Tag: Lake Oswego Oregon

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Market Activity Report Dec 5 – 11th, 2016

Hello everybody, and Happy Holidays!
I hope you all have been enjoying the snow! I heard on the radio: one of the DJs was saying that Portlanders aren’t too good at driving in the snow, or ice, or even rain sometimes for that matter. It kind of made me chuckle. I hope you all have been safe through this crazy weather, but enjoying it when you can.

This last week we only had two new houses hit the market. Hooo boy I had to go back and double, even triple, check to make sure that this information was right. Yup, just two new listings! The market is slowing down for the holidays, which gives us all a chance to focus on our families, as well as hosting/travel plans.

Well I’ll end it at that. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the year. I’m pretty ready for 2017!

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

New on the Market (Dec 5 – 11th, 2016)

Address Type Price Bedrooms Bathrooms Sqft
1694 BONNIEBRAE DR CONDO 275,000 2 1 864
3838 RIVERS EDGE DR DETACHED 692,000 3 2.5 2849

Pending Sales (Dec 5 – 11th, 2016)

Address Type Price Bedroom Bathrooms DOM
48 EAGLE CREST DR 2F CONDO 225,500 3 2 102
5050 LOWER DR DETACHED 299,900 2 1 86
93 KINGSGATE RD DETACHED 420,000 3 2.5 6
655 2ND ST ATTACHED 499,000 2 2 18
18441 INDIAN CREEK DR DETACHED 500,000 3 2.5 1
19061 SW INDIAN CREEK AVE DETACHED 529,000 4 3 120
4978 SUNTREE LN DETACHED 535,000 3 2.5 1
4 GARIBALDI ST DETACHED 650,000 3 2.5 7
2399 PALISADES CREST DR DETACHED 699,000 5 3.5 38
286 D AVE ATTACHED 799,900 3 2.5 83
4113 WOLF BERRY CT DETACHED 834,000 4 3 26
13725 CAMEO CT DETACHED 1,500,000 5 4.5 329

Sold/Closed (Dec 5 – 11th, 2016)

Address Type List Price Close Price Sqft DOM
4000 CARMAN DR CONDO 198,000 199,875 869 3
566 S STATE ST CONDO 215,000 214,600 778 2
3962 CARMAN DR CONDO 244,900 240,000 1129 26
1864 SW KRISTI WAY DETACHED 349,950 342,000 1360 42
6 SUMMIT RIDGE CT DETACHED 399,000 365,000 1750 120
9 ORIOLE LN DETACHED 399,830 381,000 1928 153
4910 REDWING WAY DETACHED 415,000 394,475 1364 1
18861 INDIAN SPRINGS CIR DETACHED 429,500 402,000 1567 31
14588 WILMOT WAY DETACHED 558,000 505,000 2238 97
1481 GREENTREE CIR DETACHED 628,800 625,000 2878 38
13105 ROGERS RD DETACHED 679,000 656,000 2655 121
800 FAIRWAY RD DETACHED 678,000 658,000 2045 37
652 1ST ST CONDO 659,000 659,000 1986 76
13554 SOUTHWOOD CT DETACHED 750,000 750,000 2969 8
2247 SEQUOIA CT DETACHED 925,000 852,500 3493 157
716 LAKE SHORE RD DETACHED 999,000 865,000 1860 64
19371 RIVERWOOD LN DETACHED 1,300,000 1,380,000 5034 4
5405 CHILDS RD DETACHED 1,899,000 1,799,000 5702 247

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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What about your pets?

night-animal-dog-petYou are selling your house and doing everything that you can think of to get it ready: cleaning, de-cluttering, and making repairs. It’s a project and you are in it up to your elbows when it occurs to you that you need to figure out what to do about your golden retriever and 2 cats. This is an important consideration and it needs to be figured out BEFORE your house goes on the market.

The first step is to address any odors in your house that your pets may have created. If you use an in-door litter box, make sure that it is always cleaned and fresh before your house is shown. If you have pets who have made “mistakes” in various corners or on rugs, then you need to wash and scrub those areas to get rid of the smell. In some cases you may need to replace carpeting and pads. In the worst case I have dealt with, not only did all of the carpet and pads need to be replaced but the under flooring had to be treated. My client used vinegar wash over several applications and it did work. I believe that there are also products sold that specifically address these odors. Consult a professional and do what you need to do to get rid of the smell. Urine literally assaults the senses when you walk into a house. Remember that all important first impression? Kiss it good by if you have pet odors in your home. So clean, clean and then clean some more. You will be rewarded with a sale that happens more quickly and at a higher price than you would have gotten if you had not taken the important step of getting your house clean.

I also want to discourage the use of fragrances to block or to mask odors. It simply does not work. Instead of smelling the cat, the house is overwhelming with the smell of whatever fragrance you have applied and now the question becomes WHY? What is the home owner trying to cover up? These fragrances do not generally appeal to buyers and I have worked with buyers who had an allergic reaction and had to immediately leave the house. There is simply no way around it. If your home has pet odors, you have got to clean it up.

