Vancouver Wa Real Estate - Elite Realty NW

Lately, I have found myself in a bit of a moral dilemma of which I would like to hear the opinions of my fellow "Rainers."

 My phone has been ringing off the hook with short sale sellers wanting me to list their properties. I say "properties" instead of "homes" because a large majority of these calls are from investors who are looking to get out of their underperforming investments. We can do it and we have shorted many investment properties in the past but I have to wonder what the effect is on our Vancouver WA estate market.

 Should I be saving my powers for Goodness?

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.

Under blue and sunny skies a group of Felida neighbors met for the dedication of the new Sgt. Brad Crawford Neighborhood Park. At 12:00 on Saturday, October 11, 2008, the crowd of approximately 200 consisted of the Crawford family, the Clark County Sheriff's Department complete with Color Guard, the Vancouver Police Department, the Pastor at New Heights Church, members from the Board of Clark Commissioners, the Commissioner from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, members of the Felida Neighborhood Association and a large crowd of neighbors from the Felida neighborhood.

The festivities were as follows:

Clark County Sheriff's Office Color Guard
Pledge of Allegiance

 "The Star-Spangled Banner" sung by Officer Rey Reynolds
Vancouver Police Department

 Welcome
Chief Erin Nolan
Clark County Sheriff's Office

 Invocation
Pastor Matt Hannan
New Heights Church

 "Amazing Grace" sung by Officer Rey Reynolds
Vancouver Police Department

 Sheriff Garry Lucas
Clark County Sheriff's Office

 Paul Crawford
Crawford family representative

 Betty Sue Morris, Chair
Board of Clark County Commissioners

 Florence Wager, Commissioner
Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission

 Jamie Allen, President
Felida Neighborhood Association

 Ribbon-cutting Ceremony

 It was a wonderful ceremony and this gorgeous new park is a fitting tribute to Sgt. Brad Crawford. It is located on NW 131^st at the intersection of NW 47^th Ave. in Vancouver WA 98685. Come on by to visit if you get the chance. Maybe I will see you there as I live just down the street.

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.

Janice and I have noticed that home sales forced by divorce here in Vancouver WA have risen at an alarming rate in the past year and a half. It seems that we were handling two or three of these sales a year when suddenly the number jumped to seven or eight a year. It has more than doubled! Of course, today's buyer's market is flooded with short sales and REO's which makes it doubly hard on the troubled ex-lovers. Real estate deals can be stressful enough all by themselves. Adding the turmoil of a divorce can make things get explosive at times.

We have become quite good at dealing with these types of sales. Negotiations can be tricky as we are usually negotiating a three way triangle between Mr. Seller, Mrs. Seller, and the buyers. Confidentiality is crucial as the real estate agent has to be able to win and maintain the trust of all of the parties involved.

There is a Cambodian couple who have come up with a very creative way to solve this problem. How would uo react if you were called out on this listing appointment? Let's hope this trend doesn't catch on here in the United States! Can you imagine the inspection report!

 Photo courtesy of Phnom Penh Post

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.

Several months ago, a past client called us up to talk about having us list his Vancouver Washington home for sale. They aren't happy about parting with the home in the current real estate market, but they have no choice. He and his wife are going through a brutal divorce and are forced to sell their beautiful $1.6 million home. Unfortunately he and his wife chose to go with a different agent in the area who is known for selling multi million dollar homes in the Vancouver WA real estate market.

Fast forward to yesterday, October 7, 2008- The phone rings and it is the above mentioned past client. He has an offer on his beautiful Vancouver Washington house! As I congratulate him on the sale, he drops a bomb on me:

"Mark, the offer is for less than I owe on the mortgage. My real estate agent says that this is called a Short Sale. She says that I need to call the bank to get approval from them to sell the house. I don't know what to do."

He told me that he knows that I have negotiated dozens of short sales for my clients and that I was the only one who he could think to call for advice.

I could hear the fear in his voice. I won't go into the advice that I gave him as we talked on the phone for almost 2 hours.

I would like to know your thoughts about the other agent who got them into this situation!

Is it ethical to get them into a sales contract then leave them to negotiate their own deal with the banks? (1^st and 2^nd mortgage on the house.)

I looked up the listing in our MLS and there is no mention of a short sale or the requirement of 3^rd party authorization. My past client says that they still aren't aware of the short sale situation. Is the agent some how liable for not making the potential buyers aware that this is a short sale?

There are hundreds of questions buzzing around in my head right now, but I would really like to get your thoughts.

Photo courtesy of graphiteBP. No that is not a real picture of the agent in question! I found the picture at a stock photography site. I am sure that the woman in the picture is very competent at everything she does!

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.

