This is Earthquake Country

While not as famous as our neighbor to the South, Oregon is very much earthquake country.

Some background
When recently visiting LO City Hall, I found a wealth of interesting information on a variety of topics, one of which is a handy little magazine called “Living on Shaky Ground“. It’s published by Oregon Emergency Management and is available for free.

We happen to live right on top of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. This zone has a history of 8.0 and 9.0 (we are talking HUGE earthquakes) that goes back 10,000 years with these big quakes happening on average every 250 years. It’s now been 312 years since the last big quake. So it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.

So, what can you do? In particular, when it comes to your home and buying a house.

When buying a home inspect, inspect, inspect

A good home inspector will look at the house from a perspective of its structural soundness. If the inspector has concerns, he or she should recommend further inspection be done by a seismic engineer.

I was recently involved in the potential sale of a home that was partially built on stilts with a very sloped lot. I was representing the buyer. Our home inspector determined that the substructure of the stilts provided for East and West support (or shaking) but not for North and South. Basically the Nouthern stilts all sat on the same retaining wall with no lateral bracing. In an earthquake, any shaking from the North to the South would cause that retaining wall to fall over and, yep, the house would go down the hill. Needless to say, my buyer chose to end that transaction and ended up purchasing an entirely different home.

If a more in-depth inspection is required by a seismic engineer, expect to spend about $250 for a sight visit. At this visit you will be able to walk the property and get a naration of what the engineer thinks. If you want to proceed and you want specific observation put into writing, that would include corrective measures to create a secur home, expect to spend several thousand dollars.

Consider getting earthquake insurance

There are limitations to what homes can qualify for earthquake insurance. Most insurance companies will not issue it to older homes. But if your home was built in the last 50 or so years, it may be eligible. And if it is, it is not that expensive to add as a rider to your home owner’s policy. Look into it.

Consider getting your home retrofitted

Newer homes are built to modern codes and standards that do take earthquakes into consideration. So newer homes are going to be more seismicly sound. However, older homes can be retro-fitted. Strapping the house to the foundation, installing cripple walls in the crawlspace, bolting the mudsills to the foundations: these are just a few of the possible corrective measures to make an older home more seismicly worthy.

Some thoughts

In 1993, Oregon had 3 strong earthquakes. I was awoken from sleep by the “Springbreak Quake”, a 5.6 magnitude quake centered about 25 miles South of Lake Oswego in Scotts Mills. That same year Klamath Falls in Southern Oregon had 5.9 and 6.0 earthquakes. Being awoken from sleep by an earthquake makes you feel like you have been through something quite extraordinary. I can not even imagine the shock and destruction of experiencing an 8.0 or 9.0 quake.

Preparedness is the key. Do some research, think about preparing your family and your home for living through an earthquake.

I have recently read quite a bit that the way to react to an earthquake is to get into what is called “The Triangle of Life”. This involves laying against furniture or large objects so that your body is contained in the triangle created between the top of the object and the floor. According to the Oregon Emergency Management Office this is NOT the best response. They recommend DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON. Get underneath a sturdy object, on your knees and crouching on the floor, tuck your head between your arms, and hold onto the object that is protecting you. Almost all scientific, government, and relief organizations, including the Red Cross, are now recommending this method.

Let’s hope it doesn’t happen. Proper Prior Planning being one of my favority policies, do take earthquakes seriously. For a copy of “Living on Shaky Ground”, click here.

As always, thanks for reading.
Dianne

January 31, 2012

Market Activity Jan. 23-29, 2012

Last week in Lake Oswego there were 14 new listings, 22 pending sales, and 5 closed sales. Of the pending sales, 4 had been on the market for more than a year.

See below for further details.