Be sure to vacuum before showings to remove pet hair. Pick up the chew toys and put them away in a basket or cupboard.

So now you have the house ready, what will happen when it is shown?

The key here is to communicate to your Realtor how best to protect your pets. If you have cats that can not go outside, how many of them are there? Ask your Realtor to put into the Realtor instructions in the RMLS that you have indoor cats and how many of them there are. This way when the Realtor arrives to show the house, they are prepared to be careful as they open the door to not let any kitties out. I also recommend a small note taped to the front door to remind them of the cats as they enter. If you have a cat who is an escape artist who will be lurking at the door, tell them. They better prepared that they are, the less likely a cat will accidentally get out. The same holds true if you have a cat who can go outside. Let them know. If a cat gets out who is allowed out, but the Realtor doesn’t know it’s OK, they may panic over the cat having gotten out and this too will distract from the showing.

free-cat-food-samplesDogs, because they are bigger, are a more complicated issue. If you have a dog who is protective of your house and who will growl, bark or otherwise threaten, then you need to remove the pet. There is just no other option. I believe this holds true even if the dog is otherwise contained. A dog who is barking, growling, or jumping at the back windows will make the showing a failure. And put yourself in your poor dogs place. This animal loves you, loves its home, and is only doing what instinctively it feels is right. To have strangers coming through its home is difficult and stressful for the dog. So help yourself and help your dog by making arrangements to remove the animal.

If your dog is gentle and friendly and you are absolutely certain it will not be noisy or overbearing, then it is OK to have it in the house. It is quite common for a dog to be kenneled in the garage or a utility room. For very sweet dogs it is also common for the dog to simply be inside. If this is the case, put a note on the door and let your Realtor know so that it can be in the showing instructions. Be sure to let the Realtor know the type of dog and the dog’s name. This way the Realtor will be able to enter the house and have the dog approach them with it’s name being used. I have had clients who put out treats for the dog that Realtors can use to reward the dog for its good behavior. But even in this circumstance I still think it is better to remove the dog. The buyer looking at the house may have a fear of dogs. Even a very sweet dog can be a distraction. This is your call.

I think it is really important to plan for pets. What you don’t want is to have something happen that ruins the showing of your home, or worse, something happen that is bad for your pet. Problems can be avoided if you plan ahead and be sure to communicate with your Realtor your concerns and your plans for making your pets safe and your showing successful.

Merry Christmas to Fido and Fluffy!
Dianne

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Market Activity Nov 24-Dec 4, 2016

We are in our first official “winter storm watch” for the season. As someone who has lived here for awhile, I can tell you that it is pretty normal for a lot to be made of winter weather events that turn out to be not much for than frost on the lawn in the morning. Having said that, we can hope, right? Perhaps we will get an inch or two of snow this week. If we do, it won’t last more than a day or two. And even in these conditions, in the middle of the holiday season, houses still get bought and sold. Last week in Lake Oswego we had 5 new listings, 12 houses enter into contracts as pending sales, and 14 sold/closed properties.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

New on the Market (Nov 28-Dec 4, 2016)

Address Type Price BR Baths Sq Ft
4739 Rembrandt Ln Detached $485,000 3 2.5 1954
5538 Royal Oaks Dr Detached $525,000 3 2 1899
4978 Suntree Ln Detached $535,000 3 2.5 2348
18020 Gimley Ct Detached $850,000 3 2.5 3420
1527 Lake Front Rd Detached $6,985,000 5 6.5 7220

Pending Sales (Nov 28-Dec 4, 2016)

Address Type Price BR Baths Sq Ft CDOM
100 Kerr Pkwy #7 Condo $114,900 1 1 617 6
18861 Indian Springs Circle Detached $419,000 3 2 1567 31
47 Oriole Ln Detached $420,000 3 3 1958 2
2520 Southshore Blvd Detached $449,900 3 2.5 2016 24
19235 Redwing Ct Detached $549,900 4 2 2084 130
1669 Oak St Detached $559,000 5 2.5 2649 48
50 Hillshire Dr Detached $645,000 5 2.5 3188 12
672 1st St Condo $659,000 2 2.5 1986 92
17771 Marylcreek Dr Detached $730,000 4 3.5 4398 123
4620 Dogwood Dr Detached $888,500 4 2.5 3613 102
16827 Scott Ct Detached $1,000,000 4 0.35 4179 140
16 Dover Way Detached $1,595,000 5 5.5 8147 219

Sold/Closed (Nov 28-Dec 4, 2016)

