City Population Information

Here are 2006 population figures according to data published by the Population Research Center at Portland State University:
State of Oregon 3,690,505
Portland 562,690
Lake Oswego 36,350
Tualatin 25,650
West Linn 24,180
Wilsonville 16,885

Information for other cities is available at http://www.pdx.edu/prc/

First Time Homebuyer Class

by Mark Miller, Lake Oswego, Oregon Realtor®
Thursday January 11th at 6:15pm
Lake Oswego
Purchasing a home can seem a bit scary but it is a business transaction that thousands of people do every day. Come spend a little over an hour with us and we'll run through the steps required. Let us take some of the mystery out of it and answer any questions you may have.

The class will be informal, sitting around a conference table as the three of us share what we know. And, of course, there is no charge to attend and there will be no pressure to do business with us, although we think we would be a good choice should you decide to purchase a new home!

Presenters will be:
Grace Orphanides, Broker with The Hasson Company
Aaron Foster, Mortgage Advisor with Alpine Mortgage, LLC
Mark Miller, Principal Broker with The Hasson Company

Topics Covered Include:

• Financial preparation


• Qualifying for a loan


• Types of loans available


• Finding the right home


• Making an offer


• Property disclosure


• Inspections


• Escrow

This is not limited to first time homebuyers, anyone interested in gaining knowledge about the home buying process is welcome to attend.

Class will be held at The Hasson Company Realtors office in Lake Oswego,
close to the intersection of Kruse Way and Boones Ferry.
Plenty of parking in the lot.
15400 SW Boones Ferry Road
Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Register now for Thursday January 11th, 2007 at 6:15pm in Lake Oswego.
Please call one of us:
Grace 503.218.4553
Aaron 503.718.9820
Mark 503.534.1591

November 2006 Market Activity

by Mark Miller, Lake Oswego, Oregon Realtor®
Lake Oswego / West Linn Area
from RMLS published data

For the Month of November
Active Listings: 715
New Listings: 190
Pending Sales: 97
Pending Sales 2006 vs. 2005: -4.0%
Closed Sales: 115
Average Sales Price: $480,400

Year to Date
Closed Sales: 1,534
Average Sales Price: $533,000
Appreciation: 18.2%*

*comparing the "average sales price" of the recent 12 months (12/1/05 – 11/30/06) with the 12 months before (12/1/04 – 11/30/05)

Emergency Supplies

by Mark Miller, Lake Oswego, Oregon Realtor®

This list of emergency supplies relates to my last post about preparing your home for winter.

• Candles, matches (or lighter)
• Flashlight, batteries
• Hand crank or battery operated radio
• Weather radio
• Extra batteries
• Bottled water
• Non-perishable food
• Hand operated can opener
• Paper plates, plastic eating utensils
• Paper towels
• Propane or charcoal for outdoor grill
• Extra firewood
• Fuel for generator (keep generator outdoors when in use)
• Snow shovel
  
  
  

Preparing Your Home for Winter

by Mark Miller, Lake Oswego, Oregon Realtor®

With the winter weather we've been having here in the Pacific Northwest these last few weeks I thought I should post some ideas for preparing your home for winter. Subscribers to my occasional email service received this a few weeks ago (you can sign up to receive these occasional emails at www.MarkMillerHomes.com)

The tasks aren't overwhelming when you tackle them one at a time.

This list is not all inclusive, just some of the things I think of as we head into the cold weather.

• Shut off and drain outdoor faucets when you think a hard freeze is coming
• Learn how to turn off water at its source so you can stop leaks immediately if they start
• Take care of known issues with pipes that freeze. Heat tape can be used to keep them warm during extremely cold weather
• Close foundation vents when really cold weather is expected
• Drain garden hoses, roll them up, and store them inside
• Set sprinkler system to “off”, turn off water and drain the pipes
• Clean gutters and downspouts
• Trim tree limbs that are hanging over or touching the roof
• Cover outdoor furniture or store it inside
• Have chimney inspected and cleaned
• Close fireplace damper when not in use