Author: Dianne Gregoire

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Ideas for Winter Curb Appeal

As a seller, you want to do everything your time and your budget will allow to maximize the price you will receive for your home, and to shorten the length of time it takes to make that happen. Just because it is winter does not make the rules change. So, just like the rest of the year, you want to make your home look as attractive as possible. Today I want to concentrate on the exterior.

First, all of the usual apply: the paint and roof need to be in good condition with no peeling, moss or damage. The lawn needs to be mowed and edged. Trees and shrubs need to be trimmed back to enhance the house and not hide it. Please, please, please rake up and dispose of leaves and tree needles. I have shown homes that are literally buried in leaves. Why would any seller allow that to happen? It is insane. The only correction, beyond getting busy and fixing the situation, is to drop the price. I am serious when I say that a yard that needs leaf removal can cost a seller $10,000. A hard weekend of work or $10,000….hmmmmmm…. it seems pretty obvious to me. Leaving the messy leaves and needles all over the yard makes buyers think that this house needs work. And the compensation they want when they are going to have to do work is money.

Second, there are things you can do, at very little expense, that can actually make that winter yard both inviting and attractive:

Add splashes of color
Consider planting winter kale or pansies in the planters and boarders of your garden. At the holidays, festive decorations are both inviting and attractive, but do not go over board. You don’t want your house to scream “yard sale” rather than Happy Holidays.

Give it seasonal sparkle
Consider using winter greens (which you can often get free from the Christmas tree lots), along with holly and cones in otherwise dormant planters and window boxes.

Show off your garden’s livability
Do set out your yard furniture and tables. Keep them clean and inviting. You may not be actually using them much, but your buyer will look at the back deck or patio and quickly see it is a place to be enjoyed. Do not cover the yard furniture with plastic to resemble large rocks or meteorites that randomly plopped into the yard. You want the deck and patio to look like an extension of the living space in the house.

Keep the pathways clear
On extreme days, beyond raking leaves and needles, this may involve shoveling snow. Realtors and their clients need to be able to get to the house!

Keep decks and patios in good repair
Treat the wood so that is fresh and clean. You may need to replace rotted wood or even the entire deck. In this market a rotted deck will quickly turn off picky buyers. Again, you’ll probably loose more in price than the cost of the work. And this is the time of year when moss is a problem on both decks and patios, making them slippery and dangerous. Clean them up.

Light it bright
With the shortened days, it may be dusk or dark when buyers visit your home. Turn on all outside lights and consider adding a few temporary spot lights to focus on the homes architecture and landscaping.

Yard statuary helps, a lot
I don’t want to suggest that you go out and buy a bunch of garden art. But if you have it, make it visible. Place it where it will draw the buyers eyes out into the yard to see the flower beds and the features of the yard. You don’t want to allow the yard art to be too much or messy (again, not a garage sale), but creatively placed, even simple and inexpensive pieces such as drift wood, river rock, and small statuary will add a lot.

Create a photo display of sunny days
Set this up inside where it can be easily found and enjoyed. If you have a prized rose garden, let your buyer know that by showing a photo of the garden in full bloom.

The percentage of sellers who take the time to make their garden look good in the winter is very small. So when you do it, you will stand out. And that is a big factor that will play in your favor. I think the trick in selling a home is to know the market and then know how to work it to your advantage.

Best of the season, in all of its winter glory, to you.
Dianne

P.S. Thank you G.B. for sharing your beautiful garden with me. It was a total pleasure to meet you this morning. What wonderful ideas you have!

P.S.S. Further information can be found at www.Realtor.org/realtormag

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Market Activity for November 29-December 5, 2010

Moving into the full logistics of the holidays, market activity slowed down significantly last week. We had 7 new listings, 2 pending sales, and 6 closed sales.

We receive a weekly accounting of lockbox activity every Monday. It consists of a tally of the number of times that lockboxes were opened and the percentage change from the week prior. Last week saw a 39% decrease. So showings are way down. Having said that, I always like to point out that while there may be fewer buyers out looking, those that are doing so at the holidays are serious buyers. People don’t take the time to look at this time of year unless they are motivated to buy.

