Tag: real estate

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Market Activity 11/26-12/2/12

Last week there were 9 New on the market, 11 Pending and 19 Sold:

See below for further details on last week’s Market Activity:

NEWLY LISTED (Nov 26-Dec 2, 2012)

Address Type Price BR Bths SF
5059 Foothills Dr F Condo $165,000 2 2 997
1237 Hallinan Circle Detached $269,900 4 2 1284
1288 Rockinghorse Ln Detached $382,500 3 2 1742
17002 Crestview Dr Detached $395,000 3 2.5 2163
4102 Chad Dr Detached $672,000 4 2.5 3054
837 6th St Detached $735,000 4 2.5 2420
13070 Fielding Rd Detached $1,295,000 2 1 828
18137 Meadowlark Ln Detached $1,350,000 4 4.5 5935
17900 Crestline Dr Detached $1,699,000 5 3.5 4738

PENDING SALES (Nov 26- Dec 2,2012 2012)

Address Type Price BR Baths SF DOM
4450 Thunder Vista Ln Condo $145,000 2 2.5 2040 148
3787 Lanewood St Detached $245,000 3 2 1300 214
4270 Oakridge Rd Detached $275,000 2 1 978 143
36 Nova Ct Detached $360,000 4 2.5 2256 20
2550 Greentree Rd Detached $404,900 4 3 2852 50
3838 Rivers Edge Dr Detached $498,900 4 2.5 2806 57
5193 Denton Dr Detached $635,000 4 2.5 3076 114
1 Dover Way Detached $799,000 4 3 3559 32
8 Dover Way Detached $975,000 6 4.5+.5 6244 89
18202 Bella Terra Dr Detached $994,900 4 3.5 3863 454
2092 Summit Dr Detached $1,295,000 4 4.5 4441 289

SOLD (Nov 26- Dec 2,2012)

Address Type List Price Closed Price Sq Ft CDOM
350 Cervantes Circle 1-E Condo $114,500 $105,000 912 24
4000 Carman Dr #107 Condo $159,900 $110,000 1032 229
167 Oswego Summit Condo $147,000 $147,000 1506 $15
5225 Jean Rd #313 Condo $159,900 $153,500 1200 10
213 Oswego Summit #213 Condo $185,000 $160,000 1383 105
18350 Tualata Ave Detached $234,900 $200,000 996 70
18055 Central Ave Detached $191,565 $248,100 1202 10
4765 Firwood Rd Detached $300,000 $283,000 1728 51
12510 SW 27th Pl Detached $349,900 $325,000 2484 168
1690 Fircrest Ct Detached $429,900 $405,000 2718 48
18140 Pioneer Ct Detached $430,000 $415,000 2537 167
29 Spinosa Detached $549,999 $475,000 3254 789
5677 Bonita Rd Detached $600,000 $500,000 3603 265
19313 Riverwood Ln 2west Detached $620,201 $620,201 3367 0
1918 Indian Trail Detached $695,000 $650,000 3090 215
1799 Atherton Dr Detached $699,900 $725,000 6280 18
17680 Blue Heron Dr Detached $800,000 $725,000 3070 85
750 Terrace Dr Detached $899,000 $850,000 3569 106
2805 Southshore Blvd Detached $899,000 $855,000 2619 106

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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LO Open Houses for 12/2/12

Eleven houses are currently scheduled to be held open this Sunday. Enjoy!

Address Type Price BR Baths Open
668 McVey Ave #44 Attached $104,900 1 1 2 to 4
4231 Woodside Circle Attached $274,500 3 2 1 to 3
16909 Tracy Ave Detached $279,950 4 2 1 to 3
5324 Lower Dr Detached $345,000 3 2.5 2 to 4
17970 Saint Clair Dr Detached $449,000 4 3 1 to 4
1429 Greentree Circle Detached $459,500 4 2.5 1 to 3
4890 Sage Hen Circle Detached $499,900 4 2.5 1 to 3
17802 Treetop Ln Detached $529,000 4 3.5 2 to 4
18096 Pilkington Rd Detached $625,000 3 2.5 1 to 3
1015 Southshore Blvd Detached $638,500 4 3 2 to 4
135 Middlecrest Rd Detached $699,900 3 2.5 1 to 3
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Formaldehyde

Over the years the ability of a buyer to do a thorough home inspection has vastly improved. Today I regularly recommend that along with a full house inspection, buyers also pay for a sewer scope (sending a camera down the sewer line to inspect for breaks and tree roots) and radon testing (we find it about 30% of the time). Now a new issue has come onto my radar: formaldehyde.

