<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
    <channel>
        <atom:link href="http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/author/marjie-van-der-laan/rss/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
        <title>Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/author/marjie-van-der-laan/</link>
        <description></description>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/the-portland-area-is-in-a-sellers-market.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/the-portland-area-is-in-a-sellers-market.html</link>
            <author>marjie@jmaproperties.com (Marjie Van Der Laan)</author>
            <title>The Portland Area is in a Seller's Market!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
The latest Market Action Report released by the local RMLS today shows for sale housing inventory in the Portland Metro area has an inventory of only 4.7 months.  This is truly amazing considering that the inventory has not been this low since the peak of the market in May of 2007 when there was a 4.5 month supply.  Also, there is no $8,000 tax credit which is pushing buyers to purchase homes when they otherwise would wait, which pushed buyers to act in 2010 and artificially reduced the inventory from 12.9 months to as low as 7.0 months of supply.  



 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 18:34:00 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/new-listing-status-on-the-rmls.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/new-listing-status-on-the-rmls.html</link>
            <author>marjie@jmaproperties.com (Marjie Van Der Laan)</author>
            <title>New Listing Status on the RMLS</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
There is a new listing status on the RMLS called Short Sale Pending (SSP) on March 15, 2012.  This new status was needed for the vast amount of short sales on the market in the Portland Metro/Vancouver area - about 26% of all active listings currently are short sales.  


What has been happening, that was a real problem, was that our buyer clients would find a home online that they would fall in love with and then find out that it was a short sale that already had an offer on it.  There would always be a big emotional let-down when they would find out that someone else already had an offer on it.  This new status, SSP, covers that, so that the listing agents of short sales, who have received offers on their listings, would change the status from "Active" to "Short Sale Pending" and buyers would instantly know that there is an offer on the home already and know that they would have a greatly reduced chance of buying the home and that they can continue searching for a home they can actually buy.


There was a rule change last year, where listing agents of short sale homes were to change the status from "Active" to "Pending" when an offer was accepted by the seller and submitted to the third party for approval.  Many listing agents of the short sales did not think that this was correct because the third party had not accepted the offer yet and escrow had not been opened.  SSP handles that.


I am very excited about this change and know that it will be best for the buyers in the long run!
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:55:00 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/thinking-of-making-an-offer-on-a-short-sale.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/thinking-of-making-an-offer-on-a-short-sale.html</link>
            <author>marjie@jmaproperties.com (Marjie Van Der Laan)</author>
            <title>Are you thinking of making an offer on a short sale?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
You are not alone.  Short sales can be good deals, but require patience on your part.  You can anticipate waiting a minimum of four to six months for a response from the lien holders.  If the wait time is shorter than that, consider yourself lucky.  Once you get a response, usually it will be a counteroffer, increasing the purchase price.  If you are not in a hurry and do not mind waiting an additional month or three, then counter offer back at the price you are willing to pay.  We are seeing short sales being negotiated lower than the bank's initial counteroffer.  You have to have reasoning though... do not expect to get a $300,000 house for $225,000, without good solid evidence to support your price point, which involves several pages of researched properties, reasoning and analysis.  Having an experienced agent on your side is very important to get the best deal. 


For more information on short sales, please email us for our unique, in-depth, 10-page article, "Short Sales and Bank Owned Properties: A Buyer's Guide" based on our experiences representing buyers on short sale and REO properties for several years, resulting in successful purchases for our clients.  It is updated monthly with the changes we are seeing in the current market and the current inventory of short sales and bank owned properties (REOs) in the Portland Metro area and Southwest Washington.


Contact us to help you negotiate and maneuver through the short sale and REO web - we're here to help! 


The MM Brokers Team


Marjie Van Der Laan 360-314-7647 call/text, marjiev@gmail.com


Michael Zaviska 503-504-1774 call/text, dmzaviska@gmail.com


 
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:54:07 -0800</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/march-2011-market-action-report-for-clark-county-washington.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/march-2011-market-action-report-for-clark-county-washington.html</link>
            <author>marjie@jmaproperties.com (Marjie Van Der Laan)</author>
            <title>March 2011 Market Action Report for Clark County Washington </title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
From Regional Multiple Listing Service.


March Residential Highlights


While sales activity in Clark County showed decreases March 2001 compared to March 2010, sales activity increased when compared to the previous month of February 2011.  Inventory also decreased, reaching the lowest level for Clark County since June 2010.


Comparing March 2011 to March 2010 shows closed sales decreased by 13.9%.  Pending sales also fell by 15.3%, and new listings dropped 18.9%.  


Month-to-month, when comparing February 2011 with March 2011, closed sales grew from 274 to 390 (42.3%).  Additionally, pending sales increased from 408 to 563 (38%), and new listings went up from 705 to 769 (9.1%).


At the month's rate of sales, the 3,227 active residential listings would last approximately 8.3 months.


Sale Prices


When comparing March 2011 with March 2010, average sale price went down 12.7%.  the median sale price also fell 11.3%.  