New Listings for January 23-29, 2012

4000 Carman Dr #21, a condo, $106,000, 2 BR, 2Bths, 973 SF

236 Ridgeway Rd, a condo, $156,000, 2 BR, 1 Bth, 914 SF

668 McVey Ave #57, a condo, $299,000, 3 BR, 1.5 Bths, 914 SF

16834 Cherry Crest Ave, detached, $329,600, 4 BR, 2.5 Bths, 2598 SF

4583 Trillium Woods Lot 13, a townhouse, $416,200, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 2004 SF

1902 Woodland Terrace, detached, $423,500, 3 BR, 3 Bths, 2138 SF

19 Falstaff St, detached, $429,900, 4 BR, 2.5 Bths, 3222 SF

537 2nd St #106, a condo, $459,900, 2 BR, 2 Bths, 1292 SF

72 Condolea Way, a condo, $495,000, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 2958 SF

625 4th St, detached, $559,000, 4 BR, 3 Bths, 3300 SF

5035 Rosewood St, detached, $579,900, 4 BR, 3.5 Bths, 3174 SF

19245 Megly Ct, a townhouse, $599,000, 5 BR, 3 Bths, 3490 SF

5604 Grand Oaks Dr, detached, $649,000, 5 BR, 3 Bths, 3676 SF

17951 Meadowlark Ln, detached, $824,900, 4 BR, 3.5 +.5 Bths, 5065 SF

Pending Sales for January 23-29,2012

47 Eagle Crest Dr #4, a condo, $43,500, 2 BR, 1 Bth, 436 DOM

16250 Pacific Hwy #50, a condo, $99,500, 2 BR, 2 Bths, 94 DOM

4640 Lower Dr, a condo, $99,900, 2 BR, 1.5 Bths, 291 DOM

4 Touchstone, a condo, $107,910, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 14 DOM

210 S State St #6, a condo, $149,000, 2 BR, 1 Bth, 86 DOM

5055 Foothills Dr C, a condo $184,999, 2 BR, 2Bths, 527 DOM

5830 SW Burma Rd, detached, $189,000, 3 BR, 1 Bth, 103 DOM

18914 Longfellow Ave, detached, $199,000, 3 BR, 1.5 Bths, 116 DOM

4305 Silver Ct, a townhouse, $207,500, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 409 DOM

5270 Red Leaf St, detached, $249,000, 3 BR, 2 Bths, 1 DOM

16475 Bonaire Ave, detached, $255,000, 3 BR, 1 Bth, 243 DOM

975 Southshore Blvd, detached, $285,000, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 4 DOM

1685 Cloverleaf Rd, detached, $290,000, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 204 DOM

14101 Goodall Rd, detached, $345,000, 4 BR, 2 Bths, 11 DOM

4525 Trillium Woods Lot 16, a townhouse, $409,900, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 24 DOM

17026 Crestview Dr, detached, $439,000, 4 BR, 3 Bths, 9 DOM

4527 Trillium Woods Lot 15, a townhouse, $439,900, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 134 DOM

183 Furnace St, a condo, $495,000, 2 BR, 2.5 Bths, 31 DOM

345 3rd St, a townhouse, $499,900, 3 BR, 4 Bths, 112 DOM

850 Schukart Ln, detached, $699,000, 4 BR, 3 Bths, 267 DOM

1427 Horseshoe Curve, detached, $879,000, 2 BR, 2 Bths, 240 DOM

1300 Skyland Dr, detached, $1,199,000, 4 BR, 4.5 +.5 Bths, 344 DOM

Closed Sales for January 23-29, 2012

3950 Carman Dr, a condo, listed for $140,450, closed for $126,000, 2 BR, 2.5 Bths, 60 DOM

1228 Maple St, detached, listed for $399,000, closed for $250,000, 3 BR, 2 Bths, 522 DOM

13120 Thoma Rd, detached, listed for $345,000, closed for $350,088, 3 BR, 2 Bths, 32 DOM

18014 Gimley Ct, detached, listed for $599,900, closed for $442,900, 5 BR, 3.5 Bths, 198 DOM

4180 Casey Ct, detached, listed for $739,950, closed for $740,000, 4 BR, 3.5 Bths, 7 DOM

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

January 25, 2012

News & Notes

Here are some Market Notes for You~

According to the just-released RMLS Market Action Report for December 2011, the combined area of Lake Oswego and West Linn reported:

601 Active Listings
103 New Listings
84 Pending Sales
104 Closed Sales
An average Sale Price of $456,200.
Average Time on the Market: 166 Days

Also:

For the Year, Average Sales Price for the Portland Metro area overall fell 6.7% as compared to 2010
For December 2011 as compared to 2010, Closed Sales increased by 10.3%
and Pending Sales increased by 19.3%,
but there were 11.7% fewer Newly Listed residential properties

January 23, 2012

Market Activity for Jan 16-22, 2012

Last week brought 14 new listings onto the market in Lake Oswego, 13 pending sales, and 5 closed sales. See below for further details.

