| |
bremerton: Central Kitsap Fire Department - 02/21/09 11:07 PM
The weather today in Bremerton and Silverdale was absolutely gorgeous! Sunny and warm, it was a real treat in Kitsap County, especially considering that it is February.
Like many other residents of Central Kitsap, the members of the Central Kitsap Fire Department took advantage of the weather, practicing some of their life-saving and fire-fighting skills at the Meadowdale Fire Station, CKFD Station 41. The Meadowdale Fire Station has a three-story training tower and is home to one of eleven new fire engines in Central Kitsap.
… (6 comments)
|
bremerton: Should I sign a Buyer Agency Agreement? - 02/16/09 07:26 PM
Another excellent question from a client today! "Should I sign a Buyer Agency Agreement?"
The answer is - Probably, but it depends.....
First, remember that Agency rules differ from state to state, so if you are not buying a home in Washington State, Bremerton, Port Orchard, Silverdale, Poulsbo or surrounding areas, you will need to clarify agency laws in your state.
Most clients will want to sign a Buyer Agency Agreement. In the contract, make sure your agent spells out exactly what you can expect from them. For example, what type of home will you be finding for them, and where … (11 comments)
|
bremerton: What does it cost me to have you as my Buyer's Agent? - 02/15/09 10:42 PM
You'd be amazed at how many people never ask....
Actually, it's a great system for Buyers. When a Seller lists his property with an agent, he agrees to pay the real estate agent a certain percentage of the sales price. The Seller's agent then puts the property in an enormous database, which is called the Northwest Multiple Listing Service in Kitsap County real estate lingo. The listed home is then available for other real estate agents to access and show to potential buyers.
If another agent brings in a client to purchase the property, the Seller's agent splits his commission with the … (44 comments)
|
bremerton: "The Patio" in Manette, Bremerton - And this used to be a laundromat? - 01/27/09 03:07 AM
That's right - a laundromat. The building sat on a corner in lower Manette unused for many years in the 1990's and early 2000's, until Jeff and Michelle Hecker took over and redesigned the building into the swanky restaurant and happy hour hotspot that it is now.
The Patio opened in May of 2008. Located right next to the Manette Bridge in Downtown Manette, the restaurant is small in winter, with very limited indoor seating. However, that also allowed us very attentive and personal service. In warmer months, tables on the patio are used, doubling the seating area.
"Serving 'New American' … (3 comments)
|
bremerton: The Boat Shed Restaurant is a Pleasant Surprise - 08/25/08 01:17 AM
Want to go out for a nice dinner, but don't want to spend a lot? Want a view but don't want to pay for it? Consider The Boat Shed restaurant in Manette in East Bremerton!
The restaurant sits almost underneath the Manette Bridge, and if you aren't looking for it you could miss it! The unassuming entrance will leave many doubting the quality, right until they open the front door and smell the tantalizing food from inside.
Get a table by the window. From your seat, you will have a view of the bridge, the USS Turner Joy, and the Seattle-Bremerton … (9 comments)
|
bremerton: 7350 Grevena, Bremerton, WA 98311 - 08/01/08 02:52 AM
… (1 comments)
|
bremerton: The Kitsap County Real Estate Snapshot Today, July 23, 2008 - 07/24/08 12:13 AM
Right now, right this very moment in Kitsap County, WA, there are 2,591 single family homes for sale, according to the local Multiple Listing Service. Yes, that's right, 2,591 homes for sale through local real estate agents.
That's a lot of competition for a small number of serious homebuyers!
In the last 30 days, only 210 single family homes have sold and closed, again according to the Multiple Listing Service. What does that number mean to you if you are currently trying to sell your home, or if you are thinking of selling your home in the near future?
If the … (4 comments)
|
bremerton: Having Issues with Mortgage Fraud Article - 06/04/08 10:39 AM
This is an excellent article from USA Today on one aspect of mortgage fraud and how it is committed. The article explains how a team of "professionals" can use a "straw buyer" (think of the story of the three pigs) to steal tens of thousands of dollars from a bank and homeowners. One team can do this many, many times and walk away with hundreds of thousands of dollars.
See the entire article here: http://money.aol.com/news/articles/real-estate/_a/mortgage-fraud-cases-up-by-two-thirds/20080603123509990001
According to the article, two people are under investigation by the FBI involved in the house in Las Vegas on Gold Mine Drive and Rolling Hills. … (17 comments)
|
bremerton: "Well, I don't have to, but..." - 05/19/08 10:58 PM
Apparently, there is a checklist at many of the larger brokerages in Washington State for agents to follow during a transaction. These checklists are inaccurate, and if brokers and agents were paying attention, they might realize this.
Lately, agents have been asking me for a copy of the earnest money check when I represent the Buyer. Today, I had an agent get very huffy with me when I explained that since Mutual Acceptance was Friday, I actually had two business days to collect the earnest money check. Therefore, our deadline for collecting it was actually tomorrow. I also told her that I … (7 comments)
|
bremerton: "Have we hit bottom yet?" - 05/14/08 02:08 AM
"I want to buy a house when the prices are at their lowest."
"How long before the market turns around again?"
"I'll wait a while longer til prices drop a bit more."
"Buy low, sell high" doesn't apply only to the stock market - it applies to real estate as well. However, the problem that plagues stock investors also plagues the real estate investor -- how do we know we have hit bottom?
As real estate agents, we listen to the financial experts, monitor the economy and the real estate market in general, watch the national trends, track home prices and … (9 comments)
|
bremerton: I've Become One of Them (And Guess Who's Fault It Is?) - 04/22/08 06:13 PM
First, let me just say that the final transformation is pretty much Active Rain's fault. And even if it isn't really, let me believe that it is because I have to blame someone. So tonight, that would be all of you.
I never meant to be one of them, but it happened slowly, and it wasn't until tonight that I realized that I had done just what I never wanted to do. I became one of them.
Those of you who have been married to military will know who I am talking about... It's those wives!
You know the ones I'm talking about. One … (38 comments)
|
bremerton: Calling Manette "Home" - Manette, Bremerton - 04/03/08 02:11 AM
The neighborhood of Manette is located on the east side of Bremerton on the hill of Point Herron. Many of the Manette homes have a fantastic view of the water as well as the mountains. Residents can often see the ferry coming in from Seattle as the sun sets over the Olympic Mountains. Manette real estate has not seen as broad of a price adjustment as other areas of Kitsap County.
Manette was founded as a city in 1891, but was annexed by the city of Bremerton just a few decades later. It is now a unique and very desireable Bremerton community.
Manette is connected … (1 comments)
|
bremerton: Old Fashioned Bridge in Manette, Bremerton, WA - 04/03/08 02:04 AM
The Manette Bridge played a significant role in the building and expansion of Bremerton. Built during the Great Depression, the Manette Bridge is the oldest of two bridges that connect East Bremerton to West Bremerton.
In this photo, Manette is to the right, West Bremerton on the left side. The Port Washington Narrows goes north toward Silverdale. The Olympic Mountains are in the distance. (Much appreciation to Capt. Alan R. Beam, USN, ret., for the photo. Thanks, Dad!)
Prior to the building of the bridge, Mosquito Fleet ferries made the crossing each day to allow families from East Bremerton to go to their jobs … (7 comments)
|
bremerton: Selling Your Historic Home - 04/03/08 01:45 AM
Selling a historic home often involves more emotion than logic, both for the seller and the buyer. In order to get the highest sale price possible for your historic home, we may need to go the extra mile.
Do some research into the history of the home, going back to the original owners of the home. Bill Cherry recently suggested naming the house after the first owner. Put everything together in a professionally written package for potential buyers. Of course, as your real estate agent, I am happy to assist you with this project.
Resources for researching your home include these:
1. Get a copy of your home's title report. If … (6 comments)
|
bremerton: The Market in Kitsap County - March 2008 - 04/02/08 07:37 PM
It is definitely a Buyer's Market in Kitsap County! Listings are up, sales are down, and interest rates are excellent.
As of March 31, 2008, there were 2343 single family detached homes listed by real estate agents in Kitsap County. If no other homes were listed for sale in Kitsap County, and we worked through all the home currently for sale, it would take us over 12 months to sell them all. In other words, we have 12 1/2 months of inventory on the market.
What does that mean to you? If you were trying to sell your home in Kitsap County … (2 comments)
|
bremerton: Beat the Buyer's Market - Selling Your Home in Kitsap County - 04/02/08 12:18 PM
Even though it is a "Buyer's Market" in Kitsap County and across the country, We can still sell your home. However, there are several things you must keep in mind in order to do so.
To sell your Kitsap County home, you must price it right, show it perfectly, and market it aggressively.
To price it right, ask your real estate agent to do a price point for you, showing you pending, sold, and active listings similar to your home. Once we have the range for your home's proper pricing, you must price it at the bottom of that range.
In other words, your … (4 comments)
|
bremerton: A Ferry, A Tunnel, and Sewage - 04/01/08 01:43 PM
The Washington State Department of Transportation ferry terminal in Bremerton, WA is not very pretty right now. Construction workers have dug up a huge section of road that begins in the ferry's auto-waiting lot, where drivers park there cars as they wait to load them on the ferry. The construction ends up, around several corners, between Pacific and Park on Burwell Street.
What's going on? And where does the sewage come in?
The City of Bremerton is installing a tunnel to allow ferry traffic to unload from the ferry in a shorter time frame while decreasing the risk of accidents. The tunnel will run from near … (3 comments)
|
bremerton: OPR Porsche Club Tour and Lunch 3/30/2008 - 03/30/08 09:20 PM
It turned out to be a beautiful day in Belfair and Gig Harbor, which is the route the Olympic Peninsula Region Porsche Club of America chose to take on their drive today.
Twenty-one cars took part in the event today. We began at the Bremerton Airport shortly after 10 am. A long line of cars took off for the North Shore Road, then cut off north on Belfair-Tahuya Road. Unfortunately, one part of the group took the wrong turn-off, but caught up with the rest of the group before hitting the Tahuya River Bridge.
Surprise! The Tahuya River Bridge is down to one lane, … (5 comments)
|
bremerton: HUGE Rotary Garage Sale Scheduled April 19 - 03/28/08 08:20 PM
The 11th Annual RAGS (Rotary Annual Garage Sale) event is being held at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion and the Vanzee building at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds on April 19, 2008.
If you have never been to a RAGS event, put this on your calendar! There are deals to be had, with everything from gently used clothes and building supplies and home decor to kitchenware to collectibles and art to furniture on sale for bargain prices!
Five different Rotary Clubs from across Kitsap County sponsor and run the event, including the Bremerton Noon, East Bremerton, Silverdale Morning, Silverdale Noon and South Kitsap clubs. The sale is … (2 comments)
|
bremerton: A Short Trip for the USS John C. Stennis - 03/28/08 11:01 AM
The USS John C. Stennis spent the week at sea for sea trials after a long maintenance period at the Puget Sound Shipyard. They are returning as we speak!
My son and I are sitting at my mom and dad's beachfront home, watching Adam's Daddy's ship come in on this chilly, gray March morning.
They just blew the whistle, and my mother told my son that the whistle means "Hello, Adam, from Daddy," and Adam is grinning from ear to ear.
In about 10 minutes they should be pulling into their pier at Naval Base Kitsap - Bremerton.
This is the first of many trips the USS John … (7 comments)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marlene Scheffer, Realtor to Kitsap County, WA
Bremerton,
WA
More about me…
Realty Station
Address: 2135 Sheridan Road, Suite F, Bremerton, WA, 98310
Office Phone: (360) 377-5699
Cell Phone: (360) 689-6836
Email Me
Here you will find my thoughts and insights into the real estate market in general, as well as tips for Sellers, Buyers, current Homeowners and other real estate agents. Many of the market updates will apply specifically to Kitsap County, in other words, Silverdale, Bremerton, Poulsbo, Port Orchard, Kingston, and all areas in between. Many of the trends seen in Kitsap will overflow to surrounding cities, such as Gig Harbor, Belfair, Allyn, and even Bainbridge Island. I hope you will find this blog helpful and useful.
 Links
Archives
|
;)
;)
