Tag: homes

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Market Activity Report Dec 07 – Dec 13, 2015

It is nice too see that the market for Lake Oswego is very healthy this winter. Also a proud shout-out to my Mother! Her listing at 2 Walking Woods went pending.
7 new houses hit the market this week, 17 have gone pending, and 11 beautiful Lake Oswego homes sold. What a great start to the Holidays.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS for last week:

New on the Market (Dec 07 – Dec 13, 2015)

Address Type Price Bedrooms Bathrooms Sqft
4000 CARMAN DR #12 CONDO 158,500 2 2 866
228 RIDGEWAY RD CONDO 159,900 1 1 746
4386 THUNDER VISTA LN CONDO 274,900 2 2.5 1925
524 COUNTRY CLUB RD DETACHED 549,900 2 2 2168
1992 PALISADES TERRACE DR DETACHED 849,900 5 3.5 4140
MEADOWCREEK CTR DETACHED 975,000 4 4 3421
556 7TH ST DETACHED 1,239,000 5 3.5 3911

Pending Sales (Dec 07 -Dec 13, 2015)

Address Type Price Bedroom Bathrooms DOM
380 BOTTICELLI ST CONDO 167,000 2 1.5 21
200 BURNHAM RD #205 CONDO 220,000 2 2 3
3886 BOTTICELLI ST CONDO 220,000 2 1.5 30
454 5TH ST CONDO 323,000 2 1.5 28
5800 SEVILLE AVE DETACHED 399,000 3 1.5 40
14356 HOLLY SPRINGS RD DETACHED 489,000 4 2.5 60
1651 LARCH ST DETACHED 489,900 4 3 2
225 HIDALGO ST DETACHED 499,900 4 2.5 21
6150 KENNY ST DETACHED 559,000 3 2.5 137
2 WALKING WOODS DR DETACHED 599,900 4 3 85
1805 GLENMORRIE TER DETACHED 689,000 3 2.5 8
16717 SYLVAN CT DETACHED 699,999 4 3.5 176
18383 ANDUIN TER DETACHED 759,900 4 2.5 0
1330 PINE ST DETACHED 775,000 4 3.5 149
17154 LOWENBERT TER DETACHED 819,960 5 3.5 65
17620 WOODHURST PL DETACHED 1,050,000 4 4 290
990 TERRACE DR DETACHED 1,075,000 4 2.5 186

Sold/Closed  (Dec 07 -Dec 13, 2015)

Address Type List Price Close Price Sqft DOM
5225 JEAN RD #201 CONDO 224,900 205,000 1500 72
42 ORIOLE LN DETACHED 350,000 355,000 1290 8
16500 LAKE FOREST BLVD DETACHED 339,900 357,500 960 5
15213 QUARRY RD DETACHED 399,000 390,000 1761 19
3778 RIVERS EDGE DR DETACHED 769,000 660,000 3022 101
19133 MEGAN PL DETACHED 774,500 725,000 3724 115
13461 STEAMSIDE DR DETACHED 796,000 775,000 3321 70
1600 OAK ST DETACHED 900,000 865,000 4385 83
17353 RIDGEVIEW CT DETACHED 1,285,000 1,179,000 4032 198
3070 WEMBLEY PARK RD DETACHED 1,459,000 1,409,500 4032 127
1097 CHANDLER RD DETACHED 2,450,000 1,910,000 5313 410

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.

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Congratulations Linda and Serge!

kissI want to extend a huge, happy congratulations to Linda Rossi and Serge Ouattara. They were married yesterday surrounded by their many friends and loved ones.

I don’t remember exactly when I met Linda, but I know it has been at least 10 years. She is just the most wonderful person. She and I have shared our real estate journey, but we have also shared our personal journey. We were Realtors during the great recession, we both faced serious health issues, we both raised sons who are nearly the same age, we have seen each other stay steadfast and strong. Serge came into Linda’s life about 3 years ago (forgive me Linda if I don’t have the time lines exactly right). From the day she met Serge there was a spark of something special. Serge is a wonderful man and he has brought joy into Linda’s life. I am just thrilled for the Serge & Linda Cropped 082915two of them.

