Vancouver Wa Real Estate - Elite Realty NW

I found this great post by a realtor friend, Karen, in Mission Viejo, Ca. I am sharing it with you because our Vancouver Washington Real estate market follows the California market like clockwork. If Karen is seeing this in her market, then we will be dealing with the exact same thing before summer. If you are hoping to time the market and buy at it absolute lowest point, we are probably at that point. (Of course we won't know for sure until this time next year!)

Quality Control - The Story of Handmade Potato Chips

I just read Set Godin's blog a few weeks back about lemonade stands and it reminded me of something that happened about 15 years ago.

I worked at Kodak for a long time and was part of a great team in the Consumer Imaging division. My position with the company demanded that I travel for a large part of the year. The members of our team developed a bit of a reputation for always finding the best food and entertainment in any given city.  Often times these places were little "hole in the wall" restaurants with awesome food and a fun atmosphere.

One trip found us at a little English style pub in (I think it was but it may have been somewhere else) Durham NC. I believe it was named The Double Dragon Inn and they were known throughout the city for their Double Dragon Ale and their hand made potato chips. My team mate had been bragging about this place for months!

As we sat down at the table, my buddy eagerly ordered several orders of the chips and pints all around. The ales were served right away but about 20 minutes went by and still no chips. My friend was getting nervous.

As the waitress served us our second round of ales, he asked about the chips. She ignored him, acting like she never heard a word

Five more agonizing minutes passed. Finally, he flagged her down and asked if she had forgotten about the chips.

"Well," she retorted in her thick English accent, "I can see that YOU must be new around here! Let me tell you a thing or two about how we do things. First, we have to wash and peel the potatoes 'cause you surely don't want dirt in your chips does ye? Then we cut them as thin as possible to be sure that they are extra crispy when they're done. That's the way you like them, Right? When they are sliced just right, we drop them into a vat of boiling oil. We fry them up until they are golden brown and crispy. Then we set them out to cool and we season them with sea salt and a kiss of vinegar. I have been here for over 20 years making these chips and I can assure you that I know what I am doing! Of course if you want yours prepared some other way then maybe you should come back into the kitchen and fix them yourself! Or did you want me to run down to the corner store and get you and your guests a tube of Pringles?!" She almost spit the word Pringles right into his face. We all sat quietly around the table, afraid to laugh lest we should become her new target.

When they arrived at the table, we all dug in to taste the crispy treats. (Of course I checked mine for spit first!) They were, as promised, the best chips that I have ever had.

How many times have you been asked to compromise the quality of your services? How many shortcuts have you been tempted to take? In this market, high quality service is more important than ever. Every client experience can be critical. Are they thrilled with the transaction and excited about recommending you to their friends and family? or are they smiling their way through the transaction just waiting for it to end so that you will stop calling? Did you take the time and care to do everything in your clients best interest or did you run down to the corner store and buy a tube of Pringles? Clients know what is going on and they can tell when someone is taking shortcuts.

*If you haven't read Seth's stuff, then you are really missing out. I have subscribed and now I get his latest post each day via email. Treat yourself - sign up!

Photo by CoreForce.  When you choose us to handle your Vancouver Washington real estate needs, you choose a team of Realtors® who care about you and your family. Buying or selling a home is always more enjoyable when you work with professionals who will listen to your needs and who will work together with you to achieve your objective. We are very familiar with all types a real estate in Clark County and we specialize in Vancouver, Ridgefield and Battle Ground. We are also very experienced with new home and custom home construction having assisted several local builders in selling new neighborhoods in the Vancouver Washington area.  Additionally, we have helped numerous families build their own Vancouver Washington dream homes. We are dedicated to helping you make intelligent, informed decisions and to providing you with exceptional service. Go to www.ernw.org for more information. See our video here.

2010 Clark County Parade of Homes - The New Vision

On February 3, the 2010 Clark County Parade of Homes committee announced their vision for this year's Clark County Parade of Homes. With the struggling economy there aren't many builders who are able to step up and build a home just for the sake of the Parade. Lenders aren't in a position to finance either the lot or the construction and the Clark County Building Industry Association has been forced to be creative.

By creative, I mean that the 2010 Clark County Parade of Homes will not be like the traditional Parade of Homes that you may have attended in the past. This year's parade will have a hub of homes in one subdivision and there will be other homes on exhibit throughout Clark County. The Clark County BIA experimented with this type of format at the 2009 Parade of Homes with great success.

