News & Notes

Here is the latest data for you on the overall Portland area, as well as specific Lake Oswego/West Linn (RMLS lumps them together) activity:

For 2013 the overall Portland area saw 27,065 Accepted Offers, and 24,872 Closed Sales which is up 12.7% from 24,010 Accepted Offers (Pendings) and 14.3% from 23,438 Closed Sales during 2012. Though Closed Sales decreased from November 2013 by 2.1%, December had the most Closed Sales since 2006!

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area  December, 2013:

  • At 1,782, December Closed Sales are 1.3% ahead of December 2012.
  • There were 1,333 New Listings in December. This was a decrease of 32.5% from this November, and an increase of 3.7% over December of 2012.
  • The Average Sale Price in December was $308,100, down from $318,100 in November 2013.
  • December Pending Sales (accepted offers) dropped by 18.8% compard to this November.

The combined areas of Lake Oswego and West Linn  for December reported:

    • 379 Active Listings
    • 58 New Listings
    • 76 Pending Sales
    • 83 Closed Sales
    • An average Sale Price of $463,500.
    • Average Time on the Market: 113 Days

Market Activity Jan 13-19, 2014

Last week in Lake Oswego there were 16 new listings, 16 pending sales, and 6 closed sales.
Here is the breakdown according to RMLS:

New on Market (Jan 13-19, 2014)

Address Type Price BR Bths SF
47 Eagle Crest Dr #48 Condo $104,900 1 1 696
10 Cervantes Circle Condo $125,000 2 1.5 912
4 Touchstone #128 Condo $154,900 3 2.5 1350
13060 Elk Rock Rd "A" Detached $175,000 1 1 502
181 Oswego Summit Condo $185,000 2 2 1383
17200 Robb Pl Detached $439,000 3 2.5 2218
1653 Devon Ln Detached $469,000 4 3 3181
13057 Sierra Vista Dr Detached $489,000 4 2.5 2510
4002 Tempest Dr Detached $539,900 4 3.5 4319
16158 Inverurie Rd Detached $559,900 4 2.5 2377
55 Aquinas St Detached $574,900 5 3 3720
4311 Orchard Way Detached $585,000 3 2.5 3010
13100 Boones Ferry Rd Detached $695,000 3 2.5 2370
3 Creekside Ter Detached $750,000 4 3.5 4355
19415 Sycamore Ave Detached $879,900 4 2.5 2188
820 Fairway Rd Detached $1,200,000 4 3.5 3758

Pending Sales (Jan 13-19, 2014)

Address Type Price BR Baths SF DOM
4 Touchstone #123 Condo $139,900 3 2.5 1351 4
3433 McNary Pkwy #702 Condo $164,500 2 2.5 1136 149
6397 McEwan Rd Detached $289,900 3 2 1008 127
15360 Twin Fir Rd Detached $314,900 3 1 1020 4
4690 Lower Dr Detached $339,900 3 2.5 1596 6
5057 W Sunset Dr Attached $349,900 2 2.5 1720 32
72 Weatherstone Condo $356,500 4 3.5 2465 84
572 2nd St Attached $379,900 2 2.5 1394 3
1230 Hallinan Cir Detached $380,000 3 2.5 1822 2
4401 Oakridge Rd Attached $400,000 2 2.5 1692 172
1228 Hallinan Cir Detached $450,000 3 2 1932 3
1491 Koawood Dr Detached $489,900 4 3 2510 29
2814 Vale Ct Detached $629,000 4 3 3192 70
18325 River Edge Ln Detached $899,995 3 3.5 4115 84
881 C Ave Detached $969,000 4 2.5 3128 0
17600 Upper Cherry Ln Detached $998,000 4 3.5 3900 283

SOLD (Jan 13-19, 2014)

Address Type List Price Closed Price Sq Ft CDOM
16775 Lake Forest Blvd Detached $287,000 $270,000 1544 61
5523 Royal Oaks Dr Detached $200,000 $300,000 1817 501
924 Laurel St Detached $360,000 $336,650 1965 62
17940 Meadowlark Ln Detached $499,000 $438,000 2,508 143
18064 Jenifers Way Detached $639,950 $635,000 2965 28
17700 Lake Haven Dr Detached $1,579,000 $1,600,000 4006 36

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

Open Houses 1/19/13

There are 18 open houses in Lake Oswego this Sunday. Enjoy!

