Category: Selling Advice

Advice for home sellers in Lake Oswego, Oregon

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Market Activity ~ Nov 23-29, 2015

Last week, Nov 2-8, Lake Oswego we saw 4 New properties enter the market, 4 move to Pending status, and 11 “Closed”/Sold.

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

NEW on Mkt (Nov 23-29, 2015)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
4333 WOODSIDE CIR $124,900 1 1 764 CONDO
66 OSWEGO SMT #66 $359,000 3 2 1532 ATTACHD
670 IRON MOUNTAIN BLVD $674,900 5 3 3275 DETACHD
19285 MEGLY CT $1,649,000 4 3.2 5421 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Nov 23-29, 2015)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
9 ORIOLE LN $439,000 3 3 1928 DETACHD 10
19626 PERCH CT $465,900 3 2.1 1770 DETACHD 8
706 5TH ST $1,099,900 4 2.1 2730 DETACHD 173
13624 GOODALL RD $1,449,000 4 4.2 4411 DETACHD 262

SOLD  (Nov 23-29, 2015)

Address Open Price Closed Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
4434 THUNDER VISTA LN $254,900 $252,000 2 2.1 1970 ATTACHD 36
16 WHEATHERSTONE $325,000 $332,000 3 2.1 1692 CONDO 3
1228 CEDAR ST $349,500 $335,000 3 2 1302 DETACHD 43
116 GREENRIDGE CT $344,900 $344,900 4 2.1 2832 CONDO 0
18561 SW KRISTI WAY $349,000 $355,000 3 2.1 1440 DETACHD 30
5253 TIMBERGROVE ST $357,500 $372,000 3 2 1410 DETACHD 8
5875 BONITA RD $519,000 $515,000 5 3.1 2650 DETACHD 27
10 DEL PRADO ST $519,900 $517,000 5 3 3104 DETACHD 7
12777 SIERRA VISTA DR $694,000 $671,000 4 2.1 3144 DETACHD 135
1032 WESTWARD HO RD $969,000 $1,100,000 4 3.1 3824 DETACHD 797
13710 KNAUS RD $1,950,000 $1,750,000 4 4.2 5780 DETACHD 538

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 ~ October 2015 Numbers

Here are the October numbers for Portland and the Lake Oswego/West Linn areas (RMLS lumps them together).

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area, October, 2015:

  • There were 3,063 New Listings in October which was down 10.5% from September (3,424), but up 6.3% from October of 2014.
  • At 2,717, October Closed Sales fell 9.7% from September’s 3,010, and were up  9.2% from October of 2014’s 2,487.
  • October Pending Sales (accepted offers), at 2,996 were up slightky at 0.8% from September’s 2,971, and fared 20.8% better than October of 2014’s 2,480 total.
  •  The Average Sale Price in October of $360,000 was up significantly at $11,000 over September’s $349,000, and also up almost $25,000 over October of 2014’s $335,600. 

The combined areas of Lake Oswego and West Linn  for the month of October 2015 reported:

    •  390 Active Listings  (Sept was 454)
    •  143 New Listings   (Sept was 228 )
    •  142 Pending Sales    (Sept was 181)
    •  139 Closed Sales   (Sept was 181 )
    • Average Sale Price for October of $614,600 (Sept/$574,800. )
      • 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.
    • Average Time on the Market: 73 Days (Sept was 59)
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Market Activity ~ Nov 2-8, 2015

Last week, Nov 2-8, Lake Oswego we saw 5 New properties enter the market, 18 move to Pending status, and 5 “Closed”/Sold.  This is still a Sellers’ Market, and/but, Buyers have a bit of an advantage right now (better than any other time of year in a Sellers’ Market) as Sellers want to be “done” & focusing on holidays, finalizing by the end of the year, and other fun things.  On another note: Interest rates are rumored to be potentially rising in December……  Sounds like a Good time to buy if you’ve been on the fence. Something to think about ; )

