Happy 2010 to each of you! I don’t know about you, but I can feel the excitement (and dare I say relief) in the air. It’s a new year, and things are looking good. Lake Oswego is already celebrating its Centennial, employment figures are up, real estate tax incentives are in full force (for a few months anyway), stocks started the year with a rally, and “the trend is still up” according to Rob Lutts, chief investment officer at Cabot Money Management.
Are there naysayers and warnings of impending doom? Yes, as always. I, however, am “cautiously excited” at the prospect of renewed opportunity all around. I see my clients achieving their goals and changing their lives, and I know that time does indeed march on. For my clients, job changes happen, marriages and divorces happen, families grow & need more space, loved ones want to be closer geographically, retirement and downsizing happen, and of course, “upsizing” is also very much alive.
The beginning of the year also always brings some legislative changes, like needing a hands-free device to talk on your cellphone in the car. The new law does, however “…exempt motorists who are on their hand-held cell phones ‘in the scope of the person’s employment if operation of the motor vehicle is necessary for the person’s job’.” Hmmmm, I wonder if that includes Realtors? Well, I think I’ll opt for safety anyway, but I can smell some friction (is that burning rubber?) ahead in the way of challenges to these minimum $142. tickets.
In the real estate world, there are all manner of regulatory changes, and changes to the “new” forms we’ll be using. Make sure to talk with your Realtor (or Dianne and I if you are without a Realtor) if you have any questions. Some of the changes could affect the timeline of your transaction if you are not aware of them. For instance, if a transaction includes any seller-carried financing, and the document is prepared by escrow, there is a 3-day mandatory review period… so if the Buyer is just seeing the document for the first time at signing, there will be a 3-day delay in closing. Also, you will notice that our ML#’s have gotten a bit longer. As we are starting a new decade, the ML#’s now start with “10”… so they’ll be longer numbers & have lots of zero’s for awhile : ) As an aside, the count on these, and therefore the number of new January listings as of today in Lake Oswego number 24, and range in price from $90,000 to $998,500.
Last, but definitely not least, I want to address the excitement of the ongoing Centennial Celebration in Lake Oswego. I’m including a link here to a pdf that has all kinds of historic Lake Oswego photos, and news stories from 1910. By that time Lake Oswego had been in existence for 60 years already. Three previous attempts at incorporation had failed due to fears around “additional regulations and taxation” (sound familiar?). Residents in First Addition were interested in: “promoting small businesses, water quality, fire protection, debate over the sale of alcohol, as well as government autonomy. The vote in favor of the measure was 79 to 22. Only men cast their ballots because Oregon women did not win the right to vote until 1912.” You really MUST check out this link. Some of the headlines read: “City Government Controls Width of Tires”, “Buy a Lake-Front Lot for $50.”, “Oswego’s Bear Population”, “Illiterate Cows”, “Pig Penmanship”, and many, many more.
Happy, Happy 2010 to you and yours, and thank you for reading the Property Blotter!
There are 5 truly NEW properties in Lake Oswego this last week, 3 that went to PENDING status, and 4 that SOLD.
Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes): NEWLY LISTED (Dec. 21—Dec.27, 2009)
Address
List Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
List Date
47 EAGLE CREST DR
$90,000
2
1
932
CONDO
12/22/2005
85 OSWEGO SMT
$225,000
2
2
1,212
CONDO
12/23/2005
13680 SHIREVA DR
$289,900
3
2
1,504
DETACHD
12/21/2005
4962 BILFORD LN
$439,900
3
2.1
2,168
ATTACHD
12/20/2005
1400 LEE ST
$475,500
4
3
2,804
DETACHD
12/22/2005
PENDING SALES (Dec. 21 – Dec. 27, 2009)
Address
List Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
364 NORTHSHORE RD
$399,900
2
2
2,220
DETACHD
465
19 BECKET ST
$399,995
4
3.1
3,818
DETACHD
36
4938 MULHOLLAND DR
$478,500
3
2.1
2,498
ATTACHD
217
SOLD (Dec. 21 – Dec. 27, 2009)
Address
O/Price
Sold Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
16200 PACIFIC HWY
$368,000
$210,000
2
2
1,208
CONDO
72
15010 TWIN FIR RD
$325,000
$260,000
8
2.1
3,526
DETACHD
220
953 A AVE
$450,000
$370,000
2
2.1
2,908
DETACHD
134
4688 CHELSEA LN
$649,900
$615,500
4
2.1
3,493
DETACHD
9
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.