See below for further details:

NEWLY LISTED (Nov 29-Dec 5, 2010)

Address Price Type BR Bath Sq Feet
4000 Carman Dr #108 $109,900 Condo 1 1 767
4305 Silver Ct $339,000 Attached 3 2.5 1835
4198 Glacier Lily St $389,000 Detached 4 3 2806
17 Hidalgo $429,000 Detached 4 3.5 3428
1217 Tyndall Ct $699,000 Detached 4 4 5181
15622 Fieldstone Dr $725,000 Detached 3 2.5 3113
582 9th St $838,950 Detached 2 3.5 2841

PENDING SALES (Nov 29-Dec 5, 2010)

Address Type Price BR Bath Sq. Feet
156 Greenwood Rd Detached $309,900 2 2 3722
4114 Casey Ct Detached $785,000 4 2.5 3405

SOLD (Nov 29-Dec 5, 2010)

table >

Address Orig. Price Sold Price type Sq Feet CDOM
692 2nd St $299,000 $255,000 Detached 1700 213
5188 Madrona St $549,000 $514,500 Detached 3183 36
1704 Glenmorrie Terr. $599,000 $575,000 Detached 3885 124
5001 Denton Dr $759,000 $753,000 Detached 3303 2
14089 Edenberry Dr $840,000 $840,000 Detached 3276 0
15446 Boones Way $998,500 $936,000 Attached 3364 84

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 December 5, 2010

There are 28 houses scheduled to be help open this Sunday. I am impressed! Local Realtors sure are not taking it easy just because it’s the holidays.

Be sure to stop by and see Linda at her open house at 979 Devon. It is a fantastic property that is a standout in the market. Not only does it have 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths for $449,900, but it has been tastefully updated with granite, sub zero, new heat pump and hot tub as well. And to top it off: sweeping Mt. Hood views. This is a very special house. The floor plan allows for 1 bedroom and a full bath to be in a separate apartment. So the layout is ideal for someone who wants separate guest quarters or perhaps a home office that is its own space. I know LInda would love to meet you in person. She’ll be there from 2 to 4pm.

Address Price # BR # BTHS Open
221 Cervantes $144,000 2 1.5 1 to 3
18530 Pilkington Rd $229,900 3 2 1 to 3
5055 Foothills Dr C $239,900 2 2 1 to 4
13990 Shireva Ct $289,000 3 2 2 to 4
53 Oriole Ln $295,000 3 2 2 to 4
5973 Kennycroft Way $318,500 3 1.1 1 to 3
4840 Lamont Way $325,000 3 2 11:30 to 1:30
4243 Albert Circle $349,000 4 3 12 to 2
17187 Carlson Ct $395,000 4 3 12 to 3
151 Del Prado St $419,000 4 2.5 3 to 5
775 Boca Ratan Dr $449,850 4 3.5 1 to 3
979 Devon $449,900 4 3.5 2 to 4
12 Scarborouh Dr $479,900 4 2.5 1 to 4
19415 SW Dogwood Ct $499,900 5 3 1 to 4
19319 SW Dogwood Ct $499,900 4 0.25 1 to 4
19443 Kokanee Ct $499,900 4 2.5 1 to 4
4398 Glacier Lily St $500,000 4 2.5 11 to 1
19263 Megly Ct $559,900 5 3 1 to 4
17981 Meadowlark Ln $584,900 3 2.5 1 to 4
5533 Fieldstone Ct $695,000 4 2.5 2 to 4
5321 Amberwood Ct $699,000 4 3 2 to 4
1217 Tyndall Ct $699,000 4 4 2 to 4
15622 Fieldstone Dr $725,000 3 2.5 2 to 4
5320 Southwood Dr $748,000 4 3 12:30 to 2:30
18209 Siena Dr $1,058,000 5 3.5 1 to 3
18222 Siena Dr $1,189,000 4 3.5 1 to 3
1104 Forest Meadows Way $1,495,000 4 3.5 1 to 4
1968 Cheryl Ct $1,595,000 4 4.5+.5+.5 1 to 3

Have a great weekend!

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Distressed Homes and Home Owners

West Waluga Park
I know I wrote a post just recently about foreclosures and short sales, but a ton of new information has come to my attention. This information is really useful, so I decided to stay with the topic for this week.

