Category: Selling Advice

Advice for home sellers in Lake Oswego, Oregon

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Market Activity ~ March 5-11, 2018

Lots of activity, and of course we had… sunshine! You should have seen the hordes out in Lake Oswego for the Open Houses this weekend.

Last week 13 New properties entered the market in Lake Oswego, 34 moved to Pending status, and 10 were “Closed”/Sold.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

NEW on Mkt (March 5-11, 2018)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
3844 BOTTICELLI ST $289,000 2 1.1 1132 CONDO
5325 OAKRIDGE RD $419,900 4 2 1191 DETACHD
3827 BASS LN $589,000 4 2.1 2302 DETACHD
14 OTHELLO ST $649,000 4 2.1 2464 DETACHD
496 10TH ST $850,000 4 2 2854 DETACHD
15985 BONAIRE AVE $900,000 3 3 2910 DETACHD
17390 GRANDVIEW CT $915,000 4 4.2 4502 DETACHD
3940 Canal RD $1,050,000 4 3.1 3838 DETACHD
2643 RIVENDELL RD $1,100,000 5 3.1 3466 DETACHD
12975 SW ELK ROCK RD $1,279,000 5 3.1 4579 DETACHD
13310 FOX RUN $1,330,000 4 3.1 3741 DETACHD
18137 MEADOWLARK LN $1,399,000 4 4.1 5306 DETACHD
612 RIDGEWAY RD $2,798,000 4 4.1 4106 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (March 5-11, 2018)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
4 TOUCHSTONE #109 $195,000 2 2 989 CONDO 3
3433 MCNARY PKWY #405 $198,000 2 2.1 1208 CONDO 3
4 TOUCHSTONE #141 $210,000 2 2 979 CONDO 12
5056 FOOTHILLS DR C $332,750 2 2 1252 CONDO 30
825 OAK ST $449,000 3 2 1350 DETACHD 3
5861 BENFIELD CT $449,000 4 2 1557 DETACHD 11
18963 LONGFELLOW AVE $449,750 3 1.1 1239 DETACHD 201
200 BURNHAM RD #211 $450,000 3 2 1862 ATTACHD 6
4912 LOWER DR $475,000 3 2 1557 DETACHD 2
121 3RD ST #121 $499,000 2 2 1065 CONDO 5
40 NOVA CT $519,900 4 2.1 2308 DETACHD 15
19050 PILKINGTON RD $529,900 3 3 1991 DETACHD 250
559 SUNNY HILL DR $577,500 4 2.1 2234 DETACHD 129
5687 BONITA RD $589,900 3 2.1 2048 DETACHD 0
120 CONDOLEA DR $599,900 3 3 2958 ATTACHD 5
1503 PINE ST $600,000 5 3 2792 DETACHD 165
16982 KARA LN $615,000 4 2.1 2408 DETACHD 2
16 EL GRECO ST $639,000 4 2.1 2826 DETACHD 3
16834 CHERRY CREST AVE $649,900 4 2.1 2598 DETACHD 2
13602 PROVINCIAL HILL WAY $675,000 3 2.1 2420 DETACHD 6
3088 ROSEMARY LN $719,000 4 2.1 3233 DETACHD 23
4198 GLACIER LILY ST $724,900 4 3 2806 DETACHD 4
3106 ROSEMARY LN $729,900 3 2.1 2717 DETACHD 65
1691 HIGHLAND DR $799,900 4 2.2 3314 DETACHD 17
1 MOUNTAIN VIEW LN $800,000 4 2.1 3352 DETACHD 19
1130 OAK TER $949,000 4 2.1 3729 DETACHD 0
16860 CORTEZ CT $1,079,900 4 3.1 3322 DETACHD 0
3485 UPPER DR $1,121,000 4 2.1 3332 DETACHD 119
19354 LORNA LN $1,249,900 4 3.1 4169 DETACHD 356
2735 GLEN EAGLES RD $1,379,900 4 3.1 2938 DETACHD 35
14190 SUNDELEAF DR $1,399,000 4 4 3671 DETACHD 0
2230 WEMBLEY PARK RD $1,449,950 5 4.1 4597 DETACHD 216
149 PINE VALLEY RD $1,450,000 4 2.1 3220 DETACHD 6
951 WESTPOINT RD $3,865,000 6 4 4144 DETACHD 520

