Posts

Posted on

Market Activity ~ Nov 24-30, 2014

snowflake_lgGreetings, Property Blotter readers!  OK, I  will go out on a limb and say that things are slowing down a bit.  I call this the Holiday Black Hole : )  I do business this time of year every year because people either Buy or Sell for so many reasons… most not having to do with the weather… and time of year often plays into the desire to accomplish something (by moving) at or around the time of the turn of the year.  Anyway, I decided that for myself a long time ago, and so it is ; ) But most people take their minds off real estate at this time of year and put them on family, friends, and the things that really matter in Life…  some of us just have “dual duty” in helping to make changes that house the family and friends that we Love, while decorating and toasting with Loved ones all at once!  …and that’s plenty of fun too.

Here is your Latest Market Data: Last week in Lake Oswego we saw 9 New properties enter the market, 10 move to Pending status, and 8 “Closed”/Sold.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

NEW on Mkt (Nov 24-30, 2014)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
5275 OAKRIDGE RD $349,900 3 1 1267 DETACHD
5590 KILCHURN AVE $624,900 4 2.1 2472 DETACHD
13070 BOONES FERRY RD $549,000 3 1 1864 DETACHD
910 FAIRWAY RD $1,098,000 4 3.1 3384 DETACHD
34 DEL PRADO ST $569,950 4 3 3120 DETACHD
1075 OAK TER $355,000 3 2 1356 DETACHD
66 GALEN ST (Upper) $109,500 1 1 689 CONDO
2234 FERNWOOD CIR $545,000 4 3 2975 DETACHD
2109 WEMBLEY PARK RD $819,000 5 3 3154 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Nov 24-30, 2014)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
18951 INDIAN SPRINGS CIR $449,900 5 3 2865 DETACHD 3
1744 FERN PL $599,000 4 2.1 2110 DETACHD 10
59 GALEN ST (Lower) $94,900 1 1 550 CONDO 22
831 4TH ST $525,000 3 1.1 2240 DETACHD 20
100 KERR PKWY #11 $95,000 1 1 617 CONDO 282
19211 TERRY AVE $370,000 4 2 1872 DETACHD 9
5048 TREE ST $310,000 3 1.1 1232 DETACHD 7
12819 ALTO PARK RD $1,038,500 4 4.1 3944 DETACHD 8
1045 BULLOCK ST $568,000 3 2.1 2105 DETACHD 11
5726 CHARLES CIR $696,500 4 3.1 3173 DETACHD 104

SOLD  (Nov 24-30, 2014)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
3061 DORIS CT $449,000.0 $420,000.0 5 2 2684 DETACHD 68
87 OSWEGO SMT (Lower) $119,000.0 $79,000.0 2 1.1 1116 CONDO 125
16342 IVY LN $699,900.0 $645,000.0 5 3.1 4645 DETACHD 57
137 KINGSGATE RD $446,000.0 $449,000.0 3 2.1 2372 DETACHD 2
13327 ATWATER LN $895,000.0 $840,000.0 3 2 3004 DETACHD 220
6243 SW DAWN ST $314,000.0 $302,500.0 3 1.1 1254 DETACHD 89
4 TOUCHSTONE #110 $149,000.0 $145,000.0 2 2 989 CONDO 85
18936 BRYANT RD $749,900.0 $670,000.0 4 4 4100 DETACHD 189

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.

Posted on

Market Activity November 17th to the 23rd

Looks like things aren’t slowing down even in the late fall. We have twelve brand new listings here in Lake Oswego, fourteen pending properties, and seventeen sold homes! Looks like this is a very busy start to the holidays.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

New on the Market (Nov 15-23, 2014)

Address Type Price Bedrooms Bathrooms Sqft 47 EAGLE CREST DR #40 CONDO 89,500 1 1 696 4 TOUCHSTONE #78 CONDO 164,900 3 2.5 1351 1803 BOCA RATAN DR ATTACHED 297,000 2 2.5 1739 5048 TREE ST DETACHED 310,000 3 1.5 1232 16470 BRYANT RD DETACHED 324,900 3 2 2024 19211 TERRY AVE DETACHED 370,000 4 2 1872
6435 FROST ST DETACHED 529,000 4 2.5 2627 17850 PILKINGTON RD DETACHED 585,000 3 2.5 3222 197 FURNACE ST S 3s CONDO 699,000 2 2.5 2091 18375 RIVER EDGE LN DETACHED 897,950 4 2.5 3404 1874 GLENMORRIE TER DETACHED 939,000 3 3 3858 19320 LORNA LN DETACHED 1,100,000 4 3.5 4192

