Dan Edwards, REALTOR®'s Blog

Signs that the end is near!!!

2008-07-24T17:12:37Z

SOME HAVE LABELED ME A OPTIMIST. I do truly believe that you get what you expect to get, and while the media still continues it's doom and gloom. I am happy to report that my business is getting stronger! I have to attribute that to hard work. I am working harder than ever and maintaining a positive attitude.

SOME WOULD SAY I AM IGNORANT. Those that would say that now is a horrible time to buy/sell be in real estate, etc. I couldn't disagree more, I think its a great time for a professional to thrive in this market. With regards to the time to buy, that house is not an investment tool it's a home. See previous post. Don't get me wrong, it can be.....but that is a long term perk. I leave the investor out of this post as that is a business all in itself. Getting back to the MEDIA my point here is....If you allow yourself to be controlled; this includes the buying/selling process, by external forces...many of which are beyond your control... you can become paralyze. (sorry for the bad grammar) I hope you get my point here.

I BELIEVE THE END IS NEAR. The end of the housing crisis. To put it blunt...what else can go wrong? I think we are at the bottom or near enough to say, "It can only get better" It's not going to happen overnight.

WITH THAT SAID LET'S GET TO THE SIGNS:

Washington State is one of the top performing economies.

"According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Washington state's economy is among the nation's fastest-growing, expanding 4.3 percent last year.Washington's 2007 growth rate - better than its 2006 growth rate of 3.5 percent, but down from 2005's 5.1 percent - tied with that of the District of Columbia for the third-highest in the nation. Utah was No. 1, growing 5.3 percent, and New York grew 4.4 percent. Other Pacific Northwest states also grew strongly, with Oregon's real GDP up 3.2 percent in 2007, Montana up 3.5 percent and Idaho up 2.4 percent. In Washington state, the real GDP was driven downward last year by declines in mining, construction, finance, insurance and the manufacture of nondurable goods such as food and office supplies. Its economy has been propelled most by increases in retail, information technology, durable-goods manufacturing, and professional and technical services. Washington ranked 11th highest per-capita real GDP at $40,361."

2. Money is still available for home buyers.

NPR Morning Addition , July 24, 2008 · Even in the midst of the worst housing slump in decades, some people are out there getting mortgages and buying homes. But they're paying more for mortgages these days, and borrowers with shaky credit won't find it easy to get a loan.

3. Congress to the rescue.

WASHINGTON -- Rescue legislation sailed through the House Wednesday aimed at helping 400,000 strapped homeowners avoid foreclosure and to prevent troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from collapsing.

If you would like to sample what I am drinking give me a call and we can talk more about my thoughts on this. I sincerely believe the worst is behind us. I doesn't mean that I believe we will be going back to the free wheeling appreciation rates of 2004-6. However, working through this crisis has taught me the valuable lesson that nothing worth having comes easy.

Elegant Estate in Tibbet's Station - Sammamish, WA

2008-07-18T14:39:33Z

Dan Edwards | Northstone Real Estate, Inc. | 206-818-8816

3353 263rd Ave SE, Sammamish, WA

Elegant Burnstead Home on 1/2+ Acre

4BR/2.5BA Single Family House

offered at $839,950

Year Built	1989
Sq Footage	3,435
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	3 Car garage
Lot Size	25,728 sqft
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

Elegant Burnstead home in one of Sammamish's most desirable neighborhoods. Estate like setting on a quiet cul de sac, w/ a flagstone patio in private back yard. Fantastic floor plan w/ dual staircase, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, downstairs Den plus upstairs Bonus Room. Completely remodeled kitchen w/ new furniture-style cabinetry, island, slab granite counters, designer backsplash, Dacor range, & stunning woodwork hood. Sumptuous 5 piece Master Bathe w/ vaulted ceiling, skylights & jetted tub.

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Central heat	Fireplace
High/Vaulted ceiling	Walk-in closet	Hardwood floor
Tile floor	Family room	Living room
Bonus/Rec room	Office/Den	Dining room
Breakfast nook	Refrigerator	Stove/Oven
Microwave	Granite countertop	Stainless steel appliances
Laundry area - inside	Balcony, Deck, or Patio	Yard

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Tennis court(s)

Playground

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

Cul de Sac

Private home

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Dan Edwards

Northstone Real Estate, Inc.