SOLD (March 5-11, 2018)

Address Opening Price Closed Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
45 OSWEGO SMT $196,875 $218,500 1 1 764 CONDO 13
17380 MARJORIE AVE $509,000 $519,000 4 2 1816 DETACHD 5
25 TOUCHSTONE $599,000 $600,000 4 3 2194 DETACHD 2
19 HIDALGO ST $725,000 $712,500 4 3.1 4500 DETACHD 11
17594 SHEPHERDS CT $825,000 $800,000 4 2.1 3001 DETACHD 26
1898 OAK KNOLL CT $850,000 $836,000 4 3 3102 DETACHD 184
625 CARRERA LN $998,000 $890,000 4 3.1 5288 DETACHD 76
4136 CASEY CT $999,000 $999,000 5 3.1 4070 DETACHD 1
2135 RIDGE POINTE DR $1,796,000 $1,580,000 5 4.2 6755 DETACHD 247
1103 LAKE SHORE RD $2,595,000 $2,330,000 3 3 3647 DETACHD 169

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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To Stage or Not to Stage

When I council people who are wanting to sell a house the subject of home staging often comes up. Is it worth the cost? Will it result in a higher sales price? Good questions that I am going to tackle here.

First of all, selling home does require preparing the house. As I have mentioned before, getting it really clean is the first and most important thing that you are going to do. No one wants to buy someone else’s dirt. A dirty house will sell for significantly less than a clean house, in my opinion.

Before staging
The next stage of preparing a house to maximize it’s value is replacing worn surfaces such as carpets and counters, and then painting walls in good neutral colors that optimize the attractiveness of the house. I do believe you get your money back from carpet and paint. I want to be clear that I am not talking about remodeling kitchens and baths. While those are items that do improve the value of a house, I am addressing this blog post to the average person who wants to simply prepare a home for sale. I am not addressing the concept of a big remodel, commonly called a flip, to completely change a house.

Assuming the house is clean and has good carpet and paint, do you need to go one step further and have the house professionally staged with furniture and art work? I think it depends. If your property is in a high-demand price range, and in Lake Oswego that would be $500,000 or less, I just don’t think that home staging is necessary. A house in this price range is going to be given attention by buyers simply because it is affordable.

If your property is priced over $500,000 I do think staging is something that you may want to consider.

If you live in the house I don’t think you necessarily need to pay for the full services of a staging company that would require removal of your possessions and then the rental of new furniture and art. Rather, I think you may want to consider a one time consultation for a few hundred dollars. Actually, this is a service that I often do for my clients at no additional charge. I am not a professional stager, but I do have a sense of what looks good and what does not. The basic premise is remove clutter and over crowded furnishings to make rooms feel as large as possible.

After staging
If the house is completely vacant then putting a few decorative items into it will make if feel more warm and soften the hard edges of blank walls. I have a small supply of staging items that I often use in vacant homes.

If your house is clean and decorated in a tasteful manner I don’t think that you will sell for a greater final price with professional staging services. I do however think that your house will sell more quickly. This means that if your home is at a higher price point, staging can make your house stand out to buyers and can trigger a quicker offer.

Costs associated with home stage run as little as $200 for an hour’s consultation. If you do choose to have the house staged with furnishings and art, you pay by the size of the house and the length of time that the furnishings are rented. An average home runs about $3500 a month and a huge home can be as much as $9000 a month. On average sellers will rent the furnishings for a couple of months.

What it comes down to is the decision to stage or not to stage needs to be made on a case-by-case basis. Please give Linda or myself a call if you would like to get our opinion about your home. We are both familiar with the concept of home staging and we both have companies that do professional staging that we would be happy to refer you to.

