If you’re a seller, or want to be a seller, there’s still plenty of time to take advantage of the good weather, tourists and the low interest rates (as of today, at a record low for 2011.  The 30-year fixed averaged 4.39 %.  The 15-year fixed &  5-year ARM set new historical record lows with an average of 3.54% and 3.18% , respectively.)

But there are a lot of things you can do to make your house be the one at the top of a buyer’s list.  Here’s a “top ten” list that might give you an edge over all those other listings!

Changes have been made to Discovery Coast Real Estate’s website! You can now search for WATERFRONT/WATERVIEW, HOMES UNDER $100K, and CONDOS with one quick click!  And don’t forget you can search the NEWEST LISTINGS, EXCLUSIVE LISTINGS and by CITY.

Lots of fun stuff to do this month:  Jake the Alligator Man’s Birthday, Jazz & Oysters, Blues & Seafood, Oregon Tuna Classic, Kite Festival… plus Summerfest, Farmer’s Market, Saturday Market at the Port of Ilwaco, Art Walk and more.  Better check out Funbeach and schedule your vacation time!

Sell your house! is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

How I Spent my Birthday Weekend!

First, I have to admit that this was a big numbered birthday.  But it was special, thanks to my wonderful husband, Charlie!  He always tries to make my birthday a sweet surprise and he managed to accomplish it again.  Okay, so it didn’t go according to plan, but it was a fun weekend.

Thinking he could trick me by taking Hwy 26 instead of 30, we headed towards Portland.  About 1/2 hour before we reached our mystery destination, he had me put on a sleep mask so I couldn’t see where we were going.  He really had me confused, but that’s not difficult since I don’t really know Portland and my inner GPS has always been flawed.  When I lived in Virigina, I had to carry a compass since I thought I was always going west (that’s where the water is supposed to be if you’re a left-coaster).  Lots of twists and turns, stop lights, etc. but his downfall was the fact that our good friends, John and Rita, live on a street with a very distinctive set of turns.  So, I knew where we are.  That and the fact that since we were taking Porsche The Boxer, we probably weren’t going to a fancy hotel!  I don’t know who had more fun that weekend, me or the dog.  (see photo!)

From left: Sophie (Porsche’s mom), Wesley and Porsche.  Handing out the treats is Rita.

After settling in and having a delicious lunch, we made a trip to Gartners, our favorite butcher shop.  Later that day, after enjoying the Masters on TV, having a couple of John’s great margaritas and pizza for dinner, I was told to get myself ready to go out.  Didn’t know where we were headed, but I got into my dress-up clothes and we all took off for downtown.  Arrived at a theater to see a play!  Note – do not arrive late for a play because they won’t let you in.  No, not even 3 minutes late!  Okay, that didn’t work out too well but the good news is that we get to see a play in May to make up for it.

Sunday was birthday shopping day, relaxing with our friends and then a lovely dinner at Jake’s where my name was printed on top of the menus!  After that, it was back to the house for a birthday “pie”.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend!

A Milestone… is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

Christmas was a happy family affair for us.  I hope that however you celebrated the holidays, you had half as much fun as we did!

You may recall that I posted information on the beautiful boat, The Mariner.  Her owner is looking to trade for property at the beach.  Well, I have another one.  This is the Altair and she’s a beauty too.  Both these boat owners would love to be in Ilwaco.  Let me know if you have ideas for trades (or even if you just want to buy their boat!)

How’s the market, you ask?  My report this month covers December 11, 2010 through January 7, 2011.  While we were very busy writing offers and listing properties, there weren’t a lot of sales that closed during this period.  The holidays sometimes distract people!  South Pacific County saw only 9 listed transactions close during this period.  There were six residential sales (which includes manufactured homes and condos).  Sale prices ranged from $35,000 to $285,000.   There were three vacant land sales: $40,000, $40,000 (Thanks Tom!) and $50,000.  If you’d like more details on these sales, feel free to ask.  I have a feeling my next report will be much happier!

HAPPENINGS: 

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has announced plans for another razor-clam dig this month and one in February. Provided that upcoming tests are favorable, clam diggers will get their next chance to hit the beach Jan. 20-22 here at Long Beach, which extends from the Columbia River to Leadbetter Point.  Digging is restricted to the hours between noon and midnight.  Tentative digging days and tides for the two proposed openings are:

• Jan. 20, Thursday – 6:59 p.m. (-1.3 ft.)
• Jan. 21, Friday – 7:38 p.m. (-1.1 ft.)
• Jan. 22, Saturday – 8:19 p.m. (-0.6 ft.)
• Feb. 18, Friday – 6:33 p.m. (-0.9 ft.)
• Feb. 19, Saturday – 7:13 p.m. (-0.5 ft.)

