Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

The temperatures have been in the teens for the past few days.  This morning it was 16 degrees, but I didn’t have to scrape any ice of my vehicle so the air seems to be fairly dry.  However…..forecasters are saying there’s a likelihood of snow accumulation in the valleys of Eastern Washington.  

Two years ago, I came home from a long day at work to find my driveway running with water and a sheet of ice beneath.  As I clicked the garage door opener and watched the door rise, there was a cascade of water falling down across the white and blue checkerboard pattern, glistening in the light of the motion detectors.   A pipe, in the attic over the garage (un-insulated) burst when the temperatures were below freezing for several days.  With the low temps we experiencing here in the Tri Cities, I am making sure I am winter ready this year!   Are you? 

 Here are a few tips to stay safe and warm during snow and icy conditions.     

Let’s start with the most obvious…..Prevent Freezing Pipes!  Insulate your homes pipes with proper insulation or even newspapers and plastic and allow your faucets to drip a little during cold weather to prevent them from freezing. Even at a trickle of running water helps prevent frozen pipes. 

Be sure you know where your water shut off valve is located.

Avoid drafts and save on heating costs with a check of windows and doors.   How is the caulking and weather-stripping?  Does it need to be replaced?  Installing storm windows or cover your windows with plastic to keep heat in. 

Clean out rain gutters, repair leaky roofs and cut away tree branches that could fall on your house or outdoor buildings during a wind storm.

Be Safe: Avoid any fuel-burning equipment indoors.  Any fuel burning equipment should be vented to the outside.   If you are burning any fuel source, please keep a fire extinguisher close by.  A house fire can be devastating.

When driving, practice safety for you and your passengers.  Allow additional driving time so you are not rushing. 

Take it easy.  Slow your speed, braking and acceleration during your travels.  Don’t use the cruise control.

Don’t Tailgate.  The last thing you need to do is step on the brakes in the ice.  

Keep a blanket and some protein bars in the vehicle in the event of an emergency. 

 if you have any other tips to contribute, please comment below! 

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY JANUARY!

The weather in the Tri-Cities has been beautiful.  Summer is trying to hang on as best it can!  It’s the perfect weather to be out shopping for a new house!! 

Check out the latest Real Estate Statistics from Distinctive Properties!!!  http://bit.ly/bZp9og

Ahhh, the arrival of spring in all its glory has reached the Tri Cities, and with it comes the beauty of trees and plants in bloom and tons of sunshine! As this writer drove into work today in Kennewick, my day was instantly brightend with the incredible colors that I drove past, so much so that I made  a U-turn, pulled out my camera a snapped several photos of different trees, bushes and plants I saw. I guess its a good thing I was actually ahead of my usual rushed schedule each morning.  It good to stop and smell the roses on occasion – or in my case, stop and snap a few photos.  I have lived many beautiful places across this country and seen many lovely communities, as have many of you. Sometimes I wonder about my decision to return to the Tri Cities after being away so long. Yet I find that we have so much to offer here weather-wise, activities-wise, employment and job growth-wise, and each time I stop and think about why I’m here, I find that with all those other things aside, just having the opportunity to enjoy such simple beauty each day feeds into the easy pace of life here.   Come join us here in the beautiful Tri-Cities region where there is so much to do and see…………..or not, if you so choose.

According to Smartmoney.com, the Tri Cities is listed as number 1 among the top 5 communities in the nation that will see increases in home prices for the 4th quarter of 2010, with increases just under 4 percent.  The Tri Cities has seen a stable real estate market and continued job growth throughout the period of time that the rest of the country has been experiencing major decline in housing and job markets. Construction permits in Kennewick, Pasco and Richland have grown with Kennewick seeing increases over over 100 in the same period from 2009. CNN money.com reports that Kennewick appears to have gone against the tide with a slight gain in comparison to other communities. “The biggest winner will be in the Kennewick metro area where home prices ramped up 8.9 percent over the past three years and are expected to go up 3.4 percent by June 2010.”

HB 2510 is headed to the governors desk for signature this week could potentially save Kennewick General Hospital millions and make the construction of their new hospital in the Southridge area a reality as soon as this summer.  In a short summary, the bill would allow hospitals to use the land they currently own as collateral towards the financing needed for construction.  Ground breaking this summer is the hope for the district.

How long has this issue about the antique carousel and where it should be located been discussed? It seems like forever and a day.  Although the horses have all been restored and are currently being housed in city storage in Kennewick, $860,000 has been spent thus far in studies etc., and to no avail. It appears the issue could be rising again out of the ashes…..maybe.  Kennewick Council members held a day long retreat recently to cover the pressing questions facing the city of Kennewick’s future development, when the carousel issue was again addressed, this time with new members to the council asking pointed questions as to its viability and cost.