Running the Numbers
I spent a little time looking more closely at just how foreclosures and short sales are impacting the market here in Lake Oswego. I easily figured out that the two types of distressed housing make up about 20% of the current listings. But what I got to thinking about was a more specific breakdown of the two, and finding out which are actually selling. Here is what I found:
* There are currently 548 properties for sale (these are including all residential: condos, town houses, and detached)
* There are currently 80 sales pending (offer accepted and in escrow)
* In the last 6 months 324 properties have sold and closed. At this rate, it will take it will take a little more than 10 months to sell the current inventory.
* There are 33 Bank foreclosures for sale (6% of the inventory), 17 are currently in escrow (21% of the properties in escrow), and 56 have sold in the last 6 months (which represents 17% of the closed transactions).
* There are 73 short sales currently in the inventory (13% of our LO market), 14 are pending sales that have not closed, and truthfully may never close (17% of the properties in escrow), and just 19 that successfully closed in the last 6 months (just 5% of actual, closed transactions).

I think I had a sense of this: that there are lots of short sales out there but that not a lot of them actually become a sold property. It is clear in the numbers. Short sales represent 13% of the inventory but just 5% of the sales. Whereas foreclosures represent just 6% of the inventory, but are 17% of the sales.

East Waluga Park

If you or someone you know is a distressed homeowner, pay attention NOW.

There is Federal stimulus money that has not yet been used. So far it feels like it’s all gone to the banks and been of little or no help to actual home owners. This is about to change. Beginning December 10th and ending in mid January, you can apply for mortgage payment help. The program is called MPA (Mortgage Payment Assistance). In Oregon 5000 households will receive help. Here is how it works. Go to www.oregonhomeownerhelp.org and apply. Applying for this help is going to be very similar to applying for a mortgage. You will have to submit bank statements, tax returns, etc. Households will be deemed qualified or not. All of the qualifying households will be entered into a lottery and names will be drawn. The 5000 house holds selected will have the Federal Government pay their mortgage payments for 12 months. The money will be considered a no-interest loan that is forgiven 20% per year for 5 years. So if you stay in your home for 5 years it will be 100% forgiven. There a lots more details, and I am not an expert. If you or someone you know needs this help, go to the website and get the information. Households can begin applying on December 10th.

I know the whole bailout is super controversial. But households in foreclosure is a tragedy that affects families, neighborhoods, and our entire economy.

Helpful Resources:
As part of my continuing education to renew my real estate license I took a 7-hour class yesterday on Short Sales and Foreclosures. While lots of good information was given out, I think I most appreciated getting come contact info for home owners who are financially distressed. Here are some good resources:
* You can find foreclosure avoidance counseling at www.hud.gov/foreclosure
* There are numerous scams preying on distressed homeowners. If you are tempted to hire services from a company who claims to be in a position to help you, check them out first by going to www.fanniemae.com/homeowners/beware-of-scams.shtm , www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/puts/consumer/credit/cre42.shtm , or http://redtape.msnbc.com/2008/09/post.html
* Check out the Federal Government’s Making Home Affordable Program at http://MakingHomeAffordable.gov
* In Oregon check out www.foreclosurehelp.oregon.gov

Putting Things in Perspective
Every month households receive notices of foreclosure. These numbers are for the month of October 2010:
Clackamas County 1 in 402 households received this notice
In Las Vegas, in the same month, it was 1 in 6 households.

I hope you find this useful. Don’t hesitate to give myself or Linda a call if you have any questions.
Dianne

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Market Activity Report Nov. 15-21, 2010

Woke up this morning to a dusting of snow and very cold temperatures. Brrrrrrr…….

Last week had just 4 new listings, 11 pending sales, and 15 closed sales. Recent media reports are sounding ever so slightly more positive. That combined with people wanting to move before Christmas has the market moving.

See below for further details:

NEWLY LISTED (Nov 15-21, 2010)

Address Price Type BR Bath Sq Feet
104 Oswego Summit $89,900 Condo 1 1 764
6319 Washington Ct $219,000 Detached 3 1.5 1274
19010 Longfellow Ave $284,900 Detached 3 1 1732
18222 Siena Dr $1,189,000 Detached 4 3.5 3998

PENDING SALES (Nov 15021, 2010)

