Open and inviting with 5 bedrooms plus office, 4 baths, huge master suite with walk-in closet and jetted tub, new hardwood floors, updated kitchen with granite counter tops, and new stainless appliances. Formal living and dining rooms, deck with retractable awning overlooking fully landscaped yard. Over 400 sq. ft.!

Less than 2 minutes from exit 264 on I90 and 15 minutes to downtown Spokane.

Only 4 years old, and all the upgrades have been done for you. Complete with heated 16x32 inground pool that features exotic ambience light, custom windows coverings in the bedrooms and baths to match the wood trim, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 family rooms, gas fireplace, 3 car garage with opener, and this home is with in walking distance to all 3 schools!

This 5 bedroom, 3 bath home in the Mead School District has it all! It has been completely redone: new interior paint, new exterior paint, new granite counter tops, new stainless appliances, new carpet throughout, and new roof. This is one of Mead's best deals on a cost/square foot basis. Three bedrooms on the same floor, one of which is the master with a 3/4 bath.

Gas fireplace, central air, central vac, updates in kitchen. French doors to the covered deck overlooking the large backyard.

Shared, deeded access to Long Lake with 2 acre shared recreational land.  100 gpm well with 20 gpm pump.  Detached over-sized garage/shop.  Home sits just 400 ft. off the paved county road.  Private and quiet.

Beautiful wood floors, updated kitchen with corian counter tops and island, formal dining room with butlers pantry, main floor bedroom and full bath, additional 2 bedrooms and 1/2 bath upstairs. Finished study off upstairs master, covered front and back porches, and a detached 2 car garage.

Brand new lifetime hardiplank exterior, new windows, and fresh paint.

Granite countertops, fresh paint, new appliances, cozy fireplace, and oversized Master bedroom.  Main floor utilities, view of the Spokane River, and nestled along the Centennial Trail.  Great for outdoor activities.  Private corner unit, community pool, sauna, rec room, and sports court.

Located in an established neighborhood the pride of ownership shows throughout the home and the neighborhood.  New carpet, paint, roof, and more.  Custom features include skylights, great room off the kitchen, bay windows, window seats, and hardwoods.  Beautifully landscaped 1/3 acre lot (mol).

597 residential closed sales were reported in October. This number is up 76 sales or up 14.6%over last month’s sales. Compared to October ’06 sales were down 42 or down 7%. The average sales price for October was $210,729 and the median sales price was $189,500.

The year to date closed sales through October ’07 continue to be down 6.9% when compared to last year. So far this year 5,989 residential closed sales have been reported compared to 6,433 over the same period last year.

Year to date average sales price is $211,950 and the median sales price is $186,000. Compared to last year the average and median prices are up 8.5% and 6.3% respectively.

Inventory growth slowed in October with our current inventory of 3,106 down 167 listings compared to last month. Inventory compared to last year is up approximately 20% or 519 listings.

New construction sales reported to the SAR MLS through October ’07 total 1,030 compared to 1,155 over the same period last year, down 10.8%.

In the shifting market that Spokane is now experiencing, the answers to these questions become very important for most Sellers.   The answer to the first question is NO, and the second question is YES.  The four key things to consider are:

The Agent - The choice of Agent becomes more critical as the market shifts.  Having one who has experienced the type of market you are in and can anticipate your needs, maintain communication with you and advise you on the appropriate steps to take can mean the difference between selling your home or having it languish on the market.

The Condition - Staging and preparing your home before it goes to market becomes much more important in a shifting market.  Buyers are comparision shopping and pick the homes that show the best.  You have to look at your home through "Buyer Eyes", it has to stand out.

The Price - Setting the right price is critical in a shifting market.  Strategically positioning your home in relation to the competition, pricewise is imperitive.  That doesn't mean you have to be cheaper, but you do have to be competitive.  The right Agent can help you here.

The Marketing - Knowing where to market your home effectively is a key element in shortening market times.  Not only is the market shifting, but so are the search patterns of the Buyers.  Knowing these new preferences and being able to adapt quickly to expose your property to the smaller pool of potential Buyers out there is extremely important.

When making the very important decision of who is going to represent you in the sale of your property, you owe it to yourself to get competitive bids from several Realtors.  For additional information on selling your home, feel free to contact us.

As inventory increases and the percentage of homes selling decreases, having a skilled agent who knows how to price and stage your home so that it will sell becomes more important.  Sales skills and knowing how to effectively market can mean the difference between selling your home and languishing on the market for six months or more.

