The Latest Wenatchee Foreclosure listings

For info on the current inventory of Wenatchee area properties scheduled for auction and those already Bank Owned, click here.

For answers to your real estate questions, contact:
Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

Search homes and land for sale in North Central Washington
Current pictures, news, info and trends in North Central Washington real estate

Free Real Estate Investment Seminar

Hereare the details of an upcoming real estate investment seminar to be held in Wenatchee. Anyone interested in starting, or expanding, a real estate investment portfolio should attend. This program focuses on simplifying the real estate investment process. They will help you identify an investment property, pre-qualify a tenant, AND offer to guarantee the monthly payments to the investor.

FREE Investment Seminar

Tuesday September 12th

7:00 pm

Best Western Chieftain Inn

1017 North wenatchee Avenue

Wenatchee, WA 98801

Learn how to…….

•Use better financing for today’s real estate market.

•Maximize the benefits of leveraging with smarter loans.

•Decrease taxes, and increase net profits.

•Use 1031 exchanges to increase your wealth while decreasing your investment risk.

•Use long-range planning to build your portfolio at a faster and more profitable rate.

This seminar is presented in cooperation with Liberty First Services Inc., Puget Sound 1031 services & Investment Dream Services LLC and is open to the public. There will be NO solicitations, registrations, or sales offers at this meeting.

Please join us for details on this new way to invest in real estate!

For answers to your real estate questions contact:
Carol Williams
Realtor, ABR, e-Pro, GRI

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
Search the entire Wenatchee MLS for homes and land
Keep current with Wenatchee real estate new, info and trends

All About Wenatchee Valley Real Estate

On my other blog, I post regularly and focus mostly on residential real estate... but, beyond that, I submit pictures and commentary on a variety of things that could be of general interest to people who are considering moving to the North Central Washington area.

My territory covers: Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga, Rock Island, Cashmere, Orondo, Entiat, Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee, Waterville and (for special projects) Chelan.


For answers to specific real estate related questions, contact:
Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

Stay Current with Wenatcheee Valley real estate news, info and trends
Search the entire Wenatchee MLS (or do state or national searches)

Real Estate Investment Opportunity Extraordinaire

You've gotta check this out!

I've just been introduced to a fabulous real estate investment opportunity that has everything I've ever seen beat by a mile! A sample I was recently shown turned a $3700 investment into $15,000 (plus the initial investment was returned) over an 18 month period. AND, the even better news is the investment is extremely secure.

For additional information, contact:
Carol Williams, real estate agent - Wenatchee, Washington
Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

Search current listings of homes and/or land in the Wenatchee MLS
Current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends (through pictures and commentary)

Happy Independence Day !

Here is a picture of some of the flags lining the streets in downtown Cashmere. Both sides of the main street are lined with American flags and patriotic banners... a beautiful sight!

Cashmere real estate inventory continues to be in very short supply. There are some interesting properties for sale, however.

For the latest information go to the TOP, contact Carol:
Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
Search the entire Wenatchee area MLS
Keep current with local news, info & trends

Visit Mr. Landlord's Website

One of my favorite sites for a wealth of information targeted to landlords is "Mr. Landlord". There is a lot of free information and access to a vast variety of forms. You can also run credit checks on your tenant applicants for only $9.95. Of course, be sure to get the applicant to sign a form giving you permission to check their credit.

Anyway, I recommend you visit the site and spend some time clicking on the various links.

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
Do a complete homes and land search (local, state, nationwide)
Keep up with the latest Wenatchee realestate news, info, and trends

Thanks To Our Veterans

I love the American Flag.

Thanks to all our veterans for their service!

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

Hillside Orchards in Central Washington

Here is a nice scene of the local hills dotted with fruit orchards. Up this valley, toward Cashmere, the majority of the trees are pear tree... but some cherries and apples as well.

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
Do-It-Yourself Property Search
Carol's Residential Blog
Carol's Investment Blog

Wenatchee Area Orchard Listings

Here is a link to the current inventory of orchard listings. This inventory is subject to change without notice, so call me with any inquiries for the latest status.

The orchard pictured is not for sale, but made a nice picture with the hills in the background. Click on image to enlarge.

