Laurie Thiel 503 799 0301 Tigard Tualatin Sherwood Lake Oswego Portland Real Estate

Summer Concert Series

Laurie Thiel — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:40:37 +0000

A lien on your property

Laurie Thiel — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:23:25 +0000

Spring Lawn Care

Laurie Thiel — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:24:23 +0000

May Lawn Care

A healthy, rhizome-based lawn is a good barrier to choke out weeds and foreign grasses. For an established lawn, check with a local nursery for when and what to use to fertilize (usually about 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet, watered immediately) to get the fertilizer close to the roots. Depending on climate, about an inch of water per week will suffice. It’s better to water deeply and over a longer period of time than shallowly and frequently. Mowing in the spring will help bring your lawn out of dormancy. Mowing causes the grass to shift more energy to growing blades than growing roots. Never cut more than one third of the blade off when you mow. Clippings will return the nutrients and water to the soil as long as they are not so thick as to prevent sunlight from reaching the lawn below.

May Home Maintenance Tips

Laurie Thiel — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:50:22 +0000

Tips

Some Hints for May Home Maintenance

Check central air-conditioning units according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Replace filters in forced-air systems. Clean debris from outside condensers or heat pump units.
Reset thermostats and automatic sprinkler systems.
Wash windows, inside and out (try a solution of three tablespoons non-sudsy ammonia to a gallon of water). To prevent streaking, don’t work in direct sunlight.
Clean and inspect gutters. Ensure clips, straps and spikes are tight. Flush debris from downspouts with hose. Make sure downspouts and splash blocks direct water at least three feet away from the foundation.
Clean mineral deposits from faucet aerators and shower heads by soaking parts in white vinegar and scrubbing with an old toothbrush.
Dust ceiling fan blades.
Coat outdoor metal patio furniture with auto polish.
If appropriate, have swimming pools cleaned. Inspect and service pool liners and filters.

Market Trends are improving

Laurie Thiel — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:17:47 +0000

Sherwood Market Data 2012

Real Estate

A tremendous amount of the information we receive from the media is on a national level. Real Estate date really should be considered on the micro market level. Sherwood, Oregon like a lot of the Portland Metro area is seeing improvement – here you will see the numbers based on data from our RMLS as of April 4, 2012.

If you would like some data on your specific area – shoot me an email and I will send you the analytics. Laurie@equitygroup.com

Sherwood Short Stories… Finding Home after Tragedy

Laurie Thiel — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:34:01 +0000

Laurie Zwingli moved to Sherwood, OR in 2005 after suffering the loss of her husband from Suicide. With 3 boys in tow she left the farm life in hopes of getting the support from a community she learned about from a former Boss. She did some of her own research; reading the Sherwood Gazette, visiting the local stores and driving through the neighborhoods before making the move. ”It was the best thing I ever did” Laurie explains. The community welcomed her and has helped her when she needed it most. Laurie left her corporate Law firm in May 2011 and in September 2011 opened her own practice, Law Office of Laurie H. Zwingli, LLC, in downtown sherwood to be closer to the boys. Laurie also wants to give back to the community that has been a tremendous help to her. She wants to provide affordable representation to the average person, the middle guy, the ones who cannot afford the large law firms and the client who cannot get legal aide. In some of her free time you will find Laurie working with The Dougy Center (provides support in a safe place where children, teens, young adults, and their families grieving a death can share their experiences), sharpening pencils for a Middleton Elementary classroom at home, or monitoring the halls at Sherwood Middle School during lunchtime. Basically Laurie, Tyler, Braedon, and Liam have all found Home in Sherwood. When you meet Laurie ask about her past experience with Dolphins… you will be surprised.

You will find Laurie online ZwingliLaw.com or in her office located at

22566 Sw. Washington St, Suite 211 Sherwood, Oregon 97140

Hours: M-F 8:00am – 2:00pm

Evening and Saturday hours by Appointment

laurie@zwinglilaw.com [T]: 503-925-1833

Babysitter box

Laurie Thiel — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:24:27 +0000

When you have a babysitter in your home you want them to feel “at home” this article has a fabulous how to create a babysitter box. If you need a list of reliable, responsible, and respectful babysitters in I can give you some recommendations.

Homework for March

Laurie Thiel — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:52:54 +0000

Our homes need maintenance, here are a few things to check this month

Check for cracks and penetrations in caulk around: sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, faucets, countertops, back splashes and windowsills
Have your lawn mower tuned up and blades sharpened
Inspect roof, flashings, eaves and soffits; repair as necessary
Check and clean range hood filter and ceiling fans in each room

Houses… Bigger or Smaller

Laurie Thiel — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:27:47 +0000

Great post about the sizes of homes -

Here is a list of all the

New homes for sale in Washington County

I think this sums it up but I am seeing the new homes that are being sold are the leftovers from the crash- the permits had already been submitted and lots where already in process.

I also believe a big factor is pricing, these “larger” homes are being sold for much lower prices than in the height of the market – so people may want smaller but the prices are hard to pass up right now.

What do you think???

Monthly Market Report

Laurie Thiel — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:41:55 +0000

This Just in – the data from our Realtor Multiple Listing Service…

The year has started off on a positive note. Sales activity in the Portland metro area continued to show improvement in closed and pending sales when comparing this January to the same month a year ago. Closed sales experienced a 18.3% increase, posting the highest numbers for January since 2007. Pending sales saw growth of 22.4% in the same comparison. Market time also improved, decreasing from 160 to 136 days.

For our Southwest communities – Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood and Wilsonville the Pending Sales for January 2011 where up 47% compared to sales in January 2011. Although the number of sales has increased overall pricing is down 8.7% in the Southwest communities.

View the entire report