There are 15 homes being promoted in the RMLS as Open Houses this Sunday. I will be holding open my condominium listing in Mt. Park: 4447 Golden Lane. I’ll be there from 1 to 4. I’d love to have you stop by.
There are 14 truly NEW properties in Lake Oswego this last week, 6 that went to PENDING status, and 9 that SOLD. Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):
NEWLY LISTED (Nov. 16—Nov.22, 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
8 OSWEGO SMT
$135,000
2
2
1,140
CONDO
11/17/2009
668 MCVEY AVE
$143,550
3
1.1
992
CONDO
11/16/2009
16250 PACIFIC HWY
$179,900
1
1
841
CONDO
11/17/2009
323 CERVANTES
$183,000
2
2
1,265
CONDO
11/20/2009
852 5TH ST
$199,000
2
1
738
DETACHD
11/21/2009
1950 BONNIEBRAE DR
$200,000
2
1.1
1,056
ATTACHD
11/21/2009
65 GREENRIDGE CT
$215,000
2
2
1,314
CONDO
11/22/2009
14580 WILMOT WAY
$374,900
3
2.1
1,699
DETACHD
11/19/2009
19 BECKET ST
$399,995
4
3.1
3,818
DETACHD
11/16/2009
3075 ROYCE WAY
$450,000
4
3.1
3,667
DETACHD
11/16/2009
15085 GLEN EAGLES PL
$529,000
3
2
2,996
DETACHD
11/17/2009
4605 CHELSEA LN
$689,000
4
2.1
3,411
DETACHD
11/22/2009
3103 WEMBLEY PARK RD
$720,000
3
1.1
3,774
DETACHD
11/20/2009
18955 BRYANT RD
$859,000
4
2.1
3,610
DETACHD
11/17/2009
PENDING SALES (Nov. 16 -Nov. 22, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
List Price
# BR
# BTHS
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
1581 BONNIEBRAE DR
$255,000
3
2
1,393
ATTACHD
253
1284 HIDE A WAY LN
$349,900
4
3
1,931
DETACHD
46
3521 LANEWOOD ST
$399,500
3
1.1
1,675
DETACHD
5
875 LEE ST
$439,000
3
2
2,200
DETACHD
192
12430 ORCHARD HILL RD
$599,950
3
2.1
2,985
DETACHD
201
4304 WESTBAY RD
$629,900
4
3.1
2,914
DETACHD
153
SOLD (Nov. 16-Nov. 22, 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
4000 CARMAN DR
$128,900
$120,000
1
1
767
CONDO
38
210 S STATE ST
$199,900
$196,000
2
1
1,284
CONDO
456
17752 SCHALIT WAY
$329,900
$295,000
3
2
1,463
DETACHD
62
805 SW COUNTRY CLUB RD
$279,900
$297,128
3
2
1,981
DETACHD
10
3 MASARYK ST
$499,900
$440,000
4
3
4,283
DETACHD
214
4691 HERITAGE LN
$539,000
$496,000
4
2.1
2,716
DETACHD
324
577 MIDDLECREST RD
$999,900
$872,500
4
2.1
2,000
DETACHD
504
17225 KELOK RD
$1,350,000
$1,350,000
4
3.1
4,161
DETACHD
0
1075 CHANDLER RD
1850000
1712500
5
4.1
5,946
DETACHD
8
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.
Hmmmmmm…. Not to bum you California readers out, but this is a pretty dreary week in Lake Oswego! I so often hear from family and friends in California though, that they really LOVE rain, and I can relate. Nothing better than to curl up with a book (or a laptop) by a fire near a window with a nice view & hear the rain on the roof. Lots of coffee shops prosper here for the same reason.
We have yet to see what the weather is going to look like this winter. I hear that at the recent “weather conference” held here in Lake Oswego, experts were torn over whether we would be having a relatively dry season, or even MORE snow than we had last year…. quite a gap in understanding among experts… (any readers who attended this conference or who would like to chime in are welcome!).
Lake Oswego turns 100!
Well, we are only 99 right now, but Lake Oswego is turning 100 in 2010. Already planning is underway for a “year-long celebration” that will kick off in January with a film at the Lakewood Center giving an overview of the city’s history and unveiling the “Lake Oswego Building Blocks” display; a visual history of 20 of the city’s neighborhoods which will remain on display throughout the year.