Thanks for reading,
Dianne

Photos courtesy of stagetomove.com

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Market Activity ~ Feb 19-25, 2018

Last week 15 New properties enter the market in Lake Oswego, 23 moved to Pending status, and 12 were “Closed”/Sold.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

NEW on Mkt (Feb 19-25, 2018)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
330 CERVANTES CIR $199,900 2 1 832 CONDO
4 TOUCHSTONEb #141 $210,000 2 2 979 CONDO
750 1ST ST C14 $299,900 2 2 1350 CONDO
4053 JEFFERSON PKWY $299,900 2 2.1 1462 CONDO
5051 SW FOOTHILLS DR C $344,900 2 2 991 CONDO
5861 BENFIELD CT $449,000 4 2 1557 DETACHD
16043 KIMBALL ST $469,900 3 2 1433 DETACHD
1515 CLOVERLEAF RD $495,000 3 2.1 2206 DETACHD
1991 GREENTREE RD $639,000 4 3 2655 DETACHD
852 A AVE $768,000 4 2 2362 DETACHD
2325 OAKHURST LN $789,000 5 2.1 3627 DETACHD
808 TIMBERLINE DR $799,000 4 2.1 3276 DETACHD
4591 DOGWOOD DR $1,100,000 4 3.1 4177 DETACHD
1144 BAYBERRY RD $1,449,000 5 3 3523 DETACHD
3919 SOUTHSHORE BLVD $1,749,000 4 3.1 4150 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Feb 19-25, 2018)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
33 OSWEGO SMT / Lower $165,000 1 1 764 CONDO 183
47 EAGLE CREST DR #11 $180,000 2 1 932 CONDO 7
200 BURNHAM RD #208 $235,000 2 2 1320 CONDO 195
668 MCVEY AVE #46 $259,900 2 1 863 CONDO 49
5225 JEAN RD #510 $274,900 2 2 1100 CONDO 2
93 KINGSGATE RD $410,000 3 2.1 1669 DETACHD 427
6030 SHAKESPEARE ST $429,900 3 1 1056 DETACHD 337
18966 LONGFELLOW AVE $449,950 3 2 1330 DETACHD 26
14 AQUINAS ST $499,000 3 3 2531 DETACHD 153
40 NOVA CT $519,900 4 2.1 2308 DETACHD 2
4909 LOWER DR $525,000 4 2.1 1992 DETACHD 5
528 2ND ST $530,000 2 2.1 1568 CONDO 50
18426 SANDPIPER WAY $535,000 4 3 1884 DETACHD 5
1503 PINE ST $600,000 5 3 2792 DETACHD 152
1413 OAK ST $600,000 3 3 2424 DETACHD 23
3665 OLSON CT $675,000 4 3 2517 DETACHD 82
17167 CEDAR RD $749,900 3 2 2673 DETACHD 108
830 LAKE FOREST DR $749,999 4 2 2517 DETACHD 199
127 FURNACE ST #127 $799,000 2 2.1 1927 CONDO 1
17594 SHEPHERDS CT $825,000 4 2.1 3001 DETACHD 26
4101 VIRGINIA WAY $859,900 4 2.2 3231 DETACHD 29
3305 CEDAR CT $1,098,000 4 3.1 3986 DETACHD 11
1103 LAKE SHORE RD $2,595,000 3 3 3647 DETACHD 169

SOLD (Feb 19-25, 2018)

Address Opening Price Closed Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
16250 PACIFIC HWY #75 $279,900 $199,900 3 2 1593 CONDO 162
570 S STATE ST / Grnd $239,500 $239,500 2 1 914 CONDO 2
5353 LAKEVIEW BLVD $295,000 $388,000 3 2 2598 DETACHD 13
16855 GASSNER LN $449,900 $432,500 4 2 2258 DETACHD 30
3220 DUNCAN DR $649,000 $635,000 4 2.1 3042 DETACHD 188
13366 AUBURN CT $639,900 $639,900 3 2.1 2492 ATTACHD 0
5545 KILCHURN AVE $660,000 $650,000 3 2 2559 DETACHD 18
3242 GLENMORRIE DR $979,900 $940,000 3 2.1 3146 DETACHD 88
1555 Country Commons $995,000 $971,091 4 2.1 4191 DETACHD 273
4288 SUNSET DR $1,249,900 $1,220,000 5 4.1 3601 DETACHD 135
1972 CHERYL CT $1,999,999 $1,830,000 4 4.1 6952 DETACHD 89
17475 BLUE HERON RD $2,995,000 $2,850,000 5 5.1 5787 DETACHD 0

