
17121 Wall St detached $424,900 4 2.5 2187
2215 Fernwood Circle detached $438,950 4 3 2640
9 Spinosa detached $439,000 2 2.5 2250
323 3rd St attached $465,000 3 3.5 1959
12430 Orchard Hill Rd detached $625,000 3 3 2889
3197 Alber Spring Ct detached $649,900 4 2.5 3664
14527 Pfeifer Way detached $689,000 4 3.5 3803
8 Dover Way detached $975,000 6 4.5+.5 6244
2057 Summit Dr detached $1,095,000 4 3.5 4589

PENDING SALES (Auguest 27-September 2,2012 2012)

Address Type Price BR Baths SF DOM
100 Kerr Pkwy #24 condo $51,500 1 1 617 54
526 State St condo $119,000 2 1 914 29
181 Oswego Summit condo $149,900 2 2 1383 3
3858 Botticelli attached $182,500 3 2 1224 95
113 Touchstone Terr. attached $238,698 2 2.5 2104 327
5276 Oakridge Rd detached $274,900 3 2 1600 8
4270 Oakridge Rd detached $275,000 2 1 978 55
868 7th St detached $329,900 4 2 2270 8
4970 Suntree Ln detached $350,000 3 2 1769 8
19044 Olson Ave detached $429,000 4 4 3264 32
4909 Mulholland Dr attached $430,000 2 2.5 2403 8
17336 Hunter Ct detached $454,900 3 2.5 3004 14
2376 Fernwood Cir detached $489,000 4 2 2094 9
2 Buckingham Terr detached $519,000 4 3 3732 27
837 C Ave detached $569,000 2 2 2109 7
629 Iron Mountain Blvd detached $599,500 3 2 1966 160
1099 Troon Rd detached $899,000 4 3.5 3938 22
2180 Prestwick Rd detached $1,200,000 3 1.5 2391 21
2058 Summit Dr detached $1,390,000 3 2.5 3137 18
758 Southview Rd detached $3,450,000 5 5.5 5179 201
1024 Northshore Rd detached $4,695,000 5 5.5 7000 428

SOLD (August 27-September 2,2012)

Address Type List Price Closed Price BR Baths CDOM
203 Cervantes condo $119,900 $108,000 2 2 87
510 State ST condo $126,900 $125,710 1 1 7
15220 Boones Way 1C condo $139,900 $135,000 2 2 6
17684 Schalit Way detached $225,000 $210,000 3 1.5 6
4242 Woodside Cir attached $309,000 $288,000 3 2 33
17083 Fernwood Dr detached $389,900 $315,000 5 3 177
17200 Robb Pl detached $385,000 $395,000 3 2.5 4
12 Morningview Cir detached $425,000 $397,500 4 2.5 135
143 Furnace St condo $530,000 $490,000 2 2.5 30
5752 Victoria Ct detached $549,000 $537,500 3 2.5 23
1928 Palisades Terr detached $575,000 $575,000 4 5.5 91
217 5th St detached $699,000 $630,000 3 2.5 121
16737 Sylvan Ct detached $795,000 $750,000 4 3 329
15575 Village Dr detached $895,000 $875,000 4 2.5 18
13795 Cameo Ct detached $1,449,000 $1,350,000 4 5.5+.5 259
1345 Cherry Ln detached $1,599,000 $1,450,000 5 3.5 10
17700 Upper Cherry Ln detached $2,495,000 $1,925,000 5 5.5 724

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

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Analysis of the Higher Price Ranges

I think that there is a general perception that the market has picked up a bit of steam. I have personally seen this in multiple offer situations and short market times. But I have to say that I’ve seen it in the more affordable price ranges.