Some interesting points to note about the 2010 Clark County Parade of Homes are:

The 2010 Clark County Parade of Homes is scheduled to run from July 9 to July 25, 2010

The theme for this year's parade are homes that are "Hip, Cool, Green, Smart, and Affordable."

There will be 3 shows running concurrently; The 2010 Clark County Parade of Homes, The Remodeled Home Tour, and the Open House Tour.

The hub for the parade will be Pioneer Canyon in Ridgefield, Wa. There will be 4 to 5 homes there with numerous other homes at offsite locations throughout Clark County. The offsite homes will range from large luxury homes to an extreme green home that boasts passive solar design, solar panels and a wind generator for power needs, and high tech SIP construction.

All of the homes are slated to have energy efficient designs and features.

The offsite map will list the homes by category to help visitors find exactly what they are looking for. Categories will include topics such as green built, high tech kitchen, interior design, etc.

Although the format is changing a bit, the quality of homes that our builders are producing is second to none. Like all of the Clark County Parades in the past, this one will surely be impressive and well worth the price of admission!

As always, as I find out more information, I will share it here. Hoping to be able to sneak some of my infamous "Bootleg Photos" again this year. Stay tuned!


When you choose us to handle your Vancouver Washington real estate needs, you choose a team of Realtors® who care about you and your family. Buying or selling a home is always more enjoyable when you work with professionals who will listen to your needs and who will work together with you to achieve your objective. We are very familiar with all types a real estate in Clark County and we specialize in Vancouver, Ridgefield and Battle Ground. We are also very experienced with new home and custom home construction having assisted several local builders in selling new neighborhoods in the Vancouver Washington area.  Additionally, we have helped numerous families build their own Vancouver Washington dream homes. We are dedicated to helping you make intelligent, informed decisions and to providing you with exceptional service. Go to www.ernw.org for more information. See our video here. 2010 Clark County Parade of Homes

What Kind Of Market Is It Anyway? Buyer's? Seller's?

In the past few weeks, I have noticed an interesting trend starting to develop. Multiple offers! I have some buyers who are trying to buy homes in the $200k and lower range and we have been encountering some serious competition. Aren't we in a buyer's market?

The simple answer is "Yes and No." Not so simple, is it?

Certain price ranges are definitely in a buyer's market while others are transitioning to a more even market. The buyers who are able to see this trend will do very well for themselves. The ones who don't? Well, they will be frustrated while their first homes of choice are stolen out from under them.

In Vancouver Washington, the $200,000 and less market is transitioning to a seller's market. The $8000 first time home buyer's tax credit is fueling this market and prices are rising. The higher dollar markets are not being affected by the tax credit and are still foundering.

What does that mean? First time home buyers need to get aggressive to get into the homes that they want. Don't be afraid of over paying (within reason) because these properties have probably bottomed for the time being and will stabilize for the next year or so. The bottom of the market will stay consistent but the quality of homes in that range will go down.

Are you shopping in a higher price range? There is still a huge inventory of the higher priced homes and the sellers still need to move them. Offers that wouldn't have been considered two years ago are now being gladly accepted.

Either way, it is a great time to be a buyer! The right agent can get you on the right deal and negotiate it to the end. Here are two testimonials from clients who we helped to buy homes are HUGE discounts:

We helped Aoife buy her home at $40,000 below market value!

Emily saved about $20,000!

We can do the same for you. Give is a call.

When you choose us to handle your Vancouver Washington real estate needs, you choose a team of realtors® who care about you and your family. Buying or selling a home is always more enjoyable when you work with professionals who will listen to your needs and who will work together with you to achieve your objective. We are very familiar with all types a real estate in Clark County and we specialize in Vancouver, Ridgefield and Battle Ground. We are also very experienced with new home and custom home construction having assisted several local builders in selling new neighborhoods in the Vancouver Washington area.  Additionally, we have helped numerous families build their own Vancouver Washington dream homes. We are dedicated to helping you make intelligent, informed decisions and to providing you with exceptional service. Go to www.ernw.org for more information. See our video here.  What Kind Of Market Is It Anyway? Buyer's? Seller's? Vancouver Wa Real Estate

Aoife just bought her first new home in Vancouver Washington and talks about her experience using Mark & Janice Hall. We found a great deal for her that was about $40,000 less than the current market value. . She closed in time to claim her $8000 first time home buyers credit.

Who do you know who is looking to buy a new home? We can help!