Address Price Type BR Bath Sq. Feet
3433 McNary Pkwy #204 $99,900 Condo 2 2 1008
6447 McEwan Rd $154,900 Detached 2 1 912
18462 Don Lee Way $179,900 Detached 4 2 1904
5057 Foothills Dr C $189,900 Condo 3 2 1252
464 5th St $197,715 Condo 2 1.5 1092
1416 Cherry Crest Dr $259,000 Detached 5 3 2559
16105 Inverurie Rd $429,900 Detached 3 2 2356
13819 Provincial Hill Dr $445,000 Detached 4 2.5 2096
1235 Chandler $865,000 Detached 5 3.5 3717
13322 Leslie Ct $1,098,000 Detached 5 3.5 4449
13795 Cameo Ct $1,400,000 Detached 4 5.5+.5 7190

SOLD (Nov 15-21, 2010)

Address Orig. Price Sold Price type CDOM Sq Feet
44 Crestfield Ct $75,500 $75,500 Condo 11 923
20 Cervantes Cir $79,900 $80,000 Condo 8 912
212 Ridgeway Rd $189,900 $153,000 Condo 483 778
6120 Shakespeare St $185,000 $197,000 Detached 177 999
15139 Quarry Rd $250,000 $225,000 Detached 402 1328
37 Bloch Terr. $300,000 $280,000 Attached 142 1972
1073 Hallinan St $359,000 $338,000 Detached 124 1828
1255 Bayberry Rd $390,000 $355,000 Detached 335 1901
1899 Woodland Terr $389,000 $360,000 Detached 130 3031
5717 Bonita Rd $400,000 $370,000 Detached 53 2572
3541 Red Cedar Way $404,900 $385,000 Detached 14 1963
17890 Kelok Rd $417,900 $417,000 Detached 753 3095
5916 Sulnbrook Dr $459,900 $463,000 Detached 9 2617
15915 Waluga Dr $598,950 $550,000 Detached 261 2939
3151 Douglas Cir $1,349,000 $1,090,000 Detached 125 4400

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 11/21/2010

There is a chance of snow this Sunday.  Really?  I guess I’ll believe it when I see it.  We do get snow, so it certainly could happen. But the media always goes waaaaaay over board getting excited about the prospect.  So we shall see.

If we do get snow, open houses can be a bit iffy.  It all depends on the comfort level of the people involved for driving in it.  I would expect some of the open houses to be canceled if we more than a dusting.  There are currently 26 open houses scheduled:

86 Kingsgate Rd  F106.   $99,000 ,  2BR, 2 Bath, Open 1 to 3

18430 Pilkington Rd.  $219,900, 3 BR, 1.5 Bath, Open 1 to 3

18530 Pilkington Rd.  $229,900, 3 BR 2 Bath, Open 1 to 3

5055 Foothills Dr C.  $239,900.  2 BR, 2 Bath, Open 1 to 4

5031 Tualata Ln.  $279,900, 3 BR, 2 Bath, Open 1 to 3

53 Oriole Ln.  $304,900,  3 BR, 2.5 Bath, Open 12 to 3

326 Lake Bay Ct.  $464,900, 3 BR, 2 Bath, Open 1 to 3

17360 Hunter Ct.  $497,500, 4 BR, 2.5 Bath, Open 12 to 2

19319 SW Dogwood Ct.  $499,900, 4 BR, 2.5 Bath, Open 1 to 4

19443 Kokanee Ct. $499,900, 4 BR, 2.5 Bath, Open 1 to 4

19415 SW Dogwood Ct.  $499,900, 5 BR, 3 Bath, Open 1 to 4

4303 Sundew Ct.  $519,995, 4 BR, 2.5 Bath, Open 1 to 3

19245 SW Megly Ct.  $559,900, 5 BR, 3 Bath, Open 1 to 4

19263 SW Megly Ct.  $559,900, 5 BR, 3 Bath, Open 1 to 4

17981 Meadowlark Ln.  $584,900, 3 BR, 2.5 Bath, Open 11 to 4

5511 Fieldstone Ct.  $685,000, 4 Br, 2.5 Bath, Open 12 to 3

15459 Village Dr.  $695,000, 4 BR, 3.5 Bath, Open 1 to 4

5533 Fieldstone Ct.  $695,000, 4 BR, 2.5 Bath, Open 12 to 3

14480 Kruse Oaks Blvd.  $725,000, 4 BR, 3.5 Bath, Open 1 to 3:30

1930 Indian Trail.  $739,000, 3 BR, 3 Bath, Open 1 to 3

18842 Bryant Rd.  $739,000, 4 BR, 2.5+.5 Bath, Open 1 to 3

18894 Bryant Rd.  $749,000, 4 BR, 4.5 Bath, Open 1 to 3

17301 Canal Circle.  $764,000, 3 BR, 2.5 Bath, Open 1 to 3

18209 Siena Dr.  $1,058,000, 5 BR, 3.5 Bath, Open 12 to 3

18222 Siena Dr.  $1,189,000, 4 BR, 3.5 Bath, Open 12 to 3

Have a great weekend!  Perhaps you’ll even get the chance to build a snowman.

