Advanced Real Estate Services Archives - Page 69 of 70

January 19, 2009

Market Activity for January 12-18, 2009

Here is your market activity report for last week. There are 17 new listings, 9 pending sales, and 2 closed sales. When I did my search for new listings the report originally contained over 50 properties, which seemed way high to me. So I explored the market history on each of them and found that only 17 were truly new listings and all of the rest were old listings that were pulled and then re-listed with new RMLS numbers to “refresh” them. It’s a common practice to stimulate sales activity. However, I think it is helpful to see what is a actually a new listing versus this marketing technique. I can not promise that time will always permit me to take this extra step, but when I can, I will. I was also pleased to see 9 pending sales, which is a bit of a gain over what we were seeing in the holidays.

NEWLY LISTED (January 12, 2009 – January 18, 2009)

Address	List Price	#BR	#Bths	Total SF	Prop Type	List Date
57 GALEN ST	$129,500	1	1	689	CONDO	1/17/2009
136 OSWEGO SMT	$142,000	1	1	764	CONDO	1/15/2009
4 TOUCHSTONE DR	$194,900	3	2.1	1,351	CONDO	1/13/2009
545 HEMLOCK ST	$339,900	3	1.1	984	DETACHD	1/12/2009
3 SAINT HELENS CIR	$359,000	2	2	1,472	DETACHD	1/12/2009
1234 MAPLE ST	$379,000	3	2	1,947	DETACHD	1/14/2009
1052 YATES ST	$389,900	3	1.1	1,286	DETACHD	1/12/2009
14498 CAMDEN LN	$469,900	4	2.1	1,918	DETACHD	1/15/2009
6067 CLAIRMONT CT	529000	4	2.1	2,344	DETACHD	1/12/2009
1862 KILKENNY DR	549900	3	2.1	2,485	DETACHD	1/15/2009
827 5TH ST	550000	3	2	2,124	DETACHD	1/16/2009
745 4TH ST	579000	3	2	2,662	DETACHD	1/12/2009
4116 ORCHARD WAY	683950	5	3.1	4,078	DETACHD	1/16/2009
15713 TARA PL	729000	4	2.1	3,442	DETACHD	1/17/2009
13601 GOODALL RD	875000	3	1.1	2,662	DETACHD	1/14/2009
17404 BERGIS FARM DR	1297000	5	4.1	5,394	DETACHD	1/17/2009
13770 CAMEO CT	2298000	4	5.1	6,929	DETACHD	1/14/2009

PENDING SALES (January 12, 2009 – Janaury 18, 2009, 2008)

Address	List Price	#BR	#BTHS	Total SF	Prop Type	CDOM
5225 JEAN RD	$189,875	2	2	1,100	CONDO	168
6291 HARRINGTON AVE	$249,900	3	2	1,472	DETACHD	99
4451 BERNARD ST	$349,950	3	2	1,800	DETACHD	190
5079 W SUNSET DR	$379,950	2	2.1	1,760	ATTACHD	336
18971 INDIAN SPRINGS CIR	$399,950	3	2	1,525	DETACHD	9
4 BRITTEN CT	$429,000	3	2.1	1,972	ATTACHD	74
1265 ROCKINGHORSE LN	$444,000	4	3	2,402	DETACHD	189
5364 LANGFORD LN	$715,950	3	2.1	3,022	DETACHD	258
14270 EDENBERRY DR	749900	4	2.1	2,935	DETACHD	104

SOLD (January 12, 2009 – January 18, 2009)

Address	O/Price	Close Price	#BR	#BTHS	Total SF	Prop Type	CDOM
7050 CHILDS RD	$498,000	$385,000	2	2	1,693	DETACHD	573
2584 PARK RD	$679,000	$480,000	4	2	2,302	DETACHD	279

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.

If links to ACTIVE properties do not bring up property information, the listing may no longer be active, but rather expired, cancelled, pending, or sold.

January 16, 2009

Open Houses for the weekend of January 17-18, 2009

golden-front There are 20 scheduled open houses being promoted on the RMLS this weekend, including my open house at 4447 Golden Lane. I’ll be there from 1-4. It’s an end-unit townhouse in Mt. Park with 2 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Listed for $284,900, the Kitchen has new granite counters. There are walls of South-facing windows that let in lots of light and give the home large views of the gorgeous landscaping. To get there, take Carmen Drive to Fosberg, to Melrose, to Thundervista, to Golden. You’ll see my signs at the intersection of Fosberg and Melrose. Please come by, I’d love to meet you.

