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Readers Choice Best of Clark County 2009 and 2010 |
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The
Rural Countryside Surrounding Vancouver is Charming |
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS
Today, with the internet, the only thing that can make a difference in the success of your real estate transaction is the agent you choose. The company name no longer makes a difference - some are big - some are small - some only one person. In any large company, you will find wonderful honest and ethical agents and you will find some well - not so wonderful. And besides, when was bigger better?
Be sure you know who you are working with - and if at all possible - support your local businesses - we do!  
Relocation? Retired? New to Clark County? Decided it's time to have fun and make new friends?
Let us tell you about Clark County Newcomers Club!
Just get in touch with Sam
Sam@AgentMikel.com
or 360-921-0068
and she will hold your hand (if you want) while you get connected. You'll find friends who will golf with you, walk with you, hike with you, travel with you, hug you, talk to you, play cards with you, go to plays with you, have dinner with you (we eat often), be there through thick and thin, laugh with you when you laugh and cry with you when you cry - and all for just $20 a year!
Want to Buy a House - or a Rental - Maybe? We can help!
Two Ways to Search for Homes (click on the one that works best for you)
1. Homequest: The ultimate in home search tool. Listings delivered to your inbox daily -- addresses Included. (Click here for a few simple instructions for using HomeQuest)
NOTE: Just e-mail us to set up a search just for you... it will even have more information than the search you set up yourself. it's very cool and is the way many of our buyers have found their perfect home - before anyone else found it.
Just let us know your price range, area you will consider, size of lot, one level or more, master on the main?, just foreclosures, anything that's important to you - then we set up a search that initially sends all of those listings to you - on a map!
Each day (or week or hour - you tell us what you prefer), those listings are sent to you automatically directly from the Multiple Listing Service (from all companies and from all agents) as soon as they are listed, or if something changes about the listing such as a price reduction. You can save the properties that look the best to you as one of your "Favorites" - then you can always go back into your Favorites to see which ones are still on the market, etc.
We can tell you lots of stories about how people found their new home the moment it hit the market with this program! We have purchased it for our buyers but it's free for you.
2. Email the Broker : admin@agentmikel.com
We don't Bite and we don't bug. I have no annoying email campaign, and I don't have any interest in ticking you off, but if you would like to talk to someone, and have some of this data analyzed, click here and tell us what you are looking for or ask any questions you might have. We do daily analysis in all price ranges. It often works well to start a dialog this way so we can best help you.
Our Feature Homes
This Crazy Market... but aren't they all?
In the market today you can find a lot of good deals. Prices in Clark County have lost between 15% and 40% of value. This does not necessarily mean that every seller is facing this kind of a hit from the crazy days pricing of a few years back. Good houses, in good locations, on good lots, that are staged to standards that appeal to the widest range of buyers still bring top dollar, and often multiple offers.
Think about this when making your offer. We have seen some disappointed people who were determined to get a “good deal” try to low ball a good house and then end up in a bidding war with the shortest straw. Perhaps twenty percent off 2006 prices might be the best deal anyone would get on a “good house.” Be happy with it. Here’s a clue: if you are in a bidding war in this market, you are making an offer on a “good house”. Stay in.
Much of the noise about the purchase of real estate is about price. As I have said before, a house on the interstate ramp will always be a bad house in any market. When the market contracts, the value of the I-5 house heads south at a faster pace than the rest of the market and when the prices head north, the same house will never reach values of similar houses not positioned on the off ramp.
If you are tempted by the $/sq ft price of a bad house don’t forget how this will affect you in five years. This may be one you could low ball and be happy when you don’t get it.
It is human nature to want to wait until the local housing market “hits bottom” before buying. . . but think. When will you know it has “hit bottom?” You will know when it starts going up. It’s hard to believe it will get much better than this.
With interest rates hovering around 5%, this is what a purchase like this could look like: Price $250,000 – 20% down ($50,000 gives you a mortgage of $200,000 – 5% interest – your payment would be $1074 - add taxes and insurance and you would be around $1400 a month.
Don’t have 50% down, how about 5% down ($12,500), that would make the payment $1275 – add taxes, ins., and mortgage insurance – that would be around $1700.
And...
If you would like my somewhat biased opinion on the current market you might want to click on www.mikelblog.com
A word about virtual agents...
Most all of our work these days is done on-line, our transaction documents are created on-line. They are passed between agents and principals during the transaction on line, and they are archived and stored on-line. Agents at Scott Mikel & Associates are equipped with the most up-to-date tools in the business to bring you the absolute best real estate services from anywhere on the planet. They no longer drive into work each day to use fax and copy machines. Most of our work is paperless saving trees, foreign oil, natural gas, water, pencils, coffee, and reducing the carbon footprint of one tiny business, (I have to quit I'm starting to get a tear in my eye)!
OK I'm back now...
We are probably the first in Clark County to allow their agents to work from home while flexible space for working in the office when needed. Our bricks and mortar office in the form on a 1906 Craftman house is for agents to meet customers and have a central location.
Our commitment is always to have the absolute best customer service and the highest integrity found in the business. Our agents are hired first for these qualities. Our paperwork is mostly virtual, but our agents are very real - and they are there to walk you through all the "paperwork" to market your home, or to be beside you as you look at homes and try to decide which one is "best."
Feel free to explore this website for all your real estate needs. Below the two methods of searching for homes below are the most effective in the business. Be sure you try the Homequest link when you are ready to get down to business.
You might want to check out our Blog for the latest news or if you care to make a comment. www.mikelblog.com
FOR AGENTS ONLY:If you are an agent looking for an alternative to high desk fees and bricks and mortar you might want to check out:
www.agentsgonevirtual.com
Sam and Scott Mikel are Associate Brokers at Scott Mikel & Associates Inc. in Vancouver Washington. They can be reached at 360-921-0068.
---Sam and Scott Mikel
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Accepting An Offer >Know Your Price Range
As a homebuyer, you may have found the perfect new house for your growing family, but what if it is a little out of your price range? You might list your current home for more than it is worth and be lucky enough to find a qualified buyer who is willing to pay the price, but it is impossible to know in advance what your home will sell for.
If you want to sell your home quickly, have a frank and detailed conversation with your real estate agent to determine the best price for the house. Setting your price within 5% of the fair market value of your home greatly increases your chances of getting solid offers that will result in a relatively quick sale.
Don't buy and sell so close to your target amount that you become anxious when the numbers don't meet your expectations. There may be other approaches, such as adjustable rate mortgages or owner financing, to increase your buying power and get you into that new home. When you are selling one home and buying another, you will need more than good luck. You will need a highly professional and experienced real estate agent who can give you solid advice on how to make the transaction work for your particular requirements.
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| Q |
Where is the world's oldest castle located?
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| A |
The castle at Gomdan, Yemon, dating from before A.D. 100, is considered the oldest castle; it originally had 20 stories. |
 See More Real Estate Trivia > |
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- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