If you enjoyed this post, you can find more like it in the following links:

Emily Just Bought Her First Home - Video Testimonial

Erin Talks About Buying Her First Home - Video Testimonial

Happy First Time Home Buyers - Jon and Shawna - Video Testimonial

Video Testimonial - Ryan - First Time Home Buyer

When you choose us to handle your Vancouver Washington real estate needs, you choose a team of realtors® who care about you and your family. Buying or selling a home is always more enjoyable when you work with professionals who will listen to your needs and who will work together with you to achieve your objective. We are very familiar with all types a real estate in Clark County and we specialize in Vancouver, Ridgefield and Battle Ground. We are also very experienced with new home and custom home construction having assisted several local builders in selling new neighborhoods in the Vancouver Washington area.  Additionally, we have helped numerous families build their own Vancouver Washington dream homes. We are dedicated to helping you make intelligent, informed decisions and to providing you with exceptional service. Go to www.ernw.org for more information. See our video here. 

Choosing The Right Real Estate Agent In Vancouver Wa.

When the time comes to sell your home, it can be tricky to find the right real estate agent in Vancouver Wa. You will probably want to interview a few different real estate agents in Vancouver Wa. before you make your choice. Years ago, the process was pretty simple. You would probably call the agent who sold you the house or, if they weren't in the business anymore, you would ask a friend of neighbor if they knew anyone.

With technology growing as quickly as it is and the internet becoming as powerful as it has, your strategy needs to be a little different. Using the agent who sold you your house as your real estate agent in Vancouver Wa. could be a mistake that costs you time and money.

The interview questions for choosing a real estate agent in Vancouver Wa. have changed considerably. Most agents have access to all of the same marketing tools. We all place our listed homes in the MLS and over 200 real estate related websites. (If you ever interview one who doesn't, send them out the door!) We all use the same magazines to give our listings exposure.

There are some real estate agents in Vancouver Wa., however, who have a few "Magic Bullets" in our tool boxes. Those Magic Bullets are highly successful blogs with a huge readership.

More than 90% of home buyers start their search on the internet. The advantage that I have over other real estate agents in Vancouver Wa. is that I am the most active blogger in Vancouver and in Clark County. I am currently the 11th most active in the entire state. My blog is seen more than 10,000 times each month and more than 6,000 people click through to see my profile. When I write a blog, it generally makes it to the first page on Google for my keywords within 1 hour. Sometimes faster. Can you see the advantage to that?

When it comes time for you to sell your home and you are looking for a real estate agent in Vancouver Wa. be sure to give me a call. I can show you my latest statistics and I will gladly show you how I can use this tool to sell your home faster and for more money.

When you are looking for a real estate agent in Vancouver Washington, I want to be your agent!

Photo by Mark Hall. When you choose us to handle your Vancouver WA real estate needs, you choose a team of realtors® who care about you and your family. Buying or selling a home is always more enjoyable when you work with professionals who will listen to your needs and who will work together with you to achieve your objective. We are very familiar with all types a real estate in Clark County and we specialize in Vancouver, Ridgefield and Battle Ground. We are also very experienced with new home and custom home construction having assisted several local builders in selling new neighborhoods in the Vancouver Washington area.  Additionally, we have helped numerous families build their own Vancouver WA dream homes. We are dedicated to helping you make intelligent, informed decisions and to providing you with exceptional service. Go to www.ernw.org for more information. See our video here.  This post written by Mark Hall all rights reserved. Choosing The Right Real Estate Agent In Vancouver Wa.

Guess where I took this one!

Photo by Mark Hall. When you choose us to handle your Vancouver WA real estate needs, you choose a team of realtors® who care about you and your family. Buying or selling a home is always more enjoyable when you work with professionals who will listen to your needs and who will work together with you to achieve your objective. We are very familiar with all types a real estate in Clark County and we specialize in Vancouver, Ridgefield and Battle Ground. We are also very experienced with new home and custom home construction having assisted several local builders in selling new neighborhoods in the Vancouver Washington area.  Additionally, we have helped numerous families build their own Vancouver WA dream homes. We are dedicated to helping you make intelligent, informed decisions and to providing you with exceptional service. Go to www.ernw.org for more information. See our video here.  This post written by Mark Hall all rights reserved.

Armed with nothing more than a satchel full of door hangers and a few posters, we took to the streets of Downtown Vancouver Washington. The web page isn't completely up to speed but if I waited util everything was just perfect, we would never launch. It is better to get it launched and then make adjustments as we go. Ready. Fire! Aim.