New Listings for January 16-22, 2012

16250 Pacific Hwy #45, a condo, $129,500, 2 BR, 2 BTH

5225 Jean Rd #603, a condo, $179,900, 3 BR, 2 Bth

12808 SW Boones Ferry Rd, attached townhouse, $279,000, 3 BR, 2.5 Bth

14101 Goodall Rd, a detached house, $345,000, 4 BR, 2 Bth

10 Hillshire Dr, detached, $384,900, 4 BR, 3 Bths

17083 Fernwood Dr, detached, $389,900, 5 BR, 3 Bths

17026 Crestview Dr, detached, $439,000, 4 BR, 3 Bths

15939 Twin Fir Rd, detached, $589,000, 3 BR, 2 Bths

885 8th St, detached, $687,000, 3 BR, 2 Bths

5677 Bonita Rd, detached, $769,900, 4 BR, 3.5 Bths

655 7th St, detached, $799,000, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths

789 E Ave, detached, $829,000, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths

1644 Lake Front Rd, detached, $1,055,000, 4 BR, 4 Bths

17342 Ridgeview Ct, detached, $1,250,000, 4 BR, 3.5 Bths

Pending Sales for January 16-22, 2012

247 Cervantes, a condo, $120,600, 2 BR, 2Bths, 100 DOM

12459 Boones Ferry Rd, manufactured, $149,900, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 32 DOM

5786 Washington Ct, detached, $172,500, 3 BR, 2 Bths, 95 DOM

6380 Washington Ct, detached, $232,500, 3 BR, 2 Bths, 71 DOM

5387 Red Leaf St, detached, $249,900, 3 BR, 2 Bths, 5 DOM

15 Condolea Dr, a condo, $265,000, 3 BR, 3 Bths, 193 DOM

12511 Boones Ferry Rd, detached, $299,000, 3 BR, 2 Bths, 43 DOM

12 Walking Woods Dr, detached, $369,000, 3 BR, 3 Bths, 73 DOM

1736 Palisades Terrace Dr, detached, $423,000, 4 BR, 3.5 Bths, 204 DOM

4581 Trillium Woods Lt 14, attached, $437,840, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 0 DOM

1850 Egan Way, detached, $462,900, 6 BR, 3.5 Bths, 88 DOM

3899 Daniel Way, detached, $509,000, 4 BR, 2.5 Bths, 10 DOM

3000 Upper Dr, detached, $679,000, 3 BR, 3 Bths, 98 DOM

Closed Sales for January 16-22, 2012

18411 Longfellow Ave, detached, sold for $152,000, listed for $175,000, 3 BR, 1 Bth, 134 DOM

3984 Carman Dr, a condo, sold for $154,750, listed for $167,500, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 33 DOM

19221 Redwing Ct, detached, sold for $298,500, listed for $329,500, 3 BR, 2 Bths, 121 DOM

4403 Oakridge Rd Lot 21, attached townhouse, sold for $389,900, listed for $399,900, 3 BR, 2.5 Bths, 114 DOM

5148 Woodcrest Ln lot 4, detached, sold for $620,000, listed for $606,900, 5 BR, 4 Bths, 274 DOM

January 21, 2012

Open Houses for 1/22/12

11 houses are scheduled to be held open this Sunday. Enjoy.

