Gayle Rich-Boxman, Broker with Vernonia Realty

Direct: (503)755-2905

Your Gateway to Fishhawk Lake!

January 2011 marks the beginning of my fourth year in “real estate at the lake” and I still love what I do! Out of all of the years, the one that has proven to be the slowest and more “seasonal” than any other was 2010.  Not sure why, but there ya go!  In the two counties of Clatsop and Columbia there were 11 properties sold that were listed on RMLS in the Fishhawk Lake area. The lowest priced property to sell was a home foreclosure and it sold at the end of the year for $42,500 and the highest priced home sold for $649,000–quite a range! We have  had three foreclosures  that sold out here at Fishhawk Lake and one short sale on a partially built home on the lake that sold for $245,000.  Otherwise, thankfully, there haven’t been many foreclosures or short sales in comparison to other communities and even though values and selling prices have decreased we haven’t been hit like some of the coastal communities who can hardly give away properties!

This foreclosure sold for $42,500.

This home on the lake sold for $649,000.

I noticed that unlike in years past, the selling time was more “seasonal” this past year. My last completed sale was  in August and even though September was very busy for me, and I made several offers or had several made to my sellers, nothing “stuck”. In the past, I have sold homes/lots here in November, December, January and February; months that many vacation communities don’t see interest generated after school starts and the good weather wanes. Not so in 2010! There were several dry spells last year. In March of last year, I sold a darling log cabin to a cash buyer and then it was really slow until about May. Right around Memorial Day it started to get busier. June, July and August were somewhat busy, then September, people came out of the woodwork in a flurry of activity.  Since then, there has only been an occasional inquiry about vacant lots and that’s about it until this first week in January.

I get many inquiries from out-of-state and most people find me via the internet. The clients who come from Portland sometimes just stumble upon us, or a friend/relative tells them about our incredible community. So often I hear,”I’ve lived in Portland my whole life and I’ve never heard of Fishhawk Lake!”  Other times, people are just driving around and find us. The internet has been the easiest way for most to discover us, though.

Check out my website: www.lakehomesatfishhawk.com