Tag: Linda Trotta

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1-Level Homes

verte-frontThere are many reasons why a person might prefer to live in a single level home.  Some are purely by choice.  Things like the easy of movement while carrying laundry, or the preference for vaulted ceilings.  Others are truly out of necessity due to disabilities whether they be mobility problems, advancing age, or even blindness.  But for many people, living in a 1-level home is their preference.

For these people, when they go to purchase a home, it means that they have a much smaller inventory of homes to select from.  And for the seller of a 1-level home, it means that they have a very specific niche in the real estate market.  So when a single level home comes up for sale, it is likely to be well received by buyers.

Some quick statistics:  in the year 2000, the size of the U.S. population that was age 65 or older was 35,000,000 people or 12.4% of the population.  It is projected that by the year 2030 that percentage will grow to 19.6%, or 71,000,000 people.  This means that the desirability of a one-level home is only going to increase.

Now the twist, just as the demand for single level homes in increasing, the availability of land to build single level homes is decreasing, at least in Oregon.  Every city and county has building codes that require specific distances, or set backs, from the property lines.  A builder is simply restricted to foundations that fit within the set backs of any particular piece of property.  Because a 1-level home usually has a larger foundation, it means that the smaller lots that are common in today’s developments do not have the area necessary to build 1-level homes.  And this means that the land that is big enough to build a 1-level home will cost more because it is larger.  It also means that the 1-level homes that currently exist will be high-demand and valuable into the future.

An important concept to understand when you are buying or selling a single level home is how the value compares to other properties.  Why is it that a 1500 square foot, single level home, can sell for as much as a 2000 square foot 2-story home?  This goes back to the construction of the building.  The two most expensive components in building a home are the roof and the foundation.  When you have a 2-story house, this big expense goes twice as far.  So a 1-level home is more expensive to build per square foot, and through out it’s life of being purchased and sold it will continue to pass along this higher expense.

So if you are lucky enough to have a 1-level home, I hope that you feel good about your investment.  If you are looking to buy a 1-level home, there are currently 70 of them for sale in Lake Oswego.  The least expensive is 1346 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, and was built in 1956.  It is listed for $229,900.  The most expensive is 5389 square feet, with 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, and was built in 1993.  It is listed for $1,850,000.  The other 68 single level homes for sale cover every sort of size and pricing.

Whether you are wanting to buy or sell, whether you want a 1-level or several levels, Linda and I are here to help.  Please do not hesitate to give us a call or to drop us an e-mail.

Dianne

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Market Activity for June 8-June 14, 2009

I know that in my personal business it feels like things have picked up a bit.  I think last week’s market activity also reflected that.  We had 19 new listings come on the market, 12 homes go pending, and 14 sales that closed.

Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):

NEWLY LISTED (June 8—June 14, 2009)

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ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
 PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address List Price # BR # BTHS Total SF Prop Type List Date
15210 BOONES WAY $175,000 2 2 1,124 CONDO 6/8/2009
109 OSWEGO SMT $182,900 2 2 1,212 CONDO 6/8/2009
44 EAGLE CREST DR $185,000 3 2 1,085 CONDO 6/11/2009
212 RIDGEWAY RD $204,900 1 1 778 CONDO 6/12/2009
41 GREENRIDGE CT $249,900 3 2.1 1,652 ATTACHD 6/8/2009
4438 THUNDER VISTA LN $265,000 2 2.1 2,040 CONDO 6/8/2009
1432 LAUREL ST $275,000 2 1 920 DETACHD 6/8/2009
3 SUMMIT RIDGE CT $300,000 2 2.1 1,576 ATTACHD 6/11/2009
343 5TH ST 315000 2 1 910 CONDO 6/11/2009
16808 INVERURIE RD 324900 3 2 1,182 DETACHD 6/8/2009
16964 GASSNER LN 330000 3 3 2,208 DETACHD 6/8/2009
6310 CARMAN DR 349900 3 2.2 1,270 DETACHD 6/9/2009
19040 INDIAN SPRINGS CIR 369950 5 2 2,050 DETACHD 6/9/2009
5037 CENTERWOOD ST 379000 3 1.1 1,340 DETACHD 6/13/2009
2705 ORCHARD HILL PL 434900 3 2.1 2,250 DETACHD 6/12/2009
16439 LEXINGTON CT 474900 2 2 1,563 DETACHD 6/9/2009
891 G AVE 529900 5 2.1 2,420 DETACHD 6/11/2009
17471 CARDINAL DR 850000 4 2.1 3,056 DETACHD 6/9/2009
667 IRON MOUNTAIN BLVD 1650000 5 4.1 5,000 DETACHD 6/8/2009

