Nancy's Olympia area Blog

Well....We Haven't Seen THAT For a While!

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Tue, 29 May 2012 16:55:46 -0700

For the last several months, it has been evident that most days we are seeing more homes go pending than new ones being listed in the Olympia, WA area real estate market. And you know what they say about supply and demand....if demand exceeds supply, those prices are going to start going up.

Well, I have noticed a new pattern that I sure haven't seen for years - several builders are doing price INCREASES on the new homes they are building in a couple of different neighborhoods! So much for expecting prices to drop lower and lower - the builders have been pretty conservative, but obviously are feeling confident that the buyers are ready and willing to buy.

Sure haven't seen price increases for a while - but here they come!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Lee St - Another Home Renovation in Process by Those Guys Construction

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:54:00 -0700

I'm having fun watching the progress at the latest renovation project by Those Guys Construction on this house on Lee St in Tumwater WA. When my investor bought it as an estate owned property, it was definitely in need of some repairs & rehab work.

The house needed new roof and gutters, and inside a long time leaking hot water heater in the corner of the kitchen had caused really extensive damage to the entire center of the house.

As Those Guys Construction began the demolition phase, the extent of the damage opened an opportunity to reconfigure the floor plan in a way that makes this house much more open and functional.

What used to be a front door opening to a large laundry room got completely changed so that the new front door brings you into an entry way looking back into the living room.

The tiny, not very functional kitchen got moved to a much bigger space to the right of the entry and will be not only much more usable, but gorgeous with new cabinets, counters, sink, canned lighting, appliances - wow

The bathroom had to be rebuilt, too, and will also be gleaming with new fixtures, lighting - and a solidly rebuilt floor to walk on - always a nice thing!!

With the new sheetrock in, this project is beginning to come together nicely. I will be following up with a look at the finished project in a few weeks, and I can already tell that this renovation by Those Guys Construction is going to be another hard to believe transformation!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

What Homes Sold in the Last 30 Days in the Olympia WA Area?

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:09:57 -0700

What would be your guess as to how many of the home sales in the last 30 days in the Olympia WA area were bank owned properties? How about how many were short sales? You might find the actual count surprising.

Looking at the sold homes within the last 30 days on our NWMLS, and excluding manufactured homes and condos, I found a total of 195 sales reported as closed. Of these, 35 of the total were bank owned homes that had been foreclosed on and were now being resold. Another 19 were short sales, where the seller's lender agreed to a sale that did not net enough for the loan balance owed to be paid in full.

So are you surprised that 141 sales closed in the Olympia WA area in the last 30 days were just normal sales from a seller to a buyer, and the seller was not a bank and the sale netted enough money to pay off the seller's loan in full (or the seller was able to make up any difference themselves)?

That's over 70% that were not bank owned or short sales - an encouraging look at our real estate market in the Olympia WA area!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Market Report for Olympia WA Area May 2012

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:58:45 -0700

Since many of the active buyers in the Olympia WA area are searching for homes in the price category up to $200,000, I am always interested in keeping tabs on inventory in that price bracket. And right now, we continue to have a pretty low inventory of homes to choose from.

Searching NWMLS yesterday for available homes in the Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater area, and including criteria of list price of $200,000 or less, and excluding manufactured homes and condos, I find 226 homes listed.

And it gets worse if you are a buyer looking in that price range and needing something you can move into in 30-45 days. If I exclude short sales, now the available homes shrink to 156. And then I exclude "fixer" condition homes, and the number drops to only 109 homes to choose from.

That, in a nutshell, is why we are seeing non short sale, average or better condition homes sell VERY quickly, often with multiple buyers competing for the chance to buy.

Olympia WA area real estate market under $200,000 - not such a buyer's market any more!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Those Guys Construction - My Favorite "House Rescue" Team

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:51:21 -0700

Those Guys Construction have been doing really amazing transformations of sadly neglected bank owned homes in cooperation with an investor buyer client of mine. You know the kind of "before" houses where you've got to really rev up your imagination to believe they can actually be saved. We've seen disgustingly dirty, rat infested houses with broken windows, dangling gutters, kitchens stripped of appliances, bathroom floors too rotted to be safe to walk on etc etc etc.

And thanks to both creativity and really craftsman-like, quality work, the transformation happens....and WOW! Pretty satisfying to see the curious neighbors smiling over the renovations. Pretty satisfying to know the whole neighborhood benefits from the makeover. Pretty satisfying to see the delight of home buyers who get a chance to buy a home that is not only beautiful but carefully repaired to be structurally sound and energy efficient.