12844 SW Boones Ferry Rd, a condo, $175,000, 2 bedrooms, 2 and a half baths, open 2 to 4

17083 Fernwood Dr, a house, $389,900, 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, open 1 to 4

17930 Meadowlark Ln, a house, $499,900, 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, open 1 to 3

5542 Dunmire Dr, a house, $529,900, 4 bedrooms, 2 and a half baths, open 11 to 4

5515 Dunmire Dr, a house, $536,900, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, open 11 to 1

5595 Luce Ln, a house, $579,900, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, open 11 to 4

15633 Fieldstone Dr, a house, $618,950, 4 bedrooms, 2 and a half baths, open 1 to 3

5533 Fieldstone Ct, a house, $628,950, 4 bedrooms, 2 and a half baths, open 1 to 3

1708 Oak St, a house, $639,000, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, open 1 to 3

2311 Oswego Glen Ct, a house, $899,999, 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, open 1 to 3

4110 Canal Rd, a house, $970,000, 4 bedrooms, 3 and a half baths, open 1 to 3

January 18, 2012

Bouncing on the Bottom

I know this is risky. There are all sorts of possibilities that I’ll be wrong and you will be able to come back to me a year from now with “It’s only gotten worse. You were WRONG.” But I am going to take the risk and put this in writing. I think that the housing market is bouncing on the bottom. If there is downturn yet to do then I think it will be minor. And there is even a chance that there will be upturn.
No, I’m not a Nationally recognized economist. Really, what do I know? What I know is that I am down here in the trenches living in this house market. And I see 2 signficant changes.
First, the cash investors are out buying BIG TIME. I am working with 2 cash buyers right now both wanting entry level houses of $150,000 or less. This is partly due to low house prices as compared to high rent rates making the return on rentals look good. But this is the same formula that will turn renters into home buyers. It’s starting to make sense to buy entry level houses because the rents are now getting as high or higher than a house payment.
Second, when I show property I am now finding that more and more houses are going pending. It’s like Christmas is over, the prices and interest rates are incredibly low, so now is the time. Lockbox activity (meaning the number of times lockboxes are opened by Realtors to access listings)has skyrocketed. It always goes up after the holidays, but not like I’ve seen it in the last two weeks.
I am also seeing more positive economic news in the media, including this short article from the Oregoninan on January 10, 2010:

Home values in Portland are predicted to rebound
Portland-area home values fell 3.5 percent during 2011 but are expected to stabilize and even post an increase in 2012, real estate research firm Clear Capital reports.
The California company forecasts a 1.9 percent increase in home values in the Porltand-Vancouver-Beaverton area.
In the company’s ranking of 50 major metro areas’ home prices, that moves Portland from No. 27 in 2011 to No. 14 in 2012. Exactly half of the markets are expected to post home price increases. The Portland market is also among 20 considered to be stable in 2012 with predicted increase or decrease of less than 2.5 percent.
The company also reported 15.5 percent of homes sales in 2011 were bank-owned forcloseures.
U.S. home prices fell 2.1 percent in 2011 and are expected to gain 0.2 percent in 2012, the firm reports.
The Seattle area was one of the hardest-hit markets in 2011, posting a 15.1 percent decline in prices. Clear Capital predicted the city’s real estate would lose 7.5 percent in 2012.

Certainly time will tell. I understand I might be wrong, wrong, wrong. But there is also a pretty good chance that I am right. We will see…
Dianne

January 7, 2012

Open Houses Jan. 8, 2012

There are 10 houses scheduled to be held open in Lake Oswego this Sunday. Enjoy!

Address	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Type	Open
16212 Lake Forest Blvd	$239,000	3	2	Detached	1 to 3
1127 Cedar St	$239,000	2	1	Detached	12:30 to 4
6263 Childs Rd	$259,900	3	2	Detached	2 to 4
765 Maple St	$349,900	3	2	Detached	12 to 2
1590 Larch St	$365,000	6	2.5	Detached	1 to 3
19061 Indian Springs Rd	$368,000	4	3	Detached	1:30 to 4
4625 Firwood Rd	$599,900	3	3	Detached	12 to 3
15633 Fieldstone Dr	$618,950	4	2.5	Detached	12 to 2
5533 Fieldstone Ct	$628,950	4	2.5	Detached	12 to 2
850 Schukart Ln	$750,000	4	3	Detached	3 to 5

January 5, 2012

The Other Blotter

Thank you to the Lake Oswego Review for being the namesake of The Property Blotter. Here, for your reading enjoyment, is a reproduction of the best of the Police Blotter from 2011, as appeared in the December 29, 2011 Lake Oswego Review:

Best of the blotter

Look back at 2011’s reports from the Lake Oswego Police Department

The Lake Oswego Review, Dec 29, 2011

What do UFOs, Saran Wrap and chickens have in common? All were the subject of 9-1-1 police calls in Lake Oswego this year.