Pending Sales (Nov 17-23, 2014)

Address Type Price Bedroom Bathrooms Sqft DOM 4619 LAKEVIEW BLVD D-3 CONDO 92,000 1 1 753 28 43 CRESTFIELD CT CONDO 107,500 2 1 923 27 98 OSWEGO SMT CONDO 129,900 2 2 1140 152 7140 SW CHILDS RD DETACHED 275,000 3 1 2032 149 16442 SW KIMBALL ST DETACHED 350,000 3 1 1200 45 17520 REDFERN AVE DETACHED 350,000 3 2 1776 11
16998 GREENTREE AVE DETACHED 393,500 4 2.5 2392 161
17225 CHAPIN WAY DETACHED 395,000 3 2 2257 119
1318 LAUREL ST DETACHED 439,900 3 2.5 1649 2
47 DA VINCI ST DETACHED 475,000 3 2.5 2445 112
17821 HILLSIDE WAY DETACHED 589,000 4 3.5 3442 44
571 2ND ST CONDO 589,500 2
2 1561 18 531 LAUREL ST DETACHED 649,900 4 3.5 2771 212 15444 BOONES WAY ATTACHED 850,000 3 2.5 3464 4

Sold/Closed (Nov 17-23, 2014)

Address Type List Price Close Price Sqft DOM 44 EAGLE CREST DR #15 CONDO 89,900 85,000 798 197 272 CERVANTES CONDO 139,900 127,000 1209 234 45 EAGLE CREST DR #409 CONDO 155,000 153,000 1214 4 18543 DON LEE WAY DETACHED 260,000 250,000 924 49 5326 W SUNSET DR DETACHED 259,900 259,900 754 3 16200 PACIFIC HWY #35 CONDO 299,000 275,000 1208 268
92 GREENRIDGE CT #92 ATTACHED 348,000 335,000 1980 14
475 8TH ST DETACHED 375,000 365,000 960 0
20 AQUINAS ST DETACHED 410,000 385,000 1814 33
1530 LARCH ST DETACHED 469,000 439,875 2384 22
886 9TH ST DETACHED 465,000 450,000 860 3
132 MIDDLECREST RD DETACHED 495,000 495,000 1617 0
4125 WOLF BERRY CT DETACHED 529,900 529,000 2824 1
13639 TWIN CREEK LN DETACHED 675,000 650,000 3202 87
2335 OSWEGO GLEN CT DETACHED 995,000 850,000 3932 167
14122 GOODALL RD DETACHED 969,000 930,000 4530 331
678 8 ST DETACHED 1,050,000 1,050,000 2900 1
16650 FIR LN DETACHED 1,279,000 1,200,000 3860 57

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.

Posted on

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy and Safe Thanksgiving

Today is a very wonderful holiday, not only for us as friends and family but also for homes and houses. Today we give thanks for all the many things that we are blessed with in our lives while we celebrate a patronage that has been on-going in our culture since as early as 1621.
Why is this important for our homes and houses? Because the very thought of Thanksgiving throughout the year attributes to our many reasons to wanting to be home owners. When we look at a house we see ourselves in that house as well as imagine our friends and family. Thanksgiving is a very good reason why we’d lean toward a more open kitchen or larger dinning room. Our homes express our lives and our lives are enriched with the people that we are gifted to be around, and a home that suits our experiences through the many holidays is an asset not only for our wealth in money but in happiness and fulfillment.
This Thanksgiving I would like to give thanks to all those homeowners out there who are right now hosting their family gatherings in their kitchens, livingrooms, dinning rooms, and entertainment rooms. Who have found the house of their dreams and spent the last week sprucing it up for their guests. Thank you hosts and homeowners!

Posted on

2015 Economic Forecast

royalty-free-finance-clipart-illustration-77965While 2014 may be winding down, 2015 is just around the corner. I tend to think of this time of year as a time to regroup. Business is slower. It gives me a chance to catch my breath, but also to gear up. January 1, I want to hit the ground running. With that in mind, I try to take advantage of First American Title’s annual economic forecast. This event happened this morning and I thought I share some of what I learned.

