Jamie Carroll ~ S&B Real Estate Team ~ Vancouver, WA ~ Clark County

1. Make sure the “standby” power-saving feature on your home computer is turned on.
2. Properly insulate attics, floors and walls to current building codes. The higher the “R” value the greater the insulation value. It is best to insulate attics first, followed by walls, then floors above unheated crawl spaces. Proper ceiling insulation alone can save you up to 25% on heating costs.
3. Set your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees, or 140 degrees if you have a dishwasher.
4. Install efficient shower heads and faucets – you could save up to 10 percent on your water heating costs.
5. Fix defective plumbing or dripping faucets.
6. Use draperies, awnings, blinds or shutters on all windows to slow the loss of heat through the glass. In winter, keep window coverings open on sunny days to let the sun’s warmth in and close them at night to insulate against cold, outside temperatures.
7. Consider storm or thermal windows and doors or double-paned glass.
8. Close the damper when not using your fireplace.
9. Operate your dishwashers, washing machines and clothes dryers with full loads only.
10. If your water heater is over 15-years old it could begin to leak. Consider replacing it with a new water heater that has an Energy Factor (EF) rating of .62 or better.

The S&B Real Estate Team assists people in buying and selling real estate throughout Southwest Washington. We are proud members of Keller Williams Realty – Premier Partners in downtown Vancouver. Our local expertise covers: Vancouver, Battle Ground, Camas, Washougal, Brush Prairie, Hockinson, Ridgefield, Woodland and La Center. If you or someone you know is considering living or investing in Clark County, please contact us. Jamie Carroll can be reached at 360-609-6775. Steve Borwieck can be reached at 360-241-7305. Or drop us a note on the “Contact Us” page at www.sbreteam.com. We are here to help!

1. Have your furnace and gas appliances serviced annually by a qualified contractor to ensure maximum energy-efficiency and safety.
2. Put on your favorite sweater and set your thermostat between 65 and 68 degrees during the winter. For sleep hours, set the temperature at least 5 degrees lower and add a cozy blanket to your bed. Bear in mind that warmer temperatures are recommended for homes with ill or elderly persons or infants.
3. Install a programmable thermostat and set it to accurately follow your schedule. If no one is home during the day, there’s no need to keep your house warm.
4. Replace or clean your furnace filters monthly during high-operating season, but a minimum of four times a year. And keep your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted.
5. Adjust vents to keep specific rooms in your home at a desired temperature. Heat rises, so you may want to partially close upstairs vents. Do not close more than one or two vents in an average sized house. Restricting airflow too much can shorten the life of your furnace.
6. Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans sparingly in cold weather. In just one hour, these fans can blow away a houseful of warm air.
7. Seal leaks around doors, windows and other openings, such as pipes or ducts, with caulking or weather-stripping.
8. Have your ducts tested for air leakage. Leaking ducts can reduce the efficiency of your heating system by up to 30 percent.
9. Plug gaps around pipes, fans and vents that go through exterior walls, ceilings and floors from heated to unheated spaces.
10. Avoid blocking heating vents and air returns with furniture, draperies or carpet.

The S&B Real Estate Team assists people in buying and selling real estate throughout Southwest Washington. We are proud members of Keller Williams Realty – Premier Partners in downtown Vancouver. Our local expertise covers: Vancouver, Battle Ground, Camas, Washougal, Brush Prairie, Hockinson, Ridgefield, Woodland and La Center. If you or someone you know is considering living or investing in Clark County, please contact us. Jamie Carroll can be reached at 360-609-6775. Steve Borwieck can be reached at 360-241-7305. Or drop us a note on the “Contact Us” page at www.sbreteam.com. We are here to help!

