Port Angeles Washington is known for beautiful scenery and diverse outdoor activities to enjoy. There is a magnificent green built home here that allows the owner to enjoy this unmatched natural beauty anytime they wish.   If you haven't been to Port Angeles you should go. It is a quaint "seaside" city on the northern shore of the Olympic Peninsula with the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the north and the thick green evergreens of the Olympic National Forest on the South. The downtown area of Port Angeles offers many great restaurants and eateries, unique shops, yearly festivals, intriguing art scene, and public spots to enjoy views of activity on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island just across the water. Adventure out into nature and find numerous hiking and biking trails includ... 03/08/2014

What a fabulous day today (6/21/11) to see the eighth wonder of the world - Hurricane Ridge.  And, it's free. Today, the National Parks Service has issued a "free pass day".  For nature lovers, hikers and anyone who appreciates the most incredible vistas, that's a good excuse to go to the Northwest's premiere attraction - Olympic National Park. If you have never been to Hurricane Ridge, it is a short drive from Port Angeles, Washington, south to a ridge overlooking the Olympic Mountain Range.  The views are every bit as good as anywhere in the Alps. Take a look - here is a webcam. OK - saving the $15 visitor fee is no big deal but this I guarantee is worth the trip at any price - a good day trip for the first day of summer. 06/21/2011

Port Angeles Real Estate: Real estate investing is really an art and, like any art, it takes time to master the art of real estate investing. The key, of course, is to buy at a lower price and sell at higher price and make a profit even after paying all the costs involved in the two (buy/sell) transactions. Generally, people are of the opinion that Port Angeles real estate investing makes sense only when the rates are on the rise. However, real estate investing for profits is possible just about any time (and as I just said, real estate investing is an art). Here is a list of tricks that can make real estate investing profitable for you: 1) Look for public auctions, divorce settlements and Port Angeles foreclosures (bank/FHA/VA): Since quick settlement is the preference here (and not pr... 06/13/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: Considering the purchase of Foreclosure property? Here are some steps to follow to help you achieve your goal. The Port Angeles real estate market is being bombarded weekly with new Foreclosures ... as well .... in every area in the USA.  How can you find them? Simple, call a few Port Angeles real estate agents and ask them to send you daily listings that meet your criteria, don't be vague, be as detailed as possible and within a realistic price range.  In other words if you qualify for a  $100,000 loan don't focus on $ 1,000,000 homes, odds are you will never get an offer accepted and if you did we are talking about hundreds of offers. That takes time and energy and you will probably end up losing your Port Angeles real estate agent. Once you start receiving t... 05/31/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: I am living in living in the third Port Angeles house I have purchased during my 23 years of home ownership. To some that may seem like a lot of houses, to others it may seem like I've just started. The simple fact is we Americans move a lot... 11 or 12 times in a lifetime depending on whom you consult. Chances are you are going to purchase a house during quite a few of those moves and somewhere along the line you may have the opportunity to build a new home. Should you? Everyone has fantasized at some point about his or her dream house. You may want closets big enough to live in; a bathroom that doubles as a spa; a kitchen in which you could produce programs for the Food Network But, as in most fantasies, there is usually some epic journey required to achieve ... 05/09/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: The life-changing event of purchasing a new home in Port Angeles WA. can be both exciting and overwhelming. With homebuyer horror stories of houses plagued with mold, leaky roofs or worse, it's no wonder some Port Angeles homebuyers get cold feet. Prospective homebuyers can save themselves from headaches by working with their local Port Angeles builder on these useful construction do's and don'ts: 1.) Help prevent mold before it starts. Ask your Port Angeles home builder to use vapor retarders in addition to insulation in your home's walls. Smart vapor retarders like CertainTeed's MemBrain allow wall cavities to "breathe" so excess moisture within the wall can escape. This helps prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Other vapor retarders can trap moisture in y... 05/09/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: Money spent updating your kitchen rewards you better than money spent on any other upgrades to your Port Angeles home. When it comes to kitchens, buyers continue to demand improvement in efficiency and style, and they love remodeled kitchens and new appliances. Even if you Port Angeles home costs less than the newer homes in your area, Port Angeles buyers view the model homes and hold the ideal in mind while home shopping. Newer homes place kitchens open to the family room and often have wide views of the outside. Newer Port Angeles homes also boast larger kitchens with more than one preparation area because cooking has become a social activity, and new homes often include a bar or buffet for entertaining. Cooks want to be in the middle of family activities so ... 03/15/2010