The expert who gives this presentation is John Mitchell, Chief Economist for M&H Economic Consultants. He does a great job of taking a dry subject that is filled with numbers and charts, and making it entertaining and engaging. I am going to share with you a few highlights.

For the most part the outlook is good. While economic growth has been slow, it has also been steady. For the past few years there have been fits and starts with the economy. Mr. Mitchell likened it to Bill Murray and Groundhog Day. We’ve seen it before and we will see it again. The economy is chugging along. It’s not explosive, but it is more steady than not.

Some positive news:
Consumers who have delayed major life decisions (getting married, having a child, buying a bigger house) are gaining confidence and starting to make those big moves. This is a stimulus for the housing market.

The US Economy is the envy of the world. Financial and personal security are threatened in many parts of the world (Asia and Europe continue to lag in economic recovery, then there are the world events in Russia and the Middle East). This has countries and individuals looking to put their assets where they feel they will be secure, and that place is the United States. Mr. Mitchell gave credit to this influx of foreign money for the unexpectedly low interest rates of 2014.

dire6n7rTThe housing market is rebounding with both existing family home and new construction selling at greater rates than they have in years.

Oregon was #6 in the Nation for job growth in 2014.

Nationally, mortgage delinquencies are the lowest they have been since 2000.

Some concerns:
We are entering a whole new world that has no historic precedent. The stimulus package is pretty much over. The Federal Reserve is no longer buying mortgage backed securities. The economy is going to have to hold up the anticipated growth on its own. Having said that, the Fed is prepared to jump back in and re-engage if needed. This shows how fragile this recovery is. There is a lot of uncertainty.

The world situation has a lot of areas of concern. Ebola and ISIS were not on our radar a year ago. A major event can derail our economy. These events are not just difficult to hear about because of their horror, they also have an impact on our economy through things like consumer confidence and political turmoil.

Slowly gathering strength
On the whole, our economy is slowly gathering strength. As the job market grows and people feel more financially stable, they start to make decisions to improve their lives. Buying a new home is a big part of that picture.

Mr. Mitchell did advise that interest rates are likely to go up in 2015, but it will be fact driven. If the economy is not rebounding, they will stay low. If the economic rebound gets stronger, they will go up. Odd to think that rising interest rates are triggered by good news, but they are.

My personal thought on all of this is that our government and the Fed need our housing market to continue to rebound. It is vital to our National economic health. I have confidence that the housing market will stay on track with slow and steady growth.

As always, thanks for reading The Blotter,
Dianne

Posted on

Market Activity Nov 10-16, 2014

Last week in Lake Oswego had some interesting data. There were 11 new listings, 22 pending sales, and just 8 closed sales. What I find interesting is the large number of pendings compared to the new listings. It’s obvious that those who are in the mood to buy want to move in before Christmas, and those who want to sell are not is no much of a hurry with the holidays at hand. Also of note is the short market time of the pending sales. This next week or two will be a good time to list a home for sale to take advantage of the pre-holiday rush.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

New on the Market (Nov 10-16, 2014)

Address Type Price BR Bths SF
13188 Vermeer Dr Detached $450,000 3 2.5 1854
17190 Robb Pl Detached $450,000 4 3 1896
16201 Lake Forest Blvd Detached $464,900 3 2.5 2780
17380 Canyon Dr Detached $550,000 4 2.5 2526
1045 Bullock St Detached $568,000 3 2.5 2105
1744 Fern Pl Detached $599,000 4 2.5 2110
1607 Pine St Detached $599,960 4 2.5 2943
12511 Shelby Ct Detached $649,900 5 3.5 3675
1785 Palisades Terrace Dr Detached $799,000 5 4.5 5052
15444 Boones Way Attached $850,000 3 2.5 3464
12975 Elk Rock Rd Detached $1,000,000 5 3.5 3878

Pending Sales (Nov 10-16, 2014)

