Hmmmmmm…. Not to bum you California readers out, but this is a pretty dreary week in Lake Oswego! I so often hear from family and friends in California though, that they really LOVE rain, and I can relate. Nothing better than to curl up with a book (or a laptop) by a fire near a window with a nice view & hear the rain on the roof. Lots of coffee shops prosper here for the same reason.
We have yet to see what the weather is going to look like this winter. I hear that at the recent “weather conference” held here in Lake Oswego, experts were torn over whether we would be having a relatively dry season, or even MORE snow than we had last year…. quite a gap in understanding among experts… (any readers who attended this conference or who would like to chime in are welcome!).
Lake Oswego turns 100!
Well, we are only 99 right now, but Lake Oswego is turning 100 in 2010. Already planning is underway for a “year-long celebration” that will kick off in January with a film at the Lakewood Center giving an overview of the city’s history and unveiling the “Lake Oswego Building Blocks” display; a visual history of 20 of the city’s neighborhoods which will remain on display throughout the year.
There will also be a scavenger hunt that will begin after the kick-off and last thru March (!!!) with clues given each week via he Lake Oswego Review and the city’s official website.
For more info or to get involved, contact Kern-Schilling at 503-675-3983, attend a community meeting at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the West End Building or visit the Web site www.lakeoswego100.com later this month.
City Revisits “Affordable Housing”
There was an interesting article in the Lake Oswego Review about a week ago that highlighted some citizens’ work toward ensuring that in particular seniors, but also lower income families and individuals, have access to affordable housing. Paul Lyons, along with Ralph Tahran have been meeting with City Counselor Roger Hennigan and other interested parties. Mr. Lyons led a discussion at a recent city council meeting. He pointed out that the planning department is undergoing a periodic review of the Comprehensive Plan, and is hopeful that this is a good time to reintroduce this discussion which was sidelined in 2005. Here is a link to the article for anyone interested: Affordable Housing The article has generated lively debate in Lake Oswego.
Market Action Report
It is almost time for the October Market Action Report to be released by RMLS. I think it is interesting to note that there has been a new column added to the Residential Market Highlights and the Area Report called “Total Market Time”. This is an average of the cumulative number of days a property has been truly on the market. This time does not reset unless a property has been off the market for more than 30 days, and this statistic is evidently calculated for listings that sell in the month and year-to-date time periods that apply to any issue of Market Action. You know that Dianne and I have often mentioned the confusion that sometimes results from how “Days on Market” are shown when a property relists but is really not a new listing, and so I am glad to see this change in the Market Action Report which will more accurately reflect a property’s actual time on the market before sale.
The last time I posted our market activity report we had a comment that the numbers seemed pretty balanced, and for the last couple of months I think that has been true. I think that for the most part when houses come onto the market, home sellers are fully aware that they need to be priced right. That has lead to fairly strong sales. Again this week, we had 11 houses come onto the market and 11 houses go pending. The closed sales were just 5, so that is not as strong. But my sense is that the market is moving pretty well as long as prices reflect what a buyer considers to be a good value.
Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):
NEWLY LISTED (Nov 2—Nov.8, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address
List Price
# BR
# BTHS
Total SF
Prop Type
List Date
4000 CARMAN DR
$145,000
2
2
869
CONDO
11/6/2009
15200 BOONES WAY
$175,000
2
1.1
1,248
CONDO
11/4/2009
3365 UPPER DR
$329,900
2
2
1,378
DETACHD
11/6/2009
505 8TH ST
$389,000
3
1
1,050
DETACHD
11/6/2009
1720 MAPLELEAF RD
$449,000
3
2
1,529
DETACHD
11/5/2009
13448 AUBURN CT
$474,900
3
2.1
2,535
ATTACHD
11/3/2009
4040 VIRGINIA WAY
$524,900
3
2.1
2,623
DETACHD
11/6/2009
33 MORNINGVIEW CIR
$574,900
3
2.1
2,737
DETACHD
11/2/2009
5322 ROSALIA WAY
799999
4
2.1
3,500
DETACHD
11/3/2009
17370 CANYON DR
849900
4
3.1
3,408
DETACHD
11/5/2009
17384 BERGIS FARM DR
1295000
5
4.1
5,012
DETACHD
11/4/2009
PENDING SALES (Nov 2 -Nov. 8, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
List Price
# BR
# BTHS
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
4 TOUCHSTONE CT
$109,900
3
2.1
1,350
CONDO
371
14 POLONIUS ST
$300,000
4
3
2,754
DETACHD
254
161 C AVE
$449,900
2
2.1
1,719
ATTACHD
215
4311 ORCHARD WAY
$544,900
4
2.1
3,082
DETACHD
54
5 GARIBALDI ST
$574,800
4
3.1
3,250
DETACHD
8
4688 CHELSEA LN
$649,900
4
2.1
3,493
DETACHD
9
279 EVERGREEN RD
$674,500
3
3.1
2,136
ATTACHD
129
19463 LORNA LN
$805,000
4
3.1
4,024
DETACHD
21
827 8TH ST
$898,000
5
3.1
3,852
DETACHD
38
577 MIDDLECREST RD
$999,900
4
2.1
2,000
DETACHD
504
753 LAKESHORE RD
$1,385,000
3
3.1
2,562
DETACHD
51
SOLD (Nov 2-Nov. 8, 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
$119,900
$115,000
2
2
984
CONDO
43
15450 SW KIMBALL CT
$299,000
$233,000
4
1.1
1,104
DETACHD
344
5554 ROYAL OAKS DR
$399,885
$385,000
3
2
1,861
DETACHD
2
1531 WOODLAND TER
$414,000
$408,500
3
2.1
1,895
DETACHD
139
4691 CHELSEA LN
$629,900
$530,000
4
2.1
3,102
DETACHD
585
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.
I have two things on my mind today: Thanksgiving and how much Linda and I are loving writing the PropertyBblotter. I am thinking about Thanksgiving because it is my favorite holiday and because it has been so incredibly gorgeous the last few days. The air is crisp. The sunshine is bright. It just makes me feel grateful to be alive. And somehow those feelings tie into how I feel about the Property Blotter. We have been writing this blog for 20 months. In that time we have had the pleasure of sharing our passion for real estate and for this wonderful town that we live in. We have also been fortunate to have people contact us to get information, and even to buy and to sell homes. We are grateful for our loyal readers and hope that you are enjoying and learning from what we are able to share.
In that light, today I want to take us back to the roots of the Blotter and remind our readers that the name is completely local to Lake Oswego and references the Police Blotter that is published each Thursday in The Lake Oswego Review, the local newspaper. The Review is widely read in LO, both to see photos and hear about our neighbors, and also to get a good chuckle over the varied activities of our local law enforcement. Let’s face it, while LO is not immune to crime, there is quite a bit of time when the good men and women of our police department deal with some pretty funny stuff. So the Police Blotter is in some ways a form of entertainment. I thought I’d take time today to share a bit of the Property Blotter’s namesake. Here, for your reading enjoyment, are actual police activities that were published in the LO Review from a two week period in late September. Enjoy.
9/14/09 1:47 pm A man fell down while walking on a broken sidewalk on Boones Ferry Rd.
9/14/09 4:10 pm An elderly man acted confused at a pizza restaurant.
9/15/09 12:54 pm Police saved a man from being stranded on his roof after his ladder fell down while he was working on it. The ladder was replaced and the man came down.
9/15/09 1:39 pm A caged leopard was observed in a vehicle traveling down Highway 43.
9/15/09 4:47 pm An old lady has been throwing plums at her neighbor.
9/15/09 5 pm An injured pheasant was caught on the side of the road by officers and taken to the Audobon Society.
9/16/09 1:44 pm A woman complained that her neighbor’s garage sale had been going on for far too long.
9/17/09 8:58 pm A short, heavy, suspicious man was advised to leave a super market after he was observed leaning against a wall.
9/18/09 7:48 pm After leaving his scooter on a dock, a man returned to find that it was missing. It turned out the scooter had been thrown into the water by a mentally challenged boy, whose father agreed to pay for a new scooter.
9/19/09 8:41 am A racoon found injured in the middle of the road was taken to a Lake Grove veterinarian.
9/19/09 6:23 pm A person dropped a glass on Lakeview Boulevard, then got out and tried to pick it up.
9/21/09 9:09 am A man in a van has been parking behind a church and sleeping. Church officials hope he will wake up and leave.
9/22/09 1:38 pm A large swarm of yellow jackets was seen a Maple Circle. A beekeeper was notified to respond.
