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All About Lake Oswego, Oregon real estate topics

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Lake Oswego Reads

loreads2016_4
2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the annual Lake Oswego Reads. It’s pretty simple. The idea is that “the city that opens the same book closes it in greater harmony”. I am a pretty avid reader and I think I have read the chosen book at least 8 years of the 10. Great thought is put into the selection as it needs to appeal to a broad population of young and old. It needs to be engaging, but also appropriate for schools. The committee that chooses the books have done a great job.

Chief Joseph, Nez Perce, 1903
Chief Joseph, Nez Perce, 1903
I am particularly excited about this year’s selection as I have been a fan of Timothy Egan for some time. I really like good non-fiction. The first book I read of his was “The Big Burn” about Gifford Pinchot and the formation of the National Parks Service. From there I read “The Worst Hard Times” about the great depression and the dust bowl. Both of these books left me with better knowledge of important events, but also thoughts about how those times were truly dramatic (they made soup out of tumble weeks!). So I was excited that Timothy Egan is the author of this year’s selection “Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher”.

It’s the true story of Edward Curtis, an uneducated man from Seattle with a burning talent for photography and the drive that became his life’s mission, photographing the tribes of the American Indians before their lives were irrivocably changed by modern man. I am about 3/4 of the way through the book and it is a great read. I have so much more appreciation for Indians of the Willamette Valley and the Columbia River Gorge, but also for Indians in Arizona, New Mexico, California, Alaska, really our entire country.

The friends of the Lake Oswego Library are giving away free copies of the book on January 11th, this Monday, at 6:30pm, at the Lake Oswego Library (706 4th St). Then through out the months of January and February are a series of events that range from exhibits of Edward Curtis photography at the Library and LO Heritage House, to sampling of Native American foods, drum circles, and many other events. The highlight, in my opinion, will be the talk that Timothy Egan will be giving on the evening of February 10th at Lake Oswego High School. The event is free, but you do have to obtain your ticket in advance. They will be given out on January 23rd, 11:00-11:30, again at the Lake Oswego Library.

Lake Oswego Reads is one of many reasons I love this town!
Cheers to you and happy reading,
Dianne

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Secret Rooms

One thing that always interested me about custom houses is the potential for them to have secret rooms, panic rooms, or underground bunkers. It isn’t that I am paranoid of ever needing to use them, it is more so that the mysterious allure of them existing is something that intrigues my inner child. Books like: The Secret Garden, Alice in Wonderland, and even Anne Frank had a hidden passageway that were either critical or whimsical. In movies they where what bridged the gap between what is real and what is fantasy: Coraline, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Sleeping Beauty.
In person I have only a few recollections of seeing thoroughly hidden secret rooms, one that was more-so just a tiny door which lead into a much larger room. And in girl scouts I had a troop mate that had a hidden reading nook in her house above her bedroom. Of course I visited the Winchester Mansion, which had secret rooms, secret stair cases, and a wild assortment of wacky architectural direction.
My friends know that I am a broker, and often times will send me links to custom houses where people have put forth the effort to make secret rooms. About nine times out of ten they are panic rooms (my friends and I are really into zombie games, so it is kind of a joke with us). But every now and then we stumble across hidden man caves. Where sports and games line the wall of a hidden room, and one entire side of the wall is a large flat-screen TV; of course designed for the discerning and incognito game enthusiast. The hidden reading nook is a popular one, where you climb a tiny staircase behind your bookshelf to a little cozy room next to a window.
In perspective you can really have a secret room for just about anything. The whole point to it being there is that is, for whatever reason, your personal little space.

So that is what I have to share with you this week. I hope you all are having some good holidays this time of year. Have fun and stay safe!


*disclamer* This photo does not belong to me.