PENDING SALES (June 8-June 16, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
 PROP TYPE
DOM
Address List Price # BR # BTHS Total SF Prop Type CDOM
3876 BOTTICELLI ST $169,900 2 2 1,275 ATTACHD 202
668 MCVEY AVE 194900 – 224876 2 1 852 CONDO 765
4325 COUNTRY WOODS CT $299,900 3 2 1,346 DETACHD 40
17850 PILKINGTON RD $372,000 3 2.1 3,222 DETACHD 388
762 LAKE FOREST DR $412,125 4 3 1,970 DETACHD 9
14371 HOLLY SPRINGS RD $414,900 4 2.1 1,939 DETACHD 354
131 WILBUR ST $425,000 2 2 1,312 DETACHD 106
16919 LAKERIDGE DR $425,000 4 3 2,710 DETACHD 295
4181 COBB WAY 429900 4 3 2,248 DETACHD 28
15713 TARA PL 615000 4 2.1 3,442 DETACHD 143
17600 UPPER CHERRY LN 699000 4 3.1 3,867 DETACHD 133
17090 FERNWOOD DR 765000 4 3.1 3,998 DETACHD 302

SOLD (June 8-June 16, 2009)

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ADDRESS ORIG. PRICE SALE PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
 PROP TYPE
DOM
Address O/Price Close Price # BR # BTHS Total SF Prop Type CDOM
5101 JEAN RD $295,000 $235,000 3 1 1,012 DETACHD 233
16446 INVERURIE RD $349,900 $250,000 3 1 2,100 DETACHD 350
17071 BRYANT RD $435,000 $320,000 3 2 1,500 DETACHD 302
1666 LAKE FRONT RD $874,900 $395,000 4 3 2,825 DETACHD 680
13581 GOODALL RD $1,100,000 $475,000 3 2 1,220 DETACHD 575
54 AQUINAS ST $575,000 $485,000 3 2.1 2,802 DETACHD 249
11 BECKET ST $550,000 $487,500 3 2.1 4,030 DETACHD 111
19431 KOKANEE CT $529,000 $520,000 4 2.1 2,250 DETACHD 8
5868 SUNCREEK DR 749900 645000 4 2.1 3,174 DETACHD 68
2317 STONEHURST CT $945,900 660000 4 2.1 4,455 DETACHD 374
4155 CANAL RD $1,199,000 685000 4 2.1 3,736 DETACHD 678
2900 WEMBLEY PARK RD 697000 690000 4 2.1 3,383 DETACHD 4
3407 LAKE GROVE AVE $1,298,000 875000 4 3.1 4,475 DETACHD 402
18224 Bella Terra DR 1495000 1275000 4 4 4,050 DETACHD 397

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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Lake Oswego Open Houses ~ June 14, 2009

There are 33 great properties to see on Sunday in Lake Oswego. No matter what price level or type of home you are looking for, you will be sure to find some fun options on the list below! Enjoy a beautiful Sunday!

Here are those that will be held open according to RMLS:

12846 SW Boones Ferry Rd $209,000 2 Bd, 1 1/2 Ba Open 9-11

16501 Lake Forest Blvd $319,900 3 Bd, 1 Ba Open 1-3

13840 Verte Ct $324,900 3 Bd, 2 Ba Open 1-3

3009 Wembley Park Rd $379,900 3 Bd, 1 1/2 Ba Open 1-4

16824 SW Inverurie Rd $389,900 3 Bd, 3 Ba Open 1-4

1023 Lund St $412,500 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba Open 1-4

1531 Woodland Ter $429,000 3 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba Open 1-4

1858 Southshore Blvd $449,900 4 Bd, 2 Ba Open 2-4

42 Hillshire Dr $474,000 4 Bd, 3 Ba Open 1:30-3:30

16439 Lexington Ct $474,900 2 Bd 2 Ba Open 3-5

15943 White Oaks Dr $495,500 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba Open 2-4

4959 Bilford Ln $547,500 3 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba Open 2-4

16920 Greentree Ave $579,000 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba Open 2-4

11 Cellini Ct $584,950 5 Bd, 3 Ba Open 12-2:30

17879 Hillside Dr $619,900 3 Bd, 3 Ba Open 12-2

580 Weidman Ct $659,000 5 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba Open 2:30-4:30

401 Ash St $680,000 5 Bd, 4 Ba Open 1-3

550 Middlecrest Rd $699,000 3 Bd, 2 1/2Ba Open 1-3

220 Greenwood Rd $785,000 3 Bd, 4 Ba Open 1-4

2688 Rivendell Rd $835,000 4 Bd, 3 Ba Open 1-3

15540 Village Dr $879,900 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba Open 1-3

3030 Westview Ct $898,000 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba Open 2:30-4

577 Middlecrest Rd $999,900 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba Open 1-3

14480 Kruse Oaks Blvd $1,149,000 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba Open 1-3

18246 Bella Terra Dr $1,294,000 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba Open 1-4

17464 Ridgeview Ln $1,298,950 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba Open 2-4

622 Oak Meadow Dr $1,325,000 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba Open 2-4

624 Atwater Rd $1,338,000 5 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba Open 1-3

664 Oak Meadow Dr $1,355,000 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba Open 2-4

18110 Siena Dr $1,394,000 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba Open 1-3

657 Oak Meadow Dr $1,395,000 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba Open 2-4

17364 Ridgeview Ct $1,425,000 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba Open 2-4

17433 Ridgeview Ln $1,495,000 4 Bd, 4 1/2 Ba Open 2-4

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Green Water (ing)

perennialThough you wouldn’t know it today to look out my window (cloudy & some drizzle), it is summer, sunbeams have been out in force, and temps have been shooting up along with the plants in our yards and gardens. Some of this has to do with the heat, and some has to do with the fact that we are watering things while there is heat. At this time of year, and especially during a recession, we all need a refresher course on watering, and Lake Oswego is only too happy to oblige!