A comparison of the previous month of February 2011 to March 2011 shows the average sale price decreased from $228,300 to $213,500 (-6.5%).  The median sale price also went down from $190,000 to $186,400 (-1.9%).


First Quarter Report


Comparing the first quarter of 2011 with the same period in 2010 shows closed sales went down 6.1% (989 v. 1,053) and 16.4% (2,312 v. 2,765), respectively.


Marjie's Comments:


The overall inventory for March 2011 was 8.3 months.  Per my prior blog, the inventory for type of home sale greatly varies for March 2011.  For regular sales, the inventory was 11.1 months, for short sales, the inventory was 16.23 months and for bank owned (REO) properties, the inventory was 2.0 months.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:24:59 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/short-sales-vs-bank-owned-vs-regular-sales-in-clark-county-washington-for-march-2011.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/short-sales-vs-bank-owned-vs-regular-sales-in-clark-county-washington-for-march-2011.html</link>
            <author>marjie@jmaproperties.com (Marjie Van Der Laan)</author>
            <title>Short Sales vs. Bank Owned vs. Regular Sales in Clark County, Washington for March 2011</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Working mostly with buyer representation in the current market, we have been noticing several developing trends that are worth mentioning.


First of all, several listing agents of short sale properties are switching the listings to pending once an offer is accepted by a seller, even if the bank has not accepted the offer yet.  This trend is noticable in the chart below, where there are only a few short sale listings closing, while nearly double are currently pending sales.


Secondly, we continuously tell our buyer clients that bank owned homes are the best deals on the market.  Some of them can be real "fixers" but overall they are a good deal for buyers who are willing to see past the grime.  Not all are grimey - Fannie Mae owned homes tend to have fresh paint inside and out along with new flooring.  Others are mold-infested or have recalled exterior siding.  Homes are unique, like people, so if you see a bank owned property you think looks interesting, we recommend you give us a call to investigate it further.


In looking at the current numbers, it is clear with statistically significant numbers that the average price per square foot of bank owned homes are 11.8% less than short sales and 24.5% less than regular sales (not short sales and not bank-owned).  


My partner, Michael Zaviska and I regularly share an eight-page article with new clients called "Short Sales and Bank Owned Properties: A Buyer's Guide" that we contributed to and revised several times on the pros and cons of being a buyer on short sales and bank owned properties.  Usually they find this very helpful.


We can rest assured that our clients are going to get a good deal, often with built-in equity, when buying a bank-owned property.  Some short sales are good deals, but they are few and far between.  The "wow" good deals we get excited about and call clients within 48 hours of them hitting the market about are typically bank owned properties.


One thing Michael tells buyer clients is "When you see it as a good deal, chances are other buyers will see it as a good deal too." and "Ninety percent of buyers are looking for those 10% good deals."  


What he is trying to communicate with clients is that of primary importance is to determine WHAT they are looking for.  Be pre-approved and ready to write that offer.  When you have found what you want, pull the trigger - write the offer and submit it WITH your pre-approval letter.  If you wait, you may be too late. 






 


Regular (Non-Distressed) Sales


Short Sales


Bank Owned


Total Inventory




# of Properties Listed for Sale (Active or Bump Status)


2002


1023


224


3259




# of Properties Sold One Month Back from 3/30/2011


179


63


110


352




Average Sold Price Per Square Foot


$118


$101


$89


 




Average Cumulative Days on Market for Sold Properties


156


249


92


 




Months of Inventory


11.18


16.23


2.03


9.23




# of Properties Pending as of 3/30/2011


456


206


214


 




# of Properties Pending One Month Back from 3/30/2011


267


110


153


 




Average Pending Price Per Square Foot


$123


$102


$91


 




Average Cumulative Days on Market for Pending Properties


167


200


109


 




 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:24:07 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/amazing-waterfront-acreage.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/amazing-waterfront-acreage.html</link>
            <author>marjie@jmaproperties.com (Marjie Van Der Laan)</author>
            <title>Amazing Waterfront Acreage</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
1.5 Acre Prime Developable Property for Sale


7006 NW 25th Avenue, Vancouver, Washington


Awesome 1.5 acre lot located on the only waterfront cul-de-sac peninsula in Vancouver, Washington.


Remodeled Interior Features:




New heating system - energy efficient forced air heat pump for heating and air conditioning,


New vinyl dual-paned windows,


Re-finished hardwood floors;


Freshly painted interior;


Upgraded trim throughout home;




Kitchen Re-Done:




New high-end cabinetry with dove-tail construction and self-closing drawers;


Marble tile countertops;


Stainless steel appliances;


Kitchenaid Counter-depth side-by-side refrigerator;


Fresh paint;


Double-undermount sink overlooking the lake;


Glass-front doors.




