Last week was spring break for the Lake Oswego School District and it kept the market a bit quiet. 15 new listings, 6 pending sales, and 2 closed listings made for a rather slow week. That being said, once spring break is over, it is traditionally the time of year when the market picks up steam. The daffodils are in full bloom with tulips and rhododendrons soon to follow. Houses really look good in the spring and many home owners time selling their homes around the season when their yards show their home at its best. Both new listings and pending sales should pick up as the weather improves.
Here is your summary of last weeks activity:
NEWLY LISTED (March 23—March 29, 2009)
| Address | List Price | # Beds | # Baths | Tot. SF | Prop Type | List Date | ||
| 7 CRESTFIELD CT | $115,000 | 1 | 1 | 689 | CONDO | 3/28/2009 | ||
| 1033 YATES ST | $199,900 | 4 | 3.1 | 2,500 | DETACHD | 3/26/2009 | ||
| 3433 MCNARY PKWY | $199,950 | 2 | 2.1 | 1,208 | CONDO | 3/27/2009 | ||
| 4041 JEFFERSON PKWY | $229,000 | 1 | 1.1 | 1,041 | ATTACHD | 3/26/2009 | ||
| 4316 BOTTICELLI ST | $274,900 | 3 | 2.1 | 2,098 | CONDO | 3/23/2009 | ||
| 103 KINGSGATE RD | $319,000 | 3 | 2.1 | 1,352 | DETACHD | 3/27/2009 | ||
| 5 PEACOCK PL | $330,000 | 4 | 2.1 | 1,760 | DETACHD | 3/29/2009 | ||
| 3290 WEMBLEY PARK RD | $379,000 | 5 | 3 | 2,614 | DETACHD | 3/23/2009 | ||
| 17311 ASHLEY CT | $385,000 | 4 | 2.1 | 2,160 | ATTACHD | 3/27/2009 | ||
| 18601 WAXWING ST | $447,000 | 4 | 2 | 1,908 | DETACHD | 3/27/2009 | ||
| 1250 PINE ST | $499,000 | 4 | 3 | 2,856 | DETACHD | 3/26/2009 | ||
| 17859 HILLSIDE WAY | $539,000 | 5 | 3 | 3,418 | DETACHD | 3/23/2009 | ||
| 12647 SW 21ST CT | $649,900 | 5 | 2.1 | 3,212 | DETACHD | 3/23/2009 | ||
| 1918 INDIAN TRAIL | $1,095,000 | 3 | 3 | 3,094 | DETACHD | 3/25/2009 | ||
| 3545 RED CEDAR WAY | $1,350,000 | 5 | 4.5 | 4,625 | DETACHD | 3/24/2009 |
PENDING SALES (March 23—March 29, 2009)
| ADDRESS |
LIST PRICE
|
TOT. BEDS
|
TOT. BATHS
|
TOT. SQFT
|
PROP TYPE |
DOM
|
| Address | List Price | # BR | # BTHS | Total SF | Prop Type | CDOM | |||
| 47 EAGLE CREST DR | $137,900 | 2 | 1 | 947 | CONDO | 56 | |||
| 5831 SEVILLE AVE | $199,900 | 4 | 1 | 1,320 | DETACHD | 211 | |||
| 6317 CARMAN DR | $219,900 | 3 | 1.1 | 1,344 | DETACHD | 168 | |||
| 5235 OAKRIDGE RD | $304,900 | 3 | 2.1 | 1,576 | DETACHD | 129 | |||
| 13805 REGENCY CT | $399,000 | 4 | 2.1 | 2,045 | DETACHD | 29 | |||
| 17960 RIDGE LAKE DR | $634,900 | 4 | 2.1 | 3,124 | DETACHD | 271 | |||
SOLD (March 23—March 29, 2009)
| ADDRESS | ORIG. PRICE | SALE PRICE |
TOT. BEDS
|
TOT. BATHS
|
TOT. SQ FT
|
PROP TYPE |
DOM
|
| Address | O/Price | Close Price | # BR | # BTHS | Total SF | Prop Type | CDOM | ||
| 4 TOUCHSTONE DR | $194,900 | $153,000 | 3 | 2.1 | 1,351 | CONDO | 45 | ||
| 16840 ALDER CIR | $1,749,000 | $1,555,000 | 4 | 2.1 | 3,563 | DETACHD | 249 |
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. CDOM stands for cumulative days on market, which includes any re-listing and measures from the initial listing date.
Located along Lake Oswego’s Northern boundary is 
Bridges are necessary because the park is layed out around a canyon that contains a natural watershed. The creek at the bottom is one of the few remaining creeks in the area with an active run of steelhead trout.
People locally began to appreciate the value of the natural area and the Friends of Tryon Creek was formed in 1969 to work toward preserving the area in its natural state.
A discussion about Tryon Creek State Park would not be complete without the subject of the native trillium. 
Lake Oswego is known far & wide for its family-friendly environment and involved citizenry. The schools here are excellent, there are clubs and outlets for all kinds of interests, and of course a myriad of programs for kids of all ages. I wanted to take a moment to highlight a terrific resource called the “McKenzie Lounge for Teens”.
The McKenzie Lounge is located in the West End Building at 4101 Kruse Way. The Youth Action Council,
According to the city’s website
The best thing about the McKenzie Lounge however, is that teens actually report enjoying it! For instance, during the election, the Lounge hosted a series of “Debate ’08” nights featuring the Presidential and Vice Presidential Debates, opportunities for lively discussion, as well as food and extra credits from social studies teachers. The debate series attendance reportedly totaled 115 students, drop-in attendance is reportedly growing by 25% every three months, and teens have been quoted as saying that the McKenzie Lounge ranks right up there with Taco Bell and the video game store as cool hang-out choices.
There is currently in Lake Oswego a very large volume of new construction, “spec” homes that are for sale. A spec house is a house built by a builder who does not yet have a buyer at the time it is built. The idea is that they will be able to sell the house while it is being built or as soon after it is constructed as possible. In a good real estate market it is pretty low risk and allows builders to make a good living. But when the market is slow, like it is right now, it is extremely high risk and forces builders into bankruptcy and the unsold homes into foreclosure. There is a local lender, Banner Bank, that is trying to do something about this problem.