So congratulations Linda and Serge. Here’s wishing you a lifetime of friendship, love, and laughter.

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Market Activity Nov 30-Dec 6, 2015

Last week in Lake Oswego there were 9 new listings, 14 houses that went into pending status, and 17 closed sales. Yes, this is about a third of what happens in June, but it is still a very active market. I expect to see lots of closed sales in the next week or so as people make the move to their new home before the holidays.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS for last week:

New on the Market (Nov 30-Dec 4, 2015)

Address Type Price BR Baths Sq Ft
4 Touchstone #150 Condo $149,900 2 2 984
5094 Galen St Detached $369,000 3 2.5 1438
51 Oriole Ln Detached $399,900 3 2 1216
14352 Sherbrook Pl Detached $445,000 3 2.5 1806
17765 Treetop Ln Detached $598,000 4 3 3046
6720 Childs Rd Detached $1,295,000 6 5.5 6914
19342 Lorna Ln Detached $1,298,800 5 3.5 4114
17337 Bergis Farm Dr Detached $1,595,000 4 4.5 4810
915 Atwater Rd Detached $1,895,000 5 4.5 4102

Pending Sales (Nov 30-Dec 1, 2015)

Address Type Price BR Baths Sq Ft CDOM
75 Galen Rd Condo $171,900 2 2 993 3
48 Eagle Crest Dr Condo $185,700 2 2 1545 37
4 Mountain Circle Condo $303,000 2 1.5 1598 23
1248 Oak St Detached $310,000 2 1 900 19
6355 Dawn St Detached $345,900 3 2 1268 18
56 Aquinas St Detached $439,000 4 3 1811 12
123 3rd St Condo $450,000 2 2 1206 22
17162 Warren Ct Detached $515,000 4 2.5 2231 3
19365 35th Ct Detached $579,500 4 2.5 2484 6
14001 Westcott Ct Detached $679,900 3 2.5 3223 213
13679 Melrose Pl Detached $699,000 4 3.5 4752 0
4150 Upper Dr Detached $1,050,000 4 3.5 3465 1
3820 Southshore Blvd Detached $1,098,888 5 4 4855 157
2912 Wembley Park Rd Detached $1,100,000-$1,300,000 4 4.5 154

Sold/Closed  (Nov 30-Dec 6, 2015)

Address Type List Price Sold Price Sq Ft CDOM
86 Kingsgate Rd D105 Condo $159,900 $156,000 924 58
53 Galen Rd #53 Condo $159,900 $161,000 993 24
210 State St #4 Condo $219,900 $207,000 1284 44
6073 Harrington Ave Detached $250,000 $250,000 1050 0
4458 Thunder Vista Ln Condo $289,000 $279,000 2200 76
16524 Roosevelt Ave Detached $349,000 $349,000 1131 55
16735 Lake Forest Blvd Detached $349,900 $350,000 1996 89
15 Greenridge Ct Attached $359,000 $350,000 1996 89
18305 Fernbrook Ct Detached $399,900 $425,000 1300 2
14752 Davis Ln Attached $445,000 $447,000 1954 33
14754 Davis Ln Attached $460,000 $448,000 1925 83
4595 Hastings Pl Detached $589,000 $600,000 2176 1
4744 Cambridge Ct Attached $605,000 $605,000 2856 0
17533 Brookhurst Dr Detached $749,000 $739,000 4002 72
599 7th St Detached $800,000 $758,000 2468 46
18009 Braeden Ct Detached $849,000 $820,000 3286 64
1233 Bickner St Detached $800,000 $848,967 3150 0

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.

