You can view the brief report here: 

According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service “Closed sales also outgained year-ago totals. December’s completed transactions were up 7 percent from twelve months ago, rising from 4,430 closings to 4,741. Six counties registered double-digit gains (Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, and Snohomish).”

Does that mean we’re going to see prices go up, inventory go down, and mortgage rates start to climb?  Maybe.  It’s probably the number one question every Realtor hears, every day.  If I only had a crystal ball….

Enjoy the crisp, winter weather if you live here at the beach.  The sunrises have been incredible!

December Sales Report is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

$525,000

Over 9 Acres

Horse Friendly

#113721

Willapa Bay Lover? Equestrian? Look no further! Over 9 acres/534′ frontage, fenced for horses, across from the south end of Long Island. 1920s vintage home is waiting for your ideas to bring it to full potential. Lots of light, updated wiring and plumbing. Lots of storage plus attached 2 car garage. Barn has 2 stalls, lean-to, room to park a trailer. H/U for propane fplc in living room. Forced air elect heat plus bbe & wall heat. Woodstove in family room heats the whole main level! Appt only.

Discovery Coast Real Estate has some wonderful properties for sale!  And if one of those isn’t what you’re looking for, we can show and sell any property listed for sale.  We can even help with those FSBOs.  For more information on any property for sale on the Long Beach Peninsula, whether on the beach, bay, lake or top of the hill,  call us at 360-642-3325 or email Discovery Coast Real Estate.

16102 Sandridge Rd, Long Beach is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

10 Acres!

$75,000

Great Building Site

Potential Plus!

	This is your opportunity to get away from it all but still have all the conveniences of town.  Just a short jaunt to downtown Long Beach and also an easy drive to 101 to head to Astoria.  10+ acres with a large pond left over from the cranberry days. Choice of home sites.
	Zoning allows for a residential dwelling, agricultural uses, cottage industry and much more. An organic herb farm?  Greenhouse?  Cranberries again? The potential is there – it’s just up to you!  City water available.

For more info on this great property, call 1-877-637-1412 or email Discovery Coast Real Estate.  ML# 29126373

79th Ln, Long Beach is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

How do you avoid this situation?  Ask for referrals from your friends and associates.  Ask if they’ve dealt with a broker they felt treated them fairly and honestly, whether they were a buyer or seller.  Referrals are as good as gold and probably the broker is too!  Discovery Coast Real Estate is lucky to be on the receiving end of referrals several times a month and that’s what keeps us going when times are tough.  This is a big thank you to those of you who have referred us to your friends and families!

And now that you’ve selected that lucky representative, how can you make your house “FHA Loan Friendly”?  This handy flyer might help: FHA Flyer.  As always, your real estate broker should be able to help so take advantage of their expertise!

And Buyers, I’m thinking about you too.  You need a broker (agent) that will be looking out for your best interests, showing you all the homes that fit your needs regardless of which agency has the listing.  They will be prepared with all the info you need about the homes you’ll be looking at.  They will know how much you qualify since they will want you to talk to a lender before you start searching for a home.  If you haven’t done this, you’re not only wasting your time, your agent’s time and the sellers’ time but you may be disappointed when you find the house of your dreams and can’t get financing!  This can be devastating to your home buying enthusiasm. 

Ask yourself these questions and then hustle yourself to the lender of choice.  (Your broker may have recommendations based on his/her experiences with different lenders.  Beware of those that seem “too good to be true”.)

Questions:  How much money do you have in savings?  You’re going to need funds for a down payment, closing costs, inspection, etc.  If you think you qualify for down payment assistance, do you have 3.5% of the sales price of a home set aside?  Do you have family that would be willing to make a down payment gift?  There are so many different programs out there!    How’s your credit score?  Now more than ever this will affect your ability to borrow money.  (Just for fun - video about saving)

Once you’ve confirmed that you have what you need and you’ve contacted a lender to be pre-qualified, start working on your wish list!  You know what your budget is (pre-qualification) so figure out how to spend it!  3 bedrooms a must?  Need granite counters?  Garage?  Certain neighborhood or access to public transportation?  While the list will be very helpful, don’t rule out looking at homes that don’t meet all your requirements.  That two bedroom home may have a den; the counters might be ready for an upgrade anyway; the carport might be huge!  Keep an open mind and open eyes.  Pour out your heart to your agent and see what comes up.

Patience is a virtue  (The ability to wait for something without excessive frustration is a valuable character trait).  This is an unusual market for both Sellers and Buyers.  Mortgage interest is extremely low but lender requirements are stringent.  Sellers, the Buyers are out there but inventory is high, giving them a lot to compare your home to.  How does it stack up?  What incentives can you offer to make it stand out from the crowd?

And finally, remember to seek expert advice!  We’re looking out for you at Discovery Coast Real Estate!  Start your search online (84% of buyers do).

Buying or Selling? What you need to know. is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

$285,000

Business Space

Two Apartments

#127619

This is a great investment &/or business opportunity! The paint store has been owned & operated by the same persons for over 19 years. The very eye catching building includes 2 very well maintained apartments w/1 long term renter. The rent from the 2 apartments could make the payments on the building. The best of all is the owner would like to carry the contract on the building @ 6% w/a negotiable down. Business available @ a great price but not included.

Discovery Coast Real Estate has some wonderful properties for sale!  And if one of those isn’t what you’re looking for, we can show and sell any property listed for sale.  We can even help with those FSBOs.  For more information on any property for sale on the Long Beach Peninsula, whether on the beach, bay, lake or top of the hill,  call us at 360-642-3325 or email Discovery Coast Real Estate.

102 8th St, Long Beach is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

Interest rates are at a historic low, inventory is high and sellers are motivated.  Discovery Coast Real Estate can help you find just the right property at the right terms.  Visit our site, sign up for updates, contact one of our Brokers, get started on your future! 

And while you’re thinking about the beach, please visit our wonderful Visitor’s Bureau site and check all the new features.  And be sure to watch the Today Show video!

The Long Beach Peninsula is where it’s at! is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

There was one commercial sale, the Ilwaco Market, which changed hands on 7/15/10.  In the Farm and Ranch category, Cranmoor Farm sold on 7/14/10.  Single family homes, which in clude manufactured homes not in parks and condos totaled 12 with an average price of $132,633 and average 246 cummulative days on the market.  Vacant land sales ranged from $$7,500 to $90,000 in 8 separate sales.  Please note that these are strictly NWMLS listed sales.  For more detail on the sales you can view the Cross_Client_Detail3870

How’s the rest of the state doing?  Here are some excerpts from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service News Release:

Brokers reported 5,571 pending sales across the 21 counties in the Northwest MLS service area. That’s up slightly from June when they reported 5,547 pending sales, but down about 23 percent from twelve months ago when there were 7,279 pending sales.

NAR, in its prepared statement, also addressed the employment picture. “There could be couple of additional months of slow home-sales activity before picking up later this year, providing the economy continues to add jobs. We’ve turned the corner on home prices and they should remain fairly stable over the balance of the year, but we really need to see stronger job creation to have a meaningful recovery in the housing markets,” according NAR.

MLS director Matt Deasy, managing broker of Windermere Real Estate/East, suggested some would-be buyers may not fully understand the advantages of today’s low interest rates. Citing examples from Windermere’s affiliated mortgage company, Deasy said a buyer saves $374 a month on a $300,000 loan compared to three years ago. The principal and interest on a $300,000 mortgage at today’s rate of 4.375 percent would be $1,498. Three years ago, when the rate averaged 6.375 percent, the P&I payment would have been $1,872.

On a $400,000 loan, the savings would be almost $500 per month ($2,495 less $1,997 = $498). For the past 30 years, the average rate is approximately 9 percent, which puts the payment on a $300,000 loan at $2,414 – a difference of $916 per month. “Buyers are motivated when they see these comparisons,” Deasy remarked. He also believes there’s a pent-up demand based on the number of pre-approvals for loans in the mortgage company’s pipeline. He expects many of these potential buyers “will pull the trigger” once rates or prices start edging up.

July Sales Report 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

$185,000

Ocean View

Discovery Heights, Ilwaco

#81298

 Incredible ocean view from this choice Discovery Heights Phase 1A lot. City sewer and water, power, phone, cable tv in the street. Protective covenants, gated entry and up-scale homes are part of the lifestyle you can have too!

  Discovery Coast Real Estate has some wonderful properties for sale!  And if one of those isn’t what you’re looking for, we can show and sell any property listed for sale.  We can even help with those FSBOs.  For more information on any property for sale on the Long Beach Peninsula, whether on the beach, bay, lake or top of the hill,  call us at 360-642-3325 or email Discovery Coast Real Estate.

3007 Lighthouse Keeper’s Road is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com

OLYMPIA – Clam diggers got the go-ahead to proceed with the second razor-clam dig of the fall season starting Wednesday, Nov. 4, on evening tides at two ocean beaches.  Long Beach will open on Nov. 4, 6 and 7 only. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the digs after a series of marine toxin tests confirmed the clams were safe to eat. Digging at the beaches will be restricted to the hours between noon and midnight.

Additional digging opportunities are planned at five ocean beaches in mid-November. Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, said the department was able to offer the early November digs at Long Beach and Twin Harbors due to the abundant razor clam populations on those beaches. “With more clams available for harvest south of Grays Harbor, we can offer these digging opportunities in addition to the ones that will include all beaches coming up later this month,” Ayres said.

The best time to start digging is an hour or two before low tide, said Ayres, who also recommends that clam diggers take lights or lanterns and check weather and surf conditions before heading out. Harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container. A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Any 2009 annual shellfish/seaweed license or combination fishing license is still valid. Another option is a razor-clam only license available in annual or three-day only versions. Descriptions of the various options are available on the WDFW website at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.

Opening dates and evening low tides FOR LONG BEACH are:  Wednesday, Nov. 4 (7:33 p.m. -1.3 ft.), Friday, Nov. 6 (9:07 p.m. -0.9 ft.) Saturday, Nov. 7 (9:59 p.m. -0.5 ft.)

In addition, WDFW has tentatively scheduled three other digs through Jan. 3. Dates scheduled in mid-November are:  Saturday, Nov. 14 (4:34 p.m. -0.3 ft.) , Sunday, Nov. 15 (5:21 p.m. -0.7 ft.), Monday, Nov. 16 (6:05 p.m. -0.9 ft.)

Dates scheduled Dec. 2 through Jan. 3 are:

Wednesday, Dec. 2 (6:32 p.m. -1.2 ft.) ,  Friday, Dec. 4 (8:04 p.m. -1.3 ft.) Saturday, Dec. 5 (8:51 p.m. -0.9 ft.) Thursday, Dec. 31 (6:16 p.m. -1.1 ft.), Friday, Jan. 1 (7:01 p.m. -1.8 ft.) ,Saturday, Jan. 2 (7:45 p.m. -1.6 ft.),  Sunday, Jan. 3 (8:29 p.m. -1.2 ft.)

Thanks to Funbeach for this update.  I will have 2010 Tide Books in the office starting next week!  Drop by and pick up a couple.

Have you checked out the home page of Discovery Coast Real Estate?  How do you like the new look?

Clam Dates Announced! is a post from: discoverycoastrealestate.com