Dianne Gregoire, Author at Property Blotter

April 5, 2023April 5, 2023

Market Activity March 27-April 2, 2023

Last week in Lake Oswego there were 9 new listings, 20 of which sold quickly and appear in the report as pending, 12 pending sales, and 4 sold/closed properties.

The spring market, in my opinion, is getting off to a slow start. However, what is coming on the market is selling quickly. It remains a great time to buy or to sell a house. I am expecting the inventory to increase as we get further into the season.

See below for RMLS data

New on the Market March 27-April 2, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
4 Touchstone #80	Condo	$245,000	2	2	984
4000 Carman Dr #60	Condo	$324,900	2	2	866
16250 Pacific Hwy #55	Condo	$370,000	2	2	1305
6 The Grotto	Detached	$649,000	3	2	1381
5178 Lower Dr	Detached	$694,500	3	2	1764
3290 Childs Rd	Detached	$739,900	3	1	1708
1228 Maple St	Detached	$2,279,000	4	3.5	3505

Pending March 27-April 2, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
47 Eagle Crest Dr #31	Condo	$242,500	2	1	1009	4
4 Touchstone Dr #151	Condo	$299,900	3	2.5	1351	38
5062 Foothills Dr H	Condo	$429,000	3	2	1252	151
16200 Pacific Hwy #14	Condo	$500,000	2	2	1207	5
5650 Lakeview Blvd	Detached	$549,000	3	2	2715	2
16472 Bonaire Ave	Detached	$650,000	3	2	1464	5
13125 Vermeer Dr	Detached	$715,000	4	2.5	2046	5
7 Spinosa	Detached	$749,900	3	3	2295	9
19211 Indian Springs Rd	Detached	$759,000	4	3	2132	71
7 Hotspur St	Detached	$825,000	4	3	2195	19
2318 Hillside Ln	Detached	$1,195,000	4	3.5	3258	14
4947 Park Bluff Pl	Detached	$2,400,000	4	4.5	4292	372

Sold/Closed March 27-April 2, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Closed Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
44 Eagle Crest Dr #23	Condo	$229,000	$231,250	798	44
219 Cervantes #219	Condo	$325,000	$267,500	1100	110
1120 Boca Ratan Dr	Attached	$550,000	$550,000	1611	44
49 Da Vinci St	Detached	$899,900	$822,000	2351	24

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.

March 26, 2023March 26, 2023

Featured Neighborhood: Evergreen

There are 25 distinct neighborhoods in Lake Oswego. 23 of the 25 have active neighborhood associations, including Evergreen. These are not Homeowners Associations. They don’t have rules and regulations or charge dues. Rather, they give neighbors a place to discuss the character of their community and organize as a group when issues arise.

Located South of A Avenue, West of 10th Street, North of the lake, and East of State Street, the primary feature of this neighborhood, in my opinion, is it’s easy access to restaurants, the Farmer’s Market, and downtown LO.

Housing includes condos, townhouses, detached homes and apartments. There are currently just two houses for sale. Both are new construction of about 5,000 square feet and pretty expensive: $3,600,000 and $3,825,000. There are two houses in escrow: a 1952 “fixer” for $875,000 and a lakefront house on Cabana Lane for $2,498,000. In the last 6 months 4 houses have been sold. The least expensive was fairly large house built in 1958 that sold for $864,000 and a 2022 built house that sold for $2,095,000.

Cabana Lane is one of my favorite streets in Lake Oswego. The houses are built on stilts over the water of the lake. They are very close together and have small front yards, but their back yards are, literally, the lake. Most of these houses have attached boat garages. This truly is lake living.

It’s a very walkable neighborhood with quiet streets and abundant, large trees. I personally love to take walks in the Evergreen neighborhood. I park my car at Foothills Park and then take the Curlicue Trail up into the Evergreen area. My walk includes the loop around Lakewood Bay. It’s mostly flat and just really lovely. As a bonus, I can take a break for coffee at Peets, or lunch at one of the many restaurants in the area.