Address Type Price BR Baths SF DOM
4610 Lower Dr Condo $114,900 2 1.5 1260 46
4636 Lower Dr B-1 Condo $128,000 2 1.5 1170 9
86 Kingsgate Rd C203 Condo $139,500 2 2 924 4
3826 Botticelli St Condo $174,900 2 2 1055 56
113 Touchstone Terr Attached $293,000 3 2.5 2104 5
16875 Tracy Ave Detached $299,900 4 2 1825 114
706 5th St Detached $300,000 4 2 1824 16
4724 Firwood Rd Detached $329,000 3 1.5 1240 5
21 Summit Ridge Ct Attached $339,000 2 2.5 1654 16
1437 Oak St Detached $349,000 3 1 1070 4
6101 Harrington Ave Detached $359,000 3 2.5 1400 5
16266 Lake Forest Blvd Detached $369,900 3 2 1860 146
1878 Mapleleaf Rd Detached $395,000 3 1.5 1347 41
5978 Fernbrook Circle Detached $449,900 4 2.5 1612 12
205 Hidalgo St Detached $459,900 3 3.5 3032 131
37 Churchill Downs Detached $470,000 3 2.5 2372 4
12 Scarborough Dr Detached $525,000 4 2.5 2943 139
2671 Glen Eagles Rd Detached $850,000 3 3 4019 179
17547 Cherry Ct Detached $998,850 4 3.5 3737 337
19354 Lorna Ln Detached $1,049,988 5 3.5 4169 403
14084 Goodall Rd Detached $1,195,000 5 5.5 5399 73
3140 Childs Rd Detached $1,695,000 5 5.5 6449 298

Sold/Closed (Nov 10-16, 2014)

Address Type List Price Closed Price Sq Ft CDOM
94 Oswego Summit Condo $123,500 $117,500 1140 2
6928 Montauk Circle Condo $125,000 $125,000 960 21
5959 Dove Ct Detached $379,900 $380,000 1552 6
6158 Frost Ln Detached $464,900 $460,000 2,109 32
16942 Cherry Crest Dr Detached $475,000 $465,000 2363 28
4726 Cambridge Ct Attached $595,000 $581,000 2865 9
14220 Bridge Ct Detached $750,000 $689,000 3419 37
3411 Lake Grove Ave Detached $999,999 $1,000,000 4434 177

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.

Posted on

News & Notes

Here is the latest data for you on the overall Portland area, as well as specific Lake Oswego/West Linn (RMLS lumps them together) numbers:

The latest real estate numbers in Portland and the Lake Oswego/West Linn areas are in. Things have taken an uptick in October for the Portland area. This was the strongest October for Closed Sales since 2006!

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area  October, 2014:

  • At 2,487, October Closed Sales rose 4.6% over the month prior, September, and were up a full 13.6% from October of 2013’s 2,189 .
  • There were 2,881 New Listings in October which was 7.1% down from September, but rose 13.6% from October 2013.
  • The Average Sale Price in October of $335,600 was down $2,500 from the month prior. The first ten months of 2014 are logging an Average Sale Price of $333,200, which is up 7.4% over the same time period in 2013.
  • October Pending Sales (accepted offers), at 2,480, were down 2.8%  from the month prior.  That said, the Pending sales for October are up a full 16.7% over October 2013.

__________________________________________

In Lake Oswego and West Lin steady activity is Good with Closed Sales down by 10 and/but Pending Sales up by 6. Average Sale Price was up $11,200 from September. (There is a very wide range of prices in Lake Oswego among a relatively smaller number of homes for sale as compared to the larger Portland area, so this is not unusual.)

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

    • 475 Active Listings  (Sept was 501)
    • 166 New Listings  (Sept was 177)
    • 136 Pending Sales  (Sept was 130)
    • 130 Closed Sales  (Sept was 140)
    • An Average Sale Price of $547,800.  (Sept was $536,600)
    • Average Time on the Market: 81 Days  (Sept was 100)
Posted on

Market Activity ~ Nov 3-9, 2014

Greetings, Property Blotter readers!  Well, we’ve definitely got a chill in the air, and leaves are turning & flying away in the breeze. Buyers are out there looking and buying houses as well!

Here is your Latest Market Data: Last week in Lake Oswego we saw 24 New properties enter the market, 26 move to Pending status, and 10 “Closed”/Sold!