Address Type List Price Sold Price Sq Ft CDOM
4 Touchstone #109 Condo $163,000 $155,000 989 264
3433 McNary Pkwy #203 Condo $149,900 $160,000 1,008 4
48 Eagle Crest Dr Condo $265,000 $265,000 1,443 64
1033 Hallinan St Detached $309,900 $298,000 1128 159
1875 Fernwood Dr Detached $349,900 $375,000 1102 11
15450 Kimball Ct Detached $475,000 $442,500 1544 26
1935 Fernwood Dr Detached $515,000 $455,000 2100 106
18250 Indian Creek Dr Detached $469,900 $469,900 1,581 3
4191 Southshore Blvd Detached $455,000 $477,824 1361 12
350 6th St Detached $589,900 $530,000 2304 36
37 Hillshire Dr Detached $619,000 $605,000 2809 52
490 Iron Mountain Blvd Detached $699,900 $700,000 2246 2
14867 Twin Fir Ct Detached $699,900 $730,000 3641 63
16060 White Oaks Dr Detached $825,000 $770,500 3420 135

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 ~ Oct 2016 #’s

A little news for you (+ Oct data below)~

Good news! Conforming Loan limits are rising.  Here’s a little excerpt from a piece in Realtor Magazine:

The federal government is increasing the limit for conforming mortgages from $417,000 to $424,100 in most regions of the United States starting Jan. 1, 2017, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Wednesday—the first such increase since 2006.

The approximately 1.7 percent bump in the baseline conforming loan limit follows the FHFA’s announcement that  the average U.S. home price has returned to its pre-decline peak, which it hit in the third quarter of 2007. The FHFA bases the loan cap on its quarterly Housing Price Index, which gauges average single-family home prices. The index rose 1.5 percent during the third quarter of 2016 and is up 6.1 percent over the past year, enough to push it above its previous high point.

Conforming loan limits are significant because they apply to home loans that meet the underwriting guidelines of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored entities that acquire mortgages from lenders and ensure a steady flow of money to the mortgage market. Interest rates for nonconforming, or jumbo mortgages, are generally higher than rates for loans that fall under the cap, and these types of mortgages can be more difficult to obtain.

 

Here are the latest/October numbers for the entire Portland area (and Lake Oswego details below):

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area, October, 2016:

  • There were 2,929 New Listings in October which was down a whopping 20.3% from September’s 3,673, and down 4.4% from October of 2015’s 3,063.
  • At 2,589, October Closed Sales were also down 8.3% from September’s 2,823, and down 4.7% from October of 2015’s 2,717.
  • October Pending Sales (Accepted Offers), at 2,841 were down only 0.6% from Septembers 2,857, and were also  5.2% lower than October of 2015’s 2,996.
  • The Average Sale Price in October of $405,900 was up $13,700 from September’s $392,200, and also up a whopping $45,900 from October of 2015’s $360,000.     

 

                   _____________________________________________________                                                      October Average Sale Price + Appreciation (last 12 months):

    • North Portland:               $380,400             14.6%  (Sep: $381,400)
    • NE Portland:                    $423,700             11.6%  (Sep: $437,200)
    • SE Portland:                     $384,600            11.7%  (Sep: $368,200)
    • Gresham/Troutdale:        $309,900            12.7%  (Sep: $296,900)
    • Milwaukie/Clackamas:    $372,400            11.1%  (Sep: $395,100)
    • Oregon City/Canby:         $370,500            12.7%  (Sep: $364,100)
    • Lake Oswego/West Linn:$637,400             13.2%  (Sep: $619,800)
    • West Portland:                 $606,900            11.5%  (Sep: $505,100)
    • NW Washington County: $508,000              9.0%   (Sep: $473,300)
    • Beaverton/Aloha:            $322,900            10.7%  (Sep: $335,100)
    • Tigard/Wilsonville:          $404,000            10.5%  (Sep: $400,700)
    • Hillsboro/Forest Grove:  $344,200            14.5%  (Sep: $345,300)

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The combined areas of Lake Oswego and West Linn  (RMLS lumps them together) for the month of October 2016 reported:

    •  372 Active Listings (Sep/412)
    •  143 New Listings    (Sep/191)
    •  119 Pending Sales  (Sep/159 )
    •  131 Closed Sales     (Sep/128)
    • Average Sale Price for October: $637,400  (Sep/ $619,800 )
      • 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: 66 Days  (Aug /53)
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Market Activity ~ Nov 14-27, 2016

We hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as ours!