We met a few folks and let them know what we were up to. (That keeps them from calling the cops on "the suspicious fellow who keeps go up to everyone's door!) A few dogs, no cops, the sun was shining, the people were great, and we got a bit of excercise.

Photos by Mark Hall. When you choose us to handle your Vancouver Washington real estateneeds, you choose a team of realtors® who care about you and your family. Buying or selling a home is always more enjoyable when you work with professionals who will listen to your needs and who will work together with you to achieve your objective. We are very familiar with all types a real estate in Clark County and we specialize in Vancouver, Ridgefield and BattleGround. We are also very experienced with new home and custom home construction having assisted several local builders in selling new neighborhoods in the Vancouver Washington area.  Additionally, we have helped numerous families build their own Vancouver Washington dream homes. We are dedicated to helping you make intelligent, informed decisions and to providing you with exceptional service. Go to www.ernw.org for more information. See our video here.

Steel Head Fishing On The Washougal River, Washington Real

Here is a quick recap for fishing on the Washougal River. Of course, you should always check the latest pamphlet to make sure that you not violating any new regulations. BTW, we have an awesome deal on 10 riverfront acres for sale in the Washougal River. Bring all offers. This one needs to go quick!

Photos by Mark Hall. When you choose us to handle your Vancouver Washington real estateneeds, you choose a team of realtors® who care about you and your family. Buying or selling a home is always more enjoyable when you work with professionals who will listen to your needs and who will work together with you to achieve your objective. We are very familiar with all types a real estate in Clark County and we specialize in Vancouver, Ridgefield and BattleGround. We are also very experienced with new home and custom home construction having assisted several local builders in selling new neighborhoods in the Vancouver Washington area.  Additionally, we have helped numerous families build their own Vancouver Washington dream homes. We are dedicated to helping you make intelligent, informed decisions and to providing you with exceptional service. Go to www.ernw.org for more information. See our video here. Steel Head Fishing On The Washougal River, Washington Real

Buying A Home In A Market That Is Saturated With Short Sales - Vancouver Wa Real Estate

In a normal market, our Free MLS Search Tools work perfectly. Anyone can log and check out the latest listings with minimal delay. Or system - www.Elite-MLS.com works great and gives everyone in the Vancouver Wa area a safe and secure way to search the net for homes.

Recently, there have been a few issues in our market that have given our clients trouble. Our Free MLS Search tool for the Vancouver Wa area doesn't allow people to see if the homes that they are looking at are short sales. Combine that with the fact that many agents who have short sale listings don't have a clue as to what they are doing, and you have a recipe for disaster.

"I Want This Home And I Will Pay Full Asking Price"

Unfortunately, when it comes to short sales in Vancouver Wa, full asking price may not be enough. Many agents don't have experience with negotiating short sales and list it at an unrealistic price that is well below the market value. They feel that they are safe in doing that because the bank has to give final approval before the sale can close. The problem is that many buyers look at the listing, have no way of knowing that it is a short sale, and believe that they can actually buy the home at the offered price. This doesn't really become a problem until the market reaches a ratio where there are more short sales than regular sales. Right now in Vancouver Washington, that has happened. There are far more short sales than regular sales in the area. Buyers search the internet and are confused as to why most of the homes that they find are unavailable. I want this home. Why can I buy it at its asking price?

An experienced buyer's agent can help you through this dilemma and save you countless hours on the internet searching for homes.  A few (very few) short sale homes are actually available at their asking prices. The trick is to find an agent who can guide you through the process and find homes that are good deals and available to close quickly.

Call us today for a buyer's appointment and let us show you where the real deals in real estate are!

When you choose us to handle your Vancouver WA real estate needs, you choose a team of realtors® who care about you and your family. Buying or selling a home is always more enjoyable when you work with professionals who will listen to your needs and who will work together with you to achieve your objective. We are very familiar with all types a real estate in Clark County and we specialize in Vancouver, Ridgefield and Battle Ground. We are also very experienced with new home and custom home construction having assisted several local builders in selling new neighborhoods in the Vancouver Washington area.  Additionally, we have helped numerous families build their own Vancouver WA dream homes. We are dedicated to helping you make intelligent, informed decisions and to providing you with exceptional service. Go to www.ernw.org for more information. See our video here.  This post written by Mark Hall all rights reserved. Buying A Home In A Market That I Saturated With Short Sales - Vancouver Wa Real Estate