I did have a sale recently for a $625,000 house that sold in 1 day with multiple offers. But I found myself wondering, was that a fluke? Is that really happening in the higher price ranges? So I took some time today to compare the more expensive homes (purely arbitrarily I chose $500,000 and higher) today versus what was happening a year ago in the same 6-month time period. Here are the results:

Price Range Sold 2/11-8/11 Active Today Pending Today Sold 2/12-8/12 Current Months of Inventory
$500,000-$600,000 29 36 17 53 4
$600,000-$700,000 25 32 3 27 7
$700,000-$800,000 23 35 7 17 12
$800,000-$900,000 17 18 4 18 6
$900,000-$1,000,000 9 18 2 11 9
$1,000,000-$1,500,000 19 38 6 15 15
$1,500,000-$3,000,000 3 22 4 5 26
$3,000,000-$20,000,000 0 11 2 1 55

Pretty interesting. The $500,000 to $600,000 is selling strongly. So is the $800,000 to $900,000. 4 to 6 months of inventory is a pretty healthy market. Pricing over a million is where it really hits the skids. And that way tip-top price point of $3,000,000 and more is barely moving. This is when we look at the closed sales. But then when you factor in the pending sales, and there are several, it looks a bit better. When the pending sales in the top price bracket close, and this should happen in 45-60 days, the inventory drops from 55 months to 22 months. In the $1,500,000 to $3,000,000 it drops the inventory from 26 months to 14.

Bottom line, it’s still too soon to tell. And it can still be said that the higher priced homes just take longer to sell as there are fewer people financially qualified to buy them.

So what are these high priced houses like?

The most expensive, recently-closed sale was a house on the Willamette River. It sold for $3,600,000 and went pending in just 33 days (seriously!).

The most expensive pending sale is on the North shore of Oswego Lake. Priced at $4,695,000, it took 428 days to receive an accepted offer.

The most expensive house currently for sale is NOT Jantzen Island. That house has been withdrawn from the market. It was price reduced from $19,500,000 to $15,000,000. The new king of the most-expensive- house-fo-sale-in-Lake-Oswego-pageant is a house on Northshore that is listed for $11,600,000. It was built in 2009 and has 13,462 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 6 full baths and 2 half baths.

I hope you find this information of interest. It’s always a kick to try and figure out the market and its trends. Let me know if you have any questions.
Dianne

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Market Activity Aug 13-19, 2012

Last week Lake Oswego had 16 homes come onto the market, 14 houses go sale pending, and 17 closed sales. Trends? Of the 16 new listings, 5 were homes that were on the market a year or more ago, expired, and have now re-listed. My thought is that the home owners have seen the market pick up and are now thinking they may have better luck. They may be right. Of the pending sales, 1/3 sold is less than 30 days. Of the closed sales, 1/2 sold is less than 30 days.

See below for further details on last week’s Market Activity:

NEWLY LISTED (August 13-19, 2012)

Address Type Price BR Bths SF
4 Touchstone #120 Condo $104,900 3 2.5 1351
668 McVey Ave #16 Condo $205,000 2 1 852
18350 Tualata Ave Detached $234,900 2 1 996
5276 Oakridge Rd Detached $274,900 3 2 1600
4 Del Prado St Detached $299,900 3 2.5 1716
4104 Lakeview Blvd Detached $300,000 4 2 2024
1113 Erickson St Detached $324,900 4 2 2203
15364 Twin Fir Rd Detached $324,900 3 1 1608
14190 Taylors Crest Ln Detached $389,900 4 2.5 2577
1041 Oxford Dr Detached $444,000 4 3.5 2712
17336 Hunter Ct Detached $454,900 3 2.5 3004
2376 Fernwood Cir Detached $489,000 5 2 2600
5682 Charles Cir Detached $549,000 4 2.5 3052
1023 Country Commons Detached $619,000 4 3 3359
13624 Provincial Hill Way Detached $729,900 4 2.5 3704
17550 Lake Haven Dr Detached $949,900 4 2.5 2580

PENDING SALES (August 13-19,2012 2012)

Address Type Price BR Baths SF DOM
100 Kerr Pkwy #24 Condo $51,500 1 1 617 38
100 Kerr Pkwy #14 Condo $64,900 1 1 617 184
4000 Carman Dr #10 Condo $119,900 2 2 836 8
4968 Oakridge Rd Detached $195,000 3 1.5 1240 15
5851 Burma Rd Detached $239,888 4 2 1760 38
1674 Larch St Detached $250,000 3 2.5 1794 147
6320 Dawn Ave Detached $349,500 5 3 2400 49
12 Morningview Ln Attached $420,000 3 2.5 2683 44
3220 Edgemont Rd Detached $519,900 4 3 2159 3
2574 Glen Eagles Pl Detached $549,000 4 3 2639 69
775 F Ave Detached $595,000 4 2.5 2700 3
18283 Lothlorien Way Detached $609,900 4 3 3015 22
16736 Sylvan Ct Detached $779,000 4 3 3914 329
3105 Wembley Park Rd Detached $875,000 3 2.5 3209 285