The La Push and Quileute rivers empty into the Pacific Ocean, and this photo captures a rainbow of hope. This photo was not touched up or edited. The photographer is Dan Grove. The Olympic Peninsula is full of rich history, and what a great weekend or afternoon drive it is to La Push and around the Peninsula. You can learn more from the Quileute Tribe's own website, but here's a brief quote: The Quileute Tribe is located in La Push, Washington, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean The Quileute Tribes have lived and hunted in this area for thousands of years. Although the village of La Push is only about one-square mile, the tribe’s original territory stretched along the shores of the Pacific from the glaciers of Mount Olympus to the rivers of rain forests. Much has changed since those tim... 03/15/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: A critical part of selling a Port Angeles home is the appraisal. Here's how to plan for it. You have a contract to sell your home and now the appraiser is coming. The appraisal needs to come in at a good price in order for your buyer to get his loan. What should you do? The Appraiser Says Appraisers typically tell people not to do anything special before they come. They tell the owner they see lots of houses and they can look past a little clutter and dust. "Don't be nervous," they counsel. Appraisers are sincere people. I'm sure they mean what they say. I Say On the other hand, appraisers are human. They respond to cleanliness and order and to good maintenance the same way buyers do. If you've let your hair down, get your home back into "show" condition before... 03/14/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: As far as Port Angeles home improvements go, landscaping is a solid investment - in fact, a well designed outdoor project can offer a better return than most of those inside the house. Good landscaping can add between seven and 15 per cent value to your home and has a recovery value of 100 to 200 percent, so shell out now ......  and ..... get it back when you sell....:) Many Port Angeles realtors will tell you that a well designed landscape will help you sell your house faster. With today's explosion of subdivisions, where many of the homes look similar from the outside, landscaping can set your home apart from a neighborhood of clones. But the key to a profitable landscape is the design, so start with a plan. A poorly designed layout could end up costing you ... 03/14/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: When Port Angeles house hunting, many buyers make the mistake of waiting to contact a lender until after they have located their dream home. As a buyer, you will be in a much stronger position with a seller if you are pre-approved. Pre-Approval Letter To effectively house hunt in Port Angeles, you must know the amount you can borrow from a lender. There is nothing worse than find your dream home, but failing to qualify for the amount you need for a loan. Avoid this by asking your lender to pull your credit information and to let you know what needs to be done to get a pre-approval letter. If you are going to have problems with getting a loan, it is better to know about it as early as possible. Sometimes Port Angeles Home buyers resist contacting lenders because... 03/13/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: Entering into escrow on a Port Angeles home can be both exciting and stressful. The excitement comes from knowing you are close to moving into the new home. The stress comes from issues that will arise. Budget for Closing Costs - Prepaid Loan Interest and Home Insurance Premiums As part of any closing, you need to go through certain steps to make sure you are both getting what you think you have purchased as well as paying for it. Each of these steps has an associated cost, known as closing costs, and you have to pay them before you can take possession of the Port Angeles home for sale. If you do not, the deal will not close and you will lose the home. When going through escrow, costs associated with closing can accumulate quickly. Here is a closer look. Prepai... 03/13/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: Entering into escrow on a Port Angeles home can be both exciting and stressful. The excitement comes from knowing you are close to moving into the new home. The stress comes from issues that will arise. Budget for Closing Costs - Prepaid Loan Interest and Home Insurance Premiums As part of any closing, you need to go through certain steps to make sure you are both getting what you think you have purchased as well as paying for it. Each of these steps has an associated cost, known as closing costs, and you have to pay them before you can take possession of the Port Angeles home. If you do not, the deal will not close and you will lose the home. When going through escrow, costs associated with closing can accumulate quickly. Here is a closer look. Prepaid loan in... 03/08/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: You probably spent a good bit of time getting disciplined to save money for your Port Angeles home purchase. You need to carry this financial discipline through the escrow period or you could run into problems. Budget for Closing Costs - Property Taxes, Legal Fees and Such When you decided it was time to purchase a Port Angeles home, you went through a number of steps to get your finances in order. You probably reviewed your credit report, cut down on credit card balances and reigned in your spending. A monthly budget was probably also an item you stuck to, probably with some aggravation. Once you have an offer for a home accepted, it is important that you keep budgeting for the closing costs associated with the purchase. Here are a couple of odd little fees th... 03/08/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: If you are facing a Port Angeles foreclosure, there may be options to negotiate a workout program with your lender. To get help with a foreclosure you have to start by talking to your lender. Help is available if you are willing to workout a reasonable repayment plan with your lender, while this can sometimes be difficult, you may be able to save your home. They really do not want your Port Angeles house back. Let us cover some options that may be available to you if you are facing a foreclosure. The continuing flow of creditors and collections agencies called you can be over whelming, while it may seem hopeless, you may have options. Starting with the most important, your home, the others may have to wait and be fixed later. Lenders usually will offer several ... 03/07/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: Looking down the barrel of a foreclosure, if you are among one of the over 1.4 million homeowners facing this same issue, there may be a creative technique to save your Port Angeles home and salvage your equity so that you can fight again. The last thing that you want to do is give your home back to the lender. If your financial hardship has left you in a position whereby you are not able to pay your mortgage payment, whatever the reason may be, then you cannot afford to live in your home. Foreclosures are growing dilemma for many homeowners in the Untied States today; foreclosures are at an all time high. Alan Greenspan has made comments that the US may be heading for a recession in 2008. Some lenders out there have not been playing fair, and some even to the ... 03/07/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: Buying a Port Angeles home is a stressful and emotional affair. You can avoid the home buying blues by keeping your cool at closing. I've just come from a settlement table at which a friend bought a new Port Angeles home. It's beautiful, convenient and just what she wanted. However, at the settlement table she and a relative whom she clearly loves got into a tiff with each other. What should have been a happy occasion was almost spoiled. Thank heavens they got themselves together and the situation was saved, but arguments and hurt feelings are frequent at settlement tables and on moving day. It doesn't have to be that way. The Trauma of Change Changing one's Port Angeles home is right up there with the big changes in life - birth, death, divorce, and retirement... 03/07/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: With the Port Angeles housing market becoming more expensive, buyers must look for the best way to find an affordable home. A fixer upper is a great way to affordably buy your first home in the Port Angeles real estate housing market. Buying one away from the city is even more affordable since it is not a candidate for a teardown where the land is the most valuable asset. If you are in the market for a new Port Angeles home, but do not want to spend tons of money or just can't afford today's rising home costs, you may want to look into buying a fixer upper.  By purchasing a Port Angeles home in less than perfect condition you will be able to save yourself a lot of money.  If this sounds like something you are interested in, you are in luck.  There are many home... 03/07/2010

