Ryan Raveis, Senior Vice President of William Raveis Mortgage, discusses the jumbo mortgage real estate market for 2010.
Full Motion Commercial Grade Video Tours of Yakima, WA Real Estate, surrounding areas..and the Pacific Northwest with map based browsing of Real Estate Videos. We can help you sell your Yakima Homes for pennies-on-the-dollar when compared to traditional print advertisement. If you are a Realtor/Agent or a Home Owner and you are serious about getting huge exposure to your Yakima, Washington listings for sale, give us a try and watch how Real Estate Video can give you an edge over the competition.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Whistlin' Jack Lodge, Resort & Restaurant on Chinook Pass,Washington (Realty Tours Northwest of Yakima )
via sites.google.com
27 Miles east of the Chinook Pass Scenic Byway summit along WA State Route 410 sets Whistlin' Jack Lodge & Resort. Built in 1931, the original lodge that served as a waypoint for weary travelers along the route was purchased by the Williams Family in 1957 and transformed to what has become a world class tradition in mountain hospitality.
The lodge that exists today was built around the original building and relics of the old historic lodge can still be found through-out the building today, including the old original natural stone fireplace found in the Fireside Lounge.
Whistlin' Jack Lodge today is a favorite getaway for those Mount Rainier/Chinook Pass area travelers and tourists looking for a Mountain Retreat which is centrally located on the Naches River between the summit of Chinook Pass and Yakima Washington.
Accomodations at the Lodge include:
* Cabin, Cottage and Bungalow Rentals
* 8 Unit Riverside Motel
* Northwest Cuisine Riverfront Dining
* Fireside Cafe & Lounge
* Premium Yakima Valley Wines
* Live Entertainment
* Banquet Room for Weddings, Business Conferences, Seminars, Reunions
* Unique Gifts, Souvenirs & Collectables
* 24-Hour Shell Gas Station
* Grocery Store
* Cliffdell Delicatessen
* Weather Cam
* Local Chinook Pass Maps
* Hiking Trails
* Camping information
* Fishing On The Naches River
* Local Hunting Information
Visit http://www.realtytoursnorthwest.com for information about the greater Yakima Valley Area and Video Tours of Homes for sale on Chinook Pass.
October 24, 2010 Yakima Real Estate Market - Foreclosure Freeze to Lead to Another Crisis? - Realty Tours Northwest of Yakima | Yakima WA Real Estate and Homes For Sale
FBN's Charlie Gasparino on the potential long-term impact of bank's suspension of real estate foreclosures.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
October 23, 2010 Yakima Real Estate Maket- Avoid Foreclosure
via sites.google.com
The threat of foreclosure has over 1 in 5 homeowners wondering about their options and what will happen to them. In this video we provide a few examples of how you can take charge of your life and financial situation in order to avoid foreclosure.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
October 9, 2010 Today's Yakima Real Estate Market - Seattle Area Home Sales Statistics. - Realty Tours Northwest of Yakima | Yakima WA Real Estate and Homes For Sale
"This is my first video of real estate statistics for September 2010. The data is for King County, Pierce County, and Snohomish County (Greater Seattle Area) in Washington State. I plan to provide a monthly video market update, so please subscribe and visit my website at ListedByStephanie.com"
Friday, October 8, 2010
Five Tech Tools You Need to Survive in 2011 : YPN Lounge
Five Tech Tools You Need to Survive in 2011
Jonathan Osman
By Jonathan Osman
No one would have guessed that REALTORS® would look back on 2009 as “the good ole days,” but as the real estate market continues to find bottom, that’s exactly what some are doing. The reality for 2011 may be that we are all fighting for a smaller piece of the sales pie and remaining in business means implementing low-cost solutions to save money.
That being said, here are a five technology tools that brokers and agents alike should implement to help survive an uncertain 2011.
1. Cloud-based Phone Service
The telephone is still the most important tool of our business but for most brokerages, this can result in a huge monthly expense towards the bottom line. Plus, every agent walks around with a phone attached to their hip so is the expense of a phone system and monthly service even necessary?
