Real Estate Trends & Advice

Adverse Possession

The other day an inquiry came across my desk concerning a fence encroachment. The person wanted to know “How many years does it take for a fence encroachment to be grandfathered in?” The questioner assumed that because they had built a fence encroaching on someone else’s property many years ago that a transfer of ownership would be automatic. That thought is of course a wives tale!

Sep 4, 2025

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Market Update

Real Estate brokers are frequently asked, “How is the market? What do you think it will do?” Of course none of us have a crystal ball, but some of us who have been around for awhile can probably offer an educated guess.

Jim Palmer Jr. Sep 4, 2025

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Hydro-Fracture, Just Good Science

I had a conversation with an older gentleman the other day who described a lifetime of adventures during which he had participated in several occupations, one of which was well drilling. He proceeded to tell me about how they would blast a well with explosives to fracture the rock formations to make the well produce more water, claiming that it was a risky proposition since it would plug the hole more often than it helped. I have heard the process of hydro-fracturing described that way by many folks who just don’t understand the science of this process and have bought into someone’s negative and erroneous publicity. To start with, the word “hydro” suggests something to do with water, not explosives, which is the methodology behind the technology that is used today.

Jim Palmer Jr. Aug 21, 2025

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Are You Under Insured?

Since your home is most likely the largest purchase you will ever make, you should be sure to protect that investment with proper insurance. Insurance costs are rising and many homeowners (especially in forested areas) are being canceled, so this is a tough subject right now. Even if you think insurance is a scam, it is a necessity, especially if you have a mortgage. The fact is that most people are under insured simply because they don’t understand that the replacement cost might be much higher now than when they purchased the property. They may also not understand the total scope of their coverage.

Jim Palmer Jr. Aug 15, 2025

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Broker Pay

Having spent decades in the real estate profession as a Designated-Managing Broker/Owner, I’ve heard a lot of comments from folks expressing discontent about how much brokers get paid. On the face of that accusation, it may seem like a reasonable complaint, but those protesters haven’t really thought it out. Their actions may be the very reason real estate brokers have to charge what they do to stay in business.

Jim Palmer Jr. Aug 7, 2025

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Another Sneaky Tax

Starting July 27, 2025, any buyer of a residential property, who uses a loan to purchase, must pay a new $80 fee that bureaucrats call the Foreclosure Prevention Fee.

Jim Palmer Jr. Jul 18, 2025

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Easments, a Property Right

Property rights seem to be an ongoing hot topic since there are many people or entities that seem particularly intent on infringing upon those rights. Ownership of property is one of our country’s basic rights that we should never take for granted! While actual unfettered ownership is the highest and best use of this concept, there are property rights that can be used to one’s benefit without actually owning that particular piece of property, such as easements.

Jim Palmer Jr. Jul 11, 2025

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Apparisal VS Market Analysis

Many property owners find the need to have a professional valuation of a property when they are considering selling or when they inherit property and need to adjust their basis or because they want to confirm the tax assessor’s accuracy. Property valuation comes in a couple of forms, appraisals by paid appraisers or market analysis by a broker.

Jim Palmer Jr. Jul 4, 2025

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Boundary Disputes

Some property owners are alarmingly indifferent about dealing with boundary disputes or encroachments, as if they can pass such a problem on to the next buyer with no regrets. Maybe they think that they have lived with it for so many years that a new buyer can live with it too! That would be much like the cancer victim that refuses to go to the doctor, thinking that if he doesn’t know about it then the problem doesn’t exist. This cavalier attitude could cause a costly mistake which may come back to bite when they least expect it.

Jim Palmer Jr. Jun 27, 2025

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After-Closing Head Aches

Some property owners are alarmingly indifferent about dealing with boundary disputes or encroachments, as if they can pass such a problem on to the next buyer with no regrets. Maybe they think that they have lived with it for so many years that a new buyer can live with it too! That would be much like the cancer victim that refuses to go to the doctor, thinking that if he doesn’t know about it then the problem doesn’t exist. This cavalier attitude could cause a costly mistake which may come back to bite when they least expect it.

Jim Palmer Jr. Jun 20, 2025

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Don't Give it Away

The airwaves and internet reels these days are full of persistent ads by predatory home buyers who make their living preying on others misfortune or impatience. You can probably hear the catchy tune of their ad jingle as you think about how easy they say it is to sell your home, …if they are the buyer. “We’ll buy it no matter what condition, with no appraisals, no commissions or fees and with a short closing date,” they say in their upbeat ads. Oh, and I forgot to say, their offer will always be cash.

Jim Palmer Jr. Jun 13, 2025

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Home Sale Qualifications

Selling a home can be a process fraught with frustration. Most of that frustration can be generated because of a lack of understanding of the qualification process. When sellers or buyers are ignorant of the total process, tensions can rise more easily and create conflict. When both parties in the transaction are aware of all of the qualification process, things usually go smoother. There are basically two qualification processes in a real estate transaction, one for the buyer and one for the home.

Jim Palmer Jr. Jun 6, 2025

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Black Mold?

So, you have black mold in some of the corners of your house? Is it the bad stuff they talk about? Probably not! The black nasty mold that has caused some hysteria in the past is called Stachybotrys and has never been found on the east side of our state, despite what alarmist may think! There are hundreds of species of mold however, all of which can afflict the average household.

Jim Palmer Jr. May 30, 2025

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Why Purchase Title Insurance

In a recent personal transaction where a buyer was purchasing a small lot, the owner balked at the suggestion that he purchase a title insurance policy prior to closing. He said that he had sold many properties without paying for an expensive title insurance policy and wasn’t about to do it now. After assuring him that the buyer would refuse to close without it, he caved in to the idea, but wanted me to know that he had owned this property for many years and he knew that there were no problems with the title and that he owned it out right.

Jim Palmer Jr. May 23, 2025

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Why Experts Get Paid More

After moving around the world a lot, a middle-aged woman felt she knew a thing or two about selling real estate. Her impression was that she had everything she needed in the palm of her hand (smart phone) and all she needed a broker for was to open doors and write contracts. Plenty of agents (it seemed to her), no longer did enough work to justify a traditional commission amount, so she got her own real estate license, thinking she could do a better job and charge less for it. Long story short, her attempt at discount brokerage failed. She soon realized that providing professional real estate services involved much more than her perception of what Realtors® do. What she also didn’t realize is that most people recognize the value of a professional and not only want them involved in their real estate transactions, but are willing to pay more to get

Jim Palmer Jr. May 16, 2025

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Is Your County Looking Out for You?

During a recent residential acreage sale, a well was tested for quality based on Stevens County Health Department minimum standards (lead, arsenic, nitrates, coliform and uranium). When the lab report came back it revealed an extremely elevated level of arsenic which was alarming to the new buyer. Since the home had been vacant for months the owner purged the well by allowing the water to run for hours, but when re-tested the water still contained unacceptable levels of arsenic in the tap water. The long term solution for this well was an expensive treatment system.

Jim Palmer Jr. May 2, 2025

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Attorneys, A Vital Resource

While reading a Client Review concerning a closed transaction, I noticed that the client had made positive comments about the Realtor®, but then made an extremely negative comment about the closing attorney. “Please don’t ever use that attorney again!” said the comment. “Love them or hate them depending upon which side you are on” said another client. In a past poll concerning favorability ratings of different occupations, attorneys fell close to the bottom of the rating scale, somewhere below Realtors® and even below used car-salesmen. So, why do attorneys get that kind of negative press? Because there really are a few unscrupulous attorneys who have tainted pu

Jim Palmer Jr. Apr 25, 2025

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Buyer Misconceptions

In a recent case, a buyer fired their broker because they misunderstood the buying process and had misconceptions about how sellers respond to offers. When the seller made the decision to accept a different offer and never responded to that buyers offer, they thought their broker hadn’t done a good job. They were under the impression that the seller had the obligation to respond to their offer first, since their offer was received first in line, even though the broker had coached them that their offer may not be competitive enough (based on the fact that they knew other offers were coming).

Jim Palmer Jr. Apr 18, 2025

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