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Market Activity Report Dec 07 – Dec 13, 2015

It is nice too see that the market for Lake Oswego is very healthy this winter. Also a proud shout-out to my Mother! Her listing at 2 Walking Woods went pending.
7 new houses hit the market this week, 17 have gone pending, and 11 beautiful Lake Oswego homes sold. What a great start to the Holidays.

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

New on the Market (Dec 07 – Dec 13, 2015)

Address Type Price Bedrooms Bathrooms Sqft
4000 CARMAN DR #12 CONDO 158,500 2 2 866
228 RIDGEWAY RD CONDO 159,900 1 1 746
4386 THUNDER VISTA LN CONDO 274,900 2 2.5 1925
524 COUNTRY CLUB RD DETACHED 549,900 2 2 2168
1992 PALISADES TERRACE DR DETACHED 849,900 5 3.5 4140
MEADOWCREEK CTR DETACHED 975,000 4 4 3421
556 7TH ST DETACHED 1,239,000 5 3.5 3911

Pending Sales (Dec 07 -Dec 13, 2015)

Address Type Price Bedroom Bathrooms DOM
380 BOTTICELLI ST CONDO 167,000 2 1.5 21
200 BURNHAM RD #205 CONDO 220,000 2 2 3
3886 BOTTICELLI ST CONDO 220,000 2 1.5 30
454 5TH ST CONDO 323,000 2 1.5 28
5800 SEVILLE AVE DETACHED 399,000 3 1.5 40
14356 HOLLY SPRINGS RD DETACHED 489,000 4 2.5 60
1651 LARCH ST DETACHED 489,900 4 3 2
225 HIDALGO ST DETACHED 499,900 4 2.5 21
6150 KENNY ST DETACHED 559,000 3 2.5 137
2 WALKING WOODS DR DETACHED 599,900 4 3 85
1805 GLENMORRIE TER DETACHED 689,000 3 2.5 8
16717 SYLVAN CT DETACHED 699,999 4 3.5 176
18383 ANDUIN TER DETACHED 759,900 4 2.5 0
1330 PINE ST DETACHED 775,000 4 3.5 149
17154 LOWENBERT TER DETACHED 819,960 5 3.5 65
17620 WOODHURST PL DETACHED 1,050,000 4 4 290
990 TERRACE DR DETACHED 1,075,000 4 2.5 186

Sold/Closed  (Dec 07 -Dec 13, 2015)

Address Type List Price Close Price Sqft DOM
5225 JEAN RD #201 CONDO 224,900 205,000 1500 72
42 ORIOLE LN DETACHED 350,000 355,000 1290 8
16500 LAKE FOREST BLVD DETACHED 339,900 357,500 960 5
15213 QUARRY RD DETACHED 399,000 390,000 1761 19
3778 RIVERS EDGE DR DETACHED 769,000 660,000 3022 101
19133 MEGAN PL DETACHED 774,500 725,000 3724 115
13461 STEAMSIDE DR DETACHED 796,000 775,000 3321 70
1600 OAK ST DETACHED 900,000 865,000 4385 83
17353 RIDGEVIEW CT DETACHED 1,285,000 1,179,000 4032 198
3070 WEMBLEY PARK RD DETACHED 1,459,000 1,409,500 4032 127
1097 CHANDLER RD DETACHED 2,450,000 1,910,000 5313 410

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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The Holidays in Lake Oswego!

It is indeed a Winter Wonderland every year in Lake Oswego!Candy

Here are just a few options for your To-Do list:

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Write A Note With Your Offer

With the cold weather out in force, and people preparing for the holidays, it would be safe to assume that the real estate market might be slow; that houses and the demand for houses decrease. However I have personally noticed that this is not the case.