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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News & Notes ~ January 2018

Here is your look at the most recent data for the entire Portland area and how Lake Oswego fits in to this picture just below:

  • According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area, January, 2018:
    • There were 2,486 New Listings in Jan 2018 which was up 12.4% from Jan of 2017’s 2,212, and UP a whopping 53.7% from Dec of 2017’s total of 1,617.
    • At 1,628, Jan Closed Sales were down 11.9% from Jan 2017’s 1,847, and 30.7% from the previous month/Dec 2017’s total of  2,350. (***In contrast to all those people working to get “Closed” before year-end)
    • January’s Pending Sales (accepted offers), at 2,311 topped Jan of 2017’s 1,990 by 16.1% , and also increased 31.5% from the previous month/Dec 2017’s total of 1,757 (***It was actually the strongest January for Pending sales since January 2007’s 2,544)
    • The Average Sale Price in January of $436,400 was up $26,500 from January 2017’s $409,900, and also up from December 2017’s a whopping $421,700 by $14,700.   (***What a difference the turning of a year makes!)

Neighborhoods: January’s Average Sale Price + Appreciation (last 12 months):

  • North Portland:  $435,300              7.2%   (Dec 400,500)
  • NE Portland:  $445,800                   7.5%   (Dec 430,000)
  • SE Portland:  $380,900                   8.7%   (Dec 382,200)
  • Gresham/Troutdale:   $351,600   10.9%   (Dec 329,600)
  • Milwaukie/Clackamas:  $424,800  9.3%   (Dec 411,500)
  • Oregon City/Canby:   $408,600      7.3%   (Dec 402,100)
  • Lake Oswego/West Linn:$631,600 5.4%   (Dec 662,700)
  • West Portland:    $609,300             3.2%   (Dec 612,700)
  • NW Wash County:  $538,300          7.9%   (Dec 534,400)
  • Beaverton/Aloha:     $367,600        8.5%   (Dec 363,200)
  • Tigard/Wilsonville:   $428,400        7.2%   (Dec 435,700)
  • Hillsboro/Forest Grove: $390,300 10.4%   (Dec 366,800)

LAKE OSWEGO:

The combined areas of Lake Oswego and West Linn  for the month of January 2018 reported:

    •  281 Active Listings   (Dec 288)
    •  146 New Listings     (Dec 80)
    •  101 Pending Sales     (Dec 92)
    •   93 Closed Sales      (Dec 98)
    • Average Sale Price for Dec: $631,600  (Dec 662,700)
      • NOTE: Higher-Priced vs Lower-Priced Homes Sales can skew the “Average” in any given month.  Lake Oswego has quite a variety, so this tends to be a less meaningful stat, generally speaking, in this niche.
    • 93 Average Days on the Market   (Dec 73)
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Market Activity ~ Feb 5-11, 2018

Last week 13 New properties enter the market in Lake Oswego, 16 moved to Pending status, and 12 were “Closed”/Sold.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

