Category: General

All About Lake Oswego, Oregon real estate topics

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Call Before You Dig

Well, it pays to stay on top of rules and regulations… and often that means avoiding liability by understanding your obligations as a property owner. Did you know that digging in your own yard could be hazardous to your pocket book? If you should dig into a utility line (gas, electric, etc.) you will most likely be held financially responsible if you did not call to have utilities “marked” prior to doing so… not to mention the possibility of bodily injury.

“Call Before You Dig” is a mandate in Oregon and other states requiring that utilities be located by the utility company prior to digging in your yard, garden, etc. This, of course, includes digging to install a real estate “for sale” sign too, and so is something to be aware of if you are putting your home on the market. If your agent uses a sign and post company, arrangements may be made with them for utilities to be marked in the general area where your sign will be placed. As the responsible homeowner, it would be a good idea for you to check with your agent regarding whether you or the sign company will be making these arrangements. The utility company will visit your property and actually spray the ground where you’d like the sign placed indicating the “OK” (or not) for digging. This will take an extra couple of days, so be sure to allow time in addition to the notice the sign company or installer will need prior to post & sign placement. More information may be found at: http://www.callbeforeyoudig.org/

Recently the process has been streamlined, and a number to call has been activated to make things easier (and safer) for everyone. Before digging, simply call “811” and you will be connected with the Utility Notification Center which administers the “One Call” system. The Utility Notification Center is open 24 hours a day, everyday. Homeowners, contractors, and anyone planning to dig may call.

Currently there is no charge for this service in most locations. The only areas under the authority of the Utility Notification Center that do have fees are Spokane and Stevens counties in Washington state… so here in Lake Oswego, it’s free!

Enjoy your summer… relish working in your garden, or proceed full steam ahead with the marketing of your home… just do it safely, and protect your health as well as your pocketbook.

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Go West Young Man!

I think a good question to ask is why our values are remaining relatively high compared to other parts of the United States. In one word: migration.

United Van Lines has tracked shipment patterns for people relocating within the United States since 1977. Their most recent study, which tracks migration patterns that occured in 2007, shows some interesting patterns.

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The area of the country that lost the greatest number of people was the Great Lakes Region with Michigan leading the pack as the top out-bound location. Other states with high out-bound migration were North Dakota and New Jersey. When looking at the out-bound trends, one that caught my eye was that the migration out of California slowed down last year to the smallest percentage seen in five years.

So where were migration trends of states that had more people moving in than moving out? In the South and in the West. North Carolina was the #1 destination state with Alabama and South Carolina not too far behind. In the West, the states that lead the pack for in-bound migration were Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona.

The economics of real estate value has a whole lot to do with demand. In Michigan, where the auto industry is a huge employer and has had to lay off many of its workers, it would make sense that there would be people moving away, less demand for housing, and lowering prices. In states like Oregon, where there are more people moving in than are moving out, it would have the reverse of the same logic. People moving in creates more demand for housing which could help to keep home prices stable.

Having said all of that, I found the statistic about California really interesting. People moving to Oregon from California is a big part of the real estate market. If that source of buyers in declining, I do think that it will have an impact on our market. In addition, if those people who do move to Oregon from California are getting less for the homes that they are selling, then they will have less purchasing power when they arrive in Oregon.

It will be very, very interesting to see how this plays out over the course of the next year or two.

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Lake Oswego Open Houses – June 6-7, 2008

Another long list of homes await home tour aficionados and home shoppers this weekend in Lake Oswego.

Here’s the list of Lake Oswego opens for Saturday and Sunday:

Date Time Address
List Price
Bdrms
Baths
Total SF
6/8/08 1-3 p.m. 86 KINGSGATE RD
$185,000
2
2
938
6/8/08 1-3 p.m. 9 EAGLE CREST DR
$299,000
2
2
1,492
6/8/08 1-4pm 4458 THUNDER VISTA LN
$339,500
3
2.1
2,200
6/8/08 1-4pm 1695 MEADOWS DR
$417,500
4
3
2,185
6/8/08 12-2pm 17755 HILL WAY
$419,900
3
3
1,887
6/8/08 2-4:30pm 17304 MARJORIE AVE
$425,000
3
1.1
1,340
6/8/08 1:00-3:00 PM 18929 SW TERRY AVE
$429,950
4
2
2,065
6/8/08 1-3 p.m. 16990 LOWER MEADOWS DR
$449,900
3
2.1
2,000
6/8/08 1-4pm 17870 DEERBRUSH AVE
$449,900
3
2.1
1,912
6/8/08 1-3pm 4760 LOWER DR
$450,000
3
3
3,252
6/8/08 1:00-3:00 666 3RD ST
$454,950
3
1.1
1,759
6/8/08 1-4 PM 960 9TH ST
$525,000
3
1
1,429
6/8/08 1 to 4 3721 TEMPEST DR
$589,900
4
2.1
2,572
6/8/08 1-3 PM 4729 CAMBRIDGE CT
$599,900
2
2.1
3,056
6/8/08 1-4pm 5624 SOUTHWOOD DR
$645,000
4
3
3,120
6/8/08 1-4pm 8 CAMELOT CT
$650,000
5
3
3,080
6/8/08 1-4pm 4691 CHELSEA LN
$689,900
4
2.1
3,102
6/8/08 1-3 p.m. 14121 GABRIELLE CT
$698,500
4
2.1
3,015
6/8/08 1:30-3:30 17 SCARBOROUGH DR
$699,900
4
2.1
3,290
6/8/08 1pm-3pm 2650 LOOKOUT CT
$699,900
4
3.1
3,480
6/7/08 1-4pm 18086 JENIFERS WAY
$719,900
3
2.1
2,566
6/8/08 1-4 PM 18086 JENIFERS WAY
$719,900
3
2.1
2,566
6/8/08 1-3 p.m. 17706 MARYLBROOK DR
$724,900
3
2.2
2,977
6/8/08 1-4PM 34 HILLSHIRE DR
$740,000
4
2.1
3,822
6/8/08 1-4pm 17755 TREETOP LN
$769,000
5
3.1
3,864
6/8/08 1-4pm 2704 ORCHARD HILL LN
$789,000
5
3
3,207
6/8/08 12:30-2:30 3540 RED CEDAR WAY
$999,000
5
3.1
4,100
6/8/08 1PM -4PM 4311 HAVEN ST
$1,086,750
5
4
3,816
6/8/08 1PM – 4PM 950 OAK TER
$1,199,950
4
2.1
3,714
6/8/08 1-3 p.m. 577 MIDDLECREST RD
$1,200,000
4
2.1
2,000
6/7/08 1-4pm 12439 SW 22ND AVE
$1,299,000
4
3.1
4,118
6/8/08 1-4pm 12439 SW 22ND AVE
$1,299,000
4
3.1
4,118
6/8/08 1-3 p.m. 622 OAK MEADOW DR
$1,325,000
4
3.1
4,168
6/8/08 1-3 p.m. 17464 RIDGEVIEW LN
$1,348,950
4
3.1
4,407
6/7/08 1-4pm 12424 SW 22ND AVE
$1,350,000
5
4.1
4,771
6/8/08 1-4pm 12424 SW 22ND AVE
$1,350,000
5
4.1
4,771
6/8/08 1-3 p.m. 664 OAK MEADOW DR
$1,355,000
4
3.1
4,198
6/8/08 1-3 p.m. 17433 RIDGEVIEW LN
$1,495,000
4
4.1
4,659
6/7/08 3:00-5:00 1725 EDGECLIFF TER
$2,199,000
3
3.5
5,386

Please note, dates and times are subject to change without notice. This list may not contain ALL open houses in the city, but represent those that agents have publicized in the multiple listing service as of Friday afternoon. 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.

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Lake Oswego Flood Zone Changes

Lakefront property owners in Lake Oswego are pretty comfortable overall with the knowledge that the lake is managed and dammed, and so concerns regarding rising water during heavy rains etc are not prevalent. The lake is owned and managed by the Lake Oswego Corporation (LOC), a local entity to which lakefront residents establish membership and pay dues. Every few years the lake is drained for a few months to allow residents to clean and repair boat docks along the lake and canals, and generally speaking, it is understood that the lake is a controlled body of water. Even so, in the flood of 1996, water did spill over in some areas because it was not able to be released quickly enough at the dam to compensate for the heavy inflow.

FEMA recently completed a study of the Lake Oswego area and has determined that it will change the flood zone designation for properties on the lake, as well as properties surrounding the canals, Tualatin River, and Spring Creek. The maps for the 100-year flood zone have been altered, and are available for viewing at www.ci.oswego.or.us/plan. The city’s website states: “Text amendments are intended to comply with FEMA’s regulations so that the City can retain eligibility for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.”