Open floorplan features:




1,180 square feet in the main house;


Detached 341 square foot garage with pedestrian door and wall of windows;


Detached 140 square foot well pump house with full bathroom and laundry room with window;


1,000 square foot unfinished attic for extensive storage;


3 bedrooms;


2 full bathrooms;


Great room floorplan;


Living room with wood-burning fireplace and crown molding;


Hardwood floors in living room and bedrooms.




Listed at $435,900.


Less than 20 minutes to downtown Portland, Oregon.


Please contact Marjie Van Der Laan, listing agent, for a private tour or additional information (360) 314-7647 call or text.


RMLS# 11058891
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:47:46 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/how-to-tell-you-have-a-hostile-tenant.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/how-to-tell-you-have-a-hostile-tenant.html</link>
            <author>marjie@jmaproperties.com (Marjie Van Der Laan)</author>
            <title>How to Tell You Have a Hostile Tenant</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Reflecting back over the last several months in dealing with a hostile tenant, I felt it was important&nbsp;to share with home buyers&nbsp;out shopping&nbsp;right now.&nbsp; The simple fact is that a hostile tenant&nbsp;does not want to leave and enjoys living in the home.

Top 12 List for Recognizing a Hostile Tenant&nbsp;

1.&nbsp; The tenant tells you about how the house has so many problems.&nbsp;

2.&nbsp; The tenant tells you how unsafe the neighborhood is.

3.&nbsp; The tenant refuses to show the home to potential buyers/ does not answer their phone/ does not call you back.

4.&nbsp; The tenant is purposely damaging the house or landscaping to make it unappealing to potential home buyers.

5.&nbsp; The tenant tries to guilt-trip you into not buying the house, &quot;because we've lived here for four years.&quot;

6.&nbsp; The tenant tries to meet with you or have you over for dinner to manipulate you into letting them stay and you not buying the house.

7.&nbsp; The tenant offers you an illegal bribe.

8.&nbsp; The tenant needs to be evicted.

9.&nbsp; The tenant tells you about how sick his wife is from living in the house, which is near &quot;X&quot; environmental hazard (real or imagined).

10.&nbsp; The tenant tells you that he made an offer on the house and he should get to buy it, not you or your clients.

11.&nbsp; The tenant takes down the &quot;For Sale&quot; sign.

12.&nbsp; The tenant stopped paying rent.

I am sure there are more to add to this list but have come across most of them, especially recently in representing buyers who successfully closed TODAY on a short sale property that had a hostile tenant, who did most of the things on the list above.

Just remember, when you are out looking at homes, look for yourself at the home and the neighborhood, do not believe the tenant!&nbsp; After all, the neighborhood and the home were was good enough for them to want to live there.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:55:24 -0800</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/vancouver-heights-sprawling-ranch-estate.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/vancouver-heights-sprawling-ranch-estate.html</link>
            <author>marjie@jmaproperties.com (Marjie Van Der Laan)</author>
            <title>Vancouver Heights Sprawling Ranch Estate</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Beautiful Vancouver Heights Home for Sale


716 SE Sherley Court, Vancouver, Washington


Premier 0.52 acre lot located at end of quiet cul-de-sac.  


  


  


Entertainer's kitchen with:




Granite slab countertops;


Island with bar sink and breakfast bar seating;


Built-in refrigerator;


New solid oak cabinetry;


Stainless steel appliances;


Gas 5-burner cooktop; 


Undermount sink;


Double wall convection ovens;


Built-in desk.







  


Gracious floorplan features: 




2,950 square feet all on one level;


Attached 2 car garage; 


4 oversized bedrooms plus bonus room;


3 bathrooms; 


Gas forced air heating;


Central air conditioning;


Jetted tub;


Dual sinks; 


Utility room with sink, built-in cabinetry and windows;


Vaulted formal living room;


Vaulted formal dining room;


Informal dining nook;


Floor to ceiling wood burning fireplace wrapped in real stone;


Beautiful oak hardwood floors in foyer, hallway, family room and kitchen;


Corner wood stove.







  


Extensive use of quality materials throughout:




Dual paned windows; 


Hardwood floors;


Tile floors;


Cedar siding with real stone accents;


50-year Monier lightweight tile roof installed 7 years ago.







Outside living features:




Covered front porch;


Covered back patio;


Private backyard surrounded with arborvitaes;


Water feature.










 


Listed at $444,900.  


Nearest cross streets: SE Lieser Road and SE MacArthur Boulevard.  


Very close-in and highly desired location.  


Less than 10 minutes to PDX, Downtown Vancouver and Downtown Portland.


Please contact Marjie Van Der Laan, listing agent, for a private tour or additional information.  (360) 314-7647.


MLS# 10083517
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:35:47 -0800</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/clark-county-washington-market-statistics-for-june-2010.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/clark-county-washington-market-statistics-for-june-2010.html</link>
            <author>marjie@jmaproperties.com (Marjie Van Der Laan)</author>
            <title>Clark County, Washington Market Statistics for June 2010</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
The Regional Multiple Listing Service&nbsp;(RMLS) report, released monthly, is filled with statistics, sometimes a little unclear and only give part of the picture as to what is happening in real estate.&nbsp; Real estate is very local and neighborhood-based, so understanding about different areas helps put the numbers into perspective.