9/24/09 2:16 am A dog cornered a raccoon in a backyard.
9/24/09 7:28 pm A man’s 10-year-old son was screaming about not being able to get on a computer.
9/25/09 11:35 am A dark blue Jeep Liberty was seen driving over yellow lines and onto the sidewalk on Boones Ferry Road. An alternative driver was located to drive the car.
9/25/09 5:03 pm A 15-year-old boy reported a man in an Alden Utilities vest riding a bicycle through his yard. Turns out Alden Utilities is taking a pole inventory.
9/25/09 8:40 pm A suspicious man was going door to door on Albert Circle claiming to be the Kirby Vacuum guy.
9/26/09 1:54 pm A back pack with drug paraphernalia was reportedly found at Our Lady of the Lake. Officers determined the contents were just garbage and disposed of them.
9/26/09 2:41 pm A dead squirrel was removed from Lake Grove Avenue.
9/26/09 10:13 pm A complaint was filed on a loud party at Country Woods Court and Quarry Road. Partiers shut the garage door and turned the music down.
9/26/09 11:59 pm The partying continued on Country Woods Court. Homeowners were warned of a citiation.
We may be just 15 minutes from downtown Portland, but reading the LO Review’s Police Blotter really puts into perspective that LO has the personality of a small town. Our police department has a 100% personal response policy. When you call the police, for whatever issue no matter how small or how large, you will get a police officer who will personally respond. And then the next week, you will see it in the Lake Oswego Review. I love it.
Geez… It’s November already! You know what that means… Halloween’s over, Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, and then the Holidays, gift-giving… OK, I’ll stop : ) Right now it’s Fall, and Sunday is supposed to be a nice one w/sunshine and some decent temperatures. Also, the announcement that we are pretty darned close to an extension of the First-Time-Home-Buyer Tax Credit (which additionally applies, by the way, to those who have not owned a home for three years now) and the proposal of an additional $6500. Tax Credit for those “Buying Up” if you meet income guidelines (under $125,000. for an individual or $225,000. for couple filing jointly) and purchase a house for $800,000. or less. And you thought your dreams were going to have to wait!
Dianne and I are, as always, here for you.
There are 26 properties on tour in Lake Oswego Sunday according to RMLS (including the Luxury Townhomes at 363 Sixth St in First Addition) :
It isn’t often that we shine the spotlight on any particular property, but when we heard that the new luxury town homes on Sixth St in sought-after First Addition had just lowered their prices by $100,000 each to $599,900., Dianne and I just had to run over there and take a look.
There are six of these little gems with four of them left & available for purchase. The address is 363 Sixth St., and the ML# if you want to get a preview is 9057549. Each has 2258 SF, 3 bedrooms, 3 & 1/2 baths, 2 levels with additional full finished basements, and probably just everything you’ve been looking for.
First of all, they really are gorgeous. The finishes in these are superior. The first feature you notice inside are the beautiful plank maple hardwood floors. A sleek yet spacious slab granite kitchen with long island, pantry & light beech cabinets also boasts additional built-ins and smart features like a pull-down bar. The dark french doors to the front porch area off the dining room are a rich contrast, and the white wainscoting throughout adds that crisp old-world cottage feel. The 2-car detached garage out back with private courtyard to the house is an added bonus in First Addition, and from there you enter the great room compete with gas fireplace and more built-ins.
Downstairs you find another gas fireplace and generous media room as well as another bedroom & bathroom w/an additional laundry area for guests or your reclusive teenager. Upstairs is the master bedroom & bath showing off glorious travertine w/onyx, a clawfoot tub & separate shower as well as an additional bathroom w/soaker tub & yet another bedroom. Walk-in closets of course, and the main laundry near the upstairs bedrooms check those final “must-haves” off the list.
Overall, these are just so unique & have that easy-living feel that goes hand in hand with the First Addition lifestyle… you know, walking to all the services, trendy shops and restaurants, not to mention Millenium Park Plaza for a view of the lake & all the festive local activities like Farmer’s Market, open air Movie Nights, Holiday Tree-Lighting festivities and on & on. First Addition is just a strolling kinda place; a small-town feel with all the amenities. Cottage Living magazine named First Addition as one of the ten best cottage communities in the country. American Planning Association name it one of the top 10 neighborhoods in America. The accolades go on & on.
