Feb. 21-March 2nd 2014 is the Inlander Restaurant Week in Spokane WA! Who doesn't love a great deal on dinner out? Attention foodies! This is your week to splurge and find new places to dine out, old places to frequent and as Winter in Spokane comes to a welcome close, enjoy friends and family for a memorable meal! Some fantastic deals on 3 course dinners and more! Chose from several location, and match your budget to an 18$ or 28$ meal while trying someplace new this year!  Here is the link with the deatails: http://www.restaurantweekspokane.com/     BON APPATIT! Let me know what your tried and how you liked it! :) BethAnn in Spokane 02/22/2014

The second week of February was pretty uneventful for the Five Mile neighborhood of north Spokane. The only home, at this point, recorded as sold is a new construction home which has not been built yet. There were 4 homes listed, 3 of which are new listing and one of which had previously been listed and then spent a couple of weeks off market before coming back on with a new listing agent. If you would like to read the rest of the article, you can find it here real-estate-spokane.com 02/17/2014

This article was written and originally published on:Real-Estate-Spokane.com $2.3 Million dollars worth of homes sold in the Five Mile Prairie area of North Spokane in January of 2014. Individual home prices ranged from $175,000 on the low end up to $320,000 on the high end. 10 homes were included in January's sales and all were relatively new houses, the oldest of which was built in 2000. In fact, six of them were brand new having been built in 2013 and 2014, which is very good news for our local Spokane homebuilders... read the rest of the article   02/16/2014

I hope all of my fellow ActiveRainers had a wonderful of a Valentine's Day as Laura and I did. I just thought I would share our wonderful evening with everybody, and would love to hear how you celebrated the night! Since Laura is British, you know we had to start off with some booze. We went to a cool little martini bar in downtown Spokane called Bistango Martini Lounge. After cocktails we went to see Jack Ryan at the River Park Square movie theater about a block away from the bar. The movie was great. I am a huge Tom Clancy fan and Jack Ryan is my all-time favorite character. I highly recommend this movie, action packed from start to finish and you just never take your eyes off the screen. After the movie, we went to dinner. Spencer's for Steaks and Chops has some of the very best stea... 02/15/2014

Once in a while, the fairly insignificant little city I live in, Spokane Washington, manages to hurl itself into the headlines and secure a high ranking spot in the WTF Hall Of Fame. Thanks to a couple of morons, I mean local business owners who just opened a daiquiri bar, Spokane is making a run for the WTF World Championship, battling it out with Sochi. It seems as though it seemed like a good idea to these two idiots to name one of their drink Date Grape Koolaid. Well the backlash has been huge, hitting the New York Daily News, national news broadcasts and getting the attention of bloggers all around the world. There is even a Boycott Spokane Downtown Daiquiri Factory page on Facebook, which I invite you all to like, just to help make the point. The owners have been asked to change t... 02/05/2014

This past Fall, Spokane's Centennial Trail opened up another portion of paved "trail only" through the new Kendall Yards development in the up and coming West Central neighborhood.  Even with the Winter snow, it is clear and open for people to use the trail for a nice afternoon walk, a morning jog, or just a moment to gaze out at the gorgeous views of Downtown and the Spokane River. Kendall Yards is located just North of the Spokane River and Downtown Spokane.  This stretch of the trail connects to Riverfront Park and Downtown to the East, and West, North West to Riverside State Park and Northwest Spokane.  The development features beautiful new condos of various sizes and styles, as well as new homes and a variety of shops and restaurants.      02/04/2014

The first of three new restaurants to open in the exciting new spot for great eats, otherwise known as Kendall Yards in Downtown Spokane, The Yards Bruncheon will feature both breakfast and lunch every day.  I took these photos in mid January, and it's expected to open in early February. It will be the first of two to open by Adam Hegsted of the Couerd'Alene Casino.  I met Adam recently at Roast House Coffee during the banquet at Roast House.  Adam and his crew were there with a bunch of wonderful treats, and if that was any indication of the delicious delights soon to be available by these folks at Kendall Yards, then I'm a customer already!  I should have guessed, but just found out that Roast House will be the coffee served at Adam's restaurants. Veraci Pizza, coming soon featuring P... 02/04/2014