&nbsp; 





A balanced market is 5-7 months of inventory. The&nbsp;Vancouver/ Clark County area is in&nbsp;a balanced market, holding steady month over month at 6.8 months of inventory on average for June 2010.&nbsp; For this same time last year, in 2009, the average inventory was 7.9 months, and for 2010 so far, the average monthly inventory is 8.6 months.&nbsp; 

The biggest news for this month is that the average sold price jumped 9.8% from last month!&nbsp; 

Real estate sales typically are at their highest in the spring and summer months, so the trend should continue through August, 2010.&nbsp; Inventory should stay low through this year, as prices are down and sellers who want to sell for a higher price will most likely wait until next spring and summer.&nbsp;Short sale (or pre-foreclosure) properties are still prevalent, however they are starting to be absorbed by banks, lenders and a few cash investors.&nbsp; As the short sales go away, the asking prices of homes listed for sale are going to increase.&nbsp; Some banks list properties over market value and over the life of the listing, chase the market down.&nbsp; Other banks offer homes at 10 to 20% below comparables to dump the properties quickly.&nbsp; Unfortunately banks do not price the homes the same across the board.&nbsp; Some are firm at above market pricing in their &quot;fixer&quot; state - needing roof, siding, flooring, paint, etc., while other banks will dump at deep discounts very nice homes - with granite, hardwood and nine-foot ceilings, when they could easily sell them for at least 20% of a higher price.&nbsp; Banks tend to reduce asking prices by regular amounts every 14, 30 or 60 days&nbsp;until the property sells, to avoid losing money and selling for too low.







Now, let's break it down to specific areas where you live or areas you want to keep a watch on:



Area 11/ Downtown Vancouver: 8.2 months of inventory - up slightly from last month's&nbsp;6.2 months of inventory, a Buyers' Market. 



Area 12/ NW Vancouver Heights: 5.9 months of inventory - up slightly from last month's 5.0 months of inventory, a balanced market.&nbsp; Great close-in location with plentiful affordable housing and high percentage of rental homes that could be attracting a new crop of investors.&nbsp; The total market time (TMT) for this area is just 102 days, about half of Clark County's overall total market time of 126 days.&nbsp; A contributing factor is that&nbsp;the average sold price of these homes is $138,800, which is far below&nbsp;the Clark County average of $249,600. &nbsp;



Area 13/ SW Vancouver Heights: 11.1&nbsp;months of inventory, significantly down from last month's of 21.8 months of inventory, but&nbsp;it continues to be&nbsp;a strong Buyers' Market.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pending sales are up here 100% from 2009.&nbsp; Close-in location, quick to downtown Portland and Vancouver, an area of many view homes.&nbsp; 



Area 14/ Lincoln/ Hazel Dell, an&nbsp;area of Vancouver: 9.4 months of inventory, way up from last month's 5.3 months of inventory - a strong Buyer's Market, close in location, quick to I-5.&nbsp; Area offers larger lots than downtown, yet close to downtown conveniences.&nbsp; 



Area 15/ East Hazel Dell/ Minnehaha, an&nbsp;area of Vancouver: 5.1 months of inventory, down from last month's 5.7 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; This area has seen an influx of new homes during our recent boom years.&nbsp; Most likely a high percentage of the sales were some deeply discounted newer homes that became bank-owned homes and sold for great deals.



Area 20/ NE Vancouver Heights: 5.3 months of inventory, down from last month's 5.8 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; This area is very close-in in eastern Vancouver close to Mill Plain Boulevard and I-205.&nbsp; Close to shopping corridor and quick access to SE Portland. 



Area 21/ Orchards, an area&nbsp;of Vancouver: 8.9 months of inventory, way up from last month's 4.3 months of inventory - a Buyers' Market.&nbsp;&nbsp;This area is mostly comprised of homes built in the 1990's with a few older homes.&nbsp; 



Area 22/ Evergreen, an&nbsp;area&nbsp;of Vancouver: 7.3 months of inventory, way up from last month's 4.2 months of inventory - a Buyers' Market.&nbsp; This is one of the largest areas of Vancouver encompassing the popular eastern area and major shopping arteries.&nbsp; We are not surprised by this jump, most likely due to homeowners waiting for school to come to a close before putting their homes on the market.&nbsp; For June, 2010, this area had 66 new listings added, the highest number of homes added to the specific market for all of the areas of Clark County.



Area 23/ East Vancouver Heights: 8.2 months of inventory, way up from last month's 5.0 months of inventory - a Buyers' Market.&nbsp; A similar jump happened the for the previous month, but in the opposite way, most likely due to this being a small area and small changes appear larger.&nbsp; This area consists of mostly older homes, where the original residents of Vancouver lived, close to the Columbia River and the WA-14 freeway.&nbsp; Many bluff homes with attractive views of PDX airport, the Columbia River and Mount Hood. 



