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Lake Oswego Open Houses – March 8-9, 2008

Fridays will be the day we provide another regular PropertyBlotter feature–the Open Houses in Lake Oswego for each weekend.

Please note, dates and times are subject to change without notice. The list below 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.

We’ll talk more about buyer agency in future posts at PropertyBlotter, but for now, if you’re looking for a dedicated guide to take you through these and other Lake Oswego properties, be sure to contact us.

So, get out there and see some real estate!

Date Time Address
List Price
Bdrms
Total Bath
Total SF
3/9/2008 1-4pm 668 MCVEY AVE
$249,000
2
1
836
3/9/2008 1:00 – 3:00 16 Aquinas ST
$334,900
3
2
1,569
3/9/2008 1-4pm 14433 CAMDEN LN
$480,000
3
3
2,023
3/9/2008 2:30-4:30 666 3RD ST
$494,950
3
1.1
1,759
3/9/2008 11-1pm 762 LAKE FOREST DR
$620,000
4
3
2,310
3/9/2008 1-4pm 5400 BAY CREEK DR
$625,000
3
2.1
2,856
3/9/2008 1 to 3 3254 DUNCAN DR
$649,000
4
3.1
3,997
3/9/2008 1-4pm 8 CAMELOT CT
$650,000
5
3
3,080
3/9/2008 1-4pm 15815 ALLISON PL
$759,000
4
2.1
3,534
3/9/2008 1-4PM 34 HILLSHIRE DR
$760,000
4
2.1
3,822
3/9/2008 12:00-2:00 569 7TH ST
$849,950
5
4
3,186
3/9/2008 1-4pm 4125 CASEY CT
$974,950
4
3.1
3,728
3/9/2008 1-3pm 1864 CAMPUS WAY
$997,900
5
4
4,142
3/9/2008 1-4pm 15446 BOONES WAY
$1,289,000
3
2.1
3,364
3/9/2008 12:30 – 3 622 OAK MEADOW DR
$1,325,000
4
3.1
4,168
3/9/2008 12:30 -3 17464 RIDGEVIEW LN
$1,348,950
4
3.1
4,407
3/9/2008 1pm to 3pm 567 10th ST
$1,350,000
4
3.1
4,470
3/9/2008 1-4pm 2300 SW CHILDS RD
$1,400,000
4
2
3,183
3/9/2008 2 – 4 pm 13322 LESLIE CT
$1,450,000
4
3.1
4,449
3/9/2008 12:30 -3 17433 RIDGEVIEW LN
$1,495,000
4
4.1
4,704
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About Oswego Lake

Lake Oswego MarinaOswego Lake is a 405-acre lake around which the City of Lake Oswego has grown.

The natural lake is fed by the Tualatin River at the West end and spills over a dam, down into Oswego Creek and into the Willamette River at the East end. There is a natural lake that was originally about 150 feet deep with steep cliffs on the South side. Over time, the lake was made larger by damming its waters and by excavating canals. There are several canals with homes that have access to the main lake as well as two bays: West Bay at the West end and Lakewood Bay at the East end.

The lake is privately owned and managed by the Lake Oswego Corporation. It is a navigable lake with a private boat launch at the East end. Being privately owned and managed, use of the lake is strictly controlled. The right to use the lake is deeded through property ownership. Obviously, those who live on the lake have use of it. However, there is a one-time initiation fee of $5,000 to activate lake usage when waterfront property is purchased. In addition, most citizens of Lake Oswego do have use of the lake, and this is accommodated in two ways.

First, many homes that are not on the lake have deeded lake rights through lake easements. Put simply, years ago when there were lots for sale on the lake, the developer of a neighborhood could buy a lot and deed it to an entire neighborhood. These lots are called lake easements. All of them have membership associations who collect dues and maintain the easements. Most easements have boat slips, picnic facilities, canoe storage, and docks.

To use an easement, you must pay dues into the easement association. Upon paying dues, you will usually receive a key that allows you to open the gate at your easement. Use of boat slips at easements usually requires waiting for a slip to become available and can sometimes take several years. Properties with boating rights, but no available boat slips, can put boats in for day use through the Lake Oswego Corporation. In addition, you may be able to rent a boat slip at the small marina maintained by the Lake Oswego Corporation.

