Tracie DeMars
ReMax Equity Group
traciedemars@aol.com

 

Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes:
Tuesday, July 31st , from 5pm-8pm (ish)
Marshall Community Center, conference room
1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

Saturday, August 18th, from 9am-12pm (ish)
Marshall Community Center, conference room
1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

Monday, August 20, from 5pm-8pm (ish)
Marshall Community Center, conference room
1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

Saturday, August 25th, from 11am-2pm (ish)
Vancouver YMCA, conference room
11324 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver WA (SR 500 & Gher Road/112th Ave)

If these class dates and/or times don’t work for you, please let us know. We understand that you have lives, and families, and work. We will work something out that works better with your schedule. Just let us know….
….we also have home seller classes available too…link on left on website

Remember…with reservation…we will throw in lunch, or dinner! 😀
~~~~~~~~

Happy Sunday!

Oh my goodness… have I mentioned lately how in love I am with my air conditioner??? Right now it is my favorite thing in my house… however, it is supposed to start cooling down though (thankfully), and just in time for the Clark County Fair! The fair runs from Friday, August 3 through Sunday, August 12th. Chris Berg and I will be at the Clark County Fair again this year… because we are crazy. Please, stop by and say, “hi!” to us… it is the one thing that keeps up sane while we are there. It’s a long 10 days and we will be there EVERY day. I will be at the booth (inside the cool big exhibit hall, second booth to the right of the main doors) from 10am-4pm, and Chris will be there from 4pm-10pm…. EVERY DAY. So, please… stop by… talk to us… help us preserve what little sanity we have left…. AND … tell us you saw/read this post AND we have something pretty cool for you. Why? Because I went a little crazy on the promotional items, and I need to get them out of my garage so I can park in there again before the weather starts to turn. Help a gal out…

So this week let’s talk a bit about the market… I’ve have a few people ask me if the market is starting to ‘turn’… and my answer is a mixed bag. First things first….it’s HOT, and weather has a LOT to do with real estate, which is kind of weird, but there is a reasoning behind it. The BEST months of the year to be a buyer is always going to be the winter months of November, December, and January. There are couple of reasons for this …. weather (cold, crappy, rainy, and sometimes snowy), and the holidays…. not many folks want to be out looking or selling during the holidays. Because of these reasons, home typically ‘sit’ on the market for a bit longer. This is good for buyers because it gives people time to think before jumping on a home and making an offer, and because the market is a bit ‘softer’ during these months, there are less multiple offer situations and more sellers are willing to pay some closing costs. The down side of these months is that there aren’t usually as many homes for sale on the market….this is an upside for the seller. The second BEST months of the year to be a buyer are JULY and AUGUST… why? because again….it’s HOT, and surprisingly the hotter it is the less people are out looking at homes. People want to go the lakes, rivers, and beaches when it is hot….they don’t want to go look at homes. Also, there is less buyer competition during these months because of the childcare costs, and vacations. One of the pluses about the summer months over the winter months is that there is usually a lot more homes for sale during these months. The craziest time of year to be a buyer is always during February through June as this is usually the busiest time as people have tax refunds to use for down payments (if you don’t have one though there are programs to help with this), and closing costs. February and June can go either way….depending on the year, but during this time there tends to be less homes on the market and a LOT more buyer competition so more multiple offers, homes sell for more than listing price, and sellers are less likely to pay any closing costs.
So what if you have a home to sell, and need to buy one too? The summer and winter months are your best friend too. The spring might be easier to sell, but as a buyer you will have a more difficult time with that ‘sell my home first’ contingency (more about this next blog). The summer and winter months will give you a more solid buyer, and availability to purchase your new home with being contingent on the sale of your current home.
Does this explain the price drops you are seeing? Yes… the market is always on steroids during the spring, and when people list during the summer they see this, but as the home sits on the market for a bit longer, the price drops start happening. For buyers this is good…. multiple offers are difficult for everyone, and many buyers need some closing costs assistance. If you are a buyer…. go look at homes when it is hot as hades out there… it is a good thing!
Does this mean that prices will keep coming down? Not that we see, but we (as an industry) don’t think prices will continue to rise as they have been doing. Real estate tends to run on a 10 year cycle, and yes, we are nearing (or are at) the top of the cycle again. Interest rates are going up, and we don’t see those going down anytime soon. As interest rates go up, home prices will get ‘softer’. Remember that you are pre-approved for a monthly home payment (not a purchase price). The monthly home payment is directly related to interest rates….so as rates go up, a buyer is pre-approved for less. I’m talking to my buyers right now, and reminding them that the home they purchase is really a 7-10 year home.
We see many more homeowners following the interest rates, and seeing home prices start to soften, so we are seeing more home inventory hitting the market….again… this is a good thing as it will ease up the low supply/high demand that caused home prices to skyrocket.
Please remember a couple of things….I might have been called a witch a time or two, but my powers of seeing the future are not very good. My magic wand is a hit and miss, and that silly 8 ball lies to me quite frequently. All we can do is listen to the economists, watch and follow the trends, and rely of past economic predictions.
Good news is that YES, due to higher inventory and lower demand and this infernal heat, we ARE seeing price drops.
So what about the market? Well, the market is seeing some changes as well….with the higher interest rates folks aren’t getting pre-approved for as much as they were getting pre-approved for. Those homeowners in the higher price ranges are on the market for longer and reducing prices to find buyers. It starts in the higher price ranges first and gradually starts moving down…..but the lower price ranges will always have the most buyers looking.
Is there a crash coming? Not that anyone sees….no… What the economists are talking about is a ‘market correction’ where rising interest rates control the skyrocketing home prices.
Now for those of you who love this heat…. I am too pale, and my hair is too frizzy for this kind of madness…. 🙂

I hope that explains this a bit, but if you have any questions, or comments please call or email me anytime! I am here to help…

Your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one. Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships. Your agent, and your lender work for YOU. You drive the bus…we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals. Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure. The goal is to be informative and non-promotional. 🙂 We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.

If you have any questions about this, or something you have heard…or if you would like me to help you with your home adventure, please call, email, text, or facebook me anytime. I am, as always, happy to help!

Thank you again for your business and your referrals!! …and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.

. ..disclaimer…if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings…

Upcoming Topics: Contingencies, Rentback, and Pre-Possession (oh my!),
Buyers Due Diligence, &….
What happens after an offer is made?

Last Week: Why do deals fall through?

Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,
;-D
Tracie DeMars
Real Estate broker
Re/Max – Van Mall
360/ 903-3504 cell
360/ 882-3600 fax
www.traciedemars.com
traciedemars@aol.com

“Interested in free and non promotional home education classes? Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.com for local upcoming home buyer and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog.”

“Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
– Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 – 1999).

Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes:
Tuesday, June 19th , from 5pm-8pm (ish)
Marshall Community Center, conference room
1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

Saturday, June 30th, from 10am-1pm (ish)
Marshall Community Center, conference room
1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

Tuesday, July 11th, from 5pm-8pm (ish)
Marshall Community Center, conference room
1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)

If these class dates and/or times don’t work for you, please let us know. We understand that you have lives, and families, and work. We will work something out that works better with your schedule. Just let us know….
….we also have home seller classes available too…link on left on website

Remember…with reservation…we will throw in lunch, or dinner! 😀
~~~~~~~~~