This report is for the last two weeks. We saw 7 New properties enter the market in Lake Oswego, 26 move to Pending status, and 34 “Closed”/Sold.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

NEW on Mkt (Nov 14-27, 2016)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
100 KERR PKWY #7 $114,900 1 1 617 CONDO
12 BUCKINGHAM TER $499,000 2 2 1457 ATTACHD
50 HILLSHIRE DR $565,000 4 3 1920 DETACHD
5192 COVENTRY CT $635,000 4 2.1 2259 DETACHD
205 5TH ST $645,000 5 2.1 3188 DETACHD
655 2ND ST $829,000 4 3 2556 DETACHD
18531 WAXWING WAY $995,000 6 3.1 3642 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Nov 14-27, 2016)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
121 LEONARD STn #A $300,000 3 2 1136 CONDO 4
4386 THUNDER VISTA LN $359,000 2 2.1 1903 ATTACHD 13
18630 WOOD DUCK ST $385,000 3 2 1808 DETACHD 1
1 SAINT HELENS CIR $424,900 3 2.1 1422 DETACHD 26
15 MASARYK ST $459,500 4 3 3864 DETACHD 247
14798 DAVIS LN $469,750 2 2.1 1698 ATTACHD 61
17766 ARBOR LN $470,000 3 2 1561 DETACHD 118
19 FALSTAFF ST $515,000 4 2.1 3207 DETACHD 207
937 F AVE $575,000 3 2 1382 DETACHD 4
1775 FERNWOOD DR $589,000 6 3 2640 DETACHD 60
4801 Heritage LN $598,500 3 2.1 2205 DETACHD 113
12504 SHELBY CT $625,000 4 2.1 2860 DETACHD 22
1481 GREENTREE CIR $628,800 4 3 2878 DETACHD 38
17533 ERIN CT $629,000 3 2.1 3039 DETACHD 72
1501 WOODLAND TER $649,900 5 3.1 3992 DETACHD 30
17920 MEADOWLARK LN $675,000 4 2.1 2716 DETACHD 4
5530 Dunmire DR $685,000 4 3 3040 DETACHD 187
6457 MCDUFF CT $733,500 4 3.1 3193 DETACHD 10
2325 OAKHURST LN $759,900 5 2.1 3627 DETACHD 153
15501 DIAMOND HEAD RD $995,000 4 3 2353 DETACHD 187
17084 CHAPIN WAY $1,225,000 4 3.1 4028 DETACHD 10
19331 LORNA LN $1,295,000 4 3.1 5070 DETACHD 100
1790 SKYLAND DR $1,295,000 4 4.1 5684 DETACHD 4
401 9TH ST $1,375,000 4 3.1 4288 DETACHD 62
315 BERWICK RD $2,295,000 4 3.1 4860 DETACHD 155
3232 LAKEVIEW BLVD $5,450,000 4 4.1 7925 DETACHD 280

SOLD (Nov 14-27, 2016)

Address Opening Price Closed Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
11 CRESTFIELD CT – Grnd $129,500 $129,500 1 1 550 CONDO 3
86 KINGSGATE RD #i204/Upper $159,000 $149,500 2 2 840 CONDO 24
4 TOUCHSTONEn #90 $199,000 $168,537 3 2.1 1351 CONDO 165
45 EAGLE CREST DR #211 $219,000 $200,000 2 2 1046 CONDO 68
45 EAGLE CREST DR #411 $221,900 $216,000 2 2 1214 CONDO 8
4 ERASMUS ST $273,800 $273,800 2 2.1 1547 ATTACHD 1
4083 JEFFERSON PKWY $299,000 $297,000 2 2.1 1202 CONDO 37
5804 KENNYCROFT WAY $295,000 $311,000 3 1.1 1008 DETACHD 3
1299 BOCA RATAN DR $319,900 $316,950 3 2.1 1858 ATTACHD 2
43 ORIOLE LN $385,000 $365,000 2 2 1810 DETACHD 62
5500 MCEWAN RD $435,000 $394,000 3 2 1820 DETACHD 131
4720 LOWER DR $415,000 $405,000 4 2 2404 DETACHD 3
17623 SCHALIT WAY $435,000 $435,000 3 2 1577 DETACHD 6
1706 MEADOWS DR $499,900 $490,000 3 2 1698 DETACHD 47
17901 STAFFORD RD $640,000 $495,000 3 2 2254 DETACHD 103
261 ASH ST $499,900 $500,000 3 2 1788 DETACHD 10
950 LAKE FRONT RD $549,900 $508,000 4 2.1 2112 DETACHD 34
3520 LANEWOOD ST $579,000 $546,400 3 2 1850 DETACHD 30
4575 OAKRIDGE RD $560,000 $552,000 3 2.1 2040 ATTACHD 27
1920 PARK FOREST AVE $575,000 $565,000 3 3 2679 DETACHD 32
18171 BRYANT RD $799,000 $590,000 3 2 2984 DETACHD 78
4581 TRILLIUM WOODS $615,000 $615,000 3 2.1 2211 ATTACHD 9
14102 KIMBERLY CIR $749,000 $675,000 4 3.1 3103 DETACHD 87
2981 VALE CT $739,900 $690,000 5 2.1 3516 DETACHD 69
5907 BAY POINT DR $720,000 $720,000 4 2.1 3278 DETACHD 1
4550 DOGWOOD DR $899,000 $820,000 3 3 3460 DETACHD 116
14389 EDENBERRY DR $895,000 $860,000 3 2.1 3055 DETACHD 0
876 9TH ST $1,099,900 $1,072,000 4 2.1 2699 DETACHD 101
582 9TH ST $889,000 $1,115,000 3 3.1 2841 DETACHD 946
1961 Cheryl CT $1,375,000 $1,260,000 5 4.1 5124 DETACHD 183
2092 SUMMIT DR $1,579,000 $1,614,000 4 4.1 4527 DETACHD 17
13012 KNAUS RD $1,825,000 $1,787,500 4 3.2 4796 DETACHD 49
980 EVERGREEN RD $2,280,000 $2,100,000 5 5.2 5644 DETACHD 90
1355 Country Commons $1,995,000 $2,337,362 4 3.1 4238 DETACHD 198