The latest project is finally in the " putting back together" stages, and the hardest part for me is not interrupting the work every day to take a new batch of photos to capture the progress.

Watch for more posts soon of the "in progress" project & then to show off the finished look of another diamond in the rough that's getting smoother and shinier day by day. Yep - Those Guys Construction are my favorite house rescue team!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Lacey Spring Fun Fair 2012

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:20:39 -0700

If the flowers are blooming, it might be spring - check! And if it is time for Lacey Spring Fun Fair, you KNOW it is spring. This weekend, May 19th and 20th, the Fun Fair will be just that: lots of fun for young and old. It will be happening on Saturday from 10-6 and Sunday 11-5, and is at St Martin's University, 5300 Pacific Ave, Lacey.

Saturday night starting at 6 PM the grand parade will make its way along Pacific Ave in front of St Martin's and over to its end point in Huntamer Park. But the kids won't get bored waiting for parade time - there is a Kids World with everything from face painting, arts and crafts for the youngsters, to an inflatable obstacle course and a train ride. Admission is free!

There will also be a car show going on, and plenty of entertainment so that even if you are too old for Kids World (come on, you can still be a child at heart at any age), the Lacey Spring Fun Fair is still brimming with fun!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Olympia's Wooden Boat Fair Was A Great Way to Spend Mother's Day!

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:04:18 -0700

The annual Wooden Boat Fair in Olympia is always the weekend of Mother's Day, and the warm, sunny weather sure brought out LOTS of people this weekend. Our family enjoyed a yummy breakfast first at Cicada's Restaurant, and then strolled through Farmer's Market before heading to the waterfront to admire wooden boats.

These boats are so lovingly cared for that they reflect the pride of their owners and the maritime tradition of our area. Many owners welcome people to ask questions or even climb on board to get a closer look at these wooden boats.

And there are craft booths galore all along the waterway, so that we kept bouncing back and forth from checking out cute earrings or admiring photography to leaning over the railing to check out another boat that caught our eyes.

Sunshine brings out the smiles of Olympia - and the Wooden Boat Fair gave us a little extra to smile about and enjoy this Mother's Day.

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Wordless Wednesday - Gotta Love Dandelions Walking Down the Street!

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:24:51 -0700

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Olympia Wooden Boat Fair 2012

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:00:43 -0700

Olympia's annual Wooden Boat Fair will be this coming weekend (May 12 & 13, 2012) - and what a great place to take Mom for Mother's Day! This year's event is the 33rd annual fair, and strolling along the waterfront at Percival Landing and viewing the wooden boats is a favorite outing for our family. The boats are beautiful, with many owners inviting people aboard to check out the details, and many with histories that go back and back and back in time.

And the boats are not the only thing happening at the Wooden Boat Fair. There will be music, food, activities for kids (though hard to beat standing on a wooden boat and pretending to be the skipper!). Craft booths will also entice you with many examples of creativity and artistry - and if you forgot to buy a Mother's Day present, here's your chance to redeem yourself when you see your mom admiring those earrings or garden art items.

You may want to make a day of it, with a brunch at one of Olympia's great downtown restaurants, a stroll through Farmer's Market, and then go enjoy the Wooden Boat Fair!

See you down there!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Olympia's Procession of the Species is Saturday, April 28, 2012 - Don't Miss It!

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:08:41 -0700

Whenever I describe to people relocating to the Olympia, WA area some of the things that make this an amazing community to live in, the annual Procession of the Species is high on the list! This is an annual parade through the streets of Olympia's downtown, celebrating the natural world we live in. This year's Procession of the Species will be Saturday, April 28th, at 4:30 PM - and you will NOT want to miss it!

Where else might you see a tree person on stilts? Bumblebees on bikes? A band in zebra costumes? Creativity flows as people and groups plan their costumes and then create some of the most inventive and fun outfits you can imagine.

I'm planning to charge up my camera battery on Friday because I will be standing along the street Saturday capturing in pictures the unique Procession of the Species in downtown Olympia!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Wordless Wednesday - Say, Do You Have Any Homes with a Pond For Sale??

