Leavenworth Real Estate

Two minute home inspection : electrical

Ok, you can’t do a home inspection in 2 minutes. A home inspection generally takes 2-4 hours and we always recommend using a home inspector who is licensed by the State of Washington and a member of a national home inspection organization like ASHI or NACHI.

Here’s another guest post by Chip Roberson, of Mission Home and Pest Inspection:

When looking at a property you are considering calling your new home, take two minutes to get a general idea about the electrical system.

As you are looking at the outside of the property, observe how the electrical service is provided to the house. The electrical service refers to the wires that enter the house either overhead, known as service drop, or underground, which is known as a service lateral. When observing the service drop look for possible concerns such as service wiring running through trees, worn insulation, hazardous ground to service wire clearances, stressed or leaning attachment to the house, missing drip loop at weather head and even disconnected wiring. Modern electrical services will have 3 service wires which will provide 120/240 volts. Some older homes may only have 2 wires servicing the house which will provide only 120 volts. This would be considered out of date by today’s standards because larger appliances that operate at 240 volts, such as furnaces, water heaters and ranges cannot be utilized. The wiring in service laterals are not visible, these electrical services are 120/240 volts and is considered up to today’s standards.

After observing the service entrance, find the bare copper conductor that is attached to a grounding electrode such as metallic water piping, driven ground rods and/or rebar encased in the concrete foundation. This conductor and connection should be visible and intact. All main electrical service panels need to be properly grounded. Some are not.

Some homes over 25 years old may have a main service panel or other distribution panel that may not be reliable, meaning that the breakers may not trip when an over load or direct short is occurring. This can cause injury, death or property damage. Some commonly known panels that fall into this category are Federal Pacific (FPE) and Zinsco.

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Interested in more articles by Chip Roberson?

Click here to read the first in the series

Best of 2009

If there were rules to this new media game, perhaps written by the folks at FakeAPStylebook, I’m sure a Best of 2009 list is supposed to have been published prior to the singing of Auld Lang Syne.

Unfortunately, I never got around to it. But here it is, better late than never.

• Discounts on Leavenworth Homes for Sale
• Record Number of Leavenworth Homes for Sale
• Chiwawa River Pines – What is the Effect of the Rental Ban
• Kahler Glen Condos – Does an oversupply mean it’s time to buy?
• Leavenworth Real Estate – No Swine Flu in our market
• Buyers and Sellers in a Stalemate

What were your favorite posts from this blog in 2009? What were your favorite posts elsewhere on the web?

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Leavenworth Real Estate | Sold Homes November 2009

 

Leavenworth had 7 homes and 3 condos close in November.

 

211 Cherry Street, Leavenworth

List price: $199,900.  Sold price: $194,900.

Days on Market: 48

3 bedrooms | 1.5 bath | 1538 sqft| .14 acres.

Cinder block home on a quiet corner lot.  Was on the market only a few days before it went pending.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3034 Memory Lane, Leavenworth

List price: $329,900.  Sold price: $229,000.

Days on Market: 204

2 bedrooms | 1 bath | 1000 sqft| .42 acres.

Small cabin in the Pine River Ranch neighborhood.  Also had a large detached garage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NNA Second Creek, Leavenworth

List price: $285,000.  Sold price: $232,000.

Days on Market: 85

1 bedrooms | 1 bath | 288 sqft| 20 acres.

Side canyon off of Merry Canyon, cute cabin in a secluded surrounding.  Could be tricky winter access.

 

 

 

 

 

2658 Alder Lane, Leavenworth

List price: $345,000.  Sold price: $282,500.

Days on Market: 146

2 bedrooms | 1.5 bath | 1544 sqft| 1.06 acres.

Rustic log cabin in a secluded part of Chiwawa River Pines.  Bedrooms are a partitioned loft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

406 Cedar Street, Leavenworth

List price: $425,000.  Sold price: $325,000.

Days on Market: 341

3 bedrooms | 2.5 bath | 1742 sqft| .09 acres.

Good use of a small lot in town.  Also has a detached garage off the back alley.  Small backyard.  Was on and off the market three times.

 

 

 

 

 

17570 River Road, Leavenworth

List price: $669,900.  Sold price: $452,000.

Days on Market: 371

2 bedrooms | 2 bath | 1676 sqft| 3 acres.

Mostly open acreage on the Wenatchee River.

 

 

 

 

 

 

15264 Cedar Brae Road, Leavenworth

List price: $769,000.  Sold price: $555,000.

Days on Market: 705

3 bedrooms | 1.5 bath | 844 sqft| .42 acres.

Small cabin on the south shore of Lake Wenatchee just past Wenatchee State Park.  Nice view and beach.  The home took three summers to sell.

 

 

Leavenworth Sold Condos:

Three condos sold in November, two in town and one in Kahler Glen.

 

900 Main Street 403, Leavenworth

List price: $500,000.  Sold price: $289,550.

Days on Market: 805

2 bedrooms | 2 bath | 1259 sqft| 

One of the last remaining condos left over from the auction last year.  Interior unit with an additional loft and one space in garage.  Seller paid $3500 in closing costs.

 

 

 

 

 

1107 Front Street Unit 2, Leavenworth

List price: $298,000.  Sold price: $245,000.

Days on Market: 98

2 bedrooms | 1.75 bath | 1307 sqft| 

First Cascade Crest condo to sell.  While officially it has been on the market 98 days, it was available last summer for $519,000.  Short Sale situation. Nicely finished interior and one car detached garage.

 

 

 

 

 

20701 Clubhouse Drive 107, Leavenworth

List price: $319,000.  Sold price: $274,000.

Days on Market: 203

2 bedrooms | 2 bath | 1140 sqft|

Kahler Glen Natapoc condo with a car port and additional one car detached garage.  No view of the golf course may be a reason for the long time on market.

 

 

More Leavenworth Real Estate Info

• Click Here to See Leavenworth Sold Homes for Oct 2009
• Click Here to See Cashmere Sold Homes for Nov 2009
• Click Here to Search for Leavenworth Homes for Sale

 

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Required Disclaimer

NOTE: This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

Cashmere Real Estate | Sold Homes November 2009

 

Five homes closed in the Cashmere area in November.

 

6166 Wescott Drive, Cashmere

List price: $175,000 .  Sold price: $160,000.

Days on Market: 91

3 bedrooms | 1 bath | 1140 sqft| .37 acres.

A 1960’s home on a large lot, a stone’s throw from the Chelan County Fair Grounds.  Also had a large garage.

 

 

 

 

 

307 Orchid Street, Cashmere

List price: $229,900 .  Sold price: $195,000.

Days on Market: 243

3 bedrooms | 1 bath | 1344 sqft| .18 acres.

1970’s rambler not far from the schools.  Had new hardwood flooring and oversized one car garage.  Seller paid $5000 in closing costs.

 

 

 

 

 

208 Washington Street, Cashmere

List price: $235,500 .  Sold price: $228,000.

Days on Market: 164

3 bedrooms | 1.75 bath | 2293 sqft| .33 acres.

Classic turn of the century home built in 1906.  Seller paid $3000 in closing costs.

 

 

 

 

 

3992 Old Monitor Road, Cashmere

List price: $236,000 .  Sold price: $236,000.

Days on Market: 110

3 bedrooms | 1.5 bath | 1738 sqft| .70 acres.

1920’s home just past Anjou Bakery.  Home is surrounded by orchards and has an extra shop/garage.

 

 

 

 

115 Creekside Place, Cashmere

List price: $367,500 .  Sold price: $295,000.

Days on Market: 654

3 bedrooms | 2 bath | 1900 sqft| .20 acres.

1990’s home off Mission Creek Road.  This home was on the market briefly in 2007, most of 2008, and again in 2009.

 

 

 

More Leavenworth and Cashmere Real Estate Info

• Click Here to See Cashmere Sold Homes for Oct 2009
• Click Here to See Leavenworth Sold Homes for Nov 2009
• Click Here to Search for Cashmere Homes for Sale

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Required Disclaimer

NOTE: This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

Lake Wenatchee Ski Report

Ski season at Lake Wenatchee is not quite here yet.

Here’s the latest from Rick Halstead, Park Manager at Lake Wenatchee State Park

Hello everyone -

We’ve taken a few calls from folks wondering what conditions are like here . . . and when might the skiing begin. Unfortunately we have no snow at this time, despite there being 30 – 40″ just 20 miles west of here at Steven’s Pass. Typically we get significant snow in mid – late December and have enough to begin grooming just in time for the holidays. You can check this link for a report which is automatically updated hourly. The gauges are located right here in the North Park.

We need at least a foot of reasonably dense snowpack before we can begin packing trails and creating a good base for grooming. A bit more is needed for grooming.

Everything is in place for another season – - grants, snowcats, operators and landowner permission. Special thanks to Longview Timber Company for their ongoing permission to groom all those great trails on Nason Ridge. They own the land – we are very grateful they open their gates for snowcats and skiers.

There has been a very significant increase in Snopark permit fees this year. A one-day parking pass is now $20; a season pass is $80 (basic Snopark pass $40 plus “Special Groomed Trails Sticker” for another $40).

Attached is a Snopark program Q&A we’ve created to help explain the program, how it is funded, and where / how permit funds are spent – and the need for the fee increase. Some of you represent businesses which sell these permits – I encourage you to print a copy to share with all staff who might sell permits, and any customers who are particularly curious . . .

Thanks for all you support,

Rick Halstead, Park Manager

Lake Wenatchee State Park

(509) 763-3101

(509) 763-1029 fax