One of Portland Oregon’s best Custom New Home Builders is Olsen Homes. You will definitely want to take a quick view of these tremendous new homes just minutes to down town Portland. These classic homes have all the upgrades and a are located on NW Old Quarry Road in Washington County. Just a short walk to the new Bonny Slope Beaverton Elementary School. Large Lots, Custom features, in a lush green setting with Southerly Exposure and Views. Check out the Video we just shot including two young Deer that visited the site while we help it Open in May of 2008! We have two homes from the $700’s and one lot left to sell. Hurry and get yours now!
We moved about one year ago in Early 2007 to our new home in Carlyle Creek. This home is great and everything is custom. We really do love it. But as we were leaving the old home which was in Rock Creek we realized how much we had loved it there. The home there was a daylight ranch with 3 BR and 2 Baths on the main floor. The lower level had 2 more bedrooms, another bath, a huge Laundry, and a Huge Lower level FR. There was a brick wood burning Fireplace there and an Adobe slump block FP on the main.
The home wa svery cozy with a few modern updates. We really liked that design. The lower level was cool in the Summer. Of course the pool was nice too. Lots of good times there and the kids all can swim like fish. That I am thankful for. We also had some great trails at Bethany Lake Park which you can get to by foot or Bike right there off of Columbia Blvd. For Golfers there is the Rock creek Country Club right in the neighborhood. The Holidays were always big in that neighborhood with Christmas and Halloween being big draws.
The main thing I think was that the kids could walk to school as Rock Creek Elementary is right there and so is Westview High School. The homes are all around 30 years old now and so are the trees. While leaves are a pain in the fall the whole place just has that mature nicer feel. Of course the lots are bigger. So that helps. Just Minutes from Intel and Nike this is a great place to call home. If you are looking for a home in AREA 149 and just off US 26, Rock creek is really worth a look! We miss it there and I would go back ina heart beat no doubt.
As the Holidays draw near we see the listing Inventories shrink. This later half of 2006 has been a very slow 6 months indeed. With job growth in Oregon and especially in the Portland regional area (Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington County) one has to wonder why the slow down? Was it based on real underlying economic hardships or was it more based upon perception of our buying public?
One can not deny the amount of negative publicity and media that Joe Public is being offered. It is on the news everynight and in the paper everyday. There is no doubt that people are scared to transact on homes. Portland, Oregon Real Estate is some of the best in the country to own by all accounts. Prices have not fallen all and all. And yet buyers on average when we speak to them perceive this as a Buyers market.
There are some sellers that are moving, downsizing, or just needing to sell. For these folks they will have to sell at the lower end of their value spectrum. There is a range of value for every home on the market. We generally see homes being sold with about a 5% value band either side of the best comparable value. This Spectrum as I like to call it will be effected by location, floor plan, features, and quality. It is the case that the same 2000 sf home in Portland can be $25,000 below or $25,000 above a mid level price. So somebody needing to move a home would be likely to sell that home in 60-90 days at the lower end of that range.
But while these factors have played out many sellers are calling this markets bluff by removing their homes from the market and just deciding to wait things out. As the end if the year approaches the market is actually shrinking in terms of selection and inventory of homes for sale. This is a trend that may continue.
Banks shut off the supply of money to almost all new projects and are making sure that new homes for sale now will be the homes that must be bought up before new ones may be built. There are some great opportunities to buy now and with rates at 5.5% we are seeing buyers begin to move in. The media is at the same time starting to talk recovery and come back. That is going to happen as 2008 rolls out. The deals will be all gone by mid-year as things play out here.
Again we are strongly recommending that if you are in the market….if you need to buy a home in Oregon…be active and be ready. The time to shop is now and the time to educate yourself is now as well. The forces are in play for inventory to continue to shrink as well.
Have a great Holiday and make sure to call us and discuss your real estate needs!
For you buyers sitting on the fence you have about 3-6 months to stirke while the iron is hot.
Builder Briefs: Local economist predicts strong rebound in 2009 for Oregon housing market
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Oregon’s housing market is likely to weather the national housing storm, according to experts who spoke Nov. 29 at the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland’s 2008 Housing Forecast. John Mitchell, a Portland-based economist, columnist and business analyst, predicts Oregon’s housing market will experience several market corrections in 2008, including declines in construction lending. Those corrections will lead to a smaller industry, he said, as well as tighter credit standards that will make it more difficult for marginal borrowers to purchase a home. But Mitchell said he also expects a strong rebound in 2009. “I’m betting we’re going to make it through this without a recession,” said Mitchell, who has 35 years’ experience in the Oregon market. “But it’s going to be a different world. It’s going to take time to work through all the pressures of the market. We went through a period that was abnormal. We’re now getting back to something more normal.” Jerry Johnson, a real estate market and regional economic development consultant with Johnson Gardner, and David Ludwig of Vista Market Intelligence also spoke to the sold-out crowd of 700. “For the past few years, people in housing markets all over the country came to see property as an investment, like stocks,” said David Nielsen, CEO for the HBA. “Housing ‘day-traders,’ buying homes to quickly flip them, are rapidly leaving this market. Housing is returning to what it used to be — buying a stake in your community, a place to call your own. “In 2008, buyers will have great selections and will likely be able to get more for their money than in the past several years,” Nielsen added. “People with good credit will have ample access to loans, and buying a home is going to be fun again.”