7dees2Water conservation experts from the Regional Water Providers Consortium (RWPC) are visiting Lake Oswego for a session with local residents where they plan to hand out free water gauges and lots of good tips for water-efficient landscaping and maintenance. This event will be held this Saturday, June 13th, at Dennis’ 7 Dees Garden Center, 1090 McVey Ave., from 10 AM to 2 PM.

The Consortium has an amazing website that reminds me how much there grass4is to learn. I remember thinking, when I was much younger and of course knew much more than I do today (or thought I did), that being a native of Southern California (Hey… No ribbing… I’ve been here since 1978!) , I had a very hard time believing that there was truly any need to conserve water in Oregon… I mean come on! With all the rainfall, the huge river running through town, the snowy mountain peaks dribbling water through Portland all year long… How was I supposed to believe that we actually needed to pay much attention at all to water consumption? Well, in recent years we have all learned how integral our activities are to maintaining the living environment we so cherish and want to hand to our children. There really are limits to what nature can provide us in our current numbers & given the constraints of our infrastructure. Then, there is that money thing… Practical tips for saving money while saving water? I’m all ears!
Among the vast array of uselful material to be found at the RWPC site are the following good pieces of information:

  • Use Mulch! It is important to know what kind to use however: –Organic Mulches (aged manure, bark chips, wood chips) and compost material will significantly decrease the amount of water you will need for plant health. Specifically, the addition of as little as 5% organic material can quadruple your soil’s ability to store water, decreasing the watering needed. – Inorganic mulches like stones, concrete and gravel can be great for creating landscape patterns etc., but also “re-radiate” the sun’s heat and cause an increase in the amount of water needed to care for surrounding plants.
  • Create Watering Zones – These would be areas of your property wherein similar types of plants reside hopefully having similar watering requirements. (Lawn areas, rose garden, annual garden, perennial garden etc) This way you avoid the “one system fits all” mentality and the over-watering that results for some garden areas.
  • Adjust Watering Schedules Frequently – As the temperatures shift during the summer, you will want to adjust your watering schedules accordingly.
  • Managed Stress in the Landscape – There are all sorts of seemingly complicated formulas to help you determine how much to water a lawn at any given temperature. The RWPC site simplifies this information and helps you understand the “Stressing” concept, which basically means watering as little as possible forcing lawns to use their natural coping mechanisms and give you a green lawn all summer without the heavy over-watering that is so prevalent.
  • Water Plants Thoroughly but Infrequently – This causes roots to go deeper and therefore be more drought resistant/require less watering.
  • Water When Temps are Cooler – Preferably before 10:00AM or after 6:00PM.
  • Use Drip Irrigation Where Possible – Large water droplets close to the ground are much more efficient than sprinkler systems which lose a lot of water to evaporation.
  • Don’t Water in the Rain – Use rain sensors and gauges to eliminate unnecessary automatic watering when it is raining.
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Market Activity for June 1st to 7th, 2009

This past week brought 28 new listings, 10 pending sales, and 6 sold properties.  One of the challenges of doing this report is going back through the data to “weed out” the listings that have new RMLS numbers, but are not truly new to the market.  I try to not include houses that were taken off the market in the last 30-60 days and then re-listed.  Having said that, there are half a dozen houses on this list that came off the market last winter around the holidays and are now re-listed, so they may sound familiar to you.  A couple of them have had huge price reductions.

Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):

NEWLY LISTED (June 1—June 7, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
 PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address List Price # BR # BTHS Total SF Prop Type List Date
4629 LAKEVIEW BLVD $179,900 2 2 1,178 CONDO 6/4/2009
188 OSWEGO SUMMIT $195,500 2 2 1,383 CONDO 6/3/2009
16584 ROOSEVELT AVE $263,000 3 1 1,188 DETACHD 6/5/2009
17570 MARDEE AVE $264,900 3 1 1,050 DETACHD 6/5/2009
4433 THUNDER VISTA LN $275,000 2 2.1 1,980 CONDO 6/5/2009
15265 BOONES WAY $349,900 2 2.1 1,560 ATTACHD 6/1/2009
2315 SOUTHSHORE BLVD $350,000 3 1 1,970 DETACHD 6/1/2009
26 BRIARWOOD RD $389,900 4 2.2 2,554 DETACHD 6/3/2009
17280 WESTVIEW DR 399900 3 2.1 2,324 DETACHD 6/1/2009
2745 GREENTREE RD 400000 2 1 1,219 DETACHD 6/5/2009
762 LAKE FOREST DR 412125 4 3 1,970 DETACHD 6/1/2009
19 TOUCHSTONE 415000 4 3 2,789 DETACHD 6/2/2009
14433 HOLLY SPRINGS RD 419900 4 2.1 1,939 DETACHD 6/1/2009
692 2ND ST 425000 3 1 1,700 DETACHD 6/1/2009
13899 MAJESTIC CT 439000 3 2 2,357 DETACHD 6/1/2009
410 LAUREL ST 499000 4 2.1 2,064 DETACHD 6/5/2009
4043 ORCHARD DR 635000 4 2.1 3,339 DETACHD 6/6/2009
2834 GLENMORRIE DR 669000 3 2.1 2,459 DETACHD 6/1/2009
17473 REDFERN AVE 719950 4 2.1 3,052 DETACHD 6/5/2009
7 SCARBOROUGH DR 724950 4 2.1 3,367 DETACHD 6/5/2009
4070 VIRGINIA WAY 749000 3 2.1 3,510 DETACHD 6/4/2009
160 GREENWOOD RD 799950 4 0.2 2,448 DETACHD 6/3/2009
2681 SOUTHSHORE BLVD 890000 3 2.1 2,760 DETACHD 6/4/2009
19010 BRYANT RD 899000 4 3.1 4,878 DETACHD 6/5/2009
16461 CHAPIN WAY 947500 4 2.1 4,271 DETACHD 6/1/2009
18246 BELLA TERRA DR 1294000 4 3.1 4,052 DETACHD 6/4/2009
18493 RAY RIDGE DR 1359000 4 3.3 4,401 DETACHD 6/1/2009
17211 KELOK RD 1399000 3 3.1 5,384 DETACHD 6/5/2009

