waterfront homes Archives - Property Blotter

March 16, 2022March 16, 2022

Attached vs Condo, What’s the Difference?

I think that most people think that the word attached (also commonly called townhouse) is based upon the design of the property. Either one or two story with no neighbor above or below. That is not the case. Attached does mean that you don’t have a neighor above or below, but, more importantly, it means that you own the dirt underneath. Because you own the dirt, you are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the crawl space.

There is a huge advantage to purchasing an attached home. Besides not having someone living above you, it is much easier to finance, which makes it easier to sell. Lenders treat attached houses just like any other house.

With a condo you own the interior walls and everything inside of those walls. The exterior walls, crawlspace, and roof are all part of the limited common areas of the home owners association.

Condos can be a little bit problamatic when it comes to financing. Federal lending guidelines requre that at least 50% of the units be owner occupied, and one individual or entity can not own more than 10% of the units. Additionally, to be FHA financeable, the HOA must apply for and maintain their FHA eligibility. This is often neglected by the HOA and so it is not always availble. Because condos tend to be more affordable, they are often purchased by first time home buyers. With out FHA financing, it can be too hard for first ime buyers to come up with enough of a down payment to purchase in communities that don’t have FHA approval.

When Linda and I do the Market Activity Report, we always indicate if a property is Detached, Attached, or a Condo. I thought it would be helpful if you understood the differences.

As always, thanks for reading the Blotter,

Dianne

March 15, 2022March 15, 2022

Market Activity March 7-13, 2022

Last week in Lake Oswego there were 21 new listings, 15 that went into pending status, and 9 sold/closed properties.

Something that has frustrated me for a while is that when I pull the stats for this report many houses will have already moved into pending status, when, in fact, they were also new listings last week. I tried something different this week by taking an additional step to make sure they are included as new listings as well as pending. For this reason, you’ll see several properties that show up in both sections of this report.

See below for additional RMLS data.

New on the Market March 1-13, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft
45 Eagle Crest Dr #309	Condo	$259,900	2	2-Jan	1056
230 Laurel St	Detached	$661,900	3	2	1339
6025 Carman Dr	Detached	$699,900	3	2	1641
13700 Provencial Hill Dr	Detached	$725,000	4	2.5	2078
12729 SW 19th Ave	Detached	$799,000	4	3	2554
4870 Centerwood St	Detached	$839,900	4	2.5	2434
17348 Hunter Ct	Detached	$929,000	3	2.5	3112
5554 Luce Ln	Detached	$998,900	4	3	3269
1004 Cumberland Pl	Detached	$1,100,000	5	2	3313
12715 Adrian Ct	Detached	$1,150,000	4	2.5	3003
38 Briarwood Rd	Detached	$1,279,000	4	3	2552
26 Briarwood Rd	Detached	$1,279,000	4	3	2554
4030 Canal Woods Ct	Detached	$1,380,000	5	4	4103
2612 Rivendell Rd	Detached	$1,389,000	4	3	3521
1050 Schukart Ln	Detached	$1,399,000	4	3.5	5847
3938 Edens Edge Dr	Detached	$1,450,000	4	3.5	3880
21 D Ave #2	Condo	$1,718,400	2	2.5	2183
735 7th St	Detached	$1,725,000	3	3.5	3073
1949 Cheryl Ct	Detached	$1,750,000	$5	4.5+.5	5011
21 D Ave #12	Condo	$1,863,600	2	2.5	2177
3115 Wembley Park Rd	Detached	$2,000,000	4	3.5	3800