To learn more about the area, here is a link to the Evergreen Neighborhood Association. https://sites.google.com/site/evergreenneighborhood/

I hope you enjoyed learning about another of LO’s great neighborhoods. As always, thanks for reading the blotter.

Dianne

March 24, 2023March 24, 2023

Market Activity March 13-19, 2023

Last week in Lake Oswego there were 5 new listings, one of which sold quickly and appears here as a pending sale, 11 houses that went pending, and 6 sold/closed properties.

I find myself intrigued by the low number of new listings. This is the time of year when they amp up. We should see this number increase significantly in the next 30 days.

See below for RMLS data.

New on the Market March 13-19, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
13254 Twin Creek Ct	Detached	$1,188,000	4	2.5	3470
2318 Hillside Ln	Detached	$1,195,000	4	4.5	3258
2020 Wembley Park Rd	Detached	$1,199,000	3	2	1712

Pending Sales March 13-19, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
4433 Thunder Vista Ln	Condo	$450,000	2	2.5	2002	7
16061 Waluga Dr	Detached	$450,000	1	1	676	45
11 Eagle Crest Dr	Detached	$575,000	2	2	1522	4
5133 Timbergrove St	Detached	$649,900	3	2	1440	25
1865 Mapleleaf Rd	Detached	$799,900	3	2	1686	12
567 2nd St	Condo	$1,095,000	2	2	1412	2
765 10th St	Detached	$1,099,000	3	3	2526	122
18490 Ray Ridge Dr	Detached	$1,100,000	3	3.5	3426	4
16800 Lakeridge Dr	Detached	$1,290,000	4	3	2416	11
13310 Atwater Ln	Detached	$2,350,000	5	4	5697	22
13132 Thoma Rd	Detached	$2,975,000	5	5.5	5434	336

Sold/Closed March 13-19, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
30 Crestfield Ct #30	Condo	$339,000	$315,000	9989	11
23 Aquinas St	Detached	$775,000	$775,000	1840	10
1265 Rockinghorse Ln	Detached	$875,000	$850,000	2452	211
24 Grouse Ter	Detached	$1,200,000	$1,100,000	3673	16
776 Carrera Ln	Detached	$1,499,000	$1,375,000	3449	221
15791 Twin Fir Rd	Detached	$1,739,000	$1,620,000	4035	197

March 11, 2023March 10, 2023

The Booktique

Lake Oswego has a very special book store, The Booktique. Founded in 1991 by Friends of the Lake Oswego Public Library, it supports library programs such as Lake Oswego reads, the summer reading program, books for babies and more. In 2016 it was chosen by The Oregonian as one of the 10 best bookstores in the Portland area.

Books come from the library itself, but most are donated. Books must be in good condition. You can donate one box or two bags of books per week. With two locations, you can shop in person or on-line. The average inventory is 15,000 books in every subject imaginable. They also offer LPs, CDs, and Blue-Ray.

The money raised is not a replacement of library support from government funds. Rather it is an enhancement to those funds to allow the library to offer more services to the community.

The two locations are 380 A Ave, Suite B and 4 Monroe Parkway Suite D. For store hours and to shop on-line, click here.

I use the library quite a lot. I hope you have found this information useful. And, as always, thank you for reading The Blotter.

Dianne

March 10, 2023March 10, 2023

Market Activity Feb 27-Mar 5, 2023

Last week in Lake Oswego we had 6 new listings, 10 properties move to pending status, and 12 closed sales.

See below for RMLS data.