Area 24/ Cascade Park, an area of Vancouver: 5.2 months of inventory, only slightly down from last month's 5.3 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; The average sales price for this area is now 5% below the average for Clark County, the first time this year, most likely accounting for more &quot;starter&quot; homes selling than second homes, making the overall prices appear lower.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is a lovely area with homes on larger lots, mature trees and very close to freeway access along with abundant shopping on SE 164th Avenue and Mill Plain Boulevard.



Area 25/ Five Corners, an area&nbsp;of Vancouver:&nbsp; 7.3 months of inventory, up from last month's 5.2 months of inventory - a slight Buyers' Market.&nbsp; The average sales price here is&nbsp;28% below the average home sales price for Clark County.&nbsp; This is one of the smallest areas of Vancouver along the eastern corridor. 



Area 26/ East Orchards, an area&nbsp;of Vancouver: 4.1 months of inventory, down from last month's 5.2 months of inventory - a Sellers'&nbsp;Market.&nbsp; This area is mostly comprised of newer homes built after 2000 with above average amenities and a higher level of fit and finish than much of Vancouver.



Area 27/ Fisher's Landing, an area Vancouver:&nbsp; 6.5 months of inventory, way up from April and May's 4.5&nbsp;months of inventory&nbsp;- a&nbsp;balanced market.&nbsp; This area is the home of Fisher's Landing Elementary, which is consistently achieves top scores, usually&nbsp;in the top 10 of elementary schools for Washington State.&nbsp; People who work in Portland often choose this area for this specific reason, also it is quick to the freeway and takes about 17 minutes to get to downtown Portland.&nbsp; Most homes here are built from the late 1980's to 2010.&nbsp; Property values here tend to be higher than other areas of Vancouver as well, because of the schools.&nbsp; The average sold price this month was 5.24% above Clark County's average and TMT was just 77 days vs. 126 days for Clark County.



Area 31/ SE Clark County, unincorporated area of Clark County:&nbsp; 21 months of inventory, way up from last month's 8 months of inventory - a Buyers' Market.&nbsp; This area consists mostly of acreage properties, which have a historically higher time on the market, because there are less buyers and sellers tend to be firmer on their prices.&nbsp; The average sold price is maintaining 30% above the average sold home price in Clark County, from last month.



Area 32/ Camas, Washington:&nbsp;4.5 months of inventory, almost the same as&nbsp;last month's 4.6 months of inventory - a good Sellers' Market.&nbsp; Camas is an area of nicer homes, many with territorial, Lacamas Lake, Mount Hood, Columbia River or Portland International Airport (PDX) views due to hilly nature of the topography.&nbsp; Close to freeway access and about 23 minutes to downtown Portland.&nbsp; Many people choose to live here for the schools: Camas High School achieves high marks as does Prune Hill Elementary School, both of which are in Camas, Washington.



Area 33/ Washougal, Washington:&nbsp; 8.8 months of inventory, down from last month's 9.7 months of inventory - a Buyers' Market.&nbsp; Washougal was hit hard by the real estate bust, because a vast majority of the homes in Washougal were built in the past 5 years.&nbsp; Many builders went out of business and there are still a few&nbsp;very luxurious homes for deeply discounted prices available in Washougal.&nbsp; 



Area 41/ North Hazel Dell, an area of Vancouver:&nbsp;5.5 months of inventory, the significantly down from&nbsp;last month's 8.1 months inventory&nbsp;- a balanced'&nbsp;market.&nbsp; This area has home sales prices 19% above the average prices in Clark County.&nbsp; This area maintains its popularity due to quick access to I-5 and its great westside location.



Area 42/ South Salmon Creek, an area of Vancouver:&nbsp;5.1 months of inventory, up from last month's 4.3 months of inventory - a slight seller's market.&nbsp; This area rests in the &quot;triangle of Vancouver&quot; sandwiched between three of the four major freeways - east of I-5, west of I-205 and north of WA-500.&nbsp; Last month we predicted that this area would be interesting to watch for this month and it has been:&nbsp; One of the best deals was recently purchased in area 42, a former model home, now bank owned,&nbsp;with over 3,400 square feet&nbsp;for just $269,000 - these are the type of deals that are rarely seen, but we always tell our clients about!&nbsp; The average sales prices are 21% less this month, more than last month's 10% under average Clark County pricing!&nbsp; Buyers and real estate investors are picking up some great deals in this area.&nbsp; 



Area 43/ North Felida, an area of Vancouver: 6.5 months of inventory, significantly down from last month's 8.7 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; This is one of the rare areas of Vancouver, where the average sales price went up 1.3% since this time last year.



