Here is a typical Sunday afternoon in our gorgeous valley...My friend Brad suggests we grab our mountain bikes and head up to Twin Peaks.  He picks me up at my house and less than 10 minutes later we are at the traihead.  We begin to meander up a Forest Service road lined with Aspen and Pine.  The fall colors are amplified in the afternoon sun and the air is crisp and cool.  We steadily climb the 1600 ft. to the summit.  Our hard work is rewarded with a breathtaking 360 degree view of North Central Washington.  In less than 3 hours from pickup, Brad drops me at my doorstep.  I love the Wenatchee Valley!For detailed information on recreational opportunities, please visit www.wenatcheeoutdoors.com    10/29/2007

I'm always fascinated (maybe obsessed) with the color changes as the seasons transition from summer to winter.  I've been to New England during the Fall but  can't help but think Washington (and Central Washington in particular) has some of the most fantastic displays of color during the Fall anywhere in the country.  I'm putting out a call for the best Fall foliage photos out there in the world of Active Rain.  Anyone have any photos they'd like to share?  I'm looking for your best Fall foliage photos.   Wish I had the authority to offer up some extra points but all I can offer are some bragging rights.  Do you have some Fall Foliage Photos you'd like to share?  Let's add some serious color to the pages of Active Rain! Create your own blog entry, then post a link in the comments sectio... 10/27/2007

In order to avoid duplicate content, I will post the question of the day here on Active Rain and redirect you to my primary Wenatchee real estate blog for the published answer.  Question:  What is the current "single family homes"  inventory supply level (# of months) and what is the average "days on market" for single family homes?Answer:  Click Here If you have questions about homes for sale in Central Washington, please contact me: Picture taken at Wenatchee's riverfront trail on Monday, October 22nd. TopTeamCarol@gmail.com www.TopPropertiesWenatchee.com   10/26/2007

A quick search of new construction in the Wenatchee valley under 350k produced a list of 30 homes currently available.  18 of the 30 are in the Summerhill subdivision in East Wenatchee.  If you are searching for a new home, take a look at this new neighborhood.  One of the several builders in the neighborhood, DJ Custom Homes, is providing significant incentive in price reduction right now.  The finish work in their homes is quite nice.  They are a great alternative to a condo (rambler, small lot, etc.).  Give me a call if you want to check out the new construction market. 10/26/2007

O.K... my friends are tired of me telling them how much I love Fall in Wenatchee.  So, I'm turning to my friends at Active to exude my ongoing enthusiasm.I was in New England once during mid October and the colors were spectacular.  But each year, here in Wenatchee, I am always amazed with our own Fall foliage color show. The picture at the upper left was taken last Sunday along Western Avenue in front of the Agricultural Research labs for the USDA (from where my husband retired) and Washington State University.  The lower right picture was taken last Sunday at the Wenatchee cemetary.I challenge anyone (in New England or elsewhere) to find a more spectacular display of natures wonder.I love Wenatchee in the Fall! 10/25/2007

I work with a lot of investors and constantly get questions via e-mail and telephone from people who are hearing about Wenatchee in various national publications.  Investor interest in our area has skyrocketed. Over on my other Wenatchee real estate blog, I am in the process of posting a 10 Part Series on real life questions I receive  from investors interested in acquiring properties in the Wenatchee area.  The series will deal with a broad spectrum of subjects of interest to investors, from rental vacancy rates, population trends, what's supporting the economy, and everything in between. If YOU have specific questions, please e-mail me or leave a comment at the end of this blog post.P.S.: The picture IS one of our investor rental properties. 10/25/2007

I have noticed a trend amongst buyers in our marketplace recently that is quite interesting.  Many, if not most buyers perceive the listing prices on homes in the Wenatchee Valley as unrealistic and based on sales that took place at the peak of the market at least 6 months ago.  At an open house this past Sunday, a prospective buyer that had relocated from Arizona exemplified this logic with personal experience.  They recently sold a home in the Phoenix area.  They claimed that they listed and sold the home nearly $80,000 less than what they may have received a year earlier.  Sensing our market is going through the same adjustment, they decided to rent and wait it out until the seller's become more realistic.  As human beings, we tend to make adjustments according to our motivation (hig... 10/23/2007

