Why Living in Lake Oswego Can Lead to Short Term Memory Loss (and why that’s a good thing)

Posted on May 27, 2018 by lovelakeoswego

Give Lake Oswegans (or most Oregonians, for that matter) one day of sunshine and gone and forgotten are the gray days, the wet and windy days, the threat of freezing rain days. We have this incredible capacity to be in the moment and as a result squeeze more joy and satisfaction out of one sunny day than a southern Californian might eek out of a whole season!

Here’s why I know it’s not just me that suffers (or should I say, benefits) from this affliction (or should I say, blessing).

●The line queuing up at the car wash when our periods of winter doldrums are interrupted by a blue sky day.

●The checkers at the grocery store who ask what my plans are for enjoying the nice weather

●The neighbors who have been missing in action all winter that suddenly appear in their yards, walking down our street, or taking a bike ride.

●The raid on flowers at Al’s Garden Center, Fred Meyer’s and other local nurseries when the temperatures rise just a bit and the ground is tillable.

●The talk about the great forecast in the locker room at my club as though a few days of sunshine are as exciting to talk about as a Blazer win.

●The crowded parking lot at Home Depot as do-it-yourselfers come out in droves to tackle the outdoor projects they’ve been putting off until good weather arrives.

●Kids that are seen walking to school in shorts and t-shirts when the day before they were bundled up in their winter sweats.

This all runs contra to the negativity bias which suggests that negative things have a greater impact (some researchers estimate three times greater) on our psychological state than positive. That would mean we’d need almost an entire summer of good weather before we could start putting some psychological distance between us and a bad winter.

Well, the researchers need to come to Lake Oswego. Because we don’t need a whole season—heck, just give us a good day…and consider us inoculated against winter doldrums completely with a week’s worth of sunny days. Catch me in the middle of a warm summer day and I’ll have no recollection of anything but that glorious sunshine beating down on me at that very moment. It may be short term memory loss but you won’t find me complaining.

You too can be blessed with this affliction should you decide to move to Lake Oswego. Let me show you around. I’ve been helping people find homes in Lake Oswego for over 25 years and I’d love to put my experience to work for you! Give me a call at 503.939.9801 and/or check out my websitehttps://www.costellorealestategroup.com/.

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Lake Oswego Housing Market is Hot as Summer Approaches

Posted on May 20, 2018 by lovelakeoswego

With summer around the corner, Lake Oswego is heating up and I’m not just talking about the weather.

The housing market in Lake Oswego is hot and here’s the evidence to back that forecast up.

  1. The median price of homes in Lake Oswego has gone up 12% in the last 12 months to $660,000. This compares to a historic 6% climb each year.
  2. The average listing price of homes in Lake Oswego in March of this year was $1,061,091, a slight increase from last year’s $1,036,189.
  3. The average sales price in March was $839,631 compared to $749,141 a year ago.
  4. Fifty-five homes sold in Lake Oswego in March with an average 49 days on the market. Last March 49 homes sold after spending an average of 62 days on the market.
  5. The current inventory is 3.6 months, same as last year.
  6. The entry level house in Lake Oswego is now just under the $400,000. A year ago it was $350,000. Folks who bought then have already made money on their investment.

That’s it for statistics. Let me offer some anecdotal evidence.

  1. Last month I listed a 5 bedroom 2 bath 1,680 square foot house in the McVey/South Shore neighborhood for $459,900. It received three offers and sold in one day for $15,100 over asking price.
  2. I was the sales agent on a 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath 2,201 square foot home in the Palisades neighborhood representing my clients along with three other offers. Ours was the winning bid at $60,000 over the $625,000 asking price.
  3. Higher priced homes are moving as well. A 5 bedroom 3 bath home with 3,523 square feet in the Forest Hills neighborhood sold after six days on the market for $1,425,000, just $24,000 under the asking price.
  4. I represented the buyers in the sale of a home on the Blue Heron Canal which sold for $2,850,000 before even going on the market.
  5. Another home on the Blue Heron Canal sold in 24 days for $2,600,000, just $50,000 under the listing price.
  6. I’m finding several buyers are opting out of Lake Oswego and looking into West Linn and Tualatin in order to find a house and price that would work for them…and even that proves challenging.