NEW on Mkt (Feb 5-11, 2018)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
750 1ST ST E33 $197,000 1 1 986 CONDO
45 EAGLE CREST DR #402 $199,000 1 1 768 CONDO
200 CERVANTES $225,000 3 1.1 1138 CONDO
5056 FOOTHILLS DR C $364,900 2 2 1252 CONDO
17790 OVERLOOK CIR $590,000 3 3 3480 DETACHD
26 GROUSE TER $795,000 4 3 3857 DETACHD
116 MIDDLECREST RD $1,075,000 4 3 2545 DETACHD
3305 CEDAR CT $1,098,000 4 3.1 3986 DETACHD
418 NORTHSHORE RD $1,248,800 4 2 2838 DETACHD
1875 FERNWOOD DR $1,249,900 4 4 3279 DETACHD
16538 MAPLE CIR $1,299,000 4 3.1 2784 DETACHD
1059 BAYBERRY RD $1,548,000 5 3.1 3550 DETACHD
17399 CANAL CIR $2,349,000 4 3.1 4586 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Feb 5-11, 2018)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
32 OSWEGO SMT $174,900 1 1 752 CONDO 125
86 KINGSGATE RD C202 $225,000 2 2 924 CONDO 39
5225 JEAN RD #313 $260,000 2 2 1200 CONDO 155
3802 BOTTICELLI ST $275,000 3 2 1224 CONDO 3
5353 LAKEVIEW BLVD $295,000 3 2 2598 DETACHD 13
15494 BRIANNE CT $335,000 2 2.1 1250 ATTACHD 2
4000 CARMAN DR #49 $350,000 2 1.1 1004 CONDO 4
17460 SCHALIT WAY $497,000 4 3 2190 DETACHD 174
17 FALSTAFF ST $579,000 4 3 2450 DETACHD 100
33 HILLSHIRE DR $677,000 4 2.1 2757 DETACHD 45
12788 SIERRA VISTA DR $699,000 4 3.1 2812 DETACHD 221
1418 Maple ST $799,950 3 2.1 2066 DETACHD
740 7TH ST $1,249,000 7 7 5431 DETACHD 268
4660 WILDWOOD ST $1,289,900 4 4 3709 DETACHD 36
2462 SUMMIT DR $1,575,000 3 2.1 3598 DETACHD 270
12384 SW CLARA LN $2,000,000 4 2.1 2007 DETACHD 446

SOLD (Feb 5-11, 2018)

Address Opening Price Closed Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
61 OSWEGO SMT $219,900 $220,000 2 2 1212 CONDO 10
4236 WOODSIDE CIR $395,000 $400,000 3 2 1524 ATTACHD 16
4978 GALEN ST $474,850 $449,000 2 2.1 1552 ATTACHD 78
9 FALSTAFF ST $577,000 $549,000 4 2.1 2436 DETACHD 315
1885 CREST DR $625,000 $565,000 4 2 2120 DETACHD 132
16946 BRYANT RD $999,000 $824,000 2 2 1390 DETACHD 171
160 IRON MOUNTAIN BLVD $825,000 $835,000 4 3 3090 DETACHD 9
1579 BAY VIEW LN $988,000 $965,000 5 3 4730 DETACHD 182
15800 OSWEGO SHORE CT $1,155,000 $1,100,000 4 3.1 4047 DETACHD 269
18246 BELLA TERRA DR $1,269,000 $1,195,000 4 3.1 4200 DETACHD 311
830 CABANA LN $1,324,900 $1,200,000 4 3.1 3029 DETACHD 202
16697 MAPLE CIR $5,250,000 $5,250,000 4 3.2 3311 DETACHD 0

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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Market Activity ~ Jan 22-28, 2018

Last week 12 New properties enter the market in Lake Oswego, 19 moved to Pending status, and 11 were “Closed”/Sold.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

NEW on Mkt (Jan 22-28, 2018)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
160 OSWEGO SMT $199,000 2 2 1383 CONDO
5353 LAKEVIEW BLVD $295,000 3 2 2598 DETACHD
3688 SPRING LN #3D $299,900 2 2 1117 CONDO
507 ASH ST $399,000 4 3 4666 DETACHD
18966 LONGFELLOW AVE $459,950 3 2 1330 DETACHD
5524 WASHINGTON CT $799,000 4 2.1 2672 DETACHD
17594 SHEPHERDS CT $825,000 4 2.1 3001 DETACHD
4101 VIRGINIA WAY $899,900 4 2.2 3231 DETACHD
14144 GOODALL RD $1,089,000 4 3 3701 DETACHD
2912 WEMBLEY PARK RD $1,650,000 4 3.2 4389 DETACHD
18475 Crestline DR $1,888,888 4 4.1 4740 DETACHD
940 HOODVIEW LN $2,248,000 4 3.1 4638 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Jan 22-28, 2018)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
16250 PACIFIC HWY #75 $199,900 3 2 1593 CONDO 162
44 EAGLE CREST DRb #16 $221,900 3 2 1085 CONDO 192
19241 LONGFELLOW AVE $439,900 3 1 1188 DETACHD 3
4841 SW DAWN ST $489,000 3 2 1550 DETACHD 11
17323 ASHLEY CT $525,000 3 2.1 2117 ATTACHD 79
1033 SPRUCE ST $575,000 2 2.1 1623 DETACHD 6
21 MASARYK ST $585,000 4 2.1 2773 DETACHD 80
5622 CARMAN DR $599,000 4 2 2164 DETACHD 5
780 BRIERCLIFF LN $599,900 5 3.1 2502 DETACHD 97
13366 AUBURN CT $639,900 3 2.1 2492 ATTACHD 0
4729 LAKEVIEW BLVD $679,000 3 2.1 2551 DETACHD 40
19 HIDALGO ST $725,000 4 3.1 4500 DETACHD 11
18336 TAMAWAY DR $745,000 4 3 3372 DETACHD 6
4725 CAMBRIDGE CT $749,900 2 2.1 2942 ATTACHD 130
18440 DELENKA LN $799,900 4 3.1 4668 DETACHD 234
1316 CEDAR ST $849,999 5 3.1 3140 DETACHD 257
13300 FIELDING RD $850,000 3 2 2865 DETACHD 56
16034 INVERURIE RD $859,900 4 3 3305 DETACHD 18
2135 RIDGE POINTE DR $1,569,900 5 4.2 6755 DETACHD 247