206-818-8816

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jul 17, 2008, 2:07pm PDT

Home Statistics for Redmond June 2008

2008-07-01T23:22:47Z

Residential
	2- Bedrooms	3 Bedrooms	4 Bedrooms	5+ Bedrooms	All Bedrooms
Active
#Units	64	157	253	71	545
Average List Price	$637,663	$604,022	$923,106	$1,115,261	$822,700
Average Market Time	100	72	90	80	85
Average Square Feet	1732	2033	3279	3991	2831

All Off Market
#Units	17	36	64	10	127

Pending
#Units	5	15	29	3	52
Average List Price	$567,190	$584,479	$816,425	$695,667	$718,586
Average Market Time	119	64	78	62	77
Average Square Feet	1882	2120	3252	3550	2811

Sold
#Units	12	21	35	7	75
Dollar Value	$8,243,695	$11,185,000	$29,701,961	$7,157,450	$56,288,106
Average List Price	$701,433	$546,314	$865,360	$1,043,771	$766,450
Average Sold Price	$686,975	$532,619	$848,627	$1,022,493	$750,508
Average Market Time	55	105	110	40	93
Average Square Feet	1808	1791	3085	3360	2544
% of List Price	97.94	97.49	98.07	97.96	97.92

Not Pending or Sold
#Units	0	0	0	0	0
Average List Price	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Average Square Feet	0	0	0	0	0

Condominium
	2- Bedrooms	3 Bedrooms	4 Bedrooms	5+ Bedrooms	All Bedrooms
Active
#Units	130	42	0	0	172
Average List Price	$344,877	$458,750	$0	$0	$372,683
Average Market Time	69	72	0	0	70
Average Square Feet	1033	1640	0	0	1182

All Off Market
#Units	31	8	0	0	39

Pending
#Units	13	1	0	0	14
Average List Price	$316,887	$450,000	$0	$0	$326,395
Average Market Time	41	42	0	0	41
Average Square Feet	1114	1518	0	0	1142

Sold
#Units	18	7	0	0	25
Dollar Value	$5,848,950	$2,942,400	$0	$0	$8,791,350
Average List Price	$333,110	$430,663	$0	$0	$360,425
Average Sold Price	$324,942	$420,343	$0	$0	$351,654
Average Market Time	56	74	0	0	61
Average Square Feet	890	1492	0	0	1059
% of List Price	97.55	97.60	0.00	0.00	97.57

Not Pending or Sold
#Units	0	0	0	0	0
Average List Price	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Average Square Feet	0	0	0	0	0

Equal Opportunity Housing * All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

Information From Reliable Sources, But Not Guaranteed.
Copyright ©2008 Rapattoni Corporation. All rights reserved.

Home Statistics for Sammamish June 2008

2008-07-01T23:16:08Z

Residential
	2- Bedrooms	3 Bedrooms	4 Bedrooms	5+ Bedrooms	All Bedrooms
Active
#Units	12	99	227	36	374
Average List Price	$917,329	$689,304	$910,557	$1,225,340	$882,507
Average Market Time	102	75	80	95	81
Average Square Feet	1212	2215	3241	4320	3008

All Off Market
#Units	5	24	64	8	101

Pending
#Units	1	12	32	3	48
Average List Price	$629,000	$597,479	$826,318	$1,124,967	$783,663
Average Market Time	26	68	76	109	75
Average Square Feet	630	1813	3207	4274	2871

Sold
#Units	4	12	32	5	53
Dollar Value	$2,325,500	$6,175,000	$24,833,900	$3,249,500	$36,583,900
Average List Price	$597,650	$529,379	$798,457	$670,500	$710,307
Average Sold Price	$581,375	$514,583	$776,059	$649,900	$690,262
Average Market Time	109	80	76	59	77
Average Square Feet	1649	1994	3197	3074	2796
% of List Price	97.28	97.21	97.19	96.93	97.18

Not Pending or Sold
#Units	0	0	0	0	0
Average List Price	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Average Square Feet	0	0	0	0	0

Condominium
	2- Bedrooms	3 Bedrooms	4 Bedrooms	5+ Bedrooms	All Bedrooms
Active
#Units	32	21	0	0	53
Average List Price	$305,058	$416,266	$0	$0	$349,121
Average Market Time	84	77	0	0	81
Average Square Feet	1059	1396	0	0	1193

All Off Market
#Units	6	0	0	0	6

Pending
#Units	1	0	0	0	1
Average List Price	$329,950	$0	$0	$0	$329,950
Average Market Time	19	0	0	0	19
Average Square Feet	1083	0	0	0	1083