Pending Sales March 7-13, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft	CDOM
213 Cervantes	Condo	$329,000	2	1.5	1216	7
210 State St 37	Condo	$449,900	3	2	1302	32
4434 Thunder Vista Ln	Condo	$479,000	2	2.5	2040	4
27 Aquinas St	Detached	$559,900	3	2.5	1530	4
230 Laurel St	Detached	$661,900	3	2	1339	2
143 Church St	Detached	$700,000	2	1	1220	61
13700 Provincial Hill Dr	Detached	$725,000	4	2.5	2078	2
15562 Heritage Ct	Detached	$864,000	4	2.5	2338	5
23 Touchstone	Detached	$924,900	5	4	3169	7
554 Luce Ln	Detached	$998,900	4	3	3269	3
3778 Rivers Edge Dr	Detached	$1,150,000	4	3.5	3012	5
928 Lake Front Rd	Detached	$1,299,900	4	3	2468	6
3938 Edens Edge Dr	Detached	$1,450,000	4	3.5	3880	4
1001 Cedar St	Detached	$1,495,000	4	3.5	2572	14
21 D Ave #2	Condo	$1,718,400	2	2.5	2183	0

Sold/Closed March 7-13, 2022

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	DOM
200 Burnham Rd #206	Condo	$359,000	$345,000	1199	62
3974 Carman Dr	Attached	$380,000	$380,000	1107	0
13991 Majestic Ct	Detached	$550,000	$600,000	1765	4
16940 Tracy Ave	Detached	$675,000	$624,000	1656	88
91 Tanglewood Dr	Detached	$799,900	$789,900	3111	21
14141 Goodall Rd	Detached	$784,900	$815,000	1939	2
18582 Bryant Rd	Detached	$799,900	$872,698	2579	2
19001 Redwing Way	Detached	$829,000	$876,500	2116	3
150 Iron Mountain Blvd	Detached	$1,100,000	$1,200,000	2868	3

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 5, 2022March 5, 2022

Market Activity Feb 21-27, 2022

Last week in Lake Oswego there were 5 new listings, 22 properties that accepted offers and moved into pending status, and 14 closed/sold homes.

See below for RMLS data.

New listings Feb 21-27, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft
16250 Pacific Hwy #44	Condo	$387,000	2	2	1305
122 Touchstone Terr	Detached	$829,900	4	3.5	2348
353 3rd St	Attached	$909,000	3	3.5	2044
1001 Cedar St	Detached	$909,000	4	3.5	2572
21 D Ave #1	Condo	$2,530,800	2	3	2572

Pending sales Feb 21-27, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft	CDOM
4647 Lakeview Blvd D1	Condo	$229,999	1	1	753	1
47 Eagle Crest Dr #13	Condo	$259,000	2	1	932	5
19 Crestfield Ct	Condo	$310,000	2	1	921	3
209 Cervantes	Condo	$325,000	2	1.5	1216	9
5225 Jean Rd #309	Condo	$360,000	2	2	1100	20
3990 Carman Dr	Condo	$415,900	2	2.5	1098	21
34 Condolea Dr	Condo	$475,000	2	2	1420	17
9 Bloch Terr	Attached	$599,900	3	2.5	1946	7
959 Lee St	Detached	$670,000	3	2	2340	42
67 Condolea Terr	Condo	$675,000	3	3	2409	2
14141 Goodall Rd	Detached	$784,900	3	2.5	1939	2
16946 Lower Meadows Dr	Detached	$839,900	3	2.5	1769	3
4144 Sunset Dr	Detached	$950,000	3	2	2632	4
1150 Greentree Rd	Detached	$965,000	4	2.5	2703	5
14232 Meadow Grass St	Detached	$1,100,000	4	3	2894	4
150 Iron Mountain Blvd	Detached	$1,100,000	4	2.5	2868	3
2650 Overlook Dr	Detached	$1,250,000	4	2.5	3030	12
18002 Pilkington Rd	Detached	$1,599,000	4	3	3629	3
411 Ridgeway Rd	Detached	$1,725,000	3	2.5	3291	3
13348 Leslie Ct	Detached	$1,750,000	4	2.5	3863	1
16881 Canyon Dr	Detached	$2,799,000	5	4	3888	1
5185 Carman Dr	Detached	$3,650,000	3	2.5+.5	6500	360