SOLD (August 13-19,2012)

Address Type List Price Closed Price BR Baths CDOM
3976 Carman Dr Attached $169,900 $148,000 2 2.5 22
1401 Greentree Cir Detached $299,900 $260,000 3 2 221
18585 Kristi Way Detached $285,000 $290,000 3 2 1
728 Ash St Detached $280,000 $307,000 3 2.5 4
1057 C Ave Detached $299,900 $329,000 2 1 5
19 Partridge Ln Detached $349,900 $348,600 4 3 6
4946 Mulholland Dr Attached $389,900 $359,900 3 2.5 337
4824 Hastings Dr Detached $360,000 $385,000 4 2.5 7
17265 Cedar Rd Detached $417,000 $411,000 4 2.5 59
1611 Lee St Detached $429,900 $417,810 3 2.5 46
13849 Melrose Pl Detached $459,900 $453,000 3 2.5 123
3220 Duncan Dr Detached $499,900 $472,500 4 2.5 31
5666 Grand Oaks Dr Detached $525,000 $498,000 4 2.5 15
5604 Grand Oaks Dr Detached $599,999 $573,000 5 3 172
14175 Taylors Crest Ln Detached $595,000 $574,500 3 3 246
475 10th St Detached $739,000 $720,000 5 3 23
5933 Suncreek Dr Detached $849,000 $800,000 4 3.5+.5 18

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

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Open Houses August 19, 2012

It’s going to be a beautiful summer day tomorrow. A perfect time to go and see some wonderful homes. Be sure to stop in and visit with Linda during her open at 979 Devon Dr. Enjoy!

Address Type Price Baths BR Open
772 Lake Forest Dr Detached $355,000 1 2 1 to 3:30
3290 Wembly Park Rd Detached $379,000 3 5 1 to3
979 Devon Ln Detached $397,000 3.5 4 1 to 4
19163 Terry Ave Detached $409,000 2 4 1 to 3:30
116439 Lexington Ct Detached $449,000 2 2 1 to 4
430 9th St Detached $450,000 1.5 3 2 to 4
17147 Warren Ct Detached $459,000 2.5 4 1 to 3
13930 Majestic Ct Detached $465,000 2.5 3 12 ro 2
16734 Mellon St Detached $548,500 2.5 4 1:30 to 3
143 Kingsgate Rd Detached $549,000 2 3 12 to 3
16198 Nola Ct Detached $565,000 2.5 4 2 to 4
16746 Mellon St Detached $567;,900 2.5 4 1:30 to 3:30
4994 Hartford Pl Detached $569,000 2.5 5 12:30 to 3
15655 Fieldstone Dr Detached $589,500 2.5 3 1 to 3
5533 Fieldstone Ct Detached $599,900 2.5 4 1 to 3
330 Northshore Rd Detached $749,000 3 4 1 to 4
1033 Northshore Rd Detached $799,900 2 3 1 to 3
17775 Kelok Rd Detached $949,500 2.5 4 1 to4
1255 Andrews Rd Detached $995,000 4 6 1 to 3
760 7th St Detached $998,000 4.5 5 1 to 4
18202 Bella Terra Dr Detached $1,075,000 3.5 4 1 to 3
2180 Prestwick Rd Detached $1,200,000 1.5 3 1 to 3
3301 Upper Dr Detached $1,343,000 3.5 4 2 to 4
112 Northshore Circle Detached $1,599,000 3.5 4 11 to 4
612 Ridgeway Rd Detached $2,425,000 3.5 4 1 to 5
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What’s in a Name?

If you’ve been reading the blotter for awhile, you know that we got the name of our blog by borrowing the Police Blotter from the Lake Oswego Review. The local newspaper does a weekly publication that along with showcasing local schools, businesses, and people, it posts the previous week’s police activity.

The Lake Oswego Police Department has a 100% response policy. That means that when you call, they show up, no matter what. So reading the police blotter can be rather entertaining. Below is from the previous two weeks.

7/23/12 1:15am. Apples are being chucked at a house on Aspen Street.

7/24/12 9:59am. A woman reported finding all kinds of things on her property on North Shore Road, including bicycles, helmets, and a surf board.

7/24/12 1:03pm. Four citations were slapped on a vehicle illegally parked at Lake View Village.

7/24/12 10:51pm. Several teens are jumping in and out of hedges and running around yards in a late-night frolic on Royce Way. Later they were honking horns and chasing each other in cars.

7/25/12 9:04am. Somebody placed a small beagle n a yard on Sierra Ct, then blocked a hole under the fence with wood so the pooch could not get out.

7/26/12 10:42pm. Hearty voices raised in song were heard coming from a pub on B Avenue.

7/26/12 11:43pm. A driver passed out in the middle State Street. He was not drunk but exhausted from his airline flight.

7/28/12 1:16pm. Condolea Drive was the site of a strange incident in which a pot was moved, two large plants were damaged and underwear was thrown into trees.

7/30/12 10:51am. A cat in a pot was discovered in a complex on Foothills Drive.

7/31/12 9:54am. A woman has decided to keep a pair of old handcuffs that she originally wanted to turn in to police.

8/1/12 9:34am. After buying a house, a person looked inside the garage and found 22 lights, causing suspicions that marijuana may be being cultivated inside the house.

8/1/12 8:48am. A female is dancing on the sidewalk, crossing the street and waving at people on B Avenue. It is suspected she may be high on more than life.

8/2/12 2:39pm. A missing St. Bernard named Myia was returned to its owner.

8/2/12 9:16pm. Five teenaged boys, four of them 16, had to clean up the mess from the garbage can they knocked over at Uplands Elementary School.

8/3/12 6:20pm. A cat triggered a burglar alarm on Brianne Court.

8/5/12 10:08am. A toilet in a woman’s bathroom on Melrose Street won’t stop flushing.

There you have it, two weeks on the mean streets of Lake Oswego. And, yes, I know the Police Blotter is now called the Police Log. Not sure why the Lake Oswego Review made the change, but it will always be the Blotter to me. And the propertyblotter will be the propertyblotter as well.

Stay cool in this heat. In LO it only lasts a few days.
Dianne

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Market Activity July 30th to August 5th, 2012

All of last week’s activity was evenly balanced with 19 new listings, 18 pending sales, and 19 closed sales.

See below for further details on last week’s Market Activity:

NEWLY LISTED (July 30-August 5th, 2012)

Address Type Price BR Bths SF
4 Touchstone Condo $79,000 2 2 984
5225 Jean Rd #314 Attached $159,900 3 2 1500
750 1st ST A9 Condo $169,000 2 2 1350
4968 Oakridge Rd Detached $195,000 3 1.5 1240
1041 Hemlock St Detached $319,000 4 3 2623
18892 Indian Springs Cir Detached $329,000 3 2 1611
1642 Highland Dr Detached $459,000 4 3 2234
663 Carrera Ln Detached $459,000 3 2 2197
2 Buckingham Ter Detached $519,000 4 3 3732
5616 Grand Oaks Dr Detached $539,000 4 3 3096
5222 Carman Dr Detached $549,900 4 2 2534
4994 Hartford Pl Detached $569,000 5 2.5 3325
15840 Fir Grove Ct Detached $569,900 4 2.5 2623
5088 Woodcrest Ln Detached $629,900 4 2.5 3056
1209 Lake Garden Ct Detached $850,000 5 2.5 3428
17775 Kelok Rd Detached $949,500 4 2.5 2882
17840 Sarah Hill Ln Detached $995,000 5 3 4044
18025 Skyland Cir Detached $1,250,000 4 4.5+.5 5379
3301 Upper Dr Detached $1,343,000 4 3.5 4555

PENDING SALES (July 30-August 5, 2012)

