Property Blotter – Page 24 – Lake Oswego Real Estate Blog

November 19, 2023December 17, 2023

Portland Metro Neighborhood Stats + LO

Overview/Fluctuations ~ October 2023 Market Data:

Here is your monthly look at what’s happening in Portland metro and how it relates to Lake Oswego (broken out at the bottom)

As we gear up for the holidays, activity is seasonally lower. But the most interesting thing for me to note is that the market seems to be stabilizing. I looked at last year’s October report, and prices were *much* more volatile at that time. Right now there is not so much fluctuation in price, and Inventory is continuing to rest at around 3 month’s worth. Overall activity is down a bit from last year in October.

Rates: “Great news this week showing inflation is continuing to slow. The Fed should be done raising rates! Look for more good news ahead.” Gary Boyer, Regional VP, Directors Mortgage

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area-October 2023:

There were 2,207 New Listings in October which is down 12.2% from 2,513 in Oct 2022 and down 18.7% from the 2,713 in the previous month/September.
At 1,670 Oct 2023’s Closed Sales (Solds) are down 14.6% from Oct 2022’s 1,955, and decreased 2.7% from the previous month’s total of 1,717.
At 1,625 Oct 2023’s Pending Sales (Accepted Offers) are down 11.4% from Oct 2022’s 1,835, and also down 10.2% from the previous month/September’s total of 1,809.
The Average Sale Price for Sept 2023 of, $592,700 is up a whole $2,700. from last year/Oct 2022’s $592,000, and down $3,200 from the previous month/Sept’s $595,900.
The “Median Sale Price (the price smack dab in the middle of all sales) in Oct 2023 of $525,000 dropped $12,000 from Oct 2022’s $537,000, & is down $12,400 from Sept’s $537,400.

LAKE OSWEGO: (Oct ’23)

248 Active Listings (Sep 279)
98 New Listings (Sep 137)
85 Pending Sales (Sep 98)
85 Closed Sales (Sep 75)
Average Sale Price for Sept: $954,500 (Sep $1,076,000)
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.
47 Days on the Market (Sep 51)

The data listed above is as reported by the Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS)

November 17, 2023November 17, 2023

Market Activity ~ Nov 6-12, 2023

Last week there were 6 properties entering the market, 12 with accepted Offers moving to Pending status and 11 Sold/Closed. Right now there are 141 properties available in Lake Oswego ranging from $219,900 to $11,500,000.

Here is the breakdown according to RMLS:

NEW Nov 6-12, 2023

Address	List Price	Beds	Baths	SF	Prop Type
4690 AUBURN LN	$900,000	$3	3.1	2750	ATTACHD
6050 CHILDS RD	$900,000	$3	1.1	2129	DETACHD
4904 PARKHILL ST	$1,195,000	$4	2.1	3433	DETACHD
17393 GRANDVIEW CT	$1,275,000	$4	3.1	3772	DETACHD
1885 CREST DR	$1,429,900	$3	3	2391	DETACHD
2800 WEMBLEY PARK RD	$2,600,000	$4	4.1	4538	DETACHD

PENDING Nov 6-12, 2023

Address	List Price	Beds	Baths	SF	Prop Type	Days
45 EAGLE CREST DR #506	$189,900	$1	1	600	CONDO	44
96 OSWEGO SUMMIT /Lower	$219,900	$1	1	964	CONDO	6
12884 BOONES FERRY RD	$475,000	$2	2.1	1210	CONDO	3
4510 LOWER DR B1	$545,000	$3	2.1	1729	CONDO	42
6 THE GROTTO	$560,000	$3	2	1381	DETACHD	197
5330 CARMAN GROVE LN	$995,000	$3	2.1	2493	DETACHD	43
1177 C AVE	$999,000	$3	2	1957	DETACHD	34
2020 WEMBLEY PARK RD	$1,078,000	$3	2	1712	DETACHD	369
14584 PFEIFER WAY	$1,250,000	$4	2	2647	DETACHD	14
17312 BERGIS FARM DR	$1,999,000	$4	4.2	4804	DETACHD	16
2248 SUMMIT CT	$2,450,000	$4	2	3024	DETACHD	10
2800 WEMBLEY PARK RD	$2,600,000	4	4.1	4538	DETACHD	0

