When I first start working with a potential buyer, especially first time buyers, I always address whether or not they have spoken to a lender. This is a no-brainer for all the obvious reasons. Mainly, I think, most buyers believe they just need to prove that they are prequalified for a loan. Well, yes. But please don’t be defensive if I keep asking questions like:  Did your lender show you what your payments would be on a particular sale price?  Did they include the property taxes and an estimate for homeowners insurance?  Did you also consider the Homeowners dues (if applicable)?

 So often when it comes down to actually preparing the offer (or even after it is submitted), buyers start to get cold feet and are thinking:  My payments are going to be how much? Believe it or not, well-priced homes will sometimes receive multiple offers or go under contract shortly after going on the market or having a price reduction. You need to be ready mentally and act quickly.  Make sure you are shopping for a home within your comfort zone and you are working with a lender who can respond quickly to your questions. The home buying process can be stressful, so that is one way to make things a little more comfortable for the buyer.

Saturday, April 10th 1-4pm

Sunday, April 11th, 1-4pm

Directions:  South on College, East on Yelm, South on Spurgeon Creek Rd., Left on 83rd, left through gate to right on 82nd and follow to end of street.

Are you looking to buy a home and are confused about loans, interest rates and payments? Watch this 3 minute video for some plain talk. You can also access at WAhomeowners.com and email it to a friend or family member who is looking to buy a home.

Is this a great view or what?

It's a Sunday afternoon, the air is crisp but the sun is warm. We wander in to the Hearthfire for a glass of wine and some fried calimari. NO ONE is sitting out on the deck until we stake our claim on the best table:  out of the breeze and in the sun.  And to top it off, it was still happy hour.

So it's been rumored for months, probably even years.  This time it's for real. See this picture? I took it myself and I was standing in a parking lot on the corner of Cooper Point and Black Lake Blvd. Yes...believe it. Trader Joe's is coming to Olympia!  Their opening is set for later this month.  There have been newspaper articles and blogs here on ActiveRain about it. But I kept wondering  "Will it ever happen?"

Why do I like Trader Joe's so much?  It's just fun to walk up and down the aisles and see and try different products: curry simmer sauces, olive oils, great prices on wines. Their own brands are good quality and are reasonably priced.  This week, it's number one on my best things in Olympia!

When going over my marketing plan, I told her I could assist with the staging of the home.  Her reply surprised me. She said “Oh, I’ve seen all those shows on TV and I could never make my house look like a model home.”  I think her perception was that she would need new paint, new furniture and designer art on the walls. I guess staging actually COULD mean that you completely make over a house with new paint, new furniture and designer elements. But it certainly doesn’t have to. Most sellers aren’t going to want to spend any more money than necessary to get their house ready to sell.

I told her that when I spoke of “staging” that it begins with basic things like making sure your front yard and front door are clean and appealing, the house is spotlessly clean and your closets and cabinets have been tidied and cleaned out.  Then we should address each room:  is it cluttered with books, magazines and toys?  Are there lots of family photos on the walls and tables? How many pieces of furniture are in the room and do they make the room look crowded?

We want the home to look as spacious as possible while still appearing to be functional. A seasoned agent once told me:  “Sellers need to SHOW their house differently than how they LIVE in their house.” You want a potential buyer to walk in the door and be able to visualize themselves living in the home with their own “stuff”.  If you have too much of your “stuff” around, they will have a difficult time seeing past it.

Sellers need to give the impression that it is their intention to move. They have cleaned out their closets, and those personal photos and vacation knick knacks are safely packed and ready to go to their next home.  Have you ever viewed a house where everything that the Seller has collected for the past 10-20 years is still on display or piled up in closets and in the basement? I wonder if these people really want to move?  It’s not screaming out “I want to sell my house!”

Photos:  Einstein Family Photos-Gaeten Lee; Office Junk-Blind Grasshopper