Welcome to the golf course community of Elk Run! This open concept rambler features Formal Living Room as well as Family room off Kitchen. The Formal Dining room has a bow window which overlooks the large treed backyd. Kitchen & Family Room have laminate flooring & skylight for gray days. Large patio is perfect for outdoor entertaining. Vaulted ceilings, wood-burning fireplace, newer furnace, roof, gutters & cedar siding! Fridge stays. Boat or RV Parking (subject to restrictions.) Close to shopping PLUS Tahoma Schools!
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully helping clients buy and sell real estate in South King & North Pierce Counties since 1990 and specializes in the Maple Valley area. Voted by clients and industry professionals as one of Seattle Magazine's 5 Star, Best in Client Satisfaction for 4 years running, she and her team are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of real estate marketing and technology while providing value-added, personalized service.
Seattle Short Sales (try saying that three times fast) seems to be the theme of the week. Our team has closed 2 this week, will close another sale tomorrow, signed an extension on a listing currently in escrow and I'll be bringing two new Maple Valley Short Sale listings on the market today and tomorrow.
It's not surprising that short sales are becoming a larger part of the real estate landscape here in the greater Seattle area. According to Realty Trac, one in every 37,000 homes in King County has received a foreclosure filing notice. Some smaller communities such as Snoqualmie (1 in every 159 homes), Maple Valley (1 in every 394 homes) and Auburn (1 in every 447) have a higher concentration of homeowners facing foreclosure. These owners are beginning to understand there are alternatives to foreclosure and in some cases, advantages to selling their property as a short sale, versus letting the bank take it at auction.
We pride ourselves on continuing to help Seattle area home owners successfully sell their homes in order to avoid foreclosure.
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully helping clients buy and sell real estate in South King & North Pierce Counties since 1990 and specializes in the Maple Valley area. Voted by clients and industry professionals as one of Seattle Magazine's 5 Star, Best in Client Satisfaction for 4 years running, she and her team are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of real estate marketing and technology while providing value-added, personalized service.
Home buyers in Maple Valley and across the Country got one step closer to getting the first home buyer's tax credit extended past the November 30 deadline.
The Senate has approved the Homebuyer Tax Credit and we now await a vote in the House of Representatives.
Industry experts feel it's likely the bill will pass and then will be signed into law by President Obama.
I haven't read the bill, but according to a release by the Washington Association of Realtors, the $8000 credit would be extended to April 2010 (sooner than the June date which had been floating around) and will also include a $6500 credit for buyers who have lived in their homes for at least 5 years.Whether they will need to purchase that home as a primary residence or be able to use the credit for investment properties remains to be seen.
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully helping clients buy and sell real estate in South King & North Pierce Counties since 1990 and specializes in the Maple Valley area. Voted by clients and industry professionals as one of Seattle Magazine's 5 Star, Best in Client Satisfaction for 4 years running, she and her team are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of real estate marketing and technology while providing value-added, personalized service.
For whatever reason, many local cities have become sign nazi's when it comes to A-boards for open house notifications. Mind you, we usually have 4-5 signs out for a 3 hour period of time...and those signs are on street corners directing traffic to the property we are marketing.
Here in Maple Valley, many local Realtors have left our open houses to find the City has taken one or more of our signs (not cheap I might add). If they are too close to the sidewalk, in the "right of way" (define that on some of these roads please) or as I was told by a City Hall employee once "somewhere that a council member doesn't like", they'd run the risk of being picked up and hauled off.
I think these signs are pretty close to the sidewalk...in fact probably smack in the middle of the right of way area (if anyone really knows where that is)
Funny....there seems to be a different set of rules if you're running for that City council position.
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully helping clients buy and sell real estate in South King & North Pierce Counties since 1990 and specializes in the Maple Valley area. Voted by clients and industry professionals as one of Seattle Magazine's 5 Star, Best in Client Satisfaction for 4 years running, she and her team are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of real estate marketing and technology while providing value-added, personalized service.
Enjoy this virtual "open house" from the comfort of your home today!
This 4 Bedroom basement rambler is located just off Sweeney Road in Maple Valley. The home is surrounded by trees for maximum privacy and has been meticulously maintained by the original owners. The floorplan has a spacious Great Room, Kitchen (with newly installed slab granite counters), Formal Dining and 2 bedrooms upstairs. Downstairs is a large Rec Room (pool-table sized), laundry, unfinished workshop/storage room and 2 bedrooms. Off the Great room is a deck which overlooks the beautifully lanscaped side yard as well as the private wooded acreage beyond.
The detached 2 car Garage is larger than average and has plenty of surrounding room for the parking of boats, RV's, guests.....??
If you know someone looking for a very private setting, please forward the tour onto them.
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully helping clients buy and sell real estate in South King & North Pierce Counties since 1990 and specializes in the Maple Valley area. Voted by clients and industry professionals as one of Seattle Magazine's 5 Star, Best in Client Satisfaction for 4 years running, she and her team are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of real estate marketing and technology while providing value-added, personalized service.
Many of us are so busy worrying about whether we'll remember to set our clocks back on Saturday night, that King County's property tax deadline may accidentally be forgotten. Normally, property taxes are due on October 31, but because this date falls on the weekend, homeowners who either own their properties outright or have opted out of escrow impound accounts will need to make their payment online or have their mail postmarked no later than Monday, November 2 in order to avoid a penalty.
Payments can be made out to King County Treasurer and mailed to:
500 Fourth Avenue, Room 600 / Seattle, WA 98104
If you've misplaced your coupon or are unsure what your 2nd half balance is, you can look up your tax account here.
Make sure you include your property tax id number on your check. The County website also has an option for e-check/online payment, but only if the payment is being made by Monday.
Late payments can only be mailed.
As Mark Twain once said:
"I shall never use profanity except in discussing house rent and taxes."
With home values having declined significantly since the assessment period for which we are now paying, my guess is there will be more than a few tax payers grumbling a la Mr. Twain.
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully helping clients buy and sell real estate in South King & North Pierce Counties since 1990 and specializes in the Maple Valley area. Voted by clients and industry professionals as one of Seattle Magazine's 5 Star, Best in Client Satisfaction for 4 years running, she and her team are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of real estate marketing and technology while providing value-added, personalized service.
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully helping clients buy and sell real estate in South King & North Pierce Counties since 1990 and specializes in the Maple Valley area. Voted by clients and industry professionals as one of Seattle Magazine's 5 Star, Best in Client Satisfaction for 4 years running, she and her team are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of real estate marketing and technology while providing value-added, personalized service.
Homes sales within the Tahoma School District continue to favor the under $400,000 price ranges as first time home buyers jockey for the November tax credit finish line.
Of the 127 Pending Sales in Escrow, 82% are under $400,000.
Here's a Monday Market Snapshot of Residential Single Family Homes within Tahoma School District boundaries listed and/or Sold through NWMLS
ACTIVE LISTINGS: 277 AVERAGE LIST PRICE: $424,703 HIGH: $3,375,000 LOW: $99,000
PENDING SALES: 127 AVERAGE LIST PRICE: $331,414 HIGH: $1,049,000 LOW: 124,900
SOLD: 529 AVERAGE LIST PRICE: $362,814 HIGH: $3,800,000 LOW: 65,000
It will be interesting to see with all the short sales pending, what the final SOLD numbers will look like at year's end.
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully helping clients buy and sell real estate in South King & North Pierce Counties since 1990 and specializes in the Maple Valley area. Voted by clients and industry professionals as one of Seattle Magazine's 5 Star, Best in Client Satisfaction for 4 years running, she and her team are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of real estate marketing and technology while providing value-added, personalized service.
Until the process of short sales is streamlined and made to be more uniform, it will continue to be a frustrating experience for most parties involved; the home seller, the home buyer, the real estate agents involved, closing parties. They require more time and tenacity than most "regular sales" on the part of all who are trying to keep the home from going to foreclosure.
I'm asked on a regular basis why a homeowner would put him or herself through this stressful process, rather than just walking away and letting the bank have the house back. The other day I found this video on the RE/MAX International youtube channel.
I will let this seller explain it.
She does it far better than I ever could.
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully helping clients buy and sell real estate in South King & North Pierce Counties since 1990 and specializes in the Maple Valley area. Voted by clients and industry professionals as one of Seattle Magazine's 5 Star, Best in Client Satisfaction for 4 years running, she and her team are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of real estate marketing and technology while providing value-added, personalized service.
This is a post I wrote a year ago about an actual showing I'd had that day. It was so fun because Halloween really was just around the corner, and this house really was the creepiest I'd ever shown in almost two decades of real estate.
So in the spirit of Halloween, I'm dusting off this old blog post and giving it new life.
Enjoy!
Originally published October, 2008
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I should have taken it as a sign when the listing agent told me that the property I was calling about was "veryinteresting". Instead I got excited and told him how much I loved to see interesting homes....he just chuckled. (and in hindsight I think his laugh actually sounded a little diabolic) And now I know why.
The original plan was for me to go preview this home first for a client, but at the last minute he called to say he was available to go with me....which was a VERY good thing. Little did I know this house was hands downthe spookiest listing I'd ever seen!
Think of any scary movie...it starts with the closed gate at the road, all overgrown- the house completely hidden from the road. No driveway. Had to park in the road and walk through the gate just to see where we needed to go next. Walking carefully, not knowing what might be hiding in the thick vegitation, we finally found the house and keybox. I must have told my client 5 times on the way to the door how glad I was that he was with me. A little dog came out from across the street and I was convinced he was about to grow a second head or open his mouth and warn us to leave. But after sniffing around he trotted off.
And the house? Well, I won't "out" it here, but interesting doesn't even begin to describe it. Odd....bizarre... eerie..... or how about flat out spooky?
In fact, my client referred to the movie "The Ring" on more than one occasion. (are you getting the picture?) He was willing to walk through the house while I hovered indecisively; not sure whether to follow to make sure he didn't disappear (you know how often that happens in the movies right? The one who leaves the room never comes back?) or stay close to the exit in case he let out a sudden scream.Fortunately he did come back after deciding he'd seen enough. We locked up and ran/walked back to the car.
It made for good conversation, but in fact remains this is a home for sale. It's on the market for buyers to consider. Maybe the owners should un-spook it a little.
Can you imagine that staging conversation? "You may want to open up the creepy little room because it will conjur images of b-aaaaa-d things".
I wish the sellers and the agent well and hope someone can see this house in a different light and restore it to a happy place.
It may take a while though because spooky houses just don't sell very well!
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully helping clients buy and sell real estate in South King & North Pierce Counties since 1990 and specializes in the Maple Valley area. Voted by clients and industry professionals as one of Seattle Magazine's 5 Star, Best in Client Satisfaction for 4 years running, she and her team are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of real estate marketing and technology while providing value-added, personalized service.
The Real Estate Scoop as it pertains to the Pacific Northwest, primarily South East King County where you can get more for your money but are within driving distance of the Seattle Waterfront or Cascade Mountain Ranges. I love to keep on top of what is going on it the local market and with new technology in the industry. Feel free to email or post a comment or question anytime!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Seattle Short Sales (try saying that three times fast) seems to be the theme of the week. 
Many of us are so busy worrying about whether we'll remember to set our clocks back on Saturday night, that King County's property tax deadline may accidentally be forgotten. Normally, property taxes are due on October 31, but because this date falls on the weekend, homeowners who either own their properties outright or have opted out of escrow impound accounts will need to make their payment online or have their mail postmarked no later than Monday, November 2 in order to avoid a penalty.
Homes sales within the Tahoma School District continue to favor the under $400,000 price ranges as first time home buyers jockey for the November tax credit finish line.
I should have taken it as a sign when the listing agent told me that the property I was calling about was "very interesting". Instead I got excited and told him how much I loved to see interesting homes....he just chuckled. (and in hindsight I think his laugh actually sounded a little diabolic) And now I know why.
;)
;)