Sold
#Units	5	0	0	0	5
Dollar Value	$1,853,450	$0	$0	$0	$1,853,450
Average List Price	$370,660	$0	$0	$0	$370,660
Average Sold Price	$370,690	$0	$0	$0	$370,690
Average Market Time	101	0	0	0	101
Average Square Feet	1507	0	0	0	1507
% of List Price	100.01	0.00	0.00	0.00	100.01

Not Pending or Sold
#Units	0	0	0	0	0
Average List Price	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Average Square Feet	0	0	0	0	0

Equal Opportunity Housing * All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

Information From Reliable Sources, But Not Guaranteed.
Copyright ©2008 Rapattoni Corporation. All rights reserved.

Home Statistics for Issaquah June 2008

2008-07-01T23:03:02Z

June 2008 - Issaquah Residential
	2- Bedrooms	3 Bedrooms	4 Bedrooms	5+ Bedrooms	All Bedrooms
Active
#Units	15	159	182	64	420
Average List Price	$690,079	$611,859	$858,141	$1,443,330	$848,075
Average Market Time	92	82	95	100	91
Average Square Feet	1605	2165	3328	4717	3038

All Off Market
#Units	4	30	45	6	85

Pending
#Units	2	13	16	2	33
Average List Price	$414,900	$485,179	$635,373	$586,500	$559,882
Average Market Time	60	45	69	19	56
Average Square Feet	1673	1899	2626	2715	2287

Sold
#Units	2	17	29	4	52
Dollar Value	$747,900	$8,773,291	$20,318,889	$5,000,500	$34,840,580
Average List Price	$384,950	$526,247	$721,636	$1,345,988	$692,837
Average Sold Price	$373,950	$516,076	$700,651	$1,250,125	$670,011
Average Market Time	73	121	98	168	110
Average Square Feet	1620	1969	2897	4883	2697
% of List Price	97.14	98.07	97.09	92.88	96.71

Not Pending or Sold
#Units	0	0	0	0	0
Average List Price	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Average Square Feet	0	0	0	0	0

Equal Opportunity Housing * All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

Information From Reliable Sources, But Not Guaranteed.
Copyright ©2008 Rapattoni Corporation. All rights reserved.

June 2008 - Issaquah Condominium
	2- Bedrooms	3 Bedrooms	4 Bedrooms	5+ Bedrooms	All Bedrooms
Active
#Units	190	63	11	0	264
Average List Price	$309,709	$398,851	$481,451	$0	$338,137
Average Market Time	108	101	119	0	107
Average Square Feet	1092	1505	1992	0	1228

All Off Market
#Units	33	16	3	0	52

Pending
#Units	8	3	1	0	12
Average List Price	$327,400	$344,933	$519,000	$0	$347,750
Average Market Time	86	107	94	0	92
Average Square Feet	982	1411	2000	0	1174

Sold
#Units	25	13	2	0	40
Dollar Value	$6,974,950	$5,118,690	$894,000	$0	$12,987,640
Average List Price	$284,822	$406,259	$449,500	$0	$332,523
Average Sold Price	$278,998	$393,745	$447,000	$0	$324,691
Average Market Time	75	90	40	0	78
Average Square Feet	944	1485	1754	0	1160
% of List Price	97.96	96.92	99.44	0.00	97.64

Not Pending or Sold
#Units	0	0	0	0	0
Average List Price	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Average Square Feet	0	0	0	0	0

Equal Opportunity Housing * All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

Information From Reliable Sources, But Not Guaranteed.
Copyright ©2008 Rapattoni Corporation. All rights reserved.

How not to sell a home.... things that make you say hmm.....

2008-06-30T17:20:25Z

Did they really just say that?

Ok I don't want to bash on us agents but I kinda have to. I just came accross a listing that the agent wrote on a photo that says the "seller will paint to the color of your liking." This is the primary photo and now you have told everyone that the color of the home stinks. As an agent it's your job to spin!! That is on the atributes of the home(no other spinning neccessary.) Who are you to say maybe I love salmon as the color of my home. Sure the paint job could be shotty, that is something you discose in agent only remarks, or just wait for inspection. Better yet, have your seller repaint with a nutrual color. First impressions are everything.

Hey ARainers..... let's hear some "constructive" thoughts on bonehead agent moves. Perhaps one you did yourself and caught...heck nobodys perfect!

