Welcome to "The Beach"....Say Hello to New Member Anita Beach - 02/29/08 09:43 AM
I'm so excited to have another great Professional from my office, RE/MAX Select here on Active Rain. Anita Beach is a warm, caring person whom I think you'll all enjoy coming to know. Actually, I sold Anita and her husband Lee their home here in Maple Valley many years ago and was thrilled when she made the decision to enter the industry almost two years ago.
Of course, I did have some concerns about hiring a Kansas City Chiefs fan in the land of Seahawks, but we've learned to co-exist peacefully.....so far!
Please stop by her blog and say "hola" if you can. … (17 comments)

South East King County Active Listing Snapshot by School District - 02/29/08 12:01 AM
The following chart demonstrates current active listing information for South East King County market areas by School District.These numbers respresent Residential Single Family properties which are listed through NWMLS. Obviously the larger districts, such as Kent has higher inventory, based on a larger geographic area.
____________________________________________________________________ … (2 comments)

We Have a Lazy Boy in Our Kitchen! - 02/27/08 09:36 PM
Fortunately it hasn't been there very long. And hopefully it won't become a permanent fixture. It's actually been bouncing around the house for a few weeks, ever since my son decided he didn't want it in his room anymore. I can't decide whether to send it to storage for if/when any kids ever move out, or give it to Goodwill. But when I rounded the corner and saw the chair sitting right smack in the middle of the traffic zone between the Kitchen and the Great room my first thought was "Please, please please..... Let no one ring the doorbell tonight!" … (21 comments)

Moving to Seattle? Here's the Real Scoop About the Rain - 02/23/08 06:16 PM
When my Husband and I first began telling friends and Family about our move to the Seattle area, one of their first responses often was, "but it rains all the time there!" or "how are you going to stand all that rain?". If my parents hadn't already lived in Bellevue at the time, I may have been more concerned, but we were assured that it didn't rain much more in Seattle than in other cities...it just rained more often.
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Seattle averages approximately 36" of rainfall a year. Compare that to other cities such as New York which gets 46.6" or Kansas City … (15 comments)

Why Does the Broker Have to Be The Bad Guy? - 02/22/08 08:28 PM
Yesterday I was be-bopping through AR like the happy little camper I usually am, until I stumbled upon a comment that got me a little irked. The comment made was more of an aside, not the topic of the post. Essentially the writer stated a few agents had recently left the office and he/she wished the Broker had reduced fees so the agents could have stayed.
I've heard this before from a few agents not just here on Active Rain, but in my market area and as an Owner, I find the idea that a Broker should reduce fees because an Agent's … (13 comments)

Black Diamond Bakery Now Open For Dinner! - 02/22/08 07:12 PM
I'm not sure how I missed this, but I just found out one of my favorite breakfast spots,  Black Diamond Bakery, is now serving Dinner! This is a Big, Big deal, as one of the most common complaints we "Maple Valley Folk" have is our shortage of local Dinner spots. Here's a link to their Dinner Menu.
 Black Diamond is a small town about 10 minutes South of Maple Valley, and on the way to Enumclaw. The Bakery first opened in 1902 and is known for it's fresh breads which are made daily. The atmosphere is family friendly, with a restaurant, Bakery, coffee bar and a few gift shops. If you're looking for someplace new … (7 comments)

Offer Here, Offer There...Who's on First? - 02/21/08 01:00 AM
Follow the green ball....
First message of the day... An offer is coming in on a listing. While driving 45 miles one way to present an offer on a different listing, I receive a message that the offer has in fact come in. Then while presenting that offer later this afternoon,  I receive a message I have a second offer on the first listing (not the first message's offer but the first offer for the first listing which was presented first and subsequently countered). Follow that?
Who's on first?  Sometimes I wonder if I'm in the middle of an Abbott and Costello skit, but … (26 comments)

Yesterday's Price - Market Adjustment = Faster Sale - 02/19/08 09:55 PM
 
My mom used to watch Days of Our Lives every afternoon when I would come home from school. Although I haven't watch a Soap Opera for years, I can still here the music and the announcer's voice over "Like Sand through an hour glass....these are the days of our lives"
For many home owners having their property listed may seem as painful as watching grains of sand slip slowly through the hourglass.....day after day living life outside their regular routine; making the beds every day, (yes, some people don't make their bed every day!) keeping the dishes out of the sink, the dog in … (11 comments)

There ARE Legitimate Reasons For No Returned Call - 02/17/08 10:38 PM
I'm as guilty as the next person....jumping to conclusions (usually not very nice ones) when an agent with whom I'm  trying to put together an offer doesn't communicate.
It was hard, but after 24 hours of no returned call from the Listing agent I was trying not to get worked into a lather. I mean, something had to be up. Right?
I had faxed an offer to her late Friday afternoon with a phone call prior to the fax.  Early Saturday morning I sent an email asking for confirmation of receipt. By 11:30 am, I was beginning to simmer at the lack of … (25 comments)

If this Home Were In Your Market....What Might it Sell For? - 02/17/08 11:46 AM
 
I recently listed this lovely home in Maple Valley WA, a small community approximately 20 miles SouthEast of Seattle. After posting the listing on Localism, I received a comment from Gary Woltal which made me wonder about the disparity in prices across the country. If we picked this up and put it down in Michigan, Chicago, Philadelphia, D.C...what might it sell for?
 
 
 Here are the stats:  
Built in 2003  3610 sq. ft.  Lot: 8415 sq. ft. 5 BR (4 up 1 down) Main floor Bath, A/C (not many homes have A/C in the Northwest yet) Granite counters & Stainless appliances
Master-planned community with numerous parks and walking … (35 comments)

Come Home to Maple Woods Luxury! - 02/15/08 06:18 PM
Step up to the Luxury You Deserve!Location: Maple Woods5 Bedrooms 2.75 Baths3610 Square Feet8541 Square Foot LotExtended Hardwoods into Family RoomKitchen with Granite & StainlessMain floor Bedroom/Office with 3/4 BathCustom Organizers in many BedroomsHUGE Bonus Room UpstairsRecently Installed A/C (Heat Pump)Concrete Curbing & Oversized PatioWalking Distance to ParkSecurity System Grand in scale but warm and welcoming, this spacious 5 Bedroom plan offers everything you could possible need or desire in a well-priced property. This beautifully appointed floorplan boasts oversized rooms and dramatic architectural details Soaring 2 Story ceilings in the Formal Dining room make an immediate impression from the spacious Foyer. … (4 comments)

Real Estate Begging...It's Not My Bag - 02/13/08 02:26 PM
I saw a very large sign the other day on the corner of a semi-busy intersection which stated "We Pay You the Most to Find Your Home". Whoa, hit the brakes there buddy! Let me get this straight.....you're going to pay someone to let you work for them?
Have I overlooked something in the last eighteen years? I mean, I know I don't sell a tangible product such as Target or Nordstrom, so I doubt trying to use an anology such as "Would Nordstrom pay ME to buy a Pair of Uggs from their Store?" would work here. 
 I'm in the service … (71 comments)

There's No Such Thing as a Sterile Environment - 02/11/08 11:41 PM
My safety bubble was burst several years ago when a Detective rang my doorbell to notify me a level 3 sex offender was about to be paroled from prison and would be living right outside my neighborhood. My emotions ran the gamut from righteous indignation (how dare they let him move here) to fear for the safety of my children who were still in grade school at the time.
He moved in and went about living his life quietly. In fact, had I not been previously informed, I'd have never known someone new had moved into this property. I had pretty much forgotten … (20 comments)

Are Buyers as Confused as I Am? - 02/11/08 08:55 PM
 
Last week I was willing to consider it a fluke when the highest priced home in a local neighborhood sold while others, very similar but lower priced, remain unsold. Then today, another "overpriced listing" went under contract (while another just like it languishes on the market for $40,000 less...and we're not talking about a million dollar price range here) and I had to ask "What the heck is going on?"  
Why such a discrepancy in price, when there is almost none in size and/or condition? Why is one home two doors down from another, listed for $60,000 more when the only … (15 comments)

Earthquakes in Maple Valley? Absolutely! - 02/10/08 05:54 PM
Hobart was shaking. At least that's what the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network tells us happened last Monday February 4 when a  series of 4 small 2.0 magnatude Earthquakes occurred. The quakes were centered in the Hobart area, a rural community located South of Issaquah Washington and East of Maple Valley, WA. Personally, I didn't feel a thing and don't know anyone in the area who did. These small tremors seem to be a common occurrence in the Pacific Northwest.
The only Earthquake of any magnatude I've experienced since moving to the Northwest in 1987 was seven years ago when the Nisqually Earthquake, a magnatude 6.8, … (13 comments)

Would You Be Missed? - 02/10/08 04:44 PM
I will soon have a freedom I haven't had in over sixteen years... the ability to live wherever I want without being tied to school district boundaries. My youngest son will be graduating high school in June and I suddenly realized my husband and I could live wherever we want! We have no plans to move but the daydream took on a life of its own and I was soon imagining life in a cute little beach bungalow on the Ocean. Of course this would mean leaving my market area, which made me ask the question, "If I were to leave … (30 comments)

Maple Valley Market Review January '07 vs January '08 - 02/08/08 05:51 PM
The Good, the Bad and the....wait, it's not sooooo Ugly. Here is a market comparison between January 2007 Activity and the first month of the 2008 market:
NUMBER OF SALES
2007 Number Sold: 36    2008 Number Sold: 21Number of Sales Down 41% 
 AVERAGE PRICE
 2007 Average Price: $439,5432008 Average Price: $407,178Prices Down 7.4% on Average 
 MARKET TIME
2007 Average Days on Market: 862008 Average Days on Market: 139  Market Time up 61% on AverageBut the good news is that there are currently 56 listings in the immediate Maple Valley Market area which are either under contract "Subject to Inspection" or are Pending in Escrow since January 1 and not … (4 comments)

The Real Value of Time...Why It's Not $4,700/Minute - 02/05/08 11:56 PM
 I've been to speaking engagements and listened to trainers and coaches who have tried to instill in me the importance of nailing down a dollar figure for what my time is worth per hour. As a business owner, I suppose I should be into details like that but I'm just not. I'm a people person first and a business person second. It is this to which I attribute my longevity in an industry known for it's high turnover. I don't think about what my time is worth per hour very often, but every now and then I recall one appointment, years … (60 comments)

 
Cfar Rainmaker_large

NW Real Estate |Colleen Fischesser & CO Seattle to Tacoma|Short Sale Specialist!

Renton, WA

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RE/MAX Select R.E | Designated Broker/Owner

Address: 1002 Park Ave N Suite A, Renton, WA, 98057

Office Phone: (425) 432-5400

Cell Phone: (206) 491-3819

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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!

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