Spokane home sales are still strong and should continue through the end of the year.  We are very fortunate in Spokane to avoid a lot of the extreme cycles in the real estate market that other markets experience.  We tend to be more steady, steady....

Spokane represents a great investment opportunity and will continue to be for years to come.  For current market statistics, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Then why do many people feel so differently about it?  This is where the two markets come in. 

The First Market is the one where homes are selling.  These homes are selling rather quickly and many are receiving multiple offers. 

The Second Market are those homes that are not selling.  These homes are typically priced out of the market compared to the competition or their condition is less than the other homes they are competing with.  Because buyers are comparison shopping, they don't just look at one home in their price range.  They typically look at many homes and decide which homes represent the best value for their money.  Hence the competition and the frustration.

Supply and demand are the driving factors which drive all markets.  The market of the last four years has been a result of low supply and high demand, causing the price of houses to increase as many buyers compete for the few available homes.  Now as the available inventory of homes increases, the amount of appreciation begins to slow.

If you would like detailed information on the Spokane Real Estate Market, please free to contact us.  We are happy to share our research.

The Spokane Home Builders Association announced the “Buy New – Buy Now” advertising campaign, now underway in the Spokane area. “The Spokane area market is far stronger than the national headlines will lead you to believe. Local market conditions remain very strong and the ‘Buy Now’ campaign aims to remind potential buyers that our market is different and that now is the time to buy,” said Larry Kloetsch, RSVP Construction and President of the Spokane Home Builders Association.

Recent market statistics continue to show that the Spokane housing industry remains one of the strongest in the nation. A study released this week by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight shows that Spokane ranks in the top-twenty of all metropolitan areas nationwide in price appreciation. In terms of real estate transactions, 2007 has so far seen only a modest two and a half percent decrease in sales over last years record amount, according to the Rob Higgins, Executive Vice President of the Spokane Association of REALTORS®.

Strong local market conditions and interest rates still hovering near historic lows make Spokane an attractive place to invest in new construction. The ‘Buy Now’ campaign is using print, radio, and billboard media during September and October to counter the negative press coming from unrelated markets.

“The unique combination of attractive urban centers and rural environments continue to make Spokane a destination location for families looking to relocate. Unfortunately, outside pressure from national media outlets risks damage to our local market, one that shares very little with the areas currently experiencing downturns,” says Joel White, Executive Officer of the Spokane Home Builders Association. “We are doing our part to remind prospective buyers about the strengths of the local market while providing them with a reputable resource to help find the right builder or REALTOR® for their needs.”

August residential sales figures show a total of 709 sales reported for the month. This figure is down ten sales from last month and down 98 closed sales from August ’06. The average sales price for August was $215,752 and the median sales price came in at $194,000.

The year to date closed sale figures for the first eight months of 2007 show that sales are down 4% when compared to the first eight month period in 2006. There were 4,871 closed sales reported year to date compared to 5,076 in 2006. The year to date average sales price is $212,023 up 10.3% over last year and the year to date median sales price is $186,000 up 8.1% over last year.

Inventory as of the time of this report stands at 3,241 active residential listings, up approximately 26% over one year ago. New home sales reported to the SAR MLS are down 10% when compared to last year through August.

Click on the following link to see available homes:

http://www.mlsfinder.com/wa_sar/brucehardie/index.cfm?action=newsearch&searchtype=map

In a brief interview with the council, Eadie said part of his goal is to improve customer service in current planning.  The department is starting or in the midst of several significant examinations of land development.  The City Council recently approved new spending to invigorate efforts for specific neighborhood plans.  Planners also are working on new goals for downtown revitalization and on rules for developing along shorelines.  One of the bigger long-range tasks soon to be undertaken is a comprehensive look at land surrounding the future north Spokane freeway.

Click on the following link to see Spokane's Comprehensive Plan

http://www.spokaneplanning.org/Documents/BEGIN.PDF

Conventional and government backed home loans have not been affected by the shift in lending practices currently taking place.  In fact, 80 to 85 percent of the homes in Spokane meet the requirements for these type of loan programs.  In addition,  the number of homes selling is still very close to last years record numbers.  There is a percetion in the market however, that this is not the case.  That perception is brought about by the rapid increase in inventory in Spokane, up 40% from this time last year.

The key for Sellers in the current market is to price their home competitively and be in the top 20% of the competition in condition.  These fundamentals, still work regardless of the type of market you are in.

Buyers are also experiencing a great market as the interest rates remain low and the large inventory provides many choices.