Here are the open houses scheduled for Saturday, January 17th:

624 Livingood Ln, $574,900, 4 BR, 3 BTHS, 2596 SF, Open 1-3
1322 Rosemont Rd, $749,900, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 3836 SF, Open 1-4

Here are the open houses scheduled for Sunday, January 18th:

4320 Cornwall St, $214,950, 2 BR, 1 BTH, 1000 SF, Open 2-4
4447 Golden Ln, $284,900, 2 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 1616 SF, Open 1-4
18959 Kristi Way, $384,400, 3 BR, 2 BTHS, 1778 SF, Open 1-3:30
1480 Hemlock St, $428,850, 4 BR, 3 BTHS, 2246 SF, Open 1-3
1650 Fircrest Dr, $429,000, 4 BR, 3 BTHS, 2268 SF, Open 1-4
3486 Ponderosa Loop, $429,000, 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 2453 SF, Open 12-4
75 Condolea Way, $449,000, 3 BR, 3 BTHS, 2131 SF, Open 1-3
2453 Marylhurst Dr, $479,000, 4 BR, 2 BTHS, 2073 SF, Open 12-3
5624 Southwood Dr, $599,900, 4 BR, 3 BTHS, 3120 SF, Open 1-4
3254 Duncan Dr, $599,900, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 3997 SF, Open 2-4
13222 Deerfield Ct, $679,500, 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 3022 SF, Open 1-3
3456 Chelan Dr, $709,900, 5 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 3677 SF, Open 1-3
5267 Lakeview Blvd, $750,000, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 3425 SF, Open 1-4
426 7th St, $778,950, 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 2902 SF, Open 1-4
15195 Lily Bay Ct, $924,900, 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 4099 SF, Open 12-4
3030 Westview Ct, $959,000, 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 3415 SF, Open 2-4
943 Atwater Rd, $1,235,000, 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 3874 SF, Open 12-2
13200 Thoma Rd, $1,995,000, 5 BR, 5 full + 2 half BTHS, 7648 SF, Open 2-4

This is going to be a great weekend to see some houses. Enjoy the sunshine!

January 15, 2009

What should I offer?

aressign1 This is probably the single most common question that buyers universally ask. After all, you want to get the property for a fair price that is not too high, but you also have other concerns that you want to address. How do you frame the offer to cover all of your concerns?

The first step, in my opinion, is to have your Realtor prepare a market analysis for the neighborhood in which the home that you like is located. You want to know what other homes have sold for. The houses that are used should have sold as recently as possible, going no further back than 6 months. They also need to be as similar as possible in age, size, and condition. There will always be a bit of a range in the value. Houses that sell at the low end usually have issues with either condition or location. Houses at the high end are in top-notch condition with recent upgrades and remodeling. Then there is the average. An average home is clean and in nice condition but does not necessarily have completely new kitchens and baths, or perhaps has upgrades that are not high-end. The home you are considering: where does it fit in this range? Knowing what the neighborhood is selling for, and having an idea of where your prospective home fits in the range, will tell you what the market is proving to be the value for the home. This method allows you to know if a property is over priced or a smokin’ deal. You also want to take into consideration the market history on the property. If the house has been on the market for an extended period of time without dropping the price, then it is obviously over-priced and the seller will need to negotiate down to get it sold. If it’s been on the market a long time, but the current price is a recent and large reduction, perhaps the seller has already come down enough to have the house at a fair-market value. And a house that is newly listed is less likely to take a dramatically lower offer. I believe the best way to estimate value is to take the time to do the market analysis. It will tell you what the house is worth in the current economic climate.

My next advice to a buyer is to decide what is important to them, price or terms. If getting the house for the absolutely best price possible is the priority, then make the offer clean in other areas. Sure, come in 10% below the list price but don’t ask for new carpeting, a closing date after your son graduates from High School next spring, and not subject to the sale of your current home. If you come in low and then ask for the moon, most sellers will get mad and reject your offer. On the other hand, if you really do need to make your offer subject to the sale of your current home, then to get a seller to work with you, you are going to need to be more generous on price. I do believe that most sellers expect to negotiate and when presented with a reasonable offer will respond in kind and try to make a deal work. But do decide if your priority is price or terms and then frame your offer to accomplish your priority.

I also feel that before a buyer can make an offer, he or she needs to see enough homes to develop a sense for value. What does a $300,000 house look like? When you see enough of them, you start to get a feeling for the market and sense for value. You can tell when a house is in better than average condition and yet priced the same as the ones that are a mess. That is a good deal. That is the best way to buy. I think it takes looking at about 20 houses for a buyer to develop a good sense for value.