 I am writing this as I sit on hold with Country Wide. I have been negotiating a short sale for a home here in Vancouver Washington for several months now. Actually, truth be told, this is the second time that I have negotiated for this same short sale house! Isn't real estate fun?

The first time was in April of this year. The market value for the home was somewhere between $425,000 and $435,000 and we had a qualified buyer at $425,000. After 53 days, the negotiator and the "investor group" countered at $432,877. (Really!) By that time the buyer was irritated with bank, so he walked on the deal and it fell apart.

Now, six months later, we have an offer on the table of $400,000. Vancouver Washington real estate has steadily been dropping in value and short sales have been leading the way. Country Wide is still playing the same old game; ask for everything to be faxed three or more times, wait 30 days before the assign a negotiator, the negotiator stalls for 30 days before countering, etc. When will the banks learn? If it takes much longer to negotiate this deal, I am afraid that the buyer won't be able to get it financed at $400,000!

So goes the world of short sales... Gotta run. They just picked up the phone. Wish me luck!

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.

3 Tips to Selling your Home in a Short Sale Market

In a market where short sales are reaching 35 to 40 to 50% of all of the listings on the market, you may be asking yourself, "how will I sell my home?" This isn't just a problem in the Vancouver Washington real estate market. This is happening across the nation. Whether you are in a short sale situation or you have equity in your home that you will be taking away from the sale, these tips will be of help to you.

3 Tips to Sell Your Homes Quickly and for the Most Amount of Money in a Short Sale Market

1. Find a qualified Real Estate Agent with experience in this a buyer's market or short sale type of market.

2. Interview that agent. How many short sales have they negotiated as the LISTING Agent? This is not something that you should gloss over! There are many agents out there who "claim" to be experts in short sales but don't have any short sale deals under their belt. Be careful! Listing with an inexperienced agent in short sales could severely affect your credit and ability to buy a home in the future!

3. Once you have chosen an agent, TRUST that agent. This is a problem that I see happen more times than I care to talk about! You chose that agent because you liked them and trusted them. If you interviewed correctly, then you have an agent who is experienced in Short sales. Please, please, please listen to your agent and follow their advise. Why? Because they are legally obligated to have your best interests in mind when consulting you about the sale of your home. Your goals and your real estate agent's goals are one in the same. You both want to get your home sold for the most amount of money possible with the least amount of hassle.

Mark and Janice Hall are specialists in the Vancouver Washington Short Sale Market and have been designated by their real estate office as experts in short sales. If you are planning on selling your home and think you might need to short sale or if you are planning on selling your home and have equity, you owe it to yourself to talk to Mark & Janice Hall about listing your home. Please don't trust your future to an inexperienced agent. Call us today!

photo by Nadya Peek

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.

O.K. guys, with so much heavy economic news flooding the net, I found this and just had to share. I hope it makes you laugh like I did!

Enjoy your day!

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.

Dear Listing Agents,

I am writing this to you because I am noticing two troubling trends in our Vancouver Washington real estate market. The first is that a few agents are listing the properties at unrealistic listing prices. Secondly, some agents aren't being truthful about how far along the negotiation process the property really is.

Listing prices - The chances of the bank accepting $300,000 for a home that comps out at $450,000 is pretty slim. I am not certain whether agent are doing this because of their inexperience with these types of deals or because they have discovered that listing a home at a ridiculous price (btw, not mentioning the short sale in public comments) will cause the phone to ring off of the hook and will help them generate buyer leads. (For most agents I suspect the second theory!) Either way, this is just plain dangerous. Listings with unrealistic prices attached may get a lot of attention but they also put local neighborhood real estate markets into a tail spin! This tactic sets buyer's expectations unreasonably high and, many times, causes buyers to sit on the sidelines in a state of disappointment and confusion. It is not healthy for your business and it is not healthy for the real estate market.PLEASE STOP doing this!

Tell the TRUTH - When an agent calls and says, "I have a client who is interested in your short sale at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. How far along are you with the bank?" TELL THE TRUTH! If you haven't faxed a hardship package yet, then tell us! If the bank is saying the it will be 30 days until a negotiator is assigned, then tell us that too! This is the information that we need to keep the deal from exploding a week before closing. I have clients who are interested in short sales and have the patience to see the deal through. I have coached them about the process and have told them that some of the banks may need 90 days or more to negotiate the deal. They are O.K. with that. What they aren't alright with is when an agent says something like, "We have been working with the bank for months and we are expecting a final number within the next two weeks." And the two weeks come and the two weeks go. And two more weeks come and go. And they decide to see more houses.  And I take them down the street and buy another home and leave the other agent sitting with their listing and no buyer. If it going to take 90 days, that is fine. Just be honest and say so!

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.