Hope all of our Property Blotter readers who celebrate Christmas had a blissful and love-filled day yesterday with family and friends! For those of you who do not celebrate Christmas…. we hope you had a blissful and love-filled day yesterday with family and friends : ) For ALL of you, we wish you a memorable and satisfying holiday season.
There is just one house listed Open according to RMLS this Sunday, and it is a nice one in a mid-level price range that has recently dropped by $15,000. (photo used by permission) Enjoy! :
A very merry Christmas and holiday season to each of you from Dianne and me!
Here are a few notes from Lake Oswego:
Millenium Park Plaza in Final Phase! ~ The improvements include a small grove of Fuji cherry trees, a water feature and an ADA standard ramp to improve accessibility. Views of Lakewood Bay will be enhanced, and there will be even more room for Lake Oswego’s famed Farmers’ Market and the Lake Run. The park will re-open in May of 2010 in time for Farmers’ Market.
Historic Belluschi House Moves to Marylhurst ~ A home built by noted Portland architect, Pietro Belluschi will stay in Lake Oswego after all. Many thanks to Marylhurst University, where it will receive a permanent home on campus, and be restored as a lasting reminder of Belluschi’s architectural legacy. It is truuly a work of mid-century modernist art, and was about to be demolished until Marylhurst came to the rescue. Fund-raising efforts are now underway to move and restore the house. Here is a link to a photo in ModernHomesPortland.com: Belluschi House
Coat Drive ~ Lake Oswego will be collecting coat for Clackamas County Women and Children’s Centers through the month of February. If you wish to donate, please stop by City Hall at 380 A Avenue, or call 503 635 0257.
Adult Community Center New Year’s Luncheon ~ Doors open on Wednesday, December 30th at 11:30 for this fabulous feast & opportunity to celebrate with your neighbors. Suggested donation is $4.00 for those 60 & older, and $5.00 for all other attendees. The Community Center is located at the intersection of 5th & G Avenues.
Safety ~ The Lake Oswego Fire Department reminds us to consider safety and the safety of those around us as we move through this beautiful holiday season fraught with its own unusual circumstances. We are not usually stringing lights all over our homes for instance, and do not usually place trees in our living rooms adorned with lights of their own. The snaps of really cold weather (which broke many pipes in town a week or so ago) add another twist as we haul out our space heaters on those super frosty days. Here is a link to some safety tips for you and your family: Safety at Holiday Time
There are 8 truly NEW properties in Lake Oswego this last week (I left two of them in here because they were off the market for 30 days), 6 that went to PENDING status, and 7 that SOLD. I am seeing activity across the board in all price ranges, and in all areas of Lake Oswego.
Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes): NEWLY LISTED (Dec. 7—Dec.13, 2009)
Address
List Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
List Date
32 CERVANTES CIR
$148,500
2
1.1
1,092
CONDO
12/9/2009
1248 OAK ST
$249,900
2
1
900
DETACHD
12/11/2009
17756 WESTVIEW DR
$439,900
4
2.1
2,830
DETACHD
12/7/2009
14150 AMBERWOOD CIR
$659,000
3
2.1
2,500
DETACHD
12/7/2009
5245 LANGFORD LN
$719,000
3
2.1
2,957
DETACHD
12/13/2009
64 BERWICK RD
$759,000
4
3.1
3,740
DETACHD
12/7/2009
17833 MARYLCREEK DR
$950,000
5
4.1
6,540
DETACHD
12/10/2009
13961 KNAUS RD
$2,450,000
4
4.2
6,614
DETACHD
12/8/2009
PENDING SALES (Dec. 7 – Dec. 13, 2009)
Address
List Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
3433 MCNARY PKWY
$100,000
2
2.1
1,208
CONDO
212
5 FALSTAFF ST
$385,000
4
2.1
2,433
DETACHD
141
1457 BOCA RATAN DR
$399,950
3
2
1,568
DETACHD
70
4191 CHAPMAN WAY
$409,000
4
2.1
2,610
DETACHD
194
106 GREENRIDGE CT
$449,000
4
3
3,127
ATTACHD
136
17404 BERGIS FARM DR
$1,098,000
5
4.1
5,394
DETACHD
326
SOLD (Dec. 7 – Dec. 13, 2009)
Address
O/Price
Close Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
31 BECKET ST
$429,800
$400,000
3
2.1
2,365
DETACHD
98
16018 WALUGA DR
$415,000
$405,000
4
2
2,200
DETACHD
9
5 GARIBALDI ST
$574,800
$560,000
4
3.1
3,250
DETACHD
8
163 IRON MOUNTAIN BLVD
$799,000
$700,000
3
1.1
1,968
DETACHD
99
19422 LORNA LN
$805,000
$790,000
5
3.1
4,011
DETACHD
14
975 ENGLEWOOD DR
$899,000
$800,000
4
3.1
4,085
DETACHD
532
753 LAKESHORE RD
$1,385,000
$1,335,000
3
3.1
2,562
DETACHD
51
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.
