Date Archives: July 2022

View our comprehensive Spokane real estate market report for the month of July!

The information in this report is compiled from a report given by the Spokane Association of REALTORS© and to the best of our knowledge is accurate and correct.

Download the July Market Report PDF here.

Want more info about the current real estate market? Contact us today to speak to an agent. 

Ready for a memorable meal here in Spokane? Our real estate agents are on the case.

Why not top off a day looking at Spokane homes for sale with a dinner that will refresh and rejuvenate you? One of the best ways to make delicious food even more satisfying is to enjoy it outdoors. Spokane has natural beauty and fresh air that will add the perfect complement to your cuisine.

Let's drop in on just a handful of the many great patio dining options in Spokane:

• Osprey Restaurant & Bar – 700 North Division Street, Spokane, WA 99202
  Osprey Restaurant & Bar is a locally owned business that stands out for its full calendar of events. Just about any time of the month and any season of the year, you can find wine dinners, live music nights, and so much more. The sophisticated, chef-led menu offers lunch, dinner, and the famous weekend brunch, as well as a drive-through barbecue option. The heated patio is welcoming at any hour.
  
  
• Mizuna – 214 North Howard Street, Spokane, WA 99201
  Open seven nights a week from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Mizuna is a classy spot that consistently draws both visitors and Spokane locals. At the crossroads of the city's top hotels and venues, Mizuna has been around since 1996. It prides itself on local ingredients and organic produce. It recently slimmed down to focus on an unforgettable dinner, which includes a full menu for both vegetarians and omnivores.
  
  
• O'Doherty's Irish Grille – 525 West Spokane Falls Boulevard, Spokane, WA 99201
  Heralding itself as the home of "traditional Irish fare and great spirits," O'Doherty's Irish Grille is loved for banquets, parties, and other gatherings. Open Tuesday through Sunday starting at 11:30 a.m., it's a true taste of the old country where you'll find Emerald Isle mainstays like shepherd's pie, Galway meatloaf, and Donegal salmon, among many more. There's also a full wine list and plenty of desserts.
  
  
• Luna Spokane – 5620 South Perry Street, Spokane, WA 99223
  Luna Spokane puts a new spin on neighborhood dining with its locally owned and community-focused approach. In partnership with other local businesses, including Casa Cano Farms, Spokane Family Farms, KJ Pottery, Culture Bread Milling, and others, it crafts an exquisite culinary vision that you simply cannot find outside Spokane. Reservations are suggested.
  
  
• Remedy Kitchen and Tavern – 3809 South Grand Boulevard, Spokane, WA 99203
  Remedy Kitchen and Tavern is always here to welcome its regulars and newcomers from far and wide. Featuring a convenient location that combines full dining and 24 taps of craft beer, you have your pick of ample patio or rooftop seating. From burgers to healthy vegetarian favorites, the Remedy has it all.
  
  
• Italia Trattoria – 144 South Cannon Street, Spokane, WA 99201
  Italia Trattoria makes its mark with a fully covered, enclosed, and heated patio. It is also one of the local restaurants where dogs are welcomed, giving them plenty of space to hang out on the patio as long as they are on a leash. As for the delightful food, choose your desire from scrumptious breakfast, lunch, dinner, al fresco, and sandwich picks, plus wines.
  
  
• BARK – 905 North Washington Street, Spokane, WA 99201
  Bring your dog with you to dine out on the patio at BARK, or adopt one! This one-of-a-kind brewery partners with the local humane society to help showcase adoptable pets in need of homes. This rescue pub offers brunch and happy hour menus that are sure to please, with a variety of vegan and vegetarian options featured! 

Ready to learn more about Spokane and its dining scene? Contact us to discover more of what Spokane has to offer.

Home Repairs that Can't Wait

Delta Media Group

Home improvement can be costly and time-consuming, so it's no surprise that many homeowners put off making repairs as long as possible. Smaller repairs can usually be safely left until the timing is more advantageous, perhaps when you have more money in the bank or some vacation time. There are some repairs, however, that should be taken care of as soon as possible. These home repairs are so important that failing to make them could result in serious injury and increased costs.

1. Electrical System
   Some home improvement projects include work on the electrical system, such as installing a ceiling fan or changing a light switch. These are examples of repairs that can be done whenever you can fit them into your schedule. Some electrical problems require immediate action, though. These include unexplained circuit breaker failures, flickering or inconstant lighting, and switch plates and outlet covers that feel warm or hot. If you notice any of these problems, it's a good idea to enlist the help of a qualified electrician as soon as possible.
   
