Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

Early summer chores should get you outdoors: Look for winter damage, ward off mold and rot, sharpen your tools and patrol your home’s perimeter for pests and other problems.

With the start of a typical Tri-Cities summer and warmer weather, you can focus most of your maintenance chores outdoors. First, however, attend to a couple of jobs that will help you stay comfortable and safe inside the house.

Switch ceiling fan blades: Switch ceiling fans to push cool air down, where you’ll most enjoy it. Observe the fan while it’s running: In summer, you want the leading edge of the blades (the part that goes around first) higher than the trailing edge (the part that rotates last). Locate the fan’s switch o9n its outside body. When set correctly for summer, you can stand beneath it and feel the breeze. this should allow you to adjust your thermostat higher (or set the air conditioner lower), saving fuel while enjoying the cooling effect of the moving air.

Clean dryer vents: Although you probably know to remove lint from your clothes dryer’s lint filter after each use, you may not have heard that maintenance also includes cleaning the hose that pipes the warm, moist air from the dryer to the outdoors. Use a long-handled brush, found in hardware stores. Also, clean the recess beneath the filter with a lint-trap brush. Check vent hoses to ensure that they fit tightly to each other, to the dryer and to the outside of the house. Pull out the dryer and vacuum accumulated lint under and around it.

Clean gutters: Take advantage of dry weather to clear out leaves, needles and debris, leaving gutters free to carry rainwater away and protect your home from mold and rot. Depending on your home’s surroundings, you should do this several times a year.

While you are at it - inspect your gutters. Look for joint separating, loose connections and attachments, sags, dips and corrosion. Tighten or reattached loose gutter connections.

 Check for foundation cracks: Make a yearly tour of your home’s foundation to spot any cracks. Hairline cracks and diagonal cracks that start at windows are unlikely to signal serious problems, but keep an eye on them to see if they change. Call a structural engineer if a small crack grows wider or if you find any of the following:

• a crack wider than the thickness of your fingernail
• horizontal cracks
• a stair-step crack that break bricks, blocks or solid concrete
• a pattern of cracks that rounds a corner
• a crack with one side higher than the other
• a crack that starts narrow and grows wider

To keep moisture out of cracks that you’ve found to be stable, fill them. Purchase a foundation crack repair kit that uses an expanding polyurethane filler for a permanent seal. Caulk and concrete aren’t effective for this.

Patrol the grounds: Spend a half-hour walking around your house with an eye to where the foundation meets the ground, Make sure the earth around the house slopes away from the structure — about an inch per foot is good — so water does not collect around the foundation. Dampness invites mold and mildew and, in worse cases, weakens a foundation. Also, keep your eyes open for signs of termites.: wings or droppings that look like little pellets. Rake leaves away from the foundation to discourage mice and rats, Keep garbage cans tightly closed. Store recycling and clean bottles and cans well before putting them out so food odors don’t attract rodent. Turn compost piles regularly and compost only vegetable matter, not animal products.

Scrub the decks and porches: On a sunny day, wipe down and hose off lawn, garden and deck furniture. Sweep decks and porches. Inspect wood decks and porches for rot by pressing the wood with your hand, foot or a tool to find any soft spots. Gently probe soft spots with a screwdriver to learn the extent of the damage. Paint stores carry epoxy putty used to harden seal and stabilize rotted wood. If the damage is severe, replace rotted boards.

Seal decks against weather: Wood decks need to be painted every two or three years - more often if they face extreme weather. Watch the weather forecast for a spell of several dry days before treating decks, because you don’t want to seal moisture into the wood and encourage rot.

Source: msn.com

Businesses may be struggling nationwide but they seem to be holding their own in West Richland.

About 20 new businesses - tanning salons, real estate companies and financial advisers - have come to West Richland in the past two years, says Mary Hays, executive director of the West Richland Area Chamber of Commerce. More than 75 percent of the city’s commercial property is occupied, something not many communities can boast about, said mayor Dale Jackson.

The city of about 12,500 people has been known as a Hanford bedroom community and has struggled for years to develop more of a retail base. But, officials say, they’re slowing gaining a commercial foothold.

Jackson confirmed a hotel chain has agreed to look at the almost 8,000-acre Lewis and Clark Ranch as a potential destination resort.

A national restaurant has shown interest in opening near Kadlec Clinic West Richland Primary Care at the corner of Bombing Range and Keene roads.

Jackson credits the city’s hiring of an economic development specialist about two years ago to help recruit new businesses and population growth for generating additional revenue. Also, having Yoke’s Fresh Market as an anchor tenant on Bombing Range Road helped attract several small businesses, Jackson said. Small businesses like restaurants often tend to cluster and grow, he said.

The growth has spurred taxable retail sales, which increased 35 percent to about $18.9 million in the last quarter of 2008, compared with the same time the year before.

By the end of March, the city’s share of retail tax revenue was up 29 percent, compared with the same period last year, said Jackson. It’s significant considering surrounding cities have lost retail tax revenue.

He says the city needs more retail growth and economic development to capture an estimated 41.5 million in sales tax that gets leaked to other cities when West Richland residents shop elsewhere. That number comes from comparing the state’s average per capita sales tax and the amount the city collects.

Because a variety of services now are locally available, people living in West Richland won’t have to travel to other cities, Hays said.

Henry’s Restaurant & Catering moved from Richland to West Richland’s Van Giesen Street in November.

Hays and her husband launched The Sandberg Event Center & Gardens at 331 S. 41st Avenue. The couple also started another business nearby, The Gathering Place Bistro & Gifts earlier this year.

White Bluffs Center for Quilting & Fiber Arts recently opened on West Van Giesen. It’s an organization of quilting, weaving, spinning and basketry guilds and groups that offers classes and helps Tri-City fiber artists to sell their creations, said Virginia Treadway, president of the center’s board of directors. The group decided to set up shop in the city because “the city understood the economic benefits of having us,” Treadway said.

Business has been really good, said Darrell Toombs, manager at the West Richland Yoke’s. The continued growth of the city has helped the store, which opened about three years ago and employs about 90 people.

A lot of out-of-towners who come to the West Richland Municipal Golf Course often shop at local businesses, said course owner Michelle Marcum. It’s about convenience, she said.

She said the improvements she made at the course helped bring in golfers to the community. “Membership has grown about 10 percent a year.”

Currently, she’s operating a restaurant, bar and pro shop in a temporary 2,800-square foot building but she plans to build a new clubhouse in a few months. Marcum also recently hired Joe Perdue, a Class A pro-golfer from Michigan, as director of the golf course.

She said she thinks the addition of a hotel in town will help support retail business. Often she sends golfers from outside the Tri-Cities who want to spend some time in the area, to stay in hotels in other cities, Marcum said.

A majority of city residents are young professional families with disposable income, Jackson said. “We’re growing as a young family community.”

Henry’s owner Don Karger said a desire to expand his catering business and to be close to customers brought him to West Richland. The city council and staff helped him with permitting to make the relocation process go smoothly, he said. “We started remodeling in middle of September and we opened in the middle of November,” he said.

Karger expects the town to develop in a big way in the next five years or so. “Richland can’t expand too much any more. But West Richland can,” he said.

The City has a vision and a plan, says Jackson, that includes revitalization of the Van Giesen corridor and zoning changes to promote mixed use development, particularly in the proposed Red Mountain Center near Van Giesen and Ruppert Road.

Also, the development of Lewis and Clark Ranch, a conceptual master planned destination community in the northwestern part of town, and new wine-related businesses at the foot of Red Mountain are on the city’s to-do list, Jackson said.

The development may not happen overnight, but the city’s partnership with the Port of Kennewick, local chamber of commerce and businesses will pave the way for future growth, said Jackson who recently attended an International Council of Shopping Centers convention in Las Vegas.

Developers are definitely interested in knowing more abut west Richland, he said.

Homes in the Tri-Cities are moving!! Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland and all of the surrounding Tri-City metro areas are seeing homes sell quickly.  If you’ve made the decision to place your home on the market, here are some tips for getting the best value for your home:

Talking with housing experts for ideas on renovations that homeowners can make that will help their properties stand out. Most of these are budget friendly, but some changes do require a little extra cash.

Curb appeal:

This is arguably the most important part of preparing your home for sale because it’s the buyer’s first impression. Your home doesn’t necessarily have to be repainted, but it should look fresh, with no cracked paint. Consider pressure cleaning sidewalks, resealing the driveway and replacing the mailbox. Get rid of any debris, weeds and toys in the yard. Sprinkle mulch around the trees and trim the hedges so that they’re not hiding windows. Plant colorful flowers no more than 6 inches high.

Flooring:

Wood is good, but make sure it’s sanded and restained. Laminate flooring also is fine, but it should be a neutral color. Shampoo the carpet so it’s free of stains and pet smells. You don’t need to buy new carpeting because the home buyer will want to select it. But if the rug is really bad, get berber from one of the home improvement stores and install it yourself.

Ceilings:

Adding crown molding and removing popcorn ceilings are nice touches but not necessary. If you do try it, hire a professional. In most cases, however, your money would probably be better spent elsewhere.

Lighting:

Upgrading the lighting is an inexpensive way to improve the look and mood of a house. Replace the fixtures, install dimmers and use soft-wattage light bulbs. Buy a chandelier, but nothing too ornate. Also, keep the outside lights on at night because prospective buyers often drive through neighborhoods after dark.

Living Room:

A cluttered house quickly turns off buyers, so lose the knick-knacks. Make the house appear open and inviting.

Doors:

the front door, if possible, should have glass side panels to aloe light to shine through. Replacing the hardware with, say, antique bronze is a cost effective way to make the door look new. Don’t forget to make sure the doorbell works. Doors inside should be painted and the hardware should be the same on each one. Fix any annoying squeaks. Older homes have sliding glass doors, but there’s not much you can do with those except replace them. French doors will add value, but they’re expensive.

Kitchens:

Kitchens are the No. 1 seller of homes, so consider replacing the kitchen counter tops if they’re old and bland. Everybody loves granite, but laminate, black Formica or four-inch tiles with grout aren’t bad alternatives and cost less. Granite 12-by-12 tiles with thin grout is another possibility, but you may have to do a lot of cutting depending on the depth of the counter top.  Here’s a good rule of thumb: if the house is listed at $500,000 or above, you probably need to spring for granite.

Bathrooms:

Bathrooms are a close second to kitchens as the most important seller of homes. To spruce up the bathrooms, replace the fixtures and the sliding shower door. Hang some fluffy white towels. Above all, the bathrooms must be spotless!

Patio:

Again, less is more. Make sure the junk is gone and that the furniture looks new. Set up the grill. Create a scene that allows potential buyers to see themselves relaxing outside and enjoying and enjoying the backyard.

Garage:

Garage organization is big business these days and the before/after photos offer dramatic contracts. Local companies will come in and get rid of the junk, using bins, cabinets, lockers, hooks and hangers to more neatly store what’s left. The cost of organizing your garage can range from a few hundred dollars to more than $15,000. You could do much of the work yourself. For example, if the garage floor is stained, paint it gray.

Closets:

Pack up one-third of a closet’s contents and store the junk somewhere off site. A crowded closet tells buyers the house doesn’t have adequate storage.

Pool and spa:

The pool and spa should have enough water. If there are leaks or if the equipment is broken, get busy getting it fixed.

May 21, 2009

News reports that the federal government is backing away from its plan to permit eligible borrowers to monetize the first-time homebuyer tax credit are off the mark, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says.

“The technical details are still being finalized and will soon be published in a mortgage letter and posted on our Website,” Lemar Wooley, a HUD spokesperson, told REALTOR Magazine Wednesday afternoon.

Under the guidance that’s under development, state agencies and other HUD-approved entities would be able to provide short-term bridge loans that households could use to help with their downpayment. The loans would be repaid with the proceeds from the households’ federal tax credit.

The loans were announced on the opening day of NAR’s 2009 Midyear Legislative Meetings in Washington, D.C., last week. In this announcement, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said guidance would be issued shortly.

When the guidance is released, it is expected to cover eligible lenders and set parameters for loan terms and repayment.

Source: REALTOR Magazine Online

As of May 1, 2009, all the homes in our sub-division that were for sale have either sold or have been taken off the market. It really is a good time to put your home on the market if you are thinking of selling. The interest rates are low and with the $8000.00 dollars first time home buyer incentive, homes that are priced right are moving fast. There were approximately 250 homes sold through April 30, 2009 but only 21 that were priced over $300,000.00. If you are interested in selling or buying a home, feel free to call me for a free home Market Analysis.

Sid Hodge, your neighborhood Realtor

509-366-3916

Mike Haddox, the founder of the Winemaker’s Loft in Prosser, will open a tasting room for his Michael Florentino wines at Kennewick’s South Ridge Village.

Haddox said the new 1,500 square foot tasting room, next to Anelare, will have a small barrel room and will open in June.

His future involvement with The Winemaker’s Loft is unknown, right now, after financial difficulties led to the upscale winery incubator being sold by the bank to a group of Boise investors.

Haddox, a former winemaker for Glen Fiona in Walla Walla and general manager of Silver Lake Winery in Zillah, spent nearly three years and $2 million building the Tuscan-style Winemaker’s Loft at Prosser Vintner Village.

Haddox was the heart and soul of the project, which gave him a place to craft his wines and the ability to help other startup wineries get off the ground. But the majority of the money for building came from Haddox’s partners, who were real estate investors from Idaho.

“They ran into some serious financial problems and nearly went bankrupt and the Loft was one of the least important properties they had,” said Haddox.

Haddox said the group initially tried to sell the building, but didn’t have any luck, so they turned the note back to the bank.

“I wanted to buy them out and take it over, but didn’t have the money,” he said.

A group of Boise investors bought the property, but Haddox said he is unsure if he’ll continue to manage it. His own tasting room has been closed for several months because he sold out of the 900 cases of his 2006 releases. His 2007 wines were released in late April during spring barrel tasting weekend.

And although the tasting room for his Michael Florentino wines is moving, it will still be surrounded by other wineries.

He will be next door to Anelare and a few doors down from AVA Wine Rooms, owned by developer Dean Maldonaldo and his wife, Whitney.

There are also plans to build a tasting room for Hamilton Winery in the development off Highway 395. The area experiences a huge amount of traffic from its close proximity to Kennewick’s main Interstate 82 interchange and is growing rapidly.

A hotel is planned in the area and Meadow Hills Veterinary Center is building a new practice there, as well.

After a long, cold winter clouded by the recession, the announcement of $2 billion in stimulus funds for Hanford has rejuvenated activity and interest in the area, Maldonaldo said.

“For the first time in months people are calling me,” he said.

Maldonaldo said he’s had calls from spas, restaurants and other wineries looking for commercial spaces for their businesses.

 Source: Tri-City Journal of Business