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.

Market Activity Report- January 5 – 11, 2009

Activity is picking up as evidenced by the number of new listings below. However, I’ll caution that roughly half of these are “freshened” listings, and though I like to pick through them and only display the truly “new”, scheduling did not allow me to do that for you today.

Your Realtor can answer any questions regarding a property’s history, and I’d be happy to advise you on that as well should you not have your own resource, and find something of interest below.  Suffice it to say though, that the new year is providing inspiration to home sellers, and this is fairly common every year.

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

NEWLY LISTED (January 5 – 11,2009)

ADDRESS                        LIST PRICE           # BED  #BA   TOT SF    PROP TYPE     LIST DATE
4 TOUCHSTONE DR $ 114,000 2 2 984 CONDO 1/10/2009
65 GALEN ST $ 129,000 1 1 689 CONDO 1/5/2009
3668 SPRING LN $ 199,900 2 2 1,120 CONDO 1/6/2009
750 1ST ST $ 225,000 2 2 1,350 CONDO 1/9/2009
6291 HARRINGTON AVE $ 249,900 3 2 1,472 DETACHD 1/6/2009
6317 CARMAN DR $ 275,000 3 1.1 1,344 DETACHD 1/5/2009
4664 FIRWOOD RD $ 300,000 3 2 1,640 DETACHD 1/6/2009
18963 SW LONGFELLOW AVE $ 339,900 3 1.1 1,232 DETACHD 1/5/2009
18959 KRISTI WAY $384,400 3 2 1,778 DETACHD 1/6/2009
18971 INDIAN SPRINGS CIR $399,950 3 2 1,525 DETACHD 1/7/2009
16018 WALUGA DR $419,000 4 2 2,026 DETACHD 1/8/2009
142 KINGSGATE RD $425,000 4 2.1 2,495 DETACHD 1/6/2009
1717 WOODLAND TER $455,000 3 2.1 2,146 DETACHD 1/6/2009
17121 WALL ST $525,000 3 2.1 2,187 DETACHD 1/9/2009
17622 BROOKHURST DR $550,000 3 2.1 2,909 DETACHD 1/7/2009
3254 DUNCAN DR $599,900 4 3.1 3,997 DETACHD 1/7/2009
668 MCVEY AVE $599,998 3 1.1 992 CONDO 1/9/2009
5678 SW CHARLES CIR $65,0000 4 4 3,455 DETACHD 1/5/2009
615 LAKE BAY CT $669,900 3 3 2,542 DETACHD 1/5/2009
72 CONDOLEA WAY $679,500 2 2.1 3,088 CONDO 1/9/2009
19524 RIVER RUN DR $699,950 4 2.1 2,630 DETACHD 1/5/2009
15195 LILY BAY CT $924,900 4 2.1 4,099 DETACHD 1/11/2009
3030 WESTVIEW CT $959,000 4 2.1 3,415 DETACHD 1/11/2009
18682 WESTVIEW $975,000 4 3 3,243 DETACHD 1/8/2009
662 9 th ST $975,000 5 3.1 4,108 DETACHD 1/5/2009
2304 Oswego Glen CT $1,395,000 4 2.1 3,896 DETACHD 1/5/2009
2793 POPLAR WAY $1,995,000 5 5.1 6,300 DETACHD 1/9/2009

PENDING SALES (January 5 – 11, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
3190 DUNCAN DR      $304,900 3     2.1 2401      DETACHD      12/16/2008   24
5102 ROSEWOOD ST $341,900 3     2 1810      DETACHD      11/12/2008   54
4280 CHAPMAN WAY $469,000 3     2 1947      DETACHD    12/15/2008   105
17454 CANAL CIR     $549,900 4     3 2275      DETACHD      4/19/2008   261
13581 GOODALL RD  $550,000 3     2 1220      DETACHD      10/10/2008 490
5299 WESTFIELD CT  $598,000 3    2.1 2865      DETACHD       8/2/2008   156
1141 TROON RD       $648850 4    3 2522      DETACHD       7/2/2008   187

