Vancouver Wa Real Estate - Elite Realty NW

I talked to a first time home buyer today who told me that they really weren't in any hurry to find a home. They were in a lease until January 2010 and their landlord would charge them one month's rent ($795)to break the lease. She told me that she didn't want to close before January because she didn't want to have to pay the fee for breaking her lease.

So I asked her, "If you were walking down the street and you saw an $8000 bill on the ground, would you stop to pick it up?"

"Of course I would!"

I followed with "What if you had to pay someone $800 because picking it up would make you late for an important meeting of some kind?" 

"Sure, I would still be ahead by... uh... $7200!"

I then took the time to explain the $8000 First Time Buyer's Tax Credit to her. I was on the phone so I couldn't actually "See" the lights go on but I sure could hear them. The short story is that I am showing her and her husband houses tomorrow in their race to beat the December 1st deadline.


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.    

We have been really busy lately. I have had several people ask how we are staying busy while there are so many agents dropping out of the business. My answer has been exactly the same to each:

"There is business out there for the agents who want to go out and work for it. We have been working our butts off in an effort to gain market share in this crazy market and it is working for us."

Then, of course, this just fell into my lap!

Hard work? or Natural talents? That is the question! Maybe the secret to a really successful real estate career is to eat more Panda Express! No, this is not a paid ad!

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 was doing a bit of gardening today when I found that I had more flowers than pots. I went over to my potting shed to try to find some previously retired pots. What I found were some real treasures! Some of my favorite pots are the "tried and true" pots that I have had for years. Season after season, they are brought out onto my yard and deck to hold the latest batch of plantings. It seems like they become more attractive with age.

As I reflected on my old pots, I realized that my thoughts about pots (Hey! I'm a poet!) run parallel the my thoughts about homes. I love cool and quirky old homes! While everyone loves a big new custom home (including me!) there are some gems out there that often miss out. Sometimes the "Old School" architecture can't be replicated. Here in Washington we have some great homes that once would have been considered country homes with awesome built ins, breezy patios, and clever designs.

Don't overlook the old pots. They might be exactly what you are looking for!


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.    

Would You Like To Live In the Clark County 2009 Parade of Homes?

Have you ever been to a Parade Of Homes or Street Of Dreams Show and wondered about what it would be like to actually live in a neighborhood like that? Have you dreamed about being part of a gated community of custom homes but thought that those dreams were just a little bit out of reach?

Dreams can come true!

Janice and I have recently listed all of the lots in the Clark County 2009 Parade of Homes and I am here to tell you that we can make your dreams come true!

The developers have authorized us to offer a few "pre-parade" specials. We have been given the ability to move 2 lots at unheard of prices. No, we aren't trying to ditch the worst lots in the subdivision! There is a pre-parade special on all of the lots. The best lots have the best incentives. You pick the lot and make an offer. The developers are ready to deal. Don't wait because once these 2 are gone, then they are gone. There won't be any exceptions.

Your future is calling. Are you brave enough to answer?

Pick up the phone and call us to find out about these incredible incentives. 360 816 9697.

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.    

2009 Clark County Parade Of Homes - What Goes Into A LEED Platinum Home? (More BOOTLEG photos!)

 The boys at Tamarack Homes are up to it again. For the 2009 Clark County Parade of homes, being held in Camellia, Ryan Zygar and his Tamarack team are building a LEED Platinum home to put on display. Ryan, in conjunction with the Clark County BIA held an impromptu press conference the other day and I am bringing it to you first.

Ryan gave us an exterior only tour of the property. The BIA has set strict standards for showing the inside of the parade homes and Ryan isn't breaking those rules! (yet.) The tour focused on some of the special features that are going into this masterpiece that will allow it to qualify for a LEED Platinum certification. On this day, we were treated to the details surrounding the new high tech building wrap, the cedar siding system, and the high tech windows. As always, I smuggled my spy camera in to the conference and managed to sneak a few pics!

Ryan demonstrated how Vapro Shield's new Wrap Shield product is an integral part of the siding system. Vapro Shield reps were also on site to talk to us about the intimate details of their product.