Services like RingCentral, Grasshopper, and Phonebooth offer users a plethora of options and features usually reserved for phone systems that cost as much as a BMW 550i for less than the cost of a cell phone bill. Local number – check, 800 number – check, fax-to-email – check. “Find Me” features – check. Best of all, whether you are a solo agent, small company working from home, or a mid-sized firm with 50 agents, you can still have the big-company presence which is could help in recruiting agents to work for you.
Still need a desk phone? Thanks to the recession, many businesses are selling off their existing equipment on eBay for cheap. Search SIP Phone and you will find compatible plug-and-play phones ranging from $39 to $150 or 50 – 75 percent off what they sold for new.
For the solo agent, Google Voice can offer many of the same features as the pay-services but for free. In fact, some agents that only have a cell phone as their primary number use their Google Voice number as their business line (and there’s no mailbox to get full).
2. Certified Refurbished Computers, Printers, Copiers
I have not purchased a new computer since 2001 and no, I am not still using a Tandy. Almost a decade back, I was turned on to purchasing refurbished equipment by a tech guy and I haven’t looked back since. While some may do well with a computer and printer off the shelf from the member’s shopping club, actual business computers (which are lighter, have stronger chassis, and more resilient) are still fairly expensive to purchase new. However buying a name-brand Certified Refurbished computer from Dell, Lenovo, HP, or Apple can save you as much as 30-50 percent when compared to their new counterparts.
Many printer and copier companies have similar programs that offer savings as much as 50-75 percent over new counterparts. Best of all, most manufacturers offer extended warranties for no cost to put aside the fears the consumer is buying an inferior machine.
3. Go Paperless
It’s amazing the amount of paper that is generated in the real estate business. Some of my files are a thick as a Northern Virginia phonebook and it’s genuinely unnecessary. In this golden age of tech, going paperless (not less-paper) will save you money as well as increase your productivity. The savings comes from the cost of storage, savings on toner, paper, and related supplies.
Companies like Docusign and DotLoop offer solutions to help obtain e-signatures from clients on real estate contracts and Dropbox.com offers free to low-cost secure online storage for your files. For software to aid in the creation of PDF files, try Cute PDF Professional or Adobe Acrobat. If you can click, drag, and drop, you can go paperless. Now instead or printing, initialing, and faxing or scanning, you can simply email for authorization and then forward where necessary.
4. Google Apps for Business
Probably one of the best tools you many have never heard of is Google’s Apps for Business which includes a suite of software such like Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sites, and more. Designed for teams and small businesses, Google uses your personal website domain to provide you email (with your domain name not gmail.com), personal and group calendars, online document creation and collaboration and more. For most users, it’s absolutely free however you can upgrade for more features if you desire.
I have been completely impressed with how well everything works given that it’s free. The calendar will sync with your smartphone automatically (no need to sync with a cable) and with the click of one button, I can see everyone on my team’s calendar at once. This makes scheduling events extremely easy. Plus, the gmail-powered email is the best web-based email as of now.
For larger teams or a corporate level, the free version gives you the ability to set up a intranet site to post documents, announcements, information, etc for your agents.
5. A Facebook and a Linkedin Account
When most people think of using social media for business, they believe they must have a fan page for their business. While a Fan Page is a great internet billboard, unless you are consistently providing something of value to your fans, don’t expect a huge following.
Instead, start first by connecting with past clients as well as old and current friends. We’re in the people business so get back into relationship with people who can help build your business over the next year and more. Then make sure you take your relationship offline through coffee, tweetups, and social gathers to make something meaningful for both parties.
Facebook and Linkedin are NOT places to mindlessly post your new listings but rather to build relationships. Just as you wouldn’t take a stack of listing flyers to the Chamber of Commerce meeting, you shouldn’t plaster your wall with your latest short sale.