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

NEW on Mkt (Nov 3-9, 2014)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
59 GALEN ST $94,900 1 1 550 CONDO
4636 LOWER DR #B-1 $128,000 2 1.1 1170 CONDO
86 KINGSGATE RD #C-203 $139,500 2 2 924 CONDO
47 EAGLE CREST DR #59 $140,000 2 2 1024 CONDO
336 CERVANTES CIR $149,900 2 1.1 1112 CONDO
76 GALEN RD #76 $175,000 2 2 989 CONDO
62 GREENRIDGE CT $260,000 3 2 1596 ATTACHD
113 TOUCHSTONE TER $293,000 3 2.1 2104 ATTACHD
3 CONDOLEA DR $325,000 3 3 2198 CONDO
4724 FIRWOOD RD $329,000 3 1.1 1240 DETACHD
1437 OAK ST $349,000 3 1 1070 DETACHD
17520 REDFERN AVE $350,000 3 2 1776 DETACHD
564 2ND ST $399,000 2 2.1 1394 ATTACHD
4146 LAKEVIEW BLVD $400,000 5 1.1 2056 DETACHD
3402 LAKE GROVE AVE $420,000 3 2 1686 DETACHD
5978 FERNBROOK CIR $449,900 4 2.1 1612 DETACHD
533 2ND ST $465,000 2 2 1274 CONDO
37 CHURCHILL DOWNS $470,000 3 2.1 2372 DETACHD
5189 TUALATA LN $475,000 3 2 2422 DETACHD
834 6TH ST $525,000 2 1 1062 DETACHD
18728 BRYANT RD $576,355 3 2.1 2736 DETACHD
4729 FIRWOOD RD $599,900 3 2.1 2594 DETACHD
17680 WOODHURST PL $1,095,000 5 3.1 5478 DETACHD
179 FURNACE ST $1,698,000 3 3.1 4784 CONDO

PENDING SALES (Nov 3-9, 2014)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
87 OSWEGO SMT $79,000 2 1.1 1116 CONDO 125
272 CERVANTES $129,900 3 2 1209 CONDO 234
44 EAGLE CREST DR #11 $134,000 3 2 1085 CONDO 23
246 RIDGEWAY RD #17B $160,000 1 1 753 CONDO 16
16250 PACIFIC HWY #76 $200,000 3 2 1801 CONDO 122
200 BURNHAM RD #105 $229,900 1 1 858 CONDO 42
5057 FOOTHILLS DR #H $267,500 2 2 1252 CONDO 4
1531 BOCA RATAN DR $289,000 3 2 1755 ATTACHD 57
468 5TH ST #13 $310,000 2 1.1 1092 CONDO 221
7 PEACOCK PL $329,900 3 2.1 1400 DETACHD 19
1305 CORNELL ST $349,000 3 2 2692 DETACHD 93
1453 GREENTREE CIR $350,000 3 2 1762 DETACHD 3
16990 LOWER MEADOWS DR $369,900 3 2.1 2000 DETACHD 2
528 2ND ST $439,500 2 2.1 1703 ATTACHD 16
5747 VICTORIA CT $549,000 4 2.1 2432 DETACHD 112
17619 Potters RD $575,000 4 2.1 2665 DETACHD 9
5830 SUNBROOK DR $575,000 4 2.1 2810 DETACHD 26
17821 HILLSIDE WAY $589,000 4 3.1 3442 DETACHD 29
5674 CHARLES CIR $639,000 4 2.1 2679 DETACHD 138
13983 WESTCOTT CT $649,900 4 2.1 2792 DETACHD 7
2341 STONEHURST CT $659,000 4 2.1 3389 DETACHD 2
2612 RIVENDELL RD $775,000 4 3 3168 DETACHD 93
13327 ATWATER LN $895,000 3 2 3004 DETACHD 220
17390 GRANDVIEW CT $915,000 4 4.2 4516 DETACHD 506
63 NANSEN SMT $919,900 4 3.1 3202 DETACHD 65
14122 GOODALL RD $969,000 5 4.1 4530 DETACHD 331