There will also be a scavenger hunt that will begin after the kick-off and last thru March (!!!) with clues given each week via he Lake Oswego Review and the city’s official website.
For more info or to get involved, contact Kern-Schilling at 503-675-3983, attend a community meeting at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the West End Building or visit the Web site www.lakeoswego100.com later this month.
City Revisits “Affordable Housing”
There was an interesting article in the Lake Oswego Review about a week ago that highlighted some citizens’ work toward ensuring that in particular seniors, but also lower income families and individuals, have access to affordable housing. Paul Lyons, along with Ralph Tahran have been meeting with City Counselor Roger Hennigan and other interested parties. Mr. Lyons led a discussion at a recent city council meeting. He pointed out that the planning department is undergoing a periodic review of the Comprehensive Plan, and is hopeful that this is a good time to reintroduce this discussion which was sidelined in 2005. Here is a link to the article for anyone interested: Affordable Housing The article has generated lively debate in Lake Oswego.
Market Action Report
It is almost time for the October Market Action Report to be released by RMLS. I think it is interesting to note that there has been a new column added to the Residential Market Highlights and the Area Report called “Total Market Time”. This is an average of the cumulative number of days a property has been truly on the market. This time does not reset unless a property has been off the market for more than 30 days, and this statistic is evidently calculated for listings that sell in the month and year-to-date time periods that apply to any issue of Market Action. You know that Dianne and I have often mentioned the confusion that sometimes results from how “Days on Market” are shown when a property relists but is really not a new listing, and so I am glad to see this change in the Market Action Report which will more accurately reflect a property’s actual time on the market before sale.
The last time I posted our market activity report we had a comment that the numbers seemed pretty balanced, and for the last couple of months I think that has been true. I think that for the most part when houses come onto the market, home sellers are fully aware that they need to be priced right. That has lead to fairly strong sales. Again this week, we had 11 houses come onto the market and 11 houses go pending. The closed sales were just 5, so that is not as strong. But my sense is that the market is moving pretty well as long as prices reflect what a buyer considers to be a good value.
Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):
NEWLY LISTED (Nov 2—Nov.8, 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
4000 CARMAN DR
$145,000
2
2
869
CONDO
11/6/2009
15200 BOONES WAY
$175,000
2
1.1
1,248
CONDO
11/4/2009
3365 UPPER DR
$329,900
2
2
1,378
DETACHD
11/6/2009
505 8TH ST
$389,000
3
1
1,050
DETACHD
11/6/2009
1720 MAPLELEAF RD
$449,000
3
2
1,529
DETACHD
11/5/2009
13448 AUBURN CT
$474,900
3
2.1
2,535
ATTACHD
11/3/2009
4040 VIRGINIA WAY
$524,900
3
2.1
2,623
DETACHD
11/6/2009
33 MORNINGVIEW CIR
$574,900
3
2.1
2,737
DETACHD
11/2/2009
5322 ROSALIA WAY
799999
4
2.1
3,500
DETACHD
11/3/2009
17370 CANYON DR
849900
4
3.1
3,408
DETACHD
11/5/2009
17384 BERGIS FARM DR
1295000
5
4.1
5,012
DETACHD
11/4/2009
PENDING SALES (Nov 2 -Nov. 8, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
List Price
# BR
# BTHS
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
4 TOUCHSTONE CT
$109,900
3
2.1
1,350
CONDO
371
14 POLONIUS ST
$300,000
4
3
2,754
DETACHD
254
161 C AVE
$449,900
2
2.1
1,719
ATTACHD
215
4311 ORCHARD WAY
$544,900
4
2.1
3,082
DETACHD
54
5 GARIBALDI ST
$574,800
4
3.1
3,250
DETACHD
8
4688 CHELSEA LN
$649,900
4
2.1
3,493
DETACHD
9
279 EVERGREEN RD
$674,500
3
3.1
2,136
ATTACHD
129
19463 LORNA LN
$805,000
4
3.1
4,024
DETACHD
21
827 8TH ST
$898,000
5
3.1
3,852
DETACHD
38
577 MIDDLECREST RD
$999,900
4
2.1
2,000
DETACHD
504
753 LAKESHORE RD
$1,385,000
3
3.1
2,562
DETACHD
51
SOLD (Nov 2-Nov. 8, 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
4 TOUCHSTONE
$119,900
$115,000
2
2
984
CONDO
43
15450 SW KIMBALL CT
$299,000
$233,000
4
1.1
1,104
DETACHD
344
5554 ROYAL OAKS DR
$399,885
$385,000
3
2
1,861
DETACHD
2
1531 WOODLAND TER
$414,000
$408,500
3
2.1
1,895
DETACHD
139
4691 CHELSEA LN
$629,900
$530,000
4
2.1
3,102
DETACHD
585
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.
