Market Activity Report – February 2-8, 2009

Lake Oswego saw 14 new properties hit the market last week.  We had 6 go pending, and 5 that closed.  Looks like some steady activity is continuing.

I think it’s interesting to note that some of the older inventory is moving, and some of the newer inventory is moving rather quickly, relatively speaking, as evidenced by 3 pending sales that had been on the market for over 8 months, and one other achieving pending status in just 7 days!  The other two were on the market for less than 3 months before getting to pending status.  As for sold/closed properties- one of the 5 had been on the market for over 11 months prior to sale, but we had one sell in about 2 weeks, and 2 that had been on the market for 5 &  a just a little over 5 months.

Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):

NEWLY LISTED (February 2—February 8, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address List Price # Beds # Baths Tot. SF Prop Type List Date
45 OSWEGO Summit $139,900 1 1 764 CONDO 2/2/2009
3882 BOTTICELLI ST $224,900 3 2 1,224 ATTACHD 2/3/2009
204 CERVANTES CIR $259,000 3 1.1 1,138 CONDO 2/3/2009
790 BOCA RATAN DR $269,900 3 2 2,112 DETACHD 2/6/2009
17304 MARJORIE AVE $333,000 3 1.1 1,340 DETACHD 2/3/2009
1685 MAPLELEAF RD $365,000 3 2 1,433 DETACHD 2/2/2009
1299 HIDE A WAY LN $425,000 3 2 1,893 DETACHD 2/8/2009
1510 FERNWOOD DR $595,000 5 3 3,291 DETACHD 2/4/2009
2957 GLEN EAGLES RD 599000 4 3 3,288 DETACHD 2/3/2009
5772 BAY CREEK DR 599000 4 3 3,242 DETACHD 2/5/2009
17879 HILLSIDE DR 674900 3 3 3,049 DETACHD 2/5/2009
1991 COUNTRY CLUB RD 879000 4 4 3,414 DETACHD 2/6/2009
17460 Wren CT 1495000 4 3.1 3,300 DETACHD 2/8/2009
4313 WESTBAY RD 2775000 4 3.1 4,000 DETACHD 2/2/2009

PENDING SALES (February 2—February 8, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address List Price # Beds # Baths Tot. SF Prop Type List Date CDOM
44 EAGLE CREST DR $114,950 1 1 798 CONDO 1/29/2009 7
95 KINGSGATE RD $310,000 3 2.1 1,669 DETACHD 12/14/2008 51
5291 CHINOOK CT $375,000 7 3 2,331 DETACHD 12/8/2008 286
4761 LAMONT WAY $390,000 3 2 1,816 DETACHD 11/13/2008 83
1555 BAY VIEW LN $995,000 4 4.1 4,775 DETACHD 1/19/2009 277
13200 THOMA RD $1,995,000 5 5.2 7,648 DETACHD 11/4/2008 504

SOLD (February 2—February 8, 2009)

ADDRESS ORIG. PRICE SALE PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address O/Price Close Price # Beds # Baths Tot. SF Prop Type List Date CDOM
3668 SPRING LN $199,900 $164,400 2 2 1,120 CONDO 1/6/2009 16
4206 WOODSIDE CIR $284,900 $284,900 2 2 1,799 ATTACHD 8/3/2008 151
1640 WORTHINGTON ST $359,900 $335,500 4 3 2,342 DETACHD 10/28/2008 66
5079 W SUNSET DR $458,650 $365,000 2 2.1 1,760 ATTACHD 7/25/2008 336
13217 FOX RUN $610,000 $508,200 4 3 2,706 DETACHD 6/23/2008 160

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.

Lake Oswego Hunt

lohuntLake Oswego is home to a very unique and beautiful facility, Lake Oswego Hunt.  The Lake Oswego Hunt is an equestrian training program and a riding school for children and adults of all ages.  Unlike many facilities that focus on one discipline, Lake Oswego Hunt works with Combined Training, Dressage, and Hunter/Jumper.  So if you have a love for horses, and you want to have access to horses in your life, there is a way to do that here in Lake Oswego.

