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

Open Houses 12/15/13

Lake Oswego has 13 open houses scheduled for this Sunday. Enjoy!

Address Price Type Bedroom Bath Open
12894 Boones Ferry Rd $299,000 Attached 2 2.5 1 to 3
67 Tanglewood Dr $434,900 Detached 4 2.5 1 to 4
3065 Royce Way $475,000 Detached 4 2.5 1:30 to 3:30
751 Briercliff Ln $508,500 Detached 4 3 12 to 3
18020 Jenifers Way $609,881 Detached 4 2.5 1 to 4
19524 River Run Dr $618,950 Detached 4 2.5 1 to 3
2814 Vale Ct $629,000 Detached 4 3 12 to 2:30
13374 Hidden Bay Ct $699,000 Detached 4 2.5 1 to 3
4540 Lamont Way $899,950 Detached 5 2.1 1 to 3
19463 Lorna Ln $900,000 Detached 4 3.5 1 to 3
2801 Lakeview Blvd $925,000 Detached 3 3.5+.5 1 to 3
13310 Atwater Ln $1,249,900 Detached 5 4 2 to 4
112 Northshore Circle $1,500,000 Detached 4 3.5 1 to 5

Dianne’s Top 10

ArtI really like Lake Oswego and thought I’d share with you my own top 10 list of things I enjoy about living here.

10. Walking. There are just so many great trails and walking paths. The Iron Mountain Trail, the bike path around the lake, all of the many trails in Mt. Park, the trails on Cook’s Butte, they keep me entertained and enjoying my walking habit.

9. The patio at Riccardo’s. It is a little bit of Italy to be enjoyed right here at home. Riccardo has a true Italian menu with a wonderful wine list, but the high-light for me is the back patio. A soothing water feature and wonderful flowers are to be enjoyed, but I think I almost like it better on a cold and rainy day. The over-hangs of the perimeter are generous enough to keep you dry, and the space heaters keep you warm. Cozy and yummy.

8. Breakfast out. I have 3 favorite breakfast spots: St. Honore, La Provence, and Babica Hen. I can’t say which I like best, but they all keep me coming back for more.

7. Summer concerts. I did quite a bit of blogging about them last summer. The point I want to make is go out and do it. A warm evening, a picnic dinner, and free music, it’s the good life.

6. Community School. Schools are a big part of what motivates people to move to Lake Oswego. It’s why I moved here. But there is an entire extra layer to what is available. Community school offers extra programs for kids seeking more. It may be more art, more sports, more language skills, more of what youngsters want to explore. It’s available at community school. I highly recommend the driver’s ed program.

5. Convenience. Lake Oswego is simply a convenient place to live. You are 15 minutes from downtown Portland, 30 minutes from the airport, 10 minutes for a huge shopping center (Washington Square), 3 minutes from a lifestyle mall (Bridgeport Village), it’s amazing. Within a 3 mile radius of my house I have 4 Starbuck’s and 5 grocery stores. Yet I live on a huge treed lot in a quiet neighborhood. Yep, my little slice of heaven.

Basket4. The Arts Council of Lake Oswego. Responsible for the Gallery Without Walls, the Art Literacy Program in the elementary schools, and the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, the Arts Council of Lake Oswego brings art front and center into our lives. For me, art makes life sweet and I want it in my life.

3. The flowers. Lake Oswego won the America in Bloom competition several years ago. It probably helped that one of the City’s former mayors owned a garden center. The hanging baskets in the summer are like fire works during the day. There is pretty much no public median that doesn’t have a planted bed. Even in the winter: there are pansies and decorative kale in abundance. It’s beautiful.

2. A wholesome place to raise a family. No not everyone in LO has kids, but if you do, it is a wonderful and supportive community. My kids got so much encouragement from this community. How refreshing that it’s cool to get good grades! It’s a pretty darn nice place to grow up. I wanted my kids to be safe riding their bikes and to have positive influences in their lives. I found it for them here in LO.

1. Friendly people. I moved here for the schools, but was completely not expecting how easy it is to make friends. I think that’s because it really is a small town. It’s easy to get involved and to have an impact.

Oswego LakeHonerable Mentions:
Lakewood Theater
Luscher Farm
The Dog Park
Christmas Tree Lighting with Santa
4th of July Parade
4th of July pancake breakfast
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
La Vang Vietnamese Restaurant
Pine Shed Barbeque
George Roger’s Park
Zupan’s heated lounge
Seeing the Lake
Seeing the Mountain

There you have it! I hope I’ve given you some good ideas of what to expect and what to enjoy in LO.

Dianne

Market Activity ~ Dec 2-8, 2013

Last week in Lake Oswego, 7 New properties entered the market, 9 moved to Pending status, and 8  “Closed”/Sold.

