14 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER
Sunshine Service
By JOAN VEDDER
Return equipment in a
timely manner
When I realize I
am writing this col-
umn for September’s
issue, it occurs to me
that summer must
be almost over? The
VEDDER
flowers are slowly
fading away and the
evenings close in much faster now.
Our theme this month is supposed
to be about teamwork and I see it all
around me in Charbonneau. We are
blessed to have such a variety of
groups to occupy our spare time.
Each one depends on volunteerism
for its success. The Sunshine Service
is no different. We’ve got many in-
credible people that are available to
help you with medical equipment
that you can borrow when needed.
September 2019
This service goes back some 25
years in Charbonneau! The original
volunteers are mostly gone now, but
we always welcome new ones. If you
are interested in helping out, please
call me. Even we have accidents and
surgeries, so when you call someone
on our list you might have to try an-
other name, but there will always be
an available volunteer to help you.
One last reminder, (actually two!)
Please, please return items you have
borrowed in a respectable time. A
month or two is usually adequate time
to heal from surgery, and/or a mild ill-
ness. Beyond that, you might consider
having to purchase what you need.
We rely on large, or small, moni-
tary donations when you borrow
items. When you consider how ex-
pensive this equipment would cost
you, only to use for a limited time,
you will understand that. Our little
bank account begins to suffer when
we have to purchase new things or
repair old things. Just a small token
from you will go a long way to ensure
that Sunshine Service can continue!
Enjoy the soft days of September
and we’ll see you next month!
Charbonneau’s
Homeowner’s
Association
By JAN LANDIS
Slow down while driving
on Fairway Drive, Boones
Bend Road
This month I am
writing an article
not just for CHOA
but for all of Char-
bonneau.
In CHOA we have
LANDIS
two roads that are
used more frequently
than other roads: Fairway Drive and
Boones Bend. These roads are used by
residents, contractors and guests. In
addition to vehicle traffic, all roads in
Charbonneau, are used by residents as
walking and biking paths.
We will always have contractors
and traffic on our roads and an active
community. The reality is most of the
roads in Charbonneau do not have side-
walks and are so narrow that two-way
traffic fills the entire street.
For some time, CHOA has been con-
cerned with the legal speed of 25 mph.
That speed is too fast when cars are
parked illegally, contractors are
parked while unloading and there are
walkers or bikers too.
Most drivers are aware of the danger
of coming around a corner too fast or
speeding down a street. In July, CHOA
did a speed study on Fairway Drive.
The result was that almost all drivers
were traveling at 25 mph or slower.
We are asking CHOA residents to
drive at a speed closer to 15-20 mph. We
have asked walkers and bikers to take
responsibility for their own safety by
staying close to the side of the street.
In addition, our HOA has purchased
signs that say “Slow Down” and
placed them along Fairway Drive and
Boones Bend.
This month’s theme for the Villager
is “Teamwork.” Will you join our HOA
team and help get the word out to all
drivers to slow down for safety?
Thanks for your help with this
universal problem.
Real Estate Today with Lynda Huber
CHOOSING THE BEST OFFER FOR YOUR HOME
When selling your home, have a plan for reviewing offers so you don’t
let the best slip through your fi ngers.
Your Charbonneau
Neighbor in Real Estate
You’ve worked hard to get your home ready for sale and to
price it properly. Once offers arrive, you’ll need to review each
carefully to determine its strengths and drawbacks and pick
one to accept. Here’s a plan for evaluating offers.
Understand the process. All offers are negotiable. When
you receive an offer, you can accept it, reject it, or respond
by asking that terms be modifi ed, which is called making a
counteroffer.
Set baselines. Decide in advance what terms are most
important to you. For instance, if price is most important, you
may need to be fl exible on your closing date.
Create an offer review process. When fi rst on the
market, allow some time to review offers. That gives your
agent time to market your home to as many potential buyers as
possible, and you time to review all the offers you receive.
Don’t take offers personally. Selling your home can
be emotional. But it’s simply a business transaction, and
you should treat it that way. If your agent tells you a buyer
complained that your kitchen is horribly outdated, justifying a
lowball offer, don’t be offended. Consider it a sign the buyer
is interested and understand that those comments are a
negotiating tactic. Negotiate in kind.
Review every term. Carefully evaluate all the terms of
each offer. Price is important, but so are other terms. Items
to consider are: personal property or fi xtures to be included?
Is the amount of earnest money suffi cient? Be sure the
buyers are pre-approved and have included a pre-approval
letter from their lender or a statement showing they have the
cash to purchase. Does the offer include a contingency to
sell their current residence? Is the buyer asking you to make
concessions, like covering closing costs? Does the buyer’s
proposed closing date mesh with your timeline? With each
factor, ask yourself: Is this a deal breaker, or can I compromise
to achieve my ultimate goal of closing the sale?
Be creative. If you’ve received an unacceptable offer, ask
questions to determine what’s most important to the buyer and
see if you can meet that need. You may learn the buyer has to
move quickly. That may allow you to stand fi rm on price but
offer to close quickly. The key to successfully negotiating the
sale is to remain fl exible.
Lynda is a Charbonneau resident licensed in the
State of Oregon. She is available to help you
with all your Real Estate needs.
Call her today at
Wills, Trusts,
Probate,
Medicaid
Qualification
Michael
J. Rose
971-865-3171
www.roseelderlaw.org
503-422-5617
[email protected] • www.L.HuberHomes.com
Protect What
Matters Most
16825 SW Boones Ferry Rd. Lake Oswego OR 97035