As the media continues to report a nationwide downturn, people keep asking me how the real estate market is.  We are busy and I feel compelled to say Wenatchee is still going strong.  We are seeing a bit of a temporary slowdown due to normal seasonal circumstances and some financing woes... but demand is still strong.  We are selling and we have buyers waiting to liquidate properties elsewhere (where there is a true slowdown).  When those properties sell, they WILL be buying here.  What we have is a temporary slowdown, with pent up demand building.  If you are a buyer, now is a great time to buy before the Spring surge.If you are a seller, price your home right and it will sell.All of our economic indicators are excellent and Wenatchee will continue to be one of the hottest markets in t... 10/14/2007

I love Fall in the Wenatchee Valley!According to a feature on today's AOL Small Business Money & Finance, Washington is one of the top 5 business friendly states.  In addition, if your business consumes a large amount of electricity (like high technology ISPs and server farms), Wenatchee is the place to be.   Wenatchee (in Chelan County) is one of three neighboring counties offering the least expensive hydroelectric power rates in the nation.  Douglas county (East Wenatchee) and Grant County (Ephrata, Moses Lake, Quincy) are the other two local counties with inexpensive power rates.  How inexpensive are our power rates?  Well, I own a 2300 square foot home, totally powered by electricity (heat, air conditioning, cooking, lights, blah, blah) and last months bill was $31.73 (down about $5... 10/07/2007

Late last month I accepted the nomination for, and was elected to, the 2008 Vice Presidency of the North Central Washington Association of Realtors.   The NCWAR serves a wide geographic area including Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties.This assignment was not accepted lightly and without some serious consideration.  This is most likely not a 1 year assignment.  It's more likely a 3 year assignment.  Although it is not set in stone, the natural progression of power (or more appropriately "responsibility") is from Vice President to President-Elect to President (and then into retirement as Past President).  I served on the local Board of Directors many years ago and have even served on the Washington State Association of Realtors Education committee but  have not been involved in the po... 10/06/2007

Today I was contacted by reporters from two different publications.  The day started with a call from a reporter at  Money Magazine in New York.  They were doing a story on the real estate markets that seem to be maintaining a decent level of activity in spite of the downturn in many markets across the nation.  As you all know, I am still very bullish on Wenatchee.... for all the reasons I've written about in previous blog entries. Later in the day, I was called by a reporter at the Wenatchee World newspaper.  They were doing an interesting story about street names and whether I have had any experience with people choosing to (or not) to buy a home based on the name of the street.  My only contribution to that story was that I don't think people moving to the area have ever indicated an... 10/05/2007

Following the numbers only it appears that we slipped (actually dove) into a buyers market during August and September. Virtually all categories and price ranges showing inventories of 7-10 months. However I think October, if we don't scare ourselves to death, will show better numbers... there were just to many events that effected the market. Very hot weather (and around here everyone goes to the Lake) mortgage news, etc. Frankly we are about where we were in 2005 which is NOT a bad thing. More parity between buyers and sellers. After-all selling is not a race... I look forward to a reasonable Fall/ Winter. Next Spring I expect us to settle back to a 115-145 market time line. Prices will appear to keep climbing as the bottom has fallen out and that leaves just higher priced homes to pu... 10/05/2007

My assistant and I know the Wenatchee real estate market... and we absolutely specialize in the $225,000 - $300,000 market.  About 3 months ago, during agent tour day, we went into a new listing priced at $349,000.  We politely gave the listing agent our feedback that we felt it was overpriced and should be around $289,000.  At that price we had buyers. The listing agent was politely defensive citing all the money put into landscaping, etc.  It appeared she got caught up with the decorating.  Come to find out the listing agent is the sellers sister.I'm not saying you shouldn't do business with family, but I do think it's difficult to remain objective when pricing.  Seems it would have been a good strategy to get a couple price recommendations from unbiased third parties before setting t... 09/20/2007

The Mayor and other City of Wenatchee officials have learned roots (and emotions) run deep when it comes to the history and heritage of the Wenatchee apple industry.   Mayor, Dennis Johnson, said the removal of the old Apple Capital sign at the entrance to Wenatchee was the biggest controversy of the last year.  Last Wednesday the new sign (above) was unveiled and is an appropriate welcome to the city of Wenatchee...  still The Apple Capital of the World.   Alcoa Wenatchee donated the aluminum and $30,000 toward the construction of the new sign.  THANKS ALCOA!We love our new sign. 09/03/2007