Yes, these are nice indeed. But you know, on the practical side, in addition to the location & amazing price when comparing features & finishes to other offerings, there are also NO HOA fees. Compare that with other HOA’s nearby at anywhere from $136./month to $455./mo.
Come on down & take a look. Bring a Realtor as there has been a lot of interest. They will be held open both Saturday & Sunday from 1 – 4.
Along with the gorgeous fall color, October brings property tax statements. If you live in Oregon, you will be receiving your statement in the mail in the next week or so. Property taxes are pretty misunderstood, and not because people are dumb. The simple fact is that they are confusing. I am going to take a shot at explaining them and clearing up some basic issues.
The tax year runs from July 1st to June 30th, but you receive your tax statement in October for payment on November 15th. No wonder people are confused! Not only does the tax year not correspond with the calendar year, but you get your statement at a completely odd time as well. (Is this some sort of a conspiracy?) So when you pay your taxes in November you are paying in arrears back to July 1 and ahead to June 30. You can pay your taxes in one lump sum and receive a discount, or you can pay it in thirds with the final third due in May.
Don’t fall behind in your property taxes. The tax assessor is the only entity that can step ahead of your mortgage lender in lien position. This means that if you fall behind, the county can actually foreclosure on your home even if you are current on your mortgage. This is why mortgage companies pay attention to whether or not your property taxes are paid and will be all over you if you let them slide. I recommend to all first-time buyers, and to buyers who are not yet financially seasoned homeowners, that they arrange for their taxes to be paid as a part of their house payment. This builds a reserve account that is built up all year so that when November rolls around the full year’s tax bill is on hand, and the taxes are paid on your behalf by your mortgage company. It makes paying your taxes quite automatic.
Yes, your property taxes will probably go up this year even though your house value has likely gone down. Right now, this is the most confusing issue about property taxes and is getting a lot of play in the media. This is happening because of the restriction that was placed onto annual tax increases in the mid-1990’s. At that time house values were going up quickly and property taxes were going up at the same pace. This was creating financial hardship because people’s incomes were not keeping pace. A ballot measure was passed that restricted annual tax increases to not more than 3% per year plus any bond measures passed through public vote. Bond measures are those ballot measures that supply funding to build libraries, schools, zoos, etc. Lots of bond measures have been passed in the last 15 years, including an $80,000,000 bond measure that re-built the two High Schools here in Lake Oswego.
When you receive your tax bill you will see two values: tax assessed and market. The tax assessed value has increased under restrictions for the last 15 years. These restrictions have kept the increase to about 3-6% per year. At the same time the real market value has increased at the rate of the actual market and there were many years with 10-15% appreciation. You will not see any decrease in property taxes until or unless the market value falls below the tax assessed value. And because the market value so far out-paced the tax assessed value, they are still pretty wide apart. And that is why your property taxes will likely be going up this year.
It’s good to know that buying or selling a home does not trigger a tax increase. The tax assessed value goes with the house to the new home owner. So the new sale at a value that is much higher than the tax assessed value will not have an impact on the annual property taxes. (Other than becoming a part of general statistics used in the tax assessor’s office to track valuations). There are, however, two things that can trigger higher taxes. I have already mentioned publicly voted bond measures that pass. These have no dollar limitations. It is completely at the discretion of the voters. The second is major remodeling. This is not the sort of remodeling where you re-do the kitchen or put up a fence in the yard. (I am providing general information here. What the tax assessor uses to trigger a tax increase because of remodeling is at his/her discretion, and not mine ) This is the sort of remodeling where you add square footage to the house, or gut a house and re-build it from the studs out. This will bring in lots of building permits and the tax assessor will be right in there to see how it affects the value. A total remodel can trigger tax assessments that make the home virtually a new house.
The taxation process is political. And that means it was built from problems that needed to be solved and a solution that was from compromises. So it’s not perfect. The biggest area that I see as imbalanced is that the basis for the 3% annual increase happened in the mid-1990’s. Older homes that had lower market values 15 years ago continue to benefit from those values. And homes that were newer or in expensive neighborhoods continue to have taxes that are higher in comparison. Having said that, it is my experience that on average taxes in Lake Oswego/Clackamas County still remain lower than taxes in Multnomah County (Portland), and there is no transfer tax like you find in Washington County (Beaverton/Tigard).