Address Price Type Bedroom Bath Open
1531 Bonniebrae Dr $244,900 Attached 3 1.5 12 to 2
2719 Greentree Rd $449,950 Detached 5 3.5 1 to 4
4109 Wolf Berry Ct $519,000 Detached 4 2.5 1 to 4
5554 Royal Oaks Dr $525,000 Detached 3 2 1 to 3
55 Aquinas St $574,900 Detached 5 3 11 to 1
14 Del Prado St $583,000 Detached 3 3.5 1 to 3
421 Middlecrest Rd $629,900 Detached 3 2.5 1 to 3
3015 Royce Way $689,900 Detached 4 3.5 1 to 3
3826 Upper Dr $739,900 Detached 4 2.5 1 to 4
18112 Westminster Dr $750,000 Detached 5 4 2 to 4
18499 Old River Dr $819,000 Detached 4 3.5 11:30 to 1:30
4540 Lamont Way $874,950 Detached 5 2.5 1 to 3
13537 Fielding Rd $895,000 Detached 4 3.5 1 to 3
18325 River Edge Ln $899,995 Detached 3 3.5 1 to 3
2943 Lakeview Blvd $995,000 Detached 4 3 1 to 3
752 E Ave $998,500 Detached 3 3 1 to 3
17322 Cedar Rd $1,149,500 Detached 4 4.5 1 to 3
13310 Atwater Ln $1,249,900 Detached 5 4 2 to 4

Important Changes in 2014

xstreetsignThe coming of the new year brings with it some changes that may affect you as you buy or sell a home. I am going to touch upon 2 of them.

The Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

The intention of this legislation is to reign in predatory lending and safe guard our housing market from a collapse like we experienced in 2007. What it does is tighten up mortgage guidelines. This means verification of assets, having a strong credit score, and not making loans to people who can not realistically pay them back. The legislation went into affect on January 10, 2014, but lenders have been putting the guidelines into place for some time.

What this means to you is that you really do need to qualify for a mortgage. It also means that paperwork will be more extensive and processing your loan will take time.

I think it also means that it is more important than ever to get pre-approved BEFORE you make an offer on a house. Line up your financing in advance and you will have less stress while in escrow.

The Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Relief Act has Expired

In 2007, Congress passed this act to give tax relief to distressed home owners. Basically, the IRS considered any forgiveness of debt to be income upon which you were taxed. So if you sold your house with a shortsale (selling it for less than what you owed), did a deed in lieu of foreclosure, or restructured you debt, you could be required to pay taxes on any debt not repaid. The Mortgage Debt and Forgiveness Relief Act waived this taxation. This was a huge boon to helping distressed home owners. The act expired n 2012 but was extended for a year and now expired at the end of 2013.

Congress has not extended it. It is not looking promising that they will either.

This means that if you are facing the option of doing a shortsale, a loan modification, or a deed in lieu, you need to talk to a good tax accountant first. Do not get involved in any of these scenarios without good tax counsel. I also want to recommend good legal counsel.

Speaking of legal counsel, I was inspired to write this post after reading Kate Brooke’s newsletter. Kate is a local attorney with extensive real estate experience. To contact her, click here.

I hope you find this information useful.
Dianne

Market Activity ~ Jan 6-12, 2014

During our first full week of logged activity in Lake Oswego, 8 New properties entered the market, 9 moved to Pending status, and 3  “Closed”/Sold.

Here is the breakdown according to RMLS:

NEW on MKT (Jan 6-12, 2014)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
4 TOUCHSTONE #123 $139,900 3 2.1 1351 CONDO
5063 FOOTHILLS DR #14 $184,900 2 2 1050 CONDO
6 PHEASANT RUN $339,900 3 2.1 1734 DETACHD
4690 LOWER DR $339,900 3 2.1 1596 DETACHD
4360 WESTBAY RD $520,000 4 3 2636 DETACHD
4401 ALBERT CIR $529,950 4 2.1 2620 DETACHD
17322 CEDAR RD $1,149,500 4 4.1 3370 DETACHD
2493 SOUTHSHORE BLVD $3,495,000 5 4.1 7112 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Jan 6-12, 2014)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
88 OSWEGO SMT $99,999 1 1 764 CONDO 56
50 CERVANTES CIR #3-B $109,900 2 1.1 912 CONDO 10
16 CERVANTES CIR #6E $149,900 2 1.1 912 CONDO 43
13080 THOMA RD $395,000 3 2 2810 DETACHD 200
5616 GRAND OAKS DR $550,000 4 3 3096 DETACHD 54
2481 MARYLSHIRE LN $675,000 5 3.1 4154 DETACHD 175
17390 GRANDVIEW CT $989,999 4 4.2 4516 DETACHD 204
17375 RIDGEVIEW CT $998,500 4 3.1 4065 DETACHD 147
4601 UPPER DR $1,059,000 4 3.2 3943 DETACHD 2