SOLD Nov 6-12, 2023

Address	Opening	Closed	Beds	Baths	SF	Prop Type	Days
100 KERR PKWY #42	$237,500	$216,000	$2	1.1	822	CONDO	59
248 RIDGEWAY RD /Upper	$395,000	$315,000	$1	1	753	CONDO	155
5737 WASHINGTON CT	$669,000	$664,000	$3	1.1	1521	DETACHD	5
3620 WREN ST	$1,189,000	$900,000	$4	3.1	3056	DETACHD	75
807 HOODVIEW LN	$1,200,000	$1,315,000	$4	3	3931	DETACHD	5
18653 PILKINGTON RD	$1,525,000	$1,410,000	$4	3.1	3196	DETACHD	64
1885 CREST DR	$1,429,900	$1,429,900	$3	3	2391	DETACHD	0
13052 KNAUS RD	$1,690,000	$1,500,000	$4	3	3026	DETACHD	8
915 CEDAR ST	$1,695,000	$1,630,000	$4	3.1	3219	DETACHD	26
4247 LORDS LN	$2,680,000	$2,200,000	$4	3.1	3840	DETACHD	102
1860 EGAN WAY	$2,250,000	$2,300,000	$4	3	3687	DETACHD	5

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 (***We’ve used “Days” in each category for ease of understanding) .

November 11, 2023November 8, 2023

The Season of Giving

There is a huge misconception about Lake Oswego. Yes, there are very affluent people and multi-million dollar homes, but there are also those on food stamps and living in homeless shelters (Lake Oswego has two). As a Girl Scout Troop Leader for about 12 years I met and interacted with a lot of families. I know first hand that people and families need help in this town. With the holidays fast approaching, this is a good time, if you are able, to do something kind for someone who is less fortunate. Lake Oswego has numerous ways that you can spread holiday cheer.

Family donating gifts and toys to charity for Christmas holiday

Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart

Swing by either City Hall (380 A Ave) or the Adult Community Center (505 G Ave) and pick up a stocking. Then fill it with needed items and return it to City Hall by December 6th.

New/Coats/Hats/Gloves/Socks

Purchase and drop these items off at The Adult Community Center (505 G Ave), the LO Fire Station (300 B Ave), or the LO Library (706 Fourth St) by December 8th

Toy Drive

By December 15th drop off new, unwrapped, toys at the Fire Station (300 B Ave) or the LO Library (706 Fourth St)

Food Donations

All year you can drop off non-perishable food and essential hygiene items at the LO Library (706 Fourth St), the LO Fire Station (300 B Ave), or at Hunger Fighters of Oregon (4 Monroe Parkway).

Gift Cards

Gift cards to places like Fred Meyer, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Safeway, etc, can be dropped off at the LO Library (706 Fourth St), anytime between November 15th and December 10th. These gift cards will go to Clackamas County Women’s Services.

Food and Toy Drive, Drive-Thru Event

December 9th, 10am to noon, this event is hosted by The Rotary Club of Lake Oswego and the LO Fire Department. It will occur at the main fire station (300 B Ave). Food should be non-perishable. Toys should be new and unwrapped. Toy donations will be distributed throughout the local area, including in Lake Oswego, by the Tualatin Valley Elks Clubs. Food will go to Hunger Fighters of Oregon.

For me, while I love the holidays, this time of year becomes much more enjoyable when I participate in helping others. Even though the gift goes to someone else, it brings me joy. My gift to them is also a gift to me.

Thank you for reading the blotter.

Dianne

November 8, 2023November 8, 2023

Market Activity Oct 30-Nov 5, 2023

There is always a burst of buying activity about a month before Christmas as people rush to get into their new home before the Holidays. That is certainly reflected is last week’s sales in Lake Oswego. 21 properties received accepted offers and went into pending status. That is about twice what we have been averaging this fall. There were also 11 new listings, 2 of which sold quickly and appear as pending properties in this report. Finishing the statistics, there were 15 closed sales. Those folks will be in their new homes by Thanksgiving.

