Simple Tips For Preparing Your Home For Sale As of the time of this article, Spokane home values have increased and home sales in the Spokane area are up 22% compared to the same time period in 2012. An additional positive fact for home sellers is the decreased amount of listings compared to the same time period in 2012. While the real estate climate may have shifted in the favor of sellers, it is still imperative that home sellers take the time to prepare their home for listing – beginning in the few weeks leading up to listing your home. The list below is a good start: Exterior Make sure bushes, Shrubs and trees are trimmed Make sure plants are trimmed, Flower beds are weeded and mulched. Make sure lawn is free from weeds and debris, trimmed, edged and cut Plant flowers, shrubs, and ... 12/15/2013

How To Find Out What Your Home Is Worth Robert Henry,Managing Broker by Robert Henry |  September, 2013 Spokane home values are increasing and the number of homes selling is on the rise.  What is the best way to do your own research to get an idea of what your home would sell for in today’s market. The best way to research your home’s current value is: 1)  Gather your home’s stats (i.e. Year Built, Sq Ft, Bedrooms, Baths, Garage Size, Lot Size).2)  Next, look at home sales, in the last six months, and in a half mile radius surrounding your home.3)  Choose homes that have reasonably close characteristics to yours – be objective. Homes should be with 300 sf of your home’s finished square footage.4)  This will give you a price range. Next, you will need to look at homes you would be compe... 12/15/2013

Date night or family night in Spokane doesn’t have to be expensive.  In fact, The Spokesman-Review publishes 10 under $10, a weekly column with a variety of budget friendly and family friendly things to in and around the area.    This week's featurered events include: 1.      Cracked Pepper, A Fractured Fairytale (Holy Names Music Center) 2.      Breakfast with Santa (CenterPlace) 3.      Teddy Bear Teas (area libraries) 4.      Holiday Open House (Appaloosa Museum – Moscow, Idaho) 5.      Whitworth Jazz Combo (Second Space Gallery) 6.      5 Times Over (The Hopi) 7.      Five Mile Prairie Grange Annual Pancakes with Santa (Five Mile Grange) 8.      Comedian Nick Thelsen (Red Dragon) 9.      Winter Wonderland (Bowl and Pitcher) 10.    A Christmas Carol (University of Idaho Hartung Theat... 12/06/2013

Christmas Tree Elegance - Spokane Symphony Fundraiser Dec 3 - 15 Christmas Tree Elegance, one of many highlights of the Christmas season, is ready for your viewing pleasure and....the cost is free! When you are in downtown Spokane, I encourage you to take the time to visit Christmas Tree Elegance...12 trees are displayed at the beautiful and historic Davenport Hotel and 6 trees are displayed at River Park Square.  They are a feast for your eyes and earn a "WOW" from even the most fervent Scrooge. Old and young alike will be dazzled.                      For a chance to win one of the 18 amazingly beautiful and creative trees, the price is just $1 per ticket. There will be 18 winners drawn and everything in, on and near the tree is part of the prize including thousands of dollars in cash... 12/04/2013

Tall, stately shade trees, quiet mansions with deep porches, trendy commercial and retail center.  This is Browne’s Addition, Spokane’s first neighborhood.  It sits at the west end of Spokane, the only residential neighborhood within easy walking distance of downtown.  Subdivided in the 1880s, the houses were built for wealthy clients in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Browne’s Addition is named for John J. Browne, a lawyer who settled in Spokane in the late 1800s.  He and Mr. A.M. Cannon bought 120 acres of land – which became Browne’s Addition and Cannon’s Addition (another stately residential neighborhood found on Spokane’s South Hill). At its height, Browne’s Addition was home to many of the wealthy merchants and business owners with downtown establishments. But boom times in Brown... 12/02/2013

WOW ! I woke up this morning to GOOD news in our local newspaper, The Spokesman Review. ( 11/7/13 ) i will share the article link with you in just a moment! There are so many things to love about living in Spokane WA! For one thing, as the article states, housing prices  are affordable.   The outdoor life is spectacular ! Lakes, forests, and more. We have excellent hospitals and schools. We have amazing parks and restaurants. We enjoy 4 seasons and we usually have a White Christmas ! Here is the article: just another reason to be passionate about helping people buy, sell and relocate to Spokane!    http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/nov/07/spokane-county-home-sales-up-40-percent-prices/     11/07/2013

99205 – Number of Foreclosures Remains Highby Robert Henry, Managing Broker at RealTeam Real Estate CenterOctober, 2013 Although Spokane home sales have increased in volume when compared to last year, the number of foreclosure properties still remains high in certain areas. The percentage of foreclosure sales in the Spokane area (Spokane MLS) in 2013 (Year-to-Date as of publication of this article) is approximately 12.4% compared to 19% for the Shadle area (99205 zip code).Here is a historical look at the percentage of Foreclosure sold properties in the Shadle/99205 area: Overall, strong buyer demand has resulted in an increase in the number of homes sold in the Spokane area by 21% (Year-over-Year comparison for 2012 vs 2013). Additionally, this has led to an increase in the sales price... 11/07/2013

  Apple Cup 2013 coming soon in Seattle at Husky Stadium Black Friday be damned.      WSU and UW meet one final time in the last game of the season known as the Apple Cup.    This year the game is scheduled at  Husky Stadium. The Huskies hold the advantage for games won and lost.  The winner is presented the Apple Cup trophy by the Governor of our great state.  Historically, I think the governors sit on the 50 yard line and wear both crimson & grey and purple & gold because there is absolutely no need to upset the proverbial apple cart by showing favoritism.  Once known as the Governor’s Trophy it is now called the Apple Cup renamed in the 60's to reflect Washington State’s world class apple industry. Tickets are still available at www.applecuptickets.net as of today.  Of course if you ... 11/01/2013

 Over 62? Does a one-level home in Washington or Oregon interest you? Have you considered moving to a smaller, less expensive home? How about a home in a neighborhood near friends, family,  church, shopping, medical center or bus routes?      If your answer is “yes”, here are two ways to get started.    The first is to meet with a real estate agent to discuss what homes are available in your area of choice.  Your agent can narrow the search by suggesting only the homes which meet your exact criteria. This means you don’t have to traipse all over town to look for a one-level home and your agent can answer a myriad of questions about location, size and price.  When a few homes meet your exact criteria, then you can suggest taking a drive to look at some new homes.  Jumping into a car your... 10/25/2013

Spokane WA makes 2013 best towns in Outside Magazine! Well as a life long resident of Spokane WA I was not surprised to read that Spokane WA has made yet another list of great places! Outside magazine named Spokane WA as one of the top 17 " Best towns " for more reasons that one. First of all, let me add my own two cents worth. We have four very distinct seasons here in Spokane WA. Bright and Bold fall colors are bursting as I write this blog post. Soon, graceful white snows will fall and create our spectacular Winter Wonderland. Spring is bursting with flowers, parades, foot races and more. Summer brings record sunny weather, more than 70 regional lakes and rivers, some of the best hiking you can imagine, and clear starry nights. Here is the article naming my home town, again, as a gre... 10/19/2013

      New Reverse Mortgage Guidelines include paying   mandatory obligations and a financial assessment component become effective January 13, 2014.  The foremost benefit of a reverse mortgage is to help seniors stay in their homes. This remains and it is still the only program of its kind, regardless of how many guideline changes come down the pike.        It will still help seniors and it is still a financial planning tool!    The program changes (in a nutshell) include  ·    Limitations to the amount of funds available at closing  ·   Mandatory obligations must be paid and may include fees associated with the reverse mortgage, debts (delinquent or otherwise), and repairs to the home after appraisal  ·    Required financial assessment including credit history, cash flow/income analys... 10/08/2013

                       What do Football & Real Estate Have In Common?   As I watched the opening week games, I ponder this question. Both require dedication, hard work and perseverance.  Professional Real Estate, like Professional Football, is not a part-time job or a hobby.  It is a career.  Both require study and a willingness to learn more than is required.  Football players watch tapes, listen to experts and drill.  The best study & practice a ridiculous amount of time.  We have a heard about the athletes that show up two hours before the rest of the team and watch tapes or study play books on their “off” days.  Successful REALTORS® take classes, listen to experts and follow through with every client, regardless to the size of the transaction.  The best study & network a ridiculous ... 09/14/2013

Spokane has a terrific trail system featuring miles upon miles of paved trails stretching out in all directions.  A few days ago I was out with a friend on what became a wet, but fun 15 mile ride or so, and stopped along this stretch of the Centennial Trail in the University District to snap this picture of a beautiful rainbow.   Trail users can take the Centennial Trail East from Spokane's River Front Park, downtown, all the way to Couer D'Alene Idaho, or head West along the Spokane River through Riverside State Park as far as 9-mile, or take the Fish Trap Trail to the South West to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge near Cheney and Eastern Washington University.  That trail intercects below the falls near People's Park.   Here the Spokane River runs through the center of the Universit... 09/09/2013

Reverse Mortgage Changes are Coming Soon. Dinner seminars and luncheons are tasty, but here is the latest opportunity for senior homeowners to learn about the changes that are happening soon with regard to Reverse Mortgages thanks to new rules adopted by HUD.      You can still purchase a home with a reverse mortgage and you can still refinance your home with a reverse mortgage.   However the amount of money you will receive for a refinance loan or home purchase will be decreased.  This is not good news for homeowners over age 62 who are still thinking it over.    You do not need to own your home free-and-clear to consider a reverse mortgage.  In fact, one of the most popular uses is the elimination of a monthly mortgage payment.  And if your home is paid for, then the loan proceeds ca... 09/05/2013

A good Real Estate Agent at a market leading powerhouse such as Coldwell Banker Tomlinson, gets really creative when it comes to closing gifts and such.  I have some pretty amazing friends who have referred a lot of people to me who wanted a good agent and I wanted to get them something they might really enjoy.  I finally got the perfect "ah-ha" moment and decided to get a bunch of fresh coffee direct from the roaster! Roast House Coffee, is my favorite.  Three years in business, and local, they get their beans direct from the farm.  The beans are shade grown in the forest and picked by hand, so clear cutting forests and growing a very toxic crop such as coffee with pesticides and so forth is not even part of the equation.  It's fair trade so the money for the beans goes direct to the f... 08/30/2013

Walt Worthy's new hotel project has left the gate!  When complete it should have 15 stories, and a new garage with about 900 parking spaces.  Expect to walk a little farther if you have become a regular user of the parking lot here...   The hotel will be located conveniently accross from the convention center with more than 700 rooms and 70,000 square feet.  Nice to see this kind of growth in Spokane! 08/30/2013

From the Spokane Association of Realtors: Residential sales of single family homes on less than one acre and condos reported for July totaled 614 up 23.5% from June when 497 sales were reported. Sales are up from July last year by 40.5% when 437 sales werereported. Prices slipped in July with the average selling price in July at $187,460 while the median price was $166,000. The average is down 3.9% when compared to the average selling price of $195,094 for last month. The median selling price for July was down 2.4% compared to last month when the median price was $170,000. Year to date sales through July are up 24.2% compared to last year. The average sales price is up 4.8%, $180,894 for 2013 compared to $172,609 for 2012. The median price is up 4.5%, $163,035 compared to $156,000. Inve... 08/29/2013

  Every Thursday Through the end of October the parking lot in front of The Shop becomes a really bustling fun place.  Not that The Shop isn't a fun place, because it most certainly is with special events, terrific fair trade coffee and delicious sandwiches.  This is the 7th year running for the Perry Street Farmer's Market on the South side of Spokane.          This is a long time friend of mine, Meghan, who has been creating fabulous things ever since I first met her.  Each Thursday she has a little stand at the market where she features jewelry including ear rings, bracelets, rings, sometimes beads.                Because so many kids love to go to the market with Mom and Dad, she has a "make your own" button set up.  What kid wouldn't love to make their own buttons?  When I was ther... 08/27/2013

Free summer carriage rides in downtown Spokane WA continue every Friday in August.  They start at the corner of Main and Wall streets between the hours of 5 pm and 9 pm.  These horse-drawn carriage rides through downtown Spokane have been a delight for residents and tourists alike.  Spokane Teachers Credit Union in cooperation with Downtown Spokane Partnership provide a fun experience and the price is right.  Free! Take a break from back-to-school shopping.  Enjoy the city.  Spokane always has something fun to do.  Why not take a free summer carriage ride in downtown Spokane this Friday?       08/06/2013

Just last week, Laura - @LauralooPeacock - decided to buy a new car and since I had done a brief stint as a car salesman she wanted me to tag along and advise her throughout the process.  Due to the fact that we pretty much don't do anything without sharing it (code for boring people with it) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Foursquare, we chose to start off at the only new car dealership in the Spokane area that does an even halfway decent job on Twitter, Larry H Miller Toyota of Spokane. We checked in on Foursquare when we arrived and a short time later were greeted on Twitter by the store account.  We began Instagramming photos of the walk-around demonstration by the salesman and tweeting comments during the test drive and pretty soon had several people commenting back to both us ... 08/05/2013