I had a client once who told me about Trick or Treat houses. These were the houses he would take his kids out of the way to Trick or Treat at on Halloween so that he could get a peek inside. There are a couple of houses that are on this week’s list of open houses that may very well be due the honor of being a Trick or Treat house. Obviously the one on Glen Eagles Place. A gorgeous, high-end home that is spectacular. The other one is the one on Childs Road. Linda and I went through it on tour last Tuesday and it is just very unique. It’s an older home so has some features that are not so great if you don’t like the floorplans and limitations of an older house. But what is great about it is that it sits on this lovely lot on the Tualatin River. The main room is huge (it might even be appropriate to call it grand) and has this very large picture window that looks out onto the river. The house is extensively remodeled to today’s standards and is impeccably decorated. And look at the price. $489,900 for all of that on waterfront. Amazing.
I have two things on my mind today: Thanksgiving and how much Linda and I are loving writing the PropertyBblotter. I am thinking about Thanksgiving because it is my favorite holiday and because it has been so incredibly gorgeous the last few days. The air is crisp. The sunshine is bright. It just makes me feel grateful to be alive. And somehow those feelings tie into how I feel about the Property Blotter. We have been writing this blog for 20 months. In that time we have had the pleasure of sharing our passion for real estate and for this wonderful town that we live in. We have also been fortunate to have people contact us to get information, and even to buy and to sell homes. We are grateful for our loyal readers and hope that you are enjoying and learning from what we are able to share.
In that light, today I want to take us back to the roots of the Blotter and remind our readers that the name is completely local to Lake Oswego and references the Police Blotter that is published each Thursday in The Lake Oswego Review, the local newspaper. The Review is widely read in LO, both to see photos and hear about our neighbors, and also to get a good chuckle over the varied activities of our local law enforcement. Let’s face it, while LO is not immune to crime, there is quite a bit of time when the good men and women of our police department deal with some pretty funny stuff. So the Police Blotter is in some ways a form of entertainment. I thought I’d take time today to share a bit of the Property Blotter’s namesake. Here, for your reading enjoyment, are actual police activities that were published in the LO Review from a two week period in late September. Enjoy.
9/14/09 1:47 pm A man fell down while walking on a broken sidewalk on Boones Ferry Rd.
9/14/09 4:10 pm An elderly man acted confused at a pizza restaurant.
9/15/09 12:54 pm Police saved a man from being stranded on his roof after his ladder fell down while he was working on it. The ladder was replaced and the man came down.
9/15/09 1:39 pm A caged leopard was observed in a vehicle traveling down Highway 43.
9/15/09 4:47 pm An old lady has been throwing plums at her neighbor.
9/15/09 5 pm An injured pheasant was caught on the side of the road by officers and taken to the Audobon Society.
9/16/09 1:44 pm A woman complained that her neighbor’s garage sale had been going on for far too long.
9/17/09 8:58 pm A short, heavy, suspicious man was advised to leave a super market after he was observed leaning against a wall.
9/18/09 7:48 pm After leaving his scooter on a dock, a man returned to find that it was missing. It turned out the scooter had been thrown into the water by a mentally challenged boy, whose father agreed to pay for a new scooter.
9/19/09 8:41 am A racoon found injured in the middle of the road was taken to a Lake Grove veterinarian.
9/19/09 6:23 pm A person dropped a glass on Lakeview Boulevard, then got out and tried to pick it up.
