Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

We are proud to announce the addition of, Hai-Young Yang, Commercial Business/Residential Broker to our Distinctive team of professionally trained Realtors.

Hai-Young brings to Distinctive 20+ years in commercial/income properties as well as residential property, Mini Marts/Gas Stations, Hotel/Motel Restaurant/Café, Dry Cleaners/Laundromats, Strip Mall, Professional Office Bldgs.  Mini Storage, Apartments/4-Plex & MORE.  Her commitment to quality and dependability coupled with years of professional experience can put you into the “Distinctive” circle.

               371-9088    24 Hours

OUR PEOPLE MAKE OUR OFFICE  “DISTINCTIVE”

The agent of Distinctive Properties speak English, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, German, Korean…
and REAL ESTATE!

The Mid-Columbia vineyards have again taken honors for our outstanding wines during the recent Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. See below for results:

• Kiona Vineyards Winery on Red Mountain won best in show for its – ’2008 chenin blanc ice wine’. Kiona won the top award for limited-productions wines and also won gold for its ‘reserve sangiovese’.
• Domaine Ste. Michelle in Paterson won gold medals for ‘blanc de blanc’, and its ‘blanc de noir’ sparkling wines.
• Barnard Griffin in Richland won gold for ‘rose of sangiovese’.
• Tagaris of Richland won gold for its ‘Alice Vineyard mourvedre’.
• Tasawik Vineyards of Prosser won gold for its ‘Hailstorm Red’.
• Hogue Cellars of Prosser won gold for its ‘Genesis Riesling’.
• Gamache Vintners of Prosser won gold for its “viognier’.
• Columbia Crest in Paterson won gold for its “Grand Estates cabernet sauvignon’.

Go to www.winepressnw.com/winners for the list of medal winner in all categories.

Aye! Are ye looking for yer ancestors that came from the Highlands? Balmoral? Or perhaps the Isles? The 10th annual Scottish Fest in Prosser could be the place for ye! Over these past 10 years, the Prosser event has become the premiere highland games in Central Washington State and again this year it will be held ar the Port of Benton Wine and Food Park in Prosser on June 19th.

Those attending will be delighted with the traditional Heavy Athletic Games and Highland Dance competitions and of course, the lilt of the pipes playing in the distance will be beckoning those in attendance, to listen to the massed pipe bands. Other Celtic music will be performed along with sheepdog trials, children’s activities, the Parade of Tartans and much more.  For those of you who are not familiar with the draw of the highland games, take this opportunity to experience the step back in time and become acquanited with a wee bit of the Scot in all of us!  Slante’

The WSU Viticulture and Enology Program director believes the new Wine Science Center is critical to the future of Washington State’s wine industry, and thus has been seeking out a location for the new building.

The commissioners of the Port of Benton have actively begun a search for the best location for the center and are looking a lease deal for property located off GW Way and 1st Street in Richland, which is a stone’s throw from the WSU Tri-Cities campus off George Washington Way.

The new WSU Tri-Cities facility would be able to accommodate the growing wine industry testing that is required of each new batch. Currently a research facility in Prosser is able to only perform about 1/5 of that which is needed because of the rapid growth of the industry.

The hope is to develop a wine library and wine analysis laboratory that has regional and international impact, along with expanding a teaching vineyard at the Richland campus.

The three ports in the Tri-Cities area reported on the projects they have undertaken to help boost the economy of the Tri-City area recently.

Officials from the Port of Kennewick, Port of Pasco, and the Port of Benton, who comprise the Tri-Ports, spoke to about 200 individuals about their parts in promotion of economic development and adding to the growing job market in the area.

Discussion about the revamping of the Clover Island area, plus improvements at the Richland Manufacturing Mall, the Prosser Food and Wine Park, and the Benton City Industrial Park were also covered.  There will be efforts to update the Benton City area as well, by the Port of Benton and with that, the hope that other businesses will fall in line to spruce up their appearances and keep the efforts flowing.

The Port of Pasco has several projects underway, including the current construction of a potato processing plant at the Pasco industrial park, as well as  Parsons expanding its footprint in the Big Pasco center, and the port’s Riverfront Business Park project.

Our Tri-Cities area is growing with more and more businesses moving in, expanding, or investing here, we are looking at a brighter and stronger future for our Tri-Citians for many, many years to come.  The real estate market is strong and jobs continue to materialize for skilled workers. These are the reasons that the Tri-Cities, and Benton and Franklin counties have become at the top of list for best places to live and work continually.  Come join us in our beautiful corner of southeastern Washington State!

Again this year, the Tri-Cities Children’s Hospital Guild is presenting there wonderful Christmas Home Tour on Decemeber 5, 2009.

You can visit 7 beautifully decorated holiday homes, with all proceeds benefiting children from Benton and Franklin counties through the Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center’s uncompensated care program.

Tickets can be purchase at Beaver Bark in Richland; HL2 Accents in Pasco; Gadgets & Goodies in Kennewick, and Sister to Sister in Prosser, at a cost of $15.00.  For more information visit: www.tcchguilds.org