According to the OFHEO, Wenatchee is again the #1 appreciating market in the nation.   Wenatchee was named #1 in the first quarter (January - March) of 2007 and now again for the second quarter (April - June).   The first quarter appreciation (over 2006) was 25.6% and the second quarter appreciation (over 2006) was 23.54%.   These latest numbers indicate only a slight slowdown but, as indicated in a blog entry yesterday on my Carol's Wenatchee blog, our local economic conditions have never been stronger and I am very bullish for continued strength in the Wenatchee real estate market. 08/31/2007

Sunrise in Wenatchee, Monday August 20, 2007 Wenatchee, Washington has literally been one of the hottest real estate markets in the nation for quite some time.  Are we seeing a bit of a slowdown?  Well, sort of  but it's not what you might think.Demand is absolutely not waning for property and homes in the Wenatchee Valley.  We were a well kept secret that is no longer a secret, thanks to all the national publicity we have been receiving.What IS happening (IMHO) is we are being affected by the softening market in other parts of the country.  For example, I have clients relocating here from Nevada.  And, although they do not HAVE to wait to sell their home in Nevada, they do WANT to wait.  They don't want two mortgage payments while waiting for the other home to sell.  They WILL buy a ho... 08/25/2007

"There is a list for everything... and, if it's good, Wenatchee is probably on it!" -Carol Williams  This post was originally published on August 11, 2007.  Since I retired from active listing and selling and property management in 2011, I decided I need to remove old contact links, remove links to old websites and blogs, and change content that no longer reflects today's real estate environment. Also, please keep in mind that I am no longer licensed and cannot be your real estate advocate.  However, if you are looking to buy or sell a home or investment property in Wenatchee and don't know who to call, let me know.  I can make some recommendations of highly qualified agents for you to interview and hire based on your specific needs. They can give you all the current news, info and tren... 08/11/2007

Briarwood is a popular neighborhood in East Wenatchee, Washington.  My recent search revealed there are currently four homes for sale in Briarwood:854 Briarwood Drive  $569,000   (5 bed, 3 bath, 3654 sq.ft.)837 Briarwood Drive  $670,000   (4 bed, 3 bath, 3068 sq.ft.)1557 Holly Lane  $419,900  (4 bed, 3.25 bath, 2426 sq.ft)1541 Holly Lane  $423,000  (4 bed, 2 bath, 2500 sq.ft)According to my search, 7 homes have sold in Briarwood since the first of this calendar year, ranging in price from $372,900 - $615,000Note:  Contrary to the Localism classification of Briarwood in Chelan County (Wenatchee), it is actually in East Wenatchee which is in Douglas County, Washington.  Douglas county and Chelan County (Wenatchee and East Wenatchee) are divided by the mighty Columbia River.   I need to fi... 08/05/2007

TopPropertiesRealEstate.com is now offering full service professional Property Management.   Our service fee is 10% of the gross rent per month for outside clients.  For our investor clients who purchase properties from us, our fee is 7% per month.  Our primary focus will be single family homes.  We will also handle condo rentals.  We encourage our owners to allow pets whenever possible.  Many do, some don't.  We currently have:One 3+ bedroom home with over 2200 square feet and a large fenced backyard  $1395 per monthIn early September we will have:One brand new 4 bedroom home   $1450 per monthFor the latest info contact the TOP Team:Carol Williams  TopTeamCarol@gmail.com  Shelley Granger   TopTeamShelley@gmail.com 08/05/2007

This is big news for the greater Wenatchee area.  Money has been secured to go forward with the construction of the multi-events center at the riverfront.  Now the only question seems to be the completion date. Here is the article from today's edition of the local newspaper, The Wenatchee World.   The event center is only one of many components going on with the development at the riverfront.  There are plans for condos, shops, restaurants, and more.The riverfront is going to be an exciting hub for future activity in the area, and will only fuel the attraction from outsiders to our area.  The impact on our economy will be significant.For additional news, info and trends in the area, visit Carol's Wenatchee real estate blog  08/05/2007