Port Angeles Real Esate: Once you reach an agreement on the purchase of a Port Angeles home, things start moving quickly. In the chaos, it is important to remember to budget for closing costs. Budget for Closing Costs - Loan Origination Fees and PMI Closing costs are fees associated with miscellaneous events associated with a Port Angeles home purchase, things such as property inspections. Even if you are purchasing a home for the first time, you are probably aware there are closing costs that have to be paid. Rarely, however, are you aware of just how much and how fast the can accumulate. If you have not budgeted for them, they can put a kink in the closing or even cause you to lose the Port Angeles home. A couple of closing costs to keep in mind are origination fees for Port Angeles h... 03/01/2010

Port Angeles Real Estate: Before moving any of your belongings into your new Port Angeles home, its important to make sure that everything is as it should be.  You may have had a list of repairs you expected - or this may be the first time you've seen the Port Angeles house empty.  Take some time to go around with a notepad and check all of the sockets for obvious signs of wear and tear and look for damage that you might be otherwise liable for.  Ensure that any cupboards are empty, free of damp, mold or bad smells, and keep a close note of what where the electricity, water and gas stopcocks are.  While doing this, you'll also be getting a feel for where you can place any furniture, how to get it up any stairs or even just into the house.  Note down any damage or concerns you have to be... 03/01/2010