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 for November 7 – 11th, 2016

Hey everybody!
I hope your November has been awesome. Have you all noticed that the grocery stores have almost completely skipped Thanksgiving? Like what is up with that? I feel like I was just in Halloween land at the Albertsons and now suddenly its Christmas!
In any case, the real estate market has maintained a steady rhythm. Condos continue to be a hot item, and houses starting at 400,000 to 700,000 continue to be bought and sold at an even pace.

Last week we saw 16 new listings, 23 pending houses, and 10 closed homes!

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

New on the Market (Nov 07th-13th, 2016)

Address Type Price Bedrooms Bathrooms Sqft
1368 BOCA RATAN DR ATTACHED 325,000 3 2 1611
4386 THUNDER VISTA LN ATTACHED 359,000 3 2.5 1903
18220 INDIAN CREEK DR DETACHED 489,000 4 2 1736
5000 CARMAN DR DETACHED 499,900 2 2.5 2010
440 9th ST DETACHED 675,000 3 2 2269
1422 ASH ST DETACHED 699,000 4 3 2997
17517 OAK MEADOW LN DETACHED 719,000 4 2.5 2952
6457 MCDUFF CT DETACHED 733,500 4 3.5 3193
4113 WOLF BERRY CT DETACHED 839,000 4 3 2922
429 6th ST DETACHED 1,049,000 4 2.5 3205
47 Lamont WAY DETACHED 1,079,000 4 3.5 3043
13599 MEADOWCREEK LN DETACHED 1,099,000 4 3.5 3170
15804 ALLISON PL DETACHED 1,149,000 4 2.5 3751
17084 CHAPIN WAY DETACHED 1,225,000 4 3.5 4028
4434 LAKE VIEW BLVD DETACHED 1,375,000 3 3 2803
1952 HIGHLANDS LOOP DETACHED 2,190,000 4 4.5 4446

Pending Sales (Nov 07th-13th, 2016)

Address Type Price Bedroom Bathrooms DOM
100 KERR PKWY #44 CONDO 150,500 2 1.5 55
4 TOUCHSTONE #109 CONDO 160,000 2 2 264
4 TOUCHSTONE #90 CONDO 199,000 3 2.5 165
131 OSWEGO SMT CONDO 200,000 2 2 57
4083 JEFFERSON PKWY CONDO 299,000 2 2.5 37
51 ORIOLE LN DETACHED 369,900 3 2 1
17311 MANDI LN DETACHED 379,000 3 2.5 115
5720 KENNY ST DETACHED 389,900 3 2 43
4910 REDWING WAY DETACHED 415,000 3 1.5 1
7 CONDOLEA DR CONDO 449,900 3 3 4
2520 SOUTHSHORE BLVD DETACHED 449,900 3 2.5 7
17 LAUREL ST DETACHED 499,500 3 1.5 148
550 2ND ST CONDO 500,000 2 2.5 13
37 HILLSHIRE DR DETACHED 619,000 4 3 52
16 BECKET ST DETACHED 625,000 3 3 126
15939 TWIN FIR RD DETACHED 649,000 3 2 6
652 1ST ST CONDO 659,000 2 2.1 76
4279 ALBERT CIR DETACHED 685,000 3 2.5 125
490 IRON MOUNTAIN BLVD DETACHED 699,900 2 2 2
716 LAKE SHORE RD DETACHED 890,000 3 2 64
581 OAK MEADOW DR DETACHED 1,199,000 4 4.5 307
2301 WEMBLEY PARK RD DETACHED 1,269,900 4 3.5 0
13648 GOODALL RD DETACHED 1,795,000 4 4.5 56

Sold/Closed (Nov 07th-13th, 2016)

Address Type List Price Close Price Sqft DOM
3433 MCNARY PKWY CONDO 229,900 222,000 1344 26
4325 SILVER CT CONDO 260,000 332,250 1844 67
1677 LAUREL ST DETACHED 489,000 490,000 2445 6
13551 SOUTHWOOD CT DETACHED 725,000 667,500 3115 86
654 1ST ST CONDO 689,000 683,000 2140 35
5037 PARKHILL ST DETACHED 729,000 705,000 3157 25
13745 CAMEO CT DETACHED 868,950 750,000 3380 153
650 1ST ST CONDO 899,000 899,000 2767 23
2786 GLENMORRIE DR DETACHED 1,500,000 1,415,000 6095 128
15365 TWIN FIR RD DETACHED 1,500,000 1,417,110 4574 110

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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Optimize Showings

house-insurance-419058_960_720You have made the decision that it is time to move, you have interviewed Realtors and found someone you trust and have faith in, the house is going on the market, now comes one of your most important jobs, making the most of each and every showing that happens. There are a few simple things you can do.

