The Goff Team of Keller Williams Realty ~ Serving Vancouver & Clark County, WA

When you are ready to by a home the best place to start is to find out what you can afford and the best way to do that is to find a lender and have them work with you to get Pre-Qualified for a loan.

This usually is not a long process (usually 24-48hrs) but depending on your circumstances, it is a good idea to do this before you ever start to look for homes...Why?

If you find the home that you really want and you do not have a Pre-Qualification letter - while you are getting that take care of, someone else could make an offer on your dream home

So here is a place to start:

• Find not just one but at least two lenders - they will be able to give you an idea of what programs will work for you and what you can afford
• Know what kind of load you want - Below are some resources you can click on and find out more information:

Step-by-Step Process to Buying a Home:
http://www.directorsmortgage.net/oregon-real-estate/steps-to-
purchasing.html

Typed of Home Loans - Buyers Guide:
http://www.homebuyinginstitute.com/mortgage-types-23.php

Mortgage Calculators:
http://www.summit-wa.com/MortgageCalculators

• Gather the necessary information before you meet with a lender (see Check List Below)
• Speak with your Agent to give you an idea of what lender would work best with what you want in your home loan (they are not lending experts, but have experience and will know what programs most homes will require)

Click Here for Full Checklist

With Earth Day just around the corner on April 22^nd, blog posts about recycling, reducing your carbon footprint and living green will abound....sometimes it is hard to wrap your mind around how to best live your life and save the planet.

"Living Green" has become a common term or pop phrase, especially living here in the great North West. Our community takes great pride in how we take action to make a difference. We use our cloth grocery sacks and keep the thermostat turned down to do our part in small ways, but what are some bigger ways we can embrace this lifestyle?

Many home owners and home builders in the NW have taken "living green" to heart and applied it to how they approach home remodeling and construction.

Click Here to Read Full Article

So how do you "Live Green"? How has your community incorporated an environmentally friendly mind-set to home construction and renovation?

The more we share what we are doing in our own neighborhood...the more everyone can incorporate this lifestyle to reduce the carbon footprint.

Clark County is one of Washington's fastest growing community. There always seems to be a new shop to check out and explore.

One Great Example...

The Vancouver Farmers Market - The Farmer's Market is a unique blend of fresh produce, wine, local artisan crafts & products, nursery plants and local entertainment. Open from March through October, Friday nights from 5-9, Saturdays from 10-3, and Sundays from 11-3. The market is located on the the street adjacent to Esther Short Park. Esther Short Park is located between 6th and 8th streets, in downtown Vancouver. Parking on the streets is free after 6 on Friday and free all day Saturday and Sunday. Make sure to bring cash, since this is the prefered transaction for many vendors.

Click here for a list of areas that offer a great variety of places to shop!

The community we serve, Vancouver, Washington and Clark County, there is a utility project that was proposed the middle of this year. It is call the "I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project" (Click here to see full story on the project). Although in the proposal stages and a few years from any ground breaking on the project, this issue has become the center of attention for many in the community. This project will construct a new, 70 mile long, transmission line from Castle Rock (in Southwest Washington) to Troutdale, Oregon. Many citizens are concerned over the placement of this 500-kilovolt line. They have concerns over health, safety and their property values.

So what is the best course of action when you have this scenerio, one that will span for several years? Well our response it to encourage education and community involvement. The utilty company that has proposed this is in the early stages right now, so they have community meeting planned, as well as a website where you can fill out a message to address any questions. The first step should be to get all the facts. Our team has a list of resources available that can be contacted to get information. From there it is best to stay up-to-date on this information and get involved where you see fit (there are a couple of community groups that have formed around this issue - more to come to be sure).

Have you had to deal with a community issue like this? What did you do?

Update:

BPA dropped the section of easment they were considering that would have effected 500+ homes in Clark County. "The agency received more than 3,000 comments in a preliminary "scoping" process that closed Dec. 14." (http://www.columbian.com/news/2009/dec/21/no-headline/). So for the citizens in the community that stepped up to be heard, proof that the fight is worth the efforts put forth. The community will sure to keep their eyes on this issue as BPA moves forward to make final decisions on where to place this high-voltage transmission line.

Howard Goff is the team leader and listing specialist for THE GOFF TEAM. His years of experience in online marketing and researched pricing strategies make him the ideal person to handle the job of getting homes sold in this market. If you need any advice or want to ask Howard about the prospects of selling an existing home call him direct at (360) 513-5811.

Melanie Goff is our lead buyer specialist. As an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR), she works directly with buyers and supervises our growing team of four buyer agents. Melanie has a keen ability to figure out exactly what her clients are looking for and is skilled in finding the best home available in any price range. Melanie works with her clients from first meeting to closing, helping them find their new home and negotiating on their behalf to obtain the best terms. Patient and an excellent listener, Melanie truly works to understand her client’s needs. Call her anytime at (360) 433-5187.