Information for the public safety column comes from the public records of the Lake Oswego Police Department.

Authorities filed reports on the following incidents in 2011. This is a look back at some of the more interesting reports:

January

1/16/11 1:15 p.m. A Chihuahua wearing a pink collar was picked up for running in traffic.

1/16/11 8:34 p.m. A drunken female, sitting on a downtown park bench, yelled for a man to come over because “I want to show you my knife.”

1/19/11 10:32 a.m. A woman believes she is being stalked by members of a stalking organization.

1/19/11 7:45 p.m. After leaving her phone inside a gift shop, a woman requested that a police officer break in and get it for her.

1/26/11 2:46 p.m. A car buyer found he had been defrauded when an oil change at Oil Can Henry’s revealed that his car had 116,750 miles on it. This was 80,000 more miles than shown on the odometer when the man first purchased the car.

1/27/11 9:02 p.m. When a couple finally answered a late-night doorbell, they looked outside and found that their car had been Saran Wrapped.

February

2/1/11 5:12 p.m. A woman called to say she was being held against her will in the X-ray department at Providence Milwaukie.

2/1/11 5:40 p.m. A man who allows his spaniel puppy to run off leash yelled at a woman to control her dog. She did not appreciate this blatant hypocrisy.

2/1/11 9:33 p.m. A possible UFO was sighted over 62nd Avenue and Southwest Southwood Drive. The strange flying object had a bright light and crisscrossed lights on its bottom, and it was spotted several times tonight.

2/4/11 12:13 p.m. A teenage son traded the family car for one he saw on Craigslist.

2/8/11 4:48 p.m. A 100-year-old woman, who is hunched over and has a white beard, is being dropped off every Saturday morning at a super market. She is very filthy and smells of urine, and it is doubtful she is being taken care of.

2/10/11 7:23 p.m. Road rage arose on 10th Street and A Avenue when a man driving an Outback yelled at another vehicle to pull over so he could beat him up. But when the driver pulled over, the road rager quickly drove away.

2/11/11 1:27 p.m. A church is praying that a belligerent transient will take his presence to another denomination.

2/17/11 5:13 p.m. A litter bug is putting Kleenex and Kleenex boxes all over a complex on North Shore Road and State Street.

2/22/11 1:04 p.m. A confused-looking man began changing his clothes inside of a fast-food restaurant. However, it turned out to be a mixed martial arts competitor.

March

3/14/11 6:51 p.m. A husband has started video taping his wife when they have arguments.

3/21/11 7:33 p.m. A woman expressed the wish that she was dead. She then changed her mind and went to Albertsons.

3/22/11 7:59 p.m. The continual gathering of young guys (ages 18 to 25) hanging out on the sidewalk on Parrish Street is making some neighbors paranoid.

3/24/11 1:37 p.m. An 11-year-old son threw a bottle of urine on his father, who became quite upset.

3/29/11 7:45 p.m. A red-headed woman whose age was estimated at 40 to 60 and who was wearing a white hat, coat and boots, came walking down another woman’s front steps on Village Park Lane and put her newspapers by her door. “We like to keep our neighborhood tidy,” the redhead said.

April

4/8/11 11:18 a.m. A man with a “spinning head” was acting suspiciously at a store on Pilkington Road.

4/10/11 8:10 a.m. A disgusting scene on Yorkshire Court included a teddy bear hanging from a tree and sanitary napkins hanging all over a garage door. The suspect is a 16-year-old boy who had been trespassed from the location and told not to call the residence or the daughter who lives there.

4/10/11 12:37 p.m. A woman’s special rocks were spray painted yellow by a city crew on Hampton Court.

4/12/11 3:38 p.m. A man wearing no pants disturbed a woman on Parkview Drive.