Thanks in part to recent US Treasury purchases of agency mortgage securities, 30 year fixed rate conventional mortgage rates seem to have leveled out in the 5-6% range. As always, they are subject to change at any time based on the usual market forces. Will they go down further? Will they start to creep up? They'll probably do a little of both! We'll only know in hindsight. What is certain is where rates are today and that average annual rates have been as high as 18% and rarely even close to where they are today. As we're now in unchartered territory, waiting for further improvement may not be prudent.

Just like insurance, locking in a rate when it makes economic sense protects today's benefits. You can always take advantage of a future lower rate, but you can never go back and lock today's rate once tomorrow has arrived. You might also consider the "toll booth at rush hour" effect that will exist as demand peaks when rates make their inevitable and usually swift turn back up. This always creates lost opportunity for those that tried to "time" the bottom.

Before you begin a home search, you'll want to speak with a mortgage planner. They can help you determine the type of loan that is best for your situation and what to expect in terms of interest rates, down payment amount and mortgage insurance premiums. We work closely with some of the best mortgage planners in the business and would be happy to give you a referral!

The S&B Real Estate Team assists people in buying and selling real estate throughout Southwest Washington. We are proud members of Keller Williams Realty – Premier Partners in downtown Vancouver. Our local expertise covers: Vancouver, Battle Ground, Camas, Washougal, Brush Prairie, Hockinson, Ridgefield, Woodland and La Center. If you or someone you know is considering living or investing in Clark County, please contact us. Jamie Carroll can be reached at 360-609-6775. Steve Borwieck can be reached at 360-241-7305. Or drop us a note on the “Contact Us” page at www.sbreteam.com. We are here to help!

In April 2008 I listed a very cute little house in downtown Vancouver. The architecture was unique, it had original hardwood floors throughout, and was only on its second owner since it was built in 1938. When I wrote "loaded with charm" on the flyer I wasn't exaggerating one bit! I listed it at $240k although comps showed it should have been priced at $220-230k. I had the sellers word that if it didn't sell at his price within 60 days, we would drop the price. I prefer to list at true market value but we weren't that far off so I took it. What the heck.

We got loads of showings, but no offers. Agent feedback was positive and almost every one of them said it was their client's "second favorite." They also all said the price "might be a little high" but that it was still in the ballpark. So far so good. After 60 days, and no offers, I approached the seller for the price reduction we talked about on day one. He hesitated, I presented him with current comps showing a value of $220-230k, and he finally agreed to lower the price - but only to $237k! Three-thousand dollars is practically no difference at all and I told him that. To even register in a buyer's mind as a "reduction" we'd have to at least take it down to $235k; that way it would be in a new pricing category on all the real estate websites. But no. He was firm at $237k. Any reduction is better than no reduction, so I took it. What the heck.

We still got loads of showings, but still no offers. And agent feedback was the same! It kept coming in second place, the price was "okay" - a little high but not too bad. "I'm sure it will sell quickly" they all said. Another few months went by and I again approached the seller for a price reduction. By this time the market had inched downward a few degrees and the value was now closer to $215-225k. I presented current comps backing this up but it hardly made a difference! He seemed to feel the down market was affecting every house but his - that he was somehow immune and his house had retained its previous value. He agreed to go down to $235k - still $10k OVER the current value! I told him in no uncertain terms that it just wouldn't sell at that price, that the market had slipped too far down and we were way overpriced. But I took it anyway. What the heck!

This little scenario played out for a few more months. Lots of showings. No offers. Positive feedback. Confusing. Our listing contract expired but we renewed. We did the dance - the overpriced house tango. He flat-out refused to reduce the price further. I contemplated "firing" him as a client and cancelling the listing. But, because of its location, I was still getting calls on it. I knew he would just relist with someone else and I figured if I was going to see a sign in the yard I wanted it to be mine! So, even though we were approaching the one year mark, I kept it listed. What the heck.