To be honest with you, before writing this post, I did not have a clue what it is. And, also being honest with you, I’m not sure that I completely understand it now. But I do know that it feels like the sort of issue that will become something that I need to have knowledge about so that I can discuss it with the buyers that I represent. So I am working to learn what I can. It’s pretty interesting stuff.

Formaldehyde exists naturally in our environment. It is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. So, just like radon, we are all breathing it as we go through our day.

It is also man made. It is widely used in the manufacturing of so many products that to try to list them here would be unrealistic. To get a grasp of the magnitude of how much of it is used, consider that in 2003 it accounted for $145 billion in our economy, or 1.2% of our GDP. It is widely used in the products that are commonly used in the construction of houses. It is found in glues that are used to install carpets. It’s found in paint. It is a primary component of plywood, particle board, and fiber board.

It is measured in ppm (parts per million). Apparently it has a distinct odor that can begin to be smelled at .05 ppm. At .10 ppm it will begin to irritate your eyes and throat. While I did not find anyone making the firm claim that it is a carcinogen, I did find several sources, including the EPA dating back to 1987, calling it a “probable” carcinogen. It seems pretty clear that it’s not a good thing to be breathing this stuff for long periods of time or in heavy doses.

So what can you do?

First, an interesting tidbit. The products in construction of a home give off more Formaldehyde when the home is brand new. An EPA study found that a brand new house gives off .076 ppm on day one. But by day 30 that amount drops to .045 ppm. Also, heat and humidity contribute to the “off gassing” of formaldehyde. For every 10 degrees of temperature increase, the formaldehyde “off gassing” doubles. So perhaps moving into a new home after 30 days, and then keeping the house cool in the summer and not too overly heated in the winter, would be something to take into consideration.

You can also find a builder who uses “exterior grade” pressed wood products that are made with phenol instead of urea resin. It would also make sense, if you can afford it, to splurge on cabinets and flooring made with real wood.

Some good news is that our Federal government passed a law July 7, 2010 that requires that the use of formaldehyde in plywood, particle board and fiberboard not have emissions greater than .09 ppm. This law goes into affect January 1, 2013.

So how do you know if formaldehyde is a problem? Like I said, this issue isn’t really on people’s radar just yet. None of the well-known environmental companies in the area are offering formaldehyde testing. I did find one company, a company I have never used so will not promote, that is offering this test for about $200. I also found several websites that sell test kits for about $100. I’ll let you do your own google search to find them.

In some ways it bothers me that we have now found something else to worry about. But you are going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a house, and then spend years of your time inside of it, it just seems like it’s smart to figure out what is good and not good about it. Because testing is not yet easy to obtain, it likely isn’t going to be commonly done at this point. But I predict it will come into common use as people’s awareness grows.

How do you fix it if you find it? That can be expensive if you are talking about replacing plywood and particle board. I imagine there may be products that can be painted onto surfaces to seal them. Again, this is a new area for me. If the demand is there on behalf of consumers, there is bound to be an industry that rises to meet the demand. I’d be interested in learning of any solutions that you may know of.

In the interest of full disclosure, here are my sources for this information:
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formaldehyde
www.prohousedr.com/formfact.com
www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/formaldehyde/index.html

Thanks for reading,
Dianne

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Market Activity ~ Nov. 19-25, 2012

The chilly air and even Thankgiving Weekend aren’t stopping real estate activity in Lake Oswego! It is a myth that real estate does not sell in the winter. Though there were not many houses on tour Sunday, I had tons of traffic through my Devon Lane listing & our phones are ringing, as they do every holiday season. As the report shows, we have our usual winter slowing, but activity is steady. There are some really great homes out there, and people are on the hunt!

Last week there were 6 New on the market, 12 Pending and 9 Sold:

See below for further details on last week’s Market Activity:

NEWLY LISTED (Nov 19-25, 2012)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
3190 DUNCAN DR $324,900 3 2.1 2401 DETACHD
5324 LOWER DR $345,000 3 2.1 2034 DETACHD
1830 CLOVERLEAF RD $355,000 3 2 1795 DETACHD
17065 Tualatin ST $578,950 3 2.1 2733 DETACHD
17614 BLUE HERON RD $889,000 4 3 3150 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Nov 19-25,2012 2012)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
16006 KIMBALL ST $179,000 2 1 500 RES-MFG 27
16060 INVERURIE RD $225,000 3 2 1458 DETACHD 19
18444 TUALATA AVE $259,000 3 2 1192 DETACHD 206
5099 GALEN ST $269,900 4 2.1 2246 DETACHD 60
668 McVey #72 $274,900 3 1.1 1184 CONDO 76
36 AQUINAS ST $324,900 3 2 1606 DETACHD 66
18238 TERRY AVE $359,000 3 2.1 1570 DETACHD 43
17423 OAK MEADOW LN $425,000 3 2.1 3125 DETACHD 141
15840 FIR GROVE CT $449,900 4 2.1 2666 DETACHD 109
14003 CHELSEA DR $550,000 4 2.1 3270 DETACHD 248
1864 CAMPUS WAY $668,999 5 4 4142 DETACHD 2
1943 INDIAN TRAIL $799,000 3 2.1 2960 DETACHD 6

SOLD (Nov 19-25,2012)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
4000 CARMAN DR #39 $104,500 $98,000 2 2 866 CONDO 210
19163 TERRY AVE $409,000 $367,500 4 2 2149 DETACHD 69
14 MONTICELLO DR $374,900 $369,900 3 2 2766 DETACHD 1177
16439 LEXINGTON CT $464,900 $440,000 2 2 1563 DETACHD 99
16855 FERNWOOD DR $449,900 $445,000 3 3 2735 DETACHD 86
17975 RIDGE LAKE DR $497,900 $461,000 4 2.1 2727 DETACHD 15
1010 HOODVIEW LN $599,000 $575,000 4 3 3001 DETACHD 195
1033 NORTHSHORE RD $819,000 $757,500 3 2 2976 DETACHD 172
2180 PRESTWICK RD $1,200,000 $1,000,000 3 1.1 2391 DETACHD 87

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 ~ Nov 25, 2012

On this Thanksgiving Weekend there are TWO houses being held Open according to RMLS.
One is a listing of mine on Devon Lane. Stop by and say Hi! We have afternoon clearing predicted, so Mt. Hood and Mt Adams… not to mention the entire valley will be on display : )

Address L/Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Style Time
3190 DUNCAN DR $324,900 3 2.1 2401 DETACHD 1-3PM
979 DEVON LN $397,000 4 3.1 2162 DETACHD 1-4PM
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Our Thanksgiving Wishes

Dianne and I want to take a moment to thank all of our loyal Property Blotter readers and clients for the confidence and support for our work that you’ve shown through the years. On a day like today, we are humbled and grateful for so many things, and YOU rank high on the list : )

Sometimes I go on and get all sappy with you on Thanksgiving (that’s just me…. I get emotional when I think of all the things I have to be grateful for!), but this year I’m going to let someone else pull the heartstrings. I’m attachiing a photo and poem from my friend and poet, Sean Reynolds:

I wish you all;
Pale hills under a yellow moon
amber leaves on dark green lawns
a welcomed chill in the morning air
cartoon balloons and sweet potatoes
with little marshmallows and football
…
and family and children’s fingers adorned
with olives and naps on the sofa after
wine and pie and laughter—sr

May each of you experience a day of Peace, Abundance, and Love.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Linda & Dianne

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Market Activity Nov 12-18, 2012

Last week in Lake Oswego there were 6 New Listings, 16 Pending Sales, and 9 Closed Sales.
See below for further details on last week’s Market Activity:

NEWLY LISTED (Nov 12-18, 2012)

Address Type Price BR Bths SF
34 Cervantes Circle 4-F Condo $119,500 2 1.5 912
36 Nova Ct Detached $360,000 4 2.5 2256
567 2nd St #302 Condo $555,000 2 2 1459
524 Weidman Ct Detached $669,000 4 2.5 3450
5501 Rachel Ln Detached $749,888 4 2.5+.5 3509
1943 Indian Trail Detached $799,000 3 2.5 2960

PENDING SALES (Nov 12-18,2012 2012)