Cedar Valley produced the wonderful cedar shingle siding system for this incredible home. The shingles are available in large strips for easy, fast, and cheap installation, and they are pre-painted in the factory. This painting process allows for faster project completion and minimizes harmful pollution. Not green enough for you? The cedar shingles are made from parts of the tree that usually are considered waste and get shipped to the landfills. Great job guys!

The windows are high efficiency windows built by Sierra Pacific Windows. Sierra Pacific builds these gorgeous windows with using the highest quality green processes. The exterior of the windows is made from recyclable aluminum and the interiors are produced using wood from their own sustainable managed forests!

The Clark County Parade Of Homes is being held from August 14 through August 30th at Camellia. Camellia is a gorgeous new subdivision located just west of the intersection of SR503 and179th Street.

This year's Parade Of Homes promises to be amazing. Check back often for more sneak peaks and bootleg updates!


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.  

This Downtown Vancouver WA home is in the middle of a facelift. At first glance, I am not sure if they are planning a trip into outer space or just volcano proofing their house!

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.  

Private Notes! Please Share With Us...

During my latest home search for a client I ran across these notes that were placed in the private section of our RMLS. I started to think about some of the crazy stuff that must showing up every day across the nation.

Little dog may be present. You can put dog in crate, coax w/a treat. When done, please take a dog treat and approach crate. Let dog out & give treat. Leave out after showing. PLEASE do not allow the dog to get out .

Single man. His wife loved pink but the walls can be painted. Just not by him.

Owner day sleeper. Room mate night sleeper. Please show in between.

Big dog in house. If big dog is in house don't show!

Seller desperate to sell. BRING ALL OFFERS! No lowball offers please.

What have you run across recently? Please feel free to share.

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.

We have two new members of our household. London and Paris are two of four kitties who were rescued from a bank owned home. They have really taken over the house. This is a shot of Paris waking up from one of her many naps!


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 Do Your Underwear Say About The Market?

This morning I was reading an article that Michael Brush wrote for MSN Money called How your undies track the recession.

He sites that "Greenspan reasons that because hardly anyone actually sees a guy's undies, they're the first thing men stop buying when the economy tightens."

He also quotes Marshal Cohen, the chief industry analyst with NPD Group, which tracks consumer behavior, as saying, "By extension, pent-up demand means underwear sales should be among the early risers when growth returns and consumers feel confident enough to shrug off "frugal fatigue."

In an effort to predict the future of our real estate economy, let's try our own little experiment here on Active Rain.

1. What kind of undies do you wear?
2. What condition are they in?
3. Are you planning to buy new undies any time soon?
4. What is your opinion of the real estate market in your area?

Photos are NOT required!

Photo by: Here in Van Nuys

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 ownVancouver 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

"As Is" Sales Are Always "As Is!" Right?

I am currently working with a first time buyer. Having never been involved in a real estate transaction before, she is understandably nervous about the process.

We found her a new home that a builder never managed to sell before going bankrupt. The home is now bank owned and (as is the case with most bank owned properties) is being sold "As Is."

We scheduled the inspection and I explained to her that weren't looking for problems that we would ask to be repaired, but we were verifying that the home didn't have any vital flaws that would cause her to want to rescind her offer. I mentioned cracked foundations and severe plumbing problems to demonstrate my point. This was a take-it or leave-it deal. We weren't at all worried because this was new construction built by a reputable builder in the area.

The home had a clean bill of health until the inspector went under the house in the crawl space. When he came back out, he was covered in mud. I knew what that meant and my client suspected that something was wrong. The inspector informed us that there was standing water in the crawl space that could cause some serious problems if it wasn't remedied.

My client was devastated. She knew that the bank would never make repairs because this is an "As Is" listing. Right? Take-it or Leave-it?

WRONG!

Although the listing agent wasn't too happy to hear from me regarding the water issue, I convinced him to submit our request for repairs to the bank. The leverage that I applied was simple yet effective. The repair would have to be made before the home could sell to anyone and now that the problem had been discovered, they would be forced to disclose it to any new prospective buyers. Why not fix it now for my buyer who is here and willing to follow through with the purchase?

To the listing agent's surprise, the bank reluctantly agreed to make repairs. We are scheduled to close on June 17th.

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 ownVancouver 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