Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

According to the Tri Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau, the Tri Cities is a wonderful spot for tourism with a 4 percent increase in rented hotel rooms in the community for 2009.  In comparison to the other areas like Spokane, Yakima and King County which saw drops in their hotel occupancy, the Tri Cities boasts $366 million in travel and tourism which helps support more than 4,400 jobs per year; this of course helps to diversify our community even more.

Wineries, golf, and recreational activities in the sunshine attracts folks to the wonderful Tri Cities, and we’re always hopeful that some of those tourists will become residents one day! Conventioners have brought big business and tourist dollars to the Tri Cities to the tune of 113,000 visitors which converts to more than $32.5 million in direct spending. Thus far for 2010 and beyond, around 180 conventions and sporting events have been scheduled worth $34.9 million in local spending.

The bureau has made tremendous strides to present the Tri Cities to the outside world, and to share all our positive aspects, which are many and diverse. They have been delightfully successful! When you come visit us and decide to stay, the agents at Distinctive Properties, Inc.,  will be more than happy to assist you with your real estate needs. Check us out at  www.distinctiveprop.com

After March 1, 2010, residents to Pasco will be paying a higher real estate sales tax to the tune of .25%.

This increase is to simply keep up with providing the services that citizens expect from their city, say Pasco Council Members. The money can be used only for capital projects.

The Fiserv’s Report came out recently and indicated that Kennewick topped the nations growth of housing prices over the past 3 years, with values by 8.9 percent and are expected to continue growth by approximately 3.4 percent by next summer.

Jobs in our Tri City area are strong and steady which acquaint to more homes being sold to accommodate those folks coming into the area for the jobs, particularly those in the Hanford area or associated businesses.

Homes in Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and our neighboring towns, are selling quickly, with the market under $200,000 being the fastest sellers.  New homes are being built very slowly due to the restrictions being placed by lenders, but some of the more established builders are still building new homes.

Unemployment in our Tri Cities area is among the state’s lowest and this has also contributed to the steady growth of home sales. Home values have increased, however, the inventory of homes for sale is shrinking because of the influx of new families to our area and the first-time homebuyer credit has afforded new buyers the opportunity to get into a home with the $8,000 tax credit.

If you are looking to relocate to the wonderful, fun and affordable Tri Cities, we’d be more than happy to assist your in your real estate needs. Please take a look at our website, where you can view any home currently listed in the MLS or you can input the parameters you seek in a home and have automated listings sent to your email address, the moment a home fitting your needs comes on the market. 

We at Distinctive Properties, Inc., are here to serve you and help you find the home of your dreams.  www.distinctiveprop.com

ARRA money has been flowing into the Tri-Cities, thus availing itself to new projects and completing other projects that will have impact on the area for the long-term.

New administrative offices, remodeling of older offices and a new shop for Ben Franklin Transit are among new additions, plus the City of Richland was in receipt of funds to perform energy improvements to the wastewater treatment plant and funds to rebuild First Street, which is the entryway to the Tri-Cities Research District.

Pasco has also received a piece of ARRA funding, which will be used to connect Road 68 and 100, plus funding for neighborhood assistance programs and block grants.

So our Tri-City area will continue to grow with these new additions and the Tri-Cities will continue to be close to the top of the “Best Places to Live” list for years to come! If you are visiting our area or planning to purchase a new home in Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, West Richland or beyond, be sure to visit www.distinctiveprop.com for a look at ALL of the real estate available here.

We here in the cities of Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, West Richland and surrounding communities, are well aware of the many wonderful features and attractions of our area. But to those of you who are visiting, or considering a change of environment or maybe looking for that future retirement real estate purchase - we want you to take a look at this great video developed by the Tri-Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau so that you can see for yourself, all that the Tri-City area has to offer!

A new 80 x 40 footstage at the Toyota Center in Kennewick will provide a closer and more cozy theatre experience for viewers. In addition to the stage improvements, the acoustics have been updated and new curtains added.

The new seating will accomodate 2,100 ticket holders and allow for better visual and hearing opportunities than in the paast. The intent of the updating is to lure higher end performances to come to the Tri-Cities, thus building on stronger showings of performing arts in the area, and support the talent at WSU Tri-Cities in Richland and Columbia Basin College in Pasco.