Ok, so, it’s the holidays, and the Realtors are all running around serving their clients with Christmas trees on their car roofs… well, at least I am! Or was, earlier today. I visited another real estate office and noticed that I’m not the only one juggling real estate business and “extra” holiday activities and errands… and frankly we all are right now. So, I was thinking- What am I going to write about in the Property Blotter this time? I’ve got to take care of my clients and go shopping for Manicotti ingredients, champagne, Martinelli’s and all manner of other Christmas Party necessities. What will I write about? Food comes to mind of course.
I confess, I have been overextended into giving away some of my cooking secrets, and other hopefully interesting tidbits for the sake of expediency! What has the world come to? Anyway, here are a few little things I usually do not pass on to people… but for YOU??? Our Property Blotter reader? Here you go:
Manicotti: I make a killer Manicotti. It’s a well-known fact if I do say so myself, which is due to my dear Grandmother’s guidance and recipe… and which I am NOT giving you (she’d come after me from the afterlife!). So, you’ll have to come up with your own sauce and blend of cheeses, but I WILL tell you the biggest secret of all: ~How To Stuff Manicotti Noodles~ Basically, you stuff them while they’re hard. Using a pastry tube is something I incorporated last year and it worked much better than the “old country” method my Grandmother and I used, which was little by little with teaspoons. You stuff the noodles, line them up in a buttered pan till its filled with one layer, and pour your sauce over them all. Here comes the secret part: You then pour hot water… about 3/4 cup of it, around the edges of the pan, cover tightly with foil and bake according to your directions. The water steams the noodles, and your sauce retains the consistency you intended. Voila! (oops… not an Italian expression)
Hungarian Mushroom Soup: There is a restaurant in Portland called Old Wives Tales that is famous for this soup. I used to drive all the way there and take home large cartons of it. “Anything else, Miss?” “No. Just the soup please.” One day I experimented till I came up with nearly the same flavor. Sophisticated cooks will balk at this part, but I use 2 large cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup from the store. I then add several cloves of garlic (at least 5) chopped, at least a cube of butter, a 16 oz. carton of sour cream, 3 cartons of fresh sliced mushrooms from the produce section, one can of milk, and several tablespoons of paprika. Ta da! Secret, easy Hungarian Mushroom Soup.
Brussel Sprouts: For this I am going to give you a link to a great local cooking blog. A lot of people like to serve brussel sprouts during the holidays, and I believe there is some kind of superstition having to do with good luck when you eat them on New Year’s Eve. Anyway, this recipe is so good I can hardly describe it. The way you cook them is easy, involves lots of heavy cream and freshly squeezed lemon juice at the end. This method takes some of the “bite” our of them, and ends up sending you back for more till there are no leftovers. It’s that good (if you like brussel sprouts that is… and if you don’t, I’d suggest trying them this way to see if you change your mind). Here’s the link: Creamy Braised Brussel Sprouts
Ok, Addendum- Check. Closing Coordination- Check. Research- Check. Repair schedule- Check. Update Clients- Check. Documents Emailed- Check… Off to decorate the tree!
There are 7 truly NEW properties in Lake Oswego this last week, 10 that went to PENDING status, and 8 that SOLD. We are doing pretty well this year as last year at this same time, while we also had 7 NEW, only 4 were PENDING and 4 SOLD. You’ll notice that last week, of 6 NEW listings, 5 of them were under $400,000. 6 out of 10 PENDING were also under $400,000, and 5 out of 8 SOLD were as well.
Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes): NEWLY LISTED (Nov. 23—Nov.29, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address
List Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
List Date
5852 LAKEVIEW CT
$205,000
2
1
1,032
DETACHD
11/23/2009
16111 LINDSAY CT
$347,500
3
2.1
1,840
DETACHD
11/27/2009
454 5TH ST
$350,000
2
1.1
1,092
ATTACHD
11/28/2009
19167 LONGFELLOW AVE
$375,000
3
2.1
1,782
ATTACHD
11/23/2009
627 1ST ST
$375,500
2
2
2,090
DETACHD
11/27/2009
18269 TAMAWAY DR
$569,000
4
2.1
3,293
DETACHD
11/25/2009
355 6TH ST
$599,900
3
3.1
2,258
ATTACHD
11/29/2009
PENDING SALES (Nov. 23 -Nov. 29, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
List Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
86 KINGSGATE RD
$127,000
2
2
924
CONDO
236
26 WHEATHERSTONE
$225,000
3
2.1
1,692
CONDO
135
16584 ROOSEVELT AVE
$245,000
3
1
1,188
DETACHD
171
5686 WASHINGTON CT
$259,900
2
2
1,342
DETACHD
25
113 KINGSGATE RD
$275,900
3
2
1,436
DETACHD
94
18922 REDWING WAY
$379,900
4
2
2,076
DETACHD
105
4 ICARUS LOOP
$449,000
4
2.1
2,743
DETACHD
57
5502 Langford LN
$699,000
3
2.1
2,957
DETACHD
366
4380 UPPER DR
$708,900
5
4.1
4,071
DETACHD
111
17345 BERGIS FARM DR
$1,249,900
4
3.2
5,199
DETACHD
665
SOLD (Nov. 23-Nov. 29, 2009)
ADDRESS
ORIG. PRICE
SALE PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
O/Price
Sale Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
36 CERVANTES CIR
$159,900
$142,000
2
1.1
912
CONDO
337
73 OSWEGO SMT
$164,900
$145,000
2
2
1,212
CONDO
440
16600 BRYANT RD
$249,900
$224,000
3
2
1,877
DETACHD
106
3497 DEVONSHIRE DR
$259,900
$249,000
3
2
1,556
ATTACHD
145
1991 MAPLELEAF RD
$309,900
$309,000
3
2
1,456
DETACHD
14
1032 LAUREL ST
$424,000
$400,000
4
2
2,384
DETACHD
86
18410 DEERBRUSH AVE
$495,000
$450,000
4
2.1
2,217
DETACHD
78
1924 CHERYL CT
$1,299,000
$1,200,000
4
4.2
5,204
DETACHD
785
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.
There are three beautiful homes being held open on Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend according to RMLS. It is supposed to be relatively warm and partly sunny…. a nice day to get out and look at homes with those visiting relatives and/or friends you’d love to have closer to you…
Dianne and I are, as always, here for you… even on Thanksgiving weekend : )
This week we get to take a step back from our daily routine… usually we take a few days to kick back & enjoy family, friends, and good food… and at the very minimum, we enjoy a few extra moments or hours to reflect on all we have to be grateful for.
This has been quite a year. I don’t think there are many who have not been affected, or had a loved one affected by the roller coaster ride that has been our economy. Now that things are starting to turn, and we hear “the recession is over”, we may or may not be seeing big changes in our own lives yet, but we can look around, and take stock. Do we have shelter? A roof over our heads, warmth and food? Do we have family? And if so, do we remember to tell them each and every day that we love them? Do we have friends… real friends? If so, do we remember to let them know that they make our lives richer just by being themselves? Do we have a job? & If so, do we think about all the ways that job enriches our lives, providing goods and/or services to others and supporting our family? Do we have beauty in our lives? Do we remember to actually look at those hanging baskets in downtown Lake Oswego, or the beautiful lights and holiday dressing the town takes on this time of year? Do we see the beautiful little things that cross our paths everyday… often escaping our notice? Ok, I’ll stop, but hopefully this gets you thinking a bit. Maybe this year would be the year to start a Gratitude Journal. I have a friend who records everything that happened that day for which he is grateful every night before bed. He swears that it has turned his life around! Maybe this year we might start a new tradition with our children, and have them fill out two lists… one being everything for which they are thankful, and the other being, well, you know… the one that goes to the North Pole (make sure to address it to City Hall/North Pole this year though : )
I am grateful for so many things, and I know I speak for Dianne and I both when I say we are so thankful for our Property Blotter readers & clients. You make it all worthwhile.
