THE BEAUTY, LOCATION and AMENITIES ABOUND in this PIONEER HILL HOME!

An Incredible Home with Incredible Elegance is available for you to preview in Pullman, WA!

770 SE Pheasant Run Court…The following amenities are included:

1. Granite Counter Tops
2. Beautiful Hardwood Floors
3. Cul de Sac Location
4. 5 Bedrooms/ 3.5 Bathrooms
5. 4000 SQ Ft
6. Pioneer Hill
7. Incredible Views of WSU and our Area
8. Surround Sound, New Hot Tub, Super Floor Plan
9. …and Pride of Ownership!
10. MLS Number: 9936432

$595,000

GIVE OLGA DIAZ-POTTER A CALL TO PREVIEW THIS EXCEPTIONAL HOME!!

509-432-1936    OLGA@PULLMAN.COM

There is a little Madness out there! March Madness that is…and I love it!  College Basketball is one of my favorite sports and during this time of year, I try to watch as much as possible.  Now there’s another reason to watch…a little piece of Pullman is creating some MAGIC!

His name is ALI FAROKHMANESH! A mouthful to say for sure…yet the excitement he’s caused is magic.  This young basketball player from Northern Iowa University has definitely stirred things up!  He grew up in Pullman, WA and grew up playing Basketball, but after finishing high school, no Division 1 universities wanted him, not even Division 2 schools saw what he could offer.  Things are changing now!

Check out the following link and read the story about ALI FAROKHMANESH.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/college-basketball-Ali-Farokhmanesh-is-a-bracket-buster-032310

Read how he has made two winning shots to propel his team to the Sweet Sixteen…and best of all…you’ll learn that he grew up in Pullman, WA.  There’s a little bit of Madness out there…and he’s MAGIC!

I love Thursdays! I look forward to it every week!  I begin the day with my Diet Coke, and a copy of what homes will be on tour in Pullman, WA.  I drive to the Coldwell Banker Tomlinson office and meet up with a number of my colleagues who are ready to head out right before 9:00 a.m. 

We hope for a sunny day and take turns being the pilot of our office REALTOR TOUR! It’s a time we can discuss properties currently for sale, new listings that are coming on, and the listings which have sold or now have a new lower price.

We also see a number of REALTORS from other offices who are doing the same thing we are.  It’s nice to say hello and see all of our colleagues.  It’s great to see the homes in our area, drive through our neighborhoods and appreciate the super community we live in. I love Thursdays!

I’m looking forward to tomorrow!  It’s Thursday, my favorite day of the Week!

All in a day’s work for a REALTOR®! A perfect day for me!  My client has received his keys to his new home, his first home!  What an incredible feeling for him and for me.  This is the best part of the job I believe!  What a glorious feeling, knowing that you have helped your client acheive the American Dream…to own their own home.

I smile when I think of the joy he must feel as he receives his keys and drives to his home for the first time. So many memories will be established for a lifetime.  The creation of a home by making the house, the yard, the interior your own.  It’s a fantastic feeling for my client and for me.

To know that I had a part in making it all work, makes it the most rewarding day for me…and It’s all in a day’s work!

First Time Home Buyers!  This is the best of Times!  GET OFF THE FENCE!  We are on countdown to April 30, 2010…the deadline for purchasing a home and benefitting from the $8000 Firt Time Homebuyer Tax Credit.

Don’t Delay!  It’s your time to get out there and take advantage of this incredible offer.  There are great values in Pullman, WA and the inventory is good for you to look at purchasing your first home.  Take a look at how you can qualifiy:

1.  You haven’t owned a home as your primary residence for the past three years.

2.  Your income doesn’t exceed $125,000 (filing individually) or $225,000 (married filing jointly).  If your income is more, you could still qualify but at a sliding scale.

3.  You must have signed a contract by April 30, 2010.  You get an extra 60 days after that day to close financing.

4.  The home you buy must be your primary residence.

5.  You must be 18 years of age or older, you cannot be a dependent of the seller.

6.  The home may not sell for more that $800,000 to qualify.  If you resell the home within three years, there may be a credit repayment penalty.

So…come on!  Get off the fence and make a move.  You’ll be glad you did!  I promise!!

**Information courtesy of www.WaHomeowners.com**

It was VERY hard getting up this morning!  Oh Boy, was it hard!  I did my part because of Daylight Savings.  I woke up yesterday and worked on changing all the clocks, made sure I arrived on time at my appointments and enjoyed the extra hour of sunlight!  What I didn’t do was tell myself that I would need a very loud alarm clock to get me going this morning!!

I hit the snooze button about 4 times!  That was a big mistake!!  I jumped out of bed, rushed around like a crazy woman, and ran to work to get there on time.  Whew!  I’m wondering what tomorrow morning will bring?  I know I will set my alarm to ring VERY LOUDLY!! 

The joy and happiness that a newborn brings to family, friends and the community is extraordinary!  In our case, it was the joy that my young daughter felt as she held this newborn baby that caught me by surprise.  I felt her joy and smiled deeply as I watched her carefully hold the baby like one of her most special dolls. 

She jumped in the car after school and asked if our dear friend had had her baby.  When I told her yes and that we were going to the hospital to visit, she jumped up and yelled.  She didn’t hesitate a moment as she buckled herself quickly and giggled with happiness as we drove to see the new bundle of love.

When we arrived, she jumped out of the car and skipped to the entrance of Pullman Regional Hospital.  We ran into the gift shop and purchased flowers for mom and bought a card to give with the gift we were going to give baby.  She walked quickly beside me as we walked to the room.  She wanted details about her birth and asked about who had come to visit when she was born.

When we entered the room, our friends greeted us warmly and asked if she wanted to hold baby.  She sat on the couch that was in the hospital room.  She did not hesitate.  She took the baby in her arms like she had done this many times before.  I was amazed.  And then she smiled and gazed into the baby’s eyes.  The best part was that the baby looked into her eyes as well!  It made her day, it made my day! 

The Joy of A New Beginning!

I met the Appraiser at a property in our area this past week.  After I answered a couple of questions, I left the Appraiser to do his job.  As I drove away, I remembered an article I had read recently regarding the impact of Short Sales and Foreclosures on the Current Market Value of Properties for Sale.  I now await the Appraiser’s Report and hope that the value comes out positively.

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, nearly one in four REALTORS® have experienced a negative effect on a transaction due to a low Appraisal.  Unfortunately, about 40 percent of all homes sales this year have been either a Short Sale or a Foreclosure.  In many instances, the final sale of these properties has been for less than the mortgage.  This can negatively impact the value of the surrounding properties and makes it more difficult for Appraisers to support the value of a home.  It is especially difficult if you’re trying to sell a home in a neighborhood that also has Short Sales and Foreclosures currently for sale. Buyers could be in contract for more than what the Appraiser determines the property is worth.  This is where the problem lies, and a transaction could get  shaky.

I hope that for the Sellers and Buyers in our area, the values of homes hold firm.  We haven’t seen the number of Short Sales or Foreclosures that currently plague other parts of the country.  I can appreciate the position of Appraisers at this time and I empathize with Sellers, Buyers, and REALTORS®.

Finally, the night she picked up the car.  Her face says it all doesn’t it?  After years of not having a car of her own, my daughter has her first car and the biggest grin I think I’ve ever seen on her face.  Her FIRST CAR!  She found it, she’s paying for it, and she will take great care of it.  I know that for sure….even her spoiled doggie has to sit on a mat in the back seat!

WAY TO GO MY GIRL!  I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!

From the time that we moved to Pullman, WA, seven years ago, I was told that the schools were excellent.  That made sense to me since Pullman is a college town, home of Washington State University and the WSU Cougs!  I knew that it competed athletically and academically within the state and always ranked very highly.  My daughter, who enrolled at Pullman High School, worked hard to achieve good grades.  I experienced through her the level of excellence from the educators, the administrators and the staff.

I just learned that Pullman High School was awarded a Silver Medal Designation!  Wow! A high number of schools, 21,796, to be exact, from 48 states were evaluated and Pullman High School was distinguished as one of the top 1,298 schools in the United States.  This information is according to the 2010 U.S. News and World Report.  This type of evaluation was developed by the School Evaluation Services that determine high school rankings. 

I admire the criteria that this distinction is based as it not looks at the performance of college bound students, but ALL students within their community.  There are also three steps that were achieved to meet their criteria:  Numbers one and two address meeting the needs of all students and number three measures how the school prepares students taking the next step to college.

This is a marvelous accomplishment for Pullman High School and for its students.  Congratulations to all!