The second way to use the lake, even if you don’t have a waterfront home or a lake easement deeded with your house, is to go to the public swim parks. There are two of them, one at each end of the lake.  The swim park on the East end of the lake, 250 Ridgeway Rd, is operated by the City Parks and Recreation Department.  It is open to all residents of the City of Lake Oswego and is open July and August, noon to 6pm, daily.  There are life guards on duty and there is no charge for admission. Info on this park is easily found at the City Website.   At the other end of the lake is the Lake Grove Swim Park, 3900 Lakeview Blvd.  It is open June thru Labor Day.  It is operated by the Lake Oswego School District and is available to all households that are within the school district boundaries for the old Lake Grove School District.  This is the most confusing of the two swim parks as the boundaries no longer reflect school attendance area at the West end of the lake.  Newer neighborhoods on the West end, such as Westlake, didn’t exist during the time that the Lake Grove School District was active and so many newer neighborhoods do not have access to this swim park.  This swim park does not appear to have a website, but you can get information about whether or not your home is located to allow you to use the park by calling 503-635-0355 or 503-534-2000.  The first time you go one of the swim parks, bring identification and proof of residence and, if you are eligable,  you will be issued a membership card. The swim parks have swim areas that are restricted so that young children are contained and life guards are on duty. Swim lessons, snack shacks, volley ball, and picnicking are just some of the amenities.

Any vessel put into the lake must be registered with the Lake Oswego Corporation annually. This includes motor boats, sail boats, canoes, and even surf boards. The lake is patrolled by The Lake Corporation with hired security who confirm vessel registration, enforce speed limits, and see to the safety and well being of those who use the lake.

About every 5 to 10 years the water level of the lake is dropped by releasing water through the dam into the Willamette River. The lake does not completely empty, but it does drop quite a bit. This allows property owners along the edge of the lake to build and repair sea walls, docks, and boat houses. The draw-down of the lake is always done in the winter and lasts for several months before being refilled in time for warm weather use. The last draw-down of the lake occurred in 2006.

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Lake Oswego: At A Glance

Here are a few facts about Lake Oswego to get you oriented:

Pronounced oss-WEE-go.

Located 10 miles south of Portland on the West side of the Willamette River.

Total land area is 11.3 square miles, of which 1.3 square miles is Oswego Lake.

Population as of the 2000 census is 35,278 people.

Mostly in Clackamas County, Lake Oswego also has small portions located in Multnomah County and Washington County.

Median per capita income is $42,166. Median household income is $71,597.

There are 14,769 households in Lake Oswego of which 32% have children under 18 years of age.

Age of population: 24.8% are under 18 years old; 6.1% are 18-24; 26.8% are 25-44; 31% are 45-64; 11.4% are 65 or older.

The City owns 573 acres of parks and open spaces that include:

  • 24 parks
  • 1 amphitheater
  • 1 swim center
  • 2 swim parks on the lake
  • 1 water-sports center on the Willamette River
  • 1 adult community center
  • 1 performing arts center
  • 1 public golf course
  • 1 in-door tennis center
  • 2 outdoor tennis courts
  • 5 picnic shelters
  • 1 community garden
  • 1 off-leash dog park

“Live where you play” is further enhanced by

  • The privately owned Oswego Country Club
  • The privately owned equestrian riding club

There are 25 recognized neighborhood associations: Oak Creek, Forest Highlands, First Addition, Westlake, Holly Orchard, Uplands, Country Club-Northshore, Evergreen, Foothills, Lake Forest, Waluga, Lake Grove, Lakeview Villas-Summit, Lakewood, Old Town, Bryant, Blue Heron, Westridge, Palisades, McVey-Southshore, Hallinan, Glenmorrie, Rosewood, and Mountain Park.

There are 23,061 registered voters.

There are 10 citizen advisory boards.

There are over 500 community volunteers.

There are 487 citizens trained for emergency community response.

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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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Market Activity: February 25 – March 2, 2008

We’re pleased to introduce a weekly feature here at PropertyBlotter that will help you keep in touch with the real estate market in Lake Oswego.

Every Monday, you’ll find the real estate activity for the previous week: properties listed, homes with sales pending, and finally, sold properties (along with the final selling price) for all condos, attached, and single-family homes in Lake Oswego. The active listings will have convenient links for additional information about each property.

Without further ado, here are the Lake Oswego real estate market statistics for the week February 25 through March 2 (look to the bottom for definitions and research criteria):