Read the full press release from WDFW and see our page on Razor Clam digging.

And today’s real estate vocabulary words:

ALTA (American Land Title Association) - The trade association of the title insurance industry, which has adopted certain insurance policy forms to standardize coverage on a national basis.

Amortization - Payment to reduce the principal of a debt in regular, periodic installments.

Appraisal - A report from an independent third party detailing the estimated value of real estate.

Happy New Year from Discovery Coast Real Estate!  We’re toasting your 2011 beach property so get in to see us so we can make it happen.

And a big WELCOME to our newest broker/agent, Georgia Werner.  Send her a welcome message – I know she’ll appreciate it.  She’ll be in next year’s picture for sure!

Welcome to 2011! is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

Don’t forget that you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook!  You can also check on the newest listings at the beach, search by community, price, type of property… 

Let the experts at Discovery Coast Real Estate make your next transaction the best you’ve every had!

	Porsche in July, 2009
	Porsche in August, 2010

Then and Now… is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

Remember, this Saturday is the Beach to Chowder Challenge, a 5K Walk or Run/10K Run Half Marathon.  The weather should be wonderful (it always is at the beach) and this will give you a good excuse to get to the beach for the weekend.  The Saturday Market in Ilwaco will be going on as well as free concerts at Waikiki Beach at Cape Disappointment.  Saturday evening is the Bunco for Breast Cancer fundraiser. 

And if that isn’t enough to get you here, how about some FREE FISHING?

Watch for me and Porsche the Pup at the Beach to Chowder Challenge.  We’ll be the ones walking!

Coming soon…. is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

Today, March 26, Judy took the money they had collected and purchased dog food which was delivered to the shelter.  Judy also donates  the money for ingredients.

Look for these great dog treats in various businesses on the Long Beach Peninsula, including Discovery Coast Real Estate where you can find a home for you and your best friend(s)!  Don’t have a best friend?  There are several loving dogs and cats waiting for their forever homes at the South Pacific County Humane Society. Remember, the adoption fee for all the cats in the “Jungle Room” has been paid for by Discovery Coast Real Estate.

Karen Kissler’s Kritter Treats Co. is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

Ready, Respond, Recover – presented by the Pacific County Economic Development Council October 14, 2009.  This conference will provide Pacific and Wahkiakum County businesses with emergency plan development and critical information about securing business facilities, communicating with customers and access to financial resources.  Call 360-875-9330 or 360-642-9330 to register or visit their site.  EDC

REAL ESTATE!!

New listings to check out: 

Don’t miss out on the fun of owning beach property!  There’s still a lot of great weather left.

Ever been to the Doggie Olympics? Like organizing things?  The future depends on a new chairperson.  If you’d be interested in helping out in this capacity, please let me know.  This is a fun event and we have great ideas for next year’s “games”.

Do you own property at the beach that you’d like to sell but haven’t been able to?  Ever want to own a fishing boat?  Have I got a deal for you!    The owner of the Mariner would like to trade this beauty for partial payment on a vacation home here at the beach.    Contact me for more info.

One last note about something you might want to attend:

There will be a dedication on Saturday, September 19, in Long Beach to 
celebrate the completion of the Discovery Trail which runs from south 
to the Port of Ilwaco. The event will begin at 9 AM at the Bolstad 
Beach Approach and will include a Chinook tribal blessing, ribbon 
cutting and a walk/run/bike along the trail.

That’s all for now, except for the requisite pet photo!

Porsche & Gabby

Rod Run, Real Estate and more! is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

There have been a few new listings in the last week and for those of you who don’t regularly check the new listings on my site (RECENT LISTINGS) here they are.  RECENTLY LISTED

And there have been a few sales too.  JUST SOLD! You can also follow these on my site:  JUST SOLD

According to Realtor.org, the pace of existing -home sales grew in June, giving us 3 consecutive months of upturn.  Buyers are starting to take advantage of good prices, affordable interest rates and the $8,000 home buyer tax credit. You don’t want to miss out on this so give us a call and let us show you how affordable your own home can be.  Aren’t you tired of renting?  And before you start house-hunting, you  might want to take a look at our POPULAR POSTS to get some pointers on being pre-approved, etc.