Also, make sure that you are working with a Realtor who knows the neighborhood. Homes in Beaverton sell under different circumstances than homes in North Portland. You need to be aware how individual areas of town are selling. And even within Lake Oswego there are high-demand locations that sell for more money and more quickly because of their location.

Your home is likely the largest purchase you will ever make. You want to buy the home that you love, but you also want to make a sound investment, and the first step is making the right offer.

January 12, 2009January 23, 2009

Market Activity Report- January 5 – 11, 2009

Activity is picking up as evidenced by the number of new listings below. However, I’ll caution that roughly half of these are “freshened” listings, and though I like to pick through them and only display the truly “new”, scheduling did not allow me to do that for you today.

Your Realtor can answer any questions regarding a property’s history, and I’d be happy to advise you on that as well should you not have your own resource, and find something of interest below. Suffice it to say though, that the new year is providing inspiration to home sellers, and this is fairly common every year.

Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):

NEWLY LISTED (January 5 – 11,2009)

4 TOUCHSTONE DR	$ 114,000	2	2	984	CONDO	1/10/2009
65 GALEN ST	$ 129,000	1	1	689	CONDO	1/5/2009
3668 SPRING LN	$ 199,900	2	2	1,120	CONDO	1/6/2009
750 1ST ST	$ 225,000	2	2	1,350	CONDO	1/9/2009
6291 HARRINGTON AVE	$ 249,900	3	2	1,472	DETACHD	1/6/2009
6317 CARMAN DR	$ 275,000	3	1.1	1,344	DETACHD	1/5/2009
4664 FIRWOOD RD	$ 300,000	3	2	1,640	DETACHD	1/6/2009
18963 SW LONGFELLOW AVE	$ 339,900	3	1.1	1,232	DETACHD	1/5/2009
18959 KRISTI WAY	$384,400	3	2	1,778	DETACHD	1/6/2009
18971 INDIAN SPRINGS CIR	$399,950	3	2	1,525	DETACHD	1/7/2009
16018 WALUGA DR	$419,000	4	2	2,026	DETACHD	1/8/2009
142 KINGSGATE RD	$425,000	4	2.1	2,495	DETACHD	1/6/2009
1717 WOODLAND TER	$455,000	3	2.1	2,146	DETACHD	1/6/2009
17121 WALL ST	$525,000	3	2.1	2,187	DETACHD	1/9/2009
17622 BROOKHURST DR	$550,000	3	2.1	2,909	DETACHD	1/7/2009
3254 DUNCAN DR	$599,900	4	3.1	3,997	DETACHD	1/7/2009
668 MCVEY AVE	$599,998	3	1.1	992	CONDO	1/9/2009
5678 SW CHARLES CIR	$65,0000	4	4	3,455	DETACHD	1/5/2009
615 LAKE BAY CT	$669,900	3	3	2,542	DETACHD	1/5/2009
72 CONDOLEA WAY	$679,500	2	2.1	3,088	CONDO	1/9/2009
19524 RIVER RUN DR	$699,950	4	2.1	2,630	DETACHD	1/5/2009
15195 LILY BAY CT	$924,900	4	2.1	4,099	DETACHD	1/11/2009
3030 WESTVIEW CT	$959,000	4	2.1	3,415	DETACHD	1/11/2009
18682 WESTVIEW	$975,000	4	3	3,243	DETACHD	1/8/2009
662 9 th ST	$975,000	5	3.1	4,108	DETACHD	1/5/2009
2304 Oswego Glen CT	$1,395,000	4	2.1	3,896	DETACHD	1/5/2009
2793 POPLAR WAY	$1,995,000	5	5.1	6,300	DETACHD	1/9/2009

PENDING SALES (January 5 – 11, 2009)

3190 DUNCAN DR $304,900	3 2.1	2401 DETACHD 12/16/2008 24
5102 ROSEWOOD ST $341,900	3 2	1810 DETACHD 11/12/2008 54
4280 CHAPMAN WAY $469,000	3 2	1947 DETACHD 12/15/2008 105
17454 CANAL CIR $549,900	4 3	2275 DETACHD 4/19/2008 261
13581 GOODALL RD $550,000	3 2	1220 DETACHD 10/10/2008 490
5299 WESTFIELD CT $598,000	3 2.1	2865 DETACHD 8/2/2008 156
1141 TROON RD $648850	4 3	2522 DETACHD 7/2/2008 187

SOLD (January 5-11, 2009)

16250 PACIFIC HWY $269,850	$185,000	2 2.1	324 CONDO 433
5051 TUALATA LN $409,900	$400,000	4 2.1	591 DETACHD 114
16750 PHANTOM BLUFF CT$485,000	$430,000	3 3.2	267 DETACHD ,288
1971 PARK FOREST AVE $549,000	$549,000	4 2.2	180 DETACHD 13

If links to ACTIVE properties do not bring up property information, the listing may no longer be active, but rather expired, cancelled, pending, or sold.