PENDING SALES (June 1-June 7, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
 PROP TYPE
DOM
Address List Price # BR # BTHS Total SF Prop Type CDOM
15010 TWIN FIR RD $284,905 8 2.1 3,526 DETACHD 92
800 WOODWAY CT $339,000 4 3 2,066 DETACHD 55
1234 MAPLE ST $345,000 3 2 1,947 DETACHD 141
4070 WESTBAY RD $449,996 3 2 1,828 DETACHD 33
6091 FROST LN $479,900 5 2.1 2,540 DETACHD 210
523 2ND ST $485,000 2 2 1,274 CONDO
2860 DELLWOOD DR $505,000 4 2.1 2,966 DETACHD 34
1510 FERNWOOD DR $574,950 5 3 3,291 DETACHD 123
17141 WALL ST 619000 4 3 3,540 DETACHD 354
4076 Orchard DR 719000 4 3.1 3,991 DETACHD 34

SOLD (June 1-June 7, 2009)

ADDRESS ORIG. PRICE SALE PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
 PROP TYPE
DOM
Address O/Price Close Price # BR # BTHS Total SF Prop Type CDOM
44 EAGLE CREST DR $124,950 $125,000 1 1 798 CONDO 63
12826 Boones Ferry RD $299,900 $228,000 2 2.1 1,398 CONDO 156
1615 HALLINAN ST $299,900 $277,750 3 1.1 1,500 DETACHD 231
18307 LONGFELLOW AVE $339,900 $319,000 3 2 1,457 DETACHD 262
13470 PETERS RD $474,900 $474,900 3 2.1 2,324 ATTACHD 15
569 6TH ST $800,000 $490,000 4 2 2,168 DETACHD 359

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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Open Houses for Sunday, June 7th, 2009

There are currently 31 homes scheduled to be held open in Lake Oswego on June 7th, according to the RMLS:

100 SW Kerr Pkwy, $97,900. 1 BR, 1 BTH, 617 sq. feet, open 1:30-3:30

4465 Golden Lane, $275,000. 2 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 1980 sq. feet, open 2-4

5094 Galen, $299,999. 3 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 1438 sq. feet, open 1-3

4 Weatherstone, $224,950. 3 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 1692 sq. feet, open 1-3

3009 Wembley Park Rd, $379,900. 3 BR, 1.5 BTHS, 1754 sq. feet, open 1-4

16824 Inverurie Rd, $389,900. 3 BR, 3 BTHS, 1896 sq. feet, open 2-4

16950 Lakeridge Dr, $479,000. 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 2305 sq. feet, open 2-4

41 Hillshire Dr, $494,000. 4 BR, 3 BTHS, 2670 sq. feet, open 1:30-3:30

14412 Meadow Grass, $500,000. 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 3563 sq. feet, open 1-3

624 Livingood Ln, $549,000. 4 BR, 3 BTHS, 2596 sq. feet, open 1-4

5400 Bay Creek Dr, $550,000. 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 2856 sq. feet, open 1-3

4736 Amherst Ct, $589,000. 3 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 2800 sq. feet, open 3-5

4691 Chelsea Ln, $599,000. 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 3102 sq. feet, open 1-3

11 Cellini Ct, $599,950. 5 BR, 3 BTHS, 3392 sq. feet, open 11:30-2:30

1322 Glenmorrie Dr, $725,000. 3 BR, 3 BTHS, 2752 sq. feet, open 1-4

4625 Firwood Rd, $899,900. 3 BR, 3 BTHS, 4976 sq. feet, open 1-4

511 6th St, $928,950. 5 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 4000 sq. feet, open 1-3