SOLD (Jan 22-28, 2018)

Address Opening Price Closed Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
48 CERVANTES CIR 3-C $235,000 $220,000 2 1.1 1368 ATTACHD 4
18017 TUALATA AVE $379,900 $365,000 3 2 1124 DETACHD 28
5215 BONITA RD $495,000 $473,000 3 2.1 1761 DETACHD 16
5059 W SUNSET DR $599,900 $525,000 2 2.1 1734 ATTACHD 73
1798 KILKENNY RD $579,900 $529,900 3 2 2323 DETACHD 224
14260 UPLANDS DR $600,000 $580,000 4 3 2984 DETACHD 30
18410 DEERBRUSH AVE $659,000 $625,000 4 2.1 2246 DETACHD 92
13265 FOX RUN $699,900 $689,900 4 2.1 2614 DETACHD 34
17645 OAK MEADOW LN $828,000 $690,000 4 2.1 3723 DETACHD 159
339 6TH ST $789,000 $745,083 3 3.1 2258 ATTACHD 81
583 2ND ST $1,200,000 $1,200,000 2 2.1 2190 CONDO 0

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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News & Notes ~ Dec / Year-End 2017

We’ve got the numbers in for 2017~ Here is your look at the most recent data for the entire Portland area and how Lake Oswego fits in to this picture just below:

  • According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area, December, 2017:
    • There were 1,617 New Listings in Dec 2017 which was up 13.8% from Dec of 2016’s 1,421, and down a whopping 33.1% from Nov of 2017’s total of 2,416.
    • At 2,350, Dec Closed Sales were down 10.3% from Dec 2016’s 2,621, and 1.6% from the previous month/Nov 2017’s total of  2,387.
    • December’s Pending Sales (accepted offers), at 1,757 was exactly the same as Dec of 2016, and decreased 25.9% from the previous month/Nov 2017’s total of 2,371.
    • The Average Sale Price in December of $421,700 was up $22,400 from December 2016’s $399,300, and down from November 2017’s $425,000 by $3,300.   

Neighborhoods: December’s Average Sale Price + Appreciation (last 12 months):

  • North Portland:  $400,500              5.9%   (Nov 401,600)
  • NE Portland:  $430,000                   8.1%   (Nov 439,100)
  • SE Portland:  $382,200                   8.7%   (Nov 403,500)
  • Gresham/Troutdale:   $329,600   10.4%   (Nov 349,900)
  • Milwaukie/Clackamas:  $411,500  9.1%   (Nov 406,000)
  • Oregon City/Canby:   $402,100      7.2%   (Nov 377,800)
  • Lake Oswego/West Linn:$662,700 9.5%   (Nov 708,000)
  • West Portland:    $612,700             3.2%   (Nov 576,100)
  • NW Washington County:$534,400  7.7%   (Nov 501,200)
  • Beaverton/Aloha:     $363,200        9.2%   (Nov 349,300)
  • Tigard/Wilsonville:   $435,700        7.7%   (Nov 453,000)
  • Hillsboro/Forest Grove: $366,800 11.0%   (Nov 364,600)

LAKE OSWEGO:

The combined areas of Lake Oswego and West Linn  for the month of December 2017 reported:

    •  288 Active Listings   
    •   80 New Listings     
    •   92 Pending Sales   
    •   98 Closed Sales  
    • Average Sale Price for Dec: $662,700  
      • NOTE: Higher-Priced vs Lower-Priced Homes Sales can skew the “Average” in any given month.  Lake Oswego has quite a variety, so this tends to be a less meaningful stat, generally speaking, in this niche.
    • 73 Average Days on the Market
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Market Activity ~ Jan 8-14, 2018

Last week saw 7 New properties enter the market in Lake Oswego, 11 move to Pending status, and 8 “Closed”/Sold.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

NEW on Mkt (Jan 8-14, 2018)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
133 OSWEGO SMT $199,900 1 1 923 CONDO
4000 CARMAN DR F90 $205,000 2 2 834 CONDO
16250 PACIFIC HWY #60 $249,900 2 2 1305 CONDO
5545 KILCHURN AVE $660,000 3 2 2559 DETACHD
12788 SIERRA VISTA DR $699,000 4 3.1 2812 DETACHD
4004 MELISSA DR $709,900 4 2.1 2865 DETACHD
13171 SANDALWOOD CT $715,000 4 2.1 3325 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Jan 8-14, 2018)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
570 S STATE ST / Grnd $239,500 2 1 914 CONDO 2
4462 THUNDER VISTA LN $314,000 2 2.1 2040 CONDO 4
16855 GASSNER LN $449,900 4 2 2258 DETACHD 30
16150 LAKE FOREST BLVD $524,900 2 2 2302 DETACHD 42
528 2ND ST $525,000 2 2.1 1703 CONDO 7
9 FALSTAFF ST $549,000 4 2.1 2436 DETACHD 315
14260 UPLANDS DR $600,000 4 3 2984 DETACHD 30
4725 CAMBRIDGE CT $749,900 2 2.1 2942 ATTACHD 118
160 IRON MOUNTAIN BLVD $825,000 4 3 3090 DETACHD 9
4933 LAKEVIEW BLVD $996,000 4 3 3988 DETACHD 7
19419 SW EAST SIDE RD $1,300,000 4 3.1 4682 DETACHD 98

SOLD (Jan 8-14, 2018.)

Address Opening Price Closed Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
3290 WEMBLEY PARK RD $550,000 $530,000 5 3 2656 DETACHD 62
5330 CARMAN GROVE LN $759,900 $725,000 3 2.1 2442 DETACHD 165
1755 KILKENNY RD $844,900 $775,000 4 3 3164 DETACHD 131
1627 VILLAGE PARK LN $945,000 $790,000 4 3.1 3203 DETACHD 168
16 CELLINI CT $869,000 $790,000 3 2.1 3049 DETACHD 61
5349 CARMAN GROVE LN $899,900 $880,000 4 3 2847 DETACHD 189
14167 TAYLORS CREST LN $948,000 $885,000 4 2.1 3675 DETACHD 177
12750 FIELDING RD $1,100,000 $945,000 3 2 3018 DETACHD 41

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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Home Energy Scores

There are a couple of reasons I feel prompted to talk about home energy scores. First, it’s the middle of January and heating bills are affecting our budgets. Second, the City of Portland’s new requirement for home energy scores went into affect January 1st, 2018. Here in LO we don’t have a requirement for home energy audits to sell a home, but I think what the City of Portland is doing will affect all of the suburbs in the metro area.

A home energy score is an audit done by a licensed and certified professional. It costs about $125 and results in a standardized score of 1 to 10 and also includes an estimation of the energy costs for a particular home. If you live within the city limits of Portland and intend to sell your house, you have got to provide this score to prospective buyers. This is going to make the home energy cost question easy to obtain and to use in comparing homes to buy. I think homes with high scores, meaning very energy efficient, will be in greater demand than homes with low scores. To overcome this, homes with low scores will simply be priced for less to overcome this deficiency. As buyers get used to the availability of this information, I think they will begin to demand similar information outside of the city limits.