Here is the breakdown of activity according to RMLS:

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type
12 PARTRIDGE LN $450,000 4 2.1 3309 DETACHD
3065 ROYCE WAY $475,000 4 2.1 2726 DETACHD
14353 TRILLIUM CT $625,000 4 2.1 3057 DETACHD
13555 FIELDING RD $749,900 5 3.1 3656 DETACHD
16525 MAPLE CIR $1,395,000 3 3.1 3443 DETACHD
1193 FAIRWAY RD $3,195,000 5 4.2 7028 DETACHD
15845 OSWEGO SHORE CT $3,350,000 4 4.2 5500 DETACHD

PENDING SALES (Dec 2-8, 2013)

Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
100 KERR PKWY #59 $112,000 2 1.1 823 CONDO 5
5164 LAKEVIEW BLVD $246,000 4 2 1120 DETACHD 32
3285 SW CHILDS RD $300,000 4 3 2780 DETACHD 76
133 KINGSGATE RD $349,349 3 2.1 1812 DETACHD 167
924 LAUREL ST $360,000 3 2 1965 DETACHD 62
1125 C AVE $425,000 3 1.1 2558 DETACHD 127
5522 ROYAL OAKS DR $598,950 4 2.1 2471 DETACHD 177
5152 LAKEVIEW BLVD $795,000 4 2.5 3414 DETACHD 0
448 COUNTRY CLUB RD $1,299,000 4 3.1 4873 DETACHD 328

SOLD (Dec 2-8, 2013)

Address Opening Price Closed Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type CDOM
15938 QUARRY RD #4A $139,500 $135,000 2 1 991 CONDO 17
15 SUMMIT RIDGE CT $339,900 $320,000 2 2.1 1750 ATTACHD 26
643 2ND ST $425,000 $380,000 2 2 1457 ATTACHD 48
13008 ROGERS RD $499,000 $425,000 4 2.1 2448 DETACHD 152
4545 DOGWOOD DR $499,500 $475,000 3 2 2483 DETACHD 8
830 4TH ST $545,000 $523,500 3 2 1690 DETACHD 63
13601 TWIN CREEK LN $630,000 $605,000 4 2.1 3156 DETACHD 12
16671 Fir LN $845,000 $820,000 3 3.1 3129 DETACHD 467

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

LO Open Houses ~ Dec 8, 2013

Thee are 14 Homes being held Open today for your pleasure in Sunny Lake Oswego!

Enjoy : )

Here are the Open Houses according to RMLS:

Address L/Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Style Open
4418 THUNDER VISTA LN $229,000 3 2.1 2200 TOWNHSE 1-4PM
12894 BOONES FERRY RD $299,000 2 2.1 1136 TOWNHSE 1-3PM
3595 TEMPEST DR $389,900 3 2 2126 DETACHD 1-3PM
751 BRIERCLIFF LN $508,500 4 3 2534 DETACHD 1-3PM
5101 DAWN AVE $574,000 5 3 2700 DETACHD 1-3PM
2302 OVERLOOK DR $595,000 4 2.1 3125 DETACHD 1-4PM
1830 CLOVERLEAF RD $599,000 3 2.1 1857 DETACHD 3-4:30PM
19524 RIVER RUN DR $618,950 4 2.1 2630 DETACHD 12-3PM
14353 TRILLIUM CT $625,000 4 2.1 3057 DETACHD 2-4PM
18112 WESTMINSTER DR $750,000 5 4 4391 DETACHD 1-4PM
4540 SW LAMONT WAY $899,950 4 2.1 3555 DETACHD 1-3PM
17600 UPPER CHERRY LN $998,000 4 3.1 3900 DETACHD 1-3PM
17375 RIDGEVIEW CT $998,500 4 3.1 4065 DETACHD 1-4PM
112 NORTHSHORE CIR $1,500,000 4 3.1 3632 DETACHD 1-5PM

Hmmmm… What to do? Remodel or Move???

hmmmOk, it’s the winter and you’re spending more time indoors. You may start to get that bug that niggles at you and asks “Should we remodel and stay here or should we move to a home that is more of what we want?”  Well, the answer will be different for each person who asks themselves this question, but there are a  few things you can also ask yourself to help you along the decision-making trail.