While I love the beauty of horses, and have ridden horses on a couple of occassions, what I love about Lake Oswego Hunt is the gorgeous arena and barn.  As you drive along Iron Mountain Blvd. you can not help but notice the beautiful white barn and fences tucked into 19 acres of meadow at the base of Iron Mountain.  It is just extremely picturesque.

Built in 1936, the indoor arena is the largest and oldest bow-truss structure West of the Mississippi.  It is 90′ x 220′.  When you look up at the roof from inside you can not help but be struck by the barrel vaulting.  There are cathedrals in Europe with similar ceilings.  This one just happens to be made out of wood.  In 1987 this unique structure was recognized with a listing on the National Registry of Historic Places.  There is currently a very active effort being made to preserve and to restore the building.  A Historic Preservation Committee has been formed that is hard at work to keep this facility in good repair.

horsestallsWhen I stopped in to visit the Lake Oswego Hunt, besides the beautiful arena and barn, I was also struck by the warmth and friendliness of the people that I met.  Everyone was gracious and welcoming.  I was very taken with the attitude that this is a place that wants to be a part of our community.  They made it very clear that they love to have people come in and that they are happy to give you a tour.  Along with a calendar of events that includes horse shows and parties, there are occassional open houses that invite the general public to come and see what is happening at Lake Oswego Hunt.  The next open house is scheduled for February 7th, from 9am to 5pm.

There are a couple of ways to be a part of Lake Oswego Hunt.  You can join as a full member and have the ability to board your horse and have full access to the club room and all of the facility.  You can also join on a social membership to enjoy the horse shows and be a part of the social programs that include brunches and parties.  Finally, the riding school is open to the public.

I have a love for old buildings and architecture.  I think that Lake Oswego Hunt is a facility that is deserving of our support.  If you’ve never visited, stop by.  I think you’ll be impressed by what you see.  If you’d like more information, you can visit the Lake Oswego Hunt website by clicking here.

Market Activity Report – January 19-25, 2009

News today indicates a “Surprise to the Upside” in US housing sales.

Check it out: http://www.actionforex.com/fundamental-analysis/daily-forex-fundamentals/us-home-sales-surprise-to-the-upside-2009012676338/

Here in Lake Oswego we have a total of 20 properties newly on the market as of this last week, and 7 pending sale as of the same week. I culled any property listed as “new” that had not been off the market for at least 30 days, and many of those categorized as such below are brand new listings.

Here is the latest market activity for Lake Oswego (see below the tables for additional notes):

NEWLY LISTED (January 19—January 25, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
Address List Price # Beds # Baths Tot. SF Prop Type List Date
26 CRESTFIELD CT $172,700 2 2 995 CONDO 1/23/2009
13880 SUNDELEAF DR $234,500 2 1 976 DETACHD 1/23/2009
666 9th ST $425,000 2 1 1,850 DETACHD 1/23/2009
14431 ORCHARD SPRINGS RD $439,900 3 2.1 1,960 CONDO 1/23/2009
3 CELLINI CT $465,000 4 2.1 2,531 DETACHD 1/19/2009
39 SPINOSA $479,900 3 2.1 2,069 DETACHD 1/21/2009
627 1ST ST $499,000 2 2 2,090 DETACHD 1/25/2009
2360 GREENTREE RD $499,995 3 2.1 2,207 DETACHD 1/21/2009
14 NORTHVIEW CT $537,500 4 3.1 3,279 ATTACHD 1/22/2009
3745 TEMPEST DR $547,500 4 3 2,834 DETACHD 1/21/2009
14412 MEADOW GRASS ST $575,000 4 2.1 3,563 DETACHD 1/19/2009
554 5TH ST $759,000 3 3.1 2,166 ATTACHD 1/19/2009
556 5TH ST $759,000 3 3.1 2,166 ATTACHD 1/19/2009
15847 SPRINGBROOK CT $938,000 3 3 2,705 DETACHD 1/19/2009
730 KENOLA CT $1,085,000 4 3.1 4,319 DETACHD 1/19/2009
2326 Oswego Glen CT $1,495,000 4 4 4,178 DETACHD 1/20/2009
15905 OSWEGO SHORE CT $1,590,000 4 4 3,869 DETACHD 1/19/2009
1098 CHANDLER RD $2,195,000 4 3.1 3,696 DETACHD 1/21/2009
18414 RIVER WOODS PL $2,999,000 4 4.2 6,498 DETACHD 1/23/2009
17110 LOWENBERG TER $850,000 4 2.1 2,678 DETACHD 1/22/2009