Lake Oswego must be compliant with FEMA’s requirements in order for Lake Oswego residents to be able to take advantage of their flood insurance policies in the event of a natural disaster. Lake Oswego property owners, especially those near the lake, would be well advised to double-check their property’s location on these new maps and its relation to the new flood zones, as they may be required to carry flood insurance now, even though that was not the case when the property was purchased.

According to Kelley Woodwick at Chicago Title, there is good news for sellers, in that flood insurance contracts may be transferred to new buyers at grandfathered rates and zones. Again, check the city’s new maps before June 18th to acquire information on the grandfathered areas… after the 18th, I am told that the information will most likely be removed from the website.

There are also new regulations resulting, including elevation requirements for remodeling and new construction. Significant remodeling jobs now require that the structure be at 104.5 ft elevation as compared to the old standard of 103.5 ft. New construction after June 18, 2008 will also be required to meet a 104.5 ft elevation requirement.

Checking with the City of Lake Oswego is always a good idea, and much information can be found at their website (above). Stay informed, stay protected, and stay dry!

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Green Lingo

earth_1.jpg

Most of us are aware that being “Green” is becoming more and more of a focus in nearly all areas of our life including: organic foods, local products (to avoid fuel for transportation), eco-conscious goods of all kinds, earth-friendly energy solutions, bio fuels, energy-efficiency, recycling, the paperless movement and on & on. The world of real estate is not exempt from this burgeoning awareness of all things green, and the demand for green buildings is creating a new language as well.

From “Carbon Footprint” to “Green-Washing”, you’d better come up to speed or you may be left wondering what in the world people are talking about around the water cooler, or at your next cocktail party. (Smile… pretend… maybe it will come to you!) Fortunately the city of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development http://www.portlandonline.com/osd/ has come to the rescue with a glossary of terms to help even the most confused among us. Here are a few terms from this glossary that you may find useful to know:

Adaptive Reuse- Rehabilitation of a building or site for new uses.

Biodegradable- Capable of decomposing under natural conditions.

Brownfield- Abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facility/site where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by environmental contamination.

Carbon Footprint- A measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

Daylighting- The use of controlled natural lighting methods indoors through skylights, windows, and reflected light.

E-Waste- Waste materials generated from using or discarding electronic devices, such as computers, televisions, and mobile phones. E-waste tends to be highly toxic to humans, plants and animals, and has been known to contaminate water, air and dirt.

Graywater- Water that has been used for showering, clothes-washing, and faucet uses. Kitchen sink and toilet water is excluded. This water can be reused in subsurface irrigation for yards.

Green Building- An integrated framework of design, construction, and operational practices that encompasses the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the buildings.

Green Design- A design, usually architectural, conforming to environmentally sound principles of building, material and energy use. A green building might make use of solar panels, skylights and recycled building materials.

Green Development- A development approach that goes beyond conventional development practices by integrating environmental responsiveness, resource efficiency and efficient building operations.

Green Wash- To falsely claim a product is environmentally sound. Also known as “faux green”. Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)- Certification program created by the U.S. Green Building Council that sets standards for efficient and sustainable design.

Mixed-Use Development- A development in one or several buildings that combines several revenue-producing uses that are integrated into a comprehensive plan such as a project with elements of housing, retail and office space.

Negawatt- The saving of a megawatt of power by reducing consumption or increasing efficiency.

Pervious Paving- Paving material that allows water to penetrate to the soil below thus reducing the amount of water that needs to be treated by the water system, and increases the water in the aquifer.

Solar Access- Access to the sun’s rays by, for instance, restricting the location of shade trees or laying out of the building so as to maximize the usefulness of solar energy.

Triple Bottom Line- A business and development philosophy incorporating the three E’s: equity, environment, economics. Also referred to as the three P’s: people, planet, profit.

Waste Heat Recovery- The reclaiming of waste heat in a building to preheat cold water or air before it is fed into a water heater or heating system.

Xeriscape (registered)- Creative landscaping design for conserving water that uses drought-resistant or drought-tolerant plants. A registered trademark of Denver Water.

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Welcome Betty!

A big bloggers welcome to Betty Jung and the metro area’s latest addition to local real estate blogging.  Betty is a Realtor with Re/Max equity group and has just started her new blog, All About….Portland.Oregon.Real Estate.  Betty has a fresh voice and is eager to jump into the pool.  Welcome!

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Lake Oswego: A History

Lake Oswego SmelterThe Clackamas Indians originally inhabited the area now known as Lake Oswego. The Indians called the lake Waluga, meaning wild swan.