* Think about the details & variables: What’s the current condition of your property?  It’s important to get real about costs and time-frames. What might you end up with in terms of additional projects within projects as you move forward… i.e. would you need to do extensive re-wiring?  Is there knob & tube wiring in your older home now that would have to be addressed, or would the new electrical load require considerable upgrading? (Knob & tube should be addressed anyway, by the way, and can possibly adversely affect your insurance situation!) What are the additional costs you may not have thought of if you “add on” like foundational work/support requirements/plumbing/sewer lines etc?  Have you checked into local setback requirements? Do you live in a formal HOA neighborhood where the Association would want to dictate some of what they allow you to do? Etc

* Do you have a trusted contractor?  If not, you may want to consider doing some research beforehand to make sure that you connect with someone reputable & honest.  Yelp and Angie’s List can be helpful. Also, if you have a trusted Realtor, they can often give you some good leads on people you would likely be satisfied working with based on personal experience and feedback from clients. Dianne or I would be happy to help in that regard if you do NOT have a trusted Realtor to help you.

* What would your financing look like for the remodel or add-on?  Be realistic about your costs and stack that up against your financial picture if you chose to move to a newer home or rebuild.  The devil is in the details, as they say.  My first remodeling project “way back when” actually doubled  over expected cost.

* Have you talked to a mortgage broker about just what your payments would look like if you moved to a newer more suitable home?  (If you don’t have a trusted mortgage broker, give me a call… I can steer you to good people).  If you think you know what your payment would look like because you talked to someone last year or the year before, think again. A LOT has changed since then…regulation-wise, rate-wise, and timeline-wise in the mortgage industry. I always advise people to make decisions based on facts, and not on conjecture. A mortgage broker can take your current data, find out what your desired payment might be, and tell you how much house you can buy for your money. It truly is relatively painless : )  and THEN you are making decisions based on actual factual information.  Mortgage Brokers generally do not charge for doing this for you… it’s part of their job.

* Beware of ending up as the “Best House on the Block”. Why?  Well, consider that when it comes time to sell down the line, if you are the best house on the block, you will most likely not be able to receive the appraised value you would like to because your home is being “comped” with homes near you that are not nearly as nice.  Just sayin’.

* Lastly (we could talk about this for a long while, but I’ve gotta run! : )  check out this amazing site to find out what kind of return you might expect on various remodeling projects.  It’s called “Cost vs Value” and can really give you some great tips on whether it’s worth your while investing in certain kinds of remodeling. CLICK HERE

 

I hope this was helpful information. Remember that the answert to “what is right?” is different for each individual or family and varies baseed on each circumstance.

Best of luck to you!

Linda

 

Market Activity Nov 25-Dec 1, 2013

While the market has slowed during the holidays, activity remains balanced with similar numbers of homes coming onto the market as are selling. Last week in Lake Oswego there were 10 new listings, 9 pending sales, and 8 closed sales.

Here is the breakdown of activity according to RMLS:

NEW ON MKT (Nov 25-Dec 1, 2013):

Address Type Price BR Bths SF
52 Oswego Summit Condo $76,300 1 1 700
100 Kerr Parkway #42 Condo $104,000 2 1.5 822
100 Kerr Parkway #59 Condo $112,000 2 1.5 823
16 Cervantes Cir #6E Condo $149,900 2 1.5 912
3101 Wembley Park Rd #1 Detached $338,950 2 1 858
4344 Snowbrush Ct Detached $529,000 4 3.5 3422
17900 Canal Rd Detached $609,000 4 3 2992
1941 Woodland Terrace Detached $619,000 4 3 3684
421 Middlecrest Rd Detached $645,000 3 2.5 2383
401 Ash St Detached $699,900 4 4 5526

PENDING SALES (Nov 25-Dec 1, 2013)

Address Type Price BR Baths SF DOM
3433 McNary Parkway #405 Condo $146,950 2 2.5 1208 113
3808 Botticelli St Condo $189,900 3 2 1288 47
17736 Cardinal CT Detached $330,000 4 2.5 2280 6
61 Condolea Terrace Condo $395,000 3 2.5 2373 23
6 Yorick St Detached $495,000 5 3 3116 15
4038 Bass Ln Detached $559,900 4 3 2816 36
621 Country Club Rd Detached $599,900 4 2.5 3300 59
144 Leonard St Detached $699,900 4 3.5 3552 136
215 Chandler Pl Detached $839,000 3 2.5 3118 197

SOLD (Nov 25-Dec 1, 2013)

Address Type List Price Closed Price Sq Ft CDOM
47 Crestfield Ct Condo $100,000 $103,000 923 74
5105 Rosewood St Detached $319,000 $310,000 1848 2
139 Tualata Ln Detached $329,000 $324,000 1524 6
19 Timberlline Dr Detached $349,000 $370,300 2,176 3
18321 Wood Thrush Circle Detached $469,000 $449,600 2333 71
4850 Lower Dr Detached $624,900 $624,900 2700 194
18682 Westview Dr Detached $745,000 $715,000 3243 49
18246 Bella Terra Dr Detached $1,080,000 $1,080,000 4196 3

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