Jason and Amber Gardner Realtors (971) 832-1234

What's important to you when choosing a Realtor?

This is a very important question and one we've had to face ourselves more than once prior to coming into the real estate business. Our first real estate transaction was a home we purchased in Eugene Oregon, a couple hours away from the Sherwood Oregon area where we live and serve now. When we purchased our home we were young, first time home buyers. We were just getting married, each worked full time jobs and we could only afford the bare minimum. Back then we were lucky to get low money down financing, we didn't have the first time home buyer tax credit which would have made things much easier on us. What we did have was a dream, hope, ambition and our sights set on a cute 1,000 squre foot town-home with allot of potential and all the space we needed. Like many, for us it came down to every penny of that monthly payment fitting into our budget. To make it happen, the most important thing was finding a strong, successful agent who could bar-none negotiate the best price for us. Sound familiar?

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Hello friends of The Gardner Team and DiscoverSherwood.com!

We'd like to share a couple quick updates with you about our blog.

We have relocated DiscoverSherwood.com early to our new custom Wordpress blog platform. While we love the Activerain blog network which we've used here since the beginning, our new custom Wordpress site will allow us to offer our readers and those looking for information about the Sherwood Oregon area a more dynamic experience.

The Wordpress system and theme we're running is the most advanced solution when it comes to blog sites. After working with experts in this field, it was an easy decision for The Gardner Team to make the investment to offer the very best solution to our clients and anyone looking for the most comprehensive, in-depth destination for Sherwood Oregon living, real estate, community and lifestyle news. We have allot of exciting plans in store for you on the new system. We'll be releasing many new updates and uploading past blog posts that have been very popular to the new site over the next few days and weeks to come.

As this is being written, the move is in progress. So if you type in DiscoverSherwood.com, you may receive an error message until the move is complete. We have set it up where you can access the new blog site by going to www.DiscoverSherwoodOregon.com in the mean time. For added value, we'll continue to maintain this Activerain blog site which can now be found at www.SherwoodRealEstateNews.com.

The Gardner Team would like to thank you very much for your patience as we make the necessary changes you're sure to love! Thank you for reading our posts and please make sure to participate by leaving your comments. People love reading them!

Your Sherwood and surrounding area real estate team,

Jason & Amber Gardner - 971.832.1234 | www.TheGardnerTeam.net

Hello again!

As promised, we'll be sharing some tips about getting the kids ready before school starts. For those of us with kids and work, having a plan and order will make adjusting to ALL our new schedules much easier. Whether you attend Archer Glen, Middleton, Hopkins, the new Edy Ridge, Laurel Ridge Middle, Sherwood Middle, Sherwood High School, Mitch Charter school or any school in Sherwood Oregon or the surrounding areas, here's a few tips that are sure to be helpful as you start getting organized for back-to-school.

• Get the house in order before school starts. This is something the kids and I have been working on room by room over the past couple weeks. I went a little overboard by rearranging furniture, but for me it creates an atmosphere for new beginnings -while allowing you to clean in the nooks-n-crannies that have been covered up for ages.
• Get all the bedrooms spotless before school starts. Don't forget to make some extra time for this. I ended up with bags of old clothes and toys that we'll be donating. It's amazing what they can fill a closet with or stuff under a bed when we leave it up to them. Now with clean rooms and signs of school around the corner, they'll be going through the motions with plenty of time to prepare. And by the way, it's also not too late for an end of summer garage sale to make some extra cash for those much needed school necessities!
• Organize the drawers and closets for clothes, shoes, back packs and coats. I moved the pants drawer up and the shorts drawer to the bottom. This will make it easier for accessing clothes appropriate for the changing seasons. Another tip I love is dedicating a space for a large bin or box with each child's name on it. We put all their back pack mail and school papers they bring home inside and it keeps them (and me) organized. We make a keep pile and a throw away pile each week. At the end of the year, all the keep stay in the box and it can be easily sealed and stored for memories of their year in school.
• After a good before school cleaning, now you'll have a better idea of what they have and a better idea of what they need. This is a good time to make a check list before hitting the stores. I should take my own advice here. I like to indulge a bit when it comes to buying new school clothes and supplies - maybe that's even an understatement after today's Target bill. But who doesn't love the excitement of getting new stuff?
• If you find that you don't have time to do the above, GET a bulletin or white board!! We have a pretty large one by our back door. It's the hub to communicate schedules, appointments, announcements and invitations. It's one way I know how to try and keep 5 people in check when we're all going different directions. No one will miss it when going in and out several times a day, and it's a good tool for us all to see what the other is up to. Hope it helps you too!
• Stock up on supplies at home. With the amount of homework we see come home these days and projects on top of that, having extra supplies on hand is a lifesaver! Reserve a drawer, decorate a box or grab a storage bin and have extra supplies on hand. We have a dedicated space at home where homework is done. This is also helpful for keeping up important homework routines at my house.
• STOP and make time to talk. Whether at breakfast together in the morning, in the car or at the dinner table. Make sure to make time each day to connect one-on-one.
• It's important to keep routines simple and consistent- especially during the first week or two of school. With a few weeks before-hand to practice, now is a good time to consider starting the new bedtime and morning routines and for us, video game, computer, cell phone and tv rules too. I want to give my three boys plenty of time so we're preparing them with excitement and encouragement vs a number of discouraging last minute changes. So, on the evening of Sunday the 16th, the Gardner family will start our transition.