SOLD (January 5-11, 2009)

ADDRESS ORIG.              PRICE SALE              PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
16250 PACIFIC HWY         $269,850 $185,000 2     2.1 324       CONDO       433
5051 TUALATA LN             $409,900 $400,000 4     2.1 591      DETACHD     114
16750 PHANTOM BLUFF CT$485,000 $430,000 3     3.2 267      DETACHD    ,288
1971 PARK FOREST AVE     $549,000 $549,000 4     2.2 180      DETACHD      13

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.

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

Insurance & Adventures in Home Ownership

slide_1bWe’ve given you plenty of coverage of the exciting and unusual weather experienced lately here in Lake Oswego. I hesitate to scare the bajeezeez out of anyone contemplating living here, and/but believe that even though this is unusual weather, the story I’m about to share is extremely valuable for just that reason, and highlights the importance of giving great consideration to the type of insurance you decide to carry when purchasing a home.

Last Friday at about 1:00AM, 23-year old Sammy Abazzaz and a group of his friends were relaxing and having a late-night snack in the second-floor kitchen of Sammy’s Lake Oswego home when a mudslide hit its rear filling the level below with moving earth, throwing granite counters at them and opening a crevasse at their feet sending some plummeting beneath it.  Sammy’s parents were in British Columbia celebrating the new year and rushed home upon hearing of the catastrophe. All the occupants are reported to have escaped and are deemed relatively “OK” with the exception of one broken arm and lots of nightmares I’m sure.  According to the Oregonian,  Sammy relates: “It came through almost like an avalanche, through the windows and the house”.  Heavy rains and a plugged drainage point on the hill above the home reportedly caused the slide.

slide_6Scott Burns, a professor of geology at Portland State University advises:  “The important thing is to get people in Portland and the rest of this area to ask the question, ‘What can I do to prevent landslides on my property?’ ”  “There was just a lot of storm water going down the streets and going in every direction,” said Bill Burns, an engineering geologist with the state Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. “There was just so much water, it was just over-taking the system.”

slide_3The family reportedly had homeowners insurance, but not the additional protection of landslide coverage which is typically excluded from most policies. I would pose that in addition to being the most diligent and informed homeowner you can possibly be, you also need to acknowledge that sometimes “stuff happens”, and therefore it is prudent to assess any “potential” hazards (even if you believe them unlikely) and protect yourself with appropriate insurance. This means you may end up being the one inquiring as to the availability of such add-ons, and so need to come armed to any discussion with data to guide your inquiries and decisions. To that end, let me provide you with some basic information, which I suggest you view as a primer, and not as the replacement for consultation with your insurance agent who, unlike me, is the “insurance expert”:

  • Most homeowners policies will not include: floods, mold/fungus, earthquakes, mudslides/landslides, sinkholes, war or nuclear accidents.
  • If you do have, or are considering flood insurance, check to see if you are covered for a landslide should the slide be carried by a body of water. Some flood policies cover mudslides ONLY under these circumstances.
  • Cost of coverage is based on where you live & other factors. (visit: http://www.Floodsmart.gov). A typical quote for someone NOT in a flood plane according to my own insurance office only will cover up to $250,000 in structural damage, and $100,000 for content damage.  ** For $200,000/structure and $80,000/contents in a recent “preferred location” quote in SW Portland, the price tag I’m told was $326/yr.
  • Generally speaking, “property damage” is not intended to include a detached garage, outbuildings, tool sheds etc. These may be covered, but usually at around 10% of the amount of coverage applicable to your home.
  • The most common policies in the United States cover losses due to fire, lightning, fallen trees, tornadoes, wind storms, hail explosions, smoke, vandalism and theft. The amount of coverage that you have is an item for discussion between you and your insurance agent.
  • Water seepage from the ground up into your home is usually considered a maintenance issue and not covered in standard or flood policies.  Waterproofing and appropriate drainage work is recommended if this is an issue.
  • Although the term “Acts of God” is bandied about by most of us, it is not a term that’s actually included in homeowners insurance policies.