17878 Hillside Dr, $970,000. 5 BR, 3 BTHS, 3462 sq. feet, open 3-5

2304 Oswego Glen Ct, $995,000. 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, 3896 sq. feet, open 2-4

17178 Cedar Rd, $1,195,000. 5 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 4209 sq. feet, open 2-3:30

17404 Bergis Farm Dr, $1,198,000. 5 BR. 4.5 BTHS, 5394 sq. feet, open 1-3

12819 Alto Park Rd, $1,225,000. 4 BR, 4.5 BTHS, 3944 sq. feet, open 2-4

2625 Summit Dr, $1,289,900. 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 4212 sq. feet, open 12:30-2:30

2326 Oswego Glen Ct, $1,295,000. 4 BR, 4 BTHS, 4178 sq. feet, open 2-4

17464 Ridgeview Ln, $1,298,950. 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 4407 sq. feet, open 2-4

664 Oak Meadow Dr, $1,355,000. 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 4198 sq. feet, open 2-4

657 Oak Meadow Dr, $1,395,000. 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 4371 sq. feet, open 2-4

16737 Maple Circle, $1,400.000. 3 BR, 3 BTHS, 1683 sq. feet, open 12:00-1:30

17364 Ridgeview Ct, $1,425,000. 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 4436 sq. feet, open 2-4

17433 Ridgeview Ln, $1,495,000. 4 BR, 4.5 BTHS, 4704 sq. feet, open 2-4

975 Lake Front Rd, $1,695,000. 3 BR, 3 BTHS, 3232 sq. feet, open 2-3:30

Have a great weekend!

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Home Staging Tips

goldendiningroom1Spring is traditionally the strongest time of year to sell your home.  If you want to sell, you need to get your home ready.  You want to win the beauty pageant.  The place to start, before you list your home for sale, is with proper home staging.  The way you live in your home and the way you sell your home are two different things.  It does add a layer of care to your already busy life, but it will payoff when you sell by getting your home sold more quickly and by helping you to get the best price possible.

Start by standing out at the street.  This is your buyer’s first impression.  Can you see the front door?  Can you see all of the windows?  Is the lawn green?  Are flower beds free of weeds and bushes nicely trimmed?  What about the color of the paint?  Is it one of the popular shades used today or something from when you moved in in 1996?  Is the roof clean and free of moss?  If you said no to any of these questions, then you’ve got work to do.  Too often homeowners let trees and bushes become over grown and drown the house.  Over-growth makes you house look like a big blob.  Do you want to buy a blob?  Neither does a buyer.

Next stand at your front door.  I believe this is the most critical moment for a buyer.  Remember that they will pause here for a minute or two while the Realtor gets the key from the lockbox and opens the door.  Your buyer will have time to look around and get a close-up look at everything around the front door.  I truly believe that they make a decision at this point.  If they like what they see, they will enter the house with a positive attitude and look for positive input to reinforce what they already believe.  If they get a bad impression, they’ll be critical as they go inside and look to find fault; again to reinforce what they already have decided.  The front door is usually a small area.  Here is what you need to do.  Wash or freshly paint the front door and the windows around the door.  Sweep or pressure wash all of the walls and ceiling around the door to get rid of spiders, webs, moths, and bug stuff.  Scrub the weather stripping at the threshold so that there is not one speck of grime.  Make sure weather stripping is in good shape, but that the door opens and closes easily.  Make sure the lock works!  Now add some color.  A couple of pots with flowers, a wreath on the front door.  Please, no holiday decorations that are months old, or pots of dead easter lillies.  Splurge and spend $20 on some nice flowers, then be sure to water them.

You’ve done it!  You’ve gotten your buyer inside.

You are moving, right?  Why not get a leg up on the job and start packing BEFORE you put your house up for sale.  You want to de-personalize your home.  Take down personal momentos, collections, most family photos, all of the stuff on the refrigerator.  It should be like a model home that you want to move right into.  And all of your very personal stuff keeps your buyer from feeling like it is “their” house.  I recommend that you do this one room at a time.  Just make a big pile in the middle of the room that you want to either store or donate/toss.  It is ok to have a few family photos.  For instance, a bookshelf with a combination of a few framed photos, some books, perhaps a small piece of art work or decorative glass, that is fine.  But that hallway photo gallery showing Joey, who is now 35, in every grade of school he ever attended:  take it down.

Less truly is more.  As you clean out clutter and stream-line each room, you will make them look larger.  A small home, well staged, can look bigger than large home full of clutter.

This is also true of furniture.  Make sure you store away anything that gets in the way in hallways, at the top of stairs, as you enter rooms, and on stairway landings.  The fact that you had no where else to put the furniture just screams “This house is too small!”.  In addition, they could actually be a safety hazzard when you have a group of people seeing the house together and unable to maneuver on the stairs.  Another important thought with furniture is do not cover up a homes features.  Don’t place TV’s in front of windows, or dressers across closets, or a couch across the fireplace.    Move the furniture around and show off each rooms best feature.  Make sure to not have too much furniture.  A few pieces in each room is all you need.  For a living room: a couch, a chair, a love seat, and a coffee or similar table is plenty.  If you have a piano, don’t be afraid to store the couch or the love seat.  You want the room to feel big and not to be dwarfed by the furniture.