The bottom line is that the housing market in Lake Oswego continues to be strong due to lack of inventory. Last summer inventory did pick up and it appears that it will continue that trend this year. So if you’re thinking of moving to Lake Oswego, it’s more important than ever to work with an experienced Realtor who can match your needs with what’s available (sometimes before it even comes on the market!) I’ve been helping people move in, out and on for over 25 years and would love to put my experience to work for you! Give me a call at 503.939.9801 and/or check out my website.

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Lake Oswego Farmers’ Market Features New Crop of Vendors When It Opens May 19

Posted on May 13, 2018 by lovelakeoswego

Each year the Lake Oswego Farmers’ Market yields a new crop of vendors to offer shoppers an exciting, well-rounded experience. Take a look at some of this year’s newbies:

Goodmoon Adzuki. Foods that are good for you often get a bad rap for tasting bad. Sarah Wang of Lake Oswego is out to change that. Adzuki beans, touted for their antioxidant capability as well as being a source of fiber, protein and iron, are front and center stars of her Goodmoon bean bars, snacks that combine the ancient Chinese moon cake tradition with the healthier eating habits of today’s consumer. Featuring all natural ingredients like raisins, honey, hemp seed hearts, cocoa powder, agave and organic brown rice flour, the bars are gluten, dairy and nut free so diet restricted folks can feel like they’re getting a treat!

Bread Lovers. There’s nothing better than the smell of fresh baked bread and now you can have that, thanks to kits provided by Bread Lovers. Choose from six different varieties that contain all the ingredients and instructions you need. All you do is add water and some muscle power (mixing and kneading). I’m sure vendors will be there offering baking tips and of course samples! Check here for dates that Bread Lovers will be at the market.

Joy for Bread. Speaking of bread…that’s something that gluten-free folk are in constant search of. Joy for Bread understands their pain and seeks to re-introduce them to bread that’s “worth being joyful over.” Offerings include a white loaf, mini white loaf, white and multi seed baguette as well as buns. They will be at the market every other week.

Sanctuary Produce is a no-till, no-spray family farm out of Dallas, Oregon that focuses on salad mixes, greens, tomatoes and roasted peppers.

Tonic and Bloom will be joining the market every other week encouraging visitors to “Rethink your drink.” Their specialty is hand blended energy teas with names like “Rise and Chai” and “Reishi.”

Sisters Fruit Company. This family run operation out of Cornelius offers fruit snack chips that you can enjoy guilt-free. The ingredients list is short, letting you enjoy the naturally sweet flavor of Pacific Northwest grown fruit crisp-dried according to their exclusive natural process. They’ll be on hand on selected dates.

Scratch Meats. Jeff Garritano relies on his Italian heritage, culinary travels and passion for sausage to produce handmade, locally sourced meats. He prides himself on their freshness due to the fact that he vacuum seals and quickly freezes them as soon as he’s done grinding, seasoning, stuffing, twisting and packaging. Flavors run from ethnic like Italian and Chorizo to creative seasonal like Cherry Bratwurst.

Groundwork Coffee. This Portland roaster walked away from the 2017 Golden Bean North America Roasters Competition with four awards, including a gold for their filtered coffee so they’re worth checking out. They’ll be at the market every other week with their Cold Brew.

Other vendors new to our market include Garden Bar, Birkeland Farm grass fed beef and pasture raised chicken, Blue Moon Bakery, Cardamon Hills chutney, Creperie le Bon Temps, Jimmy Tomato Italian tomato and meat sauce, Kenai Red Fish Company, Mud Dog Farm, Portland Cider Company and Tom Pilgneri Italian pastries. With many of them having rotating schedules, you’re bound to discover something new every week!

The market will be open on Saturdays, May 18 through October 13 fro 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Millennium Plaza Park at the corner of First and Evergreen. Enjoy live music from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. as well as kids’ activities.

The Farmers’ Market opening is just the beginning of what is always a fun-filled summer. Don’t miss out! Subscribe to my blog by clicking the “Sign me up button” in the top right hand column.