Of course before you listed your home for sale you already did a thorough job of cleaning and making repairs. Here at the blotter we have discussed this at length in previous posts, but in a nutshell, dirt will cost you dearly. No one wants to buy someone else’s grime. Scrub fixtures, clean the roof and the windows. If it is broken, fix it. If you have neither time nor resources to fix things, price your house accordingly. At the right price a buyer will both repair and clean, but it will be a price less than you would otherwise obtain if these were not issues.

So this narrative assumes the house is both clean and repaired. Your house is on the market and your phone is starting to ring, now what?

Turn on all of the lights and open all of the curtains
People associate light with happiness. Especially as our days grown shorter, light is even more important. It is much easier for homes to look beautiful in June than it is in November. Turn on lights even during the day.

Replace your LED lights that have to warm up to be at full brightness. If you have multiple showings, there is a good chance that someone coming through early will turn off lights as they leave. You can put out a note to ask them not to. Just leave it on the kitchen counter. But I also recommend that when you have your house for sale, you need light bulbs that come on at full brightness the minute the switch is flipped.

Open all of the drapes and blinds to let in as much light as possible. If you have a bad view out of a window (I’m thinking neighbor’s garbage cans on the side yard), think about installing blinds that open partially. They can be opened, but not all of the way, to maximize light and also obscure issues you have no control over.

Make is easy for Realtors to show the house
The easiest showing instructions are “call first, use lockbox”. This means a Realtor can call or text you at a designated phone number, leave a message, and then go and show the house. Many homeowners want advanced notice, as much as 24 hours, or want selective showing hours, or want specific appointments where the Realtor must speak directly with the home owner and confirm the appointment time. I recognize that in some circumstances this is necessary and most Realtors will accommodate this, including me. But think about it. Put yourself in the shoes of the Realtor who may want to show your house. They have a list of 15 possible houses to show. They know realistically they can comfortably do 10-12 without everyone becoming too tired. So they go through the list. If a house is complicated to get into, they will forgo it to show a house that is move convenient. So making it hard to show your house will lower the number of showings that you will get.

Leave the house for the showing!
Never, never, never be at home when possible buyers come through. This includes sitting in your car across the street and watching them. When you are home, or obviously in the area, you are putting a big stamp on the property “This is my house!”. Potential buyers will feel cautious about looking around. They will see you in every room, even if you are in the back yard. It is awkward, awkward, awkward. This actually happened to me.

My Mom and I were both Realtors here in Lake Oswego in 1998. I was wanting to move from Sellwood to LO to get my kids into Lake Oswego schools. My Mom went on Realtors tour and came back to the office and told me she had seen the perfect house for me. On her insistence I called the home owner and went to see it. The guy who owned the house was home. He followed me through every room, even going so far as to say things like “this is the kitchen”. I came back to the office and told my Mom that I didn’t like the house. She was floored and insisted it was perfect. I told her about my experience and she suggested I go and see it again and politely ask the home owner to leave. I did. This time I went through the house and was able to see that it had everything I was looking for. When I walked through the yard I could see my kids playing there and my family barbecuing on the big patio. She was right, it was my house. We have lived in it for nearly 20 years. Good thing my Mom had the good sense to get me to make the owner leave!

I know I said never, but there are occasional exceptions to this. Particularly with elderly people or people with disabilities. If it is absolutely necessary for a home owner to be at home, so be it. Realtors are people too. We will work with you and make the best of the situation. Just realize that it can compromise both the number of showings that you get and the quality of the showings.

This advice is relevant no matter the time of year, but when the market slows down, like during the holidays and during a buyer’s market, it is particularly important. I hope you find it helpful. Don’t hesitate to call Linda, Whitney, or myself if you have any questions.
Dianne

Posted on

Market Activity Nov 1-6, 2016

I think the pace of sales right now is what I would call “Fall Steady”. Our numbers this week are consistent with what we have been seeing for about a month now. Last week in Lake Oswego we had 11 New Listings, 14 Pending Sales, and 15 Closed/Sold listings.

