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.