 

 

 

 

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Sign Up Now for Lake Oswego Summer Camps

Posted on May 6, 2018 by lovelakeoswego

Whether your child is a budding actor, movie maker, iGame creator, musician, athlete, dancer, engineer, chef, artist, explorer or scientist, there is a camp with his or her name on it in Lake Oswego this summer.

Between the Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Department and the Lakewood Center for the Arts, all bases are covered. All you have to do is sign up….and best to do so early as camps fill up fast.

LAKE OSWEGO PARKS AND RECREATION. Included in the usual lineup of preschool, kinder, art, dance, music science, Lego, tech, outdoor and sports camps, the Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Department has put together some new offerings. Take a look.

Little Music Makers for ages 3-5 introduces children to instruments like the piano, drums and shakers through fun games and activities. Plant the seeds for music appreciation early. Offered twice from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for two week June 18 through June 22 (#17772) and August 6 through August 10 (#17773). Fees are $120/Resident;$138/Non-Resident. Before care is offered from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. for $25/week.

Miss Eve’s Princess Dance Camp for ages 3-5. Campers will learn basic ballet and get their princess-fix making wands and crowns. Week culminates with a princess party and performance. Monday through Friday, July 9 through July 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with before care available. Fees are $100/Resident; $115/Non-Resident. Class #17768.

Into the Wild Camp for ages 5-9 teachers campers wilderness survival skills from building a shelter to setting traps. Offered from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. June 25 through June 29. Fee is $213/Resident; $245/Non-Resident. Class #17668.

LO Explorers. While these weekly themed camps for school aged kids (ages 7-12( are offered every year, new themes are featured. Some of them include: Holy Summer Camp Batman! And Muggles Beware! Camps are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with before and after care available for an additional fee.

Teen Contemporary and Jazz Camp for ages 11-17. Dancers will work on technique, improvisation, choreography and floor week and cap the week off with a performance. Offered July 9 through July 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. with after care available from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for $25/week. Fee is $127/Resident; $146/Non-Resident. Class #17789.

Wordsmith Songwriting Camp for ages 8-12. Songwriting wannabes will learn how to translate their ideas to paper whether they already know how to play the piano and/or the guitar or need to learn the basics. Offered July 16 through July 20 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. with after care available. Fees is $147/Resident; $170/Non-Resident. Class #17793.

Reel Fishing Camp for ages 8-13. Campers will spend the mornings learning how to catch (and prepare) their lunch! Includes casting, baiting, proper placement, as well as how to clean and cook their catch. July 23 through July 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Fee is $200/Resident; $230/Non-Resident. Class #17670.

Sport Ninja Warrior and Parkour Camp for ages 10-14 offers kids a chance to train with 4-time American Ninja Warrior finalist Elet Hall. They’ll learn parkour fundamentals, how to navigate obstacles, as well as circus skills. June 18 through June 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Fee is $294/Resident; $339/Non-Resident. Class #17583.

THE LAKEWOOD CENTER FOR THE ARTS will keep your resident thespians inspired with programs like the one week Kids Create-Summer Stars sessions for ages 4 through 7 beginning July 9 and running through August 17. The Sleepy Hollow Children’s Theatre Workshop and Production for ages 7-17 uses original musicals as a venue for teaching students about all areas of theatre including auditioning, staging, improvisation and directing. Check out the full schedule.

Things really pick up in the summer in Lake Oswego. Don’t miss a thing–subscribe to my blog by clicking the “Sign me up” button in the right hand column.

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5 Ways to Be Mentally Prepared for Lake Oswego’s 42nd Annual Lake Run

Posted on April 29, 2018 by lovelakeoswego

They say that running is 90% mental, so if you plan on signing up for Lake Oswego’s Lake Run set for May 12, that can be a good thing.

Known as “the race you love to hate,” it throws a lot at you that can boost your efforts (like the views) as well as thwart them (like the McVey climb). Knowing what the challenges are, you can be mentally (as well as physically prepared for them). Here are some things to think about (and say to yourself) to keep your head in the game.