Area 44/ North Salmon Creek, an area including Vancouver and Ridgefield:&nbsp;4.5 months of inventory, way down from last month's 6.2 months of inventory, it is one of the rare areas that continues to drop in inventory&nbsp;and is now a Sellers' Market.&nbsp; This is a great sign for property owners in this area.&nbsp; Washington State University at Vancouver is located in this area, along with the beautiful Mount Vista - a neighborhood of estate-sized lots, with most homes having mountain views.&nbsp; 



Area 50/ Ridgefield, Washington:&nbsp;6.2 months of inventory, significantly down from last month's 7.9 months of inventory, is another area with the inventory continuing to drop, going from a strong Buyers' Market in&nbsp;April to a&nbsp;balanced market in June, 2010.&nbsp;&nbsp;This shift is showing that less builders are building, and the existing inventory is getting absorbed, a good sign for Ridgefield.&nbsp; Like Washougal, Washington (Area 33), this area saw a huge influx of new home development over the last 5 years.&nbsp; 



Area 61/ Battle Ground, Washington:&nbsp;8.4 months of inventory, way up&nbsp;from last month's 6.5 months of inventory - a Buyers' Market.&nbsp;&nbsp;Battle Ground saw a huge influx of new property listings this month (48), which would have had an impact on the inventory as well.&nbsp; Many buyers prefer this Battle Ground for the schools and small community feel, although it is farther away from freeways.&nbsp; It has more of a country feel, but with city conveniences of ample shopping and restaurants.&nbsp; 



Area 62/ Brush Prairie, Washington:&nbsp;5.1 months of inventory, way down from last month's 10.3 months of inventory - a balanced' market.&nbsp; The average sold price here was 14% above the average sold price for Clark County this month.&nbsp; Brush Prairie mostly consists of acreage properties, which tend to sell for higher prices.&nbsp; People like it because it is a shorter drive to Vancouver than Battle Ground and is fairly close to shopping.&nbsp;



Area 66/ Yacolt, Washington:&nbsp;17.6 months of inventory, way up from last month's 9.8 months of inventory - a strong buyers' market.&nbsp; Yacolt is also mostly acreage properties, with many manufactured homes as well.



Area 70/ La Center, Washington:&nbsp;27.5 months of inventory, almost the same as last month's 7.5 months of inventory - a strong Buyers' Market.&nbsp; Pending sales are up 50% from 2009.&nbsp; People like La Center because it is closer to I-5, yet has a country feel and most properties rest on acreage plots of land.


Areas 80 &amp; 81 Woodland, Washington (City and Area): 11.2 months of inventory, a Buyers' Market.&nbsp; 


For the Portland Metro area, the inventory is&nbsp;in a&nbsp;balanced market with 7.3 months of inventory,&nbsp;up&nbsp;from 7.0 months in May, 2010&nbsp;and 19.2 months in the all-time highest inventory, in January, 2009.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Thank you for keeping&nbsp;Realty Team in mind for your real estate business.&nbsp; 

We're never to busy for your referrals of friends, family and neighbors.

Marjie Van Der Laan,&nbsp;4th Generation Real Estate Broker 360.314.7647

Michael Zaviska, Broker, Partner and Expert Negotiator&nbsp; 503.504.1774
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:06:11 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/may-2010-clark-county-washington-market-statistics.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jmaproperties.com/blog/may-2010-clark-county-washington-market-statistics.html</link>
            <author>marjie@jmaproperties.com (Marjie Van Der Laan)</author>
            <title>May 2010 Clark County Washington Market Statistics</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
The Regional Multiple Listing Service's Market Action Report for&nbsp;May 2010&nbsp;was just released.&nbsp; 

&nbsp;&nbsp;

The RMLS report is filled with statistics, sometimes a little unclear and only give part of the picture as to what is happening in real estate.&nbsp; Real estate is very neighborhood-based, so understanding about different areas helps put the numbers into perspective.

A balanced market is 5-7 months of inventory. There still is a little while to go and depending on how this first time home buyer's tax credit and the vacation home buyer's tax credit&nbsp;plays out, with closings that we will see in the end of June, 2010.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Vancouver/ Clark County area is in&nbsp;a balanced market, holding steady month over month at 6.6 months of inventory on average for May 2010.&nbsp; For this same time last year, in 2009, the average inventory was 11.1 months, and for 2010 so far, the average monthly inventory is 8.9 months.&nbsp; Real estate sales typically are at their highest in the spring and summer months, so the trend should continue through August, 2010.&nbsp; Inventory should stay low through this year, as prices are down and sellers who want to sell for top dollar will most likely wait until next spring.&nbsp;Short sale (or pre-foreclosure) properties are still prevalent, however they are starting to be absorbed by banks, lenders and a few cash investors.&nbsp; As the short sales go away, the asking prices of homes listed for sale are going to increase.&nbsp; Some banks list properties over market value and over the life of the listing, chase the market down.&nbsp; Other banks offer homes at 10 to 25% below comparables to dump the properties quickly.&nbsp; Unfortunately banks do not price the homes the same across the board.&nbsp; Some are firm at above market pricing in their &quot;fixer&quot; state, while other banks will dump at deep discounts very nice homes, when they could easily sell them for at least 20% of a higher price.&nbsp; Banks tend to reduce asking prices by regular amounts every 14 to 30 days or so until the property sells, to avoid losing money and selling for too low.