-Carol

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
Do-It-Yourself Property Search
Carol's Resdential Web Journal

Wenatchee: Current Multi-family inventory

Here is a link to the current inventory of multi-family units for sale in the Wenatchee area. This is as of 10:00 p.m. Monday May 22, 2006 and subject to change. This link will be available until June 22, 2006. If you want specific information about any of these properties, let me know.
http://www.flexmls.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?20060523050049761519000000&s=2&id=1

Once you're into the spreadsheet, click on the Listing number to get a complete detail of the listing. You will be able to access photos, maps, and other documents.

Carol
Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
Search all Wenatchee area MLS listings
Visit Carol's residential real estate blog

Wenatchee Growth Forecast

In the last few days I've posted a couple of articles on my other blog about the tremendous growth forecast to the Wenatchee Valley. This will compute to more jobs and price increases for local real estate. To read all entries and keep current with the entire blog, click here. And, don't forget to check out the "archives" for past articles which date back to last May.

If you're in the market to buy a home or other property in the Wenatchee Valley, now is definitely the time before prices go any higher. Plus, your purchase will be poised for an attractive gain in appreciation over the next year.

For specific questions or comments, please contact me:
Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
Search the entire Wenatchee area MLS

Creating Home Buyers

There are lots of renters in every market who would love to buy a home if they could just save enough money for the down payment. If they're paying rent, they could probably make a house payment... and have a home with a yard for the kids to play in!

I have an idea that will literally generate the downpayment money for these families, and have a positive economic impact on the community.

My plan is to purchase an apartment building and fill it up with people who want to buy a home. These tenants will pay rent, but when they're ready to buy a home I will rebate back their rent and they can use it for a downpayment on a home.

We won't be able to rebate all their rent money, of course, because we will have expenses of running the complex... taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc. But, hopefully, we could give them about a 50% rent credit to build toward their downpayment.

For example, if they are paying $600 per month for rent, a 50% rent credit would add up to the tune of $3,600 per year. At the end of two years they would have $7200. This is a forced savings for them. This could possibly be enough to buy a home, if we structure the purchase for the seller of the property they are buying to pay some (or all) of their closing costs.

Unfortunately, I am not independently wealthy and cannot finance this project myself. However, if I had some like minded people who would like to "partner" with me it could work. We wouldn't really be looking to make a return on our investment per month because we'll be giving the tenants as much credit as possible. But, we will maintain ownership of the building which will increase in value. If I had a lot of people willing to invest just a little we could make this work.

This is the seed of my idea. I'll tell you more about it in subsequent posts. In the meantime, let me know if you have input for this project.

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

Needed: Hotel Condos

The hotel-condo marketing strategy that started in resort areas is now spreading into all major metropolitan areas. Many of the largest worldwide hotel chains now sell condo hotel residences.

There are variations of this same concept speading to nearly every market area. It provides the advantage of a guaranteed income to the hotel (via maintenance fees), while they generate additional income through a share of the rental income from the condos when they are not in use by their "owners".

The hotel-condo is an interesting, viable, and emerging sector of the housing market. I would like to see a project like this come to the Wenatchee area. Baby-Boomers are looking for a vacation lifestyle with spacious accommodations, dining and activities. I believe with all the tourism in our area, this could be a popular option.

Simply, here’s how the "condo-hotel" concept works. You purchase a hotel-condo and use the residence whenever you want. When you are away, put the residence in the hotel’s rental program and share the revenue with the hotel. The hotel’s management company takes care of all the management issues such as cleaning, renting and maintaining.

These residences offer the best of both worlds, a hassle free residence and the rent revenue that you receive helps offset the costs of owning a 2nd or 3rd home. There is also the potential for appreciation, of course.

I hope a project like this will come to the Wenatchee real estate market soon!

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://www.CarolsWenatchee.com/wenatchee-realestate

Wenatchee ReHab or Rental

Today I previewed this property, which I now have listed as a result of a court ordered sale. It is actually two houses on one lot. The front house is a small two bedroom, 1 bath and currently rents for $500. The back house is a studio with 3/4 bath, renting for $375.

Strictly as a rental it is a good value, but is in desperate need of some repairs and updating. Most importantly it needs a new roof. The current tenants have been there a very long time and wish to stay.

The home is being sold "as is", with no warranties. It will require an all cash buyer as it will not finance in it's present condition.

The list price is: $57,409.

For additional details, please contact me at:
Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

To search other properties go to:
http://www.TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

The Million Dollar Dream

There's something magical about the dream of becoming a "millionaire". A million dollars doesn't have the buying power it used to, but one could still live comfortably off the income generated by a million dollar equity real estate investment.