I am working with about five people right now, who are all buyers. Three of which are ready to pick a house and start calling the moving company, two are just casually looking for “the house” to emerge from slumber somewhere within the Portland Metropolitan area. It is with my active buying clients that I am starting to see a trend: Every house we place a bid on has some kind of bidding war going on! Most of which have a set deadline where the listing agent will present all offers to the seller, and the seller will pick their highest and best bid to win the house.
Unfortunately, for those looking to move right now, this means that you may have to pay more for a house that needs a bit of work. Something I was telling one of my clients just last week was:
“The cost for this house is not in the quality (as it needed a new roof and some major work in the kitchen, yard, and bathrooms), but what you are paying for is the convenience of location.” (not to mention it had other bids, but we did not know this at the time)
This was kind of a jagged pill to swallow because she did not want to move so far out of town that she felt so out of reach from her friends and family, but she also did not want to spend all of her money on a house that would require more money to fix up. I don’t think anybody wants to feel left out of the goings-on when you have everybody so close into Portland.
So one of the things that I have suggested when we decide we want to enter into a bidding war for a property close to home, is write a letter. Simple and sweet. The thing about writing a small one-page note (and maybe a scanned picture) is that you are reaching out to the seller on a more human level. Selling your house can be pretty emotional, sure the highest and best bid might be the greater offer. But sometimes there are sellers that are willing to sell their home to a reasonable buyer who reminds them of themselves, or has something interesting going on in their lives (marriage, children, cool hobbies). I once had a buyer whose bid was accepted because I had mentioned that my buyer collected motorcycles! It really could take just that simple thread of showing a bit of identity with your offer that means you beat all offers out of the water.

In any case, my buyers are still surfing the market looking for the right house, as I have noticed all have multiple offers. And I’m sure if you are in the market to buy right now you may be running into the same issue. So try writing a little one page note introducing yourself and your family, and who knows. It might just evoke the holiday spirit, and you win a bidding war on the house of your dreams.

Written by: Whitney Gregoire

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Market Activity Report Nov 16 – 22nd, 2015

Hope everybody had a wonderful and safe holiday! Looks like the week before turkey day was pretty busy! We had 13 pending properties, and 18 that where sold. 8 new houses have hit the market, feel free to check them out!

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

New on the Market (Nov 16-22, 2015)

Address Type Price Bedrooms Bathrooms Sqft
95 OSWEGO SMY CONDO 135,000 2 1.5 1116
3804 BOTTICELLI ST CONDO 167,000 2 1.5 1143
668 MCVEY AVE #40 CONDO 175,000 1 1 626
3954 CARMAN DR CONDO 219,900 2 2.5 1132
5340 CHIN00K CT DETACHED 410,000 3 2 1862
225 HIDALGO ST DETACHED 499,999 4 2.5 2299
547 2ND ST CONDO 625,000 2 2 1529

Pending Sales (Nov 16-22, 2015)

Address Type Price Bedroom Bathrooms DOM
61 GALEN RD CONDO 110,000 1 1 3
16250 PACIFIC HWY #54 CONDO 134,900 1 1 63
668 MCVEY AVE #25 CONDO 299,900 1 1 0
4347 SILVER CT CONDO 319,000 3 2.5 26
27 AQUINAS ST DETACHED 342,000 3 2.5 142
6355 SW DAWN ST DETACHED 345,900 3 2 5
18802 REDWING WAY DETACHED 439,000 3 2 34
1371 KOAWOOD DR DETACHED 599,900 4 3 115
13485 STEAMSIDE DR DETACHED 729,900 3 3 18
1255 BICKNER ST DETACHED 850,000 4 2.5 53
18945 BRYANT RD DETACHED 987,000 5 3 24
2091 SUMMIT DR DETACHED 1,150,000 3 2.5 40
1300 FOREST MEADOWS WAY DETACHED 1,299,000 5 3.5 88

Sold/Closed  (Nov 16-22, 2015)

