Scott Mikel - The Columbian Readers Choice for Best Realtor in Clark County 2009

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From an Escrow Officer
"There is something said for being an 'Old Timer' ... Real Estate is their life..."
Cheryl
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Scoll Mikel & Associates are one of The Top Selling Real Estate Experts™
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Local Real Estate Market: Vancouver Washington home buying, real estate listings, and homes for sale in Clark County, WA

Welcome > Local Info > Local Real Estate Market ...

The Train is Slowing Just a Bit

As everyone knows the market value of properties has been negatively affected. For sellers, that is not so good; for buyers that is great.

We won't know when the market is on the way up, until it IS on the way up. Then we will know the Bottom has hit and again we'll start to see appreciation.

Many are saying that this is the Perfect Storm for purchasing real estate - low prices and incredibly low interest rates. We'll all be sorry if we don't take advantage of this time.

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Buying Land and New Construction >Beware of Fat Clay

When building a home, you should have the soil on the construction site tested for plasticity to determine how it will change under different moisture conditions. This is important because some soil is so "plastic" that (if the condition is not corrected) it can actually break concrete floors, crack the walls and destroy the foundation of your home. Highly plastic soil is sometimes referred to as "fat clay" that swells excessively and loses stability when it becomes wet. Fine-grained soils that contain a high percentage of clay are greatly affected by water, turning to mud when it rains and undergoing large volume changes-sometimes up to 40 or 50 percent, as the soil dries. Not only do clays swell and lose stability when they become wet, but they also retard the drainage of water. If plastic soil is found on your building site, the ground must be over-excavated and replaced with clean gravel. Homebuilders often choose not to include a basement, or to protect the basement walls from excess moisture by surrounding them with a layer of gravel. A fine-grained clay-filled soil with a high plasticity index may require considerable treatment, especially if used in a moist location.

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Q	Where will you find the world's most unusual golf course?
A	The only golf course on the island of Tonga has 15 holes, and no penalty against the golfer whose golf ball is stolen by a monkey.
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Scott and Sam Mikel, REALTORŽ, real estate agents and broker for Vancouver Washington home listings, property and land for sale - NUMBER1EXPERT(tm)

Scott and Sam Mikel
Scott Mikel & Associates inc.
3502 Washington Street
Vancouver, WA. 98660
Office 1: 360-816-8800
Fax: 360-397-0509
Direct: Scott: 360-903-1144
Direct: Sam: 360-921-0068
Email: homes@agentmikel.com
Scott & Sam are the "real" in real estate. They have been just that for over 50 years (between them) for thousands of buyers and sellers in Vancouver and SW Washington. Maybe you can tell what they're really like if you click on the tab "About Us" - "Who We Are." They'll treat you with gentleness, kindness and humor, all at the same time. See what their customers say about them. (No they weren't paid to say those things!) After working many years in large companies, they started Scott Mikel & Associates, a LOCAL company, so they could choose which agents they associate with on a day-to-day basis, agents of ability and integrity and where they could have the technology for "virtual" real estate as needed. Scott and Sam have created a company with equal amounts of honesty, reliability and fun. They will treat you as family (if you wish) and w/ integrity and expertise at all times. Realtors are NOT all the same - some great, some not so great. Choose carefully.

www.agentmikel.com is brought to you by Scott and Sam Mikel
NUMBER1EXPERTS™ in real estate for Vancouver United States, Washington state.

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