See below for RMLS data.

New Listings Oct 30-Nov 5, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
96 Oswego Summit	Condo	$219,900	1	1	964
5053 Foothills Dr A	Condo	$445,000	3	2	1252
26 Greenridge Ct	Attached	$467,000	3	2.5	1996
13990 Shireva Ct	Detached	$789,000	3	2	1702
875 Palisades Terrace Dr	Detached	$929,500	4	3	2181
322 2nd St	Attached	$1,250,000	3	3.5	1974
5527 Childs Rd	Attached	$1,399,900	4	3	2982
1959 Wembley Pl	Detached	$1,595,000	4	3.5	2922
5309 Denton Dr	Detached	$1,620,000	4	3.5	3626

Pending Sales Oct 30-Nov 5, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
45 Eagle Crest Dr #208	Condo	$219,900	2	2	1046	14
248 Ridgeway Rd	Condo	$345,000	1	1	753	155
3672 Spring Ln	Condo	$439,900	2	2	1117	8
51 Greenridge Ct	Attached	$475,000	2	2	1348	7
12802 Boones Ferry Rd	Condo	$479,900	3	2.5	1182	8
58 Condolea Terr	Condo	$669,000	3	3	2958	111
31 Churchill Downs	Detached	$775,000	6	4.5	3794	47
1600 Woodland Terr	Detached	$779,000	3	2	1699	3
8 Hotspur St	Detached	$799,999	3	2.5	1966	54
2979 Dellwood Dr	Detached	$850,000	4	3	3216	144
16020 Kimball St	Detached	$899,000	5	3.5	2426	42
7 Grouse Terr	Detached	$935,000	3	2.5	2516	3
14210 Amberwood Cir	Detached	$1,150,000	4	3	3391	30
915 Cedar St	Detached	$1,645,000	4	3.5	3219	26
21 D Ave #14	Condo	$2,046,800	2	2.5	2198	0
1808 Ridge Pointe Dr	Detached	$2,199,000	4	3.5	4860	129
2275 Glen Haven Rd	Detached	$2,269,900	4	4	4109	87
19777 Sycamore Ave	Detached	$2,595,000	4	4.5+.5	4432	110
1101 Crestline Ct	Detached	$3,150,000	4.5+.5	7226	52
13799 Atwater Ln	Detached	$3,995,000	3	4	4700	31
128 Northshore Cir	Detached	$4,295,000	4	3.5	3501	46

Sold/Closed Oct 30-Nov 5, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
54 Cervantes Cir	Condo	$280,000	$279,500	912	5
3433 McNary Pkwy #503	Condo	$318,000	$318,000	1134	2
207 Oswego Summit	Condo	$390,000	$375,000	1497	17
5225 Jean Rd #106	Condo	$400,000	$405,000	1400	29
4121 Hedge Nettle Ct	Detached	$849,900	$796,999	2307	111
15911 Fir Grove Ct	Detached	$915,000	$865,000	2584	172
14205 Edenberry Dr	Detached	$1,150,000	$1,005,000	3219	16
63 Garibaldi St	Detached	$1,250,000	$1,010,000	4223	112
1633 Maple St	Detached	$1,445,000	$1,062,422	3448	194
233 E Ave	Detached	$1,400,000	$1,220,000	1150	12
1125 Northshore Rd	Detached	$1,495,000	$1,250,000	1589	32
5031 Laurel St	Detached	$1,549,000	$1,349,000	3169	805
611 Ridgeway Rd	Detached	$2,139,000	$2,050,000	4847	96
975 Englewood Dr	Detached	$3,995,000	$3,950,000	5980	70
3648 Lakeview Blvd	Detached	$5,500,000	$4,900,000	4000	67

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.

November 6, 2023November 6, 2023

This Week in Lake Oswego

Here are my picks for what to do in Lake Oswego this week!