SOLD  (Nov 3-9, 2014)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
5058 FOOTHILLS DR $239,900 $227,000 2 2 1252 CONDO 6
6262 WAYZATA CT $328,950 $352,000 3 1.1 1276 DETACHD 15
4242 COBB WAY $449,800 $388,000 3 2 1589 DETACHD 38
18840 RIVENDELL CT $499,000 $439,000 4 3 3060 DETACHD 72
3718 LAKE GROVE AVE $489,000 $452,000 4 3 2523 DETACHD 115
5440 BAY CREEK DR $545,000 $520,000 3 2.1 2442 DETACHD 74
24 MORNINGVIEW CIR $535,000 $520,000 4 3.1 2817 DETACHD 13
2584 Park RD $559,000 $525,000 4 2 2302 DETACHD 110
2031 LILLI LN $779,995 $770,000 3 3.1 3418 DETACHD 14
19463 LORNA LN $899,500 $899,500 4 3.1 4055 DETACHD 429

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.

Posted on

A little bit about mold

Hello everybody,

Whitney here! I’m posting this a little late, I apologize. It has been the week of catching colds!

Speaking of colds; I hope everybody is getting ready to weather through the winter, whether you are hunkering down and dealing, or going out there and enjoying the many things this season has to offer! During this change we close our windows and turn up the heat while outside it begins to fall ever-so-slightly into frigid chilliness.

This however means that our houses are not going to be as ventilated as they where during the spring and summer months, which can lead to mold.

How do you get mold?

Mold spores are often in the air already, and are supposed to grow outside when given the right circumstances. It is when it comes indoors that it becomes a problem. Mold kind of likes the same living space that we do: not to cold, not to hot, lots of water, and a comfy area that is free of drastic changes in the weather.

Any place that is moderate in temperature, damp, and unventilated runs the risk of accumulating mold. To put it bluntly: Everything in your house is mold food.

So how do you get rid of mold?

Controlling an areas moisture is essential to your artillery of defense against mold. For without ample amounts of water mold cannot grow. To do this you can simply ventilate your bathrooms, kitchen, and area where you keep your washer and dryer. Any place where you have water going in the house needs to be open, aired out, and cleaned frequently.

But how do you do this when it’s freezing cold outside?

Making sure that your bathroom ventilation is working properly is pretty important, as are the vents leading from your washer/dryer to the exterior of your home. In a pinch, if you feel that your home’s ventilation is not up to speed with the rate you feel you are at risk of mold: then you can purchase a dehumidifier from any major appliances store.

Anyway, that is my little tid bit about mold! I do hope your fall season has been vibrant, safe, and fun!

If you are interested in knowing more about mold, types of mold, and preventative steps to eliminating mold in your home; you can follow the link below. It has helped me learn a lot.

Bibliography:

Salem, Oregon Mold Information

Posted on

Market Activity Oct 27- Nov 2, 2014

Wow! What a great month, and now November has started with a bang! Ten active listings have appeared here in our lovely Lake Oswego, while twenty are now pending, and twenty one have been sold!

Looks like there will be some new families in town enjoying their Thanksgiving in their new homes.

New on Market (Oct 27- Nov 2, 2014)

Address Type Price Bedrooms Bathrooms Sqft
706 5TH ST DETACHED 300,000 4 2 1824
21 SUMMIT RIDGE CT ATTACHED 339,000 2 2.5 1654
17225 CHAPIN WAY DETACHED 395,000 3 2 2257
32 SPINOSA DETACHED 479,000 4 3.5 2542
3870 SOUTHSHORE BLVD DETACHED 495,000 3 2 2616
17619 POTTERS RD DETACHED 575,000 4 2.5 2665
571 2ND ST CONDO 589,500 2 2 1561
13983 WESTCOTT CT DETACHED 649,900 4 2.5 2792
5157 WOODCREST LN DETACHED 649,900 4 2.5 3144
2550 SOUTHSHORE BLVD DETACHED 650,000 4 3.5 3721

Pending Sales (Oct 27- Nov 2, 2014)