January 9, 2009January 10, 2009

Open Houses for Sunday, January 11th

We had views of the mountains this morning, and are supposed to be dry and hovering near 50 Sunday! (Do I sound excited?) If you decide to venture out and enjoy the weather and some “house-browsing”, here are some that will be held open on Sunday according to RMLS:

5054 Foothills Dr. $285,000 2 Bd, 2 Ba, Open 2-4

1650 Fircrest Dr. $429,000 4 Bd, 3 Ba, Open 1-4

1265 Rockinghorse Ln.$444,000 4 Bd, 3 Ba, Open 1-3

4 Hillshire Dr. $575,000 4 Bd, 3 Ba, Open 1:30 – 3:30

5624 Southwood Dr. $599,900 4 Bd, 3 Ba, Open 2-4

3254 Duncan Dr. $599,900 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba, Open 1-3

426 7th St. $778,950 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba, Open 1-4

16359 Chapin Way $1,439,000 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba, Open 1-4

13200 Thoma Rd. $1,995,000 5 Bd, 5 + 2 1/2 Ba, Open 2-4

January 8, 2009January 8, 2009

Insurance & Adventures in Home Ownership

slide_1b We’ve given you plenty of coverage of the exciting and unusual weather experienced lately here in Lake Oswego. I hesitate to scare the bajeezeez out of anyone contemplating living here, and/but believe that even though this is unusual weather, the story I’m about to share is extremely valuable for just that reason, and highlights the importance of giving great consideration to the type of insurance you decide to carry when purchasing a home.

Last Friday at about 1:00AM, 23-year old Sammy Abazzaz and a group of his friends were relaxing and having a late-night snack in the second-floor kitchen of Sammy’s Lake Oswego home when a mudslide hit its rear filling the level below with moving earth, throwing granite counters at them and opening a crevasse at their feet sending some plummeting beneath it. Sammy’s parents were in British Columbia celebrating the new year and rushed home upon hearing of the catastrophe. All the occupants are reported to have escaped and are deemed relatively “OK” with the exception of one broken arm and lots of nightmares I’m sure. According to the Oregonian, Sammy relates: “It came through almost like an avalanche, through the windows and the house”. Heavy rains and a plugged drainage point on the hill above the home reportedly caused the slide.

slide_6 Scott Burns, a professor of geology at Portland State University advises: “The important thing is to get people in Portland and the rest of this area to ask the question, ‘What can I do to prevent landslides on my property?’ ” “There was just a lot of storm water going down the streets and going in every direction,” said Bill Burns, an engineering geologist with the state Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. “There was just so much water, it was just over-taking the system.”

slide_3 The family reportedly had homeowners insurance, but not the additional protection of landslide coverage which is typically excluded from most policies. I would pose that in addition to being the most diligent and informed homeowner you can possibly be, you also need to acknowledge that sometimes “stuff happens”, and therefore it is prudent to assess any “potential” hazards (even if you believe them unlikely) and protect yourself with appropriate insurance. This means you may end up being the one inquiring as to the availability of such add-ons, and so need to come armed to any discussion with data to guide your inquiries and decisions. To that end, let me provide you with some basic information, which I suggest you view as a primer, and not as the replacement for consultation with your insurance agent who, unlike me, is the “insurance expert”:

Most homeowners policies will not include: floods, mold/fungus, earthquakes, mudslides/landslides, sinkholes, war or nuclear accidents.
If you do have, or are considering flood insurance, check to see if you are covered for a landslide should the slide be carried by a body of water. Some flood policies cover mudslides ONLY under these circumstances.
Cost of coverage is based on where you live & other factors. (visit: http://www.Floodsmart.gov). A typical quote for someone NOT in a flood plane according to my own insurance office only will cover up to $250,000 in structural damage, and $100,000 for content damage. ** For $200,000/structure and $80,000/contents in a recent “preferred location” quote in SW Portland, the price tag I’m told was $326/yr.
Generally speaking, “property damage” is not intended to include a detached garage, outbuildings, tool sheds etc. These may be covered, but usually at around 10% of the amount of coverage applicable to your home.
The most common policies in the United States cover losses due to fire, lightning, fallen trees, tornadoes, wind storms, hail explosions, smoke, vandalism and theft. The amount of coverage that you have is an item for discussion between you and your insurance agent.
Water seepage from the ground up into your home is usually considered a maintenance issue and not covered in standard or flood policies. Waterproofing and appropriate drainage work is recommended if this is an issue.
Although the term “Acts of God” is bandied about by most of us, it is not a term that’s actually included in homeowners insurance policies.

We all live on planet earth, so accordingly, we are susceptible to all kinds of unexpected occurrences. Importantly, let me repeat-

Get/Stay informed.
Gather information about your property and any “potential” hazards.
Take appropriate mitigating actions to remove any threat(s) if possible.
Consult your insurance agent for the best advice on protecting yourself, your home and your family.
Should you not already have a trusted insurance agent/advisor, request some references from your Realtor.

Home ownership is an adventure. Suit up, and enjoy it!

January 6, 2009January 23, 2009

Market Activity for December 29, 2008 to January 4, 2009

The holidays are over, the snow has melted, and it’s time for the market to get going. This past week there were 13 new listings, 3 pending sales, and 2 closed sales. Of particular interest to me is the sale on Dellwood Dr. Dellwood is absolutely one of the prettiest streets in Lake Oswego. This was a house that Linda and I had toured together during a Broker’s Open. It was a mid-century modern in architectural design and was decorated in the same manner. It had been on the market for a very long time. An offer was accepted on it in mid December and it closed just two weeks later. For the location the house was a nice value and I sure the seller is happy to start the new year with the house sold.

NEWLY LISTED (DECEMBER 29, 2008 – January 4, 2009)

ADDRESS	LIST PRICE	TOT. BEDS	TOT. BATHS	TOT. SQ FT	PROP TYPE	LIST DATE
4 TOUCHSTONE	$129,900	2	2	979	CONDO	1/1/2009
210 S STATE ST	$199,900	2	1	1,284	CONDO	12/30/2008
3433 MCNARY PKWY	$249,900	2	2.1	1,136	CONDO	1/2/2009
1635 ASPEN ST	$345,000	3	2.1	1,618	DETACHD	1/2/2009
17755 HILL WAY	$375,000	4	3	1,887	DETACHD	1/3/2009
845 LAKE FOREST DR	$459,000	3	1.1	1,359	DETACHD	12/31/2008
4750 UPPER DR	$469,900	4	3	2,692	DETACHD	1/4/2009
4691 SW HERITAGE LN	$639,900	4	2.1	2,882	DETACHD	1/4/2009
1189 SUNNINGDALE CT	$699,000	4	2	2,056	DETACHD	1/2/2009
1913 CHERYL CT	$1,380,000	4	4.1	5,791	DETACHD	1/4/2009
16771 MAPLE CIR	$1,650,000	3	3	2,074	DETACHD	1/3/2009
4398 Lakeview BLVD	$1,895,000	4	2.2	3,309	DETACHD	12/30/2008

PENDING SALES (DECEMBER 29, 2008 – Janaury 4, 2009, 2008)

ADDRESS	LIST PRICE	TOT. BEDS	TOT. BATHS	TOT. SQ FT	PROP TYPE	DOM
4206 WOODSIDE CIR	$284,900	2	2	1,799	ATTACHD	8/3/2008
1640 WORTHINGTON ST	$359,000	4	3	2,342	DETACHD	10/28/2008
5350 LAKEVIEW BLVD	$459,990	6	2.5	2,580	DETACHD	8/19/2008

SOLD (December 29, 2008 – January 4, 2009)

ADDRESS	ORIG. PRICE	SALE PRICE	TOT. BEDS	TOT. BATHS	TOT. SQ FT	PROP TYPE	DOM
2958 DELLWOOD DR	$669,900	$547,000	4	3	3,272	DETACHD	775
14527 PFEIFER WAY	$799,000	$650,000	4	3.1	3,788	DETACHD	120

If links to ACTIVE properties do not bring up property information, the listing may no longer be active, but rather expired, cancelled, pending, or sold.

January 2, 2009

Open Houses for Sunday, January 4th, 2009

The holidays are behind us, the snow has melted, and it’s time to get back into the saddle. Here are this weekend’s open houses that are being promoted on the RMLS. All are being held open on Sunday the 4th.