9/21/09 9:09 am A man in a van has been parking behind a church and sleeping. Church officials hope he will wake up and leave.
9/22/09 1:38 pm A large swarm of yellow jackets was seen a Maple Circle. A beekeeper was notified to respond.
9/24/09 2:16 am A dog cornered a raccoon in a backyard.
9/24/09 7:28 pm A man’s 10-year-old son was screaming about not being able to get on a computer.
9/25/09 11:35 am A dark blue Jeep Liberty was seen driving over yellow lines and onto the sidewalk on Boones Ferry Road. An alternative driver was located to drive the car.
9/25/09 5:03 pm A 15-year-old boy reported a man in an Alden Utilities vest riding a bicycle through his yard. Turns out Alden Utilities is taking a pole inventory.
9/25/09 8:40 pm A suspicious man was going door to door on Albert Circle claiming to be the Kirby Vacuum guy.
9/26/09 1:54 pm A back pack with drug paraphernalia was reportedly found at Our Lady of the Lake. Officers determined the contents were just garbage and disposed of them.
9/26/09 2:41 pm A dead squirrel was removed from Lake Grove Avenue.
9/26/09 10:13 pm A complaint was filed on a loud party at Country Woods Court and Quarry Road. Partiers shut the garage door and turned the music down.
9/26/09 11:59 pm The partying continued on Country Woods Court. Homeowners were warned of a citiation.
We may be just 15 minutes from downtown Portland, but reading the LO Review’s Police Blotter really puts into perspective that LO has the personality of a small town. Our police department has a 100% personal response policy. When you call the police, for whatever issue no matter how small or how large, you will get a police officer who will personally respond. And then the next week, you will see it in the Lake Oswego Review. I love it.
Wow. This is some kind of a record for the Blotter. There were 14 New properties that came on the market, and nearly all of them were truly fresh listings. The only one that would not necessarily be something I would categorize as “New”, being as it was not off the market for at minimum 30 days, is the Sherbrook property, but I included it as it went to bank-owned status and that is a significant change. There were 6 that went to Pending status, and a whopping 22 that Sold in Lake Oswego last week according to RMLS.
Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):
NEWLY LISTED (Oct. 26—Nov.1, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address
List Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
List Date
72 CERVANTES CIR
$125,000
2
1.1
912
CONDO
10/29/2009
172 OSWEGO SUMMIT
$179,950
2
2
1,383
CONDO
10/29/2009
210 Durham ST
$199,900
3
1.1
1,318
CONDO
10/29/2009
28 WHEATHERSTONE
$230,000
3
2.1
1,692
CONDO
10/27/2009
5686 WASHINGTON CT
$275,000
2
2
1,160
DETACHD
10/30/2009
14431 SHERBROOK PL
$299,900
4
3
3,284
DETACHD
10/30/2009
1601 GREENTREE RD
$340,100
3
2.1
2,444
DETACHD
10/28/2009
2697 LOOKOUT CT
$450,000
3
2
2,419
DETACHD
10/31/2009
252 NORTHSHORE RD
$459,000
3
1
2,280
DETACHD
10/28/2009
5 GARIBALDI ST
$574,800
4
3.1
3,250
DETACHD
10/26/2009
4703 CAMBRIDGE CT
$579,000
2
2.1
2,914
ATTACHD
