Open Houses 2/214

It may be Superbowl Sunday, but kick off isn’t until 3:30. So there’s plenty of time to take in one of these great open houses. Enjoy!

Address Price Type Bedroom Bath Open
16200 Pacific Hwy #35 $299,000 condo 2 2 12 to 2
4109 Wolf Berry Ct $519,000 detached 4 2.5 12 to 3
1830 Cloverleaf Rd $598,000 detached 3 2.5 12 to 2:30
14232 Meadow Grass St $619,000 detached 4 3 1 to 4
17632 Woodhurst Pl $648,950 detached 5 4.5 12 to 2
1273 Wells St $799,000 detached 4 3 12 to 3
19463 Lorna Ln $899,800 detached 4 3.5 1 to 4
316 Ridgeway Rd $1,225,000 detached 4 3 12 to 2:30

Featured Neighborhood: Hallinan Heights

Hallinan Heights
Hallinan Heights
Lake Oswego has 25 individual neighborhoods and this week we are going to feature Hallinan Heights. Both Linda and I love this neighborhood, there is just something about it.

I think it’s unique boundaries are part of why it is so great. It is clearly defined by the Willamette River to the East, Oswego Creek and McVey to the North, Cornell Rd to the West, and Upper Cherry Rd to the South. It’s not a large neighorhood, but within it is a wonderful Elementary School and a very nice Park. It has a real feeling of community where people walk their dogs and picnic.

Hallinan Elementary School
Hallinan Elementary School
My kids did not live within the Hallinan Elementary School attendance area, but the play ground at Hallinan Elementary was hands down their favorite. We would drive across town to play on it. It’s a BIG playground with a great variety of equipment. As my kids got older, I learned to love it because it is adjacent to the playing field which has a great walking trail around it. So my kids could be playing and I could be taking a nice walk within sight of them.

The real estate in Hallinan Heights includes one very nice condominium complex on the Willamette River, Oswego Terraces. Built in the 1950’s, these mid-century buildings are solid and sleek. There are currently 3 condos for sale in the mid $250,000’s. While none of the waterfront units are currently for sale, when they do come along they boast some of the finest river views in the entire metro area. The complex is uniquely situated on a curve in the river that looks directly North to downtown Portland.

Wide Streets
Wide Streets
Most of the single family homes were built in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The wide streets have well landscaped and tidy yards. There are currently 8 homes for sale. The least expensive is 2442 square feet, all on one level, and is listed for $399,900. The most expensive is 3700 square feet of new construction with river and mountain views for $1,225,000.

My final boast for Hallinan Heights is that it is close to downtown Lake Oswego. Whether you want quick access to great restaurants, or you want to walk along the river at George Rogers Park, you are right there. I would estimate that you could walk to the Farmer’s Market at Millenium Plaza Park within about 20-30 minutes. Nice!

Do not hesitate to contact Linda or myself if you would like more information.
Dianne

Market Activity Report ~ Jan 20-26, 2014

Last week in Lake Oswego we saw 17 New properties enter the market, 25 move to Pending status, and 35 “Closed”/Sold.

Here is the breakdown according to RMLS:

NEW on MKT (Jan 20-26, 2014)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
65 OSWEGO SMT $146,000 2 2 1140 CONDO
149 OSWEGO SMT #149 $159,900 2 2 1212 CONDO
155 OSWEGO SMT $199,900 2 2 1506 CONDO
16250 PACIFIC HWY #71 $254,900 2 2 1380 CONDO
17 GREENRIDGE CT $275,000 3 3 1900 ATTACHD
16227 KIMBALL ST $344,950 4 2.1 1572 DETACHD
2710 GREENTREE RD $417,500 4 3 3172 DETACHD
1638 PINE ST $494,000 5 2 3160 DETACHD
18360 SW TUALATA AVE $549,900 5 2.1 2703 DETACHD
1830 CLOVERLEAF RD $598,000 3 2.1 1857 DETACHD
214 GREENRIDGE DR $599,900 6 4 3714 ATTACHD
17632 WOODHURST PL $648,950 5 4.1 4423 DETACHD
17479 BROOKHURST DR $729,000 4 2.1 3552 DETACHD
96 GARIBALDI ST $789,000 3 3.1 4819 DETACHD
1273 WELLS ST $799,000 4 3 4091 DETACHD
755 6TH ST $995,000 4 3.1 4170 DETACHD
778 CABANA LN $2,295,000 3 3 3343 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Jan 20-26, 2014)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
200 RIDGEWAY RD $175,000 2 1 988 CONDO 33
45 EAGLE CREST DR #501 $179,900 3 2 1647 CONDO 468
3894 BOTTICELLI ST $184,900 2 1.1 1132 CONDO 68
48 EAGLE CREST DR #1B $195,000 3 2 1623 CONDO 91
6321 ALYSSA TER $275,000 3 2.1 1546 ATTACHD 5
1733 Kilkenny RD $309,900 3 1.1 1654 DETACHD 219
5687 BONITA RD $310,000 3 2.1 2048 DETACHD 40
4256 COUNTRY WOODS CT $338,950 4 2.1 1560 DETACHD 1
6 PHEASANT RUN $339,900 3 2.1 1734 DETACHD 14
18341 FERNBROOK CT $369,999 4 2 1872 DETACHD 75
18385 WOOD THRUSH WAY $373,000 3 2 1832 DETACHD 5
1880 KILKENNY DR $400,000 4 3 2778 DETACHD 66
15481 TANAGER DR $405,000 3 2.1 2064 DETACHD 143
67 TANGLEWOOD DR $434,900 4 2.1 3068 DETACHD 163
17200 ROBB PL $439,000 3 2.1 2218 DETACHD 8
4741 CAMBRIDGE CT $467,000 2 2.1 2861 ATTACHD 5
4002 TEMPEST DR $539,900 4 3.1 4319 DETACHD 8
5616 GRAND OAKS DR $550,000 4 3 3096 DETACHD 65
885 LAKE FOREST DR $575,000 4 3 2186 DETACHD 80
5004 WOODCREST LN #16E $589,900 3 2.1 2523 DETACHD 73
15713 TARA PL $615,000 4 2.1 3442 DETACHD 19
18994 BRYANT RD $649,900 4 2.1 3146 DETACHD 454
420 RIDGEWAY RD $849,900 2 2 2190 DETACHD 316
2135 RIDGE POINTE DR $1,075,000 5 4.2 6755 DETACHD 216
17322 CEDAR RD $1,149,500 4 4.1 3370 DETACHD 14