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Oregon Wine Country and Thanksgiving

I know that when you think of wine tasting, if you are like me, you think of summer breezes and lazy afternoons.  But, believe it or not, the premier time to tour Oregon vineyards is the weekend following Thanksgiving.  This is because the fall harvest is complete and there is a sense of celebration.  Many vineyards that are normally not open to the public will hold open houses over Thanksgiving weekend.  And nearly every vineyard is decorated for the holidays.  It is a wonderful time in Oregon Wine Country.

Living in Lake Oswego, we are only about a half an hour’s drive from Yamhill County, and about an hour’s drive from the start of the vineyards up along the Columbia River.  There are literally hundreds of vineyards.  Some are quite large and some are very small.  Some are run on a corporate level with huge mechanized operations, and others are truly hand crafted.

If you intend to take a wine country tour, you need to do a little prior planning.  First of all, there needs to be a designated driver.  Those little sips can add up.  I also highly recommend trying one of the many companies that put together wine tours.  I personally spent a fantastic Friday following Thanksgiving with a company called Grape Escapes.   You can arrange a private tour, a group tour, or asked to be a part of a group tour.  They also have full day and half day options.  On the occasion that I attended a friend and I organized a group tour.  We had about 10 people and were picked up here in Lake Oswego.  We then spent the day being driven in a 15 passenger van with a wine guide.  Each stop was a different vineyard.  We were treated to not only a tasting of wine, but a tour of the vineyard and a small meal.  It worked like a progressive luncheon that lasted all day.  The total cost?  About $100 per person plus gratuity.  But considering that the wine tastings were included, as well as our meal and the gas, it was a total bargain.

If you do go after the big turkey dinner, my recommendation is to head out Hwy 99 towards Yamhill County.  The various vineyards are pretty well marked along the highway. You can also find a map by clicking here.  And to help with your planning, here are a few tips:

  • Don’t squeeze too many wineries into one day.  They’ll still be there when you go back later.
  • If you aren’t on a tour that offers food, pack snacks or plan to stop for lunch.
  • Don’t bother washing your car before you go.  Most drives into the vineyards are not paved.
  • There are maps available on-line at the link above to help you avoid the main roads.  Traffic can get thick and you may want to favor side roads.
  • Wear comfortable shoes and bring warm layers and a rain coat.
  • Don’t wear cologne or perfume, as they will inhibit your ability to smell and taste.
  • If you bring children, bring activities to keep them occupied.
  • Be polite.  Remember that you are a guest of the winery.  Don’t complain about tasting fees as that is what it costs to be able to allow you the sample.  And many wineries will reimburse the tasting fee when wine is purchased.

I will personally recommend a stop in McMinville at Stonewolf Vineyards.  They have been known to not only have award winning Pinot Gris (in 2008 named a brand favorite by Rachael Ray), but in year’s past have served a spectacular salmon meal with country fiddle players.

Most vineyards charge a tasting fee of about $10.  Wine is also for sale by the bottle and by the case.

Celebrating the harvest.  Celebrating Thanksgiving and the holidays.  Celebrating Oregon.  We are so blessed and in so many ways.

Happy Thanksgiving, Dianne

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Market Activity Report November 1-7, 2010

Last week Lake Oswego had 14 New listings, 14 Pending sales, and 10 Closed sales, according to RMLS.