Most home sellers wants the following from their Real Estate Agent: Sell their home for the most money possible. The process to go smoothly and not linger for months; and, They want their Real Estate Agent to communicate with them regularly throughout the process and to be straightforward with them. As a Seller, how can you ensure that the agent you hire to market your home is doing everything necessary to successfully sell your home?The typical Realtor® only performs 5 of the necessary 25 steps required to successfully and consistently sell homes. Failing to follow these critical steps can costs the typical home seller thousands of dollars. Today’s real estate market is incredibly competitive. Sellers can give themselves an incredible advantage by understanding the keys to making their... 01/19/2014

Live Auction - Spokane, WA - May 3, 2014   RealEstateAuctions.com will hold a live ballroom style auction in Spokane, Washington on Saturday May 3rd.  Although the time and location are not yet determined, mark your calendar now for this exciting event. The auction is open to residential, commercial, farm, and ranch properties, featuring ten to twenty properties ranging in price from $150,000 to $5,000,000.  This event is open to both distressed and non-distressed properties.  Call 509 990-9700 today to secure a spot for your property in this auction. From the National Association of REALTORS® (http://www.realtor.org/auction/the-basics-benefits) Q. What is a Real Estate Auction? A. A real estate auction is an innovative and effective method of selling real estate. It is an intense, acce... 01/13/2014

Simple Tips For Preparing Your Home For Sale As of the time of this article, Spokane home values have increased and home sales in the Spokane area are up 22% compared to the same time period in 2012. An additional positive fact for home sellers is the decreased amount of listings compared to the same time period in 2012. While the real estate climate may have shifted in the favor of sellers, it is still imperative that home sellers take the time to prepare their home for listing – beginning in the few weeks leading up to listing your home. The list below is a good start: Exterior Make sure bushes, Shrubs and trees are trimmed Make sure plants are trimmed, Flower beds are weeded and mulched. Make sure lawn is free from weeds and debris, trimmed, edged and cut Plant flowers, shrubs, and ... 12/15/2013

How To Find Out What Your Home Is Worth Robert Henry,Managing Broker by Robert Henry |  September, 2013 Spokane home values are increasing and the number of homes selling is on the rise.  What is the best way to do your own research to get an idea of what your home would sell for in today’s market. The best way to research your home’s current value is: 1)  Gather your home’s stats (i.e. Year Built, Sq Ft, Bedrooms, Baths, Garage Size, Lot Size).2)  Next, look at home sales, in the last six months, and in a half mile radius surrounding your home.3)  Choose homes that have reasonably close characteristics to yours – be objective. Homes should be with 300 sf of your home’s finished square footage.4)  This will give you a price range. Next, you will need to look at homes you would be compe... 12/15/2013

Date night or family night in Spokane doesn’t have to be expensive.  In fact, The Spokesman-Review publishes 10 under $10, a weekly column with a variety of budget friendly and family friendly things to in and around the area.    This week's featurered events include: 1.      Cracked Pepper, A Fractured Fairytale (Holy Names Music Center) 2.      Breakfast with Santa (CenterPlace) 3.      Teddy Bear Teas (area libraries) 4.      Holiday Open House (Appaloosa Museum – Moscow, Idaho) 5.      Whitworth Jazz Combo (Second Space Gallery) 6.      5 Times Over (The Hopi) 7.      Five Mile Prairie Grange Annual Pancakes with Santa (Five Mile Grange) 8.      Comedian Nick Thelsen (Red Dragon) 9.      Winter Wonderland (Bowl and Pitcher) 10.    A Christmas Carol (University of Idaho Hartung Theat... 12/06/2013

Christmas Tree Elegance - Spokane Symphony Fundraiser Dec 3 - 15 Christmas Tree Elegance, one of many highlights of the Christmas season, is ready for your viewing pleasure and....the cost is free! When you are in downtown Spokane, I encourage you to take the time to visit Christmas Tree Elegance...12 trees are displayed at the beautiful and historic Davenport Hotel and 6 trees are displayed at River Park Square.  They are a feast for your eyes and earn a "WOW" from even the most fervent Scrooge. Old and young alike will be dazzled.                      For a chance to win one of the 18 amazingly beautiful and creative trees, the price is just $1 per ticket. There will be 18 winners drawn and everything in, on and near the tree is part of the prize including thousands of dollars in cash... 12/04/2013