We all live on planet earth, so accordingly, we are susceptible to all kinds of unexpected occurrences.  Importantly, let me repeat-

  • Get/Stay informed.
  • Gather information about your property and any “potential” hazards.
  • Take appropriate mitigating actions to remove any threat(s) if possible.
  • Consult your insurance agent for the best advice on protecting yourself, your home and your family.
  • Should you not already have a trusted insurance agent/advisor, request some references from your Realtor.

Home ownership is an adventure.  Suit up, and enjoy it!

Market Activity for December 29, 2008 to January 4, 2009

The holidays are over, the snow has melted, and it’s time for the market to get going. This past week there were 13 new listings, 3 pending sales, and 2 closed sales. Of particular interest to me is the sale on Dellwood Dr. Dellwood is absolutely one of the prettiest streets in Lake Oswego. This was a house that Linda and I had toured together during a Broker’s Open. It was a mid-century modern in architectural design and was decorated in the same manner. It had been on the market for a very long time. An offer was accepted on it in mid December and it closed just two weeks later. For the location the house was a nice value and I sure the seller is happy to start the new year with the house sold.

NEWLY LISTED (DECEMBER 29, 2008 – January 4, 2009)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
4 TOUCHSTONE $129,900 2 2 979 CONDO 1/1/2009
210 S STATE ST $199,900 2 1 1,284 CONDO 12/30/2008
3433 MCNARY PKWY $249,900 2 2.1 1,136 CONDO 1/2/2009
1635 ASPEN ST $345,000 3 2.1 1,618 DETACHD 1/2/2009
17755 HILL WAY $375,000 4 3 1,887 DETACHD 1/3/2009
845 LAKE FOREST DR $459,000 3 1.1 1,359 DETACHD 12/31/2008
4750 UPPER DR $469,900 4 3 2,692 DETACHD 1/4/2009
4691 SW HERITAGE LN $639,900 4 2.1 2,882 DETACHD 1/4/2009
1189 SUNNINGDALE CT $699,000 4 2 2,056 DETACHD 1/2/2009
1913 CHERYL CT $1,380,000 4 4.1 5,791 DETACHD 1/4/2009
16771 MAPLE CIR $1,650,000 3 3 2,074 DETACHD 1/3/2009
4398 Lakeview BLVD $1,895,000 4 2.2 3,309 DETACHD 12/30/2008

PENDING SALES (DECEMBER 29, 2008 – Janaury 4, 2009, 2008)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
4206 WOODSIDE CIR $284,900 2 2 1,799 ATTACHD 8/3/2008
1640 WORTHINGTON ST $359,000 4 3 2,342 DETACHD 10/28/2008
5350 LAKEVIEW BLVD $459,990 6 2.5 2,580 DETACHD 8/19/2008

SOLD (December 29, 2008 – January 4, 2009)

ADDRESS ORIG. PRICE SALE PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
2958 DELLWOOD DR $669,900 $547,000 4 3 3,272 DETACHD 775
14527 PFEIFER WAY $799,000 $650,000 4 3.1 3,788 DETACHD 120

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.

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.

Lake Oswego Real Estate Activity Report – December 22-28, 2008

Lake Oswego saw two properties enter the market last week.  Feet of snow and ice may stop delivery companies and impair mall traffic the week of Christmas, but the real estate market moves forward! (albeit slightly)

One property went “Pending”, and we have no sales for the week.

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

NEWLY LISTED (DECEMBER 22-28, 2008)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
LIST DATE
12826 Boones Ferry RD 299900     2           2.1           1398       CONDO   12/23/2008
570 7TH ST                  739000    4           2.5           2528       DETACHD 12/23/2008

PENDING SALES (DECEMBER 22-28, 2008)

ADDRESS
LIST PRICE
TOT. BEDS
TOT. BATHS
TOT. SQ FT
PROP TYPE
DOM
1428 PINE ST 449000            3            3.1                 2738            DETACHD     782

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.