Details below:

New on the Market (Nov 1-6, 2016)

Address Type Price BR Baths Sq Ft
52 Oswego Summit Condo $199,900 1 1 705
7 Condolea Dr Condo $449,900 3 3 2388
12504 Shelby Ct Detached $625,000 4 2.5 2860
15939 Twin Fir Rd Detached $649,000 3 2 2480
6 Garibaldi St Detached $799,900 5 4 5470
13852 Shireva Dr Detached $830,000 5 3 2716
16007 Bonaire St Detached $867,000 3 2.5 2845
18400 Delenka Ln Detached $949,900 5 3.5 4603
17808 Hillside Way Detached $1,075,000 4 4 3815
4300 Haven St Detached $1,379,000 4 4 4312
757 Lake Shore Rd Detached $2,895,000 4 3.5 4098

Pending Sales (Nov 1-6, 2016)

Address Type Price BR Baths Sq Ft CDOM
3962 Carman Dr Condo $244,900 2 1129 26
155 Oswego Summit Condo $259,000 2 2 1506 46
16724 Roosevelt Ave Detached $364,995 3 1.5 1270 58
580 2nd St Attached $459,000 2 1.5+.5 1464 72
2815 Orchard Hill Pl Detached $478,000 4 3 2812 14
19235 Redwing Ct Detached $485,000 4 2 2084 100
15 Touchstone Detached $495,000 4 2.5 2276 23
1709 Meadows Dr Detached $497,000 4 2.5 2288 15
16577 Glenwood Ct Detached $545,000 4 3 3279 20
3520 Lanewood St Detached $549,000 3 2 1850 30
4400 Cobb Way Detached $565,000 3 2 1676 7
18171 Bryant Rd Detached $625,000 3 2 2984 78
545 Evergreen Rd Detached $789,900 3 3.5 2182 50
950 Cedar St Detached $995,000 4 3.5 3135 257

Sold/Closed (Nov 1-6, 2016)

Address Type List Price Sold Price Sq Ft CDOM
31 Oswego Summit Condo $174,000 $169,900 721 106
74 Galen St Condo $199,900 $198,000 995 35
668 McVey Ave #64 Condo $279,900 $267,000 636 60
98 Greenridge Ct Attached $365,000 $342,500 2000 41
67 Greenridge Ct Attached $369,000 $350,000 2004 67
6423 Frost St Detached $569,000 $509,000 2548 304
17911 Lake Haven Dr Detached $563,000 $545,000 2136 58
19134 Terry Ave Detached $575,000 $557,500 2,557 7
2825 Vale Ct Detached $575,000 $575,000 2314 4
628 Evergreen Rd Detached $619,000 $619,000 2402 4
19 El Greco St Detached $649,000 $632,500 3030 71
3195 Edgemont Rd Detached $699,000 $675,000 1858 91
5681 Yorkshire Ct Detached $734,000 $695,000 2985 97
4176 Upper Dr Detached $869,000 $839,000 2938 32
4200 Upper Dr Detached $1,289,000 $1,265,000 3610 1

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.

Posted on

News & Notes – Sept 2016

Here are the latest/September numbers for the entire Portland area (and Lake Oswego details below):

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area, September, 2016:

    • There were 3,673 New Listings in September which was down a whopping 12.6% from August, and up 7.3% from September of 2015.
    • At 2,823, September Closed Sales were also down 5.9% from August’s 3,001, and down 6.2% from September of 2015’s 3,010.
    • September Pending Sales (Accepted Offers), at 2,857 were down 14.1% from August’s 3,325, and were also  3.8% lower than September of 2015’s 2,971.
    • The Average Sale Price in September of $392,200 was down $7,900 from August’s $400,100, and also up around $43,200 from September of 2015’s $349,000.                         _____________________________________________________                                   September Average Sale Price + Appreciation (last 12 months):
    • North Portland:  $381,400                             14.3%   (Aug: $373,400/12.8%)
    • NE Portland:  $437,200                                    10.3%  (Aug: $426,400/ 9.2%)
    • SE Portland:  $368,200                                    11.0%  (Aug: $369,400 / 11.0%
    • Gresham/Troutdale:   $296,900                  12.6%  (Aug: $311,600 / 13.1%)
    • Milwaukie/Clackamas:   $395,100               11.1%  (Aug: $385,300  / 8.6%)
    • Oregon City/Canby:   $364,100                      11.6%  (Aug: $364,100 / 12.8%)
    • Lake Oswego/West Linn:    $619,800         14.2%  (Aug: $619,600 / 11.8%)
    • West Portland:    $505,100                              10.3%  (Aug: $572,100 / 9.8%)
    • NW Washington County:    $473,300           7.8%  (Aug: $495,200  / 7.0%)
    • Beaverton/Aloha:     $335,100                          9.9%  (Aug: $350,300 / 9.4%)
    • Tigard/Wilsonville:    400,700                       10.6%  (Aug: $402,200  / 10.7%)
    • Hillsboro/Forest Grove:    $345,300            14.1%  (Aug: $328,100 / 12.4%)

_____________________________________________________

The combined areas of Lake Oswego and West Linn  (RMLS lumps them together) for the month of September 2016 reported:

    •  412 Active Listings (Aug/452)
    •  191 New Listings    (Aug/229)
    •  159 Pending Sales  (Aug/162)
    •  128 Closed Sales     (Aug/166)
    • Average Sale Price for September: $619,800   (Aug/ $619,600)
      • 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: 53 Days  (Aug /59)

 

Posted on

Market Activity ~ Oct 24-30, 2016

Last week we saw 6 New properties enter, 20 move to Pending status, and 24 “Closed”/Sold.

