Cowlitz News and Real Estate

Lately we are seeing more and more Foreclosures/Bank Own properties than usual around here in Cowlitz County but these homes are selling almost as fast as they come on the market, out of 36 Bank Own homes in the county 20 are already under contract. Even though foreclosure homes often are great deal, they are not for everyone because foreclosure homes are sold in "As Is" condition no repairs no warranties what so ever and more times than not they need some kind of repairs and if you are not a good handy man then some repairs could be costly.

An important thing to keep in mind when dealing with Bank Foreclosure homes (especially if not paying cash for it) there are couple things to keep in mind patience, patience and more patience. Usually, banks are very slow to respond to offers, counter offers, etc. so be very patient and also not all of these homes qualify for a normal conventional loans, so is a good idea to meet with your mortgage professional to determine if you qualify for rehab loan or the loan needed to do the purchase.

When purchasing a home most buyers look for move-in ready condition homes but for investors, good handy man or anyone that is up for a challenge a foreclosure home can be an excellent opportunity to build some quick equity. So, if you are interested in this kind of homes and like to see what is available in the area, visit our Cowlitz County Foreclosures page or for more information on the buying process of bank own properties or to schedule an appointment to view one of these homes don't hesitate to call me at 360 751 4001 or e-mail me at gonzalezq@windermere.com

If you want to sell and have been wondering whether if it is a good time to put or not put your Cowlitz County home on the market, with Spring coming up and the market picking up (as I wrote on one of my post below) I believe is a great time to get your home on the market, not to mention that always are buyers out there looking and only take one of them to get your home sold.

Here are some tips for those who decide to get their home on the market. Keep in mind that a clean home and in good condition sells faster that one in poor condition. Use the following tips to help you identify those areas that may need improvement. Put your self on the buyer's shoes and look at your home as if you were the buyer.

On the outside make sure the following areas are presentable: Lawn, Hedges & Shrubs, Flower Beds, Fences & Gates, Walks & Driveways, Home Exterior, Paint, Trim Paint, Porches, Decks, Railings, Brickwork, Siding, Front Door, Roof, Pick Up Clutter.

On the inside look at traffic patterns, floor/carpet, walls and ceilings on all rooms especially entryway, living, family and dinning rooms. In the kitchen check the countertops, cabinets, interior/exterior, appliances, facets and sinks.  On the bedroom check the window, window coverings and closets. One the bathrooms check the tub, shower enclosure, toilet, tile & grouts, sinks and counter tops and facets.

Contact Cowlitz County real estate agent, Venancio Gonzalez a GRI, E-PRO Realtor®, with Windermere Real Estate Allen & Associates, 360 751 4001 for more sellers tips and information, list your home or to purchase a home in Longview, Kelso, Woodland, Kalama, Castle Rock, Toutle, Silver Lake and Cathlamet.

Checking the stats for the Cowlitz County real estate market is definitely clear that the market is picking up, as usual does every year after slow December and January. At the beginning of this month I posted the stats for January and there were only 38 homes pending at that time, now two weeks later the homes under contract (pending and STI) have more than double to 93.

Is finally over, the waiting that is or should I say, is finally here. I'm talking about the Lexington Estates new real estate development. It has been a while (almost a year) since the first announcement came out about this new housing development in the Lexington area, since then quit a few people have ask some question like how far along the project is? How long before they will be available for viewing? What are they going to be like? Well, the first few homes are already done and ready, beginning tomorrow February 9, 2008 they will be open for public viewing every weekend and beginning on April first they'll be open daily. So, if you are one of those people interested on one of these homes the chance to see what they are like is here. Come and visit Saturday or Sunday from 12:00 - 4:00.

If for any reason you haven't heard about this and have no clue about what I'm talking about, visit my post The New Development Lexington Estates - Kelso Washington where you can learn more about this. For any other questions e-mail me or give me a call.

Directions - I-5 from N or S to Exit 42 across new bridge, Right on Westside Hwy, Left on Rainbow Way, Left on Penny Lane.

Generally December and January are the slowest months for the Cowlitz County real estate market and this year is not the exception.  The following is a market review of single family homes in all Cowlitz County. There are 712 active listings, 38 listings are pending and only 30 homes were sold on January.  There is currently about 9 months of estimated inventory of homes for sale. The lowest price is $49,900 and the highest is $1,600,000.

The most competitive and slower moving price range is $250,000 - $299,999, in this price range there are 119 active listings, 4 pending, 3 contingent and 0 listings sold in January in this price range. The most active price rage for January is $200,000 - $249,999, seven listings went pending and seven were sold.