April 2016 — Real Estate & Home Builders Guide — Page 3M
Promoting undeveloped
village, tourism is not
unlike selling a home
A message from the
Umatilla County
Board of REALTORS ®
Spring is here. As the weather continues to improve, there are
several things that you might want to take a look at to get your
home ready for Summer.
Inspect your roof for missing, loose, or damaged shingles and leaks.
Clean debris out of your gutters and check for winter damage. Be sure to
clean your downspouts.
Change the filter in your furnace and/or air conditioning system
Clean your window and door screens
Check your deck or patio for wear with an eye to possible repairs or
upgrades
Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and replace the
batteries if necessary
Clean out the dryer vent to the outside of the home. Dryer lint can be a
combustible hazard.
Wash the exterior of your home and the windows. A power washer will be
of benefit for this job.
Check your carpets for dirt and wear. Cleaning them will reduce summer
dust inside the home.
Check your sinks, shower, and bath caulking for deterioration or leaks.
Spring cleaning is a great time to think about the charities that could use
those unwanted items sitting around your home or taking up space in the
garage.
Summer will be here soon. Your home will benefit all year long if
you take these simple steps now.
The Umatilla County Board of Realtors is a group of professional
Realtors. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve you.
Umatilla County Board of Realtors
Rocky Mikesell
President.
By Ilyce Glink
& Samuel J. Tamkin
Tribune Content Agency
Q
: I live in small village
in New Mexico. The
village was desolated when
the logging industry was
halted due to the Spotted
Owl.
We are trying to rebuild
the area and would love for
investors to discover the
natural resources: hiking,
Indian ruins, hunting,
dark skies, etc. I think the
location would be perfect
for a big lodge and tourists.
How do we go about
this? I saw your article
about the top 10 ski resorts
in which to invest. How
about the top 10 undiscov-
ered pristine wilderness
places?
: In all the years
we’ve been writing
this column, we haven’t
been asked about how
to promote an area to
real estate investors or
developers. But at the
core, promoting a town,
metropolitan area or a
single-family house isn’t
too different. The process
is the same, even if the goal
is different. You’re looking
for investment, but a home
seller wants to sell his or
her property.
It all starts with the
Internet. You can create a
website that promotes the
natural beauty of the area
and talks about tracks of
land that are available for
sale. We assume you’re
working with the local
real estate company so
that you can include links
to properties that are for
sale. (Perhaps the local real
estate agents or brokers
will co-sponsor your
A
Thinkstock Image
efforts, with the hopes of
generating more business
for themselves.)
Is there a local Chamber
of Commerce or local
tourism board? If not,
you’ll want to start a
loose af¿liation of local
businesses and people who
are interested in promoting
how great the area is.
Take advantage of
companies like Airbnb and
websites that feature prop-
erties for rent by owner. As
more people come to stay
in the community and have
a good experience, they’ll
tell others, and come back
with friends in tow. And
online communities like
Kickstarter might provide
the seed money to get a
larger developer interested.
Try to raise awareness
at the state level, and with
the local community in
the nearest big city. It’s
possible the state tourism
board will help promote
your community to
business leaders looking
for an unusual place for a
retreat. They may be able to
connect you to investors as
well. And, if your commu-
nity has been damaged
due to a wildlife protection
issue, there may be federal
funds available. You should
investigate those.
Finally, contact your
representatives in Wash-
ington, D.C., to see if you
can get them interested in
helping you out. In this, a
most contentious election
season, your congressional
representatives and
senators might be eager
for a feel-good story about
helping a local community
rebuild.
(Ilyce Glink is the
creator of an 18-part webi-
nar+ebook series called
“The Intentional Investor:
How to be wildly successful
in real estate,” as well as
the author of many books
on real estate. She also
hosts the “Real Estate
Minute,” on her YouTube
channel. Samuel J. Tamkin
is a Chicago-based real
estate attorney. Contact
Ilyce and Sam through her
website, ThinkGlink.com.)