Following is the breakdown for you according to RMLS:

NEW on Mkt (Oct 24-30, 2016)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
550 2ND ST $500,000 2 2.1 1540 CONDO
64 TOUCHSTONE $585,000 4 2.1 3494 DETACHD
2399 PALISADES CREST DR $749,000 5 3.1 4452 DETACHD
2092 SUMMIT DR $1,579,000 4 4.1 4527 DETACHD
16819 GREENBRIER RD $2,250,000 4 4 3022 DETACHD
1475 SKYLAND DR $2,600,000 4 4.1 9300 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Oct 24-30, 2016)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
45 EAGLE CREST DR #411 $221,900 2 2 1214 CONDO 8
5804 KENNYCROFT WAY $295,000 3 1.1 1008 DETACHD 3
4450 THUNDER VISTA LN $298,000 2 2.1 2040 ATTACHD 5
1299 BOCA RATAN DR $319,900 3 2.1 1858 ATTACHD 2
12848 BOONES FERRY RD $335,000 2 2.1 1182 CONDO 0
1875 FERNWOOD DR $349,900 3 1.1 1102 DETACHD 11
94 GREENRIDGE CT $364,900 3 2 1752 ATTACHD 57
6 SUMMIT RIDGE CT $399,000 2 2.1 1750 ATTACHD 120
1 SAINT HELENS CIR $424,900 3 2.1 1422 DETACHD 5
4208 HARVEY WAY $475,000 4 2 2132 DETACHD 3
208 ASH ST $529,500 3 2 1912 DETACHD 5
4575 OAKRIDGE RD $560,000 3 2.1 2040 ATTACHD 27
18171 BRYANT RD $625,000 3 2 2984 DETACHD 67
4328 LORDS LN $699,950 3 3 4354 DETACHD 59
17700 LEAFY LN $779,500 4 2.1 3666 DETACHD 76
878 10TH ST $879,000 2 2 1900 DETACHD 29
876 9TH ST $1,099,900 4 2.1 2699 DETACHD 0
1122 BAYBERRY RD $1,199,900 5 3 3259 DETACHD 135
13959 FOSBERG RD $1,800,000 4 5.1 5075 DETACHD 183
5405 CHILDS RD $1,899,000 5 4.1 5702 DETACHD 206

SOLD (Oct 24-30, 2016)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
100 KERR PKWY #13 117000 113000 1 1 617 CONDO 23
354 CERVANTES CIR #1C 158000 150000 2 1.1 912 CONDO 9
86 KINGSGATE RD #B103 158900 150000 2 2 924 CONDO 149
4628 LOWER DR #B1 149999 157500 2 1.1 1170 CONDO 3
76 GALEN ST #76 199900 199900 2 2 989 CONDO 6
76 OSWEGO SMT – Upper 199900 220000 2 2 1212 CONDO 43
38 GREENRIDGE CT 365000 365000 3 2.1 1996 ATTACHD 46
1248 ASH ST 399950 399000 2 1 1631 DETACHD 98
17 ORIOLE LN 425000 420000 3 2.1 1800 DETACHD 3
4752 REMBRANDT LN 439900 449000 3 2.1 1655 DETACHD 3
15711 BOONES WAY 499000 510500 3 2 1973 DETACHD 25
3845 TEMPEST DR 574000 530000 4 2.1 2000 DETACHD 71
1590 LARCH ST 640000 587500 5 2.1 2836 DETACHD 66
2600 PARK RD 624900 590000 3 3 2240 DETACHD 5
1837 CEDAR CT 629000 600000 5 3 2625 DETACHD 92
3180 WESTVIEW CIR 749000 675000 3 2.1 2787 DETACHD 82
2484 MARYLSHIRE LN 799000 758000 4 3.1 4283 DETACHD 64
5314 CHILDS RD 864000 775000 4 2.1 3272 DETACHD 109
17572 SHEPHERDS CT 879900 820000 4 3 2983 DETACHD 69
2527 PALISADES CREST DR 999999 885000 3 2.1 3738 DETACHD 86
13017 KNAUS RD 1075000 1075000 4 3.1 4690 DETACHD 89
683 5TH ST 1178000 1180000 4 3 2811 DETACHD 0
17313 BLUE HERON RD 2000000 1990000 4 3.1 3480 DETACHD 35
12740 FIELDING RD 2100000 2075000 4 2.1 3453 DETACHD 111

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.