12868 Boones Ferry Rd, a townhouse, $295,000, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, open 1-3

5807 Ridgetop Ct, a house, $539,900, 5 BR, 2.5 Baths, open 1-4

624 Livingood Ln, a house, $574,900, 4 BR, 3 Baths, open 1-3

17512 Greenbluff Lot 1, a house, $1,425,000, 4 BR, 4 Baths, open 1-4

17554 Greenbluff Lot 2, a house, $1,850,000, 4 BR, 4 full + 4 half Baths, open 1-4

Have a great weekend.

December 30, 2008December 30, 2008

Attitude is Everything

You may have noticed that both Linda and I tend to approach our careers in real estate with a pretty positive attitude. We share a world-view that allows for positive outcomes. I don’t know about Linda, but I do know that I have received criticism for maintaining this perspective while so much that is going on in the world, particularly in the current economy, is just so terrible. Because we are beginning a New Year, and I intend for 2009 to be a great year, I thought this would be a good time to share with you where I learned my positive attitude.

For those of you who know me, you also know that my mom was a Realtor before me. She was my mentor and role model not just in life, but also as a Realtor. And she is the one who taught me to have a positive attitude. She taught it by example. Her story is really quite remarkable.

My mom, Audrey Slater, was 24 years old the summer of 1954. She lived here in Lake Oswego and was the mother of a young child. She was one of 8 people who were residents of Lake Oswego who contracted polio that summer. For such a small town, it was considered to be an epidemic. 3 of those 8 people died. My mom was one of the lucky ones. She wasn’t killed by it. But she was paralyzed from the chest down. At that time there was no vaccine to prevent polio and there was no proven treatment. Fortunately she was well cared for. The nurses and doctors wrapped her in hot, wet, wool blankets and regularly moved her to help prevent muscle atrophy. When she recovered her future was uncertain. She was told she could quite possibly never walk again. She absolutely refused to accept that possibility. She spent the next several years of her life regaining her strength and learning to walk all over again. She went from her bed to a wheel chair and then to crutches and finally to walking on her own. She went on to be the mother of 3 additional children, including me. I clearly remember her overcoming many challenges that being a polio survivor brought, and foremost in my mind I remember her on-going insistence on maintaining a positive attitude.

This was the era of Norman Vincent Peale. The author of “The Power of Positive Thinking”, he spread a message of hope and good living through books, letters, and his work with people.

My mom took it to heart. She used it to overcome so much. Today, after raising a family and being a very successful Realtor here in Lake Oswego for 28 years, she is such a fine example of a life well lived and a life that has been lived to its fullest, despite tremendous challenge.

Are these times hard? Sure they are. Do they amount to the sum of our human existence? Absolutely not. This is a moment in time: a moment in history. And, frankly, there is much to be hopeful and optimistic about. It is our challenge to choose how we approach the day. Are we going to make it a good day? Or are we going to surrender to negativity and allow it to become a bad day? Will we allow news reports to keep us from moving on with our lives? Will we allow fear to keep us from noticing all the good things about this point in time relating to real estate…like record-low interest rates and prices? I would argue that a positive mindset allows for more rational decision making when coupled with an assessment of the variables.

This does not mean that I am unwilling to be realistic about facts and the current economy. It does mean that I will approach the current market and find a way to make it work to my clients’ benefit, whenever possible. It also means that even when the situation is tough, I will pledge to handle it with grace and good humor.

Finally, I have a video I want to encourage you to watch. Think of it as a little New Year’s gift. This is a video of a man who has overcome adversity so far above and beyond anything that most can imagine. To view it, click here.

I would like to wish you a positive and prosperous New Year.

December 29, 2008January 23, 2009

Lake Oswego Real Estate Activity Report – December 22-28, 2008

Lake Oswego saw two properties enter the market last week. Feet of snow and ice may stop delivery companies and impair mall traffic the week of Christmas, but the real estate market moves forward! (albeit slightly)

One property went “Pending”, and we have no sales for the week.

Here is the latest Lake Oswego real estate market activity report (see below the tables for additional notes):

NEWLY LISTED (DECEMBER 22-28, 2008)

12826 Boones Ferry RD 299900 2 2.1 1398 CONDO 12/23/2008

570 7TH ST 739000 4 2.5 2528 DETACHD 12/23/2008

PENDING SALES (DECEMBER 22-28, 2008)

1428 PINE ST 449000 3 3.1 2738 DETACHD 782

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