Then finally, one beautiful March day, the clouds parted, angels sang, and we got an offer! Not too shabby of an offer to boot! By this time I had managed to get the price to $225k - the very tippy-top of the comparable range. The offer came in at $210k, standard inspection and financing contingencies, no seller concessions. For all intents and purposes it was a perfect offer! I presented it to the seller, along with comps to back up the price. Much to my surprise, the seller agreed to counter the offer at $215k - still a perfectly acceptable price for the house at that time. The buyer declined and the seller refused to go ANY lower than $215k. The listing expired again and we decided to leave it off the market for a few weeks so he could think about the possibility of renting it out. He decided he didn't want to be a landlord and we relisted it. He told me he was feeling frustrated but, at this point, even he couldn't argue that the market had slipped further and the house had lost even more value. I suggested we list it at $215k since we both knew that was a price he was willing to take. He agreed saying, "What the heck."

With the new-and-improved price we got tons of showings - and another offer! This time the offer was for $200k with $7k in seller-paid closing costs. Current comps suggested the value was now $195-205k so the offer was right on the money. The seller finally said he'd be happy just to break even on the house which he would do if the buyer agreed to $207k. They loved the house and gratefully accepted our counter offer! After that, everything was easy-peasy! One of the cleanest escrow periods I've ever encountered and we closed on the sale yesterday! The seller walked away with a check for $920. Yep - that's right - $920. The thing is, if we had listed it at market value (instead of $10k over) in the very beginning he would have gotten a check for almost $20k! Being stubborn and refusing to accept the price that was SO obvious from the comps he willingly walked away from tens of thousands of dollars! What the heck?!?

The moral of this story, kids, is: Listen to your Realtor. It is our job, our fiduciary duty, to help you make the most money, in the shortest time, with the least amount of hassles. The only way to do that, though, is with your cooperation. We don't "create" the market - we can only help you interpret it and help you make informed decisions. Ignoring the obvious will only lose you money! So go ahead, try it! Listen to your Realtor and see what happens! What the heck?

The S&B Real Estate Team assists people in buying and selling real estate throughout Southwest Washington. We are proud members of Keller Williams Realty - Premier Partners in downtown Vancouver. Our local expertise covers: Vancouver, Battle Ground, Camas, Washougal, Brush Prairie, Hockinson, Ridgefield, Woodland and La Center. If you or someone you know is considering living or investing in Clark County, please contact us. Jamie Carroll can be reached at 360-609-6775. Steve Borwieck can be reached at 360-241-7305. Or drop us a note on the "Contact Us" page at www.sbreteam.com. We are here to help!

Let's face it, every real estate closing is hectic. So many things are coming together at the end and one thing out of place can have a domino effect on everything else. Regardless of what else is going on, you should always take the time for a final walk-through before signing on the dotted line. During the walk-through make sure that:

• Requested repairs have been made. Get copies of paid bills and warranties if applicable.
• There have been no major changes to the property since you last saw it.
• All included items are still there: drapes, light fixtures, etc.
• Screens and storm windows, if included, are installed or stored.
• All included appliances are operational: dishwasher, oven, etc.
• Hot water tank is finctioning and not leaking.
• No plants or shrubs have been removed from the yard, unless previously agreed to.
• Heating and air conditioning units are functioning.
• Garage door opener and other remotes (such as for fans or gas fireplaces) are available.
• Instruction booklets and/or home warranty information are available.
• Seller's personal items and debris have been removed. Check the basement, attic, crawlspace, etc.

The S&B Real Estate Team assists people in buying and selling real estate throughout Southwest Washington. We are proud members of Keller Williams Realty - Premier Partners in downtown Vancouver. Our local expertise covers: Vancouver, Battle Ground, Camas, Washougal, Brush Prairie, Hockinson, Ridgefield, Woodland and La Center. If you or someone you know is considering living or investing in Clark County, please contact us. Jamie Carroll can be reached at 360-609-6775 or via the "Contact Us" page at www.MyRealtorIsJamie.com. Steve Borwieck can be reached at 360-241-7305 or via the "Contact Us" page at www.sbreteam.com. We are here to help!