PENDING SALES (January 19—January 25, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address List Price # Beds # Baths Total SF Prop Type List Date CDOM
4 TOUCHSTONE DR $114,000 2 2 984 CONDO 1/10/2009 11
3668 SPRING LN $199,900 2 2 1,120 CONDO 1/6/2009 16
1400 PARRISH ST $297,500 3 2.1 1,880 CONDO 9/1/2008 143
4672 WINTHROP CT $399,900 3 2 1,680 DETACHD 9/30/2008 114
1480 HEMLOCK ST $428,850 4 3 2,246 DETACHD 3/24/2008 305
6067 CLAIRMONT CT $529,000 4 2.1 2,344 DETACHD 1/12/2009 11
17561 SHEPHERDS CT $675,000 4 2.1 3,011 DETACHD 5/15/2008 347

SOLD (January 19—January 25, 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 List Date CDOM
13915 SUNDELEAF DR $998,000 $895,000 4 3.1 4,090 DETACHD 10/1/2008 797

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.

Open Houses for Sunday January 25th, 2009

Greetings, Lake Oswego real estate fans!

You can see from the line-up below and the report from Monday that activity in Lake Oswego is heating up. If only our temperatures would do the same.

Happy house-hunting:

____________________________________________________________

136 Oswego Smt. $142,000 1 Bd, 1 Ba, Open 1-3

26 Crestfield Ct. $172,700 2 Bd, 2 Ba, Open 2-4

5487 Tualata Ct. $289,000 3 Bd, 2 Ba, Open 1-3

4 Othello St. $424,900 4 Bd, 3 Ba, Open 1-4

108 Ridgeway Rd. $499,000 3 Bd, 1 Ba, Open 11-1

624 Livingood Ln. $574,900 4 Bd, 3 Ba, Open 1-3

625 Clara Ct. $587,500 3 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba, Open 12-3

3254 Duncan Dr. $599,900 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba, Open 2-4

13222 Deerfield Ct. $649,000 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba, Open 1-3

15713 Tara Pl. $729,000 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba, Open 1-3

5267 Lakeview Blvd. $750,000 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba, Open 1-4

540 Northshore Rd. $759,000 4 Bd, 2 Ba, Open 2-4

426 7th St. $778,950 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba, Open 1-4