   
2. Roofing
   The roof is an important part of your home's defense against the elements. Leaks, missing or damaged shingles, and sagging areas need to be addressed as soon as you notice them. A sagging roof could collapse under the weight of snow or heavy wind and may indicate other problems like improper attic ventilation. In addition, small leaks and damaged areas can lead to big problems like rotted support beams, mold growth, and an overall weakened structure.
   
   
3. Foundation
   Foundation cracks are a fairly common problem, but many people choose to ignore them when they're small. This leads to their spread and growth, eventually becoming so problematic that it can cost many thousands of dollars to repair. While smaller cracks don't typically contribute to structural instability, as they grow larger, they increasingly undermine the foundation's integrity. In extreme cases, this can lead to the collapse of the entire home. Have foundation problems been addressed as soon as they arise, both to save money and ensure safety?
   
   
4. Gas Lines
   Gas leaks in your home can be extremely dangerous. Natural gas and propane are dense and have a tendency to "sink" below regular air. They pool in the low areas of your home, meaning that you're more likely to smell them (they smell like sulfur; "rotten eggs") on the first floor or in the basement if you have one. Anytime you smell gas, or even think you smell gas, get yourself and your family out of the home immediately and call the gas company from outside. Repairs to gas lines should be made before you return to your home, and only by experienced professionals.
   
   
5. Plumbing
   Water leaks and damaged pipes give mold a perfect environment to take hold in your walls, and you may not notice a leak until long after it started. Should you notice any dark spots or weakened areas in walls, or water bills that seem abnormally high, it's important to find the cause and address it before it leads to larger problems.

Managing Home Improvement Tasks

It can be tempting to leave smaller home improvement tasks until "later," but keep in mind that doing so could cost you more in the long run. Not every repair constitutes an emergency, but that doesn't mean that non-emergency repairs should be ignored. Keep on top of home maintenance and repairs by keeping a checklist of necessary tasks; focus on completing one each weekend or each month. This will help you keep your home improvement projects from piling up and becoming major problems.

There's always something going on in Spokane! And with a wide range of festivals lined up this summer, it's an especially great time of year to head outside for some great live music.

Some of our real estate agents' favorite festivals and events are coming back this season, so be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming summer music festivals in the Spokane area!

• River City Market & Music - 408 N Spokane St, Post Falls, ID 83854
  The annual River City Market & Music series is an ongoing event that takes place on multiple occasions throughout the summer months. It's located in Landings Park, along the Spokane River in the city of Post Falls, just 30 minutes east of Spokane. River City Market & Music includes live music performances as well as arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, and a wide range of other attractions. Dates for the 2022 Market & Music Series are July 13, July 20, July 27, August 3, August 10, and August 17.
  
  
• Hillyard Festival - 6018 N Regal St, Spokane, WA 99208
  The annual Hillyard Festival is a beloved community celebration in Spokane's historic Hillyard neighborhood. This year's festivities are scheduled for August 5-7 and will include a wide range of live entertainment. Although this year's live music has yet to be announced at the time of publication, the Hillyard Festival is always a great showcase for local bands. There will also be a parade, beer garden, food vendors, and a carnival midway. The festival takes place in the heart of Hillyard, just minutes from many Spokane homes for sale.
  
  
• Elk-Chattaroy Music Festival - 28118 N Newport Hwy, Chattaroy, WA 99003
  With a focus on country music, the Elk-Chattaroy Music Festival takes place on August 6, 2022. Headlining the festival this year is Nashville recording artist Clayton Shay, along with support from some of the most talented local bands and singer-songwriters from right here in the Inland Northwest. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets to the event, which takes place in the Biggies Restaurant parking lot in Chattaroy, WA. 
  
  
• Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival - Medical Lake, WA 99022
  It's been 20 years since the very first Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival in 2002, and this annual event has grown to become one of the leading bluegrass festivals in the Inland Northwest! This year's lineup includes performances by John Reischman & the Jaybirds, The Lonesome Ace Stringband, Eli West, the Onlies, and many more. The Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival takes place on August 12-14, with a spectacular location overlooking Medical Lake. Passes are available for attendees to camp onsite. 
  