New Listings

Address List Price Tot Beds Tot Baths Tot Sq Ft Prop Type List Date
121 OSWEGO SMT
$149,500
1
1
764
 CONDO
2/28
16584 SW ROOSEVELT AVE
$229,000
2
1
1,188
 DETACHD
2/25
215 CERVANTES
$229,900
2
2
1,100
 CONDO
2/25
750 1ST ST
$254,900
2
2
1,350
 CONDO
2/28
18966 SW LONGFELLOW AVE
$346,950
3
2
1,782
 DETACHD
2/29
6301 ALYSSA TER
$349,900
3
2.1
1,546
 ATTACHD
2/26
5275 OAKRIDGE RD
$349,900
3
2
1,267
 DETACHD
2/28
4211 WOODSIDE CIR
$375,000
3
2
1,688
 CONDO
2/25
3190 DUNCAN DR
$389,999
3
2.1
2,401
 DETACHD
2/27
1101 HEMLOCK ST
$397,000
3
2.1
2,092
 DETACHD
2/29
4648 REMBRANDT LN
$410,000
3
2.1
1,793
 DETACHD
2/24
100 LEONARD ST
$438,900
2
2
1,364
 ATTACHD
2/24
19210 SW MAREE CT
$450,000
3
2.1
1,634
 DETACHD
2/24
6187 FROST LN
$475,000
3
2.1
2,107
 DETACHD
2/27
1602 GREENTREE RD
$485,000
3
2
1,708
 DETACHD
2/27
428 ASH ST
$497,900
5
5
4,380
 DETACHD
2/29
4191 CHAPMAN WAY
$525,000
4
2.1
2,610
 DETACHD
2/27
17 ABELARD ST
$539,000
3
2
2,070
 DETACHD
2/24
2104 WEMBLEY PARK RD
$565,000
4
3
2,052
 DETACHD
2/24
4231 SUNSET DR
$574,900
3
2
2,852
 DETACHD
3/1
5562 ROYAL OAKS DR
$624,900
4
2.1
2,342
 DETACHD
2/25
200 BURNHAM RD
$629,000
3
2
1,894
 CONDO
2/27
3745 TEMPEST DR
$649,876
4
3
2,743
 DETACHD
2/29
178 PINE VALLEY RD
$699,900
4
3.1
2,999
 DETACHD
2/29
1 BRITTEN CT
$699,950
4
3
2,325
 DETACHD
2/27
5853 SOUTHWOOD DR
$769,900
5
2.1
3,707
 DETACHD
2/28
435 8TH ST
$799,000
4
3.1
2,505
 DETACHD
2/29
1710 SW Glenmorrie Terrace
$799,000
4
3
3,110
 DETACHD
2/26
3886 TAMARACK LN
$799,900
4
3.1
4,010
 DETACHD
2/24
14101 REDWOOD CT
$824,900
3
3.1
2,629
 DETACHD
2/26
18720 WESTVIEW DR
$878,888
4
3
3,244
 DETACHD
3/1
18220 RIVER EDGE CT
$899,000
4
3
3,335
 DETACHD
2/26
19320 SW Lorna LN
$949,000
4
4.1
3,660
 DETACHD
2/25
5435 WASHINGTON CT
$1,049,900
4
3.1
3,323
 DETACHD
2/26
4725 SW UPPER DR
$1,200,000
3
2.1
2,600
 DETACHD
2/29
720 6TH ST
$1,300,000
3
3.1
4,217
 DETACHD
2/27
18284 MEADOWLARK LN
$1,559,000
4
4.2
5,648
 DETACHD
2/26
688 IRON MOUNTAIN BLVD
$1,689,000
4
4.1
4,143
 DETACHD
2/24
18990 SW BARTON RD
$1,699,000
4
3.2
4,592
 DETACHD
2/27
19007 EASTSIDE RD
$1,839,000
4
3.1
4,651
 DETACHD
2/24
4502 Lamont WAY
$1,950,000
4
4
3,838
 DETACHD
2/28
14001 GOODALL RD
$1,975,000
4
3.1
5,397
 DETACHD
2/24
13083 SW KNAUS RD
$3,295,000
5
4.1
6,435
 DETACHD
2/27

Pending Sales

Address List Price Tot Beds Tot Baths Tot Sq Ft Prop Type DOM
86 KINGSGATE RD
$174,000
2
2
849
 CONDO
13
668 McVey AVE
$199,850
2
1.1
976
 CONDO
668 McVey AVE
$299,850
3
1.1
985
 CONDO
1402 PARRISH ST
$329,000
3
2.1
1,880
 CONDO
215
4537 HERITAGE LN
$329,900
3
2.1
1,619
 DETACHD
96
1647 DEVON LN
$389,900
4
2.1
2,494
 DETACHD
304
1491 KOAWOOD DR
$424,900
3
3
2,510
 DETACHD
60
16200 PACIFIC HWY
$439,850
2
2
1,200
 CONDO
622
4333 ORCHARD WAY
$564,000
4
2.1
2,897
 DETACHD
49
2311 PARK RD
$649,900
4
3
2,658
 DETACHD
303
544 9TH ST
$699,000
3
3
2,088
 DETACHD
2
1130 OAK TER
$859,900
4
3.1
3,729
 DETACHD
123

Sold Properties

Address List Price Tot Beds Tot Baths Tot Sq Ft Prop Type DOM
56 Galen Street
$185,000
2
2
995
 CONDO
14636 DORIS AVE
$360,000
3
2
1,861
 DETACHD
68
1405 CHERRY CREST AVE
$529,000
4
3
2,590
 DETACHD
30
5625 SOUTHWOOD DR
$630,000
4
2.1
3,301
 DETACHD
136
26 GROUSE TER
$637,000
4
3
3,857
 DETACHD
112
15915 Waluga DR
$750,000
3
2.1
2,939
 DETACHD

Criteria: Homes in the 97034 and 97035 zip code, listed, pending or sold between February 25 – March 2, 2008 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.

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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.