Syndicate with Care! How postlets may be costing you $$$$$

2008-05-13T17:22:39Z

I don't want to offend any fans of Postlets! In fact I am a big fan! If you haven't discovered postlets.comI urge you to go there right now...wait finish reading this blog...then go there.

Postlets allows you for free to create a great looking formated webpage for any home you want to sell. Then you can post the HTML onto any site that will allow and....it syndicates the listing to various sites, like Google Base, Zillow, Oodle & more.

Here is where it could be costing you money! I checked the box to send my info over to Zillow. It took a while but the listings showed up on Zillow. However they didn't have me as the listing agent. And the website they sent buyers to was a Buyers Realty Network. In my opinion Postlets should have sent my listing to Zillow with a link to my site.

Now my research may be erred on this, but I am pretty certain I didn't give anyone else permission to publish my listings to th BRN....

Has anyone else had a similar experiance....please inform us all.

Dan

Townhouse for sale in Issaquah, WA

2008-04-30T11:08:27Z

Dan Edwards | Northstone Real Estate, Inc. | 206-818-8816

18501 SE Newport Way F125, Issaquah, WA

Open House Sunday, April, 27th 1PM - 4PM

2 Bdrm Townhouse

offered at $347,000

Year Built	1997
Sq Footage	1,276
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2 full, 2 partial
Floors	2
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	Unspecified
HOA/Maint	$279 per month

DESCRIPTION

Wonderful Townhome With 9' Ceilings, Open Floor Plan And Tons Of Privacy. Two Large Bedrooms And Two Full Bathrooms Plus A Half Bath On Main. Living Room With Fireplace, Dining Room,Spacious Kitchen With Plenty Of Workspace And Newer Appliances. The Private Patio Is Perfect For Summer Bbq's. Master Suite Faces Into The Greenbelt. One Of The Few Units With Two Car Garage And Ample Storage. Easy Access To I-90, Bellevue, Seattle And Issaquah. - County: King - City: Issaquah - Schl Dist: Issaquah

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Fireplace	High/Vaulted ceiling	Living room
Dining room	Breakfast nook	Dishwasher
Refrigerator	Stove/Oven	Microwave
Washer	Dryer

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Garage parking

Guest parking

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Dan Edwards

Northstone Real Estate, Inc.

206-818-8816

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Apr 25, 2008, 12:58pm PDT

Signless in Seattle - Signs, signs everywhere there's signs!!! But not mine :(

2008-04-29T11:02:52Z

The ever-changing sign ordnance game. I recently took a listing for a condominium in the Issaquah Area. In the process of getting everything ready for sale I of course put up directional signs to help the public know that a unit is for sale.

The next day I returned and found my signs removed. I was holding an open house that weekend and I really wanted to have a great showing for my seller, as this is the only open I do. But when I returned on Sunday I found my sign no only knocked down I found it on the freeway to litter the freeway.(cool thing is I think you can see my name, not sure if thats a good or bad thing.) But I cannot get to my sign.

How many of you have returned the next day and found your signs missing or knocked down? This kinda bugged me because I had checked the sign ordnance site and read that I am allowed to post up to 3 signs. I had only posted 2 and in my opinion they were in very good taste :). King County is currently running a great "neighborly" program in which "trained" volunteers remove offending signs.......anonymously!!!

What bothered me the most....is the lack of courtesy. You see all my signs have my number on it. If someone had a problem with my sign, you would think that they would give me a call and ask me to remove my signs, after all they cost $$.

-Sign-less in Seattle

Bellevue Home for Sale 4 Bedroom 3Bath $599,000

2008-04-17T17:22:52Z

Home for sale in Bellevue, Washington. Better Than New Home In The Heart Of The Microsoft Area. It's Hard To Say Which Is Better: The Location Or The Fact That This Home Has Been Remodeled Completely From The Inside Out. Come See This Fantastic 4 Bedroom 3 Bath Home With Everything New - Landscaping, Paint, Roof, Kitchen, Bathroom, Fixtures, Windows And Much More. Why Commute? Your Are Steps Away From Ardmore Park, Work( Microsoft 1 Mile) And Shops (Crossroads & Interlake.) Location Is Everything. Don't Miss This Wonderful Home.
4 Bedrooms
3 Bathrooms
Completely Remodeled
Exceptional location
Hardwood Floors, New roof, fully fenced, Natural Gas, Too many upgrades to list.
What more info on Lake Sammamish home prices? Try Market Snapshot!
For photos and more information click here. Call now for a private showing. 206-818-8816
Not exactly what your looking for? Let me help. Fill out this Dream Home Finder

Phone: 206-818-8816
Referrals

Thanks,
Dan Edwards
Northstone Real Estate, Inc.