New on the Market Feb 27-Mar 5, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
204 Cervantes	Condo	$360,000	3	1	1138
200 Burnham Rd #303	Condo	$369,000	2	1	1185
18400 Indian Creek Dr	Detached	$825,000	4	3	1736
2025 Wembley Park Rd	Detached	$1,249,900	3	2.5	2901
17649 Woodhurst Pl	Detached	$1,550,000	5	4.5	5669
1611 Leslie Ln	Detached	$4,450,000	5	5.5+.5	6979

Pending Sales Feb 27-Mar 5, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
44 Eagle Crest Dr #23	Condo	$229,900	1	1	798	44
219 Cervantes	Condo	$320,000	2	2	1100	110
5133 Timbergrove St	Detached	$649,900	3	2	1440	11
1206 Cedar St	Detached	$725,000	3	1.5	1426	15
49 Da Vinci St	Detached	$840,000	3	2	2351	24
1805 Headlee Ln	Detached	$850,000	2	2	2388	7
16932 Greentree Ave	Detached	$899,000	4	3	3440	7
19863 Sycamore Ave	Detached	$1,050,000	4	3	2961	7
2485 Greentree Rd	Detached	$2,199,900	4	4	3853	186
17435 Wren Ct	Detached	$3,695,000	4	4.5	4134	52

Sold/Closed Feb 27-Mar 5, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Closed Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
47 Eagle Crest Dr #18	Condo	$249,999	$249,999	932	12
200 Burnham Rd #304	Condo	$365,000	$358,000	1305	6
12826 Boones Ferry Rd	Condo	$464,900	$450,000	1182	192
20 Wheatherstone	Condo	$479,000	$485,000	1692	154
16 Hotspur St	Detached	$799,000	$772,000	2335	5
17808 Cardinal Pl	Detached	$899,000	$975,000	2008	5
757 C Ave	Detached	$1,499, 000	$1,243,000	2948	76
13052 Knaus Rd	Detached	$1,400,000	$1,375,000	3026	23
18975 Olson Ave	Detached	$1,850,000	$1,668,000	3569	144
852 E Ave	Detached	$1,850,000	$1,979,000	2839	109
4938 Park Bluff Pl	Detached	$2,495,000	$2,470,050	4046	167
3917 Southshore Blvd	Detached	$5,200,000	$4,925,000	5083	0

February 24, 2023February 24, 2023

500 Feet

If you pay attention to the news at all, you likely are aware that there has been a major winter storm crossing the United States for the last couple of days. So, yes, LO got snow. At my house I think I got 3-4 inches. A beautiful dusting but not so much that it lead to power outages or tree fall. Really beautiful.

Some parts of the metro area got much more. In Portland they got 11 inches. My good friend in Hillsboro got 10 inches.

When I am showing houses and people ask me about snow, I always tell them the importance of 500 feet. We don’t get a lot of snow. We get a dusting that doesn’t stick a few times each winter, but snow lasting on the ground does not happen every year. And when it does, it melts after a few days. The difference is when you live higher than 500 feet in elevation. Above 500 feet you will get a lot more snow. the stuff that dusts the valley floor and doesn’t stick will stick above 500 feet. Something to bear in mind when house hunting.

You should also know that even 3-4 inches will shut down the entire metro area. Other parts of the country live with much heavier snowfall with no consequences. Here in the Portland area we have many hills and sloped, even steep, roads. Those are treacherous when it snows. And the snowfall is infrequent enough that people are ill equipped with vehicles and tires that can’t maneuver in the snow.

I drive a Subaru. I will show houses even in heavy snow. It’s very empowering!

Most folks in the Portland area look forward to snow day. It’s a little holiday in our hectic lives. We know that we can have a cup of tea and enjoy the winter wonderland.

Dianne

February 21, 2023

Market Activity Feb 13-19, 2023

Last week in Lake Oswego we had 10 new listings, 6 homes move to pending status, and 6 closed/sold properties. That feels a little flat to me. It is a slight up tick in new listings, but I would have anticipated more pending and sold properties.

The average length of time that a property is in escrow is about 30 days. So I think back to January 13-19, still pretty early in the New Year, the wind down from the Holidays, just a slower time for the real estate market. That reflects directly onto our closed transactions for last week.

I still feel that the spring market will be strong. Time will tell.

See below for RMLS data.