Message is: 2008 = Year to Buy at the bottom of this little dip we are in. John Mitchell is the most highly recognized and respected economist in Oregon and has been for years. If you have been looking lets get out there and make an offer while some sellers are still willing to deal!
Well the Fourth Quarter is under way and we have some pretty good data from the RMLS computers that may help you to make some sens out of the market conditions here. Here are the facts through October 2007 that will help you do some thinking about this market. They might just surprise you!
YEAR to Date Summary for 2007
Area New Listings Pending Sales Pending Sales Versus 2007 Closed Sales Median Price Appreciation Rate
So these numbers show us being flat for the year over all with Bethany, Oregon picking up about 3% in value this year. Hillsboro is actually showing an 8.7% increase in value but the number of sales year over year is off almost 14%. These numbers do not lie and defy the overall perception in the media that this is a bad market or a down market.
Of course every market is different and every house is different. Certainly not every home is up and the reality is that many are flat or down in value. But really the market is just sort of stuck as buyers expect huge reductions and are not getting them and sellers expect a quick sale at a record price and they are getting that either. So we really do have a Mexican stand off. If I am a buyer I am looking and making an offer on what I see if the value is right! A great time to be in the market and getting ready to make a purchase. Look for January and February to big very active months as pent up demand is sure to break out.
Good luck to everyone looking and as always please call Dirk Knudsen at 503-799-8383 to discuss your home sale or purchase. I am sure I can help you determine the right move for you.
The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation Portland Community College Rock Creek Recreation Facility is the newest and largest multi-purpose complex in the Bethany area. The 32 acre complex offers a wide variety of outdoor sports & recreation facilities and was opened to the public in July of 2007. Located off Springville Rd. adjacent to the PCC Rock Creek Campus, the facility is within walking distance from a variety of residential neighborhoods.
The facility includes:
Two synthetic turf soccer/lacrosse/football fields
The 500+ newly planted trees aren’t the only things that keep the site green. Sustainable & energy efficient materials and design practices provide an environmentally friendly facility everyone can enjoy.
Synthetic Turf – At nearly 200,000 square feet, this is largest single synthetic turf area in the Northwest. It covers two side-by-side soccer/lacrosse/football playing fields. The use of synthetic turf is expected to reduce maintenance and operating costs and prolong playability of the field area.
“Green” Lighting – All playing field and tennis court lighting is state-of-the-art and provides maximum energy-efficiency by using fewer bulbs than traditional field lighting systems to produce the same level of illumination. These lights are also the industry’s best at keeping glare and light spillover to a minimum. The lights are programmable and can be turned on and off remotely depending on field usage.
Innovative Storm Drainage – The facility includes pervious pavers for all of its 286 parking spaces to reduce stormwater runoff. When excessive runoff does occur in the parking area, it is directed to bioswales. These smaller bioswales, with native plants, act as the first line of filtration before the runoff is directed to the facility’s two larger bioswales. These larger bioswales, also with native plants, handle the stormwater runoff for the entire site.
Automated Irrigation System – Similar to the lighting system, the irrigation system is fully automated and state of the art to help reduce maintenance and operating costs and increase overall efficiency. The system includes a number of weather and moisture sensors to prevent operation when it’s raining or when adequate moisture already exists.
Recycled Plastic – The facility includes a number of plastic benches, picnic tables, and trash receptacles made from recycled plastic. Use of recycled plastic by the Park District elsewhere has substantially reduced maintenance costs as compared to traditional wood products.
Ask Dirk about our current listings in Bethany! Whether you are looking for a condo or custom home, The Knudsen’s Real Estate Team can help!
Ok. Bottom line is people are very hot on Bethany, Oregon. Real Estate in this area is an excellent investment. Great location with the last really great back road approach to Downtown Portland. Award Winning Beaverton Schools are another draw as well as plentiful Parks and playgrounds, new homes, Bile Paths, and trails. Low Washington County Taxes. No City Taxes. Right off the Freeway against the backdrop of the Tualatin Mountains. Intel, Nike, Columbia Sports Wear are all very very close! Call Dirk Knudsen today to get a market report and talk more about this great area!
