Meredith Laws

Hi Larry,

This is on leased land. The lease is with the BIA - annual lease is just under $8000 a year. This listing is currently cancelled - not sure why it's still showing up on Trulia , but if you are interested in the property we can get updated info for you.

Thanks!
Meredith Laws
Windermere Real Estate / Anacortes Properties
meredith@windermere.com - Thu Nov 6 2008, 20:50

San Francisco is more expensive but will probably hold it's value better in the long run just as a function of it being a bigger financial center than Seattle or Portland. BUT - Seattle and Portland will cost you way less up front and will offer you pretty much the same living amenities as San Francisco in your retirement. I think all three markets are very similar in terms of holding or not holding their value over the long term.

It all comes down to what your priorities are in your retirement and how much you want to spend. - Tue Oct 28 2008, 08:21

Good question! I am glad to see a discussion about this very thing. As the market slides and sellers get more frustrated, they are asking agents to do more in the way of "marketing" their homes and avoiding the real problem - their pricing. Yes, that one buyer might be out there who is perfect for a property, but they still have to find value in the property before they open their wallet.

In my opinion, most listings, especially Windermere listings, have all the exposure they need within about a month of being listed. With the millions of websites sweeping the MLS -your listings are everywhere anyway, and a month is enough time for print ads and mailers to get noticed. After a month of solid exposure, sellers can make an informed decision about whether to keep it on the market as is or drop the price.

Of course we should make every effort to effectively market a home, but we are overlooking the real product that we bring to the table for our clients - our market expertise with regard to pricing, buyers trends, negotiating and our good relationships with the agents that are probably going to bring a buyer. Any agent can mail out nice postcards, hire a photographer for a beautiful photo gallery and plaster it all over the Internet, but it's pricing that will ultimately attract a buyer and sell the listing. If that price is higher because the house is beautiful - great!

Our job is to be honest with sellers, use our experience and data and explain local market conditions so that our sellers can be confident that their property is priced correctly. Agents that can do that accurately and are truly representing their sellers best interests and are worth every penny of their commission!

More agents need to realize and convey to sellers that true market expertise and the ability to price property correctly is far more valuable than a marketing campaign. Agents need to stop being afraid of being honest with their sellers about what is going on in the market and help their sellers evaluate what their objectives are and what they need to do to get their house sold. - Mon Oct 27 2008, 22:07

FYI - Yakima was specifically highlighted the other day on the Today show as being one of very few places in the country that aprreciated last year. - Thu Oct 23 2008, 07:46

Hi Jackie,

You can ferret out lists from government or bank websites in some areas - but you will spend a lot of time putting everything together - that's why the subscriptions websites make money.

The best way is to find a REALTOR in your area who is familiar with the foreclosure and bank-owned markets. Most likely they already subscribe to the services and the commission you pay for their expertise will be well worth it! Stick with one agent - your loyalty will pay off.

Good luck!
Meredith Laws - Tue Aug 19 2008, 12:25