Puyallup, Pierce County and Beyond Real Estate Blog

Sunrise, Puyallup, WA Landscaping Update

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:30:24 -0500

Well, for those of you living in the Master Planned Community of Sunrise for the past couple of years, you will have noticed that some unscrupulous individuals made it their life's mission to drive over some trees in the median of Sunrise Boulevard. It was really sad to see the tire marks through the grass and the stumps left over from the destruction.

Earlier this Summer, landscaping crews came through and replaced many of the trees. Sunrise Boulevard is finally looking the part again. Now if we can figure out how to keep people out of the median until these trees are large enough to stop a car, we'll be doing good!

Also, for those of you that live in, or travel through Southwood Estates, you'll also notice that on 168th and 170th landscaping crews have come through and planted trees, bushes and spread some bark. Also it looks like they've prepped areas for sod, although I'm unsure why they're waiting so long to lay said sod. But regardless, the two streets used to access Southwood Estates, Rebecca Ridge, Ridge View, Morning View Ridge and Morning View Estates are looking 1000% better!

Honey Stop the Car! - 19414 73rd Ave. E., Spanaway, WA 98387

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:01:33 -0500

John Hurlbut | John L. Scott Real Estate | (253) 222-2626

19414 73rd Ave. E., Spanaway, WA

Honey Stop the Car!

3BR/2.5BA Single Family House

offered at $219,950

Year Built	1998
Sq Footage	1,820
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	2
Lot Size	10,151 sqft
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

Light and bright 2 story home on shy 1/4 acre lot! Don't miss this one, it very well could be the one you've been waiting for! 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a den that could be a 4th bedroom and over 1,800 square feet, how can you go wrong at this price!? Lots of RV parking, spacious back yard and a peek-a-boo view of Mount Rainier too. Expansive kitchen with breakfast bar, a family room with gas fireplace and a huge master bedroom with attached 5 piece master bath. It's everything you've ever wanted!

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central heat	Fireplace	High/Vaulted ceiling
Walk-in closet	Hardwood floor	Family room
Living room	Office/Den	Dining room
Breakfast nook	Dishwasher	Stove/Oven
Washer	Dryer	Laundry area - inside

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

John Hurlbut

John L. Scott Real Estate

(253) 222-2626

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jul 25, 2008, 12:05pm PDT

94th Ave. East in Puyallup Closed July 28th - August 12th

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:59:16 -0500

As if commuting on South Hill wasn't tough enough already! The pain eventually will be worth it though. As many of you know, Pierce County and the City of Puyallup are working together to expand 94th Ave. E. to four lanes with a turn lane between 112th St. E. and 136th St. E. This will significantly open up North/South traffic on South Hill. However, in the mean time, they've got to get the project done. The county's portion has been widened and retaining walls have been built. You can now see how the new road will look in comparison to the old. However, starting next Monday and continuing for two weeks, 94th Ave. East will be CLOSED for construction. If I had to guess, they'll be moving telephone and electrical services during this time. So make note and plan for additional delays on Meridian and 122nd Ave. E. during this time.

Puyallup and Tri-County Housing Statistics - June 2008

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:33:09 -0500

Puyallup and Tri County Market Update - June 2008

Here we are nearly 1/2 way through the year and so far, the Puget Sound region has not been rocked by the housing collapse seen in other parts of the country. For example, an article I read in the Puget Sound Business Journal last week compared the housing market in Seattle with that of San Diego. In Seattle, there were just over 5,000 homes in foreclosure. In San Diego however, there were just over 56,000. More than 10 times the number in Seattle. It will take San Diego YEARS to recover from the mess they're in. Thankfully while we saw double digit appreciation in recent years here, it was not nearly the frenzied housing market that California, Nevada and Florida saw. Indications in Las Vegas however are good that they are beginning to come out of their slump too. I expect prices to remain flat for the rest of this year and into next year before we really start seeing the appreciation come back. Hang on just a little longer folks, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I'm pretty sure it's not a train!

Here then without further ado are some housing statistics for you for the local Puyallup area. I'm going to include some new stuff here that I think is interesting to note. I'm going to show Average Days on Market like I normally do, but then I'm also going to show Average CUMULATIVE Days on Market too. This takes into account homes that were re-listed. AND in addition to my normal Sales Price to List price ratio, I'm going to include Sales Price to ORIGINAL list price ratio. This gives a much better picture of homes that have taken multiple price reductions to get to their final selling price. By the way, homes are still selling at a pretty good percentage of list price.

	Total Active Residential Listings		Average Time On Market		Average Sales Price
County	05/07	05/08	05/07	05/08	05/07	05/08
Pierce	7,108	7,627	77	99	$325,300	$298,451
King	8,689	12,310	52	73	$589,623	$558,123
Thurston	2,210	2,152	81	100	$315,112	$297,201
Puyallup	875	947	62	90	$320,000	$298,000
	Total Closed		Total Closed YTD		Months of Inventory Based on Closed Sales
County	05/07	05/08	05/07	05/08
Pierce	1,195	689	4,866	3,218	11.2
King	2,537	1,533	10,126	6,772	8.2
Thurston	412	284	1,613	1,222	8
Puyallup	122	95	N/A	400	10
	Cumulative Days On Market		Original List Price to Sales Price Ratio		Months of Inventory Based on Pended Sales
County	05/07	05/08	05/07	05/08
Pierce	100	145	99%	94%	9.7
King	64	106	99%	95%	7.5
Thurston	102	132	98%	96%	7.1
Puyallup	89	142	98%	95%	9.1
Data Courtesy of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) Through May of 2008

While average prices are down compared to the same time last year, you're not seeing 20 - 30% price drops as the media would have you believe. Overall we're down about 10% over last year. Looking at the months of inventory based on closed sales and months of inventory based on pended sales, the trend is downward which is typical this time of year. My hope is that we'll see inventory levels down around 8 months by the end of the year and by next summer be down to around 7 months. As I've mentioned in the past, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports a balanced market as one that has 6 months of inventory. Any less than 6 months and we're in a seller's market and more than 6 months and we're in a buyer's market. We're definitely in a buyer's market now! But I think the overall trend is down towards a balanced and eventually a Seller's market again. Don't hesitate to call me if you'd like more interpretation of these numbers.

SHORT SALE! - 13809 174th St. Ct. E., Puyallup, WA 98374

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:06:07 -0500

John Hurlbut | John L. Scott Real Estate | (253) 222-2626

13809 174th St. Ct. E., Puyallup, WA

DO NOT Miss This one!

5BR/2.5BA Single Family House

offered at $239,950

Year Built	2005
Sq Footage	2,784
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	6,587 sqft
HOA/Maint	$20 per month

DESCRIPTION

Charming Craftsman in Rebecca Ridge by Luxury Pacific Homes! Walking up to the soaring entry, you're greeted by bay windows, extensive stone work and a nice covered porch to keep you dry. Walk into gleaming hardwoods, soaring ceilings and outstanding craftsmanship that just can't be beat! The Chef in the family will love the spacious gourmet kitchen with granite tile countertops and full height tile backsplash. Spacious open floor plan with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms a den and a bonus room (which also has a closet and could be 5th bedroom) gives you space for everyone! Large level fully fenced yard is great for summer bbq's and keeping Fido safe! Don't miss the opportunity of a lifetime! Over $60K less than the last time this home sold!

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central heat	Fireplace	High/Vaulted ceiling
Walk-in closet	Hardwood floor	Tile floor
Family room	Bonus/Rec room	Office/Den
Dining room	Breakfast nook	Dishwasher
Stove/Oven	Microwave	Granite countertop
Stainless steel appliances	Laundry area - inside	Balcony, Deck, or Patio
Yard

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Playground

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

John Hurlbut

John L. Scott Real Estate

(253) 222-2626

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jun 21, 2008, 1:50pm PDT

It's All About Leverage

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:35:40 -0500

This weekend I met a potential client at a new condominium community. He and his wife mentioned they were talking about purchasing their first investment property. I congratulated them saying there's never been a better time to do so. As the conversation progressed, I overheard them saying that they could sell stock and buy the condo outright. We continued on our tour of the property, exchanged information and parted company.

Today I sent them an e-mail and mentioned that I had overheard them talking about selling stock to buy the condo outright. I said that unless they were counting on the rental income to finance their lifestyle, that they would be much better off only putting down as much as needed to get the property to cash flow by a hundred or two dollars per month and financing the rest. This was a foreign concept to them, so I went on to explain:

The power of buying real estate is in leverage. Using other people's money to finance your fortune. A stock investor that purchases a stock for $50.00 per share has to put down how much to purchase that stock? Right, $50.00 per share. However, when you buy real estate, you can often buy it for no money down. (Assuming you plan to live there) OR if you want an investment, you can often get away with putting as little as 10% down. So in the example of this particular condo, if the purchase price is $170,000 and say you have to put 20% down to get it to cash flow, you only have to put $34,000 down. That leaves you an additional $136,000 that you could either leave in your stocks, or you could purchase MULTIPLE properties with that same $170,000 LEVERAGING someone elses money to finance your real estate empire.

This is the time that the rich get richer. Imagine, if your stocks return 10% per year. And a home appreciates 5% per year. You would think that you're getting a better deal on the stocks right? Well if you've got $170,000 invested in the stocks, you've actually got $170,000 invested. But if you have a rental property, you've only got in this example $34,000 invested, but you're getting a 5% return on $170,000.

Stocks - 10% return year 1 - $17,000
House - 5% return year 1 - $8,500
Return on Investment (ROI) Stocks - 10%
Return on Investment (ROI) House - 25%

Now imagine if you had parlayed that $170,000 into 4 or 5 homes and you were getting a 25% ROI on each of them! This is how the rich get richer. And if you wanted to hedge your bets, keep half in the stock market and only purchase two or three investment properties. You STILL come out way ahead.

If you'd like to learn more about investing in real estate, don't hesitate to give me a call.

John Hurlbut, ABR, GRI
John L. Scott Real Estate
(253) 222-2626 - Cellular
http://hurlbuthomes.com/
jhurlbut@johnlscott.com

To Lock or Not To Lock, That is The Question . . .

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:51:26 -0500

"Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?"

Ahh you didn't know I knew me a little Shakespeare did you? I've taken some liberties to modify this classic line from Hamlet. But if we analyze it, it seems to fit today's mortgage industry. They are certainly suffering right now the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. But it's us they seem to be taking arms against.

(Seriously, what did John take this morning and where do I get some?)

OK, I'm done pontificating today. But I did want to say this. Interest rates are GOING UP. Everyone that has been waiting for the 5% interest rate to return will be waiting a WHOLE lot longer. Everyday I get a Market update from my lender, Gina Miller at Venture bank, and in the market update it lists tons of economic data for why the day's mortgage rates are doing what they're doing. At the end of the article, for those that don't want to wade through tons of boring financial data, is a little chart saying:

If I were closing my loan in 7 days or less I would: Lock or Float
If I were closing my loan in 8 - 20 days, I would: Lock or Float
If I were closing my loan in 21 - 60 days, I would: Lock or Float
If I were closing my loan in 60 days or more, I would: Lock or Float

What this is meant to tell you is what mortgage rates are predicted to do over the next 2+ months. So for example, if your loan was closing in 30 days and it recommended that you Float the rate, they think there is a good possibility in that time that rates may go down.

For the past few days, EVERY item says LOCK. This is a strong indication that mortgage rates are on the rise for the near future. It's kind of like gas prices. The other day my wife and I were having a conversation about gas prices. She said she never puts more than $60.00 in her tank because that makes her feel like she's not spending any more money. I said, "if you know that gas prices are expected to keep climbing, why wouldn't you just fill it up with the "cheap" gas now?" So lock in your cheap mortgage now, it's not going to get any better any time soon.

New Service for Clients - Notary Public

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:16:40 -0500

Hey everyone, I just wanted to announce that starting Friday of this week (06/13/08) I will be offering a new service to clients of mine. I am now a Notary Public, so if you have any documents that need to be notarized, I'm your guy! Just let me know and we can plan to meet at a convenient time and place for you and I'll get you all taken care of. No charge, just another way I want to bring value to our relationship. And as always, if you need me for anything, please don't hesitate to call!

Iron Chef Comes to Puyallup! (Finally!)

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:08:22 -0500

So anyone that has spent any amount of time driving around South Hill over the past year or so, may have noticed at the back of the old Safeway building, the sign to the right. Yes, FINALLY, South Hill was going to get a Japanese Steak House! First The Rock, now a Japanese Steak House, could life get any better? (OK, when someone opens an Indian restaurant, my life will be complete, but I digress) But it seems like we've been waiting, and waiting and waiting for Iron Chef to open. Well, finally last Thursday, open they did!

Teri and I decided to drop by last night and see how it was. Walking into Iron Chef, you're greeted by a vast room with about 16 Teppanyaki stations, each seating 8 - 10 people, a bar and not much else. The floor is concrete and coated with something similar that you might find at Home Depot. The decor was sparse to say the least. And somewhat cold, both in feel and temperature. But you don't go to a Japanese steak house for the decor, you go for the food and the show. So we were not in the least deterred.

As is customary, we were seated with others who were waiting. They will wait until they have between 6 - 10 people waiting and then seat them all together in a "U" shape around the Teppanyaki grill. Our waitriess was dressed in traditional Japanese garb and very attentive the whole evening. After taking our order, she brought us our salad which was dressed in a sesame dressing. There was a bit too much of it for my tastes, but it was VERY good, so I'll live. I ordered the steak and shrimp and Teri ordered the Chicken and Shrimp.

After eating our salads, the chef rolled the cart in and began by making some jokes and starting his show. Now I've been to a few Japanese steak houses in my day, but this guy was by far the best Teppanyaki chef I've ever seen! His name is "Mike" (Fine Japanese name!) and if you go, you should ask for him. He was flipping all kinds of things (including flaming bowls of who knows what) into the air and catching them in his hat. Spinning lemons and slicing them while they were spinning. And of course, who would miss the traditional flaming onion volcano!

My steak was cooked perfectly (medium rare) and my shrimp were to die for. Teri said her chicken was a tad dry, but enjoyed the shrimp as much as I did. The fried rice and veggies were very good as well. And of course there was sherbert for dessert.

Overall, I'd say our experience with Iron Chef was a positive one. They still have some kinks to work out (that even Mike admitted) but I think once they get them worked out, you're going to have to have reservations for this one! If last nigth (Sunday evening at 7:30) was any indication, you may by this weekend, kinks or not! I would have liked to see a little less industrial decor and Teri would have liked for the temperature to be warmer (as would I) but I think those were really our only complaints. The food was great and the entertainment was AWESOME! I'd give Iron Chef two thumbs up! We will definitely be back!

Iron Chef
4301 South Meridan Street
Suite A
Puyallup, WA 98373
(253) 848-3794

16525 135th Avenue East, Puyallup, WA 98374

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:19:34 -0500

John Hurlbut | John L. Scott Real Estate | (253) 222-2626

16525 135th Ave. E., Puyallup, WA

Stunning in Sunrise!

3BR/2.5BA Single Family House

offered at $349,950

Year Built	1998
Sq Footage	2,303
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	8,395 sqft
HOA/Maint	$35 per month

DESCRIPTION

Impeccably maintained home in the quaint community of Savannah Ridge in Sunrise. All the work is done here, just move right in and start enjoying life the way you always imagined it! From your professionally manicured yard to your spacious master bedroom retreat, no detail has been left unattended to. Walking into your home you're greeted by gleaming hardwoods, newer carpet and paint and a spacious floor plan geared towards everyday living. The large family room is wired for surround sound for the latest blockbuster and is open to the kitchen and dining nook so everyone can be included in movie night. Your backyard is truly an oasis with a beautiful waterfall and pond to lull you to sleep at night. The kids will enjoy the basketball court and you won't have to worry as they'll be in your fully fenced back yard. And wouldn't you know it, just in time for the summer sun, your new home comes with Air Conditioning too! Three spacious bedrooms and a bonus room await you upstairs. When you awake in the morning, enjoy the view of the sunrise over Mount Rainier from your master bedroom and enjoy quiet evenings at home in your soaking tub in the 5 piece attached master bath. Finally, for that added peace of mind, a one year American Home Shield Home Warranty is included too! Don't miss this one, you won't be disappointed!

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Central heat	Fireplace
High/Vaulted ceiling	Walk-in closet	Hardwood floor
Tile floor	Family room	Living room
Bonus/Rec room	Dining room	Breakfast nook
Dishwasher	Stove/Oven	Microwave
Attic	Laundry area - inside	Balcony, Deck, or Patio
Yard

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Tennis court(s)

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

Water Feature

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

John Hurlbut

John L. Scott Real Estate

(253) 222-2626

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jun 2, 2008, 6:34am PDT

ActiveRain - It Works!

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:43:10 -0500

This is something that many of you already know, but finally last night, I found out for sure.

On Tuesday I returned to the office from a nice little 5 day vacation in Puerto Vallarta. As is always the case, returning to work was hectic. Catching up with buyers, making sure the two closings I had while I was gone went smoothly, checking the MLS, sales meeting, tour, etc. etc. All the normal daily grind stuff.

Then I checked my messages. I had a message from a homeowner that is facing foreclosure and wanted to know if I could help. When on the phone with her, I asked her how she had found me. As most of my business is done by referral, I wanted to be able to thank the folks that had referred me. When she said "I found you on the web" I was shocked. Its VERY rare that I get a call from my website. We set an appointment to meet (tonight at 7) and hung up.

A short while later, my phone rings again. A man introduces himself, says hes getting transferred across the state and wants to know if I would come out and give him a marketing presentation. Of course I would, I replied, and again asked him how he found me. He said he found me on the web. WHAT? TWO calls in ONE day? There must be something in the air. We set an appointment for last evening.

I arrived at their home a bit early and got the tour of the home. As we were going through the marketing presentation, I told them how most of my business is done by referral and that it was odd they actually called from seeing me on the web. The Mrs. pipes up and says "Yeah, I was on some web site and you had the most points or something in Puyallup" AH-HA! Then the husband says "Yeah, it was really weird, she called me and said 'You have to check this one out' and I was already on your website (my actual website, not ActiveRain) so it was weird that we both found you at the same time"

Well, the marketing presentation went well and this morning, I'll be dropping by to take my photos and shoot some video. We'll be on market this weekend! Now, assuming this gets an offer (it's a SWEET house!) and closes, I can then say that Active Rain provides an infinite return on investment. The absolute best lead generation site hands down. I suspect the lady I'm meeting with tonight also found me through ActiveRain. We'll see.

ActiveRain didn't win the listing for me, it was my skill, charm and marketing presentation that did that. But ActiveRain DID get me in the door and for that, I will forever be thankful!

Go Rainers!

HOT Lanes Open Saturday May 3rd!

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:42:52 -0500

Many of you are familiar with the concept of an HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane, or carpool lane, but you may have not heard of a HOT lane. Well starting Saturday May 3rd, many puget sound commuters are going to become very familiar with the term. The HOT lane is a High Occupancy Toll lane. In this blog, I touted the benefits of getting a Good to Go pass to use the new Narrows bridge. Starting Saturday, your Good to Go Pass will also allow you to travel from Auburn to Renton much quicker during rush hour.

On Highway 167 between Auburn and Renton, the HOV lanes have been converted to HOT lanes. You'll now see a double white line separating the general traffic flow from the new HOT lanes. Every so often there will be a break in the double white line. And just beyond the break, you'll see there are new devices hovering over the HOT lane. Finally, there are new digital signs just as you get to each of the break points. Here's how each of these things will impact your morning and evening commute:

Double White Lines The first thing to note is that it is now ILLEGAL to cross over teh double white line regardless of the passenger status of your car. Single driver or carpool must stay in the HOT lane untl a break in the double white line permits exiting.
Breaks in the Double White LineTo enter or leave the HOT lane, now you must wait for the break in the double white line. Again, crossing the double white line is now ILLEGAL.
Devices Hovering Over HOT Lanes Now you'll see little gray devices hovering over the HOT lane. These are the readers that pick up your Good to Go pass and record your trip in the lane.
New Digital Signs Now at every entrance point there will be a new sign that shows a toll. This is what your Good to Go account will be charged should you enter the lane at this point. After you enter the lane, there will be a reader that reads your transponder and records your trip. The tolls will vary based on time of day and traffic flow. The slower normal traffic is, the higher the toll to enter the HOT lane.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You may be thinking, what if I'm a legitimate carpool AND have a Good to Go pass? Will I be charged if I drive in the HOT lane? The answer is maybe. You have to get a "Shield" from the Good to Go folks that is placed on your windshield over your Good to Go pass so you are not charged for driving in the HOT lane. But you MUST remember to put the shield on, or you WILL be charged.

Overall, I think the HOT lanes are a good progression for traffic in the Puget Sound. However, I do see lots of potential for abuse. So expect there to be stepped up patrols on highway 167 looking for people crossing the double white line. You could simply avoid the readers by entering and exiting the HOT lanes at unspecified points and never be charged. If a police officer saw you travelling in the lane as a single drive with a Good to Go pass, he or she would simply assume you had entered correctly and been charged. THIS is why crossing the double white line is illegal. I can also see many carpools forgetting to shield their Good to Go passes and disputing their monthly Good to Go pass. I think for awhile anyway, this is going to be a big headache for the WSDOT. But for us little people, if we need to get from Puyallup to Bellevue more quickly, the HOT lane may be just the ticket!

For more information visit the HOT lane site on the WSDOT website at:
http://wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR167/HOTLanes/HowTo.htm

Programmable Thermostats

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:05:51 -0500

I have the very good fortune of living next door to my longest standing friend. Ken and I have been friends since our first day in Kindergarten. Last month we got into the discussion of heating bills. Our homes were both built by the same builder, using the same components. My house is about 200 square feet larger than Ken's, but for all intents and purposes, our homes are the same.

As we were discussing our energy bills, it turns out my bill was on average about $100 per month higher than his. Or about 50% higher. That's significant. So I called Puget Sound Energy to find out what the breakdown was. About 67% of my bill was my gas bill and 33% was Electric. The only difference between our two homes is that I have a gas stove, and his is electric. I can't imagine that our stove would contribute that much more to the bill, especially since he has two kids.

So I started examining the heating system. Again, same components. I had set my heat to 69 degrees when we're home and 66 degrees when we're asleep or gone. I had heard somewhere to keep your set points within about 3 or 4 degrees of each other for maximum efficiency. As I was working from home one day, I noticed that our heat would come on for about 10 mintues, then shut off for 10 minutes. This cycle was repeated all day. So I changed the setting to 64 degrees while we're gone and asleep, and 69 degrees while we're home.

Working from home later in the week, the house held steady at about 66 degrees. The heat didn't come on even once. I haven't gotten this month's bill, but I'm REALLY curious to see how that affected it.

Reading Handy magazine the other night, they said there should be an 8 degree spread between your set points. So today I did further research on it and came across Energy Star's website on Programmable thermostats. According to their usage guidelines, your set points should be 8 degrees apart in the Winter and 4 degrees apart in the Summer (if you have A/C). So I'd take their word for it. Hopefully this helps even one of you to save some money on your energy bill. I'll update you when I get our monthly bill as to how much I saved.

Here's the link to Energy Star's Website Once there, click on their "Proper Use Guidelines" and read the subtext below the article for the 8 and 4 degree separation.

Kirk's Pharmacy at Sunrise

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:08:10 -0600

The Puyallup Real Estate landscape has exploded in recent years. It seems like there is a Wallgreens or Rite Aid on nearly every corner. But you know what? Sometimes it's the little guys that really win you over. One of those "little guys" is Kirk's Pharmacy at Sunrise. My wife turned me on to this little pharmacy that could about a year ago. I should have posted back then, but sometimes you forget the ones you love, so Kirk, I'm sorry. I'm trying to make it up to you now.

Located in the Sunrise Medical Campus (110th Avenue and Sunrise Blvd.) Kirk's Pharmacy at Sunrise reminds me of the days I used to go into Ludwig's pharmacy on South Tacoma Way with my grandmother. Ludwig (I think!?) used to greet my grandmother by name and toss me a roll of life savers every time we came in. I get the same feeling when I go into Kirk's.

I have a prescription that I need filled every month. I used to go to Wallgreens on the corner of 176th and Meridian. While Wallgreens was convenient because of their drive up window, Kirk's has them beat hands down in service. Sometimes Wallgreens would take days to fill my prescription even though they claimed it would be ready in an hour. There were always long lines to deal with both in the store and in the drive up. I'm almost scared to post how good Kirk's is for fear they'll become just as busy. I want to keep it all for myself. But they have a phone in service just like the other pharmacy. They usually say the prescription will be ready within 2 hours. There is almost NEVER a line when you go to pick up. And if you forget to call it in, they'll fill it there on the spot. Their hours aren't as long as the other place, but a little planning and you shouldn't have any hassles. They've taken my insurance just like the other place and I feel like they know my name. It's a wonderful experience to find a hometown store like this.

If you live out on South Hill, you owe it to yourself to get your prescriptions filled at Kirk's. You'll never go back to one of the big box stores.

Kirk's Pharmacy At Sunrise
11212 Sunrise Blvd E Ste 204
Puyallup, WA 98374
(253) 770-3408

A Funny Thing Happened At The Escrow Office . . .

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:52:44 -0600

I know that a lot of people think that real estate agents simply stick a sign in the yard, get an offer on a home and collect a paycheck. Ha! If only it were that easy! There are so many little things that go into our career that it would take hundreds of blog posts to cover them all. I wanted to share just a small tidbit of what can happen and why it's good to have a professional on your side.

Today I sat down with one of my clients at the closing table. She was selling her home and we had received all the closing documents. As we were going through the HUD-1 settlement statement (see end of article for a definition), the escrow officer read off a number of the charges and credits. The seller had originally agreed to pay $6,000 of the buyer's closing costs. However, during the transaction, the buyer's lender would only allow about $4,600 to be paid by the seller. So the home price was adjusted downward by $1,400 as were the closing costs. However, as the escrow officer read off the sales price, it was correct, but they still had $6,000 listed as the seller paid contribution. The eagle eyed real estate agent (that's me) said "Wait a second, there was an addendum changing those closing costs to $4,600". The addendum was found, the correction made, and my seller was super happy that they had an additional $1,400 coming back to them.

Now, this error would have eventually been caught by either the buyer's lender or the escrow officer, so my seller was never really in danger of losing that $1,400. But it just goes to show you that having another set of eyes that has been through this hundreds of times is always beneficial to you.

Looking to buy or sell a home? Don't be left alone, call a Realtor! In Western Washington? Better yet! Call me!

Price APPRECIATION in the Puget Sound for 2007

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:03:13 -0600

Again, the news media would have you believe that prices are plumeting all around the sound, but numbers just released actually show that most areas experienced price appreciation in 2007. Here are the statistics:

Pierce County:

New Construction: +9.1%
Existing Single Family: +6.1%
Condominiums: +3.3%

King County:

New Construction: +12.6%
Existing Single Family: +10.61%
Condominiums: +3.3%

Snohomish County:

New Construction: +8.5%
Existing Single Family: +8.6%
Condominiums: +14.8%

Kitsap County:

New Construction: -5.6%
Existing Single Family: +10.0%
Condominiums: +25.4%

Some breakdowns by pierce county real estate zip codes for existing single family homes:
Puyallup Real Estate (98371-98374): +1.4% - +9.7%
Spanaway Real Estate (98445, 98387): +1.7% - +2.9%
University Place Real Estate (98466 - 98467): -0.3% - +1.8%
Sumner Real Estate (98390 - 98391): +5.6% - +7.3%

So when you look at the ACTUAL numbers from 2007, don't believe Dennis Bounds, Steve Raible or any of those guys that tell you it's ALL doom and gloom. If you'd like numbers for your specifc zip code, don't hesitate to shoot me an e-mail or give me a call, I'm happy to help!

19415 73rd Ave. E., Spanaway, WA 98387 - You're going to LOVE Living Here!

John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:17:00 -0600

For more information Contact:
John Hurlbut
John L Scott Real Estate
253-222-2626
Or visit:
http://johnlscott.com/46644
http://tourfactory.com/396892
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