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

NEW on Mkt (Nov 2-8, 2015)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
3886 BOTTICELLI ST $220,000 2 1.1 1132 CONDO
1720 YARMOUTH CIR $445,000 3 2.1 2020 DETACHD
13485 STREAMSIDE DR $749,900 3 3 3023 DETACHD
531 7TH ST $1,125,000 3 2.1 2818 DETACHD
1144 BAYBERRY RD $1,299,900 6 3 3523 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Nov 2-8, 2015)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
86 KINGSGATE RD D105 $159,900 2 2 924 CONDO 58
4000 CARMAN DR #74 $164,900 2 2 836 CONDO 10
200 BURNHAM RD #406 $229,000 2 1 1199 CONDO 153
6155 MCEWAN RD $320,000 2 2 1294 DETACHD 108
42 ORIOLE LN $350,000 3 2 1290 DETACHD 8
4230 SUNSET DR $379,900 3 3 1563 DETACHD 1
5934 KENNY ST $389,900 4 2 1596 DETACHD 62
17347 ASHLEY CT $454,900 4 2.1 2117 ATTACHD 90
6192 HARRINGTON AVE $474,900 5 3 2817 DETACHD 40
2222 CREST DR $545,000 4 3.1 2820 DETACHD 133
619 CLARA CT $549,000 4 2.1 2958 DETACHD 4
4595 HASTINGS PL $589,000 4 2.1 2176 DETACHD 1
17927 RIDGE LAKE DR $629,900 4 2.1 2544 DETACHD 55
1293 TIMBERLINE DR $649,000 3 3 2957 DETACHD 85
15821 SPRINGBROOK CT $699,900 2 2 2208 DETACHD 10
2337 HILLSIDE LN $899,000 4 3.1 4932 DETACHD 36
17346 CANAL CIR $995,000 4 3 3406 DETACHD 37
2912 WEMBLEY PARK RD 1100000 – 1300000 4 4.1 4500 DETACHD 129

SOLD  (Nov 2-8, 2015)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
5064 FOOTHILLS DR #F $269,000 $264,000 2 2 1252 CONDO 84
16200 PACIFIC HWY #22 $299,000 $299,000 2 2 1190 CONDO 7
49 BRIARWOOD RD $650,000 $610,000 3 2 2162 DETACHD 5
18360 DELENKA LN $859,900 $799,000 5 3.1 4828 DETACHD 154
4112 ORCHARD WAY $950,000 $917,500 5 4 4190 DETACHD 16

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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Real Estate During the Holidays

Our teal pumpkin
Our teal pumpkin
First of all, Happy Halloween! What a great, fun holiday. At my house we are geared up. We have pumpkins carved, seeds toasted, candy at hand, and plans to play poker around the dining room table while we answer the door. The forecast is stormy with the rain lightening up just in time for the Trick or Treaters. Let’s hope the forecast is right. I really love having kids come to the door. We are giving out glow sticks as well as candy as we honor the new concept of putting out a teal pumpkin and offering alternatives to candy. We have LOTS of glow sticks because we poker players plan to be heavily adorned.

I think Halloween is the informal kick off of the holiday season. It is just weeks until Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. So I want to take a moment to talk about what that means if you are selling or buying a home right now.

Buyers are out there. My listings are continuing to get showings and I am currently working with several ready buyers. Inventory is lower, so houses on the market are getting noticed. Interest rates are also low. In my experience interest rates tend to be the lowest of the year in the winter. If you are buying, these components make this a really great time of year to buy. I also think this is the best time of year to do a home inspection. If the house has water issues, they will be obvious. Last, if you are buying, a house that looks good on a rainy day will be spectacular on a sunny day.

240px-Jack-o'-Lantern_2003-10-31For those who are selling I want to talk about holiday decorations. I do think decorating for the holidays enhances the marketability of a house. I showed a house yesterday that was beautifully decorated for the fall. They had wreaths on the door and last summers flower pots were over flowing with silk leaves in the colors of fall and mini pumpkins. We were all smiling and commenting on how pretty they were as I worked to open the lock box. We entered the house ready to be impressed. But I also want to caution that the decorations that are specific to the holiday need to come down within a week of the passing of the holiday. A Christmas tree in April is a big NO!