Address Type Price Bedroom Bathrooms Sqft DOM
4 TOUCHSTONE DR #99 CONDO 159,000 2 2 984 6
900 CORNELL ST DETACHED 240,000 3 1.5 1300 26
6243 SW DAWN ST DETACHED 314,000 3 1.5 1254 89
92 GREENRIDGE CT #92 ATTACHED 348,000 3 2.5 1980 14
5344 TUALATA CT DETACHED 349,355 3 2 1263 11
4470 CHAPMAN WAY DETACHED 360,000 3 3 2125 174
4631 WILDWOOD ST DETACHED 389,900 3 2 1650 68
1878 MAPELEAF RD DETACHED 395,000 3 1.5 1347 28
13197 THOMA RD DETACHED 399,900 3 1.5 1640 22
2051 GREENTREE RD DETACHED 419,900 3 2.5 1864 98
18431 DEER OAK AVE DETACHED 439,900 4 2.5 2203 68
4726 CAMBRIDGE CT ATTACHED 595,000 3 2.5 2868 9
531 LAUREL ST DETACHED 649,900 4 3.5 2771 190
13639 TWIN CREEK LN DETACHED 675,000 5 2.5 3202 87
4090 WESTBAY DETACHED 749,900 3 2 2078 59
3600 SOUTHSHORE BLVD DETACHED 824,900 3 2.5 2117 83
841 NORTHSHORE RD DETACHED 889,850 3 3 2388 140
5055 LAKEVIEW BLVD DETACHED 890,000 4 3.5 3498 28
2335 OSWEGO GLEN CT DETACHED 899,000 4 4 3932 167
3411 LAKE GROVE AVE DETACHED 999,999 4 3.5 4434 177

Sold/Closed (Oct 27- Nov 2, 2014)

Address Type List Price Close Price Sqft DOM
86 KINGSGATE RD C102 CONDO 131,000 128,000 924 4
45 EAGLE CREST DR #218 CONDO 135,000 128,500 768 142
15938 QUARRY RD B15 CONDO 144,500 146,570 996 45
10 CERVANTES CIR CONDO 149,900 149,900 912 14
1531 BONNIEBRAW DR CONDO 244,900 239,900 1303 74
15930 WALUGA DR DETACHED 200,000 240,000 1040 149
5530 BONITA RD DETACHED 269,900 263,500 1200 32
17299 LAKE HAVED DR DETACHED 275,000 295,000 925 5
5665 WASHINGTON CT DETACHED 447,500 323,500 1928 101
1 EAGLE CREST DR DETACHED 326,000 324,000 1265 18
3225 TEMPEST DR DETACHED 448,000 448,000 2231 106
1110 HALLINAN CIR DETACHED 575,000 450,000 3824 286
1001 BULLOCK ST DETACHED 499,900 455,000 2008 50
17554 BLUE HERON WAY DETACHED 475,000 475,000 2000 0
5023 HAMPTON CT DETACHED 509,900 487,000 2284 151
2425 GLEN HAVEN RD DETACHED 499,900 511,100 2231 3
12402 SHELBY CT DETACHED 599,000 544,000 3120 74
3 WALKING WOODS DR DETACHED 575,000 575,000 3853 86
18910 TERRY AVE DETACHED 638,800 580,000 4290 73
15470 BOONES WAY ATTACHED 897,000 850,000 3515 101
17442 RIDGEVIEW LN DETACHED 1,375,000 1,325,000 5036 198

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.

Posted on

Lender Required Repairs

toolboxA common statement I have heard many times over the years is “the lender will require the repair”. I just don’t think that is the case much of the time. I thought it might be helpful to give you my experience about lenders and repairs.

Most lenders want a house to be livable. It can be old, it can be dirty or worn out, but it has to be livable. That means no dangerous situations like a deck without a railing that is 10 feet off the ground, or holes in sheet rock, or missing flooring. Lenders also want at least 3-5 years of life left in the roof and a clear pest and dry rot report. Both of these are obtained through professional inspections.

But many things that are assumed to be a problem simply are not. This is not a promise that you won’t run into lender issues on these items. It is simply my experience that they have not been a problem. I have sold houses with post and peer foundations, with LP siding, with nearly every window having a broken seal. Seriously, I sold this really modern house that had 30 windows, 26 of which were clouded over with broken seals. And it was sold with a VA loan, usually considered to be the hardest loan for a property to qualify for.

So know that houses do not need to be perfect to get financing. They need to be “livable”. “Livable” condition may not suit a picky buyer, but that is an entirely different standard.

A good plan, if you are thinking of selling, is to invite a Realtor to your home well in advance so that they can give you an opinion of items to address. Ask for both their opinion on lender required repairs and also their opinion on items to enhance the sale and to make the house show well. Linda, Whitney, and I would all be happy to help.
Dianne