Tall, stately shade trees, quiet mansions with deep porches, trendy commercial and retail center.  This is Browne’s Addition, Spokane’s first neighborhood.  It sits at the west end of Spokane, the only residential neighborhood within easy walking distance of downtown.  Subdivided in the 1880s, the houses were built for wealthy clients in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Browne’s Addition is named for John J. Browne, a lawyer who settled in Spokane in the late 1800s.  He and Mr. A.M. Cannon bought 120 acres of land – which became Browne’s Addition and Cannon’s Addition (another stately residential neighborhood found on Spokane’s South Hill). At its height, Browne’s Addition was home to many of the wealthy merchants and business owners with downtown establishments. But boom times in Brown... 12/02/2013

WOW ! I woke up this morning to GOOD news in our local newspaper, The Spokesman Review. ( 11/7/13 ) i will share the article link with you in just a moment! There are so many things to love about living in Spokane WA! For one thing, as the article states, housing prices  are affordable.   The outdoor life is spectacular ! Lakes, forests, and more. We have excellent hospitals and schools. We have amazing parks and restaurants. We enjoy 4 seasons and we usually have a White Christmas ! Here is the article: just another reason to be passionate about helping people buy, sell and relocate to Spokane!    http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/nov/07/spokane-county-home-sales-up-40-percent-prices/     11/07/2013

99205 – Number of Foreclosures Remains Highby Robert Henry, Managing Broker at RealTeam Real Estate CenterOctober, 2013 Although Spokane home sales have increased in volume when compared to last year, the number of foreclosure properties still remains high in certain areas. The percentage of foreclosure sales in the Spokane area (Spokane MLS) in 2013 (Year-to-Date as of publication of this article) is approximately 12.4% compared to 19% for the Shadle area (99205 zip code).Here is a historical look at the percentage of Foreclosure sold properties in the Shadle/99205 area: Overall, strong buyer demand has resulted in an increase in the number of homes sold in the Spokane area by 21% (Year-over-Year comparison for 2012 vs 2013). Additionally, this has led to an increase in the sales price... 11/07/2013

  Apple Cup 2013 coming soon in Seattle at Husky Stadium Black Friday be damned.      WSU and UW meet one final time in the last game of the season known as the Apple Cup.    This year the game is scheduled at  Husky Stadium. The Huskies hold the advantage for games won and lost.  The winner is presented the Apple Cup trophy by the Governor of our great state.  Historically, I think the governors sit on the 50 yard line and wear both crimson & grey and purple & gold because there is absolutely no need to upset the proverbial apple cart by showing favoritism.  Once known as the Governor’s Trophy it is now called the Apple Cup renamed in the 60's to reflect Washington State’s world class apple industry. Tickets are still available at www.applecuptickets.net as of today.  Of course if you ... 11/01/2013

 Over 62? Does a one-level home in Washington or Oregon interest you? Have you considered moving to a smaller, less expensive home? How about a home in a neighborhood near friends, family,  church, shopping, medical center or bus routes?      If your answer is “yes”, here are two ways to get started.    The first is to meet with a real estate agent to discuss what homes are available in your area of choice.  Your agent can narrow the search by suggesting only the homes which meet your exact criteria. This means you don’t have to traipse all over town to look for a one-level home and your agent can answer a myriad of questions about location, size and price.  When a few homes meet your exact criteria, then you can suggest taking a drive to look at some new homes.  Jumping into a car your... 10/25/2013

Spokane WA makes 2013 best towns in Outside Magazine! Well as a life long resident of Spokane WA I was not surprised to read that Spokane WA has made yet another list of great places! Outside magazine named Spokane WA as one of the top 17 " Best towns " for more reasons that one. First of all, let me add my own two cents worth. We have four very distinct seasons here in Spokane WA. Bright and Bold fall colors are bursting as I write this blog post. Soon, graceful white snows will fall and create our spectacular Winter Wonderland. Spring is bursting with flowers, parades, foot races and more. Summer brings record sunny weather, more than 70 regional lakes and rivers, some of the best hiking you can imagine, and clear starry nights. Here is the article naming my home town, again, as a gre... 10/19/2013

      New Reverse Mortgage Guidelines include paying   mandatory obligations and a financial assessment component become effective January 13, 2014.  The foremost benefit of a reverse mortgage is to help seniors stay in their homes. This remains and it is still the only program of its kind, regardless of how many guideline changes come down the pike.        It will still help seniors and it is still a financial planning tool!    The program changes (in a nutshell) include  ·    Limitations to the amount of funds available at closing  ·   Mandatory obligations must be paid and may include fees associated with the reverse mortgage, debts (delinquent or otherwise), and repairs to the home after appraisal  ·    Required financial assessment including credit history, cash flow/income analys... 10/08/2013