Totally remodelled; roof, central heat and air (Lenox), floor coverings, kitchen, bathroom, vinyl windows.  Nice covered front porch goes to the length of the home.  Home is move-in ready!  Behind the garaage there is a storage shed on a 15'x15' concrete pad.

One of a kind! Tastefully converted to a cozy comfortable home with lots of charm! Knotty Pine, tongue-in-groove walls in family room. Loft has been used as a fun 3rd bedroom that makes you feel like you are in a cabin in the woods. Built-in china hutch and built-in dresser in master bedroom. 3 storage buildings and a great garden area on a very large fenced lot. Great neighborhood and 2 houses away from the dike and river. A must see!!

For more information or a personal showing, contact Don Havre at (509) 783-8400.

Highly maintained three-bedroom rambler with basement.  Features: updated central air conditioning and gas furnace; living room with plenty of natural light; kitchen with built-in eating area  and gas range oven; dining area; one and three fourths baths; basement with family room that’s perfect for a separate guest area; large utility room; garage with work space and electricity.

Call The Havre Team for more information or a personal showing.  Don Havre (509) 783-8400.

In Kennewick West Kennewick is the major sales leader with 417 sales last year.  The most expensive area is SW Kennewick (Badger Canyon and the Reita area).     In Richland the most sales and most expensive neighborhood continues to be South Richland (south of the Yakima River). 

West Pasco had 744 sales, far more than any other neighborhood in the Tri-Cities. 

Most expensive neighborhoods were South Richland, SW Kennewick, North Pasco and North Richland respectively.

Most sales by units were in West Pasco, West Kennewick, South Richland  and West Richland respectively.  If I were buying a home in the Tri-City area, I would consider this data for re-sale purposes. 

Absolutely immaculate four-bedroom home with park-like setting in backyard. 

Features: large fenced backyard with koi pond, custom deck, storage shed and garden areas;
RV parking on side of home; oversized master suite with walk-in closet and dual vanity sink.
Must see home in person to appreciate condition and cleanliness. A great place to call home!
 
Call The Havre Team today for more information or a personal viewing (509) 783-8400.

This home is a knock out. Clean. Upgraded. Beautiful cabinets and appliances. Trex Deck with roof. Convection oven. Breakfast room was converted to a den with built in bookcases and desk. Propane fireplace in living room. Top of the line heat pump. Carpets exceed normal expectations. Vinyl siding and windows.

For more information, a personal viewing or to view other kennewick wa homes for sale, contact Don Havre with The Havre Team at (509) 783-8400. 

Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season and Merry Christmas!    Don Havre

And.. remember to give us a call for your real estate needs. 

Taking the Pending Sales Procedure I analyzed all neighborhoods in the Tri-Cities WA area.  The chart below indicates that West Pasco continues to be the hottest real estate market while SE Kennewick is the slowest with over 9 months of inventory.  The SE Kennewick area is best defined as south of 10th Avenue, East of Hwy 395 and west of Washington Avenue.  Canyon Lakes is in the NW corner of this neighborhood.   I believe this area is more sluggish because of its distance from North Richland where many high tech jobs are located and the Umatilla Chemical Storage area is near closure.

The most expensive area is SW Kennewick which includes the Badger Canyon and East Pasco is the least expensive area.   As a home buyer or seller it’s recommended you consider this data when making your real estate decisions.

Stucco home in mint condition! One level, 4 bedroom with walk-in closets, great room concept with formal dining. Move-in ready, better than new! Gourmet kitchen, pantry, Corian type countertop, extra cabinetry with wine rack and storage galore. Split bedrooms. Very private fenced back yard. The lot is wide enough for RV parking behind the fence.

Three-bedroom home with a beautiful view of the Columbia River. Features: large open kitchen with breakfast nook and built in desk; large custom deck to enjoy the view; master suite with private access to the back deck, dual vanity sinks, jetted tub, walk-in closet and walk-in shower; great room with vaulted ceiling, cozy gas fireplace and an abundance of natural lighting; new carpet and vinyl through-out.

As far as building permits are concerned, Pasco has been very active building on available lots.  Unless lot development increases, Pasco may be facing a lot shortage.  Last week I wrote on offer representing a buyer on the second to last lot for a major builder in North Pasco area.  What makes this area especially attractive is that the area is within the area qualifying for USDA loans.  USDA  loans require zero down and the seller may pay closing costs.  The majority of the sales for this builder have been financed by USDA loans.  This builder is moving its operations to Kennewick where it most likely will face higher lot development costs and will not be within a USDA area.  Therefore, economic factors imply the company may be facing an uphill challenge as compared to its Pasco development.

With interest rates at record lows, the buyers continue to require down payments to purchase unless qualifying government loans are available.

One of the best measures of a community’s growth is the monitor the area’s newly platted residential lots.    The September 2011 stats indicate that City of Pasco had 691 newly platted lots last year; therefore to be on a consistent time-line, the city should have approximately 518 lots through September.   The chart below indicates the city had only 231 lots.   Meanwhile, West Richland is showing similar lot development as last year and both Kennewick and Richland are well ahead of last year’s lot development.

Total sales through September 2011 were 2145 homes.  This is the lowest sales to September for the last three years.   The median sales prices continue to climb.  New construction and lot development are contributing factors.

Quarterly Washington State University publishes housing statistics for the State.  For the Second Quarter of 2011, I selected some counties to provide a comparison with the Tri-City area.   It is interesting to note that Benton County and Franklin counties had a 30% decline in sales as compared to the previous year while the state average indicated a decline of only 11.3%.    One reason for this difference is that other counties have experienced major sales declines during previous quarters.   The Tri-Cities continues to have a median sales price less than the State average and the prices are continuing to climb.  Our high percentage of new home sales is contributing to this situation.   For the lowest priced homes Lincoln and Wahkiakum Counties are the places to live and San Juan County is the most expensive.   I suspect many are building their retirement homes on San Juan Island.

The Housing Affordability Index (HAI) measures the ability of a typical family to make payments on a median priced home.  It assumes a 20% down payment and 30-year amortizing. For First-time buyers it assumes a less expensive home, lower down payment and lower income.   Based upon this measure the Tri-City area continues to be an affordable place to live for both first-time buyers and move up buyers.

I believe three major forces are impacting on the negative news.  One is the massive foreclosure backlog in some areas.   In states where a court order is required, it will take several years to process the paperwork.    The New York Times reported that it will take lenders 62 years to repossess the 213,000 New York homes currently in foreclosure.  New Jersey will take 49 years and a decade for Illinois and Massachusetts.

The second factor is the tight lending guidelines and the third is job market situation.   Until these factors are brought into alignment, our national market is not likely to become positive.