  1. “I am so grateful for the views.” The glimpses of the lake are breathtaking and sure beat the scenery of some other races you could have signed up for like the sand, sand, and more sand of the Sahara Race in Egypt. So count your blessings.
  2. “It could be worse.” Sure, the McVey Hill is a doozy, and especially challenging as it hits you within the first mile of your run. But according to maymyrun, it’s only a Category 5 climb, making it the least difficult of categorized climbs. Yes, it could be a lot worse if you were running the Mt. Washington Road Race in Gorham, New Hampshire. Instead of a 3% gradient, you’d be looking at 12% as you tackle a 7.6 mile climb up Mt. Washington which tops out at 6,288 feet.
  3. “I can do this.” Chances are, even if you’re hurting, or have to walk, you will finish the race. You might not be able to say that if you were competing in the 2001 Siberian Ice Marathon. Record freezing temperatures (averaging minus 39 degrees Farenheit) prevented 92 percent of the starters from finishing the race.
  4. “Just think about how good I’m gonna feel when I cross the finish line!” There will be lots of fanfare, a banner to herald your arrival, clapping and cheering fans, pictures and a Family Fun festival. Visualizations help even the most elite of runners so picture yourself running with your hands up and a big smile across your face as you cross the finish. And look at it this way—at least you have a finish line. If you signed up for one of the 13 Wings for Life runs around the world, you wouldn’t. Instead the race ends when a Catcher Car (that sets off 30 minutes after the race starts at a speed of 9 miles an hour) passes you! How anticlimactic is that!
  5. “I’m doing this for a good cause.” Sometimes if you’re really feeling the pain, it helps to stop thinking about YOU and start thinking about SOMEONE ELSE. In this case, it’s the Annie Ross House and Northwest Housing Alternatives, the charity that will benefit from your entry fee. Annie Ross provides emergency shelter and services for families experiencing homelessness. So think about them to get yourself through any rough patches you hit along the way.

Registration for the 42nd annual Lake Run is open. Fees increase after April 30 and are $35/$45 for the 10K, $30/$40 for the 5K, and $15 for the Kids’ Dash. T-shirts are only guaranteed if you register by April 30. Course details and further information is available online.

Want to learn more about the Lake Run? Read some of my previous posts here, here and here.

And if you want to stay on top of what’s happening in Lake Oswego, be sure to subscribe to my blog by clicking the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column.

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Lake Oswego Offers Emergency Preparedness Fair This Week

Posted on April 22, 2018 by lovelakeoswego

When the next big one hits Oregon, here’s one statistic you don’t want to fall in—the 65% of American households that do not have an adequate plan or supplies for a disaster.

That’s one of the reasons behind the City of Lake Oswego’s Emergency Preparedness Fair on Wednesday, April 25 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the Palisades campus at 1500 Greentree Road.

Even if you’re a nay-sayer when it comes to believing predictions that the Cascadian Subduction Zone that runs along the Oregon Coast is going to send us a doozy in the near future, there are other crises Lake Oswego’s Emergency Management Program would like you to be prepared for like severe winter storms, fire and flooding.

Since moving to Lake Oswego, my wife and I have encountered two of the above. Severe winter winds sent our kids home early from school in the 1990s and we spent the afternoon and evening hiding out in our basement. A couple years later a combination of snow and freezing rain shut down our electricity and heat for five days and came back on just as we were about ready to check into a hotel (much to our kids’ dismay). In 1996 our basement flooded and we became the recipients of the City of Lake Oswego supplied sandbags and neighbors helping hands as we moved everything out of our basement and onto our main floor.

So yes, it can happen to you. Yet despite even our track record, we’ve been slow to prepare. This year, the emergency box-on-wheels we bought several years ago, finally started getting stocked with a first aid kit, emergency blankets, water filter, food…and the list goes on. The city’s Emergency Preparedness Fair will make getting organized all that much simpler by having all the information and many of the resources you need all in one place. Here’s what you’ll find:

●Over 20 information booths where you can learn about water filtration and storage, emergency food options, pet preparedness, portable sanitation, seismic retrofitting and more.

