The Lacamas Heritage Trail is a combination of the Lacamas Lake Trail and Lacamas Park Trail. It follows the south shore of Lacamas Lake for 7.6 miles. In addition to being a great place to walk or run, along the trail are a variety of other activities, including basketball courts, a play structure, boat launch, picnic areas, as well as public restrooms.
There are parking lots at either end of the trail and at several location in the middle. Check out this interactive map from Google that shows parking and the location of the various amenities the trail has to offer.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Showing Activity Up in November
In the first week of November, showing activity in SW Washinton jumped up 9.8%, after declining every week in October.
October Market Report
Real Estate market activity in SW Washington dropped significantly last month in every category. Compared with 2009, closed sales dropped 40.2% and pending sales were down 32.3%, while new listings only decreased by 11.1%.
Compared with September 2010, closed sales declined 10.9% and pending sales fell 2.3%. New listings increased by 2.6%, which caused inventory to rise to 11.1 months of supply. Inventory had decreased each of the previous two months, after jumping to 12 months following the initial closing deadline for the Home Buyers Tax Credit.
Compared with September 2010, closed sales declined 10.9% and pending sales fell 2.3%. New listings increased by 2.6%, which caused inventory to rise to 11.1 months of supply. Inventory had decreased each of the previous two months, after jumping to 12 months following the initial closing deadline for the Home Buyers Tax Credit.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Are You Ready for Winter?
The Vancouver area had strong wind Tuesday night and throughout the day Wednesday (15 MPH with gusts up to 26 MPH). Although winter technically does not begin for another six weeks, it's not too early to start preparing for winter storms. Both the Farmer's Almanac and meteorologists and predicting above-average snowfalls in the Pacific NW this year. Here are a few suggestions for preparing an emergency kit, in case snow/ice/power outages make it difficult to get out of the house:
- Have enough supplies for 3 days. This includes non-perishable food (don't forget the can opener!) and at least one gallon of water, per-person/per-day.
- Keep a radio in the house, with extra batteries, to get the latest news/weather reports.
- If the power is out, ATM's may not work, so keep some cash on hand as well.
- Remember the pets! Keep a supply of food and water for them, too.
- Put some personal hygiene items in your emergency kit. You don't want to be stuck in the house for three days with no soap and no toothpaste.
Get a complete checklist for your emergency kit from http://www.govlink.org/storm/prepare.asp.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Homeownership Rates Decrease from 2009
Today, the US Census Bureau released the US homeownership data for the 3rd quarter of 2010. According to the report, 66.9% of Americans own their own home. This number remained the same as the previous quarter, and down 0.7% from 3rd quarter of 2009. From 1989 through 1994, the percentage of American who owned their own home stayed fairly consistent, ranging from 63.8% to 64.2% (with a brief spike in late 1993). After that, the homeownership rate grew consistently until the first quarter of 2005, when it reached a peak of 69.1%. It remained level in 2005 and 2006, before beginning to drop in 2007.
The report also contained data about the number of vacant houses in the United States. Last quarter, 2.5% of all residential homes were unoccupied. This figure did not change from the second quarter and was down from last year. The vacancy rate has declined consistently since hitting 2.9% in 2008. Despite the year-to-year decline, the number of vacant houses remains far higher than historical averages. Between 1996 and 2004, the percentage of of vacant houses never surpassed 2%.
The decline in homeownership over the last several years reflects the uncertainty over the future of the economy. When faced with a difficult job market, young people are more likely to rent or live with family than take on the risks of a mortgage. While the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit may have encouraged some people to buy a home, many would have likely purchased a home even without the tax credit. For those who were either unemployed or underemployed, even with the tax credit, purchasing a home was, and remains, simply not an option.
The vacancy rate could have an impact on the prices of existing homes, especially since it does not include foreclosures not yet listed for sale. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, the building cost per square foot has dropped from its peak of $111.86/ft in 2006, to $92.46/ft in 2009. When coupled with lower land prices, this decrease in the cost to build makes new construction a very appealing option for those who are able to take advantage of historically low interest rates. If this trend continues, it could have deflationary effect on the prices of the growing inventory of homes built more than 10 years ago, that simply can't compete it terms of condition and quality with new construction. Builders also have the chance to tailor their product to match the current trends (master-on-the-main floor, great room concepts, etc.), an opportunity unavailable to existing home owners.
All of this could change rapidly...if the economic recovery picks up steam and creates opportunities for more first-time homebuyers, an increase in demand will reduce inventory and have a postive effect on the prices of existing homes. As stated above, the vacancy rate has dropped from its high point in 2008. If this continued to drop, it will ease the deflationary pressure on existing home prices. In the short term, however, buyers will likely continue to look for bargains on existing homes (short-sales/bank-owned) or new construction.
The report also contained data about the number of vacant houses in the United States. Last quarter, 2.5% of all residential homes were unoccupied. This figure did not change from the second quarter and was down from last year. The vacancy rate has declined consistently since hitting 2.9% in 2008. Despite the year-to-year decline, the number of vacant houses remains far higher than historical averages. Between 1996 and 2004, the percentage of of vacant houses never surpassed 2%.
The decline in homeownership over the last several years reflects the uncertainty over the future of the economy. When faced with a difficult job market, young people are more likely to rent or live with family than take on the risks of a mortgage. While the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit may have encouraged some people to buy a home, many would have likely purchased a home even without the tax credit. For those who were either unemployed or underemployed, even with the tax credit, purchasing a home was, and remains, simply not an option.
The vacancy rate could have an impact on the prices of existing homes, especially since it does not include foreclosures not yet listed for sale. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, the building cost per square foot has dropped from its peak of $111.86/ft in 2006, to $92.46/ft in 2009. When coupled with lower land prices, this decrease in the cost to build makes new construction a very appealing option for those who are able to take advantage of historically low interest rates. If this trend continues, it could have deflationary effect on the prices of the growing inventory of homes built more than 10 years ago, that simply can't compete it terms of condition and quality with new construction. Builders also have the chance to tailor their product to match the current trends (master-on-the-main floor, great room concepts, etc.), an opportunity unavailable to existing home owners.
All of this could change rapidly...if the economic recovery picks up steam and creates opportunities for more first-time homebuyers, an increase in demand will reduce inventory and have a postive effect on the prices of existing homes. As stated above, the vacancy rate has dropped from its high point in 2008. If this continued to drop, it will ease the deflationary pressure on existing home prices. In the short term, however, buyers will likely continue to look for bargains on existing homes (short-sales/bank-owned) or new construction.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Vancouver Parks - Part 3 (Esther Short Park)
This series on the parks of Vancouver continues with Esther Short Park, set in the heart of downtown Vancouver. The park's namesake and her husband, Amos, first landed on the northern shore of the Columbia on Christmas day in 1845 and later claimed a portion of land in want eventually became the city of Vancouver (the eastern border of their potato farm is modern day Main Street). When Esther died in 1853, she left a portion of the land to the city. A statue of Esther was unveiled in 1929, and remains at the North entrance of the park.
Today, Esther Short Park hosts the Vancouver Farmer's Market from March through October (last weekend was the last market for this year). During the summer, the park also hosts a summer concert series. Although the "big events" are over, the park is always a great place to get outside and enjoy lunch on one of the occasional dry days during the winter. The park can also be reserved for special occasions.
Esther Short Park is between 6th and 8th Street, just west of Main Street. The park is open from 7 AM to dusk, and there is metered parking on the bordering streets.
Today, Esther Short Park hosts the Vancouver Farmer's Market from March through October (last weekend was the last market for this year). During the summer, the park also hosts a summer concert series. Although the "big events" are over, the park is always a great place to get outside and enjoy lunch on one of the occasional dry days during the winter. The park can also be reserved for special occasions.
Esther Short Park is between 6th and 8th Street, just west of Main Street. The park is open from 7 AM to dusk, and there is metered parking on the bordering streets.
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