Joelle Lewis

RE/MAX equity group, inc. #1 in Portland Metro, #29 in Nation for 2009

lewisjo — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 22:33:43 +0000

There’s a reason why I work for RE/MAX. It’s the best company in town.

RE/MAX equity group has been ranked #1 according to the Portland Business Journal of Top Metro Real Estate Firms for 2009. RE/MAX topped the chart in all categories; total number of producing agents, tri-county sales in units, and four counties sales in units. For more information visit Portland Business Journal

Similarly, RE/MAX equity group was named #29 in the nation in terms of 2009 transactions. Rismedia furnished this information in their annual Power Broker Report. For more information, visit Rismedia.

April Market Action Report

lewisjo — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:48:01 +0000

Compared to activity in April 2009, sales have improved in April 2010. When looking at closed sales, there has been a substantial 49.1% increase in closed sales and a 60.8% rise in pending sales. New listings are also up 23.8%.

From March to April 2010, sales were up 7.9% and pending sales grew 24.5% from the month prior. Listings dipped, however, 5.5%. Also comparing month-t0-month, the average sales price went up 0.6% while the year-to-year price decreased 3.1%. This number, however, is an improvement from the March 2009-2010 average sale price decreased by 5.6%. This might be a slight indication that prices are starting to finally stabilize.

For more information please visit RMLS

Please do not hesitate to contact me today for similar market updates!

Discover historic Lake Oswego with Metro’s Walk There! event series

lewisjo — Wed, 19 May 2010 22:23:28 +0000

Don’t you just love spring?! Well, get out and join the Metro’s sponsored event Walk There! event on Wednesday, May 26 at 2 p.m at the Irish Totem statue on at Evergreen Road and Second Street in Lake Oswego. The walk will end at 3:30 p.m. back at the statue. Prior registration is not required.

For more details on its route and to read the full article, click here

Lake Oswego Historic Home Tour

lewisjo — Sun, 09 May 2010 17:13:37 +0000

Walk through LO’s history! Self-guided home tour of five restored and preserved historic homes of Lake Oswego on May 15th. For more information & tickets click here

March 2010 Market Action Report

lewisjo — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:45:26 +0000

Comparing March 2009 to March 2010, there has been continual improvement in the first quarter of 2010. In the month of March, there was a considerable 51.9% increase in closed sales, new listings were up 35.3%, and there was a 46.7% increase in pending sales compared to that of a year ago.

From February-March 2010, closed sales significantly increased by 77.2%, pending sales were up 29.8%, while new listings increased 28.7%. Also, when comparing the month-to-month average sale price, there was a slight 2.6% increase ($280,300 v. $273,100) and a small 1.6% increase in median sale price ($238,900 v. $235,000).

Overall, the first quarter of 2010 has ended in a better position that that of 2009 first quarter. New listings, pending sales, and closed sales all rose when compared to 2009. Please do not hesitate to contact me today so we can talk about how you can take advantage of the current real estate market!

February 2010 Market Action Report

lewisjo — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:13:32 +0000

Overall, sales in the month of February have improved in 2010 compared to February 2009. There was an 18.4% increase in closed sales, with a large 45% increase in pending sales. New listings also rose 12.4%.

February 2010 compared to January 2010 shows closed sales rose 2.9% and pending sales increased 20.5%. When comparing the same period to January-February 2009, we see that closed sales increased 26.7% and pending sales went up 34.7%.

When comparing inventory in the month of February 2009-2010, we see that the total number of months it would take to sell all active listings has gone down from 16.6 to 12.9 months. A good indication that real estate activity is picking up in the early part of 2010. If you would like more information about current tax credits, short sale incentives, and how you can capitalize on the 2nd quarter 2010 real estate market, please give me a call today!

New Program Offers Cash Incentives for Short Sale Homeowners

lewisjo — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:10:59 +0000

Starting April 5, the Obama administration plans to put a new program in effect that will help distressed homeowners. This program was created in response to the growing number of Americans facing foreclosure and need a way out. With this program, $1500 will be given to short sale homeowners who decide to sell their homes for less that what is owed. If a homeowner is in a situation where they have to sell, such as facing foreclosure, short sales can be a great answer. Currently, however, there are challenges for a short sale to close in a reasonable amount of time due to inadequate short sale standardization among banks, creating frustration for sellers, buyers, and lenders alike. In response, the program plans to also handout cash to the lenders in hopes to help expedite and standardize the short sale processes. If you are facing a situation where you are thinking about entering into a short sale transaction, please contact me today. To read the full article from NY Times, click here.

Oregon Metro Plans Public Transit from Downtown PDX to Downtown LO

lewisjo — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:24:25 +0000

While there are still many specifications to work out, Oregon Metro has plans for a Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project which could open by the end of 2016. There are several different options being proposed, such as a No-build option, enhanced bus system, and a full-on streetcar option.

To read the full article click here

Lake Oswego & Tigard Water Partnership

lewisjo — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:26 +0000

Even in a state with a high annual rainfall, abundant drinking water can be an issue. Such is the case for the city of Tigard, who has been buying water from Lake Oswego dating back as far the 1970’s. There will be certain water system improvements in the near future, however, and both cities will be sharing the improved drinking water and the associated costs.

To read the full article click here

January 2010 Market Action Report

lewisjo — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:07:36 +0000

While there has been a 6.2% decrease in new listings in January 2009 to 2010, a 43% increase in new listings from December 2009, just one month prior, indicates a trend of increased inventory after the new year.

Total market time has decreased by 4.7%, and closed sales have increased by 34.7% from January ‘09-’10. This shows inventory is moving more quickly than it was at this time last year.

Median sales price has dropped 4% from January ‘09 to ‘10, indicating a continuation of a slightly downward trend on pricing. Combined with low interest rates, and the tax credit–now is a perfect time to buy, homes have never been more affordable!