New Listings Feb 13-19, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
4 Touchstone Dr #151	Condo	$224,900	3	2.5	1351
5133 Timbergrove St	Detached	$649,900	3	2	1440
1206 Cedar St	Detached	$775,000	3	1.5	1426
13379 Thoma Rd	Detached	$999,500	4	2.5	2594
1437 Greentree Circle	Detached	$1,025,000	4	3	2395
1215 Cedar St	Detached	$1,150,000	2	3	3236
16800 Lakeridge Dr	Detached	$1,290,000	4	3	2416
3875 Carman Dr	Detached	$1,395,000	4	4.5	3817
980 Lund St	Detached	$1,725,000	4	3.5	3098
17104 Canal Circle	Detached	$2,350,000	4	3.5	3473

Pending Sales Feb 13-19, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
30 Crestfield Ct #20	Condo	$339,000	2	2	989	11
200 Burnham Rd #304	Condo	$365,000	2	2	1305	6
1731 Aspen Ct	Detached	$619,000	3	2	1440	4
1448 Greentree Circle	Detached	$945,000	4	2.5	2649	24
24 Grouse Terr	Detached	$1,200,000	5	3.5	3673	16
4983 Park Bluff Pl	Detached	$2,349,500	4	3.5	4088	239

Sold/Closed Feb 13-19, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	CDOM
86 Kingsgate Rd #63	Condo	$370,000	$265,000	849	156
16250 Pacific Hwy #81	Condo	$338,000	$315,000	841	99
18350 Pilkington Rd	Detached	$565,000	$605,000	1290	2
1600 Aspen St	Detached	$575,000	$650,000	2212	19
2845 Vale Ct	Detached	$900,000	$820,000	3157	101
17484 Bryant Rd	Detached	$1,825,000	$1,590,000	3615	129

February 12, 2023

Pickleball in LO

Believe it or not, pickleball has been a hot bed of controversy for the last year or so in Lake Oswego. It has been played at George Roger’s Park for several years. It’s super popular and engages people of all ages. That popularity meant that the courts were used quite a lot. The noise of the game play bothered the residents in the neighborhood. It really bothered them. In January the Lake Oswego City Council voted to permanently close the courts at George Roger’s Park.

What is going to happen now?

In the same city council meeting that closed the courts at George Roger’s Park, the city council ordered Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation to explore converting the tennis courts at Westlake Park into Pickleball Courts. This process is expected to take about 10 months.

In the mean time, a local business owner is stepping up. Kent and Jami Drangsholt, owners of At the Garages Live Music Venue Eatery & Taphouse, are installing 2 full-sized Pickleball courts and 2 smaller, “dink” courts. Use of the courts will require a monthly membership, which is not ideal for everyone, however, I think the venue will be fun because along with Pickleball, people will be able to grab a bite to eat and to enjoy live music. I think it’s an attractive alternative while the community waits for the development of the courts at Westlake Park.

Lake Oswego does have a Pickleball Club. If you want to have the latest updates on Pickleball in Lake Oswego, this is a good place to start. For access to club information, click here.

I hope you have found this information to be helpful. As always, thanks for reading the blotter.

Dianne

February 9, 2023

Market Activity Jan 30-Feb 5, 2023

The market was rather quiet in Lake Oswego last week. There were 10 new listings, 3 of which sold quickly and are reflected here as pending sales, 13 pending sales and 4 closed sales.

I expect the market to really kick into gear the week after the super bowl. That is, in my experience, a very big week in real estate.

See below for RMLS data.