Without going on and on on this topic (because that would be pretty easy to do), I hope this explanation is helpful to you as you receive your tax statement in the coming weeks. And if you are re-locating to the area, I hope it helps you to understand what to expect.
There were 17 New properties that came on the market, 13 that went to Pending status, and 4 that Sold in Lake Oswego last week according to RMLS.
We hope that our weekly real estate status updates regarding activity in Lake Oswego are helpful to you.
Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):
NEWLY LISTED (Oct. 12—Oct.18, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address
List Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
List Date
5957 SEVILLE AVE
$184,900
1
1
1,199
DETACHD
10/12/2009
450 S STATE ST
$185,000
2
1
800
CONDO
10/12/2009
24 WHEATHERSTONE
$199,950
3
2.1
1,692
CONDO
10/12/2009
668 MCVEY AVE
$219,500
1
1
636
CONDO
10/12/2009
13680 SHIREVA DR
$289,900
3
2
1,504
DETACHD
10/13/2009
5219 DAWN AVE
$289,900
3
1
910
DETACHD
10/13/2009
16000 PACIFIC HWY
$319,000
2
2
1,200
CONDO
10/12/2009
5957 SEVILLE AVE
$339,900
1
1
1,199
DETACHD
10/12/2009
3068 DUNCAN DR
$473,900
4
4
3,281
DETACHD
10/12/2009
13175 THOMA RD
$579,900
3
2
1,920
DETACHD
10/12/2009
5678 SW CHARLES CIR
$625,000
4
4
3,455
DETACHD
10/16/2009
5767 SUNCREEK DR
$769,000
3
3
3,363
DETACHD
10/18/2009
567 6th ST
$769,000
4
3.1
2,558
DETACHD
10/14/2009
19463 LORNA LN
$805,000
4
3.1
4,024
DETACHD
10/14/2009
19422 LORNA LN
$805,000
5
3.1
4,011
DETACHD
10/14/2009
18209 SIENA DR
$1,178,950
4
3.1
3,617
DETACHD
10/12/2009
1075 CHANDLER RD
$1,850,000
5
5
5,946
DETACHD
10/16/2009
PENDING SALES (Oct. 12 -Oct. 18, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
List Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
44 EAGLE CREST DR
$158,900
3
2
1,085
CONDO
123
36 CERVANTES CIR
$159,900
2
1.1
912
CONDO
337
16600 BRYANT RD
$249,900
3
2
1,877
DETACHD
106
5424 WASHINGTON CT
$299,900
2
1
1,296
DETACHD
68
1991 MAPLELEAF RD
$309,900
3
2
1,456
DETACHD
14
26 BRIARWOOD RD
$344,900
4
2.2
2,554
DETACHD
133
315 LAKE BAY CT
$389,900
2
2
1,277
DETACHD
8
905 COUNTRY CLUB RD
$409,900
4
2.1
2,817
DETACHD
238
18410 DEERBRUSH AVE
$475,000
4
2.1
2,217
DETACHD
78
4691 HERITAGE LN
$499,000
4
2.1
2,716
DETACHD
324
400 LAKE BAY CT
$529,000
3
2.1
1,680
DETACHD
198
540 NORTHSHORE RD
$599,000
4
3
2,746
DETACHD
153
17225 KELOK RD
$1,350,000
4
3.1
4,161
DETACHD
0
SOLD (Oct. 12-Oct. 18, 2009)
ADDRESS
ORIG. PRICE
SALE PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
O/Price
Close Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
10 CONDOLEA DR
$250,000
$220,000
2
2
1,312
ATTACHD
398
5044 GREENSBOROUGH CT
$449,000
$411,100
3
2.1
2,124
DETACHD
49
95 D AVE
$608,500
$576,500
4
2
1,809
DETACHD
83
17960 SARAH HILL LN
$1,179,000
$910,000
5
3.1
4,800
DETACHD
163
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.
Sunday is supposed to be our best day of the week… i.e., Sunshine! Get out and enjoy touring some Open Houses in Lake Oswego, and give Dianne or me a call if you are not working with a Realtor and end up finding the house of your dreams! We’d be happy to represent you, and always have time for you.