The kitchen and bathroom counters are the toughest to empty and also the most important.  Many a buyer has ruled out a home because either the kitchen or the bathrooms seemed too small.  You can make them big, with a little effort.  As much as possible, but things away in cupboards.  A few things may be impossible to put away because they are constantly in use.  Hello?  The coffee pot?  With things you just have to have handy, cluster them into one group.  So if you have the coffee pot, the decorative decanter of olive oil, and the pepper mill tastefully gathered in one corner, and nothing else anywhere on the counter, you’ll get away with it.  Take away the cluster and string the three items around the kitchen and suddenly you got clutter.  Bunching is a wonderful thing.  The same thing holds true in the bathroom.  I also highly recommend baskets or decorative boxes.  If you use a container, you can pretty much fill the container and still keep things attractive.

The areas to focus your attention are:  the entry, the living room, the dining room, the family room, the kitchen, and the master bedroom and bath.  Do the whole house if you can, it will pay off.  But if you have limits to your ability to take on this project, at a minimum, get to these rooms.

Now for those of you who are after the best money and the quickest sale, you’ll take it to the next level.  Clean out closets and fold and stack everything in an orderly and tidy fashion.  Get your kids on board helping you.  Those big tubs that are made to hold toys are great.  Tell them that when they are finished playing, just throw everything in the tub.  It makes for a pretty quick clean up.  Go around the house and wash all of the windows and clean out all of the window tracks.  The pickiest buyer I have ever worked with did three things:  checked the window tracks for dirt, looked inside the oven to see if it was clean, and opened the dishwasher to look at the outer framing of the door.  If these areas were clean, she knew the rest of the house would be too.

Speaking of clean, it is absolutely the cheapest thing you can do to make your house show ready.  No one, not one buyer out there, wants to buy someone else’s dirt.  It just doesn’t happen.   Pay attention to the bottom of cupboards, the baseboards, around the bottom of the toilet.  Yep, everywhere.

You’ll need a place to store all of the stuff you are packing away.  If you can, rent a storage unit or get one of those PODS that allow you to pack things and then have them stored off-site.  If you can’t pay for storage, use your garage.  I would rather have a staged home with a garage that is stacked wall-to-wall and top-to-bottom than an empty garage and a messy house.

There are a couple of good websites I found that will give you ideas and perhaps be helpful:

From the National Associaiton of Realtors, click here.

From US News and World Report, click here.

And to visit Barb Schwartz’s website, click here.  Barb Schwartz is the queen of home staging.  She has been teaching Realtors techniques of home staging since before I was a Realtor (over 22 years).  I used to refer to staging a home as “Schwartzing” a home.  That’s how ingrained in my head this lady is.

goldenoldlrAt the top of this article is a photo of my listing in Mt. Park.  I want you to compare that photo to the one that you find to the right.  Can you see the big improvement?  The photo to the right is how this room used to look.  This was not a home with a problem of clutter.  This was a house that needed to show case the homes features.  The home owner moved the living room furniture to the other end of the room in order to showcase the wonderful windows.  Where a TV cabinet had blocked windows, now what you see is light and sunshine.  In addition, the owner replaced several windows that had broken seals.  Now when you walk in, you step back and feel the wow factor.  That is what sells a house.

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First Time Home Buyer? ~ What to Expect:

house

I was reading an article recently regarding the $8,000. tax credit for first time home buyers, and the writer expressed shock at how many people are completely unaware of it. I have noticed in my own practice recently that the larger PR machine has evidently not been doing a very good job at educating the public, as some of my clients reveal innocence on this subject as well when they discuss their leisurely plans to purchase “sometime in January of next year” etc. (the tax credit is only applicable if the home purchase is completed before December 1st of this year.) I also have heard more & more folks lately talking about attending “First Time Home Buyer Classes” presented usually by Realtors and Mortgage Brokers as a service to the public.

It seems to me that there is a real need for information out there right now. I thought I’d give a little primer below on at least the basics of what to expect during your first home-buying experience. Hope you find it helpful!

(Note: The sequence below does not apply to each and every transaction as each is individual and scenarios/time lines obviously vary. Your Realtor will be doing many more things behind the scenes than I indicate below as well, but I am sticking to outlining YOUR experience and how you can expect that to unfold… generally speaking.)