New Listings Jan 30-Feb 5, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet
23 Aquinas St	Detached	$775,000	4	2.5	1840
4997 Mulholland Dr	Detached	$829,900	2	2.5	2468
13594 Blazer Trail	Detached	$895,000	3	2	1996
24 Grouse Terrace	Detached	$1,200,000	5	3.5	3673
21 D Ave #11	Condo	$1,665,600	2	2.5	1980
21 D Ave #15	Condo	$1,769,600	2	2.5	2094
21 D Ave #10	Condo	$1,802,400	2	2.5	2065

Pending Sales Jan 30-Feb 5, 2023

Address	Type	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Sq Feet	DOM
47 Eagle Crest Dr #18	Condo	$249,999	2	1	932	12
44 Eagle Crest Dr #24	Condo	$265,000	3	2	1085	5
30 Condolea Dr	Condo	$450,000	2	2	1420	27
1600 Aspen St	Detached	$575,000	3	2.5	2212	5
668 McVey Ave #57	Condo	$650,000	3	1.5	992	0
16061 Waluga Dr	Detached	$660,000	1	1	676	4
573 2nd St	Condo	$1,200,000	2	2.5	1659	15
17390 Grandview Ct	Detached	$1,450,000	4	4.5+.5	4502	8
776 Carrera Ln	Detached	$1,499,000	4	3	3449	28
18975 Olson Ave	Detached	$1,668,000	5	3	3569	144
1745 Mapleleaf Rd	Detached	$1,699,900	5	3.5	3661	100
16515 Inverurie Rd	Detached	$1,879,900	5	3.5	3490	3
1956 Highlands Loop	Detached	$2,750,000	5	4.5	4641	5

Sold/Closed Jan 30-Feb 5, 2023

Address	Type	List Price	Closed Price	Sq Feet	DOM
16 Summit Ridge Ct	Condo	$485,000	$454,900	1576	93
17920 Meadowlark Ln	Detached	$1,250,000	$1,168,500	2758	78
3900 Canal Rd	Detached	$1,850,000	$1,650,000	4934	0
4241 Cobb Way	Detached	$1,949,000	$1,949,000	3292	26

January 28, 2023

Radon: Take Action

As January comes to a close, I want to take advantage of the fact that January is Radon Awareness Month. This is important as you buy or sell a home, but it’s also important simply as a human who lives in a contained environment. Whether you are buying or sell or not, you should test your house for radon.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is given off by granite boulders. These boulders are buried deep in the ground. You can’t see them, so you don’t know if they are there or not. This is why everyone should be doing radon tests.

I first became concerned about radon when I read an article in a local newspaper about 20 years ago. A resident of my neighborhood, in the Lake Grove section of Lake Oswego, died of lung cancer. He had been a non-smoker. After his death, his wife checked their home for radon and discovered elevated levels. It was the likely cause of his death.

It’s estimated that 20,000 deaths in the US each year are caused by radon exposure. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after cigarette exposure.

While some parts of the metro area are known for elevated radon levels (the Alameda Ridge is Northeast Portland is often referred to as Radon Ridge), radon can be found in Lake Oswego. I sold a house in Village on the Lake a number of years ago and radon was found. It was a lake-front house.

In Oregon, radon is fairly common in the northern Willamette Valley. This is a result of the Great Missoula Flood that occurred thousands of years ago. A huge ice dam formed in the area of what is now Sandpoint, Idaho. It contained a lake that went deep into Montana. When the ice melted it released a huge flow of water and debris that came across Eastern Washington, dug out the Columbia River Gorge, and came to rest in the Willamette Valley. This flow contained granite boulders that, today, are the primary source of radon in homes in this area.

While there is no known safe level of radon, it can be measured. The test is simple. You can buy a test at most home improvement stores. You set two canisters in your house for several days, then mail them off to a lab, and you get emailed results within about 10 days. It’s been awhile since I’ve done it this way, but I believe it costs under $100. Or you can hire a professional. This costs about $150. They set a test box into your house for 2 days and you get same day results.

Correcting radon is usually under $2000. Not super expensive.

My point here is that it’s easy to do. Realtors in Oregon are trained to make radon testing a part of the home inspection process. But do the test for the benefit of yourself even if you aren’t selling.

I hope you find this information helpful. Here’s to going into February living in the safest and healthiest home possible.

Dianne