Open Houses for Sunday, December 28th

Well, we still have lots of snow on the ground, but roads are generally passable thanks to some rain & melt-off. So… It’s Open House time!  You know those visiting relatives you’ve always wanted close by???  Pile them in the car on Sunday & take a tour.   Here is what’s on tap according to RMLS:

18530 Pilkington Road $319,000     3 Bd, 2 Ba,   Open 1-4

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

16359 Chapin Way $1,439,000  4 Bd, 3 1/2 Ba,  Open 12:30-3:30

Local Flavor + Holiday Wishes For You!

Wow! A newscaster said yesterday that we are experiencing the biggest snow event since 1964!  For those of you who tune in to the Blotter from out of state, I am attaching a few photos so that you can see what we are talking about. Dianne has posted some for your amusement as well. We usually focus on real estate pretty much exclusively in our Blog, but with this kind of excitement, we can’t resist giving you a little local flavor.

Real estate is happening in Lake Oswego however, as you can see from Monday’s Activity Report.  I experienced an inspection last week in a foot of snow… before it REALLY got going : )  But that is another story. For now… here’s what life in Lake Oswego has been like-

Main roads are kept pretty passable with mostly packed snow, and are sanded regularly (Oregon does not use salt), but side streets, especially hilly ones, are let’s say…  invigorating! Kids who have been out of school an extra week this Winter Break are sledding everywhere. Lots of folks have bagged their aspirations of mobility as evidenced by the feet of snow burying their cars on the sides of many roads.  Others who are able and so inclined have headed for Mt. Hood where skiing is incredible, and road crews are always ahead of the curve. Trees laden with snow and ice have released some of their burden in the form of limbs in yards and on roadsides. But hey… it’s pretty!

Christmas has taken on a completely different tone this year.  Instead of filling the malls, people gather in kitchens around batches of cookies. Fireplaces are the center of many homes where friends, family and a variety of hot beverages and toddies complete the picture.  The uptick in Internet shopping in the area has kept UPS busy all over! This year is definitely one we will never forget.

Dianne and I would like to take a moment to wish you the very best of the Holiday Season. Whether your beliefs are Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist,+++ or you simply harbor a fondness for Santa, this is a season of hope and love which we all can share. We also want to say thank you to our clients who’ve trusted us with their real estate needs this past year. We are grateful for your business, your loyalty, and your faith in us. We look forward to the New Year ahead, and want to wish you and yours every happiness. Thank you for reading the PropertyBlotter!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays.

Snowapalooza 2008

I wrote a post about the rainy season in Oregon not too long ago, so I was trying to avoid writing something about the past ten day’s snowfall. I mean, don’t we have anything more significant to talk about than the weather? But this has gotten to be too big of a deal not to mention it.

Snowfall in the Portland area happens, but it is light and some years, rare. We get so little snow that it only takes and inch or two to shut down schools. Most years it is comical how easily people in the Portland area will use a dusting of snow to create a good excuse to take the day off and go sledding with the kids. And snow at Christmas, well that is nearly always wishful thinking. Be careful what you wish for….

In the past 10 days we have had about a foot of snow and half an inch of ice. It is amazing. The temperatures have been below freezing for days in a row. It feels more like North Dakota than Lake Oswego. Well, maybe 12 inches is baby stuff for someone from North Dakota, but for us, it’s truly an event. It’s Snowapalooza 2008.

I am posting several photos that were taken in my yard. I am also posting a photo of my 20 year-old son’s friends who showed up at my house early in the event for some midnight barbequing. Oh to be twenty and so enthusiastic!

Temperatures are supposed to get up into the 40’s and 50’s over the weekend. So this will all soon be just a memory. In the mean time we are living in a winter wonderland.