Mon, Nov 6 , 2023 – Storyline Recording- Listen to short stories, book excerpts and poetry on demand, – INFO: CLICK HERE

Tues, Nov 7, 2023 – 2:30-4:30 PM – Slow Jam ~ Come & enjoy playing music with others! Bring your instrument and make some musical friends.. – ACC, 505 G Avenue Lake Oswego More Info: CLICK HERE

Wed, Nov 8, 2023 – 6:00 PM – Historic Resources Advisory Board ~ Review the Historic Preservation Grant from Lakewood Neighborhood, Revisions to the Historic Preservation Code, Parks Plan & More ~ Lake Oswego City Hall, 380 A Avenue ~ More Info : CLICK HERE

Thurs, Nov 9, 2023 – 6:00 PM – Teen Advisory Board! ~Be a part of planning programs including book groups, movie nights and more! ~ Lake Oswego Library, Lower Level, 706 Fourth St. – More Info: CLICK HERE

Fri, Nov 10, 2023 – 2:00-4:00 PM –Family Movie Matinee~ Start your long weekend with a movie on a rainy day at cozy Children’s Library. Featuring “Super”. ~ Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth St ~ More Info: CLICK HERE

November 5, 2023November 6, 2023

Market Activity ~ Oct 23-29, 2023

Last week in Lake Oswego there were 16 properties entering the market, 9 moving to Pending status and 11 Closed/Sold.

Here is the breakdown according to RMLS:

NEW Oct 23-29, 2023

Address	List Price	Beds	Baths	SF	Prop Type
40 CRESTFIELD CT / Upper	$239,000	$1	1	690	CONDO
2019 BONNIEBRAE DR	$525,000	$3	2	1539	ATTACHD
4510 LOWER DR, B1	$545,000	$3	2.1	1729	CONDO
1228 CEDAR ST	$625,000	$3	2	1302	DETACHD
18211 INDIAN CREEK DR	$850,000	$3	1	2204	ATTACHD
7 GROUSE TER	$935,000	$3	2.1	2516	DETACHD
17942 SAINT CLAIR DR	$969,000	$4	2.1	2533	DETACHD
21 HIDALGO ST	$1,000,000	$4	3	3392	DETACHD
807 HOODVIEW LN	$1,200,000	$4	3	3931	DETACHD
14584 PFEIFER WAY	$1,250,000	$4	2	2647	DETACHD
4360 WESTBAY RD	$1,329,000	$4	3	2636	DETACHD
17312 BERGIS FARM DR	$1,999,000	4	4.2	4804	DETACHD
541 8th ST	$2,400,000	4	3.1	3559	DETACHD
2248 SUMMIT CT	$2,450,000	4	2	3024	DETACHD
2430 SUMMIT CT	$4,500,000	3	3	3074	DETACHD
17950 KELOK RD	365. – 389,99.	4	4.1	3600	DETACHD

PENDING Oct 23-29, 2023

Address	List Price	Beds	Baths	SF	Prop Type	Days
1228 CEDAR ST	$625,000	$3	2	1302	DETACHD	2
16266 PARKER RD	$735,000	$4	2	2014	DETACHD	94
1525 IVY CT	$739,000	$4	2.1	2163	DETACHD	93
34 CHURCHILL DOWNS	$774,900	$4	3	2080	DETACHD	95
12 MORNINGVIEW LN	$799,000	$3	2.1	2730	ATTACHD	51
12123 ORCHARD HILL WAY	$874,900	$4	2.1	2841	DETACHD	107
18499 OLD RIVER DR	$1,599,000	$4	3.1	4217	DETACHD	130
3600 UPPER DR	$1,849,000	$5	3	3771	DETACHD	195
541 8th ST	$2,400,000	$4	3.1	3559	DETACHD

SOLD Oct 23-29, 2023

Address	Opening	Closed	Beds	Baths	SF	Prop Type	Days
5650 LAKEVIEW BLVD	$515,000	$449,900	$3	1	990	DETACHD	94
4980 SUNTREE LN	$549,000	$450,000	$3	2	2715	DETACHD	45
5955 CLAIRMONT CT	$579,800	$505,000	$3	2	1824	ATTACHD	162
114 GREENRIDGE CT	$599,000	$550,000	$2	1.1	1112	DETACHD	10
378 9TH ST	$749,000	$760,000	$3	2.1	2135	DETACHD	67
956 WESTPOINT RD	$1,195,000	$1,150,000	$4	3.1	4192	DETACHD	70
4688 UPPER DR	$1,350,000	$1,200,000	$3	2.1	2019	DETACHD	61
16394 LAKE FOREST BLVD	$1,250,000	$1,375,000	$5	3	3292	DETACHD	1
15290 QUARRY RD	$1,999,000	$1,971,000	$3	2.1	2404	DETACHD	5
10 INDEPENDENCE AVE	$2,198,000	$2,000,000	$4	3.1	3962	DETACHD	14
5220 FIRWOOD RD	$8,950,000	$7,000,000	$4	4.3	5235	DETACHD	111