17606 Woodhurst Pl.$895,000 5 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba, Open 1-3

2941 Westview Cir. $899,900 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba, Open 1-3

15847 Springbrook Ct.$938,000 3 Bd, 3 ba, Open 2-4

3030 Westview Ct. $959,000 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba, Open 2-4

2600 Dellwood Dr. $995,000 4 Bd, 3 Ba, Open 2-5

3600 Southshore Blvd. $999,000 3 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba, Open 2-4

3300 River Woods Pl.$1,095,000 3 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba, Open 1-3

943 S.W. Atwater Rd. $1,235,000 4 Bd, 2 1/2 Ba, Open 1-3

16359 Chapin Way $1,439,000 4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba, Open 1-4

13200 Thoma Rd.$1,995,000 5 Bd, & 2 1/2 Ba , Open 2-4

Market Activity for January 12-18, 2009

Here is your market activity report for last week. There are 17 new listings, 9 pending sales, and 2 closed sales. When I did my search for new listings the report originally contained over 50 properties, which seemed way high to me. So I explored the market history on each of them and found that only 17 were truly new listings and all of the rest were old listings that were pulled and then re-listed with new RMLS numbers to “refresh” them. It’s a common practice to stimulate sales activity. However, I think it is helpful to see what is a actually a new listing versus this marketing technique. I can not promise that time will always permit me to take this extra step, but when I can, I will. I was also pleased to see 9 pending sales, which is a bit of a gain over what we were seeing in the holidays.

NEWLY LISTED (January 12, 2009 – January 18, 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
57 GALEN ST $129,500 1 1 689 CONDO 1/17/2009
136 OSWEGO SMT $142,000 1 1 764 CONDO 1/15/2009
4 TOUCHSTONE DR $194,900 3 2.1 1,351 CONDO 1/13/2009
545 HEMLOCK ST $339,900 3 1.1 984 DETACHD 1/12/2009
3 SAINT HELENS CIR $359,000 2 2 1,472 DETACHD 1/12/2009
1234 MAPLE ST $379,000 3 2 1,947 DETACHD 1/14/2009
1052 YATES ST $389,900 3 1.1 1,286 DETACHD 1/12/2009
14498 CAMDEN LN $469,900 4 2.1 1,918 DETACHD 1/15/2009
6067 CLAIRMONT CT 529000 4 2.1 2,344 DETACHD 1/12/2009
1862 KILKENNY DR 549900 3 2.1 2,485 DETACHD 1/15/2009
827 5TH ST 550000 3 2 2,124 DETACHD 1/16/2009
745 4TH ST 579000 3 2 2,662 DETACHD 1/12/2009
4116 ORCHARD WAY 683950 5 3.1 4,078 DETACHD 1/16/2009
15713 TARA PL 729000 4 2.1 3,442 DETACHD 1/17/2009
13601 GOODALL RD 875000 3 1.1 2,662 DETACHD 1/14/2009
17404 BERGIS FARM DR 1297000 5 4.1 5,394 DETACHD 1/17/2009
13770 CAMEO CT 2298000 4 5.1 6,929 DETACHD 1/14/2009

PENDING SALES (January 12, 2009 – Janaury 18, 2009, 2008)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
Address List Price #BR #BTHS Total SF Prop Type CDOM
5225 JEAN RD $189,875 2 2 1,100 CONDO 168
6291 HARRINGTON AVE $249,900 3 2 1,472 DETACHD 99
4451 BERNARD ST $349,950 3 2 1,800 DETACHD 190
5079 W SUNSET DR $379,950 2 2.1 1,760 ATTACHD 336
18971 INDIAN SPRINGS CIR $399,950 3 2 1,525 DETACHD 9
4 BRITTEN CT $429,000 3 2.1 1,972 ATTACHD 74
1265 ROCKINGHORSE LN $444,000 4 3 2,402 DETACHD 189
5364 LANGFORD LN $715,950 3 2.1 3,022 DETACHD 258
14270 EDENBERRY DR 749900 4 2.1 2,935 DETACHD 104

SOLD (January 12, 2009 – January 18, 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
7050 CHILDS RD $498,000 $385,000 2 2 1,693 DETACHD 573
2584 PARK RD $679,000 $480,000 4 2 2,302 DETACHD 279

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.

If links to ACTIVE properties do not bring up property information, the listing may no longer be active, but rather expired, cancelled, pending, or sold.

What should I offer?

aressign1This is probably the single most common question that buyers universally ask. After all, you want to get the property for a fair price that is not too high, but you also have other concerns that you want to address. How do you frame the offer to cover all of your concerns?

