I was pleasantly surprised yesterday morning to find an article on the front page of the Clackamas County edition of the Oregonian featuring a story about the new electric-car, plug-in charging station that is now in Lake Oswego.
Located on A Avenue, it is right in the heart of the downtown shopping and dining district. If you own an electric car, you can park at the curb and charge your car for FREE.
The station is one of 5 that PGE has installed in the State of Oregon. Their hope is to have 12 stations established in anticipation of car manufacturers rolling out new lines of hybrid/plug-in vehicles by 2010. For the details from PGE, click here to link to their website.
The new station in Lake Oswego was paid for by the City of Lake Oswego at a cost of about $5000. The September 23rd Oregonian quotes Lake Oswego Mayor Judie Hammerstad as saying “This is a big step forward in sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.” The article goes on to explain that the electricity that will be used will be paid for in a partnership with the City of Lake Oswego and local businesses. The hope is that while drivers will frequent the area to charge up their cars, they will also stay in the area to shop, dine, and support local businesses.
I know that I am totally excited about the changes that the high cost of gas are creating in the auto manufacturing industry. I intend to stay in my 4-year old, 80,000 mile car for another year or two in anticipation of the better choices for hybrids and plug-in hybrids that will be offered to consumers in the next few years. I think this is something that should have happened years ago, and I am glad that consumer demand is pressing the changes.
If you’d like a little background on electric cars, I highly recommend the 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? Produced by Papercut Films, it won many awards at film festivals throughout 2006 and 2007. It tells a fascinating tale about a successful electric car that was built years ago and then pulled from the market. It will also show you how doable the electric car is. Not only does it have no emissions, it has no maintenance along the lines of oil changes or filter changes, and it makes no sound.
It is my understanding that the average trip in an auto is under 50 miles. I think the ideal car would be a plug-in hybrid. It would operate on electricity for the first 50 miles, for daily driving, and then convert to a hybrid that is supported by gas, for trips that are longer than 50 miles. So in a couple of years when I pony up and by that plug-in hybrid, I now have a place to charge it for free when I do business in downtown Lake Oswego. How cool is that?
For the full text of the September 23rd Oregonian article click here.
Back in March I wrote a post about affordable homes in Lake Oswego. My definition of affordable were homes priced under $350,000. At the time, March 28, 2008, there were 20 houses for sale in Lake Oswego priced at $350,000 or less. I compared that number to houses in Sellwood, a close-in neighborhood in Southeast Portlnad, where at the same time there were 18 houses priced $350,000 or less. What is going on today? How has the changing market affected the availability of affordable houses?
Absolutely one of the best features of living in Lake Oswego is the ability to enjoy the lake. And one of my favorite ways to enjoy it is by riding a bike, or taking a walk or a jog around it. The first time I ran the lake was in 1980. I have done it many, many times since then. Although I have to admit that these days instead of running it, I bike or walk it. It’s just about 8 miles all the way around. Biking it, the challenge is to do it in one hour’s time. I know that does not seem very fast, but there are two substantial hills in the ride and if you can do it in an hour, you are kicking some serious #*%*. Walking it takes about 2.5 hours, and running it, back in my hey day, took just over an hour.
Start at the Lake Grove Swim Park, which is just North of the intersection of Southshore Blvd and Lakeview Blvd, along Lakeview Blvd. Proceed North on Lakeview. I suppose it is actually slightly Northeast, but for the sake of keeping it simple, head North along the shoulder of the road. There is a nice wide bike path and you’ll be enjoying the view of the lake and the stately mansions. You will go about half a mile before you come to the first right hand turn. 
cross the bridge with the view to the left of Lakewood Bay you will come to a 3-way stop, turn left. Go about a block and take the first right. This is is Fairmont. You are only going to go about 100 feet before you turn left onto Middlecrest. Middlecrest is not a through street. It has a barrier erected to keep out auto traffic, but there is a pass through for bikes and pedestrians. Stay on Middlecrest a couple of blocks to the traffic light at State Street. 
According to Kelley Woodwick at Chicago Title, there is good news for sellers, in that flood insurance contracts may be transferred to new buyers at grandfathered rates and zones. Again, check the city’s new maps before June 18th to acquire information on the grandfathered areas… after the 18th, I am told that the information will most likely be removed from the website. 
For most of the 20th century, oil heat was the primary method of heating homes. If you own or are considering purchasing a home that was built before 1965, chances are pretty good that the house had oil heat. And chances are also pretty good that the oil tank was buried in the ground.
On a recent Broker’s Tour in Lake Oswego, my cohorts and I were discussing how important it is to include accurate information in listings, and we noted how easy it is to inadvertently choose the wrong “field” when entering data etc. I thought it might help the prospective home seller or buyer to know a little about how agents search for houses, specifically in using the basic search fields provided to them on the MLS.
If you prefer a newer home, but also want a big back yard, then you will find yourself in a quandary. There are new houses, and there are large lots, but they just don’t seem to be found together. What’s up with that?
Lake Oswego is known to be a community with very expensive homes. Lake front, river front, city views, mountain views, you can find some pretty special amenities here that do drive up the value of a home. So, yes, there are million dollar mansions in Lake Oswego. But does that mean that there are not any less expensive homes? No. In fact, I am of the opinion that the community is often over-looked by buyers because they make the assumption that there is nothing for sale in Lake Oswego that they can afford. So here is a quick moment of enlightenment to be shared: Lake Oswego has affordable houses.