So Happy Halloween to one and to all. May the day be festive with more treats than tricks!
Dianne

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Consumer Protection and Closing your purchase/sale

I think we all realize that after the debacle of the housing bubble and melt-down of the mortgage industry in 2007 some major changes needed to happen. I have seen 2 implemented already and a 3rd is just about to be rolled out.

The first two were 1) tighter lending regulations that force a buyer to actually prove that they are qualified for a mortgage, and 2) tighter appraisal regulations that force appraisers to factually prove the value of a house.

The 3rd is designed to protect the mortgage borrower. Essentially what it does is it forces lenders to be accurate from the beginning so that a borrower does not run into any surprises at closing. It also builds in waiting periods so that a borrower has time to reflect upon the costs of their new mortgage and not be pressured into a loan that will not serve them well.

The first deadline occurs when a loan application is made. Within 3 days of the application the borrower(s) must receive a Loan Estimate, coming to be called an “LE”. Then, 3 days prior to signing their loan documents the borrower(s) must receive a Closing Disclosure, coming to be called a “CD”. The costs comparing the 2 documents must be within 1/8th (.0125) of the APR, annual percentage rate. If there is an overage, it is the fault of the lender and must be paid by the lender. This way the borrower is not going to be Oswego-Lakesurprised by unexpected loan costs and their experience should be less stressful.

Be aware that this system is going to create delays in closing on a purchase.

The biggest issue is that changes happen in a transaction. The sales price might change as a result of repair issues, the borrower may decide they want a different loan product, any number of changes can happen. In the past when this happened the loan application could simply be modified. There was lots of flexibility in the process. With the new regulations when this happens now essentially a new loan is applied for and the waiting periods begin again.

It is normal when you are buying a home to be excited to get into it. It is especially normal when selling a home to want to close as quickly as you can to know it is final and to receive your proceeds. Closing in 30-45 days has been the practice. With the new guidelines I believe closings will take at least an additional week or two. So plan on closings in 45-60 days, if not more.

The other issue is that mortgage companies and banks are being given all of the same regulations but are being allowed to determine their own methods for implementing them. It is very specific that both the LE and the CD go to all parties. I learned in a recent class I took on the matter that some of the larger lenders are thinking about using the US Postal service to send the notifications. Seriously? What if one of the parties is out of the country? Talk about creating delays. Flexibility will be the name of the game as these changes are implemented.

As a buyer and as a seller, please avoid the blame game. If these new regulations do create delays, don’t blame the other party to the transaction. They have no control over this and there are going to be kinks as Realtors, Title Companies, and Mortgage Companies implement systems and iron out the kinks.

Last, if you happen to have a home that is at least 3200 square feet, newer, with at least a 3 car garage that you want to sell here in LO, call me! I have a buyer who has seen everything out that and is chomping at the bit!
Dianne

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News & Notes ~ July Numbers

Here are the most recent real estate numbers for Portland and the Lake Oswego/West Linn areas (RMLS lumps them together).

Enjoy!  I hope you find this helpful.

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area, July, 2015:

  • There were 4,273 New Listings in July which was down .2% from the previous month/June, but up 8.1% from July of 2014.
  • At 3,452 July Closed Sales increased 4.5% over June, and were up  28.9% from July of 2014.
  • July Pending Sales (accepted offers), at 3,494, were down a bit from the previous month by 3.1%, and 24.7% better than July of 2014.
  •  The Average Sale Price in July of $369,100 was down a whole $400. from June’s Average of $369,500, and up $24,400 from July of 2014’s $344,700. 