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Market Activity ~ Nov 23-29, 2015

Last week, Nov 2-8, Lake Oswego we saw 4 New properties enter the market, 4 move to Pending status, and 11 “Closed”/Sold.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS for last week:

NEW on Mkt (Nov 23-29, 2015)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
4333 WOODSIDE CIR $124,900 1 1 764 CONDO
66 OSWEGO SMT #66 $359,000 3 2 1532 ATTACHD
670 IRON MOUNTAIN BLVD $674,900 5 3 3275 DETACHD
19285 MEGLY CT $1,649,000 4 3.2 5421 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Nov 23-29, 2015)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
9 ORIOLE LN $439,000 3 3 1928 DETACHD 10
19626 PERCH CT $465,900 3 2.1 1770 DETACHD 8
706 5TH ST $1,099,900 4 2.1 2730 DETACHD 173
13624 GOODALL RD $1,449,000 4 4.2 4411 DETACHD 262

SOLD  (Nov 23-29, 2015)

Address Open Price Closed Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
4434 THUNDER VISTA LN $254,900 $252,000 2 2.1 1970 ATTACHD 36
16 WHEATHERSTONE $325,000 $332,000 3 2.1 1692 CONDO 3
1228 CEDAR ST $349,500 $335,000 3 2 1302 DETACHD 43
116 GREENRIDGE CT $344,900 $344,900 4 2.1 2832 CONDO 0
18561 SW KRISTI WAY $349,000 $355,000 3 2.1 1440 DETACHD 30
5253 TIMBERGROVE ST $357,500 $372,000 3 2 1410 DETACHD 8
5875 BONITA RD $519,000 $515,000 5 3.1 2650 DETACHD 27
10 DEL PRADO ST $519,900 $517,000 5 3 3104 DETACHD 7
12777 SIERRA VISTA DR $694,000 $671,000 4 2.1 3144 DETACHD 135
1032 WESTWARD HO RD $969,000 $1,100,000 4 3.1 3824 DETACHD 797
13710 KNAUS RD $1,950,000 $1,750,000 4 4.2 5780 DETACHD 538

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.

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Market Activity Report Nov 16 – 22nd, 2015

Hope everybody had a wonderful and safe holiday! Looks like the week before turkey day was pretty busy! We had 13 pending properties, and 18 that where sold. 8 new houses have hit the market, feel free to check them out!

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS for last week:

New on the Market (Nov 16-22, 2015)

Address Type Price Bedrooms Bathrooms Sqft
95 OSWEGO SMY CONDO 135,000 2 1.5 1116
3804 BOTTICELLI ST CONDO 167,000 2 1.5 1143
668 MCVEY AVE #40 CONDO 175,000 1 1 626
3954 CARMAN DR CONDO 219,900 2 2.5 1132
5340 CHIN00K CT DETACHED 410,000 3 2 1862
225 HIDALGO ST DETACHED 499,999 4 2.5 2299
547 2ND ST CONDO 625,000 2 2 1529

Pending Sales (Nov 16-22, 2015)

Address Type Price Bedroom Bathrooms DOM
61 GALEN RD CONDO 110,000 1 1 3
16250 PACIFIC HWY #54 CONDO 134,900 1 1 63
668 MCVEY AVE #25 CONDO 299,900 1 1 0
4347 SILVER CT CONDO 319,000 3 2.5 26
27 AQUINAS ST DETACHED 342,000 3 2.5 142
6355 SW DAWN ST DETACHED 345,900 3 2 5
18802 REDWING WAY DETACHED 439,000 3 2 34
1371 KOAWOOD DR DETACHED 599,900 4 3 115
13485 STEAMSIDE DR DETACHED 729,900 3 3 18
1255 BICKNER ST DETACHED 850,000 4 2.5 53
18945 BRYANT RD DETACHED 987,000 5 3 24
2091 SUMMIT DR DETACHED 1,150,000 3 2.5 40
1300 FOREST MEADOWS WAY DETACHED 1,299,000 5 3.5 88