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:44:11 -0700

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Jubilee in Lacey WA - March 2012 Market Report for Real Estate Sales

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:26:59 -0700

Springtime is finally coming to the Olympia/Lacey WA area and reminding us why this is an amazing place to live! And the Jubilee neighborhood of Lacey is one of those amazing places, with golf courses, shopping nearby, and recreation galore within the community. So what is happening with the real estate market for Jubilee?

Currently there are 22 homes listed for sale with our MLS and they range from sizes of 1224 square feet up to 2720 square feet, at asking prices ranging from $199,950 up to $469,000. The median asking price is $324,450. The available homes include both resale houses and brand new construction.

There are 9 homes with pending sales in progress, at asking prices ranging from $214,500 up to $424,900 (we won't know the actual sales price until closing occurs).

During March 2012, 4 homes did sell and those sales closed at prices of $212,500, $230,000, $320,000 and $355,000. Average market time was 172 days for these closed listings and sales price was 95.5 % of asking price on average.

Check out more about the community of Jubilee and all it has to offer!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Sustainable Thurston Community Workshops Scheduled

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:07:51 -0700

Thurston County WA is a fast growing community with more growth expected over the next 30 years - lots of it. So the community has a chance to collectively envision how we want our community to look in the future, and plan for the growth so that a "Sustainable Thurston" remains an awesome place to live and work and play.

A partnership of local jurisdictions, organizations and community members want lots of community input about how we do that balancing act of building a future with a strong economy, and a healthy environment. One way to join in this conversation is to attend one of the public workshops to share your ideas, questions, concerns and thoughts.

Here are the upcoming dates for these workshops:

Monday, April 9th, 2012 - 6-8 PM at Rainier High School Library

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012 - 6-8 PM at Lacey Community Center

Thursday, April 12th, 2012 - 6-8 PM at Tenino High School Commons

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 - 6-8 PM at Yelm Public Safety Building

Thursday, April 19th, 2012 - 6-8 PM at Olympia Center

Monday, April 23rd, 2012 - 6-9 PM at Rochester Middle School Commons

You can also comment, answer questions, take a survey and chime in with your thoughts online.

Your chance to shape the future - Sustainable Thurston for all!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Easter Egg Hunts in the Olympia WA Area for 2012

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:33:25 -0700

Almost time for Easter egg hunts in the Olympia WA area, and there are some planned for all ages. For the little ones in your family, mark the calendar for Saturday, April 7th or Sunday, April 8th - or both. There are several free Easter egg hunts scheduled, so those kids can have a ball filling up their Easter baskets with colorful eggs - and maybe even a prize.

Saturday, April 7th at 1:00, the Moose Club will put on an Easter egg hunt at Lacey Community Center (Woodland Creek Park), 6729 Pacific Ave, Lacey.

Also on Saturday, there will be 3 age divisions of egg hunters at Tumwater's free Easter egg dash, sponsored by Tumwater Parks & Rec at Tumwater HS, 700 Israel Rd (in the field behind the stadium). The colorful hidden eggs will contain candy, toys and even coupons for prizes, and the kids will be grouped by age to hunt so the little ones don't get stampeded by the big kids. Ages 3 and under hunt at 11 AM; 4-6 year olds at 11:15; and 7-10 year olds at 11:30.

Then on Sunday, April 8th, you can do just a little more egg hunting at Priest Point Park off East Bay Dr, Olympia. This is the Olympia Eagle's annual Easter egg hunt, and they will have one hunt starting at noon for special needs children, followed by a second hunt at 2:00 for ages 0-12.

And for you adults - yes, there is a chance for you to have some Easter egg hunting fun, too. Friday, April 6th there will be an Adult Flashlight Egg Scramble (BYOF - bring your own flashlight) put on by Lacey Parks & Rec at the Regional Athletic Complex,Lacey. This hunt starts at 9 PM and there is a $5 admission fee for you to hunt for golden eggs and a chance to win an LCD HDTV or tons of other prizes.

So get your Easter basket ready to fill with colorful eggs - and your camera ready to capture the fun!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Wordless Wednesday - Hey The "Flower Lady" Has Her Bunny Ears On!

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:46:08 -0700

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Olympia Farmers Market Opens for 2012 on Thursday - Can't Wait!!!

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:10:14 -0700

Olympia Farmers Market will open for the 2012 season this coming Thursday, April 5th - so now I truly believe that spring has come at last! (never mind that weather forecast I heard earlier today that said we might have "chunky rain" tonight).

Can't wait to head down to Olympia Farmers Market for some fresh, local food - produce is likely just beginning to be ready, but there will be meat, seafood, eggs, baked goods, plant starts for my garden and who knows what all else.

I do know that I will be making a beeline for the vendor that typically has cut tulips in so many colors that I just have to stand there and admire for a while. Then I will be taking home some of those tulips for a touch of spring beauty at home - hurray! And hurray for Olympia Farmers Market's opening day for the year!!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Was I Not Paying Attention??

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:08:34 -0700

Was I not paying attention? Lately I've been doing some whining about too much rain, snow in March, frosty mornings, when will it be spring, I need sunshine etc etc etc.

But I noticed on my morning drive to work that apparently while I've been busy whining, spring has in fact arrived in Olympia!

I saw a mama deer with her fawn as I headed out of my driveway. Then a cheery blue jay perched on a tree branch. And then - ahhhhh, trees bursting into blossoms of pink! Yay - I think spring is truly arriving (even if it IS raining yet again today!)

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Dog-Gone Easter Egg Hunt - Lacey WA

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:32:27 -0700

This Sunday, April 1, 2012, is the 5th annual Dog-Gone Easter Egg Hunt - and this is NOT an April Fool's joke! The event happens between 10 - 3:00 at Rainier Vista Park in Lacey, WA and yes, your dog can have his or her very own Easter egg hunt!

There will also be agility demos and other fun for your furry dog friend... and the humans too. Admission is just $3 per person with kids under 12 admitted free. And the money raised benefits Feline Friends and Old Dog Haven. (Wait...do the dogs know some of the money goes to help cats??)

What a fun event for your April Fool's Day! Come with your dog, or just come to watch - this dog-gone Easter egg hunt in Lacey!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

2012 Capital Food & Wine Festival - This Saturday in Lacey

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:52:38 -0700

The 2012 Capital Food & Wine Festival in Lacey will be this Saturday, March 31st. from noon - 9 PM. If you enjoy tasting great wines or brews this is the place where you will discover some new favorites. More than 40 vintners & 16 microbrewers from the region will be there.

And if you enjoy munching on some food prepared by some of the area's best restaurants, this is the place to have some yummy bites.

And if you enjoy listening to some great music from jazz to the blues, this is the place where you will be very tempted to dance or sing along.

And if you like seeing LOTS of your friends who are also sipping, munching and toe tapping, this is the place to visit and enjoy good company.

And if you think all of this sounds even better knowing the funds raised will support scholarships for St Martin's students as well as other community causes - well, just be sure to be there and enjoy the day!

The 2012 Capital Food & Wine Festival is at the Marcus Pavilion at St Martin's University, 5300 Pacific Ave SE, Lacey WA. Ticket prices are $20 at the door and include a choice of one wine or beer glass. Scrip for wine or beer tasting or food purchases will be on sale in 50 cent increments.

Hope to see you there!

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Speechless Sunday - So Are You Just Gonna Stand There, Or Are You Gonna Feed Me??

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 09:07:23 -0700

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

So Is That House Available or Not???

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 07:09:15 -0700

For buyers and their agents, the pursuit of bank owned homes offers quite a few possible pitfalls and frustrations - among them, the difficulty in deciphering if a house is truly available or not. Often the banks agree verbally to a buyer's offer, but the turnaround time on getting the bank addenda to the listing agent, to the selling agent, to the buyer and back again can take....a while.

So, I am really happy with a change our NWMLS has initiated where listing agents are to note in the agent remarks section of a listing when the bank has verbally accepted an offer, and pending status is just awaiting the paperwork to make its way around the parties. At least now, even if initially the property comes up in a search for a buyer, I can see in those remarks that it really is already spoken for. Sure beats showing a house, buyer falls in love, writing up an offer - only to learn that it really was already too late before we ever stepped foot in the house.

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Lattins Country Cider Mill Farm is THE Place to Be in the Spring For Baby Animals!

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:36:44 -0700

Since the sunshine was finally shining in Olympia today, my son and granddaughter and I headed to Lattins Country Cider Mill Farm this afternoon for a little play break to see all the baby animals. And seeing all those cute little creatures has me believing spring is truly here.

First we had to feed the chickens (Lattins makes it easy with little bags of grain for sale). My granddaughter loved watching the chickens gather excitedly at the fence and then dive for the grain each time she threw a handful in. And the rooster would periodically squawk some sort of chicken command - maybe making sure he could get in there long enough to get some treats himself.