AR - What are your thoughts on a housing tax Credit?

2008-04-11T11:29:16Z

Should the Senate pass the tax credit for home buyers? In a effort to stimulate the sagging housing market, the US Senate has been talking about offering various tax credits for home buyers.

There seem to be quite a few options on the table. I noticed NAR Chief Economist Lawrance Yun made some great comments in his article on March 31st.

"A broad $5,000 tax credit for any owner-occupying homebuyer - for foreclosed, existing, or new homes and by a first-time or repeat homebuyer - will, according to our estimates:

Create 1.07 million additional homebuyers
Have a greater impact on first-time homebuyers
Have a greater impact on minority homebuyers
Have a greater impact in the more affordable areas of the country such as the Midwest and South regions.
Cost $35 billion in tax expenditure
Generate $45 billion in tax revenue from nearly $130 billion in increased economic activity
Reduce inventory by 900,000
Lower the supply of inventory from the current 10 months supply to a more manageable 6 to 7 months supply - which historically has been associated with about 4% annual price growth.
Move home prices into positive territory and strengthen home prices by 6% to 10% points (based on a wide varying price impact - with NAR currently estimating, in the absence of a homebuyer tax credit, a 2% national median price decline, while many Wall Street firms have been calling for 10% or larger price declines)
Decrease home foreclosures by 420,000 to 700,000.
Bring about sustainable homeownership without re-introducing excessive speculative home buying frenzy

Some may argue that the $5,000 (the same amount currently in existence for homebuyers in Washington, D.C.) is not enough of an inducement in areas where home prices average $500,000 and more. However, it is quite difficult to imagine how a financially capable person would leave $5,000 on the table - particularly knowing that others are likely to take advantage of the tax credit, hence leading to stabilizing home prices in the very near future. "

Here are a few articles on what congress is working on.It looks as though the Senate passed a property tax deduction bill and a $7,000 tax credit for the purchase of a foreclosure. Seems to me that what Yun has puposed would be much more helpful for the industry as a whole.

Why i certainly agree that something must be done, I feel that if the politicians just stopped talking about crisis we wouldn't have one. Sure I think that a tax credit would be nice, I think we should let the market work itself out.

Boost your sales & your impact on those around you.

2008-04-10T20:26:18Z

Everybody want to have more referral right??? I don't know about you but I really enjoy working by referral. When I first started in this business I began growing my networking by referral. I still do other work for obtaining clients but the most fun I have had in this market has been working with referred clients.

How do we grow our referral sources? Of course the first thing we need to do is take care of them as clients. However many of my referrals come from friends & business associates. They haven't necessarily bought a home from me.

I get the most out of something so small!!! Yep you guessed it. A personal note! Just so you know, I hate writing personal notes. It is such a chore!!! That's why they call it work. Here is what I have found though.... Those personal notes make a impact. They say you took the time to care.

I found a great service that helps me send out tons of personal notes. It's a little company called SendOutCards.com This site is awesome for the serious Real Estate Agent that want's to impact there clients in a great way. If you go to this link http://www.sendoutcards.com/43221you can send one to yourself for free to see the quality for yourself. If you have any problems or questions call me/(email me) I would be happy to explain how it works. I use this for personal notes, gifts, preview, farm-lists. etc The list goes on.

I like to think we are in this for more than just a paycheck! That is why I think spending the 30min a day to send a personal message to someone is worth it's weight 100 times over. The sales boost is a bonus!!

Affordable Housing now available in the Issaquah Highlands

2008-04-08T18:02:07Z

Affordable Housing now available in the Issaquah Highlands.

D.R. Horton one of America's largest builder has teamed up with ARCH to provide affordable housing in the heart of the Issaquah Highlands Community.

Ashford at Vista Park - located in Issaquah Highlands. The community offers more than one hundred 1, 2 and 3 bedroom condominiums, starting from low to mid $200's. I hope you can share this exciting opportunity with any of your potential clients. To learn more about this affordable housing project, you can visit DR Horton's website at http://www.drhorton.com/corp/GetCommunity.do?dv=Y7&pr=44205 or my website at: http://www.yournwhomeresource.com/home-buyers-seminar.asp