Happy Monday!

Incredibles 2 was ….Incredible! I think it was (almost) worth the wait! 🙂 ….and THANK YOU for coming out to the Client Appreciation event to see the movie with Chris Berg and I. We love these events, and we hope you do as well. Our next Client Appreciation will be Fantastic Beasts, and Where to Find Them…part 2.
This is just our small way of saying, “THANK YOU” for your continued support, friendship, and oh yes, referrals. We appreciate YOU so much. .

So, this week let’s talk about septic and sewer… this comes up quite frequently in our area….and it is important. This week we are going to talk about what people don’t like to think about in your home. Many areas in Clark County are still on Septic systems, and not hooked up to the Sewer. This, of course, makes sense in rural areas where you don’t expect sewer hook-up, but many places in Vancouver are still on septic as well as the sewer lines are not available there. However, sometimes the sewer line is there, but the home is still on a private septic system. I grew up on a septic system… both at my grandparents home that was on acreage & at my mothers home that was on a septic…in Vancouver, and by a hospital. It is surprising to some people just how many homes in Vancouver are still on a septic. For me, septic isn’t a big deal. It just has to be maintained, and as a homeowner, you have to be careful what you *ahem* flush. Homes with a septic shouldn’t have a garbage disposal as they aren’t equipped to handle that.