4/17/11 12:02 p.m. A voice emerged from a speaker phone in a hedge on Palisades Crest Drive and threatened a man that the Russian mob was coming to get him. In the background, a female was heard laughing.

4/19/11 2:50 p.m. Strange voicemails are being sent to a woman by a person claiming their brain injury and prison sentence were her fault.

4/23/11 12:44 p.m. A duck and ducklings were reported wandering on Kingsgate Road, but they were shooed to safety in a yard.

4/27/11 7:43 a.m. Seven rogue chickens are roaming around on Carman Drive and destroying yards. The chickens’ owner was warned about their feathered terrorism.

4/27/11 8:23 a.m. A middle school-aged girl was waiting at a bus stop when a man wearing a beanie stopped and asked her if she was a prostitute and what her fee was. He broke off the inquiry when another student arrived at the bus stop.

4/28/11 10:33 a.m. An alert mother performed double duty on a stroll down Kruse Way, pushing a baby in a stroller and throwing rocks at a coyote.

4/29/11 12:45 a.m. A sleeper is concerned about his future after having a dream in which the devil told him he was going to die in his sleep. Upon awakening, the man immediately made a trip to the doctor.

4/29/11 7:13 p.m. Some oddball juveniles on Bangy Road are lying on manhole covers and talking into them.

May

5/2/11 11:16 p.m. A driver thought to be drunk was actually delivering newspapers.

5/4/11 12:57 p.m. A presumptuous neighbor threw away two trees on a porch because she thought they were dead. She thought wrong and may be hearing from the neighbor’s lawyer.

5/9/11 11:26 p.m. Two desperately drunk people were walking down the middle of State Street, stopping only to vomit.

5/11/11 4:55 p.m. While leaving a bank, a woman was honked at by a man, who told her he could fix the dent in her car for $300. When he finished the car looked even worse, so she wants to make the police aware of this phony fix-it man.

5/15/11 11:52 a.m. A woman keeps finding notes on her car that say, “I really like your car, call me if you ever want to sell it.”

5/15/11 10:05 p.m. A coyote confronts a man every day when he takes his dog outside on Wheatherstone Court. The man wants to know what his rights are if the coyote becomes confrontational.

5/17/11 10:02 a.m. A woman became infuriated when she found that her hair had been turned purple at a salon. When she went back to complain, she was kicked out.

5/19/11 8:35 a.m. A woman told an officer she becomes upset every time she walks by her neighbor’s house because her dog was attacked by the neighbor’s dog several years ago. The officer suggested that she not go by the house.

5/24/11 2:18 a.m. Now that Oswego Lake is again full, parties are taking place. One became worrisome because of the sound of people being thrown into the lake.

June

6/4/11 9:04 p.m. A man thought to be bleeding had actually spilled ravioli all over himself.

6/18/11 12:35 a.m. A very bad and loud musician is playing his bass in an apartment on Jefferson Parkway.

6/20/11 4:05 p.m. Nothing but a hound dog was howling and standing in the road on Ninth Street.

6/20/11 10:23 p.m. A resident of Delenka Lane had his garbage returned to him after he left it in the middle of the street. As a bonus, he received a warning.

6/22/11 1:49 p.m. Twelve goats went AWOL from their pen on the campus of Marylhurst University. However, the horned rascals were rounded up and returned to their corral.

6/22/11 6:23 p.m. A strong chemical smell was coming from inside a convenience store where the employee was acting silly. It turned out that the chemical smell is nothing unusual and that the employee is always silly.

6/22/11 9:21 p.m. A bag tagged “dead raccoon” was found in an alley on Second Street. Sure enough, a dead raccoon was found inside the bag.

July

7/3/11 5:03 p.m. A swarm of bees got inside the church at Our Lady of the Lake.

7/5/11 10:37 p.m. Four juveniles were getting out of a vehicle on Kilchurn Avenue and slamming their bodies against houses.

7/10/11 7:38 a.m. After exposing himself on Woodland Terrace, a screaming man was taken to Meridian Park Hospital.

7/11/11 11:32 a.m. A father and son got into a shoving match over whether the boy would go to summer camp.