With this in mind, I thought it would be helpful to offer you a few simple, and relatively inexpensive ways to save home energy costs. I obtained this list from the Alliance to Save Energy, a National non-profit that was founded in 1977 and brings together professionals from government, business, environmental, and consumer communities. I have limited this list to items you can physically do to your house prior to selling it.

1. Install a programmable thermostat
2. When buying appliances, look for the Energy Star label
3. Install low-flow faucets, shower heads, and toilets
4. Install new, clean air filters
5. Reduce the water heater temperature to 130 degrees
6. Seal off air leaks
7. Insulate attic, walls, and floors.

Alliance also provides some tips for living in the house that will save you money.
1. wash clothes in cold water
2. use window shades to keep the sun out in the summer to cool the house, and to let the sun inside in the winter to heat the house
3. Change light bulbs to be modern halogen incandescent, LED, or CFLs. Notice I don’t recommend these bulbs at the time you are marketing the house. These bulbs often take time to “warm up” and fully illuminate. Unless you leave your lights all on for every showing, these bulbs will not brighten up quickly enough to illuminate a room if it is being shown without the lights already on. You want lots of light when you are marketing your home.

To read the full Alliance recommendations, click here.

A word or two about windows
I am a big fan of architecturally significant and older homes. I think that there is a fine line between updating an older home and ruining an older home. For instance, the beveled glass edges in fine old homes that are often in the living room and dining room of these old homes. What to do? I believe these windows should be preserved. You could consider putting a storm window in front of them, or even just leaving them alone and allowing them to be single pane.

Insulated windows do not provide as much energy savings as is often claimed. The Federal Trade Commission was warned or filed charges against more than a dozen window manufacturers to force them to be truthful in their advertising. Having said that, there is no argument that a double pane window, whether it is via sealed-insulated window, or an old-fashioned storm window, is going to be more energy efficient than a single pane window. Not too mention that single pane windows get condensation on the inside during the winter that can cause water staining and mold. NPR wrote a good article on the subject that you can find by clicking here. The point is, new insulated windows are expensive. If you are on a budget you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck with other measures, like the ones I have listed above.

As always, thanks for reading the blotter.
Dianne

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News & Notes ~ Nov 2017 Data

Here is your look at the most recent data for the entire Portland area and how Lake Oswego fits in to this picture below:

  • According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area, November, 2017:
    • There were 2,416 New Listings in Nov 2017 which was up 16.8% from Nov of 2016’s 2,080, and down 19% from Oct of 2017’s total of 2,981.
    • At 2,387, Nov Closed Sales were down 1.9% from Nov 2016’s 2,434, and 6.9% from the previous month/Oct 2017’s total of  2,565.
    • November’s Pending Sales (accepted offers), at 2,371 increased 4.6% from Nov of 2016’s 2,266, and decreased 12.3% from the previous month/Oct 2017’s total of 2,705.
    • The Average Sale Price in November of $425,000 was up $28,000 from November 2016’s $397,000, and down from October 2017’s $438,500 by $13,500.   

November Average Sale Price + Appreciation (last 12 months):

  • North Portland:  $401,600              5.8%
  • NE Portland:  $439,100                   8.3%
  • SE Portland:  $403,500                   8.3%
  • Gresham/Troutdale:   $349,900   11.1%
  • Milwaukie/Clackamas:  $406,000  9.0%
  • Oregon City/Canby:   $377,800      7.7%
  • Lake Oswego/West Linn:$708,000 9.4%
  • West Portland:    $576,100             4.3%
  • NW Washington County:$501,200  8.4%
  • Beaverton/Aloha:     $349,300        9.6%
  • Tigard/Wilsonville:   $453,000        6.9%
  • Hillsboro/Forest Grove: $364,600 11.4%

LAKE OSWEGO:

The combined areas of Lake Oswego and West Linn  for the month of November 2017 reported:

    •  376 Active Listings   
    •  124 New Listings     
    •  111  Pending Sales   
    •  108 Closed Sales  
    • Average Sale Price for Nov: $708,000  
      • NOTE: Higher-Priced vs Lower-Priced Homes Sales can skew the “Average” in any given month.  Lake Oswego has quite a variety, so this tends to be a less meaningful stat, generally speaking, in this niche.
    • 85  Average Days on the Market