October 28, 2023October 28, 2023

Where Did the Lake Go?

If you have driven anywhere near the lake in the last week or so you can not have helped but notice that the water level is down significantly. So what’s up?

Every 3 years the water level for the lake is dropped about 10 feet. This allows people who live on the lake to repair their sea walls, boat houses, and docks. It also allows maintenance to be done for the sewer lines that run along the bottom of the lake. This year a large section in Blue Heron canal is being almost completely replaced.

The drawdown starts in mid October and ends in early December. Then the lake is refilled by rainfall through the winter.

I will also say that, from my experience, it does and nice job of cleaning up the water quality. The lake is prone to grasses and algae and that sort of thing. The summer after a drawdown, swimming in the lake is much nicer than it is the summer before a drawdown.

So it’s all good. The lake will be full in time for the nice spring weather.

I hope you have found this information useful.

Dianne

October 27, 2023October 27, 2023

Market Activity Oct 16-22, 2023

Lake week in Lake Oswego we had 9 properties come onto the market. 2 of those sold quickly and appear in this report as pending sales. We had 10 properties move to pending status and 14 closed sales.

See below for RMLS data.

New on the Market Oct 16-22, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
45 Eagle Crest Dr #208	Condo	$219,900	2	2	1046
16131 Lindsay Ct	Detached	$680,000	4	2.5	1832
4740 Lamont Ct	Detached	$825,000	3	2	1776
19025 Indian Springs Cir	Detached	$889,950	4	2.5	1811
18368 Tamaway Dr	Detached	$1,150,000	4	3	3741
364 Northshore Rd	Detached	$1,795,000	3	2	2066
399 Furnace St	Condo	$3,500,000	3	3.5	4072

Pending Sales Oct 16-22, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
54 Cervantes Cir	Condo	$280,000	2	1.5	912	5
3433 McNary Pkwy #503	Condo	$318,000	2	1.5	1136	2
480 S State St	Condo	$375,000	3	2	1659	185
207 Oswego	Condo	$390,000	2	2	1497	17
3672 Spring Ln	Condo	$439,900	2	2	1117	20
15290 Quarry Rd	Detached	$475,000	3	1	990	94
5733 Kimball Ct	Detached	$659,000	4	2	1346	59
10 Sherwood Ct	Detached	$949,000	4	3.5	3289	2
3460 Lake Grove Ave	Detached	$1,498,000	3	2	1673	30
1101 Crestline Ct	Detached	$3,299,000	4	4.5+.5	7226	42

Sold/Closed Oct 16-22, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
4 Touchstone #65	Condo	$320,000	$310,000	1351	53
2818 Poplar Way	Detached	$550,000	$435,000	1056	34
5054 Foothills Dr A	Condo	$445,000	$445,000	1252	34
15370 Twin Fir Rd	Detached	$560,000	$560,000	1546	8
5053 W Sunset Dr	Attached	$595,000	$590,000	1720	29
545 Hemlock St	Detached	$669,900	$650,000	984	4
18351 Wood Thrush Way	Detached	$690,000	$690,000	1762	4
16 Walking Woods Dr	Detached	$779,000	$762,866	2897	109
1481 Greentree Cir	Detached	$875,000	$867,000	2704	80
11 El Greco St	Detached	$899,000	$892,000	2444	2
2834 Glenmorrie Dr	Detached	$895,000	$927,000	2459	3
885 Lake Forest Dr	Detached	$1,100,000	$937,000	2206	45
4353 Snowbrush Ct	Detached	$1,500,000	$1,375,000	3808	48
17173 Cedar Rd	Detached	$1,900,000	$1,725,000	3996	236