Sold/Closed  (Nov 16-22, 2015)

Address Type List Price Close Price Sqft DOM
100 KERR PKWY #36 CONDO 115,500 115,500 631 42
4000 CARMAB DR g107 CONDO 174,800 171,013 1100 3
3696 SPRING LN 3B CONDO 269,900 285,000 1117 14
12802 BOONS FERRY RD CONDO 339,000 339,000 1454 25
5336 TREE ST DETACHED 379,950 379,950 1696 21
17701 BLUE HERON WAY DETACHED 418,900 380,000 2002 205
89 KINGSGATE RD DETACHED 399,990 394,000 1713 42
5882 KENNYCROFT WAY DETACHED 409,990 409,000 1272 5
17280 WESTVIEW DR DETACHED 487,000 487,000 2324 19
16731 ALDER CIR DETACHED 555,000 550,000 2301 8
15001 TWIN FIR RD DETACHED 585,000 575,000 2664 172
16 WESTMINSTER DR DETACHED 625,000 622,000 3202 2
607 ASH ST DETACHED 659,000 629,200 2860 72
2395 PALISADES CREST DR DETACHED 649,900 640,000 3397 141
17337 CEDAR RD DETACHED 719,000 653,500 3080 29
1061 YATES ST DETACHED 839,900 825,000 2837 33
1075 CHANDLER RD DETACHED 1,975,000 1,794,421 5710 48
1845 HIIGHLANDS LOOP DETACHED 2,500,000 2,230,000 5001 138

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.

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2nd Annual Community Treasure Hunt

0000352940106760 Unique Doves are being hidden around Lake Oswego. From December 1st to 23rd, they will be hidden in the Gallery Without Walls, in City Parks, and in local businesses. Each dove is a unique, hand-made design that is made from fired porcelain and imprinted with vintage crochet, blue glaze. The artist is Dorothy Steele. Each dove is signed, dated and numbered.

I would love to find one! Perhaps I’ll see you out and about as the treasure hunt ensues. Good luck!

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Market Activity Nov 9-15, 2015

People often ask me if this is a good time of year to be buying or selling a house. The answer is yes! Interest rates are typically very low in the winter. People who are selling at this time of year are motivated. Many companies are transferring their executives to close out their fiscal year. And a house that is beautiful in the winter will be gorgeous in the spring! This past week Lake Oswego had 12 new listings, 15 houses going into pending status with accepted offers, and 11 closed sales.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS for last week:

New on the Market (Nov 9-15, 2015)

Address Type Price BR Baths Sq Ft
48 Eagle Crest Dr #2D Condo $185,000 3 2 1623
4 Mountain Circle Condo $305,000 2 1.5 1598
1248 Oak St Detached $325,000 2 1 900
19251 Indian Creek Ave Detached $350,000 4 2 1404
9 Oriole Ln Detached $439,000 3 3 1928
123 3rd ST Condo $450,000 2 2 1206
4101 Chapman Way Detached $475,000 3 2.5 1864
6423 Frost St Detached $499,900 3 2.5 2548
17730 Marylbrook Dr Detached $619,999 3 2.5 2951
6413 McDuff Ct Detached $724,900 3 2.5 3091
906 Cedar St Detached $950,000 4 3.5 2829
4146 Lakeview Blvd Detached $1,298,800 4 3.5 3279

Pending Sales (Nov 9-15, 2015)