●Giveaway of 300 BPA-Free 3 gallon water containers and 1 gallon soft-sided water bags (1 per household)

●Hands-only CPR training

●Sandbag demonstration

●Amateur radio demonstration

●Junior Firefighter course teaching you how to exit a burning house

In addition Jay Wilson, Clackamas County’s Resilience Coordinator with the Department of Disaster Management will be leading a seminar on Cascadia and Other Disasters We Face in Oregon and Being Prepared for Self Sufficiency from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For more information, check out their website.

Stay tuned for the latest on what’s happening in Lake Oswego and why you should move here if you don’t already call Lake Oswego your home. Click the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column.

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Arts Council of Lake Oswego Lets You Have All the Fun of Family Art Making Without All of the Mess :-)

Posted on April 15, 2018 by lovelakeoswego

Artists-in-residence at the Arts Council of Lake Oswego’s Family Art Making program display their masterpieces.

Imagine if you could have all the fun of doing an art project with your child without all of the mess!

Thanks to the Arts Council of Lake Oswego’s Family Art Making Program, you can.

The program was started in mid-2017 shortly after Kelsey Ferreira joined the Arts Council as the Public Art and Program Manager. “I come from a museum education background and love to see kids creating and making art in our gallery space,” she explains.

Last year over 200 budding artists and their families took part in the program. Ferreira tries to tie projects in with what’s being exhibited in the 510 Museum. Past masterpieces have included Picasso inspired paper faces, valentine collages and printmaking techniques.

Some of Ferreira’s favorite moments in the program are when “kids just create, get messy, and interpret the project in their own ways.” A recent glitter activity was a big hit with both the kids (who could glue with abandon) and parents (who didn’t have to clean up!)

Family Art Making is geared towards kids 3-8, but younger or older siblings are welcome to make it manageable for parents’ schedules. It is held from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the last three Thursdays of the month with updates on the Council’s website and Facebook pages. All supplies are provided; however a $5 donation is suggested to cover the cost of materials. Registration is not currently required.

Here are the remaining April projects scheduled:

Earth Day Muffin Tin Prints on April 19. This one has kids painting the bottoms of muffin tins—see why you want to do this at their place and not yours?!

Springtime Cardboard Flowers on April 26.

Check the website for May’s calendar.

Support the Arts Council of Lake Oswego by attending their annual fundraiser: Art in the Garden on Saturday, May 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Tumwater Vineyard in West Linn. Food will be catered by Nicoletta’s and the evening will feature a silent and live auction. Tickets are $95 and available online.

Be sure to sign up for weekly updates on what’s happening in Lake Oswego. Click the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column.

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Celebrate National Poetry Month by Entering Lake Oswego’s Sidewalk Poetry Contest

Posted on April 8, 2018 by lovelakeoswego

It’s National Poetry month so literature lovers everywhere are encouraging you to read more poems. Lake Oswego’s Old Town Neighborhood Association is taking that advice one step further and inviting you to write a poem that residents can walk all over as part of their Sidewalk Poetry project.

Old Town Neighborhood Association Chair, Craig Stephens, ran across the idea when he was researching ways to address two issues: improving some of the neighborhood’s sidewalks and incorporating poetry into the area’s landscape. The City of Lake Oswego inadvertently helped with the first concern by pouring some new panels as part of the water pipe project. Then Stephens read about a city near Minneapolis called Richland that pairs its ongoing sidewalk rehabilitation project with a poetry contest to cast poems into the new panels each year. He submitted an application for a Neighborhood Enhancement Program Grant from the city and the Sidewalk Poetry project was declared a winner.

Three poems will be selected (one in the youth category) and entrants must be Lake Oswego residents and submit by the April 15 deadline. A complete list of guidelines is available here. They’ll be located on Durham Street at the cross streets of Leonard, Church and Wilbur as this is along the path most groups, visitors and residents follow when taking a historic tour and following markers.

Stephens hopes the poetry project will catch on.

It already has. In cities across the U.S. From Cambridge, Massachusetts to Santa Clarita, California, residents are submitting poems you can read right under your feet. Artist Marcus Young who inspired St. Paul Minnesota’s annual sidewalk poetry contest attributed the appeal of the contest to our “natural desire to stick our fingers in wet concrete.”

And there are variations. Boston is doing something Lake Oswego might consider—a “Raining Poetry” project that uses biodegradable water-repellent spray and stencils to publish poems in Boston’s sidewalks that passers-by can only see when it rains. Fans explain how it “brightens up a rainy day.” Sounds like something a lot of cities in Oregon could benefit from.

I may not be poetic but I can sing the praises of moving to Lake Oswego. If you’re thinking about it, give me a call at 503.939.9801 or check out my website. I’d love to help you move in, move out or move on.

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Lake Oswego Celebrates Tree City of the Year Designation During Arbor Week

Posted on April 1, 2018 by lovelakeoswego

Trees—we have so many in Lake Oswego, (an estimated 60,000 just on our streets alone!) we tend to take them for granted. That is, until they start putting on showy displays like the Japanese Cherry blossoms lining our streets right now. Or when the City of Lake Oswego celebrates Arbor Week April 1-7 with more than a half-dozen special events.

This year the city has one more reason to celebrate after being named the 2018 Tree City of the Year by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Community Trees.

While Lake Oswego’s contract arborist Morgan Holen considers the award an honor and a surprise she has a hunch as to why the award went to Lake Oswego this year. “I think it’s the fun and creative ways the City celebrates urban forestry and the variety of efforts to promote education, dialogue, and voluntary stewardship over the years that led to this award,” she explains.

This year’s lineup of Arbor Week activities speaks to just that. Take advantage of one of these opportunities, learn more about the city’s forestry plan or sign up for a stewardship opportunity.

OREGON TREE CITY OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESENTATION AND STAFFORD GROVE TREE PLANTING. Join Lake Oswego staff and neighbors from the First  Addition/Forest Hills Neighborhood Associations to plant a commemorative tree in honor of being named the 2018 Oregon Tree City of the Year. Enjoy cake and coffee afterwards. Monday, April 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Stafford Grove Park, 1061 Sunningdale Road.

GARDEN BABIES. Enjoy sensory garden-based activities with your preschoolers while strolling around Luscher Farm. Hear a story about trees and check out the Heritage Trees. Wednesday, April 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at Luscher Farm, 125 Rosemont Road.

RECYCLED POTS AND SEED STARTER NECKLACES for grades 6-8. Dennis’ 7 Dees will provide the supplies and instruction to help your kids get your garden started early. Thursday, April 5 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Lake Oswego Library, 706 Fourth Street.

PRESCHOOL NATURE WALK: CELEBRATE HEALTHY TREES.  Discovery buckets and exploration tools will be provided as children play healthy tree bingo as they walk through the park. Geared for ages 2-6 but all welcome. Friday, April 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at Springbrook Park. Entrance at Uplands Elementary School, 2055 Wembley Park Road.

SEED THE WORLD AROUND YOU for grades K-5. Kids will learn how to make seed balls for planting in the garden at home or scattered in the wild. Supplies will be provided, but be prepared to get dirty. Saturday, April 7 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

ARBOR DAY ART CONTEST. Tree themed entries that celebrate the city’s designation as Oregon’s Tree City of the Year are welcome from students in grades K-8. Three prize winners will be announced in each of three divisions. Deadline is National Arbor Day, April 27. Read here for further details.

FORESTRY AT FARMERS MARKET. Take part in forestry activities on opening day at the Lake Oswego Farmers Market. Watch a pruning demonstration, receive free tree seedlings, participate in activities for kids and adults. Saturday, May 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Millennium Plaza Park, First and Evergreen.

Don’t miss out on what’s happening in Lake Oswego and why you just might want to move here, if you don’t already! Subscribe to my blog by clicking the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column.

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What to Do With Your Stuff After Spring Cleaning Your Home in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Posted on March 25, 2018 by lovelakeoswego

Chances are if you’re like most Americans, you’ll find yourself with the urge to do some “spring cleaning” this month (Spring Cleaning Week is usually designated as the last week in March).

Why? According to a survey conducted by Clorox last year, 37% of you do it for your own sanity—the old “clean house, clear head” motivation, while 14% of you see it as a ritual and 9% of you actually enjoy it.

Another 32% of you do it to get rid of old stuff, make room for the new. But what do you do with the old stuff? Trying to figure that out can be a stumbling block to even getting started (apparently 54% of you have a hard time getting motivated) so I’m here to give you some local resources to help you unload, dispose of, recycle, or consign items that you no longer need.

Consigning Women. Consignment shops like this one offer a financial incentive for cleaning out your closet. Bring in your designer clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories and they’ll share the profit off anything they sell. What you earn depends on what your items sell for. Any clothing less than $150, you earn 40% of the sales price; over $150 nets you 50%. Handbags garner 60% payback. Consignment periods vary from 60 days for clothing to 120 days for handbags. As with all consignment shops you want to be sure your items are clean and in good condition, seasonal, and fairly new—like within the last year or two. High-end department store or designer labels are preferred in both contemporary and classic styles. 1235-B McVey Avenue, 503.697.1636.

Simply Posh and Posh Jewelers. Simply Posh is on the lookout for the same quality and condition of items as Consigning Women. “We accept the items we believe our customers will love,” they explain on their website. Judging by what’s featured online, their customers prefer high end merchandise like a Coach Clutch and Wallet Combo for $139.99, a pair of Prada Ankle Boots for $119.99 or a Kate Spade dress for $85.99. Consignment periods vary from 90 days for clothing and accessories to six months and longer for jewelry. Their pay rates offer you 40% of sales less than $49.99; 50% for those between $50 and $199.99 and 60% over $200. Fine jewelry has its own consignment schedule. In case your closets are looking rather empty after all that spring cleaning, you might want to take note that Simply Posh is reviving a special discount for new consigners–enjoy 15% off anything you purchase on your first day of signing on.  101 A Avenue, 503.343.3444.

Poshmark. Billed as the “largest social media marketplace for fashion,” Poshmark lets you strut your new and gently used clothing and accessories online in front of thousands of shoppers. Download the app and do it all from your phone. It’s easy—just take a photo of your item, upload it, write a description, set a price, and share it. Once a sale is made, Poshmark will email you a prepaid shipping label. For items that sell under $15, Poshmark charges a flat $2.95 service fee. Anything over $15, they take a 20% commission, leaving you with 80% of the sales price.

Oswego Trading Company. Know you need to make more room but can’t decide what to part with? Owners Sally Caplan and Ken Ackerman are happy to offer their input. Their high end consignment and design showroom is filled with an eclectic mix of furnishings, artwork and décor. Name dropping happens here too with brands like Restoration Hardware, Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn included in the lineup. Facebook fans speak to the “amazing selection,” “great service,” and “top notch.” While everything in the store is consigned, some of the merchandise is new as the owners accept floor displays from some Portland stores that are rotating their stock as well as artwork from local artisans. It’s easy to run your stuff by them—just complete an online form with item details like age, manufacturer, purchase price and condition and upload a photo or two. If they decide to carry it, and the item sells, you make 50% of the sales price. 17475 Pilkington Road, 503.636.1506.

Goodwill Donation Centers. For those items that don’t make the designer, high end cutoff, there is Goodwill and now there’s a convenient drop-off location on both ends of the lake. 17150 Lower Boones Ferry Road or 401 S. State Street. Call for hours: 503.238.6100.

Lakewood’s 20th Annual April Clothing Resale. Clean out your closet and get paid in goodwill by donating your clean, gently used women’s, men’s and children’s clothing to the Lakewood Center’s annual fundraiser. Drop-off donations will be accepted Tuesday and Wednesday, April 3-4 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Early donations? Call Nancy Sergeant at 503.635.5221). The sale takes place Thursday, April 5 through Saturday, April 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Recycling. Maybe you find yourself with the less-than-glamorous stuff you want to get rid of like old batteries, paint cans, outdated computer screens or appliances. Far West Recycling right in Lake Oswego accepts some items. Check their website for a complete list. For everything else, go to oregonmetro.gov and find a recycler. All you have to do is plug in your zip code and what you want to get rid of and Metro will direct you to recyclers in your area. Some provide their service for free; others charge a fee.

If you find yourself spring cleaning and decide “out with the old, in with the new,” includes your house, give me a call. I’d be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss what you’re looking for in a new home and how much you can expect to get for your old one. Check out my website or reach me at 503.939.9801.

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