What is a septic system? How Septic Systems Work A typical septic system contains two major components: a septic tank and a soil drainfield. The septic tank: ♦ Removes solids, which helps protect the soil drainfield from clogging that can result in premature failure of the onsite system. ♦ Digests a portion of the solids and stores the remaining portion. Up to 50% of the solids that remain in the tank decompose. The remaining 50% accumulates in the bottom of the tank as sludge. When the level of sludge exceeds the tank’s holding capacity, the sewage has less time to settle before leaving the tank. Eventually, the sludge level increases enough to allow solids to enter into the drainfield, resulting in damage to the field and the need for extensive repairs. The soil drainfield: ♦ Is located underground in an unsaturated soil area on your property. ♦ Further treats the effluent through physical, chemical, and biological processes. The field consists of a series of underground perforated pipes installed in a one-foot deep layer of washed gravel, or a series of plastic chamber units. Here, the effluent is distributed, stored, and ultimately applied to the soil for treatment. After filtering through the soil, the treated effluent enters the groundwater level for final disposal.

A sewer system is, of course, is a city/county maintained sewage disposal system. The city/county is responsible for the care and maintenance of the sewage lines UNTIL it hits your property lines. Once all pipes hit your property line, the maintenance & repair responsibility is the homeowners.

Maintenance of your septic system?The lack of septic tank maintenance can cause sewage to back up into your house or solids to overflow to the drainfield. Once solids overflow and leave through the tank outlet, they can quickly clog a drain field to the point that a new one is required. Most septic tanks need to be pumped every three to five years, depending on the tank size and the amount and type of solids entering the tank. The inspection of the sludge and scum levels is the only way to determine when a tank needs to be pumped. This is not necessarily a pleasant task, but can be done relatively easily. Septic tank pumping firms are available to perform the inspection. Your septic needs inspected every 2 years and that inspection on file with the Clark County Health Department. An average septic system needs pumped every 3-5 years.

So what if you have, or buy a home that is on septic and the sewer comes in your area/street? Do you have to hook up to it? Actually you don’t. If your septic system is in good working order you can decline to hook up to the sewer. I sold 2 homes this week that were on a septic system….even though the sewer runs in front of the house, and one of the buyers was using her VA loan. You can buy a home on a septic system with a FHA or VA loan….even if there is a sewer line is available. While you do not have to hook up to the sewer if your septic is in good working order there is an ‘if’ here…. If your septic system fails though…then yes, you will need to hook up to the sewer. However, the sewer line has to be within so many feet of the home for that to happen. So what is the cost to hook up to the sewer? Roughly about $7,000-$15,000. What is the cost of a new septic system? Roughly about $7,000-$15,000. Yes, that is a lot of money, but there is help for it….”Vancouver’s Sewer Connection Incentive Program (SCIP) extends public wastewater main lines to areas where septic systems were initially installed because sewer wasn’t available then, typically areas that were later annexed into the city. Through SCIP, we are working with homeowners to provide an easy and affordable solution to change from septic systems to safe, reliable public sewer.”

Now…just in case you haven’t noticed, I have shamelessly plagiarized parts of this email from the Clark County & City of Vancouver websites For more information you can go to the following websites: www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/propertyowners & www.cityofvancouver.us/publicworks/page/sewer-connection-incentive-program-scip.

Well, that is this weeks crappy discussion! LOL …sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

As always….this is just a quick overview…. again…and I can’t say this enough…please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one. Real Estate is not really about houses, it is about relationships. Your agent, and your lender work for YOU. You drive the bus…we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals. Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure. The goal is to be informative and non-promotional. 🙂 We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.

If you have any questions about this, or something you have heard…or if you would like me to help you with your home adventure, please call, email, text, or facebook me anytime. I am, as always, happy to help!

Thank you again for your business and your referrals!! …and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.

. ..disclaimer…if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings…

Upcoming Topics: Buyers Due Diligence,
What are the ‘Hidden’ Costs of Buying a Home? …..
What if I don’t have a Down Payment? ….. &….
What happens after an offer is made?

Last Week: Showing homes…things buyers & sellers should know.

Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,
;-D
Tracie DeMars
Real Estate broker
Re/Max – Van Mall
360/ 903-3504 cell
360/ 882-3600 fax
www.traciedemars.com
traciedemars@aol.com

“Interested in free and non promotional home education classes? Go to www.freehomebuyerclasses.com for local upcoming home buyer and home SELLER classes, or facebook: Tracie DeMars Real Estate for my home buyer education blog.”

“Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
– Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist and composer, (1930 – 1999)