in 2007 we saw a massive building boom in the Leavenworth condo market. Four years later, we are still seeing some of the effects of this overbuilding but for the most part, the new construction condos have all sold. Curious about the state of the Leavenworth condo market in 2011? Check out our Fall 2011 Condo Update over on our Leavenworth real estate blog. 09/14/2011

Earlier this year, Leavenworth was the setting for the movie production of “Ira Finklestein’s Christmas.”  A number of Leavenworth residents took part as extras, the Cascade High School band played in a Christmas parade, and Leavenworth the town was transformed into “Christmas Town. Recently the movie trailer became available on the internet 08/13/2011

One of the tasks we spend quite of bit of time on during the week is pricing homes or building lots for Leavenworth home owners.  Some homeowners call us curious about the state of the market and others are serious about getting their house on the market. We provide a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA)  free of charge to any Leavenworth area property owner considering selling their property.  For some property owners, an appraisal by a licensed appraiser might be more appropriate. Click here to read more about how we price Leavenworth homes for sale. 08/13/2011

  The Leavenworth real estate market continues to have its ups and downs as it sputters in the direction of a recovery.  At the end of 2010 it seemed like we might be headed in the right direction after surviving the horrible year that was 2009.  Unfortunately, we had a quiet spring this year here in Leavenworth which is a reminder that we aren’t quite out of the woods yet.  Click here for our report on this Spring in Leavenworth real estate  08/13/2011

After a recent post David wrote: Hi Geordie.  Always enjoy reading your blog.  I was curious what the median/mean numbers were looking like for the year in the Leavenworth area, so was interested in this post. But I also wonder if you have data over the past 3-4 years on average “3 bedroom sales price” as a means of comparing apples to apples? I think you had quoted something like that back in ’07 for Leavenworth.  I was also curious what you calculate as the % of initial asking price that sellers are averaging for sales in the current market, as another year over year trend.  Thanks for all your info! The second question is tricky to get at because of the way the data is stored on our MLS, but info on 3 bedroom homes in Leavenworth is available. Here's our post on 3 bedroom home prices... 08/13/2011

Are you a fan of ours on Facebook? We have almost 300 people who get our regular updates about Leavenworth and the Leavenworth real estate market. We'd love for you to join us. http://www.facebook.com/iciclecreekrealestate 07/03/2011

For years, I've just been a spectator when it comes to the much debated Zestimates because Chelan County and Leavenworth haven't been given zestimates in the past. The online data needed from the Chelan County Assessors office and/ or sold data from local Multiple Listing Services wasn't available to help Zillow with their zestimates. Until now.. Yep, that's right Zillow's Zestimates are live for Leavenworth. Their first attempt was pretty horrible, but they responded quickly to my criticisms and their current numbers are much closer. 07/03/2011

How's the Leavenworth real estate market doing? Is the market picking up? Don't worry you're not alone in asking those questions. I get asked those questions everywhere I go - at Safeway, at church, at the Wenatchee Wild hockey games. It's not a simple answer, but it boils down to this. I think the worst is behind us, but we're along way away from the boom times of 2007. You can visit my blog for in depth analysis and charts showing you how 2011 compares to years past. Click here:  Leavenworth Home Prices Spring 2011 05/08/2011

All sorts of things are going on at the Kahler Glen Golf and Ski Resort near Lake Wenatchee. The New Restaurant is Open There's a Moose on the Loose There's a baby bear cub too The Golf Course is open for the season! Do your summer plans include a visit to Kahler Glen? I haven't golfed there yet, but I have enjoyed hitting golf balls into the drink at the driving range. 05/08/2011

We try to post a monthly event schedule every month on our Leavenworth real estate blog. May is so busy here - starting with Mai Fest and Leavenworth's Spring Bird Fest. We actually needed to break the events calendar into two posts. Here's the Leavenworth Events Calendar for the 1st half of May 2011. 05/08/2011

