Geordie's Leavenworth Real Estate Blog

Leavenworth Real Estate - New Blog Posts

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:21:31 -0500

www.myleavenworth.com the real estate news source for Leavenworth, WA has a few more posts this week.

You can read about online "home values" and sales prices in Leavenworth and Chelan County.

You can read tips on Seller Financing in 1031 Exchanges.

or you can read about USFS Leases and similar leases on NPS Land.

Is there a topic you want to learn more about? I'm happy to blog on request. Just email me your question about Leavenworth or Lake Wenatchee.

Leavenworth Real Estate Blog - New Posts

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:53:05 -0500

The Leavenworth Real Estate Blog - MyLeavenworth.com has a few new posts.

Allyson wrote a piece about " What $200,000 buys you in Leavenworth " . (The answer, of course, is not much.)

I also wrote an update on Leavenworth's Condo Market which has been struggling as of late.

I have a few ideas in the hopper and probably need to share a post with the Seattle PI too.

SEO and Yahoo Directory

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:19:08 -0500

Here's a question for more tech savvy folks than myself - (if I call you out by name will you respond? NikNik? 4realz, Jim Cronin, Mary Mcknight, Kay Frenzer, Karen George, or ... Matt Cutts)

Does paying $300 to be listed in the Yahoo Directory really have as big an effect on SEO as it appears to be?

I know that paying for ads on Google doesn't help with organic results, why would paying Yahoo, the competition, have such a postive effect on Google?

There are three websites above me on Google for my favorite search "Leavenworth Real Estate" and the Yahoo Directory seems to be a common thread.

I hate to shell out the money, but if it puts me atop the listings on Google or even #2, that would certainly be worth it.

Leavenworth Real Estate Update

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:50:22 -0500

The Leavenworth market has finally succumbed to outside pressures and we saw our first real signs of a slowdown in the second quarter of 2008.

Unlike other parts of the country, our is less effected by the difficulty to secure lending, but rather by the general sense of economic uncertainty that hangs over all of our heads.

I wrote a more detailed post on the Leavenworth Real Estate Blog, Myleavenworth.com. Click here to read the current state of the Leavenworth Real Estate Market.

Prices appreciation seems to have flattened and the inventory has really soared. Most devastating is that the number of homes sold is 1/2 that of the 2nd quarter of 2007. We are seeing the same sorts of numbers for land sales as well.

Condos are a very different story, which I hope to have posted soon.

Consumers Asking Questions

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:44:30 -0500

There are so many places online to ask a question of the community. Where are consumers (buyers and sellers) going online to ask questions?

I don't think many are asking questions here on Active Rain.

Are they going to Trulia Voices, Zillow, Merchant Circle, City-Data?

There really are too many to track. I try to stay on top of these communities, but it seems like my Google Alerts don't pick up the discussions on these various boards.

Do any of the tech folks have good data on which site is getting used the most? Does it differ regionally throughout the U.S.?

Buying a Peshastin building lot

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:32:10 -0500

or not!

I almost bought a building lot in Peshastin yesterday. It was a deal that just seemed to good to pass up.

I didn't end up buying the lot, but the experience had some great "teachable moments" for me to share with other folks looking to get a great deal in real estate.

You can read all about it at the Seattle PI Real Estate Professionals Blog

(Sorry for making you click on the link, but I blog for the PI as well as on www.myleavenworth.com and I have to decide which blogs gets which article each time I write one. )

Selling your Leavenworth Home?

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:35:04 -0500

Are you considering selling your home in Leavenworth, Fish Lake or Lake Wenatchee?

Are you in the process of hiring an agent to help you with this important task?

My resume says that I am one of a dozen Certfied Residential Specialists in Central Washington and the only Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist in all of Chelan County (including Leavenworth, Wenatchee and Chelan). I was nominated for the Tech Savvy Business of the Year in 2007 for the Wenatchee Valley. I have been interviewed by the New York Times about Leavenworth real estate.

But you want to know why I should be the one to help you sell your home.

The answer is quite simple...

Leavenworth real estate - video on youtube

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:38:35 -0500

Buying a Leavenworth vacation home, a Kahler Glen condo, or a home on Lake Wenatchee?

Disappointed with the information you get from a few listing photos on the internet?

Come visit Leavenworth WA's ONLY source for real estate video. I have set up a channel on YouTube - Icicle Creek Homes to host video clips of current listings, interviews, and neighborhoods so you can learn more about Leavenworth and current offerings from your own computer. The selection is small right now, but will continue to grow.

Some of the videos are responses to consumers questions. How close is the train track? What does the rest of the property look like? etc.

Do you have a question best answered by video? email me and we'll try and answer with a video.

Windermere Photo Gallery - Now with Video

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:36:45 -0500

Did you know you can now add embedded video to a Photo Gallery on Windermere.com ? (For Windermere Real Estate agents.)

This is a great new addition and I certainly will be playing with it to see how I can best use video to help sell houses for my clients.

Here is my first example. Click on the river photos to see the video

Luxury Home on the Wenatchee River

It's still pretty rough, but I think we are all learning about this a little more every day.

Interviewing Home Inspectors

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:56:52 -0500

I have been lucky to work with John Griffith of Cascade Site Services in Cashmere, WA these past few years as my home inspector. John was always very thorough, wrote great reports and communicated well with my clients. I used him to do pre-listing inspections, I recommended that my clients use him, and hired him to inspect my own home. Unfortunately, the rising cost of liability insurance and a slowing market, have caused him to re-think his business plan. John is also a licensed appraiser and is switching the focus of his company to the appraisal side of things.

Do you have a favorite inspector in Central WA? Are you an inspector looking for another 15-20 inspections a year? Don't be shy, I'm hiring!

First Video with Flip Video

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:03:53 -0500

This is my first video using my new Flip video camera. I took a bunch of video today on my hike up Sauer Mountain above Leavenworth WA today. I wasn't very pleased with the Muvee software and am looking for suggestions for easy to use editing software. I used Microsoft Movie Maker today, but am considering Mixpo due to the good press it's gotten here.

Sauer Mountain - A Video Tour

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:09:26 -0500

This is my only second video with the new Flip video camera. I enjoyed shooting, but found the editing a little tiresome. I am excited about all the possibilities once I get the details worked out.

I hope you enjoyed the views from Sauer Mountain in Leavenworth and all the great wildflowers.

CRS article on VIP Clients

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:53:41 -0500

I just got my copy of the May / June "The Residential Specialist" (The Council of Residential Specialists magazine.)

On page 28 is a story about working with VIP Clients called "Halls of Fame" by Regina Ludes. On page 31 is a few quotes from me about working with VIP and CEO clients.

I don't think this available online, but I can email you a PDF if you are interested.

Washington Luxury Home Update

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Sat, 03 May 2008 11:14:01 -0500

Windermere's Premier Properties networking breakfast was held last week in Seattle at the Broadmoor Golf Club.

I had the opportunity to meet old friends and network with other agents who work in the luxury real estate market throughout Western Washington.

I also had the opportunity to present two of my current listings . ( A new construction luxury home on the Wenatchee River and the Haugen Lodge in Leavenworth.)

Some interesting anecdotes from agents attending the meeting:

There are still multiple offers occuring on luxury homes in the Seattle market, however these offers are still coming in UNDER asking price. In a few instances the bidders actually knew each other and were in contact with one another while putting in their offers!!
Lenders are having difficulty with underwriting. This is happening in all price ranges, even when buyers are putting down 50% or more.
The market for luxury homes remains pretty strong in Western Washington with a steady stream of both local and out of area buyers.
Windermere's new affiliation with the Luxury Portfolio has been a success so far and is a great marketing tool for luxury homes.

Updates for Leavenworth Real Estate Blog

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:12:05 -0500

The Leavenworth Real Estate Blog, myleavenworth.com has a number of recent articles that are really worth checking out.

I wrote updates for Leavenworth market stats for both houses in Leavenworth (single family homes) and for Leavenworth condos.

I also posted part 1 of a two part series by home inspector, John Griffith of Cascade Site Services. John's article talks about 5 common issues Leavenworth home buyers might typically find while doing a home inspection.

Look for part 2 coming soon..

Western WA Visit

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:22:31 -0500

Last week I had the great opportunity to travel West of the Cascades for business.

On Tuesday I was invited to speak to a Kirkland Windermere office thanks to the kind invitation of their broker, Peter Hickey. I gave the agents an overview of the Leavenworth real estate market, explained that Leavenworth is part of the NCWMLS and not the NWMLS, and gave them some examples of homes currently for sale in our market.

I enjoyed meeting agents from the blogosphere like Greg Perry, seeing old friends like Joe Loutsis, and meeting other agents like Peter Hickey and Jim Lloyd. I also enjoyed being able to tour homes with the Kirkland office and see examples of prices in their market.

On Tuesday night I went to a Biznik event in downtown Kirkland where I met a number of business owners including a couple of fellow real estate agents.

Wednesday I travelled to a Windermere breakfast in Seattle for the Premier Homes program, but I'll cover that in a seperate post.

Leavenworth Luxury Home Update

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:09:52 -0500

Luxury Homes in Leavenworth WA range from log cabins on the Wenatchee River or Lake Wenatchee to large horse properties with 5000 square foot homes.

In 2007 there were 34 homes listed for sale in the Leavenworth Real Estate market above $700,000.

As of April 2008, 10 of these homes have sold while another 2 are currently under contract. The sales prices in the past year have ranged from $725,000 to $950,000. In 2007, no Leavenworth home was able to sell for more than $1 Million.

The average luxury home in Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee was about 2600 square feet and located on the water. 4 homes in this price range were on Lake Wenatchee or Fish Lake and another 3 were on a river - the Wenatchee River, Icicle Creek or the Chiwawa River.

As of April 4 2008, there are 16 luxury homes on the market in Leavenworth. 8 of these homes are listed for more than $1 million and 7 of the homes are located on waterfront parcels. (Though only one is lakefront.)

Here are two links to some gorgeous luxury homes in the Leavenworth area.

Leavenworth View Home - The Haugen Lodge atop Ski Hill

Leavenworth Waterfront Home - Icicle Canyon Lodge on the Wenatchee River

Click Here to Search Leavenworth Luxury Homes

Video- Best uses for Real Estate?

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:37:43 -0500

There has been a lot of talk about how video is (or soon will be) the top web 2.0 tool for 2008.

How are you using video to help out the conversation you have with your clients and consumers.

Here are some ideas I have had. Have you tried these? What works for you?

Video Tours of Properties
Neighborhood Tours
Interviews with home inspectors, lenders, insurance agents
Testimonials from Clients
Introduction message (to be embedded in first email to client)

I am about ready to buy a FLIP (like everyone else) and get going. Please share your trials and tribulations along with your sucess stories.

Leavenworth Real Estate Agent Nominated for Technology Award

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:19:18 -0500

Leavenworth real estate agent, Geordie Romer of Windermere Real Estate, has recently been nominated for 2007 Tech Savvy Business of the Year by the Greater Wenatchee Area Technology Alliance. Romer specializes in the vacation homes and luxury homes in the Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee area. He has built his business on web based marketing which includes his real estate blog, www.myleavenworth.com and blogging for the Seattle PI's Real Estate Professionals Blog.

A handful of local businesses are nominated each year. The award will be presented on April 8 at the Innovator's Awards Luncheon along with the Entrepreneur of the Year award. Last year's winners were Erlandsen Inc for Tech Savvy Business and Sarty Mountain, Inc for Entrepreneur of the Year.

Leavenworth Blog Makes Recent Blog Carnival

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:21:28 -0500

Blue Roof is the most recent host of the real estate blog carnival.

I submitted a recent article about Leavenworth condo development that had been in my head for a while and was lucky enough to have it included.

Blue Roof writes:

Geordie Romer of Leavenworth Washington Real Estate Blog presents his "Top 5 Ways to Shoot Your Leavenworth Condo Project in the Foot." He actually goes the extra mile and gives six, including "Don't dismiss the internet as a fad." Good advice.

Thanks for the plug and thanks to everyone who participated.

Leavenworth Real Estate- Building Equity

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:00:57 -0600

Leavenworth real estate has been a great investment even when other parts of the country are hurting. Home buyers (not just investors) are buying homes, living in them, and creating great equity and wealth.

Here are two stories I heard in Leavenworth this week.

A young couple, one a teacher and the other in retail, bought a small older house a few years ago for under $100,000. They have decided to move out of town and are deciding to sell the house or rent it out. The garage sits on a separate lot which is worth $100,000 by itself. The house, though it needs work, is probably worth about $225,000 and would make a good first home for someone in the village of Leavenworth.

Another family moved to Leavenworth from Spokane. They bought a house a few years ago in town. The decided to refinance their mortgage to get rid of PMI. Now that they have more equity they were able to switch to a 15 year mortgage and are only paying a little more than what they were paying with PMI. A lower interest rate and built up equity really make a big difference.

I am so excited to be able to share positive stories about real estate when all we hear on the news is doom and gloom.

If you want the most recent real estate news for Leavenworth Wa please visit my real estate blog.

Leavenworth Real Estate News - Blogging Everywhere!

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:17:31 -0600

Leavenworth real estate news seems to be popping up everywhere except on ActiveRain.

In the last few weeks I have written about:

Vacation Rentals at Chiwawa River Pines near Lake Wenatchee

Secret Tips on How to Sell a Leavenworth Condo Development

The Truth about Real Estate

And I have accepted an invite from Al Lorenzo to join him over at the NCW Real Estate Blog.

Kahler Glen Home Destroyed by Avalanche - Old Study Used

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:53:08 -0600

The Kahler Glen home destroyed by an avalanche earlier this month was built under the assumption that an older geo-hazard study was still valid according to a recent Wenatchee World article. After the study was completed a forest fire razed the slopes above the home removing the trees and vegetation that might have prevented an avalanche. My educated guess is that this loss of vegetation is also the likely the cause of a large mudslide on Pelton Place last Spring.

Leavenworth Real Estate News

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:52:27 -0600

Leavenworth Real Estate News can be found on my main blog www.myLeavenworth.com

I have been pretty productive over there in the past few days.

Future Development - Huge Projects Coming to Leavenworth and Spanish Castle

Geordie Romer, CRS, e-PRO (Windermere Real Estate / NCW) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:54:27 -0600

Despite the current slow down in residential real estate in Seattle and other markets, developers in Central Washington are bullish about prospects for real estate in 2009 and beyond. Wade Entezar, a Bellevue developer, has submitted a proposal to Douglas County for a Master Planned Resort in the Spanish Castle area. This area is south of Wenatchee on the Columbia River and sits between Rock Island and Trinidad. The 659 acre resort will be a mix of residential, commercial and recreational uses. To read more, visit the Seattle PI