There are 26 properties on tour in Lake Oswego tomorrow according to RMLS:
Here are a few local events & opportunities currently offered Lake Oswego residents. Wish you were here? We do too! Enjoy:
Scam Jam 2009 ~ The FBI Citizen’s Academy Alumni Association invites you to learn to protect yourself from identity theft. Other topics to be covered include investment fraud, repair scams, financial exploitation and more. Join LOPD and take part in this free event on Saturday, October 17 at Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland.
Unsung Hero Award ~ Lake Oswego is sponsoring this refreshing opportunity to nominate a Lake Oswego neighbor who makes a difference in the lives of those around them. You may nominate someone by picking up a form at City Hall or by calling 503 635 0257. The deadline is October 31st.
Homecoming Parades ~
Lake Oswego High School’s parade: Friday, October 16th 1:30PM – 2:30PM
Lakeridge High School’s parade: Friday, October 23rd 2PM – 3PM
A Avenue will be closed to all eastbound traffic from Chandler to 1st Street during the parades.
Vote for Your Favorite Photo ~ Now that Lake Oswego’s first Photo Contest was a huge success, it is time to vote for your favorite of two finalists which were selected from each category. Lake Oswego residents may vote here: VOTE! Voting closes on October 15th.
Sensitive Lands ~ Lake Oswego is offering a Workshop and FAQ site in response to the tremendous interest of citizenry in the Sensitive Lands policies under discussion now.
Last week brought us 14 new listings, 7 pending sales, and 13 closed sales.
Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):
NEWLY LISTED (Oct. 5—Oct.11, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address
List Price
# BR
# BTHS
Total SF
Prop Type
List Date
99 OSWEGO SMT
$144,900
2
0.1
1,116
CONDO
10/7/2009
36 OSWEGO SMT
$179,900
2
2
1,140
CONDO
10/11/2009
550 S STATE ST
$210,000
2
1
920
CONDO
10/7/2009
7 PEACOCK PL
$289,950
3
2.1
1,400
DETACHD
10/8/2009
1284 HIDE A WAY LN
$369,900
4
3
1,931
DETACHD
10/5/2009
461 COUNTRY CLUB RD
$395,000
2
1
1,498
DETACHD
10/5/2009
1640 WORTHINGTON ST
$398,000
4
3
2,394
DETACHD
10/8/2009
119 3RD ST
$429,900
3
2
1,204
CONDO
10/11/2009
6666 CHILDS RD
489900
3
1
2,034
DETACHD
10/5/2009
1575 IVY CT
515000
4
3
2,432
DETACHD
10/10/2009
275 EVERGREEN RD
600000
3
3.1
1,731
ATTACHD
10/6/2009
13888 SHIREVA DR
650000
5
3
3,756
DETACHD
10/7/2009
540 C AVE
849000
3
3.1
3,539
ATTACHD
10/9/2009
13100 BOONES FERRY RD
950000
3
2.1
3,210
DETACHD
10/9/2009
PENDING SALES (Oct. 5 -Oct. 11, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
Close Price
List Price
# BR
# BTHS
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
7202 SW MONTAUK CIR
$99,000
2
1
968
CONDO
74
578 S STATE
$149,900
2
1
914
CONDO
343
4105 DOUGLAS WAY
$266,000
7
2.1
2,856
DETACHD
501
3480 DEVONSHIRE DR
$272,500
2
2.1
1,649
ATTACHD
112
4330 COUNTRY WOODS CT
$280,000
3
1
1,200
DETACHD
86
18179 SW PILKINGTON RD
$299,900
3
2
1,300
DETACHD
5
17518 REDFERN AVE
$449,500
3
2
1,831
DETACHD
459
SOLD (Oct 5.-Oct. 11, 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
668 MCVEY AVE
$179,850
$145,000
2
1.1
976
CONDO
1022
15868 PARKER RD
$187,500
$150,000
2
1
780
DETACHD
168
166 OSWEGO SMT
$229,900
$199,000
2
2
1,506
CONDO
180
3290 WEMBLEY PARK RD
$309,900
$282,000
5
3
2,614
DETACHD
29
45 TANGLEWOOD DR
$399,999
$305,550
5
3.1
3,166
DETACHD
165
5037 CENTERWOOD ST
$379,000
$330,000
3
1.1
1,340
DETACHD
98
16953 KARA LN
$409,900
$415,000
4
2.1
2,614
DETACHD
10
17473 REDFERN AVE
$719,950
$575,000
4
2.1
3,052
DETACHD
105
7 CELLINI CT
659000
644000
5
3.1
3,560
DETACHD
10
1670 VILLAGE PARK LN
779000
759500
4
2.1
3,466
DETACHD
53
5250 DAWN AVE
1095900
840000
4
3.1
4,333
DETACHD
836
1755 SOUTHSHORE BLVD
949000
850000
5
3.1
4,757
DETACHD
104
785 7TH ST
1290000
1100000
4
3.1
4,043
DETACHD
1327
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.
