Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

Congress has passed a bill extending the Homebuyer Tax Credit closing deadlines until September 30,2 010. The extension applies to those transactions that had ratified contracts in place as of the tax credit deadline of April 30, 2010, which have not closed yet.  Many factors contributed to these transactions not being able to close, such as appraisal, overwhelmed closers, lending institutions that were also overwhelmed by so many individuals wanting to take advantage of the $8,000 credit.  So this is really good news for folks who have been sweating the deadline passing without their homes closing.  Everyone can breathe a little easier now.

In this day and age when money it tight and people are watching their expenses , Radio Host Dave Ramsey has become a ‘guru’ expousing logical reasons to payoff debt, using a budget, and continually gives on investments and the best deal for your money. His Financial Peace University classes are a must for anyone struggling with debt, just starting out or simply trying to make their money stretch.  So here is a reprint of the question asked above – Is it better to find a real estate agent - or go it alone? 

 http://www.distinctiveprop.com/files/files/DaveRamsey.pdf

Bogert Aviation is the new hero to four CBC students by donating $9,000 to help the students compete in a national Skills USA competition.  The competition is scheduled for June 20-26 and is geared towards automated manufacturing technology and its a teamwork project.

Owner Richard Bogert has hired several CBC students over the years and has been very pleased with the quality of his employees. He felt it was time to give back to the CBC program that gave him such qualified employees. 

Rob Walker, the instructor of CBC’s Machine Technology program indicates that a name change is due for the program, from Machine Technology to Manufacturing Technology because of the level of skills that consist in the program more accurately fit into the manufacuring fields.

Anyone who has lived here in the Tri Cities over the past 1o years or more has seen the expansion that has become West Pasco and in fact, has made Pasco the 2nd largest of the Tri-Cities. According to recent US Census figures, that growth has landed Franklin County, Washington in the record books as the 18-fastest growing county in our country, and that is a distinction that no other Washington county can claim.  Last summer the county’s population sat at 77,355 which was a 56.8% increase since the year 2000. Housing in that part of Pasco has generated some welcome revenue for the city, however the cost of services has risen to accomodate the growth. Schools in Pasco grew to address the needs of 5,600 new students with the addition of 3 new elementary schools, one middle school and a new high school.  This part of our Tri-Cities is filled with affordable housing, family-friendly neighborhoods, easy access to the freeway and wonderful goods and services along the Road 68 corridor.  These attributes combined with economic stability and its proximity to the Columbia River make west Pasco and Franklin County a most desirable area in which to live.

1. Tidy up kitchen cabinets. Potential buyers open kitchen cabinets and look inside.  Home owners can add rollout or organizing trays so when buyers peek in, they feel like there’s lots of room for their stuff.

2.  Add or replace tile. By retiling very inexpensively, you can make a room look way cleaner that it was. Every city has stores that offer $1 to $2 tile, so home owners have to pay only for the low cost tile and labor to replace a dated background or add a new one.

3.  Add a breakfast bar. When a wall separates a kitchen from a family room, suggest cutting out an opening to create a breakfast bar.

4. Install granite tile instead of a slab. Granite kitchen counter tops are the rage, but that can be a $5000 upgrade. Instead, home owners can put in 12 inch granite tiles for about $300  materials and can have a very high impact for little money.

5. Freshen up a bathroom without retiling. To update a bathroom, consider putting in a new medicine cabinet for $100-150, light fixtures for about $100, a faucet for $50-75, and a vanity for $200-300. Instead of replacing the tile, the existing grout can be lightly scraped and regrouted, which will make the tile look brand new. Installing glass shower doors makes for a brighter appearance. French doors can add a bit of flair and class for about $250, which of course will take people’s eyes off the tile and onto the doors!  This bathroom remodel would run $1000 to $2000.

6. Freshen up the basement. If your cement blocks or poured concrete walls in the basement are cracked, have a contractor fill the cracks with hydraulic cement, paint with waterproofing paint, add a top coat to add color, paint the basement floor and like magic, the basement isn’t finished but certainly doesn’t have the dark, damp dungeon feel anymore.

7.  Add a room. Look for large spaces that can be enclosed to create a new bedroom, for just the price of creating a wall.  For a job that can run in the low hundreds, can net you in the thousands or tens of thousands.

8. Spruce up cabinet fronts. Suggest home owners update tired-looking kitchen cabinets. reconditioning is the least expensive move for under $1,000. For $1,500 to $4,000 owners can replace the cabinet doors and drawer fronts, and for $4,000 to $12,000 home owners can have all the cabinets refaced.

9. Replace light fixtures. In a foyer, bathrooms & kitchens, replacing overhead lighting provides a great deal of pop for a little money.

10. Tech up the garage. Replacing the garage door opener with a remote touchpad entry system can make it look like a high-end system, for about $425.

A spectacular fall day ushered in the downtown Kennewick Grape Fest on Saturday, and upbeat marimba music danced through the air as folks participated and looked on at event’s based on “the Grape” took place.

The festival goes as far back as 1911 and although it hasn’t taken place every year, it has the distinction of being the oldest festival in the Tri-Cities.

There were three team of stompers ready to take on competitors for the grape crush competition.  There were several events to participate in, food vendors and arts and craft booths were available as well.

Each week in the fall there seem to be wonderful events for tourists and Tri-Citizens to enjoy – this is a wonderful place to live and work in! Pasco, Kennewick and Richland are thriving communities with friendly people, afffordable real estate and lots of job growth. Come take a look at us!