Sleepless and Sold in Seattle

Your next potential client, soon to arrive...

Julie McCullough Hale (Ticor Title Company) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:05:58 -0500

Rene states truth one more time. Now, if only I had a family member working at Best Buy! Thx Rene! - JMHale, www.rrnetwork.com

Via René Fabre Internet Marketing (Ticor Title Company):

There’s a group of extremely bright and tech-savvy young people coming up in the world that will be first time homebuyers in the very near future. Will you be ready for them?

Your next potential client, soon to arrive, will in all likelihood be a young person in their 20’s. They grew up with technology, and they have some rather sophisticated expectations about anyone they will work with.

Will you know how to work with them? Will you know how to talk to them?

My daughter (#2) will be 22 this month. She’s going to college, lives on her own, and one of the many things she does is work in the Geek Squad at Best Buy. I call her today’s normal. She didn’t go to school for computers or technology, it was just part of her everyday ‘normal’ upbringing.

Shannon doesn’t remember a time when there wasn’t a computer or the internet around. She had her own PC, as did her brother and sister, from a very early age. When she was in high school they did their social studies, math, science, history, and English assignments using word, excel, power point, etc.

She’s always had a fascination for computers and exploring the net. She has a wide spectrum of interests and a deep passion for music, theater, and acting. Shannon doesn’t look at technology like its something extraordinary or outside her realm. It just is, and her attitude cracks me up because it’s so, “doesn’t everybody know this stuff?”

Shannon still has some school to go and like most students is somewhat starving, but not for long. She attends investment seminars and is busy formulating her strategies to meet her goals. One of which is to own real estate.

She does her homework when she wants something and knows how and where to get the answers. She