Lake Oswego is only about 15 miles North of Abernathy Green, the historic end of The Oregon Trail. Being so close to the destination of those traveling West, the earliest settlers brought a scattering of homesteads and farms.

The town of Oswego was founded in 1847 by Albert Durham who named it after his hometown of Oswego, New York. In the early days of the town the lake was known as Sucker Lake and the creek from the Tualatin River that fed into the lake was known as Sucker Creek. Albert Durham built a sawmill along Sucker Creek.

Waterways were the main means of transportation and commerce and Lake Oswego was very much a part of that. Goods could be transported down Sucker Creek, across the lake, and down to the Willamette River. This allowed river traffic to circumvent the falls along the Willamette River that are next to Oregon City. Today you can see evidence of this river traffic in the ferry crossings and ferry launches. One of the old ferry launches is still visible in downtown Lake Oswego at George Rogers Park, and there is still an active ferry crossing South of Lake Oswego between West Linn and Canby.

The first blast furnace on the West coast for the smelting of iron ore was built in Lake Oswego in 1865. At the time, the early industrialists hoped to turn Lake Oswego into “The Pittsburg of the West”. This may very well have happened if not for the advent of railway.

The coming of reliable trains had two huge impacts on Lake Oswego. First, better quality and less expensive iron ore could be manufactured elsewhere and quickly transported where needed, which pretty much doomed the iron ore industry in Lake Oswego. And second, the railroad made travel between Portland and Oswego easy and affordable. At the height of the rail service between Portland and Lake Oswego, in 1920, there were 64 trains daily. This same rail line is still in use today and known as the Willamette Shore Trolley. It remains a lovely way to see the river and enjoy a leisurely ride into Portland.

With transportation convenient between Lake Oswego and Portland, the town of Oswego blossomed. The lake drew people down for the weekend. To this day you will see a mix of small cottages that were built in the 1920’s and likely used as summer recreation homes for people who lived in Portland. Again, as transportation continued to improve with good roads and the ownership of cars, people were able to not just vacation in Lake Oswego, but also to live in Oswego and work in Portland.

The “City of Oswego” became the “City of Lake Oswego” in 1960 when the city annexed the town to the West, Lake Grove. The two names were combined to create Lake Oswego. And for clarity, the city is “Lake Oswego” and the lake is “Oswego Lake”.

The draw that has always made people want to live here is the same now as it was when the city was founded in 1847. It is next to the Willamette River and has a huge lake in the middle. The scenery is gorgeous and opportunities for recreation are plentiful. The close proximity to a major city with a major port allows people who live here to be near good jobs. And the town has always been a well-loved and well-cared for by the community. New residents are nearly always overheard mentioning how wonderful it is to live in a community where people really care, and where participation in everything from schools to local government is so full and vibrant.

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Welcome to PropertyBlotter!

Welcome to the premier edition of the Property Blotter!

This blog is intended to be a fun and useful forum pertaining to real estate issues in the City of Lake Oswego. It will bring you information that directly reflects current market conditions.

Art in Lakeview VillageIt will also provide you with history of the area and insights into Lake Oswego’s vibrant community. You will find plenty of statistics and details about houses currently for sale and recently sold. You will also find neighborhood profiles and featured homes. And, yes, you’ll get commentary on local events and neighborhood happenings.

What you will not find is endless self-promotion and unneeded advertising. This is going to be a place to learn about Lake Oswego real estate and not a place that will waste your time. We don’t care for that sort of thing any more than you do.

And just who are we and why do we have any right to be doing this? We are Realtors with Oregon First Real Estate. We have each lived in Lake Oswego for some time and have been directly a part of this community. Between us we have 30 years of experience selling real estate in this fine community. Between us we have lived in Lake Oswego for 20 years. Our children have attended school here. We participated in sports here. We volunteered with local non-profits here. We know this town.

Lake Oswego is an amazing place to live. It is also seriously misunderstood. Yes, there are million-dollar homes in Lake Oswego. But more than money, Lake Oswego is a town that has people who care. It has always had great schools and so attracts families looking for excellent public schools. There are modest homes as well as lakeside estates

If we are doing our job right, you’ll come away from this blog feeling like you know a bit more about what prices of homes are like, what is going on with local businesses, and what it is about LO that makes it a great place to live and to work. If you currently live here, you’ll know more about what your home may be worth. If you are thinking about moving here, you’ll know more about what to expect when you buy a home and what this community is like as a place to live.

So come along with us on this blog-mobile. It is going to be a great journey.