Now, let's break it down to specific areas where you live or areas you want to keep a watch on:

Pending sales are down 18.3% since this same time last year, while average sales prices are down 9.4%. 


Area 11/ Downtown Vancouver: 6.2 months of inventory - up slightly from last month's 5.9 months of inventory, a balanced market, perhaps due to affordable pricing, and good proximity to Portland. 

Area 12/ NW Vancouver Heights: 5.0 months of inventory - up slightly from last month's 4.3 months of inventory, a balanced market.&nbsp; Great close-in location with plentiful affordable housing and high percentage of rental homes that could be attracting a new crop of investors.&nbsp; The total market time (TMT) for this area is just 61 days, about half of Clark County's overall total market time of 122 days.&nbsp; This is probably because the average sold price of these homes is $107,200, less than half of the Clark County average of $227,300.

Area 13/ SW Vancouver Heights: 21.8 months of inventory, up from last month's of 17 months of inventory and it continues to be&nbsp;a strong buyers' market.&nbsp;&nbsp;Close-in location, quick to downtown Portland and Vancouver, an area of many view homes.&nbsp; 

Area 14/ Lincoln/ Hazel Dell, an&nbsp;area of Vancouver: 9.4 months of inventory, way up from last month's 5.3 months of inventory - a strong buyer's market, close in location, quick to I-5.&nbsp; Area offers larger lots than downtown, yet close to downtown conveniences.

Area 15/ East Hazel Dell/ Minnehaha, an&nbsp;area of Vancouver: 5.7 months of inventory, up from last month's 4.1 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; This area has seen an influx of new homes during our recent boom years.&nbsp; Most likely a high percentage of the sales were some deeply discounted newer homes that became bank-owned homes and sold for great deals.

Area 20/ NE Vancouver Heights: 5.8 months of inventory, up from last month's 5.4 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; This area is very close-in in eastern Vancouver close to Mill Plain Boulevard and I-205.&nbsp; Close to shopping corridor and quick access to SE Portland. 

Area 21/ Orchards, an area&nbsp;of Vancouver: 4.3 months of inventory, way down from last month's 6.6 months of inventory - a sellers' market.&nbsp;&nbsp;This area is mostly comprised of homes built in the 1990's with a few older homes.&nbsp; A suburb of Vancouver.

Area 22/ Evergreen, an&nbsp;area&nbsp;of Vancouver: 5.2 months of inventory, up from last month's 4.2 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; This is one of the largest areas of Vancouver encompassing the popular eastern area and major shopping arteries.&nbsp;

Area 23/ East Vancouver Heights: 5 months of inventory, way down from last month's 7.4 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; This area consists of mostly older homes, where the original residents of Vancouver lived, close to the Columbia River and the WA-14 freeway.&nbsp; Many bluff homes with attractive views of PDX airport, the Columbia River and Mount Hood. 

Area 24/ Cascade Park, an area of Vancouver: 5.3 months of inventory, way down from last month's 8.7 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; TMT is also below average at 85 days.&nbsp; Average sales prices continue to be above Clark County averages.&nbsp; It is a lovely area with homes on larger lots, mature trees and very close to freeway access along with abundant shopping on SE 164th Avenue and Mill Plain Boulevard.

Area 25/ Five Corners, an area&nbsp;of Vancouver: 5.2 months of inventory, up slightly from last month's 4.9 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; Like Cascade Park, the TMT here is only 85 days, most likely due to the average selling price being 26% below the average home sales price for Clark County.&nbsp; This is one of the smallest areas of Vancouver along the eastern corridor. 

Area 26/ East Orchards, an area&nbsp;of Vancouver: 5.2 months of inventory, down from last month's 7.0 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; This area is mostly comprised of newer homes built after 2000 with above average amenities and a higher level of fit and finish than much of Vancouver.

Area 27/ Fisher's Landing, an area Vancouver: 4.5 months of inventory, the same as April, 2010&nbsp;- a slight seller's market.&nbsp; This area is the home of Fisher's Landing Elementary, which is consistently achieves top scores, always in the top 5 of elementary schools for Washington State.&nbsp; People who work in Portland often choose this area for this specific reason, also it is quick to the freeway and takes about 17 minutes to get to downtown Portland.&nbsp; Most homes here are built from the late 1980's to 2010.

Area 31/ SE Clark County, unincorporated area of Clark County: 8 months of inventory, down from last month's 10.5 months of inventory - a buyer's market.&nbsp; This area consists mostly of acreage properties, which have a historically higher time on the market, because there are less buyers and sellers tend to be firmer on their prices.&nbsp; The TMT here is 188% higher than the average for Clark County.&nbsp; The average sold price is 30% above the average home price in Clark County, Washington, however the overall price change is down 33% from 2009.

