With the holiday season right around the corner many sellers are wondering if they should keep their home on the market or wait for brighter days. Before I get into that here's a great video to get you in the mood.
Now back to the business of selling your home during the crazy holiday season. Rule number one, ensure you have the right price. It's important to ensure you are priced to move in the next 30 days. Next to get your home sold in this environment you can't just be competitive you must be compelling. In The Seattle Times published a great article by Lisa Pemberton-Butler it outlines Do's & Don'ts of holiday home sales.
To get your home sold during the holidays DO:
Keep your home warm, if you have a fireplace gas or wood, keep it going.
Keep the home well lit, put up Christmas lights just don't go too crazy.
Be accommodating, this will separate you from many other home sellers during the holiday season.
To get your home sold during the holidays DON'T:
Overdo holiday decor. A nice holiday wreath on the door or a modest tree would be perfect.
Go overboard with holiday aromas. Less is more.
Be a "Scroodge" be realistic with the price your expected to get for your home.
In conclusion, remember you can sell your home during the Holidaze. Just remember to price it right and remember your dos and don'ts.
Downtown Bellevue real estate home sales are up thanks to a boost from the first time home buyer tax credit. The Downtown Bellevue(98004) area is from I-90 North to Highway 520 East to I-405 and west to Lake Washington.
As of 11/21/09 here are the real estate home stats for Downtown Neighborhood of Bellevue Washington.The numbers below are from the last seven days, this gives you a general feel for what is going on in this neighborhood in any given week.
Total Number of
home for sale:
197
Average List Price:
$2,081,369
Average Days on Market:
125
Total Pending homes
sales:
3
Average List Price:
$877,667
Average Days on Market:
94
Total Expired Home
Sales Last 7 Days
1
Average List Price:
$1,099,950
Average Days on Market:
225
Total Sold Home
Sales Last 7 Days
6
Average Sales Price:
$1,426,500
Average Days on Market:
61
If your looking for more information on homes sales in the Downtown Neighborhood of Bellevue Washington simple give me a call(206-818-8816) orcontact me, and I will be happy to get you the information you seek.
It is my goal to help buyers and sellers. If you are a home owner and you would like to know more about how I sell homes for top dollar with my Marketing Action Plan simply sign up for a Market Snapshot and I will contact you for a private review of your homes market value.
-Dan Edwards, REALTOR(r) Northstone Real Estate, Inc. 206-818-8816
Many of my readers have asked me about some of news articles that they hear/read about during the week. Here are some great articles/blogs reported and relevant for home buyers, sellers and borrowers(mortgage news.) I hope you find it useful.
James makes some great points on the length of the recovery, what renters should do, to getting in touch with your local agent.
The deals will stop you cold if your looking for winter resort homes as Troy McMullen of ABCNews in his article today called Ski Homes Fell the Real Estate Chill. Savings could be 15-30% True that is most real estate these days, but it does sound nice to enjoy the new ski cabin!
For more carnage you can look at the commercial real estate implosion it looks to be a tough couple of years in this sector, as foreshadowed in a recent article on Bloomberg.com by Jamie McGee about the major insurers Metlife and Prudential Financial forecasting to loose $23 billion.
On a lighter side, in my search around Troy's article I came across a blog that I spent way too much time on. If you ever look at a home for sale and ask yourself....why??? Check out http://www.lovelylisting.com
Be careful you may be tempted to submit way too many photos.
Your comments on this post are most welcome. If you find this helpful, or interesting please pass this along via the various outlets below.
STOP - Don't Get Ripped off!Gift cards hold
their first-place position as the top gift for the sixth year in a
row; 55% of adults surveyed would like to receive a gift card this holiday
season and 64% of consumers plan to buy them as presents. Gift cards seem like
a perfect solution to the problem of what to give this holiday season. But
gift-givers and recipients need to be aware of the details and
make sure that measures are taken so that the recipient gets the gift and
not the retailers.
Best
practices when it comes to buying gift cards:
Buy from known and trusted sources.
Exercise caution when considering purchasing gift cards from online auction
sites; fraud is not uncommon. Also evaluate the financial condition of the
business and whether it has filed for bankruptcy.
Read the fine print. Consider expiration dates,
restrictions and fees when selecting a card. Give the original receipt and the terms
of the
conditions to the recipient along with the card.
If you purchase online and allow the merchant to email a gift certificate
to someone else, make sure you alert that person to be sure your good
intentions are not deleted as junk mail.
Almost half (47%) of consumers have unused
gift cards. On average, these consumers have 5.9 cards.
Keep all the value on
the cards you receive by doing the following:
Use it right away! Some issuers may replace lost cards or honor
cards that have expired, although they may charge a fee.
If your card is lost or
stolen, report it to the issuer immediately.
Sell, trade or re-gift unwanted gift cards; talk to
friends and family or check out the many options available online.
I hope you fine these tips helpful. I wish you an yours a very Happy Holidays!
As you begin your home search it is now, more than ever, important that you begin your home search with a Realtor(r). You can be sure of getting the best advice, information and experience by picking your Realtor(r) carefully. A good Realtor can make the home buying experience smooth and enjoyable, while a bad one can add stress. Here is my short list for home buyers on how to choose a real estate professional.
Start with a Realtor(r) Not all agents are....
Choose an agent that has experience representing buyers.
Choose an agent that is familiar with the area your looking in.
Choose an agent that understands financing.
Choose an agent that is serious about their craft.
Choose an agent you like.
Choose an agent that understands today's market conditions.
Start with a Realtor(r) I know this may surprise many of you but not all real estate professionals are Realtors(r). For years now clients, agents and the public have thrown around the "REALTOR" term as if it is interchangable with "real estate professional" . The fact is a REALTOR(R) is bound to a Code to Clients and Customers, the Public and other REALTORS(R)
Choose an agent that has experience representing buyers. Some of you may be saying "duh.. don't you all? Truth is while we can handle all aspects of real estate transactions, some agents specialize. Just like doctors are specialists, some agents are just listing agents while others work with only investment clients. I personally enjoy working with both sellers and buyers. I have found that representing buyers helps me remind my sellers where the buyers are coming from.
Choose an agent that is familiar with the area your looking in. I am licensed to practice real estate all over the state of Washington, but I couldn't tell you the first thing about Lacey, WA. I can tell you I have a great Realtor(r) friend that lives down there. The point is there are a fair amount of real estate professionals out there, so for your home purchase find one that lives, works, plays in the area your looking to live.
Choose an agent that understands financing. Imagine a buyers agent that works closely with lenders and ensures that the contract is written in a way to give you(the buyer) the best possible advantage from a lending point of view. That is what having a real estate agent that understands financing is all about. I am a licensed loan officer in the State of Washington. This gives me a clear understanding of what is to be expected from underwriters and processors. I am able to help my buyers wade through the mass of misrepresentations that are out there in the marketplace.
Choose an agent that is serious about their craft. I don't want to knock on part-time agents. I do think that even a part-time agent can provide their clients 5 star service. The emphasis is commitment to providing their client with great service. Often times clients choose an agent out of obligation(i.e family member, friend). I would ask that my friends choose to work with me. It's not because of my friendship, rather it's because I take my job seriously. I believe the best thing for my friends in choosing representation is someone that will ensure their interests are held above mine in the transaction.
Choose an agent you like. Nothing is worse that riding around in a car with someone you have nothing in common with. Of course your not going to be BFF's, but it is worth it that you enjoy the personality of the agent that is representing you. Of course, the other points will take higher priority, but if you don't like the agent, no amount of professionalism will improve the enjoyment of the relationship. Personality goes a long way!
Choose an agent that understands the market. Again another duh!! The fact is if you have answered yes to the above 6 items. Chances are you are working with someone that understands the market. It doesn't hurt to ask questions like; "Where do you see the market headed in the next 6 months, 2 years, 10 years etc." A exceptional agent has this information at their fingertips.
In conclusion home buyers need to begin their search with a REALTOR(R) Take some time to identify the best agent for the job.
My sister Kerri keeps a police scanner on in her kitchen. Last night I received this email from her:
I don't always "hear" things on the scanner in the background but for whatever reason picked up on this right away jotting notes from the initial call about 10:15 p.m. by a 15-year-old saying his father had shot himself. He and his 11 year old brother and 13 year old cousin were in a back bedroom waiting for the police and ambulance to arrive. The mother was out of town. I jotted down the address and then Googled it. Came up as a listing of a gorgeous log house on the market for $800,000+. It was weird to be looking at pictures of this beautiful home overlooking the lake and picturing those frightened boys in the house. The dispatcher said the boys' grandpa was on his way from the "Coeur d'Alene area." Then the dispatcher said neighbors were on the scene and were with the boys in their car in the driveway. The neighbor had gone into the house and "saw blood and the gun but didn't touch the body."
Just a very sad real life drama. Those boys' lives will forever be marked by what life was like before their dad and uncle killed himself and after. So say a little prayer for the boys, they've been through more trauma in the last 90 minutes than anyone should ever see.
WhenI read the email, my first thought was that this was possibly another distressed homeowner who had come to the end of his rope. I looked up the home and saw that it was built at the height of the upswing in prices, and it's current assessed value was half of what it cost new. That's a tough spot to be in.
A wise man once told me to treat everyone I come in contact with as if they are distressed, and more than 50% of the time I will be correct. That was 5 years ago, I bet today I'd be right a much higher percentage of the time. The holiday season is especially hard for those struggling and feeling beaten down by life. Let's all be sensitive to those around us.
Are you feeling desperate, alone or hopeless? Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.
Call for yourself or someone you care about
Free and confidential
A network of more than 140 crisis centers nationwide
Available 24/7
Janna Rankin Scharfprovides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho.
No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreamsmay be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!
Sammamish WA Bank Owned homes stats for October 2009
Active: 6
Pending: 0
Sold: 1
Other: 0
Total: 7
Bedrooms
Bathrooms
Square Feet
List Price
Selling Price
DOM
Minimum
3
2.50
2,110
$329,900
$320,000
14
Average
4
2.93
3,196
$596,214
$320,000
43
Median
4
2.75
2,740
$495,000
$320,000
30
Maximum
5
3.75
5,320
$924,950
$320,000
80
Total Dollar Value
$320,000
Average DOM Breakdown and Average % of List Price received on Solds by Market time:
0-30 Days
31-60 Days
61-90 Days
91-120 Days
120+ Days
No. of Listings
1
0
0
0
0
Breakdown %
100.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Avg SP % LP
97.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Some of the best deals in Real Estate are REO or Bank Owned Real Estate. Banks are in a hurry to sell a home and they intentionally price it 20% below the market. A Bank Owned home is property that goes back to the mortgage company after an unsuccessful foreclosure auction. You see, most foreclosure auctions do not even result in bids. After all, if there was enough equity in the property to satisfy the loan, the owner would have probably sold the property and paid off the bank. That is why the property ends up at a foreclosure or trustee sale.
Foreclosure sales begin with a minimum bid that includes the loan balance, any accrued interest, plus attorney's fees and any costs association with the foreclosure process. In order to bid at a foreclosure auction, you must have a cashier's check in your hand for the full amount of your bid. If you are the successful bidder, you receive the property in "as is" condition, which may include someone still living in the property. There may also be other liens against the property.
Since what is owed to the bank is almost always more than what the property is worth, very few foreclosure auctions result in a successful sale. Then the property "reverts" to the bank. It becomes an REO, or "real estate owned" property.
If your looking for a detailed list of REO(Bank owned real estate) Properties Simply sign up to receive Sammamish WA Bank Owned Propertiesupdates.
Much talk has come out about the NEW tax credit for owners of existing homes. The new tax credit now extends it's tax credit to current homeowners. The new law signed by president Obama has extended and expanded the homebuyer tax credit. The new credit was signed into law November 6th, 2009
Revised Home Buyers Tax Credit
Valid: November 6, 2009 – April 30, 2010
First-time Buyer - Amount of Credit: $8,000 ($4,000 if married filing separate)
First-time Buyer- Definition for Eligibility: may not have had an interest in a principal residence for 3 years prior to purchase.
Current Homeowner – Amount of Credit: $6,500 and $3,200 if married filing separate. (There was no provision for this in the original plan.)
Current Homeowner - Definition for Eligibility: Must have used the home sold, or being sold, as a principal residence consecutively for 5 of the previous 8 years.
Termination of Credit: Purchases after April 30, 2010.
Binding Contract Rule: So long as a written binding contract to purchase is in effect on April 30, 2010, the purchaser will have until July 1, 2010 to close.
Income Limits: $125,000 for single (up from the original $75,000); $225,000 for married (up from the original $150,000). Additional $20,000 phase out.
Limitation of Cost of Purchased Home: $800,000. (There was no limit specified in the original plan.)
Purchase by a Dependents: Ineligible.
Anti-fraud Rule: Purchaser must attach documentation of purchase to tax return. There was not such a requirement in the original plan.
To see if you qualify for the new extended and expanded government tax credit contact your local Realtor(R) to determine how to move up in a down market!
Get ready for the largest Ski(Snowsports) Swap on the Eastside. This coming weekend November 13th(5pm to 9PM) and 14th(8am to 6PM) at Newport Senor High School in Bellevue WA, marks the 24th annual Snowsports Swap. You will find 10,000 square feet of winter sports heaven.
You can expect to find major savings on all types of snowsports gear. In addition to all the used gear you would expect to find at the ski swap, you will find steep discounts on new stuff as well. Gerk's Alpine Hut, Liquidation Sports will be there and Bellevue Ski & Snowboard School plus many more! Entry and parking are free.
Can this event get any better. Yep! you can bring your old stuff and sell it for cold hard cash(maybe they cut checks...not sure.) In addition the purpose of this snowsports swap is to provide volunteer and learning opportunities for students. Students volunteers learn about setting up a small business. Also the event is a Newport PTSA fund raiser. The PTSA uses funds from this event to support the teachers of Newport High School with textbooks, learning aids and much more.
Plan on attending the largest ski(snowsports) swap on the Eastside in Bellevue WA! For more information please visit Newport Snowsports Swap
Newport High School, Bellevue (Factoria),
Washington. 4333 Factoria Blvd (128th Ave) SE Bellevue, WA
98006
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.
Janna Rankin Scharf
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