Address Type Price BR Baths SF DOM
55 Oswego Summit Condo $64,000 1 1 721 188
4 Touchstone #113 Condo $94,900 2 2 1000 5
400 Carman Dr #107 Condo $119,900 2 2 1032 229
4 Touchstone #116 Condo $150,000 3 2.5 1351 39
6207 Harrington Ave Detached $199,900 3 1 960 3
18807 Kristi Way Detached $269,900 3 1.5 1256 6
1180 Hallinan Circle Detached $325,000 3 2 1590 0
4328 Galewood St Detached $359,000 3 2.5 1781 5
39 Nova Ct Detached $399,900 4 2.5 2590 6
17357 Oak Meadow Ln Detached $499,000 4 2.5 3274 160
4972 Hampton Ct Detached $529,000 5 3.5 3780 68
4994 Hartford Pl Detached $539,000 5 2.5 3325 107
17087 Tualatin St Detached $564,950 4 2.5 2622 11
1455 Timberline Dr Detached $659,900 4 3 3554 336
1918 Indian Trail Detached $695,000 3 3 3090 215
1644 Lake Front Rd Detached $999,900 4 4 3840 301

SOLD (Nov 12-18,2012)

Address Type List Price Closed Price Sq Ft CDOM
364 Cervantes Circle 14-D Condo $119,000 $118,500 832 41
64 Touchstone Detached Auction $306,600 3197 92
15144 Boones Way Detached $319,900 $315,000 2330 11
663 Carrera Ln Detached $459,000 $355,000 2197 68
14353 Holly Springs Rd Condo $425,000 $378,000 2238 14
70 Touchstone Detached $448,000 $390,000 3,080 397
4909 Mulholland Dr Attached $430,000 $411,000 2403 55
1475 Skyland Dr Detached $1,098,000 $910,000 3695 543
13900 Goodall Rd Detached $1,200,000 $1,025,000 4282 178

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 11/18/12

This coming Sunday will have 11 open houses in Lake Oswego. Kudos to the Realtors who do open houses during the busy holiday season. Please take the time to go and visit any and all of these fine homes.

Address Type Price BR Baths Open
16909 Tracy Ave Detached $279,950 4 2 1 to 3
36 Aquinas St Detached $324,900 3 2 1 to 3
4328 Galewood St Detached $359,000 3 2.5 1 to 3
3290 Wembley Park Rd Detached $359,900 5 3 1 to 3
36 Nova Ct Detached $360,000 4 2.5 1 to 3
4890 Sage Hen Circle Detached $499,900 4 2.5 2 to 3
15655 Fieldstone Dr Detached $589,500 4 2.5 12 to 3
18096 Pilkington Rd Detached $625,000 3 2.5 1 to 3
1015 Southshore Blvd Detached $638,500 4 3 2 to 4
720 Maple St Detached $689,000 3 2.5 1 to 3
18202 Bella Terra Dr Detached $994,900 4 3.5 1 to 3
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Home Warranties 101

It has become common practice for both buyers and sellers to want a home warranty included in the sale of a home. It can be paid for by either because it is negotiable. Why are they popular? Because even with a good home inspection and full seller disclosure, problems can pop up after the buyer moves in. The warranty helps smooth the buyer through these issues during the first year of ownership.

What does a warranty usually cover? Warranties generally cover the mechanical functions of the house, but not the structure. So it covers the water heater, the plumbing, the electricals, etc. It does not cover the structure which is the roof, walls, windows, and foundation. Think of it like this, if it moves or affects temperature, it is probably covered. Most plans do not include the washer, dryer, refrigerator, or air conditioning, but for an additional cost, these items can be added to the policy. You can even add things like swimming pools and hot tubs.

How long do they last? Home warranties begin the day of closing and last for one year. At the end of the year, most warranties will offer the home owner an extension if they wish to purchase it.

Can I chooses the contractor to do the work? No, the warranty company contracts locally with service providers. If you need to make a claim, you call a 1-800 phone number to place a request. The warranty company then contacts their local contractor who will come to your house to do the repair. Each time you call there is a service charge. It runs from about $45 to $75. I suppose this is to keep people from just willy nilly abusing their policy. You aren’t going to call someone to change a light bulb for the cost of a service call, right?

What does it cost? Last week I telephoned 3 well-known providers and got quotes. You can get a quote on-line, but I just think it’s quicker and easier to pick up the phone. The cost will vary from location to location. This quote was for a house in the Portland metro area, but if you live outside of this area, it may be a different cost.

American Home Sheild 888-429-8247
This is the big boy in the game. This was the very first home warranty company I had ever heard of quite a few years ago. I had an American Home Sheild policy when I bought my own home.
The basic plan: $370
Add appliances: $480
I also know that AHS offers an option to cover the house from the moment it is listed for sale. So in other words, if something is found before closing, it can be covered. I recently sold a house in Lake Oswego that had an AHS policy that covered the basic, the appliances, the central air, and was retroactive to the date of listing. The total cost was $510.

