What’s in a name?

marinaI 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.

Market Activity Report ~ October 26-November 1, 2009

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.

Lake Oswego Open Houses ~ Sunday, November 1, 2009

Geez… It’s November already! You know what that means… Halloween’s over, Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, and then the Holidays, gift-giving… OK, I’ll stop : )  Right now it’s Fall, and Sunday is supposed to be a nice one w/sunshine and some decent temperatures.  Also, the announcement that we are pretty darned close to an extension of the First-Time-Home-Buyer Tax Credit (which additionally applies, by the way, to those who have not owned a home for three years now) and the proposal of an additional $6500. Tax Credit for those “Buying Up” if you meet income guidelines (under $125,000. for an individual or $225,000. for couple filing jointly) and purchase a house for $800,000. or less.  And you thought your dreams were going to have to wait!

Dianne and I are, as always, here for you.

There are 26 properties on tour in Lake Oswego Sunday according to RMLS (including the Luxury Townhomes at 363 Sixth St in First Addition) :

Address List Price # Bdrms # Baths Total SF Open
4629 LAKEVIEW BLVD $165,000 2 2 1178 1-3PM
1597 BONNIEBRAE DR $199,900 2 1 998 1-3PM
17752 SCHALIT WAY $329,900 3 2 1463 2-5PM
4 ICARUS LOOP $449,000 4 2.1 2743 1-3PM
252 NORTHSHORE RD $459,000 3 1 2280 11-1:30PM
14251 CAMDEN LN $535,900 3 2.1 2179 1-4PM
363 SIXTH ST $599,900 3 3.1 2258 1-4PM
17879 HILLSIDE DR $599,900 3 3 3049 1-4PM
5218 WESTFIELD CT $719,000 3 2.1 3125 1-4PM
16705 GLENWOOD CT $749,000 4 3 4243 12-3PM
17110 LOWENBERG TER $825,000 4 2.1 2678 1-4PM
13010 KNAUS RD $995,000 4 3.1 4312 1-3PM
18209 SIENA DR $1,178,950 4 3.1 3839 1-3PM
18143 SIENA DR $1,197,000 5 4.1 4152 1-3PM
18246 BELLA TERRA DR $1,294,000 4 3.1 4196 1-3PM
17464 RIDGEVIEW LN $1,298,950 4 3.1 4407 1-3PM
622 OAK MEADOW DR $1,325,000 4 3.1 4171 1-3PM
664 OAK MEADOW DR $1,355,000 4 3.1 4198 1-3PM
18110 Siena DR $1,394,000 4 3.1 4311 1-3PM
657 OAK MEADOW DR. $1,395,000 4 3.1 4371 1-3PM
17364 RIDGEVIEW CT $1,425,000 4 3.1 4436 1-3PM
15825 OSWEGO SHORE CT $2,248,850 3 3.1 4317 1-3PM
13961 KNAUS RD $2,450,000 4 4.2 6614 12-1:30PM

Amazing Deal on Luxury Townhomes in First Addition

LOSixthFrontIt isn’t often that we shine the spotlight on any particular property, but when we heard that the new luxury town homes on Sixth St in sought-after First Addition had just lowered their prices by $100,000 each to $599,900., Dianne and I just had to run over there and take a look.

There are six of these little gems with four of them left & available for purchase. The address is 363 Sixth St., and the LOKitchen 102909ML# if you want to get a preview is 9057549. Each has 2258 SF, 3 bedrooms, 3 & 1/2 baths, 2 levels with additional full finished basements, and probably just everything you’ve been looking for.

First of all, they really are gorgeous. The finishes in these are superior. The first feature you notice inside are the beautiful plank maple hardwood floors. A sleek yet spacious slab granite kitchen with long island, pantry & light beech LO DiningRm 102909cabinets also boasts additional built-ins and smart features like a pull-down bar. The dark french doors to the front porch area off the dining room are a rich contrast, and the white wainscoting throughout adds that crisp old-world cottage feel. The 2-car detached garage out back with private courtyard to the house is an added bonus in First Addition, and from there you enter the great room compete with gas fireplace and more built-ins.

LO BltIns 102909Downstairs you find another gas fireplace and generous media room as well as another bedroom & bathroom w/an additional laundry area for guests or your reclusive teenager. Upstairs is the master bedroom & bath showing off glorious travertine w/onyx, a clawfoot tub & separate shower as well as an additional bathroom w/soaker tub & yet another bedroom. Walk-in closets of course, and the main laundry near the upstairs bedrooms check those final “must-haves” off the list.

LOKitchen102909Overall, these are just so unique & have that easy-living feel that goes hand in hand with the First Addition lifestyle… you know, walking to all the services, trendy shops and restaurants, not to mention Millenium Park Plaza for a view of the lake & all the festive local activities like Farmer’s Market, open air Movie Nights, Holiday Tree-Lighting festivities and on & on. First Addition is just a strolling kinda place; a small-town feel with all the amenities. Cottage Living LOGrtRm3magazine named First Addition as one of the ten best cottage communities in the country. American Planning Association name it one of the top 10 neighborhoods in America. The accolades go on & on.

Yes, these are nice indeed. But you know, on the practical side, in addition to the location & amazing price when comparing features & finishes to other offerings, there are also NO HOA fees. Compare that with other HOA’s nearby at anywhere from $136./month to $455./mo.

LOMedia RmCome on down & take a look. Bring a Realtor as there has been a lot of interest. They will be held open both Saturday & Sunday from 1 – 4.

Market Activity Report for October 19-25, 2009

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.