Wenatchee Real Estate: Travel Preparedness

My last post on Emergency Preparedness for your home got me to thinking about travel preparedness as well... especially in the winter when a breakdown can be more dangerous to your health and safety.

I found an article on the Department of Motor Vehicle website that has a comprehensive list of things to put in an emergency preparedness kit for your car.  You probably aren't going to actually carry them ALL, but please read through the article and highlight the ones you really think you might need, based on your personal travel habits.

Stay safe and warm this winter while on the road.

Erin Davidson
Wenatchee Real Estate Agent  

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Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends
Homes for sale in: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga,
Cashmere, and Leavenworth, Washington

Wenatchee Real Estate: Emergency Preparedness

As the cold weather rolls in to our region, it brings to my mind the need to be prepared for possible emergencies, such as powers outages or a storm that could cause you to become home-bound for a few days.  Peace of mind is a wonderful thing when it comes to finding yourself in an emergency situation.

I found a good article on this subject at HouseLogic.  I encourage you to check it out and, if you don't already have one, please consider having an emergency preparedness kit in your home.

Stay safe and warm!

Erin Davidson
Wenatchee real estate agent

Free search of the entire Wenatchee area MLS

Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends
Homes for sale in: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga,
Cashmere, and Leavenworth, Washington

Wenatchee Real Estate: November statistics

The November Snapshot from Pacific Appraisal Associates in Wenatchee is out.  You really need to see it to analyze it, so click on the link above.  For the most part, the market is fairly flat but if you just look at some of the "percentage" numbers, it can be deceiving.

The report is divided into the "MLS Market Totals" and "Wenatchee Market Totals",and taking both into consideration will reveal the most accurate picture of what is happening in the entire Wenatchee Valley.  The MLS Market area is greater than just Wenatchee.  It includes the surrounding areas... Cashmere, Leavenworth, Waterville, and some Chelan.

For example, the number of Mobile Homes sold last month is up 11%.  However, there were 10 sold this year and 9 sold the same month last year.  So, one unit isn't significant one way or the other.

The statistic to watch is going to be number of homes listed.  That is the noticeably declining number and can affect supply and demand, causing prices to increase.  This is indicating if you or someone you know is interested in buying, making a decision sooner rather than later could be beneficial.

Interest rates are still good, so it IS a good time to buy.

Please continue to stay warm and safe this winter!

Erin Davidson
Wenatchee real estate agent

Free search of the entire Wenatchee area MLS

Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends
Homes for sale in: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga,
Cashmere, and Leavenworth, Washington

Wenatchee Real Estate: Maintenance Time

It's hard to imagine, but here we are at the first of November already!  I thought it would be useful to share a few maintenance reminders.

1.  Inspect the Chimney:  Always have your chimney and it's cap inspected (and cleaned and serviced if necessary) before going into a new winter season.  Without proper maintenance, water can get behind the crown and drip down into the interior framing, causing mold and rot that can be extremely expensive to repair later.  In addition, if the interior of the chimney is not properly maintained, embers can get into the framing and cause a house fire.

2.  Prevent Ice Daming:  Ice daming is fairly simple to avoice by taking the necessary steps to keep the entire roof the same temperature as the eaves.  It involves a combination of ventilation, insulation and sealing warm air leaks from the interior of the home.  Here is a link to additional information on preventing ice daming.   Also clean the gutters to avoid water back up against the roof.  It is better to have no gutters than improperly maintaned gutters.  Can you spell  D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R ?

3.  Inspect Water Shut Off Valves:  Be sure you know where your water shut off valves are and that they work properly.  If you experience frozen pipes, when they thaw out your pipes will probably burst spewing water everywhere.  You need to know where the main water valve is and that it is working properly.  Be sure everyone in your household knows too!  While you're at it, be sure the water supply valves behind toilets, in the kitchen and the laundry room work properly.

Hope these tips help!

Stay warm and safe this winter!

Erin Davidson
Wenatchee real estate agent

Free search of the entire Wenatchee area MLS

Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends
Homes for sale in: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga,
Cashmere, and Leavenworth, Washington