7/12/11 5:02 p.m. A dog suspected of unwarranted urination on Pioneer Court is being threatened with stoning by one of its victims.

7/15/11 9:28 p.m. Wild behavior broke out at a sleepover when some youngsters started screaming and yelling as they bounced up and down on a trampoline.

7/20/11 10:09 a.m. Mysterious eyes peered out at a woman from a bush on Hallinan Circle.

August

8/3/11 9:04 a.m. A customer entered Flying Elephant Deli and became so enraged by a painting on display that she started yelling at employees and customers. Her hostility kept mounting until she threatened to come back and destroy the painting. However, she was trespassed before she could trash the work of art.

8/5/11 3:21 p.m. An indecent exposure occurred at the Griffith Office Building near the Lake Corporation. The exhibitionist was a man of average size.

8/7/11 7:58 p.m. The apparent case of a reckless driver doing cookies in a church parking lot turned out to be a mother teaching her daughter how to drive a car with a clutch.

8/8/11 9:31 p.m. A husband and wife got into a spat over the wife’s efforts to disconnect the television. She also wants an annulment of their marriage.

8/9/11 5:07 p.m. Overly aggressive juvenile lemonade sellers are upsetting drivers on Melrose Street and Westlake Drive by sticking their heads into car windows and yelling.

8/11/11 4:54 p.m. A woman calling 9-1-1 for spiritual support is upset because she cannot get through.

8/17/11 3:29 p.m. A sinister raccoon has been entering a woman’s house, stalking her cat, opening her refrigerator and drinking milk.

8/23/11 12:27 p.m. A loud and lecherous 70-year-old man has been harassing his neighbor on First Street for a year by peeping into her windows and yelling at her all times of the day.

8/23/11 7:36 p.m. A groper came to Safeway and rubbed himself against an unfortunate woman twice.

8/26/11 12:52 p.m. After responding to a woman’s report about smelling meth on Carman Drive, police determined that the smell was actually that of a skunk.

8/30/11 6:06 p.m. A married couple sharing a smoke outside of its home on Foothills Drive were shocked when its upstairs neighbors came down and sprayed them with cleaning fluid.

8/31/11 8:22 p.m. A group of fugitive youth were seen running toward Westlake Park. However, it was later determined they were members of a cross country team.

September

9/1/11 5:52 p.m. A dead squirrel was preventing a woman from getting out of her driveway on Kingsgate Road.

9/7/11 11:32 a.m. A man painted up like a clown aroused suspicion on State Street when he dropped to the ground after he spotted a woman staring at him.

9/8/11 9:28 a.m. While spying on her neighbor through a fence, a woman spotted two marijuana plants. It turned out the neighbor had a medical marijuana card.

9/12/11 3:16 p.m. A man is feeling guilt ridden about firing his pellet gun in 1995 and wants to come clean about it.

9/22/11 8:58 a.m. Strange sounds like flying saucers taking off and landing were heard on Hallinan and Laurel streets.

9/24/11 4:02 p.m. A dog keeps running in and out of Safeway and grabbing food. The pilfering pooch was returned to its home and the owner was warned about allowing his dog to run at large and steal.

9/24/11 6:10 p.m. A rabid squirrel is chasing people at Waluga Junior High.

9/24/11 6:22 p.m. An ex-husband testified that he saw his ex-wife giving marijuana to their son. However, the substance turned out to be catnip.

October

10/1/11 8:50 p.m. Flying bologna struck a car going down Boones Ferry Road. It is suspected the source of the airborne lunchmeat was a wild party on Carman Drive.

10/12/11 12:29 p.m. A female roommate may be having mental issues. She has been preaching to nobody for hours about the devil, and now her roommate is seeking advice on how to get her out of the house.

10/24/11 10:30 p.m. A man with a reputation for violence was heard yelling and screaming inside of his residence. It turned out that he was playing video games.

10/27/11 9:40 p.m. A missing woman was found in a tanning facility in Portland.

November

11/3/11 10:47 a.m. An unconscious woman woke up to find that her head had been shaved by her landlord, with whom she shares the house. The woman claims the landlord is a Wiccan and is trying to destroy her because she is a Christian.

