Spoken Gently's Blog: Investors

If you’re a wine connoisseur and considering real estate opportunities in the state of Washington, then Richland, located in the Tri-Cities area near the confluence of the Columbia, Yakima, and Snake Rivers, may just be the perfect place for you. Richland is the central home to a growing and thriving viticulture (wine-producing) area, which is responsible for grape cultivation, generating the production of international brands of world-class fine wine within four major appellations, or certified AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), in Washington State.

These four major appellations surrounding Richland are comprised of the Columbia Valley (7,000 hectares for planting and cultivating wine grapes), the Yakima Valley (5,000 hectares), the Walla Walla Valley…

The Washington Association of REALTORS® released a press release stating Washington home prices are rising. Here is an excerpt from the press release (bold added for emphasis):

“All real estate markets are unique. We shouldn’t be surprised that Washington State is bucking national trends,” said Dennis Rose, 2007 president of the Washington Realtors. “In order to make smart home-buying decisions, now more than ever it’s important to work with a professional REALTOR® who is familiar with the local market.”

As of mid-June, sub-prime, adjustable-rate loans represented 20 percent of loans nationally, but just 6 percent of home loans in Washington. Of those mortgages, 5 percent in Washington were delinquent, compared with 8.9 percent nationwide. The largest…

My wife and I have had rental properties for 20 years and have yet to go to small claims court, and/or go through the eviction process. We currently have several rental properties and will have a vacancy in October. Since we are in the process of finding a qualified tenant, I thought I would pass along our tips we employ in finding a qualified renter.

First, you need a bunch of folks interested. It is a numbers game. The more prospects you have to pick from, the better your chances are in finding a great tenant. We do this by renting our properties for slightly below market value (creating a demand), and second, by being the first ad in the section we are advertising in. All classified sections have their own criteria, and in our local classified…

A potential investor is always on the look out for the best and the safest place to make a profitable investment. A good investment should necessarily be one which is supported by the government, pays incredibly high returns and offers sufficient security. And for those young prospective investors who are on the hunt for investment opportunities, tax lien investing is perhaps, the top solution!

For those unaccustomed to the term, a tax lien could be broadly defined as a lien that is imposed on real estate for the non- payment of real estate taxes. In most states, the government will sell the lien to the public to create a balance in the budget. As part of the procedure, a tax lien certificate, supported by the property, is issued to the investor. Later,…

Yes, you have read it correctly, cities in Washington state are among the cities in the United States with the fastest growing home prices. Our Wenatchee is the #1 city in the country with the fastest growing home prices. Among the top twenty markets in the country are Washington's Longview real estate market (6th), Seattle metro area real estate market (17th), Tacoma real estate market (19th), and the Spokane real estate market (20th).

From the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, page 2:

The Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) with the greatest appreciation between the second quarter of 2006 and the second quarter of 2007 were: Wenatchee, Washington (23.5%), Provo-Orem, Utah (18.2%), and Salt Lake City, Utah (16.0%). The MSAs with the…

We've lived in the Tri City area of Southeast Washington for four years. We moved here to semi-retire. We cashed-in on properties we owned in Southern California and Mammoth Mountain California, and bought into our current market with the purchase of several multi-family properties. We expected to live off the rental income and didn't expect much by way of appreciation. We've been pleasantly surprised. All our multi-family properties have increased in value by an average of at least 25%, and the house we live in has nearly doubled in value. All this happening while the rest of the nation's real estate market is in dire straights.

Hot Investor Market

Like most markets, forecloses have hit us too. This has created a prime environment for the real estate…

Pasco Washington Wineries

An investment in Pasco Wa real estate certainly would include a look at Pasco's wineries and the impact the wine industry has and will have on the real estate market. Pasco may have started off as an agrarian city but economically speaking the vineyards and the wineries have also been contributing substantially to the economic growth of the region. Today these wineries are booming and there is great demand for the local wine. Many of the wineries are situated in Washington's Tri-Cities or in proximity to them. Regular tours of the vineyards and the wineries are available and wine tasting sessions are frequent.

The main viticulture area is situated in the Columbia Valley. One of the major centers for this is the Red Mountain…

Whether you got into a multi-family property as a way to make your first mark in the real estate investment industry or just because you saw a great opportunity for a beautiful property, there comes a time during anyone’s course of ownership when selling the property becomes a necessity. For some, that happens a short while into the process and for others it could be decades down the road, but that day does come for all property owners of multi-family homes...[more]

Related Resources:

• Duplex Etiquette
• Multi-Family Stepping Stone
• Multi-Family Ecosystem
• Rental Property Protection