October 22, 2023October 22, 2023

Portland Metro Neighborhood Stats + LO

Here is your monthly look at what’s happening in Portland metro and how it relates to Lake Oswego (broken out at the bottom)

Overview/Fluctuations ~ Sept 2023 Market Data:

Activity is down as you’d expect in Fall (New, Pending & Closed categories dropped), Inventory is up & prices are down. If you’re a Buyer this is your season! If you’re a Seller, pricing right will draw out the activity & potential multiple Offers putting you in a good position. The bulk of overall sales are narrowed between the $400,000 – $700,000 price range.

Rates: “Geopolitical events are tempering the pressure on rates. Currently rates are in your mid 7% range.” Gary Boyer, Regional VP, Directors Mortgage

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area-September 2023:

There were 2,713 New Listings in Sept– which is down 13.9% from 3,151 in Sept 2022 and down 7.2% from the 2,923 in the previous month/August.
At 1,717 Sept 2023’s Closed Sales (Solds) are down 23.2% from Sept 2022’s 2,237, and decreased 20.3% from the previous month’s total of 2,155.
At 1,809 Sept 2023’s Pending Sales (Accepted Offers) are down 9.7% from Sept 2022’s 2,003, and also down 11.9% from the previous month/August’s total of 2,053.
The Average Sale Price for Sept 2023 of, $595,900 is down $2,800. from last year/Sept 2022’s $598,700, and down $12,400 from the previous month/August’s $608,300.
The “Median Sale Price (the price smack dab in the middle of all sales) in Sept 2023 of $537,400 dropped $10,600 from Sept 2022’s $548,000, & up just $500 from August’s $536,900.

LAKE OSWEGO: (Sept ’23)

279 Active Listings (Aug 290)
137 New Listings (Aug 151)
98 Pending Sales (Aug 93)
75 Closed Sales (Aug 111)
Average Sale Price for Sept: $1,076,600 (Aug $1,184,900)
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.
51 Days on the Market (Aug 44)

The data listed above is as reported by the Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS

October 15, 2023October 15, 2023

Return on Investment: Your Yard

People certainly think about doing improvements to get their house ready to sell. Here at the blotter both Linda and I have written about what to expect from the money you spend and that the highest rates of return are, currently, on front doors and garage doors. You’ll get more out of those improvements than it costs to do them. However, I don’t think that we’ve talked about the return on investment for your yard. As it turns out, it’s quite good and certainly worth doing.

According to the National Association of Realtor, there are 5 outdoor projects that pay of the most.

Standard lawn care service. Complete 6 standard applications of fertililzer and weed control on a 5,000 square foot lawn. Estimated cost = $415. Estimated return = $900
Landscape maintenance. Mulch, mow, prune shrubs and plant about 60 annuals or perennials. Estimated cost = $4800. Estimated return = $5000.
Outdoor kitchen. Install or inset grill, stainless steel drawers, ice chest sink, and concrete countertop with veneered masonry stone. Estimated cost = $15,000. Estimated return = $15,000.
Overall landscape upgrade. Install front walkway of natural flagstone, add two stone planters, five flowering shrubs and a 15 foot tall tree. Estimated cost = $9000. Estimated return = $9000.
New patio. Install a 18′ x 16′ concrete paver patio. Estimated cost = $10,500. Estimated return = $10,000.

There is also a lot to be said about doing your own weeding, watering, and bark dusting. This is labor intensive, but something many homeowners can do themselves. I think that the basic premise is that the more move-in-ready a house feels, the more appealing it will be to potential buyers.

I will also caution that there is a segment of the buying population who is intimidated by an overly elaborate garden. They know that it looks too labor intensive and will pass on a house that they don’t feel that they can maintain. So, yes, topiaries of the seven dwarfs is probably not a good idea.

Personally, outdoor spaces a super important to me. That patio that costs $10,500 but only returns $10,000, in my opinion, is pretty essential. Without a place to put some chairs and a barbeque, a yard becomes unusable. That patio, or a deck, is essential.

I hope that you have found this information useful. Happy gardening.

Dianne