Wishing you a fun and safe school year!

Your neighborhood Realtors - Jason & Amber Gardner

www.TheGardnerTeam.net | 971.832.1234

We just released the first issue of our new print and web publication "The Gardner Report" - It's a monthly to-the-point preview which you may print, that's dedicated to the Sherwood Oregon residential real estate market.  The Gardner Report currently focuses on the market criteria with the most real estate activity.  We look forward to the communities feedback, suggestions and requests as we continue with our plans to launch an even more in-depth version to the public in the near future.

July 2009 Gardner Real Estate Report - Sherwood Oregon

Take a minute to visit www.TheGardnerTeam.net where you can find helpful information on a number of topics and get up-to-date market data on the Sherwood and Portland Metro real estate markets.  Simply click on the "Today's Market" tab where you'll find complete access to live, monthly and quarterly real estate data, including our monthly VIDEO market reports that's very informative. 

While you're here, take a look at the July numbers for Sherwood Oregon...

Criteria covers Single Family Residential (SFR) detached homes on lots not exceeding 1/4 acre.

Active Sherwood Listings:

• 113 (33 of which were Listed/Re-Listed during July)
• Average Square Foot = 2,349
• Average List Price = $365,701
• Average $ Per Square Foot = $156.00
• Average Days on Market (DOM) = 97

Pending Sherwood Listings:

• 23 Homes went Sale Pending in July
• Average Square Foot = 1,932
• Average List Price = $282,665
• Average $ Per Square Foot = $146.00
• Average Days on Market (DOM) = 68

SOLD Sherwood Listings:

• 21 Homes SOLD in July
• Average Square Foot = 1,989
• Average Price = List $300,340 | Sold $292,895
• Average $ Per Square Foot = List $151.00 | Sold $147.00
• Average Days on Market (DOM) = 94

Sherwood's Grand Total of Year-To-Date Real Estate Sales in This Criteria = 110

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

Grow with the Name You Know - "The Gardner Team" - Your Sherwood Realtors!

Our position as Top 1% of Realtors with the Northwest's most well know, leading real estate companies John L. Scott Real Estate, provides The Gardner Team with a unique vantage point of the real estate and local housing industry that we'd like to share with you through our blog DiscoverSherwood.com, award-winning website TheGardnerTeam.net and personal experience serving all your real estate needs.

You can take a look at some of "Today's Market Reports" for the Sherwood Oregon area and greater Portland Metro housing market and visit with us often for a wide variety of real estate updates and changing selection of related topics that are sure to be of interest to you.

If you are looking for a property, click on "Featured Homes" or "Home Search" to preview some of the best opportunities and fine homes available on the market today. Should you wish to preview a home for sale in Sherwood or the surrounding areas, please give us a call. We are licensed to help you with ANY property on the market in the state of Oregon.

Thank you for visiting our blog... And our personal website, designed to give you an in-depth look at both our local area and exclusive services as your leading Sherwood real estate team. We hope you find it useful to you in helping make your next important real estate decision. One of which is sure to be choosing the right Realtor to work with, and we welcome the opportunity to be your preferred choice.

While you're visiting, please take a moment to review our video testimonials and letters from some of our many valued clients. It's people like you who've made The Gardner Team the #1 Realtors in Sherwood. We look forward to providing the same level of exceptional service and extraordinary results to you, your family, your friends and co-workers. Our integrity and your referrals are the foundation of our business. Thank you for your ongoing confidence and trust. We look forward to hearing from you.

The Gardner Team, the natural choice for the results you need!

Jason & Amber Gardner

Direct Line: (971) 832-1234 | jasongardner@johnlscott.com | www.TheGardnerTeam.net