Real Estate has probably made more millionaires than any other industry and that is as evident in the Wenatchee area as anywhere in the nation. Have you started building your real estate investment portfolio yet?

Contact me today and we can discuss creating a customized investing plan for you.

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

Carol's Property Search website
Carol's Wenatchee Real Estate BLOG

Home Equity Loan Costs Rising

Home-equity credit lines have been drifting up for the past several months and with 10-year government notes topping 5 percent last week for the first time in four years, they are likely to go still higher.

Many consumers who are struggling with the rising costs of their loans should consider other strategies that may hold down what they pay for borrowing money.

Workers with a 401(k)s often have access to low-cost cash. Most plans let owners borrow at prime rate, which is currently 7.75 percent. Another possibility is borrowing against a brokerage account. The rate varies greatly depending on the brokerage. A third possibility is borrowing against a cash-value life insurance policy. Rates are usually in the single digits.

As rates on home equity loans, often called HELOCs rise, it is prudent to consider the options.

Achievement vs Success

"My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others, and that's nice, too, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success."
Helen Hayes
US actress (1900 - 1993)

Claim Your Free Land

On my other blog, I posted about how you can claim FREE land in any or all 50 states. It's a unique offer. Check it out. I've claimed free land in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, and New York.

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://www.CarolsWenatchee.com/wenatchee-realestate

Wenatchee - 50% Population Growth

Recent reports predict the population base of the city of Wenatchee, Washington will increase by up to 50% over the next 20 years. This is going to put a considerable burden on city officials to plan services for the future.

As our immediate area grows and real estate values continue to increase, more demand will be put on property in the outlying areas as well. If you're considering buying a home, land, or investment property in Wenatchee or the surrounding areas now is probably a good time to do so. You may also want to investigate possibilities within a 75 mile radius of Wenatchee. Values in the Cashmere, Leavenworth and Chelan areas have already escalated considerably. For the better bargains, head south and east toward Quincy, Soap Lake, Ephrata, and the rest of the Columbia Basin. Waterville, Washington is another area for picking up better values on purchasing real estate in the current market.

Please contact me with any real estate related questions, or go to my website or other blog to search for properties:
e-mail: Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
Primary website: http://TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
Residential blog: http://www.CarolsWenatchee.com/wenatchee-realestate

1st Anniversary

I'm proud to announce today is the 1st year anniversary of the birth of this blog, Wenatchee Real Estate Ramblings & Other Stuff.

I've enjoyed writing it and hope it's become an informational and useful resource. This was my first blog ever and was initially started as a site to discuss Wenatchee real estate (and some miscellaneous ramblings) in general, including a few personal posts.

At this stage of the blogosphere, a year is actually quite a long life for a blog. As you peruse other blogs, notice the posting dates and you will find many of them have been essentially abandoned. To do a good job of "blogging", it takes a substantial committment of time. Most people do not realize this when they start. If they do stick with it, the posts are few and far between. I believe in order to be useful, posts must be current with content and consistent.

Over the last year, I have made 115 posts to this blog, 190 posts to my residential real estate blog, and 92 to my two personal blogs. Add these up, multiply by the estimated time to research and compose and you will wonder if I have time for anything else. The answer is yes. I actually had my best selling year in 2005, so it's a matter of time management.

During the year, this blog turned more toward the investment angle, and has become more general in nature. I made this adjustment because I started another blog last May that focuses more on residential real estate and newsworthy items that specifically affect the real estate market in Wenatchee, Washington. On that blog, I also discuss general real estate items from across the country.

If you have thoughts for improving this blog, or the other blog, please let me know. I'm always open for new ideas.


Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://www.CarolsWenatchee.com/wenatchee-realestate

Duplex Lot in East Wenatchee

I know of a vacant lot on Baker Street in East Wenatchee that is available for purchase. It would accommodate a duplex or could be used for a single family residence. $35,000 or seller would consider partnering with builder with profit split agreement.

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://CarolsWenatchee.com/wenatchee-realestate

Abraham Lincoln Quote

I have always been fascinated by the life and personality of Abraham Lincoln. When I saw the following quote on another (somewhat eccentric) blog, thought it was worth posting. Wouldn't it be nice if the legal profession, and society in general, actually took this sage advice:

Abraham Lincoln: "Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough."

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://TopPropertiesWenatcehe.com
http://www.CarolsWenatchee.com/wenatchee-realestate

Wenatchee Homes Sold Recently

On my residential blog, I've posted an article with a list of homes that have recently closed. Addresses and prices are included.