  • Retain services of a mortgage professional (lender) to give you best options for financing, and have an approval letter ready for you when you make an offer. Discuss “closing costs” with your mortgage professional, and review the “good faith estimate” that they will provide to you. (If you have a relationship with a Realtor first, ask them to recommend good resources for you.)
  • Work with your Realtor to find the home that meets your needs.
  • Work with your Realtor to determine appropriate offer & details/then write it up.
  • Realtor submits offer to Seller along with approval letter from lender and earnest money check. Note: The EM check is to show good faith, and is applied to the sale should your offer be accepted and proceed to close. Talk with your Realtor about what amount will put your best foot forward. (*Sometimes Promissory Notes may be used, and/but I highly recommend using an EM check to be taken most seriously.
  • Receive response/acceptance/counter from Seller in time frame you specified on the offer (in a normal transaction you typically ask for response within 24 hours, but if it is a “short sale”, the process of hearing back that you are indeed accepted by all parties concerned can take months.)
  • Upon mutual acceptance (usually within 1-3 days), schedule an inspection ASAP (you have 10 business days to conduct inspections & may back out if concerns arise during this time). Your Realtor will help you with this- Ask him or her for good resources to guide you through the process of inspecting the home. Prices vary, but a 2000 square foot house will often run around $400. more or less, and size as well as other factors come into play in the cost of an inspection.
  • Upon mutual acceptance, your earnest money check is sent to the Escrow Office, and held by them on your behalf until closing, or until nullification of the offer if this occurs within your inspection period.
  • Realtor writes and negotiates any Inspection Addendum items during this period according to your wishes (you will work with your Realtor to discuss and determine any give and take in the negotiation process that may occur. Your Realtor will offer you information and give professional advice, negotiating on your behalf and with your permission. You are in the driver’s seat, and you make the final decisions albeit under good counsel.
  • Upon mutual acceptance & reaching the end of your inspection period, your Realtor notifies the lender who orders the appraisal.
  • Your Realtor continues to work with the lender as the lending process moves forward. As long as the appraisal comes back at or above sale/offer price, you will proceed to closing through the underwriting process of the lender. Should the property not appraise for at least the sale amount, the lender will bring this to your attention and there will be some decisions for you to make around the sale price and your desire for the home (you are not required to pay any monies over and above the appraisal amount, and lenders will not lend more than the appraised value generally speaking.)
  • You may be requested by the underwriter to provide additional information on a case by case basis. Your Realtor will work with you and help in any way possible and appropriate to facilitate the flow of information required from you, but you are in the driver’s seat as far as responsibility to provide the necessary information to the lender.
  • When all underwriter/lender requirements have been met, the file is signed off by the underwriter, and passed to Escrow. The whole lender process usually takes around 3-4 weeks.
  • Escrow processes all paperwork, title insurance, and all distribution of funds between you and the seller as per the contract provisions agreed upon between you and the Seller. Documents are drafted, and a “signing date/time” is scheduled. (“Signing” is not the same as “Closing”.)
  • Your Realtor will often attend your signing with you to help with any questions that arise, and to offer moral support. (Frankly, I just love being a part of the exciting culmination of the home buying adventure!)
  • Escrow will then send signed documents back to the lender, and to the county. The transaction will then “close” or “fund & record” in 1-2 days after signing, at which time you will receive a call that you are a homeowner!
  • Your Realtor will usually meet you at your new home and deliver you the keys. (More fun!)
  • The whole process from offer to close usually takes around 30 days… sometimes 40-45. It can take a little longer depending on the lender, and sometimes it takes less time than that. You and your Realtor will assign a “no later than” date on your offer in conjunction with talking to the lender about their current load & closing time line. All parties are then obligated to “perform” within that time frame, or draft an addendum extending the closing date if that proves necessary and IF all parties agree to do it. (Because there always exists the possibility that one party may not agree to sign an extension addendum, and the contract specifically states “on or before” a particular date, the closing date is a binding contractual agreement and should be taken very seriously. As a buyer, your earnest money is at stake if you should not “perform” to contact terms.)

The above may be missing some pieces of the puzzle as each transaction is different, and various issues can arise during the process, but hopefully this give you a basic idea of how it will go!

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Market Activity for May 18-24, 2009

Lots of houses continue to come onto the market, as is typical in the spring. Even with the holiday weekend there were 25 new listings in Lake Oswego. We also saw 21 houses receive offers and go pending and 2 closed sales.

Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):

NEWLY LISTED (May 18—May 24, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
 PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address List Price # BR # BTHS Total SF Prop Type List Date
100 KERR PKWY $94,900 1 1 617 CONDO 5/21/2009
45 EAGLE CREST DR $139,900 1 1 768 CONDO 5/20/2009
86 KINGSGATE RD $149,900 2 2 849 CONDO 5/20/2009
276 CERVANTES $183,000 3 2 1,209 CONDO 5/21/2009
235 CERVANTES $188,000 2 2 1,100 CONDO 5/21/2009
16250 PACIFIC HWY $220,000 1 1 841 CONDO 5/19/2009
16428 SW BONAIRE AVE $269,950 3 1 1,240 DETACHD 5/19/2009
16250 PACIFIC HWY $274,500 2 2 1,305 CONDO 5/19/2009
4 WHEATHERSTONE $334,950 3 2.1 1,692 CONDO 5/18/2009
6321 ALYSSA TER $339,000 3 2.1 1,582 ATTACHD 5/18/2009
14141 GOODALL RD $389,900 3 2.1 1,907 DETACHD 5/22/2009
19221 REDWING CT $397,500 3 2 1,374 DETACHD 5/22/2009
147 6TH ST $425,000 3 1 1,584 DETACHD 5/18/2009
668 MCVEY AVE 425000 – 450000 3 1.1 992 CONDO 5/20/2009
16950 LAKERIDGE DR $479,000 4 2.1 2,305 DETACHD 5/23/2009
4938 MULHOLLAND DR $529,900 3 2.1 2,498 ATTACHD 5/19/2009
4959 BILFORD LN $547,500 3 2.1 2,456 DETACHD 5/19/2009
475 COUNTRY CLUB CT $549,000 3 2.1 1,705 DETACHD 5/18/2009
5400 BAY CREEK DR $550,000 4 2.1 2,856 DETACHD 5/22/2009
686 SUNNY HILL DR $569,500 4 2.1 2,300 DETACHD 5/21/2009
4305 UPPER DR $749,000 4 2.1 3,474 DETACHD 5/20/2009
1755 SOUTHSHORE BLVD $949,000 5 3.1 4,757 DETACHD 5/21/2009
943 SW ATWATER RD $975,000 4 2.1 3,874 DETACHD 5/21/2009
14480 KRUSE OAKS BLVD $1,149,000 4 3.1 4,661 DETACHD 5/18/2009
18042 SKYLAND CIR $1,499,000 4 3 4,800 DETACHD 5/22/2009

