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!

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?
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.
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.”
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”: