BethAnn Long’s Blog

• Spokane Wa. is the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis, Mn.
• Spokane’s climate has 4 distinct seasons.
• Spokane is a SUNNY CITY! Over 200 days of sunshine year round.
• Spokane is surrounded by 76 lakes, 4 major Rivers, 13 ski resorts and 32 golf courses.
• Spokane has the 2nd best summer weather in the US.
• Average of less than 20 minute commute.
• Excellent Hospitals, home to 2nd and 3rd largest hospitals in Washington State.
• Voted #9 ” Hot Spot”   FORBES MAGAZINE 4/7/08 Best places for business and careers!
• Home of several excellent Universities and Colleges.
• City and County Population apx. 418,000.
• Spokane hosted the 1974 Worlds Fair.
• Progressive Arts and Culture. (see http://experiencespokane.com/artsandculture/ )

BethAnn Long, Realtor Tomlinson South Inc.

For a free RELOCATION PACKAGE e-mail me at bethann@tb.com   or visit my website www.bethannhomes.com  

2008 the year the snow was GREAT!

WOW. Record snowfall here in Spokane, WA.

It is New Years eve, and looking back on a December to remember.

60 inches of snow in 17 days! A RECORD SNOWFALL for December in Spokane, WA since the dawning of the age of Aquarius. (Since records have been kept, I believe 1881) !

It is the best of times for playing and such. Watching the kids brings back magical memories of jumping off our second story house on Mission street when I was a youngster into a big snow!

I have hunkered down here at home, somewhat lazy, occasionally productive.

Pondering 2009, and what that will bring. Mainly I have been grateful to the bone that all of my kids were home safe and sound for Christmas.

Back to the record snowfall. A blanket of white. Looks warm, feels cold. Dogs love it so much when we walk them, they prance and bob in and out of snow drifts, pounce and puff through the mysterious playful and moveable chilly stuff.

A dogs life, the life of Riley. Their golden fur looks so cozy and protective as we waltz along in our snow clothes, peeling off the layers as we go .

I am not sure if I like the snow, but I certainly love it in December. It can go away now, return to the sky for all I care, once the holidays pass.

But it will return, and here in God’s country we never know quite when, or how much. We anticipate it with the most childlike wonder, and grudge it as we shovel.

Snow, come. Snow, go.

Perhaps next winter you could give us a little break, as you really outdid yourself this year. 2008-the snow was great.

BethAnn Long,   REALTOR Tomlinson South Inc. 12/31/08 509-362-4607

BEWARE AND BE AWARE.

I have been made aware that it would benefit all homeowners, our clients,  customers, friends and family to be very CAUTIOUS when hiring a MOVING COMPANY.

NOT ALL MOVERS ARE CREATED EQUAL.

There are increasing numbers in reports of MOVING SCAMMERS. They give low bids, have no insurance and have been known to keep peoples posessions as ransom for more payment than initially quoted.

As realtors, I think we can help raise awareness in regard to this matter, so people we service and care about don’t become the victim of a shoddy mover.

The moral of the story: The cheapest bid may NOT be the best bet. REFERENCES are always a must when someone is handling all of your eartly goods.

Thanks for stopping by! Please visit my active blog at : http://www.activerain.com/blogs/bethannhomes

Very interesting.

You would think with all of the inventory, and good interest rates rates, buyers would be buying more real estate!

I think some people are waiting for the bottom. When do you know prices are at their lowest? Easy- the answer is…when they start rising again! I think some folks could be in for an unpleasant suprise.

Ask yourself as a buyer…, are you comfortable buying in a rising market? Wouldn’t you be better off to deal with the known rather than the unknown?

We only are privvy to the information we have at the present moment.The present moment suggests NOW could very well be a better time to buy then, say 6 months from now. We don’t know for sure or have a crystal ball, but wether or not you are concerned about prices in the   short run or long run is a good question to ask yourself.

 BethAnn Long ~ Realtor

www.BethAnnHomes.com

Spring is a magical  season here in Spokane. Having just hosted Bloomsday, the worlds largest footrace, (www.bloomsdayrun.org ) Spokane is buzzing with the celebration of Spring. The lilacs will soon be blooming here in the lilac city!Our spectacular  Lilac Festival Parade is May 17th at 7:45 pm. !

With the amazing parks we have in Spokane, places to hike, walk and ride bikes (The Centennial Trail!)a paved 37 mile trail along the amazing Spokane River you will never run out of outdoor adventures.

The real estate market in Spokane is still “affordable” and stable . While it has slowed down, it is still predicted for a 4.2% increase for 2008. This slow down was somewhat necsessary for the area when the prior two year jumps are taken into consideration.

As a realtor, I am finding sellers are a bit nervous, and buyers are taking more time looking. This market will weed out part time agents, and many who are not producing for one reason or another.

The most important thing is to guide, encourage, and advise sellers and buyers throughy this vastly different market than just a short time ago.

I do have 3 “flippers” right now, and this market is not an easy one for them. I have been using an inexpensive stager recently who does a wonderful job, and I am hoping it will increase showings.

For more detailed information on the Spokane Market, you can e-mail me at” bethann@tb.com

www.BethAnnHomes.com   (web site)

This This graph comes directly from the Spokane Association of Realtors and shows the reality of how our market has changed.

The GOOD NEWS remains that property values are holding, and even appriciating, but due to supply (way up) and demand(down) there are many homes languishing on the market. Thus the biggest issue: price your home correctly when selling!

An over priced listing will sit for months…and create exhaustion and frustration. Price competitivley and be on your way to the bank or wherever you want to go!

Here in Spokane, Wa. we experience an extraordinary quality of Life. Four distinct seasons, dozens of beautiful lakes, and like our motto says: “Near Nature, Near Perfect.”

We even have a stable real estate market here, and we are still experiencing appriciation predicted in 2008 to be 4.2%, a big slow down for us.

Our invebtory is up here, so things are moving abit slower, but there is still incredible opportunity here.

Check out www.housingpredictor.com   to see we are in the top 10 for market predictions!~

In fact, www.forbes.com ranks Spokane as the 9th best place in the nation to start a business!

To view homes in Spokane, you can visit my web site at www.BethAnnHomes.com   and contact me for a complimentary relocation package if you are checking out different areas.

Welcome to BethAnn Long’s Blog! This blog will provide you with valuable information, tips, and general insight into the real estate market in Spokane.