Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

We’ve certainly had our fair share of rain this spring, in fact, more than our share in the opinion of most Tri-Citians. This spring has brought us weather we aren’t used to, mainly the wet stuff, and with that rain come the headaches that hay farmers and orchardists would rather avoid.  In the wee hours of the morning of late, this writer has heard the low chop-chop-chop of helicopters flying above the orchards in an attempt to dry the rain from their crop of cherries. If the water sits too long, the sun comes out and the temperature warms up – the dreaded split occurs and there goes the profit. The hay growers in Franklin County lost more than 70% of the 1st cutting lost to rot and asparagus farmers have been affected as well. Unfortunately, Mid-Columbia farmers have experienced these weather-related losses and thus the visit from the state’s top agricultural chief to determine the need for federal disaster funds. Growers have asked Dan Newhouse, Washington Department of Agriculture Secretary, to visits farms from Franklin to Walla Walla Counties to assess the damage with hopes of receiving federal compensation for the losses.

Once again the Tri-Cities has resisted the downward trend of property values across the nation, and finds itself in contrast with rising property valuations. Franklin County has been the fastest growing county in the state for the last two years and also one of the fastest growing in the nation. Officials in Franklin County expect values to continue to rise at an average of 3-4 percent as they prepare to mail out revaluation notices within the next month. Benton County anticipates remaining at the current level.

Many other communities within our state are facing devaluation at a significant rate which in turn decreases their tax base. For many its been decades since they’ve lost ground in property valuations. According to a recent market survey in the Tri-Cities, the first quarter of 2010 shows that the median residential resale price encompassing the bicounty area is $176,600, thus being an almost 6 percent increase over the entire year of 2008.

Franklin County continues to see it’s main increase in values due to the development of West Pasco and some large farms. Meanwhile, there are some pockets of decrease in the county, mostly around the Connell area because of unspecified market conditions there.

Much of the success of the Tri-Cities’ ability to remain strong, is due to the stimulus money that came into the Hanford cleanup projects, however, many individuals and organizations have worked diligently to diversify our community so that not all economic strength comes from strictly the Hanford area, but instead comes from growth in agricultural, food processing, and tourism dollars. They have been very successful in their endeavors which in turn have created the economic stability that the Tri-Cities and surrounding communities enjoy today.

4000+ students from Tri-City elementary and middle schools gathered in Columbia Park to wish a fond farewell to the salmon fingerlings they have watched grow in their classrooms for the past 3 months. The 10th Annual Salmon Summit was held at Columbia Park in Kennewick on May 4th near the blue bridge. Throughout the period when the students were watching the fish, they learned about the stages of life for the salmon and about what the name “salmon” means, which is “jumping fish’.  Each of the past 10 years the Benton and Franklin Conservation Districts have established this release event, with students putting the fish into small cups and then releasing them into the waters of the mighty Columbia River.  It will be approximately 4 years before the salmon return to this area after their long and arduous trip down the river to the ocean.

Both Benton and Franklin county residents should be seeing their property tax statements arriving in their mailboxes shortly.  Franklin County property holders will find that they are paying less taxes this year, while Benton County homeowners will be paying a little more.

Franklin County rates have decreased mostly due to new construction which has increased the tax base and in turn has dropped the tax collections.

Benton County rates have increased and is most attributed to the vote-approved special levies for schools which increased the levy rate for the second year.