Hockinson Real Estate Market Trends – Washington

News for Hockinson, WA - April 11th, 2012 5:07pm
Clark County's homebuilding industry exhibited signs of recovery in March, with 43 permits issued to build single-family houses in unincorporated parts of the county, up slightly from the 40 permits issued in the same month last year.

In the three months ending in March, a total 94 permits for homebuilding were handed out in Clark County, a 38 percent increase from the 68 permits issued during the same three months in 2011, the Clark County Department of Community Development reported.

The total value of housing permits issued in the first three months of this year was $31 million, up 41 percent from $22 million in the first quarter last year.

In the meantime, commercial construction continued to falter in Clark County. In the first three months of the year, contractors took out permits valued at $9.2 million for office, retail and industrial projects. That was down 29 percent from $13 million in commercial work permitted during the same three months in 2011

News for Hockinson, WA - March 6th, 2012 9:02am
Clark County housing starts rise in February to signal market recovery
Clark County home-building activity showed signs of recovery for the second month in a row in February, according to a report issued Monday. The data showed 36 new-home permits were issued to build houses in unincorporated parts of the county last month. The permit total was valued at $11.1 million, up from 9 permits valued at $3.5 million in the same month last year, the Clark County Community Development Department reported. February's 36-permit total rose from 17 permits handed out in January. The 53 permits issued in the first two months of the year was a 39.5 percent increase over the 38 permits handed out during the same period in 2011.

News for Hockinson, WA - March 5th, 2012 11:30am
We had a little taste of Spring over the weekend in the Vancouver and Portland area. Let's hope there is lots more on it's way soon.
The Real Estate market in Clark County area has improved some, but selling a home remains to be a tough situation for most sellers. The good news is that we are selling homes, but the ones we are selling have several key factors going for them. The most important factor that they have going for them is that they are priced right. Over priced homes just sit and watch the market go by. Even homes that are slightly over priced don't sell in this market. The second factor that will help any home sell in this market is condition. Making sure that your home looks great will not only help it sell, but it will help you get top dollar for your home. Doing paint touch up, dressing up landscaping, taking care of general repairs and even staging your home can make all of the difference in this market.
The reality is that the market here in our area will most likely continue to decline in value for another year or so. When the housing market does hit bottom we will remain there for three to four years in a flat market before we begin a slow climb out. It may be eight to ten years before we reach values where they sit today. So unless you can wait this long to sell your home, it is best to price it right now and make sure that it shows well. The quicker it sells, the more money you will realize form your home sale.
Have An Awesome Week!

Denni... [ + Read Full Article ]

News for Hockinson, WA - February 6th, 2012 12:27pm
Good Monday Morning!

The sunshine has certainly been welcome here in the Vancouver and Portland area! It looks like a full week of it ahead. Enjoy!
A very low inventory of homes for sale in our area continues to make it tough for buyers. This is especially true in the first time buyer price ranges of $200,000 and below. This could continue to be the situation for the months ahead. If this condition continues it could cause the end of the buyers market and slowly shift our market in favor of sellers. For first time home buyers this could make it much harder to purchase a home down the road. We will keep you updated as this unfolds.
Have An Awesome Week!

Dennis