Sold/Closed Feb 21-27, 2022

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	DOM
45 Eagle Crest Dr #202	Condo	$215,000	$197,000	678	43
4632 Lower Dr B2	Condo	$320,000	$320,000	1170	29
19 Britton Ct	Attached	$535,000	$525,000	1394	5
4503 Black Forest Ct	Detached	$795,000	$840,000	2166	2
277 Evergreen Rd	Condo	$895,000	$902,000	1,950	2
13522 Provincial Hill Way	Detached	$899,000	$965,000	3244	1
14361 Sherbrook Pl	Detached	$899,000	$975,000	2100	2
17154 Loweberg Terr	Detached	$1,295,000	$1,285,000	3412	4
13888 Shireva Dr	Detached	$1,200,000	$1,310,000	3827	4
180 Iron Mountain Blvd	Detached	$1,595,000	$1,350,000	3378	124
589 7th St	Detached	$1,549,000	$1,590,000	3387	3
14711 Upland Dr	Detached	$1,695,000	$1,850,00	3327	3
13286 Goodall Rd	Detached	$2,495,000	$2,471,000	0
13648 Goodall Rd	Detached	$2,499,900	$2,475,000	5288	56

February 18, 2022February 18, 2022

Radon and Granite Countertops

At Oregon First we have a gmail group called Haves and Wants. A recent discussion happened about the topic of radon and granite countertops.

Radon comes from granite. When you purchase a home, you should alway do a radon test to see if the radon levels in the house are higher than the EPA limit of 4.0 picocuries. (The World Health Organization recommends a level of not more than 2.7 picocuries.) Generally speaking the granite is in the form of boulders underneath the house, in the ground. You just don’t know whether the house is built over granite boulders or not, so you always test the radon levels.

So if radon comes from granite, what about granite countertops?

This subject came to my attention about 15 years ago. So I dialed up my favorite radon mitigation company and asked if I should be concerned. I was told that, generally speaking, the radon given off by granite countertops was not at a level high enough to be concerned.

Here is the offical EPA information. Click here.

White kitchen design features large bar style kitchen island with granite countertop illuminated by modern pendant lights. Northwest, USA

The bottom line is that you should be concerned about the possibility of radon in a house. Always get it measured. Even if you aren’t buying a house. If you live in a home where you have never measured it, get it measured. You can buy a do-it-yourself test at your local home improvement store, and there are numerous companies who perform this service. The cost to test is $60-$150. Cheap for the peace of mind. If radon is found, the cost to mitigate it is $1500-$3000, generally speaking. Again, cheap for the piece of mind.

I also think that when planning a remodel, don’t assume that just because it is available for purchase it has no issues. Do your research. There are alternatives to granite that are also gorgeous.

I hope that you find this useful. Thank you for reading the blotter.

Dianne

February 17, 2022February 17, 2022

Market Activity Feb 7-13, 2022

I once had a client who had statistically figured out the the prime weekend of the entire year to put your house on the market is the weekend following the super bowl. With 19 pending sales in Lake Oswego last week, that certainly feels like good advice. We also had 6 new listings and 10 properties that were closed sales.

See below for further RMLS data.

New on the Market Feb 7-13, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft
4 Touchstone Dr #150	Condo	$225,900	2	2	984
4631 Lakeview Blvd	Condo	$250,000	1	1	753
45 Eagle Crest Dr #513	Condo	$253,500	2	1.5	1056
48 Eagle Crest Dr 4A	Condo	$475,000	2	2	1489
668 McVey Ave #10	Condo	$540,000	3	1	992
16758 Graef Circle	Detached	$669,000	3	1	1295
5353 Lakeview Blvd	Attached	$1,119,000	4	3.5	2900
2650 Overlook Dr	Detached	$1,250,000	4	2.5	3030
21 D Ave GPH	Condo	$3,269,200	3	2.5	3399
807 Ellis ave	Detached	$3,600,000	4	4.5	4964

