Deciding where to call home depends on a lot of factors but based on my over 25 years experience as a Realtor, these are the top 10 reasons people move to Lake Oswego.

1. Real estate value. The cost of entry into Lake Oswego is higher than many other cities in Oregon but so is the appreciation—the return on your investment in Lake Oswego when it comes time to resell will be greater than elsewhere.

2. Affordability. How can Lake Oswego be one of the more expensive places to live but also be more affordable? Depends on where you are moving from. The median sales price of $602,800 for a home in Lake Oswego looks like a bargain compared to the median price of $900,000 for a home in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially when you realize that the house you are getting here is probably bigger and in better condition. We saw price increases of 5.5% over last year which is half of what San Francisco experienced.

3. Schools. The Lake Oswego School District earned top honors this year as the best school district in the state by Niche, an organization that rates schools based on data from the U.S. Department of Education. Not only that, all of its individual schools also ranked among the Top 10 in their grade-level categories. Accolades are not unusual for LOSD. Read one of my previous posts.

We also have two high schools and two junior highs which creates more opportunities for student involvement as athletes, leaders, thespians, debaters, and performers.

4. Proximity to family. Many of my clients move here to be closer to their parents or their kids or have friends that have moved here and convinced them to relocate. They’ve come to visit, liked what they experienced and decided that while the proximity to family/friends may have been the catalyst to move, there were a lot of other amenities to warrant it. The National Mover Study conducted by United Van Lines confirms this. Twenty-four percent of the newcomers into our state, move here to be closer to their relatives.

5. The lake. Oswego Lake is an asset that keeps on giving from just its sheer beauty and vistas it affords citizens to the recreational opportunities it provides. While not everyone can live on the lake, everyone who lives in Lake Oswego can enjoy it at one of the two swim parks at either end of town. In addition there are approximately 750 waterfront homes and close to 3,000 homes deeded lake access through easement rights.

6. It feels like home. As unique as Lake Oswego is, it shares enough qualities with places like Saratoga, California; Naperville, Chicago; and Minnetonka, Minnesota that many of the clients I’ve worked with feel a sense of comfort when they discover it. Small town charm, big city accessibility, walkable neighborhoods—they want to recapture what they left or grew up with and Lake Oswego often delivers.

7. Quality of Life. This summer my wife and I boated to a performance of Buddy Returns at the Lakewood Center. We attended a regional arts festival that draws 25,000 people in attendance. We’ve enjoyed a farmers’ market every Saturday, 4th of July fireworks display, summer concerts in the park, as well as author readings, art openings and main street parades all without having to leave our city limits. Lake Oswego is rich with cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities thanks to a vibrant business community, progressive city government and involved citizens.

8. Low crime rate. Safety is always a concern when people decide to settle down somewhere and when they ask me if it’s an issue in Lake Oswego, I refer them to the police log in the Lake Oswego Review. It’s probably the only police log in the country that has generated its own book of “funny” calls based on reports of barking dogs, street-crossing ducks and trash tossing humans.

9. Location. As some of the other points mentioned prove, Lake Oswego can stand on its own; however, its close location to everything the Portland metro offers as well as the state makes it even that more attractive to newcomers. Consider: eight miles to downtown Portland, 12.2 to the Portland International Airport, and 141 to Black Butte.

10. Family-friendly. The schools may be the strongest magnet drawing young families to Lake Oswego, but once here, they discover there’s lots more to enjoy. The Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of offerings for everyone from tots to seniors, including a Teen Lounge and Father/Daughter Dances. The library hosts weekly storytelling and crafts events for all ages. Annual events like the Christmas Tree Lighting, 4th of July pancake breakfast and Lake Run Kids’ Dash make it very clear that families are welcome here.

Ten is a nice, even number; however, I could go on and on, and in fact I have—over seven years of weekly reasons to love Lake Oswego and move here! If you want to see for yourself, give me a call at 503.939.9801 and/or check out my website. I’d love to show you around and help you with your decision to move to Lake Oswego.