Organize Your Home: Part 2

In our last post, we defined clutter as anything that is out of place, broken, unused or just something you really dislike. Today we are going to start in one small place (a closet or junk drawer will do nicely) and put things in order!

First, you will need 4 cardboard boxes and a large trash can. Label the boxes as follows:

• Mementos

• Put away

• Fix

• Set Free

The trash can. You will find plenty of stuff that is absolutely unusable. Be ruthless.

Mementos. Set an alarm clock to go off in 1-2 hours. You don't want to overdo things! Open the closet or junk drawer and select the first object. Now we will use the four definitions of clutter to help us decide which box to use for each item.

The Put Away box. Anything goes in here that is out of place and would be better off in a more convenient location. As soon as the alarm clock goes off you will take 10 minutes or so to put all the items in this box where they really belong.

The Fix box. If the item is damaged or missing a part, but you are certain you would use it regularly if repaired, put it in this box. Objects can only reside in the fix box for one week before they have to change residence! If you do not repair the item by week's end it must go into the Set Free box.

The Set Free box. This box will hold items that you dislike, things you haven't used in more than a year, orphaned gifts from friends and family (when you said, "Oh, you really shouldn't have!"), things that still have some good use in them, things that will surely fit again someday. This box will go in the trunk of the car. You will take the box to a local resale store or to a charity center. Many charities will even pick up this stuff at your front door,what convenience! You will be doing a good thing, since someone will be getting some good out of these items right now.

The Mementos box. This one can be a bit tricky. It's for things that have true sentimental or family heirloom value. You will want to invest in a cedar chest or other similar sized permanent storage unit. The items from this box will go into that permanent storage. But remember, that cedar heirloom chest will fill up rapidly if you are too casual about what's an heirloom. Consider passing on some of these things to extended family members right now, don't wait 20 years!

Now you are one closet closer to having a serene, uncluttered home!

Organize Your Home: Part 1

In the next two posts we will share some great tips on how to de-clutter and organize your home.

The first step in winning the Clutter War is to de-bug your own mind! Most of us don't recognize clutter when it falls out of the closet onto our heads, so how in the world will we conquer it? Let's start by defining what clutter is. Clutter is anything in your home:

• That is out of place

• That is broken

• That you have not used or worn in more than a year

• That you dislike

Now don't panic! We won't be telling you to throw everything away that falls within the above definition of clutter. BUT, once you get a clear picture in your head of what constitutes clutter you will be better able to deal with it. In the next installment we start in one small place to give you some practice in sorting through all that clutter.

Curb Appeal

Today we want to share some simple ways that you can improve the curb appeal of your home. Curb appeal is something every homeowner needs!

Walk across the street and look at your overall landscape.

• Are shrubs trimmed neatly? Windows and doors should not be overshadowed by overgrown bushes.

• Clear your entry, sidewalk, and plant beds of leaves and debris.
• Add a new layer of attractive mulch to all planting areas.

• Are there bare spots or weeds in the lawn? Your local garden supplier can tell you the best way to remedy this problem.

• Hardscape (bird feeders or houses, simple water features, statuary) can add warmth and character to an otherwise drab terrain.

Don't forget to call The Davidson Team with any real estate questions you may have, and remember to tell your friends about us!

Belly-To-Computer-Screen OR Belly-To-Belly

The most wonderful thing about being Realtors is getting to know people on a business and individual level, learning their personal needs and wants, helping them find their dream home or selling their property based on their definition of success, and ultimately becoming life long friends.

In this Internet and technological age, we're finding more and more people who prefer to conduct much of their research on their own before working with a Realtor, online and through the numerous educational resources available today...and then using a real estate professional near the end of their home buying/selling process in areas like marketing, legalities and transaction details. These are our Belly-To-Computer-Screen clients and friends.

And then there are those who we work with Belly-To-Belly from the start, perhaps spending several hours together looking for the perfect home, sharing dreams over a cup of coffee, introducing people to our wonderful community and friends, and who we're in daily contact over the phone and email.

Regardless what communication and participation level you find yourself in, it is VERY important to us that you know who we are, what our values and ideals consist of and what skills we provide which differentiate us from other Realtors, and that we get to know you and your goals so we can deliver the personalized approach that fits you!