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

Rare Columbia Riverfront Listing

Here's a post similar to one from my residential blog, but thought it worth sharing here:

This week's Wenatchee area real estate agent home tour took us to a rare river frontage listing... a 3700+ square foot home, with over 3 acres and 1200 feet of Columbia River waterfront. It is a hand peeled log home with pool, spa, sauna, boathouse and an older mobile home for a guest house or rental. It is listed at a cool $2.5 Million. If you'd like some additional info on this home and property, please e-mail me a request for MLS #676405 : Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

It's definitely Spring because we are seeing more homes coming on the market, as is typical for this time of year. Other prices on today's tour (excluding the riverfront property) was $154,900 - $335,000.

Search the entire local, state or national MLS at:
http://TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

Goal Update

After the first two months of the new year, it's a good time to re-evaluate your goal achievement progress. Are you on track for your goals for the year, or do you need to recommit and make a new strategy?

Is the whole goal setting process a puzzle to you? Whether your goals involve buying real estate in the Wenatchee area (or anywhere in the United States)... or improving your life in other areas, I have some tools that may help you.

Let me know if I can help you put together a customized plan.

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://www.TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
www.CarolsWenatchee.com/wenatchee-realestate

Real Estate Foreclosures Up?

Recent reports indicate the number of real estate foreclosures nationwide could increase by about 25% this year. This does not mean, of course, that 25% of loans will go into default. Less than 1% of loans nationwide have been going into foreclosure, so that is the number being used as the basis. So, this 1% could increase to about 1.25% of the total in the coming year.

Not to prey on misfortune, but it could be a year to watch for some good opportunities in foreclosures. In order to be most effective buying foreclosures, you will need to be able to buy without contingencies and offer a quick closing to the foreclosing entity (lender).

Due to our strong and diverse economy, I don't anticipate this much of an increase in the Wenatchee real estate market. But, we will watch the trend and see what happens. I'll try to post the foreclosure inventory occasionally.

If you have specific questions about Wenatchee area real estate, or current foreclosure inventory, please contact me:

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
http://TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

More Real Estate Info

For more real estate information go to:
www.carolswenatchee.com/wenatchee-realestate

e-mail: Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
Property searches: http://TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

East Wenatchee Apartment Complex

There's an interesting 33 unit apartment complex (plus a house on site) available in East Wenatchee for $2,650,000! This computes to $77,941 per unit at full price. Let me know if you'd like details.

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
www.TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

Foreclosure Investment Opportunities

As we move into a new calendar year, many investors have idenified "foreclosure" properties as a potential investment income opportunity for the coming year. I've written before about some of the misunderstandings regarding the foreclosure market. If you click on the link, scroll down to the "Buying Foreclosure Homes" article. Despite, some of the misunderstandings surrounding the foreclosure home buying market, there are certainly going to be some profit potential opportunities out there.

This morning I was reading an article on the pros and cons of foreclosure real estate on the Inman News website. Click on the link and check out the article. It outlines the basic process. If you have any trouble accessing the article, let me know and I can forward it to you in an e-mail attachment.

If you are interested in what foreclosure properties are available in your area, contact me and I will print out a complete list for you. I can access information in all areas within the United States. You can request reports by zip code, city, county or state.

Carol Williams

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com
www.TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

New Year Goals

Happy New Year! Have you set your goals for the year 2006 yet? If not, today is a great day to find a quiet corner and contemplate the things you'd like to accomplish in the coming year... and how you're going to achieve those things.

Goal setting is one of my favorite subjects because I believe in the philosophy:
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve".

Until goals are written and specific, they are merely wishes. Here is a link to an article outlining 7 steps to goal setting. At the bottom of this article is a big link to another interesting goal setting site... with tips, articles, and a newsletter. If you were to follow the formula and do a complete goal setting session for all 6 areas of your life, it is a comprehensive, time consuming and envigorating process. It is time well spent and well worth the effort.

For now, start with one... and move forward from there. If you were to stay within the spirit of this blog, a financial goal pertaining to starting or expanding a real estate portfolio would be appropriate.

Do you have dreams you'd like to turn into reality? I am a trained goal setting instructor, so if you would like some guidance let me know.

Yours for success, prosperity and happiness in '06
Carol

http://www.blogger.com/
http://www.toppropertieswenatchee.com/