Address Type List Price Close Price Sqft DOM
100 KERR PKWY #36 CONDO 115,500 115,500 631 42
4000 CARMAB DR g107 CONDO 174,800 171,013 1100 3
3696 SPRING LN 3B CONDO 269,900 285,000 1117 14
12802 BOONS FERRY RD CONDO 339,000 339,000 1454 25
5336 TREE ST DETACHED 379,950 379,950 1696 21
17701 BLUE HERON WAY DETACHED 418,900 380,000 2002 205
89 KINGSGATE RD DETACHED 399,990 394,000 1713 42
5882 KENNYCROFT WAY DETACHED 409,990 409,000 1272 5
17280 WESTVIEW DR DETACHED 487,000 487,000 2324 19
16731 ALDER CIR DETACHED 555,000 550,000 2301 8
15001 TWIN FIR RD DETACHED 585,000 575,000 2664 172
16 WESTMINSTER DR DETACHED 625,000 622,000 3202 2
607 ASH ST DETACHED 659,000 629,200 2860 72
2395 PALISADES CREST DR DETACHED 649,900 640,000 3397 141
17337 CEDAR RD DETACHED 719,000 653,500 3080 29
1061 YATES ST DETACHED 839,900 825,000 2837 33
1075 CHANDLER RD DETACHED 1,975,000 1,794,421 5710 48
1845 HIIGHLANDS LOOP DETACHED 2,500,000 2,230,000 5001 138

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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Dressing For the Rain

Here in Oregon we gear up for the persistent rainy season – which usually lasts from October until June (or perhaps it would be fitting to call our summer the one and only sunny season).
In any case, Oregon is very much known for its greenery and its rain. So how do we locals get ready for the rain?

Rain jackets and wind-breakers. Though wind-breakers are virtually fashionable sheets of waterproof rubber, these bad boys remain the mark of the state! In fact many who have lived here for generations will opt for their wind-breaker rather than an umbrella. Wind-breakers are also nice because you can wear them on the outside of your cloth warm jacket or work blazer. Get yourself a charming pair of rubber goulashes and you’re set!

Art: “Smile At The Rain” – by Beth Mendrickson Logan
(I chose to use this piece of art, which belongs to Beth Logan, because as a little girl I remember seeing it in my classroom. My teacher said: You can tell an Oregonian by how they hold their head up high in the rain.)

Smile At The Rain

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Market Activity Oct 26th – Nov 1st, 2015

This is the first week in quite a long while that I have seen such a small lineup of new listings. The mad rush of inventory that we had through the summer, and into the early fall, is now ending. As the winter begins to approach, and we hunker down with warm drinks and jackets, we’ll also see the real estate market slow down.
Hope everybody has some wonderful plans for turkey day!

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

New on the Market (Oct 26th-Nov 1st, 2015)

Address Type Price Bedrooms Bathrooms Sqft
67 OSWEGO SMT #67 CONDO 179,000 2 2 1212
42 ORIOLE LN DETACHED 350,000 3 2 1290
19 EL GRECO ST DETACHED 698,950 4 3 3030
1269 LAKE GARDEN CT DETACHED 929,000 4 2.5 2056
18945 BRYANT RD DETACHED 987,000 5 3 4755

Pending Sales (Oct 26th-Nov 1st, 2015)

Address Type Price Bedroom Bathrooms DOM
4 TOUCHSTONE #130 CONDO 159,900 2 2 2
668 MCVEY AVE #14 CONDO 179,000 1 1 92
48 EAGLE CREST DR 5E CONDO 205,000 2 2 55
5225 JEAN RD #201 CONDO 224,900 3 2 72
4347 SILVER CT CONDO 319,000 3 2.5 7
80 KINGSGATE RD DETACHED 349,900 3 2 3
5253 TIMBERGROVE ST DETACHED 357,500 3 2 8
18305 FERNBROOK CT DETACHED 399,900 3 2 2
55 NORTH SHORE RD #4 CONDO 415,000 2 2 36
19229 LONGFELLOW AVE DETACHED 419,900 2 2 4
14754 DAVIS LN ATTACHED 445,000 3 2.5 83
17520 REDFERN AVE DETACHED 499,900 3 2 48
432 LININGGOOD LLN DETACHED 519,000 4 3 114
5336 COVENTRY CT DETACHED 524,500 4 2.5 3
316 MIDDLECREST RD DETACHED 595,000 3 2.5 75
4744 CAMBRIDGE CT ATTACHED 605,000 3 2.5 0
17440 BLUE HERON RD DETACHED 699,000 3 3 45
17454 CANAL CIR DETACHED 755,000 3 2.5 47
1032 WESTWARD HO RD DETACHED 929,000 4 3.5 797
3070 WEMBLEY PARK RD DETACHED 1,459,000 4 3.5 127
17700 UPPER CHERRY LN DETACHED 2,500,000 5 5.5 8
1210 CHANDLER RD DETACHED 2,975,000 4 5.5 512