11/1/2009
17879 HILLSIDE DR
$599,900
3
3
3,049
DETACHD
10/26/2009
4688 CHELSEA LN
$649,900
4
2.1
3,493
DETACHD
10/26/2009
744 9TH ST
$1,275,000
4
3.1
4,255
DETACHD
10/27/2009
PENDING SALES (Oct. 26 -Nov. 1, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
List Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
5958 KENNYCROFT WAY
$224,900
3
2.1
1,450
DETACHD
63
16018 WALUGA DR
$415,000
4
2
2,200
DETACHD
9
6 BECKET ST
$425,000
3
2.1
2,767
DETACHD
380
135 FURNACE ST
$709,900
2
2.1
1,927
CONDO
97
19422 LORNA LN
$805,000
5
3.1
4,011
DETACHD
14
18414 Old River Landing
$2,588,000
4
4.2
6,498
DETACHD
499
SOLD (Oct. 26-Nov. 1, 2009)
ADDRESS
ORIG. PRICE
SALE PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
O/Price
Close Price
# Beds
# Baths
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
32 OSWEGO SMT
$149,900
$123,670
1
1
752
CONDO
497
86 KINGSGATE RD
$125,900
$130,900
2
2
849
CONDO
38
578 S STATE
$160,000
$145,000
2
1
914
CONDO
343
3814 BOTTICELLI ST
$154,000
$151,000
2
2
1,055
ATTACHD
35
48 EAGLE CREST DR
$175,000
$160,000
2
2
1,443
CONDO
108
16651 LAKE FOREST BLVD
$239,900
$226,500
3
1
1,230
DETACHD
34
4105 DOUGLAS WAY
$384,900
$255,000
7
2.1
2,856
DETACHD
501
2961 DELLWOOD DR
$350,000
$350,000
3
3
2,476
DETACHD
192
1625 CLOVERLEAF RD
$364,900
$359,900
3
2
1,996
DETACHD
15
534 D AVE
$379,900
$379,900
3
2
1,400
DETACHD
62
2161 CREST DR
$417,500
$381,500
4
2.1
2,648
DETACHD
73
2851 PARK RD
$429,950
$385,000
4
2.1
2,674
DETACHD
137
41 HILLSHIRE DR
$427,000
$400,000
4
3
2,670
DETACHD
437
3 CELLINI CT
$465,000
$405,000
4
2.1
2,531
DETACHD
240
14666 UPLANDS DR
$595,000
$470,530
3
2.1
2,568
DETACHD
114
2330 DELLWOOD DR
$495,000
$478,500
5
3.1
3,468
DETACHD
4
400 LAKE BAY CT
$579,900
$502,000
3
2.1
1,680
DETACHD
198
13175 THOMA RD
$579,900
$559,000
3
2
1,920
DETACHD
8
570 7TH ST
$675,000
$625,000
3
2.1
2,528
DETACHD
265
13531 FIELDING RD
$849,000
$645,000
4
3.1
4,629
DETACHD
463
2600 DELLWOOD DR
$875,000
$699,000
4
3
3,690
DETACHD
486
243 10TH ST
$2,495,000
$1,860,000
5
4.2
5,644
DETACHD
434
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.
Last week brought 19 new listings onto the market, 13 pending sales, and 9 closed sales. This week I noticed four really interesting new listings. As you know, Linda and I weed out the “new” listings that are simply old listings with new listing numbers. So each week we research the market history to report on properties that really are new on the market. This week there are several new listings that were pulled off the market months ago and are now being re-listed at drastically reduced prices. I’m not talking about a minor price reduction, I’m talking about slashing the price. In two cases the houses are now on the market as bank foreclosures, and in two cases it looks to me like home owners who are saying “What’s it going to take to get my house sold?” Here are the reductions: 18064 Jenifers Way, reduced $150,000; 2000 Wembly Park, reduced $325,000; 702 Terrace, reduced $420,000; and 830 Cabana, reduced $727,000. These are incredible price reductions and represent real investment opportunities.
Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):
NEWLY LISTED (Oct. 19—Oct.25, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address
Close Price
List Price
# BR
# BTHS
Total SF
Prop Type
List Date
47 EAGLE CREST DR
$148,000
3
1
1,024
CONDO
10/19/2009
16790 LAKE FOREST BLVD
$179,000
2
1
780
DETACHD
10/25/2009
16535 ROOSEVELT AVE
$259,000
3
2
1,495
DETACHD
10/19/2009
5225 JEAN RD
$259,900
2
2
1,400
CONDO
10/23/2009
16546 BONAIRE AVE
$274,900
3
1
1,064
DETACHD
10/19/2009
14300 SHERBROOK PL
$354,500
3
2.1
1,924
DETACHD
10/22/2009
17755 HILL WAY
$364,900
4
3
1,831
DETACHD
10/22/2009
16018 WALUGA DR
$415,000
4
2
2,200
DETACHD
10/20/2009
3402 LAKE GROVE AVE
442000
3
2
1,686
DETACHD
10/25/2009
702 TERRACE DR
475000
3
3
3,429
DETACHD
10/23/2009
209 HIDALGO ST
498000
4
2.1
2,620
DETACHD
10/21/2009
17670 MARYLBROOK DR
499000
3
2.1
3,067
DETACHD
10/22/2009
2000 WEMBLEY PARK RD
540000
4
3
2,660
DETACHD
10/21/2009
18064 JENIFERS WAY
599000
3
2.1
2,859
DETACHD
10/23/2009
830 CABANA LN
668250
4
3.1
3,029
DETACHD
10/20/2009
13278 ROGERS RD
695000
3
2.1
2,964
DETACHD
10/19/2009
13315 HIDDEN BAY CT
729000
5
2.1
3,671
DETACHD
10/23/2009
548 RIDGEWAY RD
1195000
4
3
2,830
DETACHD
10/19/2009
1626 ENGLEWOOD DR
1750000
4
2.2
5,690
DETACHD
10/19/2009
PENDING SALES (Oct. 19 -Oct. 25, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
List Price
# BR
# BTHS
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
4 TOUCHSTONE
$119,900
2
2
984
CONDO
43
3930 LAKE GROVE AVE
$144,900
2
1
952
CONDO
28
73 OSWEGO SMT
$159,900
2
2
1,212
CONDO
440
4948 SW MEADOWS AVE
$229,000
3
2
2,491
DETACHD
122
3497 DEVONSHIRE DR
$259,900
3
2
1,556
ATTACHD
145
5347 RED LEAF ST
$329,000
3
2
1,456
DETACHD
14
5096 SW TREE ST
$334,900
3
1.1
1,410
DETACHD
462
17366 CARDINAL DR
$425,000
4
2.1
2,107
DETACHD
56
13584 TWIN CREEK LN
$449,900
4
2.1
2,615
DETACHD
2
410 LAUREL ST
$464,500
4
2.1
2,064
DETACHD
138
13175 THOMA RD
$579,900
3
2
1,920
DETACHD
8
19463 LORNA LN
$805,000
4
3.1
4,024
DETACHD
6
13083 SW KNAUS RD
$2,295,000
5
4.1
4,900
DETACHD
598
SOLD (Oct. 19-Oct. 25, 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
340 CERVANTES CIR
$120,000
$105,000
2
1.1
912
CONDO
122
15230 BOONES WAY
$164,900
$158,500
2
2
1,185
CONDO
77
195 OSWEGO SMT
$279,900
$183,700
2
2
1,506
CONDO
343
5 PEACOCK PL
$330,000
$289,500
4
2.1
1,760
DETACHD
169
17860 Sundown CT
$499,900
$320,000
4
3.1
3,480
DETACHD
136
14141 GOODALL RD
$359,900
$375,000
3
2.1
1,754
DETACHD
91
19 TOUCHSTONE
$415,000
$390,000
4
3
2,789
DETACHD
107
5329 Langford LN
$725,000
$719,000
3
2.1
2,962
DETACHD
302
1708 VILLAGE PARK LN
899000
889000
4
2.1
3,211
DETACHD
13
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.
Along with the gorgeous fall color, October brings property tax statements. If you live in Oregon, you will be receiving your statement in the mail in the next week or so. Property taxes are pretty misunderstood, and not because people are dumb. The simple fact is that they are confusing. I am going to take a shot at explaining them and clearing up some basic issues.
The tax year runs from July 1st to June 30th, but you receive your tax statement in October for payment on November 15th. No wonder people are confused! Not only does the tax year not correspond with the calendar year, but you get your statement at a completely odd time as well. (Is this some sort of a conspiracy?) So when you pay your taxes in November you are paying in arrears back to July 1 and ahead to June 30. You can pay your taxes in one lump sum and receive a discount, or you can pay it in thirds with the final third due in May.
Don’t fall behind in your property taxes. The tax assessor is the only entity that can step ahead of your mortgage lender in lien position. This means that if you fall behind, the county can actually foreclosure on your home even if you are current on your mortgage. This is why mortgage companies pay attention to whether or not your property taxes are paid and will be all over you if you let them slide. I recommend to all first-time buyers, and to buyers who are not yet financially seasoned homeowners, that they arrange for their taxes to be paid as a part of their house payment. This builds a reserve account that is built up all year so that when November rolls around the full year’s tax bill is on hand, and the taxes are paid on your behalf by your mortgage company. It makes paying your taxes quite automatic.
