Tag: Oregon

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Lake Oswego Open Houses – April 12-13, 2008

Should be a decent weekend to tour some open houses, so here is the PropertyBlotter’s Open Houses in Lake Oswego list. Be sure to say hi to our very own Linda Trotta at 1448 Greentree Circle on Sunday from 2 to 4pm.

Date Time Address List Price Bdrms Baths Total SF
4/13/08 1:00 – 3:00 4000 CARMAN DR
$175,000
2
2
925
4/12/08 1-4pm 11 SUMMIT RIDGE CT
$319,000
2
2.1
1,576
4/13/08 1-3 PM 39 ORIOLE LN
$345,000
2
1.1
1,310
4/13/08 2-4 pm 4070 VIRGINIA WAY
$350,000
4
2
1,728
4/13/08 1-3pm 4902 SW CHILDS RD
$385,000
3
1.1
1,370
4/13/08 1-3pm 19250 SW MAREE CT
$395,000
3
2.1
1,519
4/13/08 1-4 pm 16443 SW LAKE FOREST BLVD
$397,000
3
2
1,474
4/13/08 1-3PM 17650 ARBOR LN
$419,000
3
3
2,043
4/13/08 2-4pm 1448 GREENTREE CIR
$588,000
4
2.1
2,587
4/13/08 11:00-1:00 3355 UPPER DR
$599,900
4
2
3,205
4/13/08 1-4pm 5772 BAY CREEK DR
$674,500
4
3
3,242
4/13/08 1-4PM 34 HILLSHIRE DR
$740,000
4
2.1
3,822
4/13/08 1-4pm 435 8TH ST
$749,900
4
3.1
2,505
4/13/08 12:00-3:00 3211 ALBER SPRING CT
$825,000
4
2.1
2,993
4/13/08 12-3pm 161 FURNACE ST
$1,024,900
2
2
2,134
4/13/08 2:30-4:30 17075 OLD RIVER DR
$1,095,000
3
3.1
3,237
4/13/08 1pm – 3pm 17760 LAKE HAVEN DR
$1,169,000
4
2.1
2,051
4/13/08 2-4pm 1835 CEDAR CT
$1,169,000
3
3.1
3,148
4/13/08 1-3pm 622 OAK MEADOW DR
$1,325,000
4
3.1
4,168
4/13/08 1-3pm 17464 RIDGEVIEW LN
$1,348,950
4
3.1
4,407
4/13/08 1-3pm 17433 RIDGEVIEW LN
$1,495,000
4
4.1
4,659
4/13/08 3:30-5:30 670 IRON MOUNTAIN BLVD
$2,275,000
4
3.2
5,208

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.

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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: 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.