See below for further details:

NEWLY LISTED (Nov. 1-7, 2010)

Address Price Sq Feet BR Baths Type
57 Galen St $77,000 689 1 1 Condo
16250 Pacific Hwy #47 $109,900 1305 2 1 Condo
194 Ridgeway Rd 11B $205,000 1659 2 1 Condo
5056 Foothills Dr G $225,000 1252 2 2 Condo
4314 Botticelli St $229,000 2098 2 2.5 Condo
18530 Pilkington Rd $244,900 1925 3 2 Detached
1818 Country Club Rd $269,000 1596 4 2 Detached
18700 Wood Duck Way $429,900 2158 4 2 Detached
4705 Lakeview Blvd $539,990 2700 3 2.5 Detached
5836 Suncreek Dr $599,000 2500 4 2 Detached
17157 Blue Heron Rd $689,000 2749 5 3 Detached
3056 Wembly Park Rd $695,000 2611 4 2.1 Detached
2990 Glen Eagles $795,000 3650 4 2.5 Detached
12512 Shelby Ct $799,999 4975 4 4.5 Detached

PENDING SALES (Nov. 1-7, 2010)

Address Price Type BR Baths Sq Feet
37 Crestfield Ct $69,900 Condo 2 1 923
45 Eagle Crest #320 $109,900 Condo 1 1 768
3433 McNary Pkwy #408 $119,900 Condo 2 2 1008
464 5th St $197,715 Condo 2 2 1092
692 2nd St $259,000 Detached 3 1 1700
2602 Orchard Hill Pl $399,000 Detached 3 3 2568
17187 Carlson Ct $405,000 Detached 4 3 2082
17640 Treetop Way $447,000 Detached 4 3 2718
14370 Pfeiffer Dr $629,000 Detached 4 3 3318
1225 Lake Garden Ct $699,995 Detached 4 3.5+.5 3558
15578 Village Dr $799,000 Detached 3 3 3630
3155 Douglas Circle $925,000 Detached 5 3.5+.5 4517
2111 Hazel Rd $1,089,000 Detached 4 5 4894
670 Iron Mt. Blvd $1,250,000 Detached 4 3.5+.5 5208

SOLD (Nov. 1-7, 2010)

Address Original Price Closed Price Type Sq Feet CDOM
668 McVey #54 $140,000 $140,000 Condo 992 5
3508 Red Cedar Way $249,000 $220,000 Detached 1386 3
1462 Greentree $435,000 $362,500 Detached 2507 123
17670 Marylbrook Dr $499,000 $500,000 Detached 3067 77
550 Middlecrest Rd $624,900 $550,000 Detached 2240 187
571 2nd St #307 $739,500 $559,000 Condo 1561 626
18263 Anduin Terrace $625,000 $565,000 Detached 3100 92
17467 Westview Dr $727,900 $695,000 Detached 3774 4
844 5th St $829,000 $795,000 Detached 2590 32
16772 Alder Circle $1,995,000 $1,799,000 Detached 3151 154

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 November 7, 2010

Before you go to bed tonight, be sure to set your clocks back one hour. Then when you get up tomorrow morning, head on out to check out these 24 open houses in Lake Oswego.

BR BTHS Sq Ft Open
4057 JEFFERSON PKWY $179,900 3 2.1 1460 1 to 3
3854 BOTTICELLI ST $185,000 2 1.1 1132 12 to 2
4473 GOLDEN LN $249,000 2 2.1 1980 1 to 4
12802 BOONES FERRY RD $287,500 3 2.1 1454 1 to 5
53 ORIOLE LN $304,900 3 2.1 2072 12 to 3
14251 CAMDEN LN $385,000 3 2.1 2179 11 to 3
4859 SAGE HEN WAY $415,000 4 3 2417 1 to 3
17802 HILLSIDE WAY $424,900 4 2.1 2965 12 to 2
17791 HILL WAY $459,000 4 2.1 2506 1 to 3
326 LAKE BAY CT $464,900 3 2 1400 1 to 3
725 10TH ST $489,900 4 2 2016 2 to 4
19319 SW DOGWOOD CT $499,900 4 2.1 3105 1 to 4
19443 KOKANEE CT $499,900 4 2.1 2812 1 to 4
19415 SW DOGWOOD CT $519,900 5 3 3517 1 to 4
19263 MEGLY CT $559,900 5 3 3213 1 to 4
1277 HIDE A WAY LN $559,900 5 3 3120 12 to 3
12448 ORCHARD HILL RD $649,000 4 3 3302 11 to 2
5511 FIELDSTONE CT $685,000 4 2.1 3037 12 to 2
5371 LANGFORD LN $694,950 4 2.1 2950 12 to 2
15459 VILLAGE DR $695,000 4 3.1 3059 1 to 3
14480 KRUSE OAKS BLVD $725,000 3 3.1 4661 1 to 3:30
18209 SIENA DR $1,058,000 5 3.1 3839 2:30 to 4:30
1808 RIDGE POINTE DR $1,269,000 5 4.1 4155 2:30 to 4:30
1104 FOREST MEADOWS WAY $1,495,000 4 3.1 5756 2 to 4
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Preparing for Winter Weather

In this month’s Hello LO (the monthly newsletter mailed to the residents of this fine city) there is an excellent Winter Preparedness Guide. In the interest of helping you to protect your real estate investment, I thought I’d share with you some of the important suggestions.

