Greetings
Hello to all from everyone at United Builders
and the Zillah Lakes Sales Team………

The End of Winter

The final days of a cold winter are playing out at Zillah Lakes and we are emerging onto our patios to witness the beginnings of spring along the Yakima River (a luxurious, active 25 mile habitat and fly-fishing paradise just a short walk away).

The trees along the river are still dry and gray from winter, but the underbrush is coloring up red, orange and chartreuse as the sap begins to run. Birds are returning to their nesting places and we have seen egrets, blue herons, cranes, an amazing variety of ducks and geese as well as several bald eagles.

In fact, the large acreage of former pastureland where the Zillah Lakes dream will play out over the next few years has become a regular menagerie. We've been busy locating an interim walking trail around the lake, and in the process scared up beavers, muskrats, deer and a host of other critters now making their home in the wetlands, lakes and pastures around property.

A Bright Idea!

This has given us a bright idea: we now hope to route a permanent walking trail around the community through the richest areas without disturbing what has become a very welcome habitat for wildlife. Even with the golf course finished, the remedial wetlands required by the corps and the stream should provide an ideal place for walkers and wildlife watchers for the life of the project.

The End of Economic Winter?

We are sensing the end of winter in another way: the disturbed state of the national economy has put the homebuyer essentially on the sidelines for the last four months, in spite of the fact that Yakima's job and housing market is, at base, one of the healthiest in the nation. Over the last several weeks, however, we've seen significant progress in sales and sales activity... so WELCOME SPRING!

Progress at Zillah Lakes:

Snow and ice are beautiful, but frozen ground is the enemy of construction progress. So, as temperatures rise we see — in addition to several homes built over the winter — renewed progress on several other fronts. The distinctive Zillah Lakes monument sign is partially finished. Our entrance to the Yakima Valley Highway (Wine Country Road) is completed and lit up with street lights. Streetlight bases and uplights for street trees throughout Zillah lakes are being installed and street landscaping is being prepared. In another month, the site will begin to look like the wine country community it is.

Still in the offing this spring: an exciting opportunity for a bed-and-breakfast and gourmet grill in our Community Center. This will really give you something to wake up for and our community center may become a center of a gourmet experience in wine country headed by one of the top chefs in the country. It will also give friends and relatives and extra place to stay when they come to visit your wine country home. We are targeting early October for the opening of the community center.

In addition to the walking trail now in development, we'll be grading out the entire community center area and grassing the mini-park across the bridge. We may even have a tennis court or two installed by the end of the spring!

What about golf?

People continue to ask about the golf curse... uh, course. There are no glib answers. The credit markets have frozen so solidly that there is virtually no bank financing for anything related to a golf course community. We have been approaching local investors with promising results, and continue to turn every stone, so there is still a reasonable possibility we will start grading the golf course this spring as planned. The good news is: we are offering FREE GREENS FEES on another local golf course (Mt. Adams Golf Course) until we ARE able to complete work on our course. What a bargain!

What's the backup plan? Until we find financing, we plan to take advantage of the existing habitat and open space to provide walking trails, and grassy open spaces, and at the same time, make the community center into a true wine country village.

Homes Available Now!

Five homes in Zillah Lakes are available for move-in now and we are offering several options for purchase: including lease-to-own and furnished (or unfurnished) short stay rentals while waiting for us to build you the home of your dreams. All homes at Zillah Lakes now qualify for special USDA financing which means that 100% financing is available. Come out a catch a beautiful spring with our sales team!

We are looking forward to seeing you all soon, Charlotte, Connie & Betty…Your Zillah Lakes Sales Team! 1-800-942-2032

The BEST Location in Wine Country: Our Website: www.zillahlakes.com

So many things to do in Yakima! Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau: www.visityakima.com

Business Opportunities Abound! Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce: www.yakima.org

Culture & Art 15 minutes away: The Seasons Performance Hall: www.theseasonsyakima.com

A Major WineTour Just Across the Street: The Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail: www.rattlesnakehills.com