Real Estate Review…FREE!

Here’s what I’ve found to be a great tool to better serve my clients before they buy or sell.  I’ve called it a Real Estate Review…and it’s FREE!  This is a complimentary service I perform for my clients and future clients.

Whether you know it or not, you’ll be moving.  Surprise!  Maybe not in the next 180 days, but you will be contemplating a move in your future.  The average American lives in a single home for 7 years…to some that seems long & to others who have lived in a home for 40+ years, they don’t understand the “nomadic” lifestyle.

 So I’ve prepared a document similar to a market analysis but in most cases reports more info.  It reviews the immediate neighbors home values so the client has a good feel of their neighborhood trend.  Also, it includes various statistics and local demographics.  I end it with a very pictorial view of what’s happening in the Seattle Eastside Area as well as history on interest rates.

 The combination of all the info presented will put a client in touch with the current real estate market in their specific area.  My clients are thrilled with this analysis!  If nothing else, it will establish a baseline for when we prepare the Real Estate Review again next year, making them more informed when they do enter the real estate market.

 Are you interested in your Real Estate Review?  Contact me today!

Are Ramblers the New 2-Story Home?

Ramblers…have you thought ramblers?  What about the demographics of the population?  The baby-boomer generation is one of the largest segments of the overall population…and what would the baby-boomers be thinking about?

• Down-Sizing
• Empty-Nesters
• Simplifying Lifestyle
• No Stairs (this is HUGE!)
• Thinking of Retirement
• 2nd Home/Vacation Property

What about the first-time home buyers?  What are they looking for?

• Turn-Key/Move-In Ready
• Updated/Current Trends
• Easy Living
• Convenient to Work/Friends/Social Life
• Affordable

Here’s a great example of a rambler that has so much to offer…like all of the above!  So, are ramblers the new 2-story?

What Does Your Realtor Do For YOU?

Up-scaled Kitchen

As I go about my real estate work day, I had a conversation with another Realtor®   about what I do for my clients.  As our conversation went on, he said, “You do all that?”  My response was, “I genuinely like my clients; I do what it takes to make their real estate transaction the best it can be.”

So I decided to share some of the things I’ve done for my clients:

• Help find quality vendors for repair/home-maintenance/remodel work
• Suggest the types of home updates that will help their home sell faster and for more money
• Help shop for best-buys in appliances, carpet/flooring selection, lighting (etc, the “pretty things”!) to bring the home forward with a more current style; suggest the things to do that will provide the most return for the seller
• Help analyze the tasks at hand to break them down into manageable events
• Pay for a pre-inspection on a listing…this gives the seller a thorough understanding of any deficiencies that should be corrected before the home goes on the market…creating more value for both a buyer and the seller in a transaction
• I provide vignette staging to better show-off a home
• For buyers, I’ve done many of the same things, but also help them acclimate to a new area, providing them with local knowledge
• Analyze the potential purchase with the buyer to make sure they’re getting a good value
• Marketing via Social Media

So I do ALL of the usual & standard “stuff” a Realtor® should be doing for their clients:  searching, showing, marketing, writing contracts, helping a client price their home for sale, negotiating, monitoring the transaction through to a successful closing… but I view my role as more than that.  I view my role as their friend and partner in achieving their goal.  Is that what your Realtor® does for you?

Trending Seattle Home Features

Mud-Room

What’s trending these days with new construction homes?  Well, we’re seeing this list of wants by buyers and a positive response by local #Seattle builders:

• A Flexible floor-plan (spaces for dens, guest rooms, bonus/media rooms)
• 3-car garages
• Upstairs  vs. Main floor Laundry…50/50
• Mud-Rooms
• Main-floor Ensuite Guest Rooms
• Clean lines & upscale finishes
• Large gourmet kitchens,  kitchen islands & family living
• 3/4 Bath vs. 1/2 Bath Powder Room

And what “trends” for New Construction then becomes the desired remodel for the “re-sale” home…

Seattle Eastside Real Estate Stats for May 2012

Seller’s Market May 2012

The Seattle area real estate market is continuing to improve!  The Eastside (Areas 500-600) average 1.8 months of inventory and prices have come up 2% this month…if no new listings came on the market, we would sell out of homes in less than 2 months…!  The homes in better condition and priced well will go first in this market especially.  Our local economy continues to help our real estate market by becoming as much of a tech-resource as the Silicon Valley has been.  Twitter just announced they’re opening up office space in the Seattle area…all of the social media giants plus Microsoft and Amazon have realized the valuable tech resources we have in the NW so they are creating a presence here!

Reading the chart below, it shows how the strong real estate market continues to be during May for the Seattle Eastside Areas (500-600).  Inventory is down 34% and sales are up (pending 23%, closed 13%) thus, months’ supply of inventory is down to 1.8 (or 48%). Prices are increasing (closed sales price YTD up 2%).  If there’s anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to let me know!

May_2012_Seattle_RE_Stats

Seattle Eastside Real Estate Stats for Feb 2012

Seattle Eastside Real Estate Stats for Feb 2012

Have you been hearing that we’ve hit the bottom of that proverbial real estate market for the Seattle area…well, it does appear so.  I like to let the stats do the talking, but here are a few of the major highlights:

• Lowest inventory levels since early 2007
• 2.3 months’s supply of inventory (if no new inventory, it would take 2.3 months to sell all active listings at the sales pace we are experiencing)
• Active residential listings are down 29% from a year ago
• Pending residential sales are up 16% from one year ago
• Closed residential transactions are up 8% from a year ago
• Median closed sales price is down 2% from a year ago for the Eastside & Seattle; King County is down 8%.
• The closer to the job centers of Bellevue & Seattle are proving better for the real estate market.

The Seattle area and especially the Eastside have moved into the Seller’s Market…0-3 months of inventory!!  We haven’t seen this much RED in I don’t know when!!

Seattle Eastside Real Estate Stats for Jan 2012

Seattle Real Estate Progress

This time, I decided to let the Seattle Real Estate Stat picture say a thousand words.  It’s screaming…can you hear it?

Getting Ready to Buy a Home in 2012?

Are you planning to buy a home in 2012?  Are you ready?  Many people don’t know the things that both can help or hurt their chances of securing a home purchase, so I want to share a great blog post from Trulia… great tips everyone should read before planning a house-hunting adventure…Share your advice!  What tips can you add?

Real Estate Listing Prep for My Seattle Peeps

I’ve run across a good blog post that really explains what a seller needs to do before putting their home on the market, and this is especially true in our Seattle Real Estate Market.  Seattle area buyers are savvy and they too know the market here, so sellers have to up their game to make their home standout and shine for the best-price sale in a timely fashion.  All of these are good tips; take note and call me when you need me!  http://bit.ly/sKrEuA

Real Estate Karma

I read some good info about real estate regrets that was soooo worth sharing!  As you read this, remember:  there’s no ‘perfect‘ time to buy or sell real estate, there’s no ‘perfect‘ property and do your homework before a real estate purchase.  Just as life in general, everything comes at a price.  Don’t be fooled by the “too good to be true” property purchase, because it probably is.  Set realistic goals & expectations for your real estate purchase and you’ll be in control of your destiny…I believe in real estate karma and all things happen for a reason!  So get out there and find your next home…make it an exciting time!  Here’s some advice to help you in your real estate decisions:  http://bit.ly/rZJbKq  Share your real estate experiences and advice…