Address Type Price BR Baths SF DOM
552 State St Condo $137,000 2 2 920 67
285 Cervantes Condo $139,500 3 1.5 1144 125
5195 Firwood Rd Detached $206,000 5 2 1886 88
80 Greenridge Ct Condo $249,000 3 3 1824 58
545 Hemlock St Detached $269,900 3 1.5 984 2
4978 Galen St Attached $289,999 2 2.5 1552 33
13828 Regency Ct Detached $319,900 4 2.5 2165 227
2300 Glen Haven Rd Detached $329,900 2 2 1424 8
14359 Orchard Springs Rd Detached $349,900 4 2.5 1939 139
4946 Mulholland Dr Attached $359,900 3 2.5 2584 337
4582 Trillium Woods Lt27 Attached $369,900 3 2.5 1835 100
72 Condolea Way Condo $395,000 3 2.5 2958 189
2794 Vale Ct Detached $399,000 3 2.5 2970 87
15633 Fieldstone Dr Detached $594,500 4 2.5 3047 305
3030 Childs Rd Detached $747,500 5 4.5 7076 20
15575 Village Dr Detached $895,000 4 2.5 3692 18
1677 Leslie Ln Detached $1,899,999 4 6.5 7534 141
17700 Upper Cherry Ln Detached $1,975,000 5 5.5 6907 724

SOLD (July 30-August 5, 2012)

Address Type List Price Closed Price BR Baths CDOM
4 Touchstone #79 Condo $127,000 $85,000 2 2 470
566 State St #566 Condo $129,900 $124,000 1 1 28
1641 Devon Ln Detached $239,900 $210,000 3 2.5 306
16123 Lake Forest Blvd Detached $375,000 $324,000 4 2.5 236
720 8th St Detached $330,000 $330,000 3 2 0
18 Othello St Detached $399,000 $397,000 4 2.5 10
71 Tanglewood Dr Detached $449,000 $400,000 3 3 739
4584 Trillium Woods Lt28 Attached $415,127 $415,127 3 2.5 0
8 Partridge Ln Detached $459,900 $455,000 4 2.5 48
3037 Tolkien Ln Detached $530,000 $530,000 4 3 0
17658 Brookhurst Dr Detached $539,000 $540,000 4 3 11
17389 Oak Meadow Ln Detached $554,000 $544,000 4 2.5 0
19245 Megly Ct Detached $599,000 $564,500 5 3 87
14390 Pfeifer Dr Detached $589,000 $589,000 5 3 3
147 5th St Detached $699,000 $689,000 4 2 9
662 9th St Detached $879,000 $830,000 5 3.5 74
815 E Ave Detached $998,000 $860,000 3 2.5 34
17344 Cedar Rd Detached $995,000 $880,000 4 2.5 368

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

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Open Houses for 8/5/12

There are 38 houses scheduled to be held open this Sunday.  That’s a lot of houses!