The combined areas of Lake Oswego and West Linn  for the month of July 2015 reported:

    •  447 Active Listings 
    •  253 New Listings  
    •  190 Pending Sales    
    •  201 Closed Sales   
    • Average Sale Price for July of $570,800. 
      • 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.
    • Average Time on the Market: 65 Days 
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Market Activity ~ Aug 10-16, 2015

LakeI Love August : ) Its my favorite month!  I hope you’re enjoying yours. Please feel free to call if you need any help.

Very Best,

Linda

~and~ Dianne & Whitney : )

Last week in Lake Oswego we saw 21 New properties enter the market, 28 move to Pending status, and 28 “Closed”/Sold.

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

NEW on Mkt (Aug 10-16, 2015)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
319 CERVANTES $199,900 3 2 1209 CONDO
52 CERVANTES CIR #3A $239,000 2 1.1 1344 CONDO
#3B $246,900 2 2 1489 CONDO
200 BURNHAM RD #408 $249,000 2 2 1305 CONDO
45 EAGLE CREST DR #509 $299,900 2 2 1379 CONDO
6210 CHILDS RD $425,000 3 1.1 1296 DETACHD
25 ORIOLE LN $449,950 3 2 1460 DETACHD
908 BICKNER ST $525,000 3 2 2263 DETACHD
1551 WOODLAND TER $525,000 4 2 2712 DETACHD
10 DEL PRADO ST $539,900 5 3 3104 DETACHD
207 EVERGREEN RD $579,000 3 3.1 1789 ATTACHD
15590 TANAGER DR $585,000 4 2.1 2532 DETACHD
327 CERVANTES $600,000 5 3.1 3600 DETACHD
316 MIDDLECREST RD $664,000 3 2.1 3202 DETACHD
279 EVERGREEN RD $679,900 3 3.1 2136 ATTACHD
1293 TIMBERLINE DR $699,000 3 3 2957 DETACHD
2461 MARYLHAVEN PL $720,000 5 3 3282 DETACHD
49 HILLSHIRE DR $749,900 4 2.2 4193 DETACHD
12716 ELK ROCK RD $1,000,000 3 2.1 4015 DETACHD
725 5th ST $1,124,900 3 3 2748 DETACHD
454 9TH ST $1,125,000 3 4 3278 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Aug 10-16, 2015)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
47 EAGLE CREST DR #14 $89,900 1 1 666 CONDO 105
47 EAGLE CREST DR #51 $90,000 1 1 666 CONDO 9
50 CERVANTES CIR #Main $165,000 2 1.1 1368 CONDO 4
192 OSWEGO SMT #192 $183,000 2 2 1383 CONDO 182
48 EAGLE CREST DR #4A $185,000 2 2 1489 CONDO 4
3864 BOTTICELLI ST #Main $197,000 2 1.1 1132 CONDO 3
668 MCVEY AVE #85 $199,900 2 1.1 976 CONDO 54
5882 KENNYCROFT WAY $315,000 3 2 1272 DETACHD 34
434 5TH ST #Grnd $324,900 2 1.1 1092 CONDO 4
6053 FERNBROOK ST $338,000 3 1 912 DETACHD 4
15879 KIMBALL ST $349,900 3 1.1 1076 DETACHD 11
6105 SW SHAKESPEARE ST $389,900 4 2 1550 DETACHD 81
17273 BRYANT RD $395,900 3 1.1 1452 DETACHD 120
35 CHURCHILL DOWNS $439,900 4 3 2271 DETACHD 56
15948 QUARRY RD $445,000 2 1 920 DETACHD 54
383 ASH ST $450,000 3 2.1 1697 DETACHD 6
523 2ND ST #105 $489,000 2 2 1208 CONDO 20
38 MORNINGVIEW CIR $525,000 3 3 2408 DETACHD 5
17766 MARYLCREEK DR $749,000 4 3.1 4439 DETACHD 36
5484 WESTFIELD CT $795,000 4 2.1 3062 DETACHD 3
5635 BAY CREEK DR $799,900 4 2.1 3036 DETACHD 10
5833 STEWART GLENN CT $835,000 4 2.1 3258 DETACHD 26
1189 SUNNINGDALE CT $849,000 3 2.1 2072 DETACHD 0
14360 UPLANDS DR $849,000 4 3.2 2577 DETACHD 31
13447 STREAMSIDE CT $849,900 5 2.1 3609 DETACHD 48
815 OAK ST $919,000 4 3.1 3709 DETACHD 52
17435 WREN CT $1,299,900 4 3 2960 DETACHD 2
13624 GOODALL RD $1,499,000 4 4.2 4411 DETACHD 157