For those of you who we haven't met yet, here's some info about our mission, purpose and who we are.

Our mission is to provide world-class real estate representation, innovative sales and marketing strategies, and exceptional personal service. Our purpose is to educate and guide our clients through the real estate process with professionalism, integrity and knowledge. Our mission and purpose are fulfilled when we have earned the respect and friendship of every client we work with. We bring over ten years of sales/marketing, real estate training and coaching, and educational background to the North Central Washington real estate community. As full-time real estate professionals, we put considerable energy and fresh ideas to work for our clients every day, including:

 Recognizing that every client and every property are unique, and then using their experience and flexibility to create unique property marketing strategies.

 Exceeding client expectations and finding ways to create new standards in professionalism and responsive personal service.

 Using their training as professional educators to help clients understand the real estate process from beginning to end and minimize stress.

 Applying their knowledge of today's Internet home marketing strategies to effectively position and differentiate properties, and creating new marketing opportunities for clients.

 Diligently searching for homes that meet client needs, and pricing properties to ensure it is sold for the most money in the least amount of time.

 Negotiating on behalf of the client and tracking the closing process to ensure a smooth transaction.

A wonderful FREE resource we provide is our website, http://www.WenatcheeHouses.com/. If you haven't checked it out, here are some of the many helpful features it provides:

* MLS Property Search http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/MLS.php

* Free Over-The-Net Home Evaluation http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/home_worth.php

* North Central Washington Community Info http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/communities.php

* Exclusive Buyer System http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/email_home_listings.php

* Buyer & Seller Articles, Education and much more! http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/buyersandsellers.php

* Find My Dream Home http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/dream_home.php

* Customer Marketing Plan http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/buyersandsellers.php

This just scratches the surface, as WenatcheeHouses.com also provides real estate news & RSS feeds, monthly contests, newsletters, mortgage information and calculators and much more!

Whether you're buying for the first time, looking for your "dream home," interested in acquiring investment property, or simply educating yourself, The Davidson Team is the clear choice for professional, ethical real estate representation in North Central Washington.

Negotiating and Submitting an Offer

One of the best reasons to hire a real estate agent is to ensure you have someone representing your best interests. Also, having someone to negotiate on your behalf will minimize the emotional stress of the home buying process.

When you make an offer on a home, the seller can accept, decline, or counter it. Some tips to increase the chances of your offer being accepted include:

• Ensure you are pre-approved by a lender.

• Provide a substantial money deposit

• Limit your contingencies only to those that are important to you, like financing and inspections, and sale of your current home, if applicable

• Offer a fair price based on the marketplace

Here's a great article by Dian Hymer, distributed by Inman News Features:

What is the Best Negotiation Strategy?

In a seller's market, where houses are selling quickly for the list price or more, you may want to start out with your best possible offer. In a slow market, where houses may take months to sell, and there are plenty of houses to choose from, you may want to make a lower offer and negotiate from there toward a mutually acceptable price.

Before you sit down to write up your offer, find out how much interest there is in the property. Your agent should be able to find answers to these questions: Are other buyers considering making offers? Have other offers already been written? Is the house being shown often, or barely at all? If you are making an offer without the threat of a competing offer, you will adopt a very different negotiation strategy than you will if other buyers want the house.

In a slow market, you might bid low initially, and then jump up in price if necessary. If you're trying to buy a listing that's over-priced, the negotiations may take time. You may have to inch along, moving up a little in price with each counteroffer.

FIRST-TIME TIP: The split-the-difference approach works more often than you would think. This occurs when the buyers and sellers agree on a price that is half way between their last prices.

Successful negotiations usually involve give and take on the part of both parties. The ideal negotiation is when both the buyers and sellers come away feeling like winners. This is called a win-win situation.

It's important to strive for a win-win negotiation. There's a lot of emotion involved in a home sale transaction. And, it's often hard for sellers to be unbiased and detached when selling something as personal as their home.

You want the sellers to feel good about selling their home to you because you will want their cooperation during the transaction. You may need to have further negotiations with them after the inspections are done. Problems could arise, even after closing. If you have built a good rapport with the sellers, you'll have an easier time working out all the issues related to the sale.

Our objective as your agent would be to get you the best home under the best conditions. Contact The Davidson Team with any questions you may have about the negotiating process.

Common Products Can Help You Clean

Have you noticed all of the so-called miracle products that will remove sticker residue, unclog the drain, prevent mildew, remove rust, degrease the garbage disposal and get rid of toilet bowl ring? Of course there is a special product for every little situation and none of them are cheap! But before you go shopping, take note of some of the uses you can get from common products already in your home.

Everyday products that help keep your House in top condition

• Use steel wool to: Fill a screw hole that has become to big for the screw. Stuff the hole with steel wool and re-insert the screw.

• Make an instant pin cushion: Stuff an old sock with steel wool and tie tightly for a pin cushion that will keep pins and needles rust free.

• Repel kitchen pests, by placing steel wool around the pipes under the sink.

• Use nail polish remover to: Remove sticker residue from glass objects; unstick your fingers after a superglue mishap; remove marker and ink from appliances, glass and stainless steel.

• Use olive oil to revitalize leather shoes and baseball gloves or clean greasy hands.

• Repel moles in the yard: Soak a cloth in olive oil and stuff it into the mole hole. Moles hate olive oil!

• Use cola to: Remove grease stains from the garage floor; clear a sluggish drain; loosen a bolt that is rusted on; remove stubborn stains from the toilet by pouring in the cola and waiting one hour before scrubbing.

We hope these tips come in handy! And remember, if you need help with any real estate matter, The Davidson Team is just a phone call away.

Home Decorating

One of the joys of owning your own home is having the freedom to decorate a room to please yourself. The only problem is, most of us don't even know where to start! Here are some simple tips on re-arranging a room that can make the difference between "okay" and "wow" whether it be from a friend of a potential home buyer.

Before you start your room re-arrangement, consider emptying the room completely. Take down all the wall décor and remove any rugs. Now, look at the room as if you are seeing it for the first time. Also consider what activities you want to take place in the room. Let form follow function.

The number one mistake people make is to push all the furniture back against the walls of a den or living room. This makes conversation difficult and creates a walkway through the middle of the conversation area. Try pulling your furniture out into the room into a cozy grouping for conversation. Experiment with placing the seating group at an angle instead of neatly lined up with the walls. A rug and a coffee table can anchor the seating group so that it looks like it "belongs" in the center of the room.

Instead of spreading out your wall hangings along the walls, try grouping several pieces together for stronger impact. Also, it is easier to create "random" groupings than symmetrical designs which require careful measuring and spacing.

Now that your furniture isn't lining the walls you can add depth to your wall décor by creating three dimensional groupings. If you have a grouping of pictures or accessories on the wall, try placing a small table or chest below them. Dress the table top with 2 or 3 favorite objects of varying heights to add dimension.

The Davidson Team hopes you find these tips helpful, and don't forget, if you have any real estate questions, we're just a phone call or email away!

Feeling Safe At Home

When it comes to accidents, the old adage, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is doubly true! We thought it would be helpful to share some precautions against the most common household accidents.

Here's some tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

A Safe and Happy Home

• Never leave standing liquids unattended. Stay within arm's reach while your child is bathing or near any container of water. If the phone rings, let it ring; stay with your child.

• Prevent tap water scalds by adjusting the temperature on your hot water heater to 120° F.

• Keep medicines and hazardous household chemicals locked up and out of sight. Use child-resistant packaging for medicines and hazardous household chemicals, and call 1-800-222-1222 if a poisoning occurs.

• Cut the loops on window-blind cords and call 1-800-506-4636 for a free repair kit.

• Make sure your hairdryer has a large rectangular plug. The immersion protection device prevents electrocution if the hairdryer is dropped in water.

• Change the battery in your smoke alarm when you change your clock's setting in October.

• Have a professional check your furnace for carbon monoxide leaks and your chimney for blockages; put a CO alarm in the hallway near every separate sleeping area.

• Prevent electrocutions by installing a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) in your household outlets.

• Installing Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI's) can prevent electrical fires. AFCI's can sense electrical arc and trip the circuit.

• Babies on adult beds risk suffocation from hidden hazards such as entrapment between the bed and wall; entrapment involving the bed frame, headboard, and footboard; or soft bedding such as pillows or thick quilts and comforters.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

· What is the difference between assessed value and market value?

· Do you need a cancellation clause?

· What is a chattel mortgage?

· Is a housing expense ratio important?

These are just a few of the things that can trip you up when you venture into the world of buying and selling real estate. In today's real estate market, what you don't know can hurt you! Lack of experience can be very costly, as many do-it-yourselfers and For Sale By Owners have discovered too late.

Whether you are buying or selling real estate, an educated, consultative real estate professional can save you money and precious time. The Davidson Team can steer you through the unknown waters of the real estate market and land you safely at the front door of your new home!

Dos and Don'ts of Watering Your Lawn

The start of the warm season has definitely started as marked by yesterday's beautiful 70 degree day. We love this season in North Central Washington because of all the recreational activities in the nearby hills, mountains, lakes and rivers.

Another joy of the warm season if you are a homeowner is getting to sit back and admire that lovely emerald green stretch of lawn in your front yard. Of course, before you sit back and admire you have to bend over and use a little elbow grease.

Some people work harder than they have to in order to have a beautiful lawn. Grass is pretty tough. If you give it the right growing conditions your grass will defend itself from most weeds and diseases. One of the main mistakes people make is when and how to water the lawn. Here are some watering tips that will help your lawn be strong and healthy.

• DO water every 5-6 days during the warm season.
• DO water early in the morning.
• DO set sprinkler water spray close to the ground, not in high arcs.
• DO soak the area for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• DON'T water during the heat of the day (you lose 1/3 of the water to evaporation).
• DON'T over-water as you will lose nutrients and encourage rot and disease.
• DON'T water too frequently, as it encourages shallow roots and weak grass.

If you have any questions about selling or buying a home, please feel free to contact The Davidson Team at any time.

Home Equity Loans and Lines of Credit

There are two types of home equity debt: home equity loans and home equity lines of credit, also known as HELOCs. Both are sometimes referred to as second mortgages, because they are secured by your property, just like the original, or primary, mortgage.

Home equity loans and lines of credit usually are repaid in a shorter period than first mortgages. Most commonly, mortgages are set up to be repaid over 30 years. Equity loans and lines of credit often have a repayment period of 15 years, although it might be as short as five and as long as 30 years.

You should check with your mortgage broker to determine the best deal for you. The Davidson Team would be happy to make a recommendation if you'd like. If, on the other hand, you would prefer to sell your home, then consider giving us a call as we are the expert on real estate inNorth Central Washington.

More about Home Equity Loans vs. Home Equity Lines of Credit

A home equity loan is a one-time lump sum that is paid off over a set amount of time, with a fixed interest rate and the same payments each month. Once you get the money, you cannot borrow further from the loan.

A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, works more like a credit card because it has a revolving balance. A HELOC allows you to borrow up to a certain amount for the life of the loan -- a time limit set by the lender. During that time, you can withdraw money as you need it. As you pay off the principal, you can use the credit again, like a credit card.

Example: Let's say you have a $10,000 line of credit. You borrow $5,000 to pay for new kitchen cabinets. At that point, you owe the $5,000 you borrowed, and you have $5,000 remaining in your credit line, meaning that you could borrow another $5,000.

Instead of borrowing more from the line of credit, you pay back $3,000. At this point, you still owe $2,000, and you have $8,000 in available credit.

Wenatchee Is Oozing With Green

Here's an outstanding article from the Wenatchee World, sharing how Wenatchee was named the 5th greenest city in America...GO WENATCHEE!

City named one of nation's greenest places

By Rick Steigmeyer and Michelle McNiel, World staff writers

http://wenworld.com/sub/story.php?id=1173381873-824-507

WENATCHEE - Add green to the list of attributes Wenatchee can claim as it climbs the ladder of America's most desirable places to live. No, this has nothing to do with the city's famously short Saint Patrick's Day parade.

We're talking green as in air and water quality, organic food production and clean power generation. The Al Gore type of green.

Wenatchee has been named to yet another list of appealing dwelling places. This time by Country Home magazine, a sister publication to Better Homes and Gardens and Ladies' Home Journal. Country Home has 1.25 million subscribers.

"We are seeing a real interest by readers in exploring eco-friendly choices," Country Home Editor-in-Chief Carol Sheehan said in a prepared statement.

The magazine named Wenatchee as the fifth greenest city in America in which to live in its survey of 379 metropolitan areas. The listing of the Top 10 "Best Green Places" comes out in the magazine's April issue, on newsstands March 20.

"That's great!" said Roger Clute, executive director of the Wenatchee Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, who said he had not yet heard about the article.

"In my travels around the country, I've seen some pretty ugly cities," he said this morning. "Wenatchee is a beautiful environment. We certainly benefit from our natural assets, the Columbia River and the mountains surrounding us."

Burlington, Vt., earned top honors in the rankings. Corvallis, Ore. - at No. 3 - was the only other Pacific Northwest city to crack the Top 10. However, Seattle was ranked No. 5 on a list of Best Green Large Cities with populations greater than 500,000. Wenatchee was third on a list of cities under 150,000 population.

Magazine Managing Editor Grant Fairchild said data used to pick the 10 cities came from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Green Building Council.

Cities were rated based on air and watershed quality, mass transit use, power use and the number of organic producers and farmers markets.

In a news release, the magazine referred to Wenatchee as the Apple Capital of the World, and lauded its efforts to teach young people about alternative energy sources. It pointed out that local high school and college teams compete in the world's Solar Drag Race with battery-less, sunlight-propelled dragsters.

"We thought to ourselves, ‘If we could live anywhere in the U.S., where would be the best green place to live?"' said Fairchild. "That was the kicking-off point. We thought it would be a fun thing for the readers and fit right in with our theme."

Wenatchee has found itself on a handful of national lists since officially becoming a metropolitan area in the 2000 Census.

Last year, the city was named the safest metro area in Washington state based on crime stats, and the 13th most secure place to live among small cities by Farmer's Insurance Group.

The metro area was also picked by Money Magazine to have the second-fastest-growing real estate values in the country last year. In a separate survey released last week, the city was found to have the second highest home price increase in the country from the fourth quarter of 2005 to 2006.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
__________
Top 10 green cities in America
1. Burlington, Vt.
2. Ithaca, N.Y.
3. Corvallis, Ore.
4. Springfield, Mass.
5. Wenatchee
6. Charlottesville, Va.
7. Boulder, Colo.
8. Madison, Wis.
9. Binghamton, N.Y.
10. Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

The MLS - How It Can Help You!

The Davidson Team would like to tell you about a home seller's/buyer's greatest tool, the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Think of it as a huge catalog that markets and sells homes. Agents can punch in a buyer's specifications and preferences, along with the amount they are willing to spend and, viola! - A complete listing of all homes fitting that criteria magically appear!

Think about this: If you were going to make a large purchase, let's say a car, would you rather spend weeks checking the classifieds and driving all over town to see one car here and one car there? Or would you decide what you are looking for in a car and then go to the largest and most reputable dealer in town to compare several cars at once? The vast majority of folks would rather buy from a reputable, well-stocked dealer. It's the same with real estate. We can offer you several advantages in marketing your home, but the main advantage is SCORES OF QUALIFIED PROSPECTIVE BUYERS. The more people who see your home, the better your chances of selling it at a good price, quickly. That is why the very first thing I do when I list your home is to put it into the MLS...in addition to effectively implementing a Customer Marketing Plan just for your property. Click below to learn more!

http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/marketing_plan.php

If you are thinking about selling, click here http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/home_worth.php and you'll receive a FREE comparative market analysis (CMA) based on research from the MLS and our extensive knowledge of the North Central Washington real estate market. Additionally if you'd like, we'll can set up an appointment to present how our Custom Marketing Plan will differentiate you! Not looking to sell right now? No worries, this is a FREE service and knowing the value of your home is essential part of home ownership.

If you are thinking about buying, click here http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/email_home_listings.php to take advantage of our Exclusive Buyer System. This system will help you beat out other buyers to hot new homes and properties as they come on the market. No more wasted time looking at out-dated information in HomeFinders, newspapers or searching the Internet. Priority email notifications means you're there first before other buyers, so you can negotiate the lowest possible price and your time is not wasted viewing homes that don't interest you.

Tips for Painting Interiors

One of the easiest ways to make a dramatic difference to the look of your home is with paint. While some difficult areas or fancy techniques are better left to professionals, interior painting is a great do-it-yourself project.

Here are a few simple steps that can make the job go quicker and get better results.

Tips for Painting Interiors

•Before you begin, pick your paint colors carefully. You may love one color, but will it go well with your furnishings, carpeting, and adjoining wall areas? Choosing with care can save you a frustrating and costly re-do.

• Use water based latex paint for ease in application and clean-up.

• Buy the correct paint for the surface you are painting. Wood floors, concrete, masonry or metal require specific products.

• Before you dip your brush in that paint, assemble every item you will need.

• Enough paint for the entire job (you don't want to take your paint smeared self back to the store in the middle of the job).

• Brushes, rollers (if you settle for the cheapest quality you'll get brush hairs and roller fuzzies all over your walls!)

• Plastic dropcloths or old sheets (yes, you will make a mess)

• A large damp cloth for wiping up small drips and mistakes while they are still wet.

• Stepladder

• Screwdriver and claw hammer to remove wall hooks, switchplates, nails, etc.

• Plastic automotive tape to edge windows, trim and carpet.

• Hand cream, you will be so glad you used this on your hands and arms when it comes time to clean up.

• Prepare the surface. Cracks and holes should be filled with spackling and old paint should be lightly sanded so the new paint will adhere. Make sure the surface is clean of dirt, grease, rust and flaking paint.

• Paint in this order: ceiling, walls, trim, floor. Remember, paint drips DOWN.

• Use a roller for the big areas and a brush to cut in from the outside edges.

• Tape all window edges, trim, and carpet edges. You will thank yourself for this once you start cutting in with the brush!

We wish you success with your painting project. If you have any questions about your home, please feel free to phone or email us at anytime.

Can You Pass The Safety Test?

Sometimes we get so busy with work, deadlines, soccer practice, dinner, household chores that we forget to take care of a few common sense safety items that can make a big difference when it counts.

Take a few moments this weekend and check that your house passes the following Safety Test:

Passing the Homeowner Safety Test

• Replace the batteries in all the smoke detectors in the house. Record the date in your calendar so you will remember to do the same thing next year!

• Unless your heating/air units are new, have the vents and filters cleaned or replaced.

• Create a fire-hazard plan with your family and conduct a practice drill with the children.

• Replace or clean the exhaust hood filter above the range.

• Check all your electric outlets for loose-fitting plugs, as these can pose a fire hazard. These outlets are inexpensive and fairly easy to replace.

• Have the fireplace chimney cleaned. While you are at it go ahead and install a rain cap and a screen to keep the birds out of your chimney.

Click here http://www.wenatcheehouses.com/newsletter_join.php if you would like to be periodically emailed helpful homeowner tips.

We hope these tips help you enjoy your home and ensure your safety!

County homes depreciate slightly

Don't let the title, "County home depreciate slightly," fool you. This is a headline from the Bellingham Herald in Bellingham, WA. Why share this article for the Wenatchee and North Central Washington real estate market? Read the bold/red paragraph in the article below to see why!

REAL ESTATE
County homes depreciate slightly
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/117/story/50330.html
2007 prices likely to remain flat, local expert says
DAVE GALLAGHERTHE BELLINGHAM HERALD

A federal report released Thursday confirmed what many in the local real estate industry already suspected - home appreciation has been slowing in Whatcom County.

According to a report from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Whatcom County homes actually depreciated 0.45 percent between the third quarter and the fourth quarter of 2006, making it the only Washington metro area surveyed to see a drop in home price.

Between December 2005 and December 2006, however, Whatcom County homes appreciated 7.97 percent, ranking the area 78th out of 282 metro areas nationally in terms of highest appreciation rates. Over the past five years, Whatcom County homes have appreciated 86.63 percent, according to the report.

Julie Hansen, an economics professor at Western Washington University and editor of the Whatcom County Real Estate Research Report, said the federal report indicates that home prices were basically flat for the past quarter.

"The numbers weren't surprising and are in line with what we're seeing with median prices locally," Hansen said. "I think we'll see a similar trend in the coming year. After experiencing years of dramatic appreciation, I would expect this area to see a flat period at least through this year."

Across the country, home price appreciation remained steady, rising 1.1 percent in the fourth quarter over the previous quarter.

"These data show that, on the whole, prices are still rising, albeit at a much slower pace," said James Lockhart, director of the office that produced the report. "This suggests that house price appreciation is, for now, more in line with historical norms."

The report showed some interesting trends in other Washington state metro areas. The Wenatchee area saw home prices appreciate 3.46 percent in the fourth quarter of 2006 over the previous quarter, which was one of the largest jumps across the country. Wenatchee's year-over-year appreciation was 20.94, ranking it second in the U.S.

Seattle metro area homes appreciated 1.52 percent over the quarter, while the Mount Vernon area saw a 2.96 percent rise for the same period.

The metro area that had the highest appreciation rate for that 12-month period was Bend, Ore., which jumped 21.39 percent.

Washington state saw one of the greatest rates of appreciation over the past 12 months, according to the report. Washington's homes appreciated 13.7 percent over the past 12 months, and only trailed Utah (17.6 percent), Wyoming (14.3 percent) and Idaho (14 percent).

The states with the lowest rates of appreciation for the same period were Michigan (minus 0.4 percent), Massachusetts (0.5 percent), Indiana (2.3 percent) and Minnesota (2.5 percent).

Tax Appraisal Value of Homes

Don't you just love it when tax appraisal time comes around? You never know what you're going to get! As real estate professionals, we're often amused that the tax appraisal value of homes can go up even while the actual selling price of homes may go down. Kind of makes you wonder what criteria the bureaucrats are using when they value our homes.

This is the reason why buyers shouldn't get carried away just because a house is being offered at *10,000 below tax appraisal!!!* That tax appraisal may not be in harmony with the actual market price of the house in question. When buying or selling, market value is the real deciding factor. Where the real estate market is concerned, a home is worth exactly as much as the most eager buyer is willing to pay.

As real estate professionals, The Davidson Team can provide a comparative market evaluation (free, of course!) on your property, taking into consideration all of the comparable property sales in your market area and factoring in the things that make your home unique. This helps us to set the price of your property at the right place, and positions you to realize the greatest profit in the least amount of time.

Even if you are not currently thinking about selling your home, it is useful to have a comparative market evaluation prepared. And when it's free, with no obligation, why not take advantage of it?

Loans and Refinancing - What you need to know

Many potential customers simply call lenders up and ask, "What's your rate?" But they fail to indicate what kind of loan they need, how long of a lock period they want, how many discount points they're willing to pay, how long the rate is good for, or anything else. Consumers have to specify all of these things or lenders can pretty much say whatever they want, and then provide different figures when the customers come in and blame the lack of specificity.

A loan with a lock period of just 15 days, for instance, usually has a lower rate than one that a consumer can lock in for 60 days. Most consumers opt for loans with longer locks because they need more than two weeks to close. But loan officers sometimes quote rates on their shortest-lock loans over the phone or in print just to sound cheap, knowing full well that many callers will never be able to obtain those loans. Companies can provide rates that include several points to look better, even though many customers either can't or don't want to put down several thousand extra dollars at closing.

More about Loans and Refinancing
Figure in the feesBorrowers often forget to ask about fees, and don't compare lenders based on those costs. That allows companies to pad their bottom lines by adding "document preparation fees," "underwriting fees" and other miscellaneous charges to the loan at closing. Lenders don't control certain fees for services provided by third parties, such as title searches and appraisals. But they can adjust their own fees, so consumers who know to do so will negotiate.

Don't believe everything you read
Consumers need to watch out for advertising tricks, too. Companies have been plugging "no cost" refinance loans lately, but the tagline really means "no out-of-pocket costs at closing." Borrowers pay higher rates on these mortgages and lenders use the extra money to pay the costs themselves.

The annual percentage rate, or APR, found in advertisements can be misleading as well. Mortgage lenders don't always include all the fees they charge in the calculation that determines APR, so customers who use that figure to shop rather than an itemized breakdown of rates, points and fees may end up comparing apples to oranges. Of course, it's difficult for borrowers to compare fees when they don't know what they are. By law, lenders and brokers don't have to give what's called the Good Faith Estimate document to customers until three days after they apply. But there's nothing preventing shoppers from asking for it before committing to anything. Reputable lenders and brokers will provide one.

If you have any questions about loans and refinancing, we'd be happy to talk with you and even suggest one of our well trusted lenders.