Both services are free but Linkedin offers a membership fee in exchange for the ability to contact users outside of your sphere of influence.
Jonathan Osman is a broker and team leader of the Charlotte House Hunter Group with Keller Williams Realty in Charlotte, N.C. Connect with Jonathan via Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter or his Web site CharlotteHouseHunter.com.
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Tags: apps, computers, Jonathan Osman, phones, social networking, tech tools, technology
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Yakima Realtors
If you are in need of a Yakima Realtor, we have provided some links to some of Yakima's top Real Estate offices. Yakima's Realtors are among some of the top realtors in our state of Washington and they are always here ready to help buyers and sellers fulfill their dreams of owning their own home or selling their home in the Yakima Valley.
Yakima Rentals, Apartments and Homes for Rent - Realty Tours Northwest of Yakima
REALTY TOURS NORTHWEST provides VIDEO TOURS of Yakima homes for rent, apartments, duplexes, condominiums, homes for sale, commercial listings, vacation rentals and more. Wether you are a For Sale By Owner or a Realtor.....we can gain the MOST exposure to your Yakima County and surrounding area listings! We are located in Yakima Washington and we now have some new price packages to fit your budget.
Whistlin' Jack Lodge, Resort & Restaurant on Chinook Pass Scenic Byway
Visit Whistlin' Jack Lodge on Chinook Pass Washington to reserve a Cabin, Cottage or Bungalow.
Whistlin' Jack Lodge was originally built in 1931. Read the full history on their website
http://www.whistlinjacklodge.com - Just 27 Miles east of the Chinook Pass Scenic Byway summit along WA State Route 410 sets Whistlin' Jack Lodge & Resort. Built in 1931, the original lodge that served as a waypoint for weary travelers along the route was purchased by the Williams Family in 1957 and transformed to what has become a world class tradition in mountain hospitality.
The lodge that exists today was built around the original building and relics of the old historic lodge can still be found through-out the building today, including the old original natural stone fireplace found in the Fireside Lounge.
Whistlin' Jack Lodge today is a favorite getaway for those Mount Rainier/Chinook Pass area travelers and tourists looking for a Mountain Retreat which is centrally located on the Naches River between the summit of Chinook Pass and Yakima Washington.
Accomodations at the Lodge include:
* Cabin, Cottage and Bungalow Rentals
* 8 Unit Riverside Motel
* Northwest Cuisine Riverfront Dining
* Fireside Cafe & Lounge
* Premium Yakima Valley Wines
* Live Entertainment
* Banquet Room for Weddings, Business Conferences, Seminars, Reunions
* Unique Gifts, Souvenirs & Collectables
* 24-Hour Shell Gas Station
* Grocery Store
* Cliffdell Delicatessen
* Local Hiking Trails
* Local Camping
* Maps of the Chinook Pass area
Visit http://www.realtytoursnorthwest.com for information about the greater Yakima Valley Area and Video Tours of Homes for sale on Chinook Pass.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Local agents monitoring glut of real estate-owned homes | Yakima Herald-Republic
YAKIMA, Wash. -- Residents of Selah's outlying areas often drive by the all-brick exterior home on 1100 Selah Loop Road.
For two Sundays last month, those neighbors got to look inside the 1960s-era house that piqued their curiosity.
Most were in awe at how large that home was from the inside -- it's more than 4,100 square feet with four bedrooms, a finished basement and living areas.
"It just keeps going and going," said Lanny Lowe, 57, of Selah, who toured the house Sept. 26.
The Selah home is a real estate-owned home, or REO, a foreclosed home that a bank repossesses, usually after the home fails to sell during a trustee sale.
REOs have increased in Yakima County over the past few years.
Through August, there were 213 REOs in Yakima County in 2010, according to RealtyTrac, an Irvine, Calif., firm that tracks foreclosure trends. That is fewer than the 218 REOs during the same period in 2009, but well above the 61 REOs in 2008.
Banks may do nothing with the REOs or rent them out, but eventually the homes are put on the local real estate market.
