About Benton County, WA

Hello everybody!

Been awhile since I've been on here writing a blog post! Want to know why? I landed a GREAT gig as the afternoon dj and Program Director for 97.5 COOL FM in Tri-Cities. I started last March and with the way things were going in real estate I decided this would be ALOT of fun to do and sell some real estate too! As they say if you want to make God laugh tell him your plan. I ended up selling 14 homes in 2009 and had a blast!

It looks like 2010 is shaping up to be a busy year. I can see alot of folks are starting to clamour to make a move for the tax credits. Up to $8,000 for First Time homebuyers and up to $6500 for folks that have owned their home for the last 5 years.

Tri-Cities is REALLY active right now! I had a client that wrote an offer on a house priced $20,000 under asessed value. Well we didn't get the house and there were 5 other offers. YIKES! Even the homes over $300K are starting move!

This is the lowest we have seen our home inventory in over 4 years and it seems that there are more buyers than sellers right now. We'll see if that changes when March & April get here.

Anyway! You can listen to the great hits of the 60's & 70's and me Big Bear at www.975coolfm.com Hang out! Have fun! And I'll catch you on the flip side!

Bear

I'm often asked, during the initial presentation for a home listing, why I don't have a strong marketing presence with the local paper in the Tri Cities Washington.

The reason is because advertising in the paper is a great way for me to get buyer clients for other homes, but not to sell your home.

I can say this because statistics bear this out.

The vast majority (87%) of recent home buyers in the US say they used the internet as an information resource during their home-buying process, with nearly one-third reporting they first learned about their newly purchased home from an online source, according to a study from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

The poll went further, and asked where they first learned about the home they purchased, and 34% of buyers said a real-estate agent; 32% cited the internet; 15% said from yard signs; 7% said from a friend, neighbor or relative; 7% said home builders; 3% said from a print or newspaper ad; 2% learned directly from the seller; and 1% from a home book or magazine.

It is imperative that the listing agent one chooses for their home's sale is both aware of these statistics as well as capable of using this information for your benefit. This means you should choose a listing agent with an aggressive internet marketing plan, one that incorporates multiple online channels.

Does the agent you are interviewing do the following?

• Have their own web site with featured listings prominently displayed?
• Provide well-produced vitual tours of their listings?
• Syndicate the listings to a large number of online search portals? (Zillow, Trulia, etc)
• Provide smart phone enhanced listings downloads for mobile users?
• Feature the listing in their blog (or, better, mutiple blogs)?
• Market continuously on local online channels, i.e. local Craigslist?
• Provide dedicated web domain for their listings- www.123MapleSt.com?

As we can see from the poll statistics, concentrating the marketing of your home on internet outlets is critical. Most real estate agents will still utilize the traditional methods of yard signs, flyers, etc., but in the new market reality, choosing an agent who is "internet savvy" could mean the difference in getting a full-price offer on your home, and more quickly, than relying only on the traditional methods.

For More information on selling or buying your home in the Tri City real estate market, please contact Aaron Johnson the Tri City Home Team.

Many retirees, when preparing for the beginning of the next phase of their lives, begin the process of retirement by deciding where they will live. Do they want to stay where they've had their careers, near established friends, close to the kids and grandkids or move closer to them? Is temperate climate important, or do they plan on travelling a lot?

For many, the most important question really falls to one. How do we stretch our budget to last the rest of our sunset years?

If the last question is the most important, yet you don't want to settle for a one-bedroom walkup in a mid-west suburb, then the latest issue of US News and World Report is a good guide. This issue offers the report "10 Affordable Places to Retire on the Water" and the Tri City Home Team is pleased once again to find a national periodical that touts our area in a top ten list. Affordability is one thing, but quality of life has to be a part of the equation when decided where to relocate- whether it is for a new job or retirement.

When the article above discusses water element, it mentions Columbia River Journeys and the Hanford Reach National Monument jet-boat tour. This is one of many activities centered around our area's "three rivers" (another much-used moniker for our area). The Yakima and Snake rivers all terminate into the Columbia river here at the Tri Cities.

The area is a bee-hive of aquatic activity. Boating for pleasure with friends and family, water skiing and wakeboarding, kayaking and canoeing, fishing for steelhead or bass, or just strolling along the walk and bike trail (one of the longest contiguous trails in the US) along the Columbia are other activities enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

Since the Tri Cities of Washington enjoy an average of over 300 days per year of sunshine, these activities are enjoyed much of the year.

When our area's amenities are combined with the low cost of living, it's pretty easy to see why we've become a real mecca for retirees. It only follows that national magazines are constantly pointing this out, year after year.

For more information about our wonderful Tri Cities WA of Richland, Kennewick & Pasco, please contact me at the Tri City Home Team! I love it here...

A few days ago CNN posted an article about the decline of housing values nation wide. However, 33 metro areas were noted as posting gains. Among the 33 areas, CNN noted one area in particular:

"The biggest winner will be the Kennewick, Washington metro area, where home prices have ramped up 8.9% over the past three years and are expected to increase another 3.4% by June 2010."

As a Kennewick Wa Realtor®, we know all too well how well the housing market is doing. If needing a family operated, service oriented Kennewick real estate company, call us! We would love to be at your service. Originally posted at Kennewick real estate.

The wine industry in the wonderful Tri-Cities has significantly boomed over the past few decades. And there are still many other wineries proliferating in different portions of the state.

This is mainly contributed by the area’s suitable climate and abundant water supply from the surrounding rivers. Nearly one third of the state’s vineyards are located within the wonderful Columbia Valley which is federally recognized as an American Viticultural Area.

Just along the stretch, you will find numerous luxurious communities which serve as a fine retreat for all wine enthusiasts. If you’re thinking of relocating, the Tri-Cities is definitely a great option. Originally posted at Tri Cities Wa Wine Country.

If you are consider purchasing Wine Country Properties in the Tri Cities, let us help!