Address Type Price BR Baths Sq Ft CDOM
454 5th St Condo $323,000 2 1.5 1092 6
13855 Verte Ct Detached $449,000 3 2.5 1835 128
6411 Frost St Detached $499,900 3 2.5 2430 28
15585 Partridge Dr Detached $529,000 4 2.5 2604 98
6059 Frost Ln Detached $535,000 4 2.5 2281 49
14121 Redwood Ct Detached $579,950 5 3.5 2703 266
3778 Rivers Edge Dr Detached $679,900 4 3.5 3022 101
15655 Fieldstone Dr Detached $710,000 3 2.5 2750 6
13461 Steamside Dr Detached $775,000 4 2.5 3321 70
5640 Meridian Ct Detached $788,800 4 3.5 3459 38
5327 Carman Grove Ln Detached $845,000 3 3 3125 179
1651 Village Park Ln Detached $899,000 4 3.5 4273 230
769 2nd St Detached $1,000,000 5 2.5 3308 900
17442 Ridgeview Ln Detached $1,329,000 4 3.5+.5 5036 107
13719 Knaus Rd Detached $1,837,000 4 4.5+.5 5780 538

Sold/Closed  (Nov 9-15, 2015)

Address Type List Price Sold Price Sq Ft CDOM
15230 Boones Way 1D Condo $205,000 $205,000 1185 4
16200 Pacific Hwy #24 Condo $285,000 $260,000 1190 62
4226 Woodside Circle Attached $349,900 $332,500 1578 12
5280 Chinook Ct Detached $315,000 $337,500 1457 4
4291 Woodside Circle Attached $400,000 $425,000 2026 4
18620 Indian Creek Dr Detached $469,900 $469,900 2064 2
18910 Terry Ave Detached $585,000 $579,900 4290 159
14205 Edenberry Dr Detached $735,000 $695,000 3051 42
13084 Knaus Rd Detached $899,000 $755,000 3285 45
5833 Stewart Glenn Ct Detached $815,000 $815,000 3258 52
18383 Old River Dr Detached $895,000 $819,900 4548 85

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.

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News & Notes ~ October 2015 Numbers

Here are the October numbers for Portland and the Lake Oswego/West Linn areas (RMLS lumps them together).

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area, October, 2015:

  • There were 3,063 New Listings in October which was down 10.5% from September (3,424), but up 6.3% from October of 2014.
  • At 2,717, October Closed Sales fell 9.7% from September’s 3,010, and were up  9.2% from October of 2014’s 2,487.
  • October Pending Sales (accepted offers), at 2,996 were up slightky at 0.8% from September’s 2,971, and fared 20.8% better than October of 2014’s 2,480 total.
  •  The Average Sale Price in October of $360,000 was up significantly at $11,000 over September’s $349,000, and also up almost $25,000 over October of 2014’s $335,600. 

The combined areas of Lake Oswego and West Linn  for the month of October 2015 reported:

    •  390 Active Listings  (Sept was 454)
    •  143 New Listings   (Sept was 228 )
    •  142 Pending Sales    (Sept was 181)
    •  139 Closed Sales   (Sept was 181 )
    • Average Sale Price for October of $614,600 (Sept/$574,800. )
      • 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.
    • Average Time on the Market: 73 Days (Sept was 59)
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Market Activity ~ Nov 2-8, 2015

Last week, Nov 2-8, Lake Oswego we saw 5 New properties enter the market, 18 move to Pending status, and 5 “Closed”/Sold.  This is still a Sellers’ Market, and/but, Buyers have a bit of an advantage right now (better than any other time of year in a Sellers’ Market) as Sellers want to be “done” & focusing on holidays, finalizing by the end of the year, and other fun things.  On another note: Interest rates are rumored to be potentially rising in December……  Sounds like a Good time to buy if you’ve been on the fence. Something to think about ; )

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS for last week:

NEW on Mkt (Nov 2-8, 2015)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
3886 BOTTICELLI ST $220,000 2 1.1 1132 CONDO
1720 YARMOUTH CIR $445,000 3 2.1 2020 DETACHD
13485 STREAMSIDE DR $749,900 3 3 3023 DETACHD
531 7TH ST $1,125,000 3 2.1 2818 DETACHD
1144 BAYBERRY RD $1,299,900 6 3 3523 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Nov 2-8, 2015)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
86 KINGSGATE RD D105 $159,900 2 2 924 CONDO 58
4000 CARMAN DR #74 $164,900 2 2 836 CONDO 10
200 BURNHAM RD #406 $229,000 2 1 1199 CONDO 153
6155 MCEWAN RD $320,000 2 2 1294 DETACHD 108
42 ORIOLE LN $350,000 3 2 1290 DETACHD 8
4230 SUNSET DR $379,900 3 3 1563 DETACHD 1
5934 KENNY ST $389,900 4 2 1596 DETACHD 62
17347 ASHLEY CT $454,900 4 2.1 2117 ATTACHD 90
6192 HARRINGTON AVE $474,900 5 3 2817 DETACHD 40
2222 CREST DR $545,000 4 3.1 2820 DETACHD 133
619 CLARA CT $549,000 4 2.1 2958 DETACHD 4
4595 HASTINGS PL $589,000 4 2.1 2176 DETACHD 1
17927 RIDGE LAKE DR $629,900 4 2.1 2544 DETACHD 55
1293 TIMBERLINE DR $649,000 3 3 2957 DETACHD 85
15821 SPRINGBROOK CT $699,900 2 2 2208 DETACHD 10
2337 HILLSIDE LN $899,000 4 3.1 4932 DETACHD 36
17346 CANAL CIR $995,000 4 3 3406 DETACHD 37
2912 WEMBLEY PARK RD 1100000 – 1300000 4 4.1 4500 DETACHD 129

SOLD  (Nov 2-8, 2015)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
5064 FOOTHILLS DR #F $269,000 $264,000 2 2 1252 CONDO 84
16200 PACIFIC HWY #22 $299,000 $299,000 2 2 1190 CONDO 7
49 BRIARWOOD RD $650,000 $610,000 3 2 2162 DETACHD 5
18360 DELENKA LN $859,900 $799,000 5 3.1 4828 DETACHD 154
4112 ORCHARD WAY $950,000 $917,500 5 4 4190 DETACHD 16

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.

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Real Estate During the Holidays

Our teal pumpkin
Our teal pumpkin
First of all, Happy Halloween! What a great, fun holiday. At my house we are geared up. We have pumpkins carved, seeds toasted, candy at hand, and plans to play poker around the dining room table while we answer the door. The forecast is stormy with the rain lightening up just in time for the Trick or Treaters. Let’s hope the forecast is right. I really love having kids come to the door. We are giving out glow sticks as well as candy as we honor the new concept of putting out a teal pumpkin and offering alternatives to candy. We have LOTS of glow sticks because we poker players plan to be heavily adorned.

I think Halloween is the informal kick off of the holiday season. It is just weeks until Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. So I want to take a moment to talk about what that means if you are selling or buying a home right now.

Buyers are out there. My listings are continuing to get showings and I am currently working with several ready buyers. Inventory is lower, so houses on the market are getting noticed. Interest rates are also low. In my experience interest rates tend to be the lowest of the year in the winter. If you are buying, these components make this a really great time of year to buy. I also think this is the best time of year to do a home inspection. If the house has water issues, they will be obvious. Last, if you are buying, a house that looks good on a rainy day will be spectacular on a sunny day.

240px-Jack-o'-Lantern_2003-10-31For those who are selling I want to talk about holiday decorations. I do think decorating for the holidays enhances the marketability of a house. I showed a house yesterday that was beautifully decorated for the fall. They had wreaths on the door and last summers flower pots were over flowing with silk leaves in the colors of fall and mini pumpkins. We were all smiling and commenting on how pretty they were as I worked to open the lock box. We entered the house ready to be impressed. But I also want to caution that the decorations that are specific to the holiday need to come down within a week of the passing of the holiday. A Christmas tree in April is a big NO!

So Happy Halloween to one and to all. May the day be festive with more treats than tricks!
Dianne