SOLD (Jan 6-12, 2014)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
3808 BOTTICELLI ST $189,900 $182,000 3 2 1288 CONDO 71
3595 TEMPEST DR $424,900 $389,900 3 2 2126 DETACHD 53
4018 COHO LN $959,000 $900,000 4 4.1 5128 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

Tips & Tidbits

  • On average, home owners have a median worth of nearly $200,000 while renters are essentially living paycheck to paycheck, with only $4,000 net worth on average. And renters as a share of households are growing their ranks having risen by 6 million from a decade ago.”  Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist of the National Association of Realtors (NAR)
  • Adults under 35 living at home = 30.3%.  Under 35 Ownership Rate = 36.7%”       NAR Research, December 2013
  •  Have you overspent during the holidays? If so, you’re not alone! I have a few tips for catching up, and getting those credit cards back in line….  And, if you implement these ideas, it’ll go a long way to keeping your credit score squeaky clean, and help you build funds for the home you’ve been wanting to buy!

Here are 5 Steps (I borrowed these ideas from KeyBank ; ) to help get you back on track:

“Balance your budget“. If you’re saying “duh”, then think about trimming some expenses using these tips:

1)  “Pack Your Own”. Yup. Bring your coffee from home instead of stopping for a latte. Bring your own lunch for awhile. You’ll be surprised at how much you’ll save!

2 “Cut What You Won’t Miss”. Trim things like the little extras in your cable package, work out at home instead of at the gym or at your local community center, scale back your mobile service if you rarely max out your minutes, cancel subscriptions and get your favorite magazine copies at the library instead.

3) “Embrace Used”. When shopping for things that depreciate quickly, like cars, try re-sale!  Even for things like clothing, exercise equipment, and even electronics, (I just bought a brand new elyptical machine on Craigslist for $100.!!!) it can be the best way to go.

4) “Find Free Entertainment”.  Besides books & magazines, libraries also offer movies that you can check out, as well as books, video games & newspapers. Most libraries also offer Internet acccess on their computers for your use. Local high schools, colleges, art centers, and community centers offer low-cost or free concerts & plays.

5) “Clip Coupons and Dig for Discounts”.  Let’s face it. The Recession made coupons cool! Look for deals at your favorite restaurants, your grocery store, drug store… the deals are there… use them!

 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

imagesLinda and I want to wish you the very best of the season. We will be taking a break from the propertyblotter until January 6th. During this time we hope you will join us in treasuring these special times of love, family, faith, and friendship. To all of you, from both of us, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Dianne and Linda

Market Activity ~ Dec. 16-22, 2013

Last week in Lake Oswego, 9 New properties entered the market, 13 moved to Pending status, and 10  “Closed”/Sold.

Here is the breakdown of activity according to RMLS:

NEW on MKT (Dec 16-22, 2013)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
4000 CARMAN DR #103 $125,000 1 1 818 CONDO
4000 CARMAN DR #106 $139,100 2 2 993 CONDO
4000 CARMAN DR #55 $149,999 2 2 866 CONDO
200 RIDGEWAY RD $175,000 2 1 988 CONDO
1120 BOCA RATAN DR $260,000 3 2 1611 ATTACHD
16056 REESE RD $319,000 3 2 1667 DETACHD
1491 KOAWOOD DR $489,900 4 3 2510 DETACHD
1110 HALLINAN CIR $575,000 4 3.1 3824 DETACHD
5184 WOODCREST LN Lot 1 $599,900 4 2.1 2935 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Dec 16-22, 2013)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
3696 SPRING LN #3B $129,900 2 2 1117 CONDO 42
5523 ROYAL OAKS DR $200,000 2 3 1817 DETACHD 501
18 WHEATHERSTONE $295,900 3 2.1 1692 CONDO 138
250 FURNACE ST $389,000 2 1 899 DETACHD 68
16038 REESE RD $439,000 3 3 3154 DETACHD 2
17940 MEADOWLARK LN $459,000 5 3 2508 DETACHD 143
3435 Lake Grove AVE $595,000 4 3 2618 DETACHD 76
18064 JENIFERS WAY $639,950 5 3 2965 DETACHD
14144 KIMBERLY CIR $649,900 5 3.1 3824 DETACHD 7
13374 HIDDEN BAY CT $699,000 4 2.1 3520 DETACHD 98
72 NANSEN SUMMIT $1,100,000 4 3 4770 DETACHD 256
17323 BERGIS FARM DR $1,280,000 4 3.2 4297 DETACHD 194
112 NORTHSHORE CIR $1,500,000 4 3.1 3632 DETACHD 331

