"And the Weather Outside is Frightful!"

 by Dan Jensen


Here we are in the first week of December, 2013, and weather reports from across the USA are "FRIGHTFUL" indeed! Freezing temperatures and harsh winds blanket much of the core of the Country, and even here on the West Coast, you know... the banana belt of the United States :-), we're having our share of colder and windy as well.

Above and below are two pics of the parking lot here at Equity Northwest Properties on the East side of Vancouver, Washington. Quite a change for us from the beautiful sunny days of the preceding two weeks!

No matter which part of the Country is the part you call "home", we wish you warm homes, warm cars, warm meals, and a life that surrounds you with hearts that are filled with warmth!

The Equity Northwest Properties Team

Real Estate with Realtor Rod Sager: Ho Ho Ho It's That Time of Year, Again.

The Holiday weekend cut into our blogging time, here is are some real estate tips from Realtor Rod...

Real Estate with Realtor Rod Sager: Ho Ho Ho It's That Time of Year, Again.: Christmas 2008, Vancouver WA Holy Holiday Season, Batman, it's back! If you'll pardon the comic book parlance, it is a crazy ti...

It's THAT Time Again...!!!

by Dan Jensen

We're nearly to the end of November already, and yes, it's THAT time again!

"Taxes just ahead", cries the conductor. Best intentions of better planning and record keeping that we made in January may or may not have been fulfilled, but one thing is certain, whatever can be done to improve what will end up being the tax amount we pay is best adjusted now, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR!

A short chat with your tax adviser between now and the first couple of weeks of December will likely provide you with options to improve what might otherwise prove to be more costly and/or time consuming than necessary.

Tax professionals have recently told us that there were several changes made to the tax code in 2012 & this year. Those changes can be either beneficial if planned for properly, or costly if NOT.

Real estate holdings, beginning with your personal home, and certainly those rentals, investment properties, commercial leases, and so on, all offer valuable avenues of tax sheltering and savings when properly structured and reported.

Again, NOW is a great time to call your tax adviser to learn whether or not you may be able to make some end-of-year savings. (By the way, if you don't have a tax pro yet, give us a call. We know some excellent professionals we can pass on to you.)

Thanksgiving is just days away. We hope yours is filled with family and friends, great food, time together, and more!

Thanks for stopping by.

Your Equity Northwest Properties Team

How Do Different Cities Compare on Price of Homes?

by Dan Jensen

Just for Friday Fun, I thought it might be interesting to see how Boise Idaho, Portland Oregon, and Vancouver Washington compare in their price of similar homes. Not the "cold" statistical summary that's often in the news, but real houses on the market TODAY!

Inserted below are one clean single level home in each of the 3 communities. Each home has 3 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms, a 2 car garage, and decent size lot. Each home was built in the mid 70's and appears from pictures and descriptions to be in good condition and ready for it's potential new owner.

Take a look and see what you think.

As always, if we can be of help in any way, we're very glad to do so. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and thanks for stopping by!

The Equity Northwest Properties Team

Boise, Idaho

Portland, Oregon

Vancouver, Washington

Listings pulled this morning on Realtor.com public website. 

Jumbo is a Bargain!

by Rod Sager

According to the latest statistics, Jumbo loans are actually priced better than conventional loans right now. Some sources suggest that this is the first time in history that has happened. Jumbo loans are loans that exceed the conventional limit which is usually $417,000 but can be higher in certain "expensive" markets. Conventional loans are typically bought by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Jumbo mortgages are mostly held by private investors and it seems they are warming up to the idea of holding mortgage paper again.

If you find yourself in a position to buy a larger home in the $500,000 or more price range, now could be the best opportunity in your lifetime. Right now many markets are seeing price increases. Most of the activity has been in the entry level market and it seems to be spilling into the mid level as well. The high end market tends to trail the bottom so prices on the big homes are still pretty low compared to the peak in 2006-2007. Now that the private mortgage investors are feeling the love, Jumbo loans are very affordable. Maybe that big house in the country with the brand new six stall horse barn and covered arena is within your reach after all. Talk to your real estate professional about this amazing situation. These windows of opportunity often remain open for short periods. Maybe it is time to "pull the trigger".

Retire to Washington

by Rod Sager

I wrote a retirement in Washington blog post this morning and thought I would share it here as well.

Real Estate with Realtor Rod Sager: Retire to Washington: Washington State is not the first state you think of when pondering the exodus of retirees to "fairer" locales. You might think of...

Halloween Home Marketing

by Rod Sager

As pretty as this is, clear a path through the leaves :)

In six days all the neighborhood kids will be plying the streets dressed as zombies, goblins, super-heroes or maybe even a princess. Trick or Treat! If a seller has their home listed during Halloween there is a great marketing opportunity lurking beneath the veil of candy and costumes.

Typically there are two sets of trick or treaters. The first set which likely begins the annual suger pilgrimage just after dark are the little kids. Toddlers and grade schoolers. These adorable little monsters are almost always accompanied by the parents. Mom and or Dad often wait out front while the little goblins run up to the door smiling and holding out their little plastic jack-o-lantern. This is a great marketing opportunity. If the seller feels chatty they might consider having someone in the family hand out treats while they go talk it up with the neighbors. Know anyone interested in living in this neighborhood? Have a flyer available a give it to them. If the seller is shy, then they should ask their real estate professional to make a half page flyer that can be folded to a 1/4 size and toss it in with the candy. Maybe tell the kid that the paper is for mommy and daddy. The second wave is usually the teenagers. They show up with a king sized pillow case looking for the holy grail of sugerdom. Give them the same flyer and ask them to give it to their folks.

I like to present the idea to people in the neighborhood that they can choose their next neighbor. If they know someone that would like to live in this area, this house represents an opportunity. Your real estate professional should be more than happy to provide flyers for this purpose. During Halloween sellers should make the home bright and inviting despite the dark and creepy nature of the event. This is one time to go for fun and spunky rather than the haunted theme.

Even though sellers hire a real estate agent to help them sell their home, their own participation can help to yield a higher price and or a faster close. It does not matter whether the market is hot or cold, sellers need to make their home stand out against the rest and never miss an opportunity to put it in front of people.

So now I'll say so long and in my best Vincent Price voice a diabolical laugh fades to silence. Buahaha.