Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

We’ve all heard it’s a buyers market, so your are competing with the other homeowners’s attempting to sell there homes in this market.  Your home needs all the appeal to get those potential buyers in there!  Unless your house is silver and shiny, you may want to shine it up a bit with these simple ideas can help show your home at it’s best.

Have your home pre-inspected.

When an offer is made, a home inspection must be performed. Reeling in a buyer, only to lose them to unseen problems with the house is one of the worst things that can happen.  Have your home pre-inspected to uncover any unknown issues.  Prices vary for home inspections ($250 – $500) and an agent here at Distinctive Properties can recommend a professional for you.

Check warranties and get estimates.

If the inspection turns up anything, get estimates for any repairs.  If they are affordable, repair them.  Check warranties on some items, such as furnace, dishwasher, and other real property that stays with the home.  

Make minor repairs.

Not every repair will cost you a lot.  Repair torn screens, squeaky doors, running toilets, etc.  Replace any rotten trim or other small items to increase the look of care to the home.

De Clutter.

Clutter can make the storage in the home seem small.  while you see years of perfectly fine living, other see a house that can’t hold it all.   Clear off the kitchen counters of just about everything.

Clean out closets.  Pack up lightly used items like summer clothes and camping equipment and toys.  You may want to invest in a small storage unit.  A small price to pay for curb appeal.    Store away any bulky furnishing and keep the home simple and basic.  Remember, people are looking at the home and want to picture their belongings in it.  That may be difficult with all the spaces cluttered up.  You basically want to ”depersonalize” your home by removing pictures and knick-knacks.  

Let the buyer see a blank canvas.  

Clean!

You’ve heard about first impressions and how important they are.   A buyer walks into a super clean home is left with the impression that the home is well cared for.   So clean the windows, air out the house to eliminate any natural odors from food, pets, etc.  Have carpets shampooed or steam cleaned and dust off blinds, and launder drapery. 

We hope these tips are helpful.  Visit us on our website at www.distinctiveprop.com for more information. 

each week, Distinctive Properties compiles data and post the results on it’s website and this blog.  Here is out stats for 1-09-2012; http://www.distinctiveprop.com/files/files/01.09.2012RealEstateStats.pdf

We,  the Realtor Association put our Money where our Mouth is. Watch the video for good information about what is being done for you.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?play=1&video=1535032423

Summer certainly has taken its time getting to the Tri-Cities, but it’s finally here and it is time to take a good look at bringing your winter remodeling ideas into fruition. Understanding that you might wish to be puttering around in your boat on the Columbia or Snake rivers, or taking a hike up Badger Mountain, strolling along the waterfront trail in Richland…it’s time to knuckle down and tackle some of those projects.

The warm and longer days are a wonderful time to work on the little repairs and renovations that can reap a financial reward in the near or far future when it’s time to sell your home.  Let’s take a look at some of these ideas:

Patios and Decks:   What a better way to enjoy these summer days than by creating an outdoor living space for everyone to enjoy. Decks and patios are among the most popular summer remodeling ideas and there are lots of consideration to take into consideration when making the decision whether a patio or deck is the best project to undertake. Some factors include soil condition and consistency, site terrain, actual use, capacity, privacy as well as the cost and maintenance you are willing to deal with throughout the length of the project.

Home Maintenance:  Throughout the seasons, your home has taken care of you and your family, and now is the best time to give a little love back to it. Go through your property to evaluate and create a checklist on areas that need mending or replacement. This list is a crucial preparation before calling a contractor or handyman for maintenance and repair services. Some common maintenance and repair include:  1) Waterproof the basement, 2) Re-caulk and replace weatherstriping, 3) Clean and seal wooden decks, 4) trim bushes and shrubs  5) Re-align downspouts and gutters, 6) Repair roof, 7) Clean the pool, 8. mend the fence, 9) Seal cracks along driveways, foundation, walkways, etc. and 10) Maintenance of HVAC systems.

Energy efficient renovation:  When it comes to summer remodeling, there’s no better way to invest your hard earned dollars than by making your home energy efficient. An energy efficient summer remodel is truly a worthwhile endeavor as it will result in years of savings on your enegery bills. Some of the common items you can buy and intregrate into your energy efficient renovations include: 1) Insulation systems and materials, 2) roofs that resist heat gain, 3) biomass burning stoves, 4) energy-efficient windows, 5) HVAC systems with the highest efficiency tiers, 6) solar panels, 7) fuel cells  8) geothermal heat pumps, and 9) wind energy systems.

So hurry and finsh up these summer project so that you can get back to enjoying all the recreational activities that the Tri-Cities and Mid-Columbia region offer! The theme here is “Fun in the Sun” for a reason!!

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.

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.