Fidelity National Home Warranty 800-862-6837
The basic plan: $260
Basic plus air conditioning: $320
Basic + air + washer/dryer/refrigerator: $425
Fidelity National Home Warranty charges more than this if the house is larger than 5000 square feet. That may be true of the other plans as well. Pretty much the rule of thumb is that you need to call and get a direct quote for each specific property.

First American Home Warranty 800-444-9030
The basic plan: $290
Value plus which includes air conditioning: $420

I honestly think all of these companies are comparable. The pricing is competitive, but please call to get a direct quote. There are so many variables that affect the pricing. I’ve put this up to just give you a sense of costs.

Do these policies get used? Yes. I recall hearing that they get used an average of 2.7 times for each policy.

Let me tell you about my own experience. In the first year of owning my home I had trouble with my dishwasher. It was an older model, so I wasn’t surprised. I called American Home Shield for the repair. The cost of the repairs was going to be about $300. It seemed silly to spend $300 on an old dishwasher. I opted to apply that $300 towards a new dishwasher instead. I also used my policy for a furnace repair.

Be aware that the policy is for repair. As in my example above, it won’t necessarily help you to get all new appliances. Also, read through the policy so that you know what is covered and what is not.

I do recommend home warranties. I think if you have one, you are likely to use it. And that first year in a new home, when you have had all of the expense of the purchase, it makes the first year less stressful.

Let Linda or I know if you have any questions. As always, we are here to help.
Dianne

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Market Activity ~ Nov 5-11, 2012

Last week shows 15 New on the market, 12 Pending and 18 Sold.

See below for further details on last week’s Market Activity:

NEWLY LISTED (Nov 5-11, 2012)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
13 CRESTFIELD CT $46,916 1 0.1 550 CONDO
4 TOUCHSTONE #113 $94,900 2 2 1000 CONDO
13 MOUNTAIN CIR $235,000 3 1.1 1374 DETACHD
16060 INVERURIE RD $235,000 3 2 1458 DETACHD
18807 SW KRISTI WAY $269,900 3 1.1 1256 DETACHD
1621 LARCH ST $395,000 3 2.1 3040 DETACHD
39 NOVA CT $399,900 4 2.1 2590 DETACHD
1670 FIRCREST DR $425,000 4 3 2000 DETACHD
600 MAPLE ST $445,500 3 2.1 2416 DETACHD
2302 OVERLOOK DR $589,900 4 2.1 3125 DETACHD
1015 SOUTHSHORE BLVD $638,500 4 3 3882 DETACHD
1800 NORTHSHORE RD $3,795,000 4 6.1 7660 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Nov 5-11,2012 2012)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
55 OSWEGO SUMMIT $64,000 1 1 721 CONDO 180
3894 BOTTICELLI ST $175,000 2 1.1 1132 CONDO 12
5055 FOOTHILLS DR A $198,711 3 2 1252 CONDO 534
44 GREENRIDGE CT $199,900 3 2.1 1996 ATTACHD 358
18409 BENFIELD AVE $230,000 3 1.1 1400 DETACHD 56
16758 GRAEF CIR $259,000 3 1 1295 DETACHD 158
5785 CARMAN DR $265,000 5 2.1 1934 DETACHD 68
2955 WEMBLEY PARK RD $360,000 3 2.1 2620 DETACHD 74
6109 SUMMER WOODS $394,900 4 2.1 2331 DETACHD 16
16746 Mellon ST $548,850 3 2.1 2724 DETACHD
13366 BOONES FERRY LN $598,900 4 2.1 3564 DETACHD 183
2180 PRESTWICK RD $1,100,000 3 1.1 2391 DETACHD 87

SOLD (Nov 5-11,2012)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
16311 INVERURIE RD $199,000 $170,000 3 2 1525 DETACHD 20
209 HIDALGO ST $359,900 $333,000 4 2.1 2609 DETACHD 18
14190 TAYLORS CREST LN $389,900 $365,042 4 2.1 2577 DETACHD 20
16014 SW PARKER RD $589,950 $438,000 5 3 2277 DETACHD 149
18123 WESTVIEW DR $474,900 $441,500 3 2.1 2608 DETACHD 106
1580 WOODLAND TER $499,900 $489,900 4 2.1 2127 DETACHD 185
10 SHERWOOD CT $535,000 $525,000 4 3.1 3289 DETACHD 10
2058 SUMMIT DR $1,390,000 $1,325,000 3 2.1 3137 DETACHD 18

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