11/4/11 6:08 p.m. A man came home to his residence on West Sunset Drive and found that his bed had been stolen.

11/6/11 10:06 a.m. A woman says her house was robbed by aliens who got away in a space ship.

11/25/11 1:29 p.m. After getting slapped, a neighbor picked up a pickaxe in a dispute over a pathway on Crest Drive.

December

12/3/11 11:20 a.m. A golden retriever on Edenberry Court is being routinely allowed to illegally romp on a protected wetlands area. However, the dog was found to be clean and dry when an officer came by to investigate.

12/4/11 10:45 a.m. A guest is refusing to leave after staying for three weeks at a residence on Lakeview Boulevard. The unwelcome guest is associated with Occupy Portland.

12/6/11 4:56 p.m. A woman grossed out customers at a restaurant by walking in, wiping her nose on a napkin and setting it on a table. When questioned about this questionable action, she flew into an obscenity-filled rage.

12/7/11 11:12 a.m. There was concern when a friend did not show up for an appointment on Dec. 7. However, it turned out he was safe inside the Multnomah County Jail.

12/14/11 12:02 p.m. Two teenage mooners exposed their nether regions to a class of junior high students walking on the trail from the tennis center. The identities of the moon men remain unknown.

As always, thank for reading.

Dianne

January 3, 2012

Market Activity ~ Dec 26, 2011 – Jan 1, 2012

Well….. According to RMLS, there were ZERO New properties entering the market between Dec 26th & Jan 1st, 5 in Pending status, and 15 marked as Sold.
See below for further details:

PENDING SALES (Dec 26, 2011-Jan 1, 2012,, 2011)

Address	List Price	# Beds	# Baths	Total SF	Prop Type	CDOM
3950 CARMAN DR	$130,000.0	2	2.1	1101	CONDO	60
5063 FOOTHILLS DR C	$159,900.0	2	2	991	CONDO	38
19221 REDWING CT	$298,500.0	3	2	1374	DETACHD	121
4401 OAKRIDGE RD Lot 22	$339,900.0	2	2.1	1692	ATTACHD	178
13600 GOODALL RD	$999,000.0	5	2.1	3111	FARM	212

SOLD (Dec 26, 2011- Jan 1, 2012, 2011)

Address	O/Price	Close Price	# Beds	# Baths	Total SF	Prop Type	CDOM
100 KERR PKWY 43	$77,380	$61,000	2	2	822	CONDO	174
450 S STATE ST	$119,000	$85,000	2	1	800	CONDO	86
234 RIDGEWAY RD 16D	$151,950	$150,000	2	1	914	CONDO	4
6218 NOKOMIS CT	$224,900	$192,500	3	2	1512	DETACHD	159
4050 VIRGINIA WAY	$389,000	$325,000	3	2	1344	DETACHD	34
1639 WORTHINGTON ST	$350,000	$328,000	4	3	1920	DETACHD	73
312 4TH ST	$399,000	$382,500	2	2.1	1731	ATTACHD	206
13354 TWIN CREEK LN	$579,000	$530,000	5	2.1	3134	DETACHD	65
14785 UPLANDS DR	$599,000	$560,000	4	3	3325	DETACHD	316
5625 SOUTHWOOD DR	$669,000	$575,000	4	2.1	3280	DETACHD	186
13048 KNAUS RD	$875,000	$685,000	4	3.1	3715	DETACHD	198
17554 Greenbluff DR	$1,195,000	$975,000	4	4.2	5042	DETACHD	239
17147 OLD RIVER DR	$2,395,000	$1,600,000	4	4.2	5961	DETACHD	581
1617 LAKE FRONT RD	$2,999,000	$2,250,000	4	4.1	4610	DETACHD	198
1288 NORTHSHORE RD	$2,350,000	$2,350,000	4	3	3059	DETACHD	0

December 31, 2011

Open Houses ~ New Year’s Day, 2012!

Well…. There are ~NO~ Open Houses in Lake Oswego for this New Year’s Day! So, that means… rest, enjoy ringing in the New Year, and enjoy yourselves as we each greet a bright new tomorrow!

Happy New Year,

Dianne and Linda