Yes, your property taxes will probably go up this year even though your house value has likely gone down. Right now, this is the most confusing issue about property taxes and is getting a lot of play in the media. This is happening because of the restriction that was placed onto annual tax increases in the mid-1990’s. At that time house values were going up quickly and property taxes were going up at the same pace. This was creating financial hardship because people’s incomes were not keeping pace. A ballot measure was passed that restricted annual tax increases to not more than 3% per year plus any bond measures passed through public vote. Bond measures are those ballot measures that supply funding to build libraries, schools, zoos, etc. Lots of bond measures have been passed in the last 15 years, including an $80,000,000 bond measure that re-built the two High Schools here in Lake Oswego.
When you receive your tax bill you will see two values: tax assessed and market. The tax assessed value has increased under restrictions for the last 15 years. These restrictions have kept the increase to about 3-6% per year. At the same time the real market value has increased at the rate of the actual market and there were many years with 10-15% appreciation. You will not see any decrease in property taxes until or unless the market value falls below the tax assessed value. And because the market value so far out-paced the tax assessed value, they are still pretty wide apart. And that is why your property taxes will likely be going up this year.
It’s good to know that buying or selling a home does not trigger a tax increase. The tax assessed value goes with the house to the new home owner. So the new sale at a value that is much higher than the tax assessed value will not have an impact on the annual property taxes. (Other than becoming a part of general statistics used in the tax assessor’s office to track valuations). There are, however, two things that can trigger higher taxes. I have already mentioned publicly voted bond measures that pass. These have no dollar limitations. It is completely at the discretion of the voters. The second is major remodeling. This is not the sort of remodeling where you re-do the kitchen or put up a fence in the yard. (I am providing general information here. What the tax assessor uses to trigger a tax increase because of remodeling is at his/her discretion, and not mine ) This is the sort of remodeling where you add square footage to the house, or gut a house and re-build it from the studs out. This will bring in lots of building permits and the tax assessor will be right in there to see how it affects the value. A total remodel can trigger tax assessments that make the home virtually a new house.
The taxation process is political. And that means it was built from problems that needed to be solved and a solution that was from compromises. So it’s not perfect. The biggest area that I see as imbalanced is that the basis for the 3% annual increase happened in the mid-1990’s. Older homes that had lower market values 15 years ago continue to benefit from those values. And homes that were newer or in expensive neighborhoods continue to have taxes that are higher in comparison. Having said that, it is my experience that on average taxes in Lake Oswego/Clackamas County still remain lower than taxes in Multnomah County (Portland), and there is no transfer tax like you find in Washington County (Beaverton/Tigard).
Without going on and on on this topic (because that would be pretty easy to do), I hope this explanation is helpful to you as you receive your tax statement in the coming weeks. And if you are re-locating to the area, I hope it helps you to understand what to expect.
Last week brought us 14 new listings, 7 pending sales, and 13 closed sales.
Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):
NEWLY LISTED (Oct. 5—Oct.11, 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
99 OSWEGO SMT
$144,900
2
0.1
1,116
CONDO
10/7/2009
36 OSWEGO SMT
$179,900
2
2
1,140
CONDO
10/11/2009
550 S STATE ST
$210,000
2
1
920
CONDO
10/7/2009
7 PEACOCK PL
$289,950
3
2.1
1,400
DETACHD
10/8/2009
1284 HIDE A WAY LN
$369,900
4
3
1,931
DETACHD
10/5/2009
461 COUNTRY CLUB RD
$395,000
2
1
1,498
DETACHD
10/5/2009
1640 WORTHINGTON ST
$398,000
4
3
2,394
DETACHD
10/8/2009
119 3RD ST
$429,900
3
2
1,204
CONDO
10/11/2009
6666 CHILDS RD
489900
3
1
2,034
DETACHD
10/5/2009
1575 IVY CT
515000
4
3
2,432
DETACHD
10/10/2009
275 EVERGREEN RD
600000
3
3.1
1,731
ATTACHD
10/6/2009
13888 SHIREVA DR
650000
5
3
3,756
DETACHD
10/7/2009
540 C AVE
849000
3
3.1
3,539
ATTACHD
10/9/2009
13100 BOONES FERRY RD
950000
3
2.1
3,210
DETACHD
10/9/2009
PENDING SALES (Oct. 5 -Oct. 11, 2009)
ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address
Close Price
List Price
# BR
# BTHS
Total SF
Prop Type
CDOM
7202 SW MONTAUK CIR
$99,000
2
1
968
CONDO
74
578 S STATE
$149,900
2
1
914
CONDO
343
4105 DOUGLAS WAY
$266,000
7
2.1
2,856
DETACHD
501
3480 DEVONSHIRE DR
$272,500
2
2.1
1,649
ATTACHD
112
4330 COUNTRY WOODS CT
$280,000
3
1
1,200
DETACHD
86
18179 SW PILKINGTON RD
$299,900
3
2
1,300
DETACHD
5
17518 REDFERN AVE
$449,500
3
2
1,831
DETACHD
459
SOLD (Oct 5.-Oct. 11, 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
668 MCVEY AVE
$179,850
$145,000
2
1.1
976
CONDO
1022
15868 PARKER RD
$187,500
$150,000
2
1
780
DETACHD
168
166 OSWEGO SMT
$229,900
$199,000
2
2
1,506
CONDO
180
3290 WEMBLEY PARK RD
$309,900
$282,000
5
3
2,614
DETACHD
29
45 TANGLEWOOD DR
$399,999
$305,550
5
3.1
3,166
DETACHD
165
5037 CENTERWOOD ST
$379,000
$330,000
3
1.1
1,340
DETACHD
98
16953 KARA LN
$409,900
$415,000
4
2.1
2,614
DETACHD
10
17473 REDFERN AVE
$719,950
$575,000
4
2.1
3,052
DETACHD
105
7 CELLINI CT
659000
644000
5
3.1
3,560
DETACHD
10
1670 VILLAGE PARK LN
779000
759500
4
2.1
3,466
DETACHD
53
5250 DAWN AVE
1095900
840000
4
3.1
4,333
DETACHD
836
1755 SOUTHSHORE BLVD
949000
850000
5
3.1
4,757
DETACHD
104
785 7TH ST
1290000
1100000
4
3.1
4,043
DETACHD
1327
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.
I have two things on my mind today: Thanksgiving and how much Linda and I are loving writing the PropertyBblotter. I am thinking about Thanksgiving because it is my favorite holiday and because it has been so incredibly gorgeous the last few days. The air is crisp. The sunshine is bright. It just makes me feel grateful to be alive. And somehow those feelings tie into how I feel about the Property Blotter. We have been writing this blog for 20 months. In that time we have had the pleasure of sharing our passion for real estate and for this wonderful town that we live in. We have also been fortunate to have people contact us to get information, and even to buy and to sell homes. We are grateful for our loyal readers and hope that you are enjoying and learning from what we are able to share.
The tax year runs from July 1st to June 30th, but you receive your tax statement in October for payment on November 15th. No wonder people are confused! Not only does the tax year not correspond with the calendar year, but you get your statement at a completely odd time as well. (Is this some sort of a conspiracy?) So when you pay your taxes in November you are paying in arrears back to July 1 and ahead to June 30. You can pay your taxes in one lump sum and receive a discount, or you can pay it in thirds with the final third due in May.
Yes, your property taxes will probably go up this year even though your house value has likely gone down. Right now, this is the most confusing issue about property taxes and is getting a lot of play in the media. This is happening because of the restriction that was placed onto annual tax increases in the mid-1990’s. At that time house values were going up quickly and property taxes were going up at the same pace. This was creating financial hardship because people’s incomes were not keeping pace. A ballot measure was passed that restricted annual tax increases to not more than 3% per year plus any bond measures passed through public vote. Bond measures are those ballot measures that supply funding to build libraries, schools, zoos, etc. Lots of bond measures have been passed in the last 15 years, including an $80,000,000 bond measure that re-built the two High Schools here in Lake Oswego.