Most people believe that fire damage is the most likely cause of loss to their home but the data proves homes are much more likely to be damaged by water than by fire. We asked Eric Kossian of Leavenworth Insurance to tell us more about water damage in the home and the best ways to prevent it. Come visit our blog to learn about preventing water from damaging your home. 05/08/2011

The Wenatchee World reported on March 29 that an appeals court overturned Judge Chip Small's earlier ruling and vacation rentals are now allowed in the Chiwawa River Pines neighborhood. I've written two follow up articles on my Leavenworth Real Estate Blog. A summary of the lawsuit saga and the next steps for the Chiwawa River Pines Community Effects of Vacation Rental Ban in Chiwawa River Pines   04/05/2011

How well are condos selling? Are we still in a downward spiral because of all the overbuilding in 2007? Last spring I wrote:  The Leavenworth condominium  market seems to be on the road to recovery. There are still some bumps in the road, but we are headed towards a healthy market again. In 2010, 19 condominiums sold in Leavenworth that were recorded in the North Central WA Multiple Listing Service (MLS).  This  is slightly more than 2009, when 18 condos sold locally. Click here to read the rest of the article about the Leavenworth Condo Market   03/19/2011

Candy Evans recently featured Leavenworth WA in two posts on her vacation home blog Second Shelters. The first was a guest post that I wrote giving the basics about the vacation home market in Leavenworth. http://www.secondshelters.com/2011/02/15/second-home-house-porn-live-with-the-microsoft-millionaires-for-300k/ The second post was a follow up interview with me about life in Leavenworth. http://www.secondshelters.com/2011/02/16/more-on-living-with-the-microsoft-millionaires/ I had a lot of fun doing this - hope you enjoy the articles.   02/16/2011

Since the word got out about Leavenworth staring in a new Christmas movie, lots of folks have asked how to get a role as an extra. We now have dates for the Christmas Parade. It will be held in early March, so let's hope we get some snow before now and then. You can read all the details here on our blog. http://iciclecreekrealestate.com/2011/02/11/ira-finklesteins-christmas-parade/     02/11/2011

We have been hearing about clients avoiding condos because they are "impossible" to finance. At least one local agent has been spreading around this rumor.   To help us learn more about financing condos, we asked Darel Ansley of Peoples Bank in Wenatchee to set the record straight. Click Here to read our interview with Darel on financing a Leavenworth condo. 01/29/2011

We here at Icicle Creek Homes are once again pleased to announce that we are the title sponsor of the 2011 Hog Loppet.   Hog Loppet is an annual ski tour from Mission Ridge to Blewett Pass organized by the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club. The tour is 30 kilometers and is not a race but a great day out on the snow experiencing the mountains and the joy of Nordic skiing. Like last year, there will be an after-party at the Leavenworth Festhalle with burgers, beer and music by Leavenworth's own Chumstick Liberation Front. This year's Hog Loppet is February 26th. Registration is online and early registration is open until February 8th. Outdoor recreation is so important to us and our clients and friends we felt that Hog Loppet was a really good match for us and we are proud to be the title sp... 01/25/2011

The Department of Commerce and the Washington State Department of Transportation recently announced plans to make the Stevens Pass Greenway the first electric vehicle-friendly National Scenic Byway route. With Federal Recovery Act funding through the State Energy Program, the state will install two to three electric vehicle (EV) fast charging stations along U.S. Highway 2. Read more about electric cars in Leavenworth here 01/25/2011

When it comes to the length of your driveway, I think it does. Everyone wants privacy and peace and quiet at their home. Home shoppers in Leavenworth are no different. But setting your home too far away from the road can have consequences too - especially when it comes to the winter months. Click Here to Read more about : Driveway Length and Home Shopping 12/21/2010

For many folks,winter in Leavenworth means ski season (at least it does at our house!) Since so many of our friends and clients are skiers too, here's a update of what's open so far. Stevens Pass: Open for Downhill Skiing Leavenworth Ski Trails: Some Areas Open Lake Wenatchee State Park: Not Yet Open Stevens Pass Nordic Center: Opens December 18 For the full report click here: Leavenworth Ski Season 2010-2011 12/11/2010