Sold/Closed  (Oct 26th-Nov 1st, 2015)

Address Type List Price Close Price Sqft DOM
4000 CARMAN DR #33 ATTACHED 165,000 170,000 1100 3
3892 BOTTICELLI ST CONDO 235,000 225,000 1288 180
4405 THUNDER VISTA LN CONDO 275,000 270,000 1922 11
1559 WORTHINGTON ST DETACHED 434,900 390,000 2016 83
18357 HEATHER ANN CT DETACHED 439,900 440,000 1832 2
27 DEL PRADO ST DETACHED 449,000 525,000 3341 7
39 NOVA CT DETACHED 539,000 525,000 2590 4
3232 WEMBLEY PARK RD DETACHED 799,900 530,000 2805 108
6 GROUSE TER DETACHED 544,900 534,900 3576 3
729 SOUTHVIEW RD DETACHED 725,000 603,000 2657 141
13836 AMBERWOOD CIR DETACHED 869,000 655,000 4183 184
2189 FERNWOOD CIR DETACHED 650,000 695,000 2921 141
23 MASAEYK ST DETACHED 724,000 724,000 2861 7
1874 GLENMORRIE TER DETACHED 939,000 817,500 3508 295
1943 INDIAN TRAIL DETACHED 869,850 875,000 2960 4
4640 DOGWOODDR DETACHED 1,100,000 900,000 3500 13
475 8TH ST DETACHED 999,950 970,000 2699 65
635 IRON MOUNTAIN BLVD DETACHED 1,369,000 1,369,000 4736 0
2950 WEMBLEY PARK RD DETACHED 1,950,000 1,795,000 6329 111
1186 CRESTLINE CT DETACHED 3,975,000 2,087,730 14411 1457

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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Teal Pumpkins in Lake Oswego

Hello everybody! I hope fall has been pleasant and enjoyable. We seem to be having some of this warm weather stretch out, which will hopefully mean a fun and dry Halloween!
Halloween is my favorite holiday, not only because of the candy and costumes but also because you get to walk with your family around the neighborhood and see the creative decorations that your neighbors worked tirelessly to put out.
One such addition to our spooky decorations that we may be seeing in Lake Oswego is the presence of a teal pumpkin. With food allergies becoming a growing concern the Food Allergy Research and Education has launched a project to encourage households to hand out non-food treats for the little ones. This way children with food allergies can enjoy this holiday without risk of getting sick.
There is an official pledge that I strongly suggest you visit here, though you can be an unofficial participant simply by having a teal pumpkin out and handing out toys instead of candy. When your teal pumpkin is out that will let parents know that you provide non-candy options. Though I do recommend you check out the official web site to learn a bit more before doing this.

Here are some non-candy ideas:
Spooky Halloween toys
Jelly bracelets
Spooky Halloween stationary (like pencils and erasers)
Bubbles!
Spooky Halloween jewelry
Glow sticks!

I hope everybody here in Lake Oswego has a safe and fun Halloween!

Teal Pumpkin

The TEAL PUMPKIN PROJECT and the Teal Pumpkin Image are trademarks of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).