San Diego!

We just returned from a few days in San Diego where, as usual, they had a heat wave start as soon as we arrived!  We did have a great time at Charlie’s Air Force reunion of men stationed in Chaumont, France in the 60′s.  In addition to touring, we spent a day on a catamaran, sailing the bay and out into the ocean.  Never saw the dolphins, but had a great lunch pool-side at a hotel.  Being back in the northwest with the cool weather, sunny skies and no traffic feels good!

Porsche & Sophie

Porsche and Wes

While we were gone Porsche the pup got to spend the week with her mother and had an absolutelywonderful time.  She also got to meet her step-father in training (does that make sense?) Sir John of Wesley (Wes for short).

Labor Day is Here! is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

Cute photo of the week! Frank (on top), Porsche the Boxer and Julie the American Shorthair.

Fish on!  Buoy 10 opens August 1 through August 31.

Like Covered Bridges?  Mark your calendars for the Grays River Celebration.

Remember, you can keep up on the latest listings from my website, Discovery Coast Real Estate.  Just visit NEWEST LISTINGS and contact us for more information.

Here’s something to plan for:  The SW Washington YMCA is planning a big weekend at the beach and it sounds like lots of fun for everyone:

August 22^nd 1pm Hilltop Bowl in Ilwaco $20 entry fee gets you 2 games and lunch. We are looking for a total of 8 teams of 6. We will have raffle prizes and a 50/50 raffle for cash money too. As well as a grand prize for the team with the combined highest score. And special prizes for the team with the best Hawaiian shirts or team shirts. Contact Craig at Lost Weekend Clothing Company for your team shirts at 360-642-LOST or www.lostweekendclothing.com

August 23^rd 10am at Peninsula Golf Course $40 entry fee gets you 9 holes and a BBQ lunch afterward. We are also still looking for hole sponsors ($50), a hole in one challenge sponsor for hole #4 and raffle items. We will be selling Mulligans, Putting String and a 50/50 raffle for cash money.

For more info, contact Trish Potter.

THIS WEEK’S PICK OF THE LISTINGS:

PORT OF ILWACO TURN KEY RESTAURANT WATERVIEW DINING $240,000 CLICK PHOTO FOR MORE INFO.

Just a reminder: Starting in August, I will no longer be sending out regular emails. Instead, I’m encouraging all of you to sign up for my website’s RSS feed. This new technology is great! Here’s how it works: click the link below and type in your email address. The next time I post a new listing on my blog, you’ll get an email with all the information! This way, you’ll hear about my hot new listings right away, instead of having to wait until my next newsletter. If the signup link here doesn’t work for you, you can also sign up on my website – look for the big blue box at the top of the sidebar. And, of course, please call or email me if you have any questions or problems with signing up!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR RSS FEEDS!

Monday Musings… is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

July 6, 2009

I drove to Portland to take possession of Charlie’s “Porsche”.  The cutest boxer pup you could imagine, but this Porsche seems to have a water leak!

Porsche meets a few of the household cats. They weren’t sure what she was. Knew she wasn’t a cat so no competition there, but not a dog either so they weren’t scared of her. Gabbie, Julie & Frank seemed the most unconcerned about the whole affair and were even interested in playing. Of course, her food was a real show stopper!

Thursday, June 9 was the wonderful Art Walk at the Port of Ilwaco.  Porsche walked on her leash almost all the way from home to the Port.  After that, her feet hardly touched the ground because everyone wanted to cuddle her!  By the time we ended the evening at Raven & Finch, she was plumb tuckered out.

If you love Boxers, Cats, the Long Beach Peninsula, Funbeach, or real estate at the beach, be sure to sign up for my RSS feeds.  Starting in August, I will no longer be sending out my regular newsletter emails. Instead, I’m encouraging all of you to sign up for my website’s RSS feed. This new technology is great! Here’s how it works: click the link below and type in your email address. The next time I post a new listing on my blog, you’ll get an email with all the information! This way, you’ll hear about my hot new listings right away, instead of having to wait all the way until my next newsletter. If the signup link here doesn’t work for you, you can also sign up on my website – look for the big blue box at the top of the sidebar. And, of course, please call or email me if you have any questions or problems with signing up!

Sign up for my RSS Feed Now!

The Puppy Chronicles – It begins…. is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com