You can enjoy a partial lakeview in this house set on almost a half acre I have listed at 2801 Lakeview Blvd. for $749,900.

With lakefront homes in Lake Oswego now going for $950,000 to $5,495,000 it’s hard to imagine that back in 1912, developers were practically giving them away.

That’s right. Because the land was undeveloped and there weren’t roads leading down to the waterfront, Atchison & Allen, the company marketing the first residential development on the west end of the lake, Lake View Villas, offered to throw in a lake lot for $50 to buyers who bought an acre view lot. To sweeten the deal, they recommended using the waterfront lot as a watering hole for their cows.

If only….right?

Today lake view lots still command a good price but they are much more affordable in most cases to waterfront and are just one homebuying option that people moving to Lake Oswego can enjoy the lake without actually living on it.

Other options include buying a home with an easement, purchasing a house that lies in the former Lake Grove School District boundaries with rights to the Lake Grove Swim Park, and buying any home in the city of Lake Oswego which guarantees you access to the Lake Oswego Swim Park on Ridgeway Road.

But back to those lake view lots—where might you find them in Lake Oswego? Take a drive down some of these streets: Upper Drive, Crestview, Ridgecrest, Oswego Shore Court, Summit, Phantom Bluff, North Shore and Lakefront.

Gazing out on Oswego Lake isn’t the only view homeowners in Lake Oswego can enjoy, however. Other coveted views include Mount Hood, the Willamette River and what I like to call Weather Watch. Here’s where you can often find them:

MOUNT HOOD: The iconic view of Mt. Hood as you are traveling east on A Avenue in downtown Lake Oswego is something we can all take advantage of here in Lake Oswego. But to be able to access that view from where you live, any time of day when it’s clear will likely cost you. How much? That’s up for debate. When OPB explored the topic back in 2011, a Reed College professor referenced a study that said a Mt. Hood view could increase a home’s value by 8%. But a more recent study in Seattle on views in general attributed much higher values to views depending on their elevation and lack of obstruction with some estimates as high as 50 to 100% added value. Here are some streets offering that view in Lake Oswego: Meadowlark Lane, Chapin Way, Ridepointe Drive, Brookhurst, Woodhurst, Uplands, Devon Lane, Cherry Court, Furnace, Skyland Drive, Marylwood Court, Glenmorrie Drive, Crestline, Crest Drive, Ridgecrest, Greenbluff, Timberline, Amber Place and the obvious, Hoodview Lane.

WILLAMETTE RIVER: While Oswego Lake is considered the main attraction by many who live in Lake Oswego, residents are also fortunate to have access to the Willamette River on our Glenmorrie, Fielding Road, Upper Devon, Riverwood Lane, Grandview Court, Furnace, Old River Drive, Cherry Court, Stonebridge and Stampher Road.

WEATHER WATCH: You won’t need to go to the Oregon coast to do your storm watching. Homes perched within eyeshot of this view have front row seats to watch many of our weather systems come in and believe me, it can be spectacular. Crestline, Skyland Circle, Meadowlark Lane, Palisades Crest, Delenka, Cheryl Court, Atherton Drive, Bergis, Hilltop, Eastridge and Childs.

Let me put my knowledge of Lake Oswego to work for you in finding you the right home with the right view if that’s one of your deal breakers. If not, I can find homes with lots of other amenities depending on what’s most important to you. Let’s talk! You can reach me at 503.939.9801 and/or through my website. I look forward to hearing from you!