Pending Sales Feb 7-13, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft	CDOM
89 Galen St	Condo	$199,000	1	1	552	3
45 Eagle Crest Dr #312	Condo	$229,000	1	1	780	16
200 Burnham Rd #206	Condo	$349,000	2	1	1199	62
3974 Carman Dr	Attached	$380,000	2	2.5	1107	0
34 Condolea Dr	Condo	$475,000	2	2	1420	3
750 1st St E27	Condo	$479,900	2	2	1350	162
5062 Foothills Dr G	Condo	$485,000	2	2	1252	98
2806 SW Orchard Hill Pl	Detached	$649,000	3	2.5	2324	5
18561 Kristi Way	Detached	$649,950	3	2.5	1450	68
48 Hillshire Dr	Detached	$795,500	4	3	3034	5
93 Tanglewood Dr	Detached	$799,900	3	2.5+.5	3111	21
6 Grouse Ter	Detached	$850,000	3	3	3653	4
2777 Evergreen Rd	Condo	$895,000	3	3.5	1950	2
2719 Greentree Rd	Detached	$985,000	5	3.5	3886	5
14711 Uplands Dr	Detached	$1,695,000	4	4.5	3327	3
21 D Ave #13	Condo	$1,993,200	2	2.5	2304	8
21 D Ave #4	Condo	$2,067,000	2	2.5	2431	86
2305 Glen Haven Rd	Detached	$2,275,000	5	4	3632	82
1845 Highlands Loop	Detached	$2,995,000	4	3.5+.5	5306	3

Closed/Sold Feb 7-13, 2022

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	DOM
4 Touchstone #94	Condo	$248,000	$238,000	1351	7
30 Crestfield Ct	Condo	$290,000	$300,000	989	1
16200 Pacific Hwy #9	Condo	$524,900	$500,000	1190	0
1118 St	Detached	$650,000	$650,000	1320	12
8 Da Vinci St	Detached	$779,000	$845,500	2,906	4
16538 Maple Circle	Detached	$1,550,000	$1,750,000	2854	4

February 6, 2022February 6, 2022

The Importance of a Great Backyard

Backyards are truly something to be enjoyed. They expand the living area of a house and are the location for making memories in solitude, as well as with friends and family. When I show houses and we walk outside to find a really great backyard, it is the cherry that tops the cake of a great house. Here are 8 ideas for creating that great backyard.

Connect the indoors to the outdoors with big windows and easy access doors. From inside, you’ll enjoy looking out and having the opportunity to enjoy the yard every day of the year.
Create an outdoor workspace. Trees and landscaping make a wonderful backdrop to Zoom meetings. In addition, working outside on a nice day is a bit of a gift that you can give to yourself. To do this, you’ll need strong wifi, an exterior electrical outlet, and a sturdy table.
Let’s talk al fresco. I reguarly do large dinners for my family in my yard. When we gather there usually about 15 people. I put tables end to end to create one large dining table. I then use linens and my good china. It feels so luxurious! A covered area in which to dine, along with an outdoor heater, makes this possible any month of the year.
Add some entertainment potential. Again, a good table for board games, and perhaps a mounted television to watch football and movies.
Establish a wildlife habitat. I no longer feed the birds (there was a certain squirrel incident), but I do put out water. I have 5 birdbaths. If they go empty, the birds will literally sit on the rim and squack at me. Landscaping is also a great idea for attracting birds.
Make your yard pet friendly by fencing it. Today the fencing choices are plentiful, including fences that barely obstruct your viewing of the entire yard.
Just like the rest of the house, clutter is a big no no. Store the clutter elsewhere. Particularly when selling the house, it needs to be tidy.
Privacy is super important. If you have a house that looks into your yard, plant a tree or a hedge. In my case, my husband built a privacy screen that goes about 20 feet. Just enough to block my neighbors windows.

I hope that you have found this helpful. Thanks again for reading the blotter!

Dianne

January 21, 2022January 21, 2022

Market Activity January 10-16, 2022

We are still in the slowness of winter with just 4 new listings, 9 pending sales, and 7 sold/closed properties in Lake Oswego last week. Having said that, it’s a hot market. Inventory is just so low and when a house comes onto the market, bidding wars are common. As we move into February, I expect the inventory to improve. It is a great time to list your house for sale!