PENDING SALES (May 18-May 24, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
 PROP TYPE
DOM
Address List Price # BR # BTHS Total SF Prop Type CDOM
45 EAGLE CREST DR $134,900 2 1.1 1,056 CONDO 6
4000 CARMAN DR $149,900 2 2 925 CONDO 699
4000 CARMAN DR $179,900 2 2 1,100 CONDO 72
1602 BONNIEBRAE DR 224900 – 254876 2 1 864 ATTACHD 256
103 KINGSGATE RD $299,900 3 2.1 1,352 DETACHD 56
18543 LONGFELLOW AVE $305,000 3 1.1 1,279 DETACHD 97
5918 SEVILLE AVE $315,000 4 2 1,752 DETACHD 14
45 TANGLEWOOD DR $345,000 5 3.1 3,166 DETACHD 71
15 MASARYK ST $349,900 3 3 3,680 DETACHD 131
111 3RD ST $399,900 2 2 1,206 CONDO 276
815 10TH ST $399,950 3 2 2,190 DETACHD 298
606 2ND ST $420,000 4 3 3,022 DETACHD 34
17825 SARAH HILL LN $464,900 4 2.1 2,525 DETACHD 5
2 PIMLICO TER $479,900 4 2.1 2,301 DETACHD 21
14412 MEADOW GRASS ST $500,000 4 2.1 3,563 DETACHD 364
5026 HARTFORD PL $524,900 5 2.1 3,253 DETACHD 319
17445 LAKE HAVEN DR $539,900 4 3 2,949 DETACHD 9
1245 BAYBERRY RD $559,000 3 2 1,728 DETACHD 342
5590 KODERRA AVE $599,900 4 2.1 3,072 DETACHD 10
5322 Langford LN $759,000 4 2.1 3,218 DETACHD 178
17970 ROYCE WAY $995,000 4 4.2 5,226 DETACHD 285

SOLD (May 11-May 17, 2009)

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ADDRESS ORIG. PRICE SALE PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
 PROP TYPE
DOM
Address O/Price Close Price # BR # BTHS Total SF Prop Type CDOM
4724 SW FIRWOOD RD $299,900 $279,900 3 1.1 1,240 DETACHD 296
13805 REGENCY CT $419,000 $373,000 4 2.1 2,045 DETACHD 29

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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Open Houses for Sunday, May 24, 2009

goldendiningroomAlong with my own open house at 4447 Golden Lane, there are a total 17 opens planned for Lake Oswego on May 24th.  I’d love to have you come by to see me tomorrow.  My listings is a 1616 square foot townhouse in Mt. Park.  Recent updates include gorgeous granite counters in the kitchen, laminate flooring, and new windows.  It has 2 large bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths.  Probably the nicest feature is that it has huge, south-facing windows that look out across trees and well-cared for landscaping.  It is also an end unit.  It’s priced at $255,000.  I’ll be there from 2 to 5pm.  You’ll find my signs at the corner of Melrose and Fosberg and from there you can easily follow them into the complex on Thundervista.

Joining my open house on Sunday are these properties:

16824 Inverurie, $389,900. 1896 sq. feet, 3 BR, 3 BTHS, open 1-3

41 Hillshire, $498,500. 2670 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3 BTHS, open 1:30-3:30

17393 Grandview Ct, $649,900. 3672 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, open 1-3

2814 Vale Ct, $719,900. 3192 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3 BTHS, open noon-3

730 8th St, $799,000. 2395 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3 BTHS, open 2-4

17215 Lowenberg Terrace, $850,000. 2819 sq. feet, 4 BR, 2.5 BTHS, open 12:30-3:30

511 6th St, $928,950. 4000 sq. feet, 5 BR, 3.5 BTHS, open noon-2

1015 Andrews Rd, $999,900. 3367 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3 BTHS, open 2-4

900 Fairway Rd, $1,094,000. 3508 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, open noon-2

17464 Ridgeview Lane, $1,298,950. 4407 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, open 2-4

622 Oak Meadow Dr, $1,325,000. 4171 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, open 2-4

16359 Chapin Way, $1,349,000. 4158 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, open 1-4

664 Oak Meadow Dr, $1,355,000. 4198 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, open 2-4

657 Oak Meadow Dr, $1,395,000. 4371 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, open 2-4

17364 Ridgeview Ct, $1,425,000. 4436 sq. feet, 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, open 2-4

17433 Ridgeview Lane, $1,495,000. 4704 sq. feet, 4 BR, 4.5 BTHS, open 2-4

Along with enjoying the sunny weather and a great day of visiting open houses on Sunday, let’s also be sure to take a moment to reflect on those who have given their lives for our country.  Having a son currently in the military, and having a brother-in-law who was lost to us while serving, Memorial Day holds a particularly deep meaning in my heart.  It is an important day for reflecting upon those who make our freedom possible.