"In the last week, I've had a real influx of (REO) listings," said Phil Barnes, an agent with Creekside Realty in Yakima.
The REOs come from all price ranges, not just the inexpensive ones.
"They're all over the county," said Lynda Hopkins, an agent for Yakima's Lakemont Real Estate who markets REOs properties, including the home in Selah. "There are expensive homes people can't afford."
Overall, Yakima County's real estate market has fared better than other parts of the United States, but the local real estate industry is still paying attention to the increase in REOs.
There are different theories on the cause of the increase.
One is that federal efforts, such as loan modification programs, created a delay of some homes going into foreclosure.
But those homes eventually went into foreclosure and created an additional influx of bank repossessions in the past few months.
Another theory is that foreclosures have increased, caused by everything from bad mortgage loans to a fallout from a higher number of people out of work.
In July, about 1.3 percent of mortgages for Yakima County homes were in foreclosure, compared with 0.99 percent at the beginning of 2010 and 1.03 percent in July 2009, according to CoreLogic, a Santa Ana, Calif., firm that provides consumer and financial data.
And a greater number of those foreclosures are failing to sell on the courthouse steps, leading to more bank repossessions.
Foreclosed homes are sold every Friday morning at the Yakima County Courthouse. The sale is done by firms working on behalf of a trustee, usually a bank or a company representing the bank.
In the past, about one out of every 15 Yakima County homes auctioned off would sell, said Dennis Copeland, owner of Legal Couriers Inc., a firm that posts foreclosure notices and conducts the trustee sales at the courthouse.
These days, it's more like one out of 20 homes, he said.
"The problem that I noticed just recently is that there is a lot of (foreclosed) properties where the deed of trust is from 2007, 2008, 2009," Copeland said. "There is no equity."
Often banks will collect price estimates from real estate brokers or home appraisers on local homes that are several months delinquent on mortgage payments. The bank uses them to decide how to sell the homes if they go into foreclosure and are repossessed, Barnes said.
Barnes said he's doing about 10 such price estimates a week as of late, compared to just one or two a few years ago.
For him, it's another indicator of more foreclosures and more bank repossessions in the county.
REOs and other foreclosed homes made up 9.3 percent of Yakima County's real estate sales for July, well below that of the national rate of 17.9 percent, according to Seattle-based real estate firm Zillow.com.
But some believe REOs may play a bigger role in a market that is starting to see a slowdown in housing activity.
In August, residential home sales dropped by 20.9 percent in dollar volume and 23.8 percent in the number of sales from August 2009, according to Headwaters-The Source, a Selah-based firm that tracks Yakima County real estate sales.
REOs create additional competition for an already-growing inventory of homes on the market.
As of the end of June, the supply of homes on the market in Yakima County was nine months, according to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research. The supply for a balanced market is usually five to seven months.
Bank owners have no emotional attachment or financial need to price it too high, said Kenny Nelson, broker of DK Bain Real Estate Inc. in Sunnyside.
The goal for these banks is to break even, he said.
Monthly median prices for bank-owned homes sold in Yakima County so far in 2010 have ranged from $59,000 to $119,250, according to Headwaters-The Source.
That range is much less than the monthly median price of homes overall, which ranged from $145,000 to $160,000.
Another issue is a reduction in potential buyers due to the expiration of two homebuyer tax credits -- $8,000 for first-time home buyers and $6,500 for repeat home buyers.
And there are even fewer buyers for homes that are in the higher-priced ranges. Homes that cost more than $250,000 have at least a year's supply, according to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research.
The home on Selah Loop Road was initially listed at $419,000 when it was put on the market more than four months ago. It did not even sell when the listed price dropped to $279,000.
"Not everyone needs 4,100 square feet or wants to pay $500 a month in property taxes," Hopkins said.
Fannie Mae, which currently owns the home, tried another tactic Friday to get the home sold: a private auction.
There were about 20 registered bids on the home, Hopkins said.