SOLD (Jan 20-26, 2014)

Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
100 KERR PKWY #13 $85,900 $83,300 1 1 617 CONDO 89
18 WHEATHERSTONE $295,900 $295,900 3 2.1 1692 CONDO 138
4912 LOWER DR $339,000 $355,000 3 2 1539 DETACHD 4
13036 SIERRA CT $549,900 $485,000 3 2 2214 DETACHD 80
5522 ROYAL OAKS DR $683,500 $580,000 4 2.1 2471 DETACHD 177

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:

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!

 

 

Market Activity Dec 23, 2013 to Jan 5, 2014

This Market Activity Report covers a 2-week period. Things are just slower during the full blown holidays, although listings, pending sales, and closed sales continued to chug along. There were 6 new listings, 21 houses that went pending with accepted offers, and 13 closed sales. I noticed how many condos are selling. Nice!

Here is the breakdown of activity according to RMLS:

New Listings (Dec 23, 2013 to Jan 5, 2014)

Address Type Price BR Bths SF
12892 Boones Ferry Rd Condo $279,000 2 2.5 1136
432 5th St Attached $310,000 2 1.5 1102
4720 Lakeview Blvd Detached $649,000 4 3.5 2939
4601 Upper Dr Detached $1,059,000 4 3.5+.5 3943
13888 Goodall Rd Detached $1,399,995 4 3.5 4435
17860 Crestline Dr Detached $1,795,000 4 5.5 7192

PENDING SALES (Dec 23, 2013 to Jan 5, 2014)

Address Type Price BR Baths SF DOM
4000 Carman Dr #103 Condo $125 1 1 818 13
3696 Spring Ln 3B Condo $129,900 2 2 1117 53
4000 Carman Dr #106 Condo $139,100 2 2 993 12
4000 Carman Dr #55 Condo $149,999 2 2 866 10
3808 Botticelli Condo $189,900 3 2 1288 71
13 Mountain Circle Attached $217,000 2 1.5 1374 394
1120 Boca Ratan Dr Attached $260,000 3 2 1611 8
16775 Lake Forest Blvd Detached $282,000 3 2 1544 61
16056 Reese Rd Detached $319,000 3 2 1667 14
18011 Tualata Ave Detached $330,000 3 2 1482 4
24 Becket St Detached $425,000 4 2.5 2527 288
1730 Yarmouth Circle Detached $429,000 2 2 1775 123
1571 Woodland Terr Detached $474,500 3 2 2400 80
5602 Southwood Dr Detached $498,900 4 2.5 2636 103
13036 Sierra Ct Detached $499,900 3 2 2214 80
14136 Heathrow Ln Detached $549,000 4 2.5 2955 624
13080 Thoma Rd Detached $875,000 3 2 2810 194
4153 Westbay Rd Detached $1,349,000 4 3.5 3374 193
800 Terrace Dr Detached $1,349,900 5 4.5 5166 98
13636 Goodall Rd Lt2 Detached $1,399,000 4 4.5 4380 329
937 Atwater Detached $1,500,000-$1,850,000 4 4.5 4500 30

SOLD (Dec 23, 2013 to Jan 5, 2014)

Address Type List Price Closed Price Sq Ft CDOM
15938 Quarry Rd B-4 Condo $145,000 $140,000 991 184
4418 Thunder Vista Ln Condo $239,000 $220,000 2200 83
18600 Indian Creek Dr Detached $279,900 $285,000 1607 34
6025 Kenny St Detached $314,900 $309,900 1,254 99
250 Furnace St Detached $389,000 $360,000 899 68
1602 Greentree Rd Detached $412,500 $383,500 1708 93
1125 C Ave Detached $575,000 $425,000 2558 127
716 Lakeshore Rd Detached $750,000 $580,000 1878 101
621 Country Club Rd Detached $674,900 $613,000 3300 59
14120 Redwood Ct Detached $624,900 $617,000 2755 257
13562 Peters Rd Detached $875,000 $815,000 3106 123
215 Chandler Rd Detached $875,000 $820,000 3118 197
14530 Uplands Dr Detached $969,000 $881,000 4080 409

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