I’ll leave you with a few quotes to start your holiday season off just right:
“Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet. Believe in man. Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place. There is not, and there never has been a better time, or a better place to live in.” –Phillips Brooks
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
—Melody Beattie
“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.” –Cicero
“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” –W.T. Purkiser
“Serenely full, the epicure would say, Fate cannot harm me, I have dined today.”
–Sydney Smith
Happy 2010 to each of you! I don’t know about you, but I can feel the excitement (and dare I say relief) in the air. It’s a new year, and things are looking good. Lake Oswego is already celebrating its Centennial, employment figures are up, real estate tax incentives are in full force (for a few months anyway), stocks started the year with a rally, and “the trend is still up” according to Rob Lutts, chief investment officer at Cabot Money Management.
The beginning of the year also always brings some legislative changes, like needing a hands-free device to talk on your cellphone in the car. The new law does, however “…exempt motorists who are on their hand-held cell phones ‘in the scope of the person’s employment if operation of the motor vehicle is necessary for the person’s job’.” Hmmmm, I wonder if that includes Realtors? Well, I think I’ll opt for safety anyway, but I can smell some friction (is that burning rubber?) ahead in the way of challenges to these minimum $142. tickets.
Realtor (or Dianne and I if you are without a Realtor) if you have any questions. Some of the changes could affect the timeline of your transaction if you are not aware of them. For instance, if a transaction includes any seller-carried financing, and the document is prepared by escrow, there is a 3-day mandatory review period… so if the Buyer is just seeing the document for the first time at signing, there will be a 3-day delay in closing. Also, you will notice that our ML#’s have gotten a bit longer. As we are starting a new decade, the ML#’s now start with “10”… so they’ll be longer numbers & have lots of zero’s for awhile : ) As an aside, the count on these, and therefore the number of new January listings as of today in Lake Oswego number 24, and range in price from $90,000 to $998,500.
Last, but definitely not least, I want to address the excitement of the ongoing Centennial Celebration in Lake Oswego. I’m including a link here to a pdf that has all kinds of historic Lake Oswego photos, and news stories from 1910. By that time Lake Oswego had been in existence for 60 years already. Three previous attempts at incorporation had failed due to fears around “additional regulations and taxation” (sound familiar?). Residents in First Addition were interested in: “promoting small businesses, water quality, fire protection, debate over the sale of alcohol, as well as government autonomy. The vote in favor of the measure was 79 to 22. Only men cast their ballots because Oregon women did not win the right to vote until 1912.” You really MUST check out this link. Some of the headlines read: “City Government Controls Width of Tires”, “Buy a Lake-Front Lot for $50.”, “Oswego’s Bear Population”, “Illiterate Cows”, “Pig Penmanship”, and many, many more.
yesterday with family and friends : ) For ALL of you, we wish you a memorable and satisfying holiday season.
A very merry Christmas and holiday season to each of you from Dianne and me!
Adult Community Center New Year’s Luncheon ~ Doors open on Wednesday, December 30th at 11:30 for this fabulous feast & opportunity to celebrate with your neighbors. Suggested donation is $4.00 for those 60 & older, and $5.00 for all other attendees. The Community Center is located at the intersection of 5th & G Avenues.
Ok, so, it’s the holidays, and the Realtors are all running around serving their clients with Christmas trees on their car roofs… well, at least I am! Or was, earlier today. I visited another real estate office and noticed that I’m not the only one juggling real estate business and “extra” holiday activities and errands… and frankly we all are right now. So, I was thinking- What am I going to write about in the Property Blotter this time? I’ve got to take care of my clients and go shopping for Manicotti ingredients, champagne, Martinelli’s and all manner of other Christmas Party necessities. What will I write about? Food comes to mind of course.
This week we get to take a step back from our daily routine… usually we take a few days to kick back & enjoy family, friends, and good food… and at the very minimum, we enjoy a few extra moments or hours to reflect on all we have to be grateful for.