SOLD  (Aug 10-16, 2015)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
47 EAGLE CREST DR #24 109000 92836 1 1 672 CONDO 56
31 LADD ST 318900 300000 3 1 867 DETACHD 127
12826 BOONES FERRY RD 304500 307000 2 2.1 1136 ATTACHD 6
5392 TREE ST 373900 362500 3 1.1 1232 DETACHD 7
258 CERVANTES 385000 385000 3 2.1 2312 ATTACHD 13
2705 ORCHARD HILL PL 435000 440000 3 2.1 2250 DETACHD 6
6276 FROST LN 449000 449000 4 3.1 2304 DETACHD 71
643 2ND ST 450000 452500 2 2 1457 ATTACHD 2
4023 TROUT WAY 395000 470000 4 2.1 2758 DETACHD 4
1293 HIDE A WAY LN 489000 480000 3 2.1 1720 DETACHD 4
4220 ALBERT CIR 585000 553000 3 3 2406 DETACHD 49
16460 LEXINGTON CT 574000 580000 3 2.1 2477 DETACHD 8
12448 ORCHARD HILL RD 599900 599000 4 3 3336 DETACHD 178
17 EL GRECO ST 644000 645100 5 2.1 2778 DETACHD 4
1775 PALISADES TERRACE DR 661000 650000 4 2.1 2112 DETACHD 0
321 5TH ST 749000 690000 3 3.1 2737 DETACHD 158
1503 EASTVIEW CT 689000 694000 3 3.1 3337 DETACHD 7
3723 RIVERS EDGE DR 750000 750000 4 2.1 2875 DETACHD 2
2221 OVERLOOK DR 799000 750000 4 2.1 3628 DETACHD 31
14153 EDENBERRY DR 775000 775000 4 2.1 3113 DETACHD 28
14009 CHELSEA DR 765000 785000 4 2.1 3060 DETACHD 5
5364 LANGFORD LN 825000 797000 3 2.1 3022 DETACHD 27
5650 BAY CREEK DR 859900 799900 4 2.1 3668 DETACHD 53
49 BRIARWOOD RD 950000 900000 3 2 2162 DETACHD 138
17340 OAK MEADOW LN 929000 913000 3 3.1 3718 DETACHD 35
4540 LAMONT WAY 949900 949900 4 2.1 3555 DETACHD 6
827 8TH ST 999990 1000000 5 3.1 3852 DETACHD 3
328 KENWOOD RD 1095000 1100000 4 4 4184 DETACHD 2

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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Tips & Tidbits