The auction company, Williams & Williams, would not reveal the final bid, stating that the information was proprietary between the seller and the prospective buyer once the auction concluded.
Despite the increase of foreclosures and REOs in Yakima County, other markets in the country are in worse shape.
The percentage of mortgages nationwide in foreclosure during July was 3.13 percent, more than double Yakima County's rate of 1.3 percent, according to CoreLogic.
"All of their performance numbers are very low relative to the U.S., and at those rates distressed properties will not have a large impact on the market," said Sam Khater, senior economist for CoreLogic.
Local agents believe there may not be enough REOs and foreclosed homes to create huge revenue declines locally. But they're watching to see if the increase is great enough to stall sales activity growth for several years, especially if high unemployment continues to be an issue.
"This isn't going to go away any time soon," Barnes said.
For more information go to:
zillow.com
corelogic.com
realtytrac.com* Mai Hoang can be reached at 509-577-7685 or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.
October 5, 2010 Today's Yakima Real Estate Market - Pricing Your Yakima Home For The Market
In markets such as this, it is not unusual for a home to have a market value less than the amount the owner purchased it for and has spent improving or maintaining it.
Not every dollar spent improving or maintaining a home will increase its market value. Improvements such as adding additional square footage or updating a kitchen or bathroom typically have a higher rate of return. Replacing old shingles or other maintenance projects will not necessarily increase the home's market value.
If you're thinking about making improvements to your home, contact your real estate agent as he or she can help you determine what project will give you the highest rate of return. And when you're ready to sell, your REALTOR® can help you determine the market value of your home, guide you as to how to price it, market the home, and guide you through the sale process.
Monday, October 4, 2010
October 4, 2010 Today's Yakima Real Estate Market - Commercial Crisis
Further Lane Securities Sr. Managing Director David Castillo on whether the commercial real-estate market is at risk of crumbling.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Whistlin' Jack Lodge & Resort on Chinook Pass WA Video Tour - Realty Tours Northwest of Yakima Washington
http://www.whistlinjacklodge.com - Just 27 Miles east of the Chinook Pass Scenic Byway summit along WA State Route 410 sets Whistlin' Jack Lodge & Resort. Built in 1931, the original lodge that served as a waypoint for weary travelers along the route was purchased by the Williams Family in 1957 and transformed to what has become a world class tradition in mountain hospitality.
The lodge that exists today was built around the original building and relics of the old historic lodge can still be found through-out the building today, including the old original natural stone fireplace found in the Fireside Lounge.
Whistlin' Jack Lodge today is a favorite getaway for those Mount Rainier/Chinook Pass area travelers and tourists looking for a Mountain Retreat which is centrally located on the Naches River between the summit of Chinook Pass and Yakima Washington.
Accomodations at the Lodge include:
* Cabin, Cottage and Bungalow Rentals
* 8 Unit Riverside Motel
* Northwest Cuisine Riverfront Dining
* Fireside Cafe & Lounge
* Premium Yakima Valley Wines
* Live Entertainment
* Banquet Room for Weddings, Business Conferences, Seminars, Reunions
* Unique Gifts, Souvenirs & Collectables
* 24-Hour Shell Gas Station
* Grocery Store
* Cliffdell Delicatessen
Visit http://www.realtytoursnorthwest.com for information about the greater Yakima Valley Area and Video Tours of Homes for sale on Chinook Pass.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
October 2, 2010 Today's Yakima Real Estate Market - Foreclosure Fraud - Realty Tours Northwest of Yakima | Yakima WA Real Estate and Homes For Sale
This is Rep. Alan Grayson explaining the crisis of real estate foreclosure fraud and how it links to the entire securitization chain of Wall Street.
Friday, October 1, 2010
October 1, 2010 - Today's Yakima Real Estate Market
In the current real estate market, is it a good time to downsize and sell the family home?
What is the best season to sell a home?
Is it possible to make money when selling a home to downsize to a smaller residence?
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