I have two things on my mind today: Thanksgiving and how much Linda and I are loving writing the PropertyBblotter. I am thinking about Thanksgiving because it is my favorite holiday and because it has been so incredibly gorgeous the last few days. The air is crisp. The sunshine is bright. It just makes me feel grateful to be alive. And somehow those feelings tie into how I feel about the Property Blotter. We have been writing this blog for 20 months. In that time we have had the pleasure of sharing our passion for real estate and for this wonderful town that we live in. We have also been fortunate to have people contact us to get information, and even to buy and to sell homes. We are grateful for our loyal readers and hope that you are enjoying and learning from what we are able to share.
It isn’t often that we shine the spotlight on any particular property, but when we heard that the new luxury town homes on Sixth St in sought-after First Addition had just lowered their prices by $100,000 each to $599,900., Dianne and I just had to run over there and take a look.
ML# if you want to get a preview is 9057549. Each has 2258 SF, 3 bedrooms, 3 & 1/2 baths, 2 levels with additional full finished basements, and probably just everything you’ve been looking for.
cabinets also boasts additional built-ins and smart features like a pull-down bar. The dark french doors to the front porch area off the dining room are a rich contrast, and the white wainscoting throughout adds that crisp old-world cottage feel. The 2-car detached garage out back with private courtyard to the house is an added bonus in First Addition, and from there you enter the great room compete with gas fireplace and more built-ins.
Downstairs you find another gas fireplace and generous media room as well as another bedroom & bathroom w/an additional laundry area for guests or your reclusive teenager. Upstairs is the master bedroom & bath showing off glorious travertine w/onyx, a clawfoot tub & separate shower as well as an additional bathroom w/soaker tub & yet another bedroom. Walk-in closets of course, and the main laundry near the upstairs bedrooms check those final “must-haves” off the list.
Overall, these are just so unique & have that easy-living feel that goes hand in hand with the First Addition lifestyle… you know, walking to all the services, trendy shops and restaurants, not to mention Millenium Park Plaza for a view of the lake & all the festive local activities like Farmer’s Market, open air Movie Nights, Holiday Tree-Lighting festivities and on & on. First Addition is just a strolling kinda place; a small-town feel with all the amenities. Cottage Living 
magazine named First Addition as one of the ten best cottage communities in the country. American Planning Association name it one of the top 10 neighborhoods in America. The accolades go on & on.
Come on down & take a look. Bring a Realtor as there has been a lot of interest. They will be held open both Saturday & Sunday from 1 – 4.
The tax year runs from July 1st to June 30th, but you receive your tax statement in October for payment on November 15th. No wonder people are confused! Not only does the tax year not correspond with the calendar year, but you get your statement at a completely odd time as well. (Is this some sort of a conspiracy?) So when you pay your taxes in November you are paying in arrears back to July 1 and ahead to June 30. You can pay your taxes in one lump sum and receive a discount, or you can pay it in thirds with the final third due in May.
Yes, your property taxes will probably go up this year even though your house value has likely gone down. Right now, this is the most confusing issue about property taxes and is getting a lot of play in the media. This is happening because of the restriction that was placed onto annual tax increases in the mid-1990’s. At that time house values were going up quickly and property taxes were going up at the same pace. This was creating financial hardship because people’s incomes were not keeping pace. A ballot measure was passed that restricted annual tax increases to not more than 3% per year plus any bond measures passed through public vote. Bond measures are those ballot measures that supply funding to build libraries, schools, zoos, etc. Lots of bond measures have been passed in the last 15 years, including an $80,000,000 bond measure that re-built the two High Schools here in Lake Oswego.
Here are a few local events & opportunities currently offered Lake Oswego residents. Wish you were here? We do too! Enjoy: