Call me for details on this wonderful Lake Oswego home for sale!

Lake Oswego features 600 acres of parks and open spaces

I met with a buyer client this week who will be moving to Portland from Chicago if she gets the job she flew here to interview for.  Cross your fingers for her!!  She doesn’t know much about the area.  She instructed me to set up a tour for homes in Beaverton, as she had heard that’s a nice place to live and has good schools.  Her two boys are 3 and 5 years old.  I only had the afternoon available for touring with her.  I chose 6 homes to view.  By the time I met with her she had already taken a 4 hour tour of the metro area earlier in the day with friends of hers.  “Not enough feeling of open space in Beaverton”, she reported.   She loved Lake Oswego & West Linn, in particular, for their sense of openness.  Beaverton seemed to be wall to wall homes to her.  Needless to say, we scratched our tour and met for coffee instead.  I changed her online search areas to exclude the more urban-feeling areas in favor of Lake Oswego, West Linn, Happy Valley and Clackamas, all appealing to her need for greenery and space.

An article I’d read in the Lake Oswego Review (2/17/11) came to mind as we talked about parks and green spaces.  Sandy Intraversato, co-chair of the Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, had written about the “Parks Plan 2025” which is in the development process and will be a guide for parks, recreation and natural systems for the next 15 years.  Sandy reported that 1400 community members have become involved to provide their input.  That’s a darn good showing for a population of around 38,000!

Lake Oswego Schools are hurting for funds, like many other school systems, and Lake Oswego Mayor Jack Hoffman states that “the parks department has a bull’s eye on its back”, referring to it being a possible target for budget cuts to make a difference in the school funding crisis.  Sandy points out that “while no one diminishes the importance of schools in the community, many consider our parks and recreation system the city’s crown jewels.”

When I think back to raising my own kids in Lake Oswego, I like to remember the many adventures we had on the shores of the Willamette River at the  beautiful 26 acre George Rogers Park.

Our premier downtown space is 26 acres located on the corner of Ladd and South State Street. This community park site includes two baseball/softball fields, a soccer field, access to the Willamette River, a memorial garden area, restrooms, playground, and two outdoor tennis courts. The upper shelter has 4 picnic tables, lights, and electricity. Maximum capacity is 70. The lower shelter has 7 picnic tables, and 4 barbeque pits. Electricity is available upon request. (Click here for other Lake Oswego parks)

My son played Little League at the ball field and I still head to the outdoor tennis courts for summertime games.  There’s a super playground we frequented that always seems full of kids.

Sandy tells us that the Lake Oswego system includes over 600 acres of park and open space property and recreation facilities.  She bets that “each community member interacts with some part of our system on a weekly, if not daily basis.”  (I know I do, as I live next to Tryon Creek Park and take daily walks there with my dog.    No wonder my client enjoyed her tour of Lake Oswego!!

It’s encouraging to hear that the Lake Oswego Citizens Advisory Committee has been told, from its surveys, “that parks, recreation and natural areas are very important to Lake Oswego’s quality of life.  The key benefits collectively identified were protecting important places (habitat, historic sites, etc.), enhancing health and wellness, bringing people together and making the city visually appealing.”

My hope is that Lake Oswego is able to find support for its schools without taking away from the maintenance of its popular parks, recreation and open spaces that residents highly value and newcomers find so appealing.

Jane Lee is a Real Estate Broker with eXp Realty in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Jane@portlandpowersearch.com

503.806.0517

Casa del Pollo in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Casa Del Pollo is like having a taste of Costa Rica right here in the Lake Grove district of Lake Oswego.  Located at 15910 Boones Ferry Rd in Lake Oswego, Casa Del Pollo serves up some authentic roasted Costa Rican food.  As you can tell by the name,  their specialtty is chicken.  In addition to the “pollo”, I have had the steak and the kielbasa and they are every bit as good as the chicken the restaurant is named for.

Owned and operated by natives of Costa Rica, Jorge and Zoraida Zuniga  have opened their second Casa Del Pollo restaurant in the Portland metro area..  They family had the first Casa Del Pollo restaurant in Gresham when they lived there.  The original restaurant was open for about 4 years between 2004 and 2007 before they decided to focus on their non-restaurant businesses.

At Casa Del Pollo everything is made fresh, healthy and affordable; nothing is frozen.  They take pride in making homemade Costa Rican style cooking, and really enjoy it too.

Their menu is somewhat limited by the fact that the hood in the kitchen is not in place.  After that is in place they are working with the city to build an open rotisserie oven in place of the gas grill.  Rotisserie is Jorge’s preference for cooking.  He prefers the heat to do the cooking, not the flame.  He used to use apple wood from Hood River at the first Casa Del Pollo location large brick oven.

Jorge has been cooking chickens since 1982 back when he was in Costa Rica.  He has seen quite a bit in the restaurant business and is ready for almost anything that the business can throw at him.  He missed the restaurant business after being away from it for a few years.  When this opportunity presented itself,  he was eager to jump back in.  He really enjoys talking with and getting to know each customer.  One of the best parts of his work day is getting to meet new people and talk about Costa Rica.  Just going back there for a few meals it almost like an extended family.

Depending on when you visit, you might see one of their three children, Mario, Natalie and David, at the restaurant. Of the three, Mario works the most at the restaurant  but only when he is not behind a camera being a photovideographer.

While they just opened for business in early February, Casa Del Pollo is already starting to get the regulars coming in.  Customers will come to Casa Del Pollo for the great food but will end up staying for the company and conversation.

When you stop by to order that chicken burrito, tell them Rich Peralta sent you. He’ll probably tell you that I need to learn to speak more Spanish.

To view Lake Oswego real estate listings, click on the map

Rich Peralta is a real estate professional in the Portland Metro Area West Linn Real Estate and Lake Oswego Real Estate.

He can be reached at 503.961.2181 or by e-mail at rich.peralta@exprealty.com

Contact him  for more information on Portland Real Estate and Lake Oswego Real Estate!

Originally posted on West Linn Real Estate.

It does not take much in order to have schools and basically the city shut down a bit.  We got all of .7 inches of snow this morning and every major school district closed down, including Lake Oswego and West Linn where we live and our daughter goes to school.

The news had everyone looking out for a trace – 2 inches to all the up to 6″.  Much better than in December of 2008 when the snow storm brough 16-24 inches of snow and literally brought Portland to its knees.

My Dogs were sure happy to be able to run around in the white stuff.

Snow Days are great but since we did not get much this morning, there was not a whole lot for the kids to play in either.  Just enough to make driving a little treacherous but not enough for a snow man.

Just about every year the valley floor, Portland metro area, gets to see a spot of snow.  This season we have not seen anything since late november when there was a trace (maybe .3″) of snow that was melted by 9am. Today, it did not melt until around noon.  But we had another little push of the white powder around 2pm.

Some of the higher elevation places like Bull Mountain, the West Hills / Sylvan, Mt Scott on the eastside got to see 6 inches of snow.  The futher you head out from Portland, the higher in elevation you get.

To view West Linn real estate, Lake Oswego real estate or any other Portland real estate listings, click on the map below.

Click here for more information on Portland Real Estate!

Rich Peralta is a real estate professional specializing in the Portland real estate, Lake Oswego real estate and West Linn Real Estate.

He can be reached at 503.961.2181 or by e-mail at rich.peralta@exprealty.com

Originally published on West Linn Real Estate.

Are you considering a move to the Lake Oswego, Oregon area? As a Lake Oswego real estate expert, it is my job to answer questions for people who aren’t familiar with the area. Over the years, I’ve learned to see these questions coming, and I thought it would be nice to just write them down for easy reference. So here you go- the most common questions about moving to Lake Oswego!

1. How good are the Lake Oswego schools? For the 3rd consecutive year, all 13 Lake Oswego schools (2 high schools, 2 junior highs, 9 elementary schools) have received the highest rating on Oregon state report cards. Lake Oswego is a community that cares about its kids’ education, as demonstrated by the successful annual fundraising of the Lake Oswego School District Foundation to raise funds for additional teaching positions.

2. What parks does Lake Oswego offer? There are at least 46 parks in Lake Oswego!!   A very popular dog park is Hazelia Field Dog Park (formerly Luscher Farm Dog Park).  If you want summertime music in the park, try Westlake Park, Millennium Plaza Park (with views of the lake) or Foothills Park (with views of the Willamette River). A park right down on the sandy shores of the Willamette River is George Rogers Park. Tryon Creek State Park, all of 645 acres (!) is fantastic for its walking trails, bike paths, horse trails and nature center.

3. Where can I hang out for coffee in Lake Oswego? My favorites are Chuck’s Place, for Illy coffee and tasty cookies, or St. Honore Boulangerie for their wonderful coffee, exquisite rolls and sweet baked goods.

4. Where would I want to take my kids to play? Head to George Rogers Park and Westlake Park for their fun outdoor play equipment. There’s a new indoor park in the West End Building.  The Lake Oswego Skate Park is located at the corners of Willow and Pilkington Streets.

5. Does Lake Oswego have a Farmer’s Market? Yes! Saturdays 8:30AM to 1:30PM, May 15 – October 9, an average of 80 vendors sell their wonderful goods at the Millennium Plaza Park, located at 200 First St. There’s even a doggie day care for your pooch!

6. What about Lake Oswego public transportation? Tri-Met public transportation includes several buses through Lake Oswego as part of the service provided for the Portland metropolitan area. Safeway, at 401 A Avenue, is the most centrally located bus stop in downtown Lake Oswego. The Willamette Shore Trolley, an antique trolley car, takes you along 6 scenic miles of historic rail line into Portland.

7. Where is the best food in Lake Oswego? My favorites are La Provence for breakfast, Zeppos or Gubanc’s for lunch, Tucci for Italian, Maher’s Pub, Manzana or Oswego Grill for Happy Hour. Old favorites of mine are Tillamook Ice Creamery and El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant. There are so many good Lake Oswego restaurants to choose from!

8. Where to shop for groceries in Lake Oswego? Everything you ever wanted can be found! There are Safeway and Albertsons stores, two each. For variety and specialty items, you can shop at New Seasons, Trader Joes, Wizer’s and Palisades Market.

9. Where is the public library in Lake Oswego? Conveniently located at 706 4th St., with a good-sized parking lot, the local library is well used and appreciated by the community.

Where to find answers to miscellaneous questions? The friendly and helpful folks at Lake Oswego City Hall can be reached at 503.635.0270.

Call me if you’d like more information on Lake Oswego Oregon Homes For Sale!

Jane Lee is a Real Estate Broker with eXp Realty in Lake Oswego, Oregon
Jane@portlandpowersearch.com  503.806.0517

This one level 2 BR, 1 BA townhome in the Red Fox Hills Townhomes complex, Lake Oswego, OR, is for sale for $169,500! Situated as an 864SF end unit, it looks out to lofty redwoods and pine trees, in a delightfully peaceful setting. The grounds at Red Fox Hills are beautifully taken care of to provide lovely surroundings. From inside, through the trees, you can see the pool to which owners can invite friends and family in summertime. Beyond the pool is the Clubhouse where residents can throw parties and have gatherings for a small rental fee. The Home Owners Association, a very strong organization with ample reserves, holds its meetings there, with its many different committees.

As you walk in the tiled entrance to this sweet townhome, you step into the living room and gaze immediately out to the newly landscaped patio, a very pretty sight. The living room with vaulted ceiling is light and bright, and cozy with a wood fireplace. The kitchen is off to your right, complete with eating area and convenient double-doored laundry closet. All appliances stay for the new owners.

The two large bedrooms, also with vaulted ceilings, are in the back with a full bathroom in between. The tub is original cast iron with a shower set up behind glass doors. Nice white tile lines the floor and tub walls. There’s extra linen storage out in the hall.

Additional stats:

• Built in 1969
• Fresh interior paint and new carpet
• Spacious 2 car detached garage
• HOA dues $237/month for exterior maintenance, landscaping, pool, hot tub , clubhouse
• Property taxes $2608.35/year
• Several blocks from Tryon Creek Park with its miles of walking trails.

Are you ready to downsize, to simplify your life and live in the wonderful community of Red Fox Hills? This could be the perfect solution for you!

I’m happy to help with your Real Estate needs and am just a phone call away!

Jane Lee is a Real Estate Broker with eXp Realty in Lake Oswego, Oregon
Jane@portlandpowersearch.com  503.806.0517

According to MLS data, Northwest Washington County homes are selling the fastest in all of Portland real estate.  North Portland which recently had the quickest average closing times in the area, is now 2nd.   Lake Oswego real estate and West Linn real estate are the slowest moving in the Portland metro and also some of the most expensive.

Below is a list of real estate areas with their average days on market for each

Lake Oswego real estate, West Linn real estate – 186

West Portland – 178

Milwaukie, Clackamas, Happy Valley -160

Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Wilsonville – 158

Oregon City, Canby – 124

Gresham, Troutdale – 116

Hillsboro, Forest Grove – 112

Beaverton, Aloha – 107

Southeast Portland – 106

Northeast Portland – 104

North Portland – 92

Northwest Washington County – 86

Click here for more information on Lake Oswego Real Estate!

Rich Peralta is a Lake Oswego real estate professional in the Portland Metro Area.

He can be reached at 503.961.2181 or by e-mail at rich.peralta@exprealty.com

Also published on his Lake Oswego Real Estate page.

Thank your lucky stars that Chez Jose Mexican Café is easy to get to from anywhere in town.

Chez Jose had its humble beginnings in 1987 (23 years ago!!), created by owners Howie Schechter and Tom Midrano, who live in the Burlingame neighborhood. Their mission was to raise the quality level of comfort food in Portland. Howie feels that for East Coast folks it’s Italian food that warms the soul, while in our area of the country it’s Mexican fare.

I was introduced to Chez Jose by my mother who loves to lunch out, experiencing her noon getaways as mini vacations.  She’s been frequenting Chez Jose since practically the start up of the popular restaurant, first going there for its convenient location midway between Lake Oswego, where she lived, and Portland where she went several times a week.  She was comfortable sitting at the bar by herself, reading over lunch and listening to the chatter of the wait staff, or sharing a table with one of her many friends.   Over the years she’s gotten to know the people who work there very well.  She says they’re the main reason she keeps going back.  I thanked Sean, one of her favorite waiters, for taking such good care of my mother and he said that she’s the one taking care of them!

I also know that the black bean soup (black beans, rice, pico de gallo and lime crema) is a heavy draw for my mom.  I asked her what’s so good about it?  She replied that you can’t get it anywhere else; that everything about it is good.  She says it changes with every chef, but is always still the best.   When I had lunch with her at Chez Jose the other day, though, she ordered a tostado.  Our waiter, Matt, had already written down black bean soup.  He was astonished at her change of plans.  Later, Sean came by and asked her what she was eating!  Then Howie stopped by our table and let her know that if she was going to change her order, she needed to call first!

The most popular item on the menu is the lime chicken enchilada, my standard order since I first sampled it years ago.  Made with fresh lime-garlic marinated chicken, jack cheese and smothered in a lime sour cream sauce, it is deliciously addicting.  You can find the recipe online at here.  I got really adventuresome my last visit to the restaurant and ordered another favorite, the unique butternut squash enchilada, featuring mushrooms, carrots, jicama, onions and cheese, topped with a scrumptious peanut sauce.  It was incredibly tasty, much to my surprise, and an item I will certainly order again.  I’ve heard they make a mean margarita.  I need to try one of those soon!

Mom, owner Howie and myself

When I asked Howie where he got the recipes, he explained they’ve been compiled from different ideas from the different chefs that have worked there over the years and so they keep getting tweaked, although the menu items have remained much the same from the beginning.  There was one time that my mother didn’t like her bean soup and called in to ask about it a few days later.  It turned out the chef had left a week earlier.  The next time she had lunch there, it was back to being perfect, although a bit changed from before. They figure things out in that kitchen!!

You’ll find that the prices are good, the service fast and friendly and the atmosphere comfortably bustling, with the exposed kitchen and open seating.  Smells of delicious food greet you upon entering the restaurant. There’s a warm ambience created by the rich wall colors.  The restaurant had to start over after a fire burned it to the ground in 2001.  It came back with a more contemporary look.  You’ll find convenient parking in the lot out front, shared with Market of Choice next door.

I think my mother’s weekly visits can attest to the outstanding quality of the restaurant experience you’ll find at Chez Jose!  She even agreed to pose for a photo with Howie and myself, even though she dislikes being photographed.  “Anything for Chez Jose,” she says!!

Oh, and when you go there, look for the Elvis look-alike waiter!

Click here for more information on Lake Oswego Oregon Homes For Sale!

According to Livibility.com, Portland, Oregon ranks #1 in Pet friendly cities. The cities that made the list obviously had to have most of the amenities a pet would want, good and available veterinary care and facilities, stores for all of their toys, food and other needs, and places to go like trails, parks, open spaces and restaurant seating (outdoors of course). “But to make the list,” Livability.com reports in a prepared statement, ”these cities also had to offer an incredible quality of life for pet owners as well.”

Red Ticked American English Coonhound

One of the biggest reason my wife and I moved to Oregon in general but specifically to the Portland Metro Area was for our (two at the time) dogs.  Of course we wanted a nice piece of Lake Oswego real estate, a great place to raise a family and a good quality of life, but our dogs are the world to us and love to include them in our daily lives outside the house.

Bullmastiff

Portland Metro ranked high in the number of off leash dog parks.  In fact, Portland has 31 parks dedicated to dogs, the most in the country after New York, and the most per capita by a wide margin.  Before I moved to Portland, off-leashed dog parks were not a part of my life.  Now I can tell you where almost every one in the metro area is located.  I have tried to visit as many as I can get to.

Lake Oswego has a very new and nice off leash dog park almost on the border of West Linn.  It used to be just a large field with a fence around it with dirt (mud when it rained too much) parking.  People walking the fence line created a path around it. Now there is a soccer field, ample paved parking, restrooms, child play area and two dedicated off-leash dog parks.

click here to see the entire list of pet friendly cities.

To view Portland real estate listings, click on the map

Rich Peralta is a real estate professional in the Portland Metro Area West Linn Real Estate and Lake Oswego Real Estate.

He can be reached at 503.961.2181 or by e-mail at rich.peralta@exprealty.com

Contact him  for more information on Portland Real Estate and Lake Oswego Real Estate!

Originally posted on West Linn Real Estate.

To view Portland real estate listings, click on the map

A new list of the best happy hour cities in the United States ranks Portland at the top.  The list of cities was created by GoTime.com and was featured on CNBC.com.  One of the reasons Portland was listed as #1  because it has one happy hour for every 724 residents compared to #5 on the list, New York City, which has “only” one happy hour for every 4,862 residents.

Hopworks Urban Brewery on SE Powell Boulevard in Southeast Portland, is one of the breweries featured on the website.  You have to try the Black Pepper & Garlic Beer Sausage and the Pint “o” Pretzels.  The sampler platter of their beers is a good way to determine which is your favorite.  My favorite is their Organic Velvet ESB.

If you are in Lake Oswego and are looking for a good happy hour give Zeppo a try.  Right in the heart of downtown Lake Oswego, this Italian restaurant has a great patio for outside seating.  Their “social” hour menu has salads, burgers, chicken skewers, pasta and steak each for only $4.50.  Give the Italian margarita a try for something a little different.

One of West Linn‘s newer restaurants,  BJ Willys Woodfired Pizza and Cafe, is located right off Willamette Dr (OR 43) in the city of West Linn.  While their happy hour menu is not expansive, their penne with vodka sauce dish is a winner.  They also have my favorite local beer on tap, Laurelwood Free Range Red, for those times I can’t make it downtown.

To see the full list of all of the top 10 cities, click here

Click here for more information on Portland Real Estate!

Rich Peralta is a real estate professional in the Portland Metro Area.

He can be reached at 503.961.2181 or by e-mail at rich.peralta@exprealty.com
Originally published on Lake Oswego Real Estate.