  
• Pig Out in the Park - 507 N Howard St, Spokane, WA 99201
  Taking place on Labor Day weekend, Spokane's Pig Out in the Park is one of the most anticipated festivals of the year in the Inland Northwest. This festival always marks the end of summer, and the folks in Spokane know how to send the season off with a bang! The 2022 Pig Out in the Park festival spans six days from August 31 to September 5 and includes 90 free concerts on 3 stages, as well as 50-plus food booths and three adult beverage gardens in Spokane's Riverfront Park.

Contact us today to learn more about upcoming festivals and events in the Spokane area, and be sure to ask our real estate agents about how we can help find your dream home in Eastern Washington. 

Ideas for Upgrading Your Patio

Delta Media Group

Maybe you've been pondering all those cool ideas seen on TV and the web about redoing your drab slab of a concrete patio so that it's a standout feature of your indoor/outdoor entertainment area. Here's the deal. We are all in love with the idea of extending our living and entertainment area into the outdoors. And why not? There are dozens of relatively inexpensive and yet innovative hacks that will make your outdoors as inviting as the indoors, so let's start working from the ground up by renovating that boring, cracked, or scuffed-up concrete patio and see how dazzling it can be.

1. Paint it.
   For basic painting, you will need concrete binding primer; concrete paint; painter's tape, a roller tray with liners (for fast cleanup), a paint roller, nap roller covers, and paintbrushes.
   
   Pressure wash the patio and let it dry. Cover up with painter's tape everything you don't want to be painted. Apply concrete binding primer, allowing it to dry one to four hours prior to painting. Apply two coats of paint, allowing the first coat to dry overnight. Wait 72 hours before you move furniture back onto the patio.
   
   
2. Stain it.
   Apply a stain over the patio, then seal it. 
   
   
3. Paint a pattern.
   Using a circular saw, score a concrete slab with a diamond pattern, then paint it with two shades of gray concrete paint. You can also use a stencil to create interesting patterns like a carpet design.  
   
   
4. Lay decking on top of the concrete.
   Not a fan of concrete? You can lay decking on top of the concrete and attach white fascia boards along the sides.
   
   
5. Create a stamped concrete patio.
   Stamped concrete is wildly popular these days. A bit cheaper than pavers, it comes in a variety of patterns and colors. Installers will try to delay cracking (be advised, it will crack someday) by installing control joints. Obviously, you will have to pour concrete and stamp the new concrete before it hardens. So if you've already got a concrete slab there, you'll have to figure out how to get rid of it. 
   
   
6. Fake a stone look.
   Another redo that involves pouring new concrete is to fake the look of brick or stone with a patterned rubber roller. You'll need a concrete roller to create indentations that look like brick or stone, and those rollers can be costly. Concrete stamping mats are a more affordable option. These flexible pieces of rubber have embossed patterns. Stamp them on wet concrete and apply pressure. Lift the mat and repeat the process. 
   
   
7. Resurface with pavers.
   How about resurfacing your patio with clay pavers? These bricks are hard-fired in a kiln, so they are extra-strong and can stand up to the harsh sun and inclement weather. Less expensive than stone, clay pavers cost more than concrete pavers. 

Although all these projects are relatively inexpensive, you can obviously spend more on some than others. So if cost is a factor, then you may want to go with simple painting or staining.

Once you're done with your new floor, it's time to think about decorating. You might start with a weather-resistant outdoor rug, perhaps in the dining area. Decorate with flower boxes or containers of flowers that can change with the season and move indoors when it's cold. Hang up strands of lights. Add a water feature, which could be a fountain with plumbing or a self-contained model that runs on electricity and recirculates the water.

Let your creativity and inner interior decorator run wild as you think up ways to jazz up that formerly dull space and make it shine.

Have you made some updates to your outdoor living space? Show us some pictures in the comments! 

View our comprehensive Spokane real estate market report for the month of June!

The information in this report is compiled from a report given by the Spokane Association of REALTORS© and to the best of our knowledge is accurate and correct.

Download the June Market Report PDF here.

Want more info about the current real estate market? Contact us today to speak to an agent. 

View our comprehensive Kootenai Country real estate market report for the month of June!

The information in this report is compiled from a report given by the Spokane Association of REALTORS© and to the best of our knowledge is accurate and correct.

Download the June Market Report PDF here.

Want more info about the current real estate market? Contact us today to speak to an agent.