Happy Halloween Clark County!

It's going to be a wonderful day in Clark County. It started a bit chilly and foggy but that is burning off. A dry Halloween makes a safer Halloween.



This image was created in Paint as an entry into a Virtual Pumpkin Carving Contest I entered. The rules were you had to use Paint to do the editing and you needed to be creative. The contest was sponsered by Teresa Boardman who is a Realtor in St. Paul, Minnesota. Teresa is not only one of the top real estate bloggers in the country but is the foremost authority on the Twin Cities. Check out her blog for some great photo's and information about St. Paul area. The cool thing is I WON! I'd like to thank my Active Rain friends, MySpace friends and any others who voted.


If you are looking for a safe place to take the kids tonight, check out Trick-or-Treat at Firstenburg. It is free to get in and open from 4-9 PM today. It is at the Firstenburg Community Center located at 700 NE 136th Ave. More info online at www.cityofvancouver.us/fcc. Be safe and have fun!

Take care,

Dale Chumbley

Clark County Real Estate Blog
The Chumbley Team

A New Photo Journey Through Clark County

Hey everyone,

I am starting a new phlogging adventure (no that is not something perverted). As I travel around Clark County I'll be shooting photo's of things that strike a fancy with me. I'll upload these photo's via my phone to my new site. You can get to the new site here. Sign up through the RSS to get regular updates and check back often.

This site is not going away! This new adventure is more of a snapshot of Clark County and all our cities. I hope you enjoy this journey and feel free to forward it on to your friends as well.

Take care,

Dale Chumbley

Clark County Real Estate Blog
The Chumbley Team

Clark County Pumpkin Patches

I can't believe that it is less than a week until Halloween. This year is really flying by. Since this is the last weekend for gathering those pumpkins I thought a quick guide to a few local patches would be helpful.

• Joe's Place Farms - pumpkins, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Precut Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths and boughs, trees tied, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, prepicked produce, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, tractor-pulled hay rides and face painting. 701 NE 112th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98684. Phone: 360 892-3974. Email them at: joesplacefarms@comcast.net


• Pomeroy Living History Farm. Pumpkin Lane will be open weekends in October.
  Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 1pm-5pm
  Free admission; fees for hayrides, pumpkins, and some activities
  Hayrides down Pumpkin Lane with stops at the Pumpkin Patch are $3.50 Adults and $2.50 Ages 2-11. Pumpkins are $1.00 to $6.00 depending on size.
  Scarecrow-making, hay bale maze, Farm Cafe and lot's of fun.


• Bi-Zi Farms offers cider pressing, pumpkin launch, a bale maze, farm animals, antique farm equipment, hay rides, pumpkin patch, live Blue Grass music and a 6-acre corn maze. Open every weekend in October; 2pm to 6pm Friday, 10am to 6pm Saturday & Sunday. Nighttime corn maze open Fri & Sat til 9:30 pm...bring a flashlight!

Be safe out there and have fun!

Take care,

Dale Chumbley

Clark County Real Estate Blog
The Chumbley Team

It's A Great Time To Buy!

Attention buyers! Now is a great time to consider making that offer. Interest rates are still great and there is plenty to choose from. Get off the fence, step out there and "Just Do It"!

Now that doesn't mean run around making ridiculously low offers on everything on the market. Make sure your Realtor knows the market values of the houses in the neighborhood and listen to their counsel. We are there for a reason and want to see you get the best price possible. The reason for not making insane offers is that hopefully a mutual place can be reached by the buyer and seller. If you offend the seller out of the gate, a mutual place becomes much harder to find.

Sellers, make sure you are being competitive in your pricing so that you are the most attractive to the buyer's that are looking. Listen to the market and your Realtor. If you are getting lots of showings with no offers, you need to look at your pricing. If you are not getting any showings, you need to look at your pricing. If you are trying to do it on your own, find a Realtor and listen to them!

Take care,

Dale Chumbley

Clark County Real Estate Blog
The Chumbley Team

WANTED: A New I-5 Bridge

Alright, I don't normally have to head into Portland, OR first thing in the morning but last Thursday I found myself doing just that. Let me say... we need a new bridge! What under normal circumstances would be a 15 minute drive from my house was almost a hour and twenty minutes. I'd say this exceeds an acceptable level of service.

For those of you who make this drive daily, my hats are off to you. You deserve a medal. I called a friend of mine to let him know I'd called the Vatican and nominated him for sainthood as he makes this drive everyday of every week. I don't know how he does it.

I know that the problem is being addressed, and I'll be curious to see what is decided. You can follow along with some of the potential options here. It will not be inexpensive and it will not be easy, but it is necessary! Clark County needs a smoother, less painful way to visit our great neighbor of Portland, OR.

Take care,

Dale Chumbley

Clark County Real Estate Blog
The Chumbley Team

Streets of Gold in Fisher's Landing

Fall is in the air and the streets are covered with gold in Fisher's Landing right now. Today I was driving through Fisher's Landing showing houses and found the area to be most beautiful.The fall colors are in full swing and the leaves are falling fast. The windstorm and rain these past few days certainly helped this process out. It is amazing how quickly things change around here.

While we are in Fisher's Landing let's talk about the Year-To-Date numbers for this great neighborhood. As of the end of September the Average Sale Price is $314,300 and the Median Sale Price is $300,000. The average days on the market is running around 50 days. We are still seeing Fisher's Landing appreciate at a rate of 5.2%.
This chart shows the Year-To-Date single family residential activity. A total of 1,082 homes have come on the market this year and just over half of those are still available. The pending sales and closed sales split the balance pretty even. If you have any questions about these numbers or about a different neighborhood just ask.

Take care,

Dale Chumbley

Clark County Real Estate Blog
The Chumbley Team

Clark County's New Land Bridge

That's what this thing is. You probably have wondered as I have what they are building across Hwy 14 as you pass by Fort Vancouver. This is a natural path 40' wide crossing which will reconnect the Fort to our waterfront.

Back in the day you used to be able to walk from one to the other and as growth has happened this link was broken. Now this link is being rebuilt. This will hopefully provide a renewed appreciation of our long history with our very own Fort Vancouver and the Hudson's Bay Trading Company. Our waterfront has become a great place to enjoy wonderful food, incredible views and even a little excercise. Now that trail becomes just a little bit longer.

Through the efforts of Confluence Project members, the National Park Service, the City of Vancouver and the Washington State Department of Transportation this has been able to happen. The estimated cost of this project is $12.25 million and was funded through federal, state and private funding.

Completion of this project is slated for the end of 2007. Once it is complete make sure and get out there and take a walk to enjoy this great new feature in beautiful Clark County.

Take care,

Dale Chumbley

Clark County Real Estate Blog
The Chumbley Team

Beautiful East Clark County Home

This home is in the new Union High School boundary and has just been reduced in price over $25,000. Take a gander at the video and let us know if you would like any further information.

Dale Chumbley

Clark County Real Estate Blog
The Chumbley Team