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
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: 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
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
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
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
Wenatchee Real Estate: Fractional Ownership
In my last post, I wrote about the vacation rental investment opportunity. If that is something of interest, but you don't have the funds to pull it off yourself, you might consider "fractional" (shared) ownership. You can pool with a group of friends, or purchase a fractional resale.
Here is a link to a good article on the Pros and Cons of Fractional Ownership.
There are a lot of ways to invest in real estate, and they are all good if done properly.
I would love to answer your real estate questions.
Happy Investing...
Erin Davidson
Wenatchee real estate agent
Free search of the entire Wenatchee MLS
Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends
Homes for sale in: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga,
Cashmere, and Leavenworth, Washington
Here is a link to a good article on the Pros and Cons of Fractional Ownership.
There are a lot of ways to invest in real estate, and they are all good if done properly.
I would love to answer your real estate questions.
Happy Investing...
Erin Davidson
Wenatchee real estate agent
Free search of the entire Wenatchee MLS
Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends
Homes for sale in: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga,
Cashmere, and Leavenworth, Washington
Wenatchee Real Estate: Vacation Rentals
Have you ever thought of buying a vacation home? There is a huge market for this kind of property, especially in destinations like Wenatchee, Chelan and Leavenworth where there are vacationers coming year round.
If you own a vacation home, in a popular destination, you can use it when it's convenient for you and rent it the rest of the year. The rental income can cover a significant amount (or all) of the cost of owning the property.
Check out the Vacation Rental By Owner website. Do a search for any city (perhaps your city) and see what a huge market this is.
Also check out a couple other articles I found about the vacation rental option:
7 Tips for Buying the Perfect Vacation Rental
How To Market Your Vacation Rental
5 Simple Ways to Maximize Your Vacation Rental Profits
An Introduction To Investing in Vacation Rentals (A Podcast)
Well, that should give you a good start on thinking about the vacation rental investment option.
I'd love to answer any questions you may have about local real estate in the Wenatchee valley and surrounding areas.
Happy Investing...
Erin Davidson
If you own a vacation home, in a popular destination, you can use it when it's convenient for you and rent it the rest of the year. The rental income can cover a significant amount (or all) of the cost of owning the property.
Check out the Vacation Rental By Owner website. Do a search for any city (perhaps your city) and see what a huge market this is.
Also check out a couple other articles I found about the vacation rental option:
7 Tips for Buying the Perfect Vacation Rental
How To Market Your Vacation Rental
5 Simple Ways to Maximize Your Vacation Rental Profits
An Introduction To Investing in Vacation Rentals (A Podcast)
Well, that should give you a good start on thinking about the vacation rental investment option.
I'd love to answer any questions you may have about local real estate in the Wenatchee valley and surrounding areas.
Happy Investing...
Erin Davidson
Wenatchee real estate agent
Free Search of entire Wenatchee MLS
Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends
Homes for sale in: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga,
Cashmere, and Leavenworth, Washington
Free Search of entire Wenatchee MLS
Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends
Homes for sale in: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga,
Cashmere, and Leavenworth, Washington
Wenatchee Real Estate: Buying Misconceptions
Do you have these two misconceptions about buying a home in Wenatchee?
1: I don't need a home inspection if I am buying a new construction.
Although newly constructed homes don't have the "age" related issues as resale homes, a home inspection is still a very valuable tool in identifying any quality of construction issues. New construction home inspections have revealed termite infected lumber to have been used, faulty roof installation, and subpar construction practices and... believe it or not... that the sewer line was never hooked up! Don't ever let anyone talk you out of having a home inspection... ever! And, by-the-way... you absolutely should attend the inspection. You will learn soooo much about your new home.
2: Comparing the cost of Rent vs Mortgage Payment is the best way to determine whether I should buy a home or keep renting.
Calculating the cost of renting is much simpler than calculating the "net" investment required to buy a home. When you buy a home, the mortgage payment is only one piece of your investment. You must also take into consideration the cost of insurange and taxes and, of course, ongoing maintenance and optional improvements. When you buy a home, there are significant tax benefits which offset much of the cost of buying a home. Rent is pure "cost", with no tax or investment benefit. Consulting with your accountant or financial planner can help you identify the "net" investment in purchasing a home.
I would love to answer any of your real estate questions.
Best Regards,
Erin Davidson
Wenatchee real estate agent
Free Search of entire Wenatchee MLS
Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends
Homes for sale in: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga,
Cashmere, and Leavenworth, Washington
Erin Davidson
Wenatchee real estate agent
Free Search of entire Wenatchee MLS
Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends
Homes for sale in: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga,
Cashmere, and Leavenworth, Washington
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