750 1st St #A9, attached, $169,000, 2 BR, 2 Bths, open 2 to 4

80 Greenridge Ct, attached, $249,000, 3 BR, 3 Bths, open 1 to 3

545 Hemlock St, detached, $269,900, 3 BR, 1.5 Bths, open 12 to 3

2367 Glenmorrie Dr, detached, $275,000, 2 Br, 2 Bths, open 1 to 4

4231 Woodside Circle, attached, $298,500, 3 BR, 2 Bths, open 1 to 3

15 Saint Helens Circle, detached, $314,900, 3 Br, 2 Bths, open 1 to 3:30

1041 Hemlock St, detached, $319,000, 4 BR, 3 Bths, open 1 to 3

18892 Indian Springs Circle, detached, $329,000, 3 BR, 2 Bths, open 1:30 to 4

3715 Davis Ln, attached, $351,900, 2 Br, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 3

1830 Cloverleaf Rd, detached, $359,000, 5 BR, 2 Bths, open 12 to 2

17200 Robb Pl, detached, $385,000, 3 Br, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 3

3290 Wembly Park Rd, detached, $389,000, 5 BR, 3 Bths, open 1 to 4

2593 Greentree Rd, detached, $399,000, 4 BR, 3 Bths, open 1:30 to 4

29 Partridge Ln, detached, $419,900, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 12 to 3

13899 Majestic Ct, detached, $420,000, 3 BR, 2 Bths, open 12 to 3

1454 Glenmorrie Dr, detached, $425,000, 4 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 3

4080 Coltsfoot Ln, detached, $444,950, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 3

16439 Lexington Ct, detached, $449,000, 2 BR, 2 Bths, open 1 to 4

15225 Candlewood Ct, detached, $474,500, 4 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 3

16014 SW Parker Rd, detached, $479,000, 5 BR, 3 Bths, open 1 to 3

17357 Oak Meadow Ln, detached, $535,000, 4 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 3

2823 Glen Haven Rd, detached, $538,000, 4 BR, 2 Bths, open 2 to 4

16734 Mellon St, detached, $548,500, 4 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 2 to 4

6479 McDuff, detached, $559,900, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 3

16746 Mellon St, detached, $567,900, 4 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 2 to 4

4994 Hartford Pl, detached, $569,000, 5 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 11 to 1

17561 Shepherds Ct, detached, $575,000, 4 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 4

15655 Fieldstone Dr, detached, $589,500, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 3

5533 Fieldstone Ct, detached, $599,500, 4 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 3

135 Middlecrest Rd, detached, $749,900, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 4

582 9th St, detached, $799,900, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, open 1 to 4

568 9th St, detached, $799,900, 3 BR, 3.5 Bths, open 1 to 4

828 8th St, detached, $825,000, 3 BR, 3.5 Bths, open 1 to 4

16805 Scott Ct, detached, $979,000, 3 BR, 3.5 Bths, open 12 to 2

17384 Bergis Farm Dr, detached, $995,000, 5 BR, 4.5 Bths, open 1 to 4

18202 Bella Terra Dr, detached, $1,075,000, 4 BR, 3.5 Bths, open 1 to 3

112 Northshore Circle, detached, $1,599,000, 4 BR, 3.5 Bths, open 11 to 4

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Seeing the Light

Lighting your house correctly is probably one of the most fundamental things you need to  do when selling your home.  People associate light with happiness and cleanliness.   From the National Association of Realtors, here are some basic lighting tips:

Use clear lightbulbs.  The clear bulbs, rather than the opaque, have a cleaner look.

Make sure the lightbulbs are not old.  The last thing you want are bulbs burning out during a showing.  You do not want that beautifully staged room to be left in the dark.

Reconsider energy-efficient bulbs.  Yes, I know, it’s not ecologically such a great idea, but the compact fluorescent bulbs can give off a harsh light.  Many also start out faint and get brighter as they warm up.  A buyer is not likely to stay in a room long enough for the full benefit of the light to come on.

Consider halogen lights.  Particularly in over-head flood lights.  They are more energy efficient than incandescent flood lightbulbs and do a great job of brightening a space.  Of course, please consult the light fixture for correct wattage and the type of rating for the fixture.

Clean the light fixtures.  Dust the entire fixture, including the lamp shade.  Make sure there are no dead flies in the fixture and remove cob webs from chandeliers.  Consider removing the glass from the fixture and running it through the dishwasher (without wiring or electronic components, of course).

Brighten exterior windows. Take advantage of natural light by opening the curtains and window blinds.  If it is a beautiful view to a mountain, the city, or your garden, consider removing the screens and storing them elsewhere.

Replace dated light fixtures.  You get a lot of bang for the buck with light fixtures.  Even a really grand fixture can be replaced for under $200 at most home improvement stores.  Particularly if you have still got lots of brass fixtures, you are well advised to update your lighting.  Particularly in the main rooms of the house:  the entry, living room, family room, dining room, and the kitchen.  Do it.

Add light.  Don’t simply rely on overhead lighting.  Consider adding lamps to side tables, shelves, even counters.  In a dark kitchen, consider buying some battery operated lights that can be stuck to the underside of upper cabinets.

Add a mirror.  Mirrors reflect light, but also make rooms feel larger.

With the exception of removing energy efficient bulbs, these ideas would benefit you even if your house is not for sale.  I don’t know many people who don’t enjoy being surrounded by nice lighting.

Questions?  Don’t hesitate to ask.  Linda and I are happy to help you with any of your real estate concerns.

Dianne