Sally J. Haskin

Real Estate Broker
Ross Pacific Realty
360-606-0506 (Cell)
www.sallyhaskin.com
sjhaskin@aol.com

How long have you worked in Real Estate?
I’ve been a licensed Realtor® since September 1997 (18 years), and my first real estate transaction closed on October 6, 1997. What an exciting time – learning, growing, and getting to know lots of new people.

What is your specialty?
My real specialty is getting to know people, making new friends, enjoying old friends. I love to help others, especially problem solving, and enjoy helping folks buy or sell properties.

What is one tip you have for someone looking to buy or sell a home?
If you are thinking about buying, your first step should be to see a lender (how much can I/we afford to buy, what will the monthly payment be?). The second step is to hire a Realtor to help you search for a new home, and your third step is to make a list of things you would like in a home (big backyard, a one or two level home, number of bedrooms, etc.). Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re going to have EVERYTHING you want in a home. Even though you think you MUST have a fireplace, you may change your mind after you see another home you absolutely love, and it doesn’t have a fireplace. So, try to be flexible when you’re looking at listings.
If you’re selling your home, make sure your home looks good from the outside and the inside.
Tip: if you have a refrigerator door crowded with pictures, notes and magnets, walk out of the kitchen and look back at it. Then, take off all the pictures and magnets and walk back to where you were standing before and look at it again. Your kitchen just got bigger! Now, go look at every room in your house and remove clutter…it’s all in the eye of the beholder.

What is the most unique property you’ve listed or sold?
In 1997, a wonderful older woman from my church was losing her home to the City of Vancouver, due to the Mill Plain Blvd expansion. The home was within days of being torn down. My friend had a small pension and was worried about where she could go. At the same time, I learned that the Vancouver Housing Authority was building a “Unique Community for First-Time Homebuyers” called “Hampton Downs Condominiums.” So, I went to the VHA and talked to someone there who was in charge. It was arranged that the new condominium would become hers, at no cost, AND she and her neighbors wouldn’t have to pay the monthly HOA dues or taxes for the next 10 years or so. Everything went together, and I had the happiest client I would ever have in my life.

What is the most unusual thing you’ve encountered while working in real estate?
Well, let me count: a home with a 3-par golf course and a putting green; a home with a stream running through it, stocked with some fish; a huge home which had a movable ceiling above the swimming pool; and lastly, a dog house that had two “bedrooms”.

What is the most challenging/gratifying aspect of what you do?
The most challenging is finding the perfect home for my buyers. Gratification comes when the sale closes and I have excited, happy clients.

What do you see in the future for real estate sales/prices?
We’re in a sellers’ market, and it will be several years before we can balance things out with new construction. Inventory is very low, especially for one-level homes. Clark County is starting to grow again, but it’s going to take a while.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? Hobbies, volunteering, family, fun?
Being with family and friends is so important to me…they are how I rejuvenate myself. I’m an avid reader and I love to play the piano. I have been a church volunteer and a community leader for many years. I like to travel every summer, especially with my three best “girl friends”.

What do you like about living in this area?
I grew up around here…what can I say? I love the northwest and the WA/OR beaches. Vancouver feels like a small town, but it sure isn’t.

Anything else you would like our readers to know about you and your company?
Ross Pacific Realty is perfect for me. I am known to be a detail-oriented person when it comes to paperwork. I chaired the CCAR Professional Standards Committee for several years and am a past Secretary and Treasurer. All Realtors are sworn to abide the Realtor Code of Ethics, and that’s very important to all Realtors.