  • Documentation and timelines will be changing soon around your Lending and Closing Disclosures.  Make sure to discuss with your Realtor and your Lender as these changes can affect your ability to meet your contractual Closing date if not monitored properly. Specifically, there are a certain number of days mandated for your review of them prior to being able to Close, so find out your Lender’s plan for timing in getting them to you. Also, Escrow’s documents for your revew will depend on when they receive information from your Lender. Expected current timeline for implementation has now been moved to Oct 1st.
  • Speaking of meeting the Closing date and plotting timelines carefully, also remember to factor in the potential need for sign-off by an Appraiser if there were repairs that require that (either because of FHA or other loan requirements), or because an Appraiser calls something out that will necessitate it…such as the common issue of a Carbon Monoxide Detector not being in the home at the time of the Appraisal (…really  a Good idea to make sure there is one in the home before the Appraisal : )
  • Buyers- Make sure to discuss your Offer pricing with your Realtor in the context of current market value research before making your Offer.  In this competitive market, reports are varying widely that Appraisals are coming in just fine in some instances, and/but low in others. Per the Oregon Residential Real Estate Sale Agreement generally used, you are not obligated to pay over Appraised Value, and a bank will not lend over that value either. So… this becomes an uncomfortable negotiating point toward the end of a transaction should you really Love the house and the Seller won’t budge on price. Sometimes people are able to meet somewhere in the middle on price, but if you decide you want to proceed with some kind of arrangement in this realm of options, any monies over the Appraised Value will need to come out of your pocket. Take a close look at the best info available on values in that neighborhood in the recent past at the outset so that you don’t go too far afield in your eagerness to compete.
  • The same is true for Sellers. Make sure you take into account, when you price your home for sale with your Realtor, that your property will need to appraise “at value” in order to close at the agreed-upon price… without headaches, drama and potential “sale fail”.

 

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Changes With Appraisals

l-lake-oswego-mansionSomething is going on with appraisals these days and it is significant enough to impact the purchase or sale of a home if the sale involves a mortgage. There are two specific changes with one leading to the other.

Appraisals are taking longer

For pretty much my entire real estate career the time for an appraisal to be ordered and completed has typically been about 10 days. When things got busy, it may take a day or two longer. When things slowed down, it might come in more quickly. This quick turn around allowed buyers the luxury of completing all of their home inspections and having the certainty that the house is something that they wanted to buy, before they had to pay for an appraisal. No more.

I am experiencing appraisals that are taking a minimum of two weeks and I currently have an FHA loan being processed in which the appraisal took a full month.

Oswego-LakeWhat is causing this? It certainly has to do with the fact that we are in the peak of the selling season with an above average amount of loans being processed. But I think there is another factor. Just as qualifying for a loan has become more difficult, the appraisal process has tightened up. Appraisers have to factually prove the value based upon collateral. They can not fudge the numbers with things like “an upwardly trending market”. So where there may have been 14 offers and a bidding war to gain a sale, that does not mean that the house will appraise out. This is not about emotion. This is about factually proving the value.

Plan to pay for and order the appraisal within days of acceptance of your offer

This means that to have a closing within 45 days of acceptance, a typical time expectation, you need to pay for the appraisal right away. Buyers just do not have the luxury of waiting until after the home inspection. I suppose you could simply ask for a 60 day close to allow time to inspect before buying the appraisal. Good luck with that in this seller’s market. I am seeing sellers agents commonly write that the appraisal must be ordered right away as a part of the contract negotiation at the time of the offer.

So just a heads up. This change is having a pretty big impact on closing transactions. Plan ahead, get the appraisal ordered early, and close on time. This will make everyone happy.

Dianne

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News & Notes ~ May Numbers

Here are the most recent real estate numbers for Portland and the Lake Oswego/West Linn areas (RMLS lumps them together).

Enjoy!  I hope you find this helpful.

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area, May, 2015:

  • There were 4,161 New Listings in May which was up 5.4% from the previous month/April, but down 0.7% from May of 2014.
  • At 2,942 May Closed Sales increased 7.6% over April, and were up  18.5% from May of 2014.
  • May Pending Sales (accepted offers), at 3,546, was down a bit from the previous month by 1.9%, and was 18.6% better than May of 2014.
  •  The Average Sale Price in May of $359,100 was up $11,600. from April’s Average of $347,500, and up $23,800 from May of 2014’s $335,300. 

The combined areas of Lake Oswego and West Linn  for the month of May 2015 reported:

    •  414 Active Listings  (364 in April)
    •  276 New Listings    (237 in April)
    •  191 Pending Sales    (200 in March)
    •  155 Closed Sales   (161 in March)
    • Average Sale Price for May of $533,300.  ($506,300. in April)
      • NOTE: Higher-Priced vs Lower-Priced Homes Sales can scew 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.
    • Average Time on the Market: 78 Days  (73in April)