See below for RMLS data.

New on the Market January 10-16, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft
959 Lee St	Detached	$719,000	3	2	2340
17763 Mardee Ave	Detached	$741,900	5	3	2110
566 4th St	Attached	$1,549,000	4	4.5+.5	3376
5001 Park Bluff Pl	Detached	$2,200,000	4	4	4022

Pending Sales January 10-16, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft	CDOM
4632 Lower Dr B2	Condo	$320,000	2	1.5	1170	29
19 Britten Ct	Attached	$535,000	2	2	1394	5
4 Preakness Ct	Attached	$550,000	3	2	1985	32
17617 Sydni Ct	Condo	$799,900	5	2.5	2634	35
13522 Provencial Hill Way	Detached	$899,000	3	2.5	3244	1
17154 Lowenberg Terr	Detached	$1,295,000	5	3.5	3412	40
180 Iron Mountain Blvd	Detached	$1,495,000	5	4	3378	124
16538 Maple Circle	Detached	$1,550,000	4	3.5	2854	4
567 10th St	Detached	$1,800,000	4	3.5	4706	85

Sold/Closed January 10-16, 2022

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	DOM
58 Galen St	Condo	$224,900	$215,000	687	25
156 Ridgeway Rd	Condo	$450,000	$420,000	1758	174
2320 Glen Haven Rd	Detached	$649,000	$680,000	1346	1
326 Lake Bay Ct	Detached	$820,000	$820,000	1427	3
1500 Morning Sky Ct	Detached	$1,178,000	$1,098,000	4,402	107
769 4th St	Detached	$1,965,000	$1,965,000	3922	29
2643 Southshore Blvd	Detached	$3,300,000	$2,750,000	4543	146

January 8, 2022January 8, 2022

Market Activity Dec 20, 2021-Jan 2, 2022

The winter break is such a breath of fresh air. We all get to slow down a bit and enjoy our home hearth with our family and our friends. Thank you all for being readers of the blotter, and for allowing Linda and I to take a break for a couple of weeks. But now we are back at it. The market is healthy and strong and we are gearing up for the late winter and spring housing market.

I don’t think that there has ever been a better time to put a house on the market. Truly, list now if you are planning to sell. The inventory is very, very low. The Federal Reserve has announced that they intend to impliement several interest rate increases in the coming year and there are hordes of buyers wanting to buy before that happens. This is a GREAT time to list a house!

Looking at the numbers in real estate for Lake Oswego in the last two weeks we saw just 3 new listings, 10 houses go into pending status, and 25 sold/closed properties.

See below for more RMLS data.

New Listings Dec 20, 2021-Jan 2, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft
45 Eagle Crest Dr #311	Condo	$285,000	2	2	1046
1247 Cedar St	Detached	$550,000	3	2	2022
302 Laurel St	Detached	$679,000	3	2	1907

Pending Dec 20, 2021-Jan 2, 2022

Address	Type	Price	BR	Baths	Sq Ft	CDOM
572 S State St 8C	Condo	$319,900	2	1	914	47
4000 Carman Dr #92	Condo	$349,000	2	2	999	12
16191 Lake Forest Blvd	Detached	$500,000	3	1	864	14
6317 Carman Dr	Detached	$599,000	3	1.5	1344	78
4966 Galen St	Detached	$600,000	3	2	1699	5
2320 Glen Haven Rd	Detached	$649,000	3	1.5	1346	1
52 Northview Ct	Attached	$649,900	3	2.5	2198	54
6472 Dawn St	Detached	$650,000	3	2	1032	110
1118 Oak St	Detached	$650,000	3	1.5	1320	12
115 Touchstone Terr	Attached	$670,000	4	3.5	2560	79