SOLD (Dec 16-22, 2013)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
86 KINGSGATE RD C204 $100,000 $103,100 2 2 938 CONDO 10
100 KERR PKWY #59 $112,000 $105,000 2 1.1 823 CONDO 5
3433 MCNARY PKWY #405 $156,900 $141,000 2 2.1 1208 CONDO 113
16250 PACIFIC HWY #64 $249,000 $240,000 2 2 1305 CONDO 69
3285 SW CHILDS RD $375,000 $285,000 4 3 2780 DETACHD 76
17736 CARDINAL CT $330,000 $355,000 4 2.1 2280 DETACHD 6
464 LIVINGOOD LN $450,000 $400,000 4 2.1 2584 DETACHD 129
208 NORTHSHORE RD $649,950 $620,000 5 3 2926 DETACHD 113
144 LEONARD ST $749,900 $665,000 4 3.1 3552 DETACHD 136
448 COUNTRY CLUB RD $1,299,000 $1,200,000 4 3.1 4873 DETACHD 328

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

News & Notes

Here is the latest data for you on the overall Portland area, as well as specific Lake Oswego/West Linn (RMLS lumps them together) activity:

So far this year the overall Portland area has seen 25,667 Accepted Offers, and 24,872 Closed Sales which is up 12.9% from 22,726 Accepted Offers (Pendings) and 15.4% from 21,546 Closed Sales in the same period last year. Though Closed Sales decreased from October 2013 by 16.8%, November had the most Closed Sales since 2006!

According to the RMLS Market Action Report for the Portland Metro Area  November, 2013:

  • At 1,821, November Closed Sales increased by 88 over November 2012, but are down from this October’s 2,189.
  • There were 1,976 New Listings in November. This was a decrease of 14% from this October, and an increase of 5.6% over November of 2012.
  • The Average Sale Price in November was $318,100, up $4,000 from $314,100 in October 2013.
  • November Pending Sales (accepted offers) dropped by 14% compard to this October, and  increased by 5.6% as compared to November 2012.

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

    • 441 Active Listings
    • 103 New Listings
    • 83 Pending Sales
    • 97 Closed Sales
    • An average Sale Price of $498,200.
    • Average Time on the Market: 79 Days

Market Activity Dec 9-15, 2013

Real estate is a year around event, and last week in Lake Oswego showed that to be true. There were 6 new listings, 11 pending sales, and 12 closed sales.

Here is the breakdown of activity according to RMLS:

New Listings Dec 9-15, 2013

Address Type Price BR Bths SF
444 5th St Attached $330,000 2 2 1092
5687 Bonita Rd Detached $339,000 3 2.5 2048
5057 W Sunset Attached $349,900 2 2.5 1720
3020 Brookside Rd Detached $499,000 4 2 1926
14144 Goodall Rd Detached $849,000 4 3 3499
17547 Cherry Ct Detached $1,225,000 4 3.5 3700

PENDING SALES (Dec 9-15, 2013)

Address Type Price BR Baths SF DOM
100 Kerr Pkwy #13 Condo $85,900 1 1 617 89
100 Kerr Pkwy #10 Condo $115,000 2 1.5 823 5
1561 Bonniebrae Dr Condo $249,900 3 2 1393 30
4912 Lower Dr Detached $339,000 3 2 1539 4
3595 Tempest Dr Detached $389,900 3 2 2126 53
920 York Rd Detached $415,000 4 2.5 1836 23
13060 Elk Rock Rd Detached $474,900 4 3 3581 88
12 Buckingham Terr Detached $529,000 5 3.5 3642 128
14353 Trillium Ct Detached $625,000 4 2.5 3057 9
18108 Pilkington Rd Detached $799,950 3 3.5 4129 123
2070 Wembley Park Rd Detached $800,000 5 4.5 4935 436

SOLD (Dec 9-15, 2013)

Address Type List Price Closed Price Sq Ft CDOM
100 Kerr Pkwy #56 Condo $104,900 $108,000 823 4
4000 Carmen #88 Condo $117,000 $119,000 836 24
4 Touchstone #62 Condo $159,500 $144,000 1351 46
1261 Boca Ratan Dr Attached $270,000 $267,500 1,611 26
4990 Oakridge Rd Detached $329,000 $300,000 1700 80
2440 Greentree Rd Detached $349,900 $349,900 1850 28
340 4th St Attached $399,900 $399,900 1731 2
15677 Fieldstone Dr Detached $546,500 $544,000 2527 69
4763 Hastings Pl Detached $549,000 $560,000 2442 4
735 7th St Detached $969,000 $908,000 2945 125
18187 Siena Dr Detached $978,950 $920,000 3745 508
13050 Knaus Rd Detached $1,395,000 $1,300,000 4821 9

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