The first step, in my opinion, is to have your Realtor prepare a market analysis for the neighborhood in which the home that you like is located. You want to know what other homes have sold for. The houses that are used should have sold as recently as possible, going no further back than 6 months. They also need to be as similar as possible in age, size, and condition. There will always be a bit of a range in the value. Houses that sell at the low end usually have issues with either condition or location. Houses at the high end are in top-notch condition with recent upgrades and remodeling. Then there is the average. An average home is clean and in nice condition but does not necessarily have completely new kitchens and baths, or perhaps has upgrades that are not high-end. The home you are considering: where does it fit in this range? Knowing what the neighborhood is selling for, and having an idea of where your prospective home fits in the range, will tell you what the market is proving to be the value for the home. This method allows you to know if a property is over priced or a smokin’ deal. You also want to take into consideration the market history on the property. If the house has been on the market for an extended period of time without dropping the price, then it is obviously over-priced and the seller will need to negotiate down to get it sold. If it’s been on the market a long time, but the current price is a recent and large reduction, perhaps the seller has already come down enough to have the house at a fair-market value. And a house that is newly listed is less likely to take a dramatically lower offer. I believe the best way to estimate value is to take the time to do the market analysis. It will tell you what the house is worth in the current economic climate.

My next advice to a buyer is to decide what is important to them, price or terms. If getting the house for the absolutely best price possible is the priority, then make the offer clean in other areas. Sure, come in 10% below the list price but don’t ask for new carpeting, a closing date after your son graduates from High School next spring, and not subject to the sale of your current home. If you come in low and then ask for the moon, most sellers will get mad and reject your offer. On the other hand, if you really do need to make your offer subject to the sale of your current home, then to get a seller to work with you, you are going to need to be more generous on price. I do believe that most sellers expect to negotiate and when presented with a reasonable offer will respond in kind and try to make a deal work. But do decide if your priority is price or terms and then frame your offer to accomplish your priority.

I also feel that before a buyer can make an offer, he or she needs to see enough homes to develop a sense for value. What does a $300,000 house look like? When you see enough of them, you start to get a feeling for the market and sense for value. You can tell when a house is in better than average condition and yet priced the same as the ones that are a mess. That is a good deal. That is the best way to buy. I think it takes looking at about 20 houses for a buyer to develop a good sense for value.

Also, make sure that you are working with a Realtor who knows the neighborhood. Homes in Beaverton sell under different circumstances than homes in North Portland. You need to be aware how individual areas of town are selling. And even within Lake Oswego there are high-demand locations that sell for more money and more quickly because of their location.

Your home is likely the largest purchase you will ever make. You want to buy the home that you love, but you also want to make a sound investment, and the first step is making the right offer.

Open Houses for Sunday, January 11th

We had views of the mountains this morning, and are supposed to be dry and hovering near 50 Sunday! (Do I sound excited?)  If you decide to venture out and enjoy the weather and some “house-browsing”, here are some that will be held open on Sunday according to RMLS:

5054 Foothills Dr.       $285,000   2 Bd,   2 Ba,   Open 2-4

1650 Fircrest Dr.         $429,000   4 Bd,   3 Ba,   Open 1-4

1265 Rockinghorse Ln.$444,000   4 Bd,  3 Ba,   Open 1-3

4 Hillshire Dr.               $575,000   4 Bd,  3 Ba,   Open 1:30 – 3:30

5624 Southwood Dr.   $599,900   4 Bd,  3 Ba,    Open 2-4

3254 Duncan Dr.         $599,900   4 Bd,   3 1/2 Ba, Open 1-3

426 7th St.                  $778,950   4 Bd,   2 1/2 Ba, Open 1-4

16359 Chapin Way     $1,439,000 4 Bd,   3 1/2 Ba, Open 1-4

13200 Thoma Rd.        $1,995,000  5 Bd,  5 + 2 1/2 Ba, Open 2-4

Open Houses for Sunday, January 4th, 2009

The holidays are behind us, the snow has melted, and it’s time to get back into the saddle. Here are this weekend’s open houses that are being promoted on the RMLS. All are being held open on Sunday the 4th.