The City is asking you
* To be sure your address is clearly visible and not covered with snow or ice
* To keep a path clear from your street to your front door
* To have an emergency supply kit
* To use flashlights instead of candles to help prevent fires
* To be aware of carbon monoxide hazards from outdoor heating devices used indoors

Make sure your smoke alarm is in good working order
Now is the time of year to check the batteries in your alarm and be certain that they are working. Current Oregon law requires that homes that are bought or sold have smoke alarms with a hush button feature, and either a 10-year lithium battery or be hard-wired with a back-up battery. There should be a working smoke detector on every level of the house with special attention paid to areas with bedrooms.

Food Safety
In a power outage, if your freezer is full, food will stay frozen for about 2 days. If it is less than half full food will stay frozen for about 1 day. Cover the freezer with blankets or sleeping bags to help food stay frozen longer. When the power comes back on, examine all of the food for spoilage and if in doubt, throw it out.

For food in the refrigerator, be especially careful of meat, fish, milk, mayo, and eggs. Again, if in doubt, throw it out.

Gas Shutoff
If you need to have your gas shut off, contact NW Natural at 503-226-4211 and they will send a technician to assist you. If, however, an emergency arises where you need to shut the gas off immediately, follow this simple procedure:
1) Locate the shutoff valve on the riser pipe (the pipe running from the ground or through the foundation wall to your meter). To turn the valve you will need a crescent or pipe wrench. A wonderful home inspector I use suggests every home owner buy a simple wrench that fits this valve and hang it on a nail behind the riser pipe. This way in a true emergency you aren’t fumbling around in the garage looking for the right tool. When the valve head is parallel to the riser pipe, it is in the OPEN position.
2) Turn the valve head crosswise (perpendicular) to the pipe and it will be in the CLOSED position. There are also natural gas shutoff valves on the lines fueling individual gas fireplaces. Once the gas is off, LEAVE IT OFF.
3) Call NW Natural, 503-226-4211, when you are ready to have the gas restarted.

Storm Clean Up and the Tree Code
A permit is not required to remove downed trees. However, pictures are encouraged for documentation.

An Emergency Tree Permit or a Hazard Tree Permit needs to be issued for trees that present an immediate danger of collapse or present a danger to either people or property. Again, be sure to take pictures. Both permits are obtained thru the City and may require a Hazard Evaluation Form completed by a Certified Arborist, along with photos. For more information, call the Community Development Department at 503-635-0290 or click here.

Photo courtesy of Cornell University
Don’t Forget Your Pet
OK, I know this isn’t about your real estate investment, but it is about an entirely important emotional investment.
* Consider inviting your outdoor dog or cat inside when the temperatures dip to freezing.
* More dogs are lost in the winter than any other time of year. In snow or ice dogs loose their scent and more easily become lost. Keep them on a leash or in their fenced yard, and be sure that they are wearing an ID tag and/or an ID chip.
* Cats will seek warmth and have been known to crawl under the hoods of cars. Get in the habit of banging on your car hood before starting your engine to give a cat the chance to escape.
* Thoroughly wipe your pet’s legs and stomach when you bring them inside out of the snow. They can ingest anti-freeze and other chemicals when licking their paws and grooming after they come indoors.
* Don’t leave your cat or dog alone in a car. They can freeze to death in January just as easily as they can die of heat exposure in July.
* Don’t let your dog run loose on a pond or lake where ice could break and they could drown. And this year, with the lake drawn down, keep them out of the murky mud in which they could become stuck.

It is really hard to know what to expect from Old Man Winter. Some years we get next to no snow or ice. Other years we get hammered. But in any case, we need to be prepared. I hope you have found this guide useful.

Dianne