Area 32/ Camas, Washington: 4.6 months of inventory, down from last month's 6.8 months of inventory - a good sellers' market.&nbsp; Area of nicer homes, many with territorial, Lacamas Lake, Mount Hood, Columbia River or PDX views due to hilly nature of the topography.&nbsp; Close to freeway access and about 23 minutes to downtown Portland.

Area 33/ Washougal, Washington: 9.7 months of inventory, up from last month's 8.6 months of inventory - a buyer's market.&nbsp; Washougal was hit hard by the real estate bust, because a vast majority of the homes in Washougal were built in the last 5 years.&nbsp; Many builders went out of business and there are still a few&nbsp;very nice homes for deeply discounted prices.&nbsp; Total market time is one of the highest in Washougal

Area 41/ North Hazel Dell, an area of Vancouver: 8.1 months of inventory, the same as last month's inventory&nbsp;- a buyers'&nbsp;market.&nbsp; This area has home sales prices 6.6% above the average prices in Clark County, along with l market time that is 13% lower than the rest of Clark County.&nbsp; This area maintains its popularity due to quick access to I-5 and its great westside location.

Area 42/ South Salmon Creek, an area of Vancouver: 4.3 months of inventory, slightly down from last month's 4.5 months of inventory - a slight seller's market.&nbsp; This area rests in the &quot;triangle of Vancouver&quot; sandwiched between three of the four major freeways - east of I-5, west of I-205 and north of WA-500.&nbsp; There were some excellent bank-owned deals in there, which buyers were able to capture.&nbsp; The TMT at 84 days&nbsp;is about 32% lower than the rest of Clark County and the average sales prices are about 10% less this month, too.&nbsp; This illustrates that buyers are picking up some great deals in this area.&nbsp; This is an interesting area to watch on the inventory and pricing horizon for June 2010.

Area 43/ North Felida, an area of Vancouver: 6.5 months of inventory, significantly down from last month's 8.7 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; This is one of the rare areas of Vancouver, where the average sales price went up 1.3% since this time last year.

Area 44/ North Salmon Creek, an area including Vancouver and Ridgefield: 6.2 months of inventory, down from last month's 7.8 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp; This is a good sign for this area, as the average sold price in this area is $317,700, 39% above the average sold price for Clark County.&nbsp; Most likely there was an influx of new custom homes selling, which tend to sell for higher prices than older homes.

Area 50/ Ridgefield, Washington: 7.9 months of inventory, significantly down from last month's 12.4 months of inventory - a&nbsp;buyers' market.&nbsp; This shift is showing that less builders are building, and the existing inventory is getting absorbed, a good sign for Ridgefield.&nbsp; Like Washougal, Washington (Area 33), this area saw a huge influx of new home development over the last 5 years.&nbsp; 

Area 61/ Battle Ground, Washington: 6.5 months of inventory, down from last month's 7.3 months of inventory - a balanced market.&nbsp;&nbsp;TMT is 13% greater than the rest of Clark County.&nbsp; Many buyers prefer this Battle Ground for the schools and small community feel, although it is farther away from freeways.&nbsp; It has more of a country feel, but with city conveniences of ample shopping and restaurants.&nbsp; 

Area 62/ Brush Prairie, Washington: 10.3 months of inventory, way up from last month's 7.1 months of inventory - a strong buyers' market.&nbsp; Pending sales are up 24% from 2009, while total market time is 47% lower than the rest of Clark County.&nbsp; Brush Prairie mostly consists of acreage properties.&nbsp; People like it because it is a shorter drive to Vancouver than Battle Ground and is fairly close to shopping.&nbsp;

Area 66/ Yacolt, Washington: 9.8 months of inventory, down slightly from last month's 10.6 months of inventory - a strong buyers' market.&nbsp; Pending sales are up 150% since 2009.&nbsp; This area has mostly acreage properties.&nbsp; The TMT&nbsp;is 240% higher&nbsp;than the rest of Clark County and the average price is 6.5% lower than the rest of Clark County, which illustrates that there are simply very few buyers actively searching in Yacolt in May, 2010.

Area 70/ La Center, Washington: 7.5 months of inventory, almost the same as last month's 7.4 months of inventory - a slight buyers' market.&nbsp; Pending sales are up 50% from 2009.&nbsp; People like La Center because it is closer to I-5, yet has a country feel and most properties rest on acreage plots of land.


For the Portland Metro area, the inventory is&nbsp;in a&nbsp;balanced market with 7 months of inventory,&nbsp;down from 7.3 months in April, 2010&nbsp;and 19.2 months in the all-time highest inventory, in January, 2009.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Thank you for keeping&nbsp;Realty Team in mind for your real estate business.&nbsp; 

We're never to busy for your referrals of friends, family and neighbors.

Marjie Van Der Laan,&nbsp;4th Generation Realtor (soon to be&nbsp;Broker!) 360.314.7647

Michael Zaviska, Partner and Expert Negotiator&nbsp; 503.504.1774
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:36:46 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
    </channel>
</rss>