Sold/Closed Dec 20, 2021-Jan 2, 2022

Address	Type	List Price	Sold Price	Sq Feet	DOM
9 Oswego Summit	Condo	$218,000	$218,000	764	6
44 Eagle Crest DR #36	Condo	$250,000	$248,500	903	3
4000 Carman Dr G108	Condo	$249,000	$271,500	767	3
59 Oswego Summit	Condo	$295,000	$295,000	1140	2
7155 Childs Rd	Condo	$278,000	$300,000	916	4
86 Kingsgate Rd E103	Condo	$355,000	$355,000	924	66
17347 Ashley Ct	Attached	$650,000	$645,946	2117	34
16989 Tualatin St	Detached	$690,000	$650,000	1491	50
4104 Lakeview Blvd	Detached	$849,000	$722,000	2244	87
13470 Peters Rd	Attached	$799,500	$827,000	2324	4
1407 Greentree Circle	Detached	$835,000	$876,000	2201	3
4080 Coltsfoot Ln	Detached	$899,900	$884,900	2884	11
365 3rd St	Attached	$899,000	$910,000	2154	3
17288 Blue Heron Rd	Detached	$1,775,000	$1,050,000	4128	405
755 Ellis Ave	Detached	$829,000	$1,100,000	2248	5
3777 Rivers Edge Dr	Detached	$1,095,000	$1,100,000	2875	6
18168 Westminster Dr	Detached	$1,099,000	$1,150,000	4220	5
14405 Pfeifer Dr	Detached	$1,250,000	$1,250,000	3853	4
828 7th St	Detached	$1,250,000	$1,400,000	2418	4
1300 Tyndall Ct	Detached	$1,299,950	$1,400,888	2418	4
5918 Seville Ave	Detached	$1,289,800	$1,405,345	1776	24
2245 Glen Haven Rd	Detached	$1,950,000	$1,950,000	3830	9
637 Englewood Dr	Detached	$2,825,000	$2,695,000	4231	19
2101 Wembley Park Rd	Detached	$2,750,000	$2,700,000	4710	19
1101 Crestline Ct	Detached	$3,695,000	$2,775,000	7226	415

January 8, 2022January 8, 2022

Notary Services at the Library

Did you know that the Lake Oswego Library offers free notary services the first and third Saturdays of each month? It does, including today. Volunteers provide the notary as a community service. It’s free.

The library is located at 706 4th St in First Addition. For more information click here.

I’ll have the market activity report up shortly. Thank you for your patience.

Dianne

December 18, 2021December 18, 2021

Choosing a Home Inspector

There is a tendancy to shop for good value. It’s bread into us by the reality that making our dollars go further enhances our ability to invest and plan for the future. This is a good trait in people, but when it comes to home inspectors, you really do get what you pay for.

You can get a home inspection done for around $300-$400. The inspectors that I recommend charge twice that. So what’s the difference? Time, my friend. The difference is time.

The good inspectors book 1 or 2 inspections a day. The cheap inspectors book 3-4 a day. This means that in saving money you are probably hiring someone who is checking their watch and thinking that they need time to drive to the next appointment to get there on time.

You just don’t know what is going to turn up in a home inspection. Your inspector needs time to dwell on details and figure the house out. The two companies I recommend most highly are Associated Master Inspectors and Inspectek West. Both have mulitiple employees and anyone of them is terrific. In addition, AMI maintains a contractor list that is long and well vetted. Painters, asbestos abatement, electricians, you name it, they have it. For the AMI contractor list click here.

I want to assure you that I am not in kahoots with either company. I have attended many, many home inspections. I know what a good inspection looks like. In my entire career, I’ve never had a client come back to me after the sale with a horror story of something missed in the home inspection.

I also had a client a few years ago that was certain that I must be recommending people who would go easy on the house so that the sale would be more likely to happen. She hired an inspector who inspected the roof from the driveway. He did not even walk on the roof.

I want my clients to know what they are buying. If something so bad turns up that makes them change their mind about buying the house, I am happy it happened early in the process and that they didn’t buy a problem.

As always, thanks for reading the blotter,

Dianne