12868 Boones Ferry Rd, a townhouse, $295,000, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, open 1-3

5807 Ridgetop Ct, a house, $539,900, 5 BR, 2.5 Baths, open 1-4

624 Livingood Ln, a house, $574,900, 4 BR, 3 Baths, open 1-3

17512 Greenbluff Lot 1, a house, $1,425,000, 4 BR, 4 Baths, open 1-4

17554 Greenbluff Lot 2, a house, $1,850,000, 4 BR, 4 full + 4 half Baths, open 1-4

Have a great weekend.

Rainfall in Lake Oswego

I think it is fair to say that the rainy season has begun. A Russian immigrant, who has become a good friend of my family, once commented to me that Oregon only has two seasons: wet and dry. If you are following the blotter from out of the area, and perhaps even considering moving here, I think it is only fair to be completely honest with you about our weather.

As you have read in several recent posts, we have a glorious fall with the trees turning colors and sunshine that is bright. It is also in the fall that the transition happens from mostly sunny days to mostly rainy days. The rain will dominate the forecast until about April. Then the transition will happen back to mostly sunny days.

Our rainfall is unique in that it seems to fall in a steady mist. While we do have days that the rain falls heavily, for the most part it is a soft and steady drizzle. I have heard it compared to the rainfall in Ireland. Because it is usually a gentle rain, you might be surprised to learn that umbrellas are used infrequently. Oregonians generally just put on a good coat and go out in it. It is really quite lovely, once you get used to it and quit seeing it as an inconvenience. It is also really good for maintaining lovely skin.

The information below gives high and low temperatures, as well as average rainfall, for Lake Oswego. The information is courtesy of www.countrystudies.us. Temperatures are listed in Fahrenheit.

Lake Oswego Weather

US Geography / US Weather / Oregon Weather / Lake Oswego

January:

Average High 46, Average Low 32, Mean 38, Average Precipitation 6.0 inches

February:

Average High 51, Average Low 34, Mean 44, Average Precipitation 4.6 inches

March:

Average High 55, Average Low 36, Mean 46, Average Precipitation 4.1 inches

April:

Average High 58, Average Low 38, Mean 50, Average Precipitation 2.8 inches

May:

Average High 66, Average Low 44, Mean 55, Average Precipitation 2.3 inches

June:

Average High 74, Average Low 48, Mean 62, Average Precipitation 1.7 inches

July:

Average High 78, Average Low 52, Mean 66, Average Precipitation 0.7 inches

August:

Average High 80, Average Low 52, Mean 66, Average Precipitation 1.0 inches

September:

Average High 74, Average Low 48, Mean 62, Average Precipitation 1.8 inches

October:

Average High 64, Average Low 41, Mean 54, Average Precipitation 3.3 inches

November:

Average High 52, Average Low 37, Mean 45, Average Precipitation 6.3 inches

December:

Average High 46, Average Low 34, Mean 40, Average Precipitation 6.9 inches

So we get very little rainfall in the summer and quite a lot of rainfall in the winter. However, in my experience, there are always surprises. The summer after Mt. St. Helens erupted never happened. It was cold and gray with very little sunshine. And it also seems to me that February tends to have many sunny days. Perhaps that is because after November, December, and January, the decreasing rain is so noticeable. I will also tell you that when the sunny weather starts again in the spring, people really make the most of it. On that first nice day everyone spends the day outside: walking, gardening, going to the coast, and just generally taking advantage of the nice conditions.

I have learned to love the rain. The sound of it makes me sleep better at night and I credit it with giving us our lush landscaping. When I visit other states that don’t get this kind of rainfall, I can’t help but feel like they just don’t have the beauty that Oregon does. I’m a fifth generation Oregonian. I guess it is just in my blood.