Next stop was to ooh and aah over the tiny baby goat curled up in the sunshine under the watchful eye of his mama.

There are lambs, too, and they were taking turns checking out the kids looking at them, and trotting back to their mothers for just a little more nourishment.

Then on to the grown up goats who were anxious for some attention - and food.

And piglets! Oh so cute, and busily rooting around in their pen, snorting and grunting. We did obey the sign though and resisted reaching in to try to touch!

Lattins Country Cider Mill Farm on a sunny spring day - a pretty nice place to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of new baby animals greeting the spring season! (And when the human visitors get hungry, there is fresh apple cider to go with warm fresh donuts or apple fritters - yummmmmm!!)

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Curious About Bank Owned Homes For Sale in Olympia WA Area?

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:33:21 -0700

Are you curious about bank owned homes for sale in the Olympia WA area? Surprisingly, their numbers are shrinking just like the inventory in general. As of today, the active listings that are bank owned and located within the Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater area total just 53 homes. (This excludes manufactured homes and condos)

Of these bank owned homes, the pricing looks like this:

List price under $150,000 - 14 homes

Priced between $151,000 and $200,000 - 16 homes

Priced between $201,000 and $250,000 - 12 homes

Priced between $251,000 and $300,000 - 3 homes

Priced in the $300,000's - 5 homes

Priced above $400,000 - 3 homes

Those 42 homes that are below $250,000 are in the most active range of our market, where buyers are actively hunting for homes to buy. Unfortunately, the condition of some of the bank owned homes in the Olympia area is so poor that many buyers rule them out as needing too much work, money and time.

The very high end of the currently available bank owned homes in the Olympia area is one property listed at $1,999,900 - bet that isn't what you picture when you think of bank owned homes, is it?

But the median price of the available bank owned homes in the Olympia area currently is $189,950 - and that price - if condition is not too much of a deterrent - is right where lots and lots of buyers are.

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:24:34 -0700

Thurston County is lucky to have the Dispute Resolution Center which is a non profit organization dedicated to helping people resolve all sorts of disputes. Ever had a family dispute? Maybe parent/teenager? Or one with a neighbor or coworker? How about between landlord and tenant? Or maybe a dispute with a business?

If you'd like the opportunity to see if the issue can be resolved by mediation, then Dispute Resolution Center is your perfect resource. Phone calls to see if mediation might be a viable option are free. Actual mediation sessions are charged on a sliding scale - for example, a two hour mediation session might run between $35 for low income households up to $140 for high income.

The mediation services might just help you avoid small claims court; could assist in a peaceful divorce settlement agreement; and get those other disputes resolved in a way that sends everyone on their way forward feeling good about the outcome.

The Dispute Resolution Center also offers 40 hours of professional training if you would like to be trained as a mediator.

And since I don't know that any of us manage to go through life without running into disputes of some kind, this training or the mediation services offered just might help you to better and faster resolutions in your life.

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net

Learn How to Green Your Lawn the Natural Way

Nancy Conner - Olympia/Thurston County WA (Managing Broker - City Realty Inc) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:22:17 -0700

Do you crave those gorgeous green lawns that just invite bare feet.... and yet hate the idea of spending every spare moment toiling in the yard to create that beauty? Do you want a healthy lawn, but hate the idea of using chemicals that might endanger your kids, pets and the environment?

There is an upcoming workshop on Lawn Care by Marianne Binetti, an expert on lawn and garden care for Western Washington. Marianne has a degree in horticulture from WSU, has authored a number of gardening books and is a very popular columnist and speaker on gardening issues.

The workshop will be held Monday, April 30, 2012 from 7 - 8:30 PM at the Olympia Center (222 Columbia Way) in downtown Olympia. It will cover everything from controlling weeds to proper mowing, and from renovating your lawn to inexpensive ways to add nitrogen to your soil. (Don't know if it covers moles....)

You've got to love the thought of having a lawn that looks and is healthier and also takes less fertilizer, water - and mowing!

This workshop is free but you do need to register in advance to attend. (Your lawn will love you for it).

***********************************************************************************

Showing Olympia - Let me show it to you!!

For Info on the Communities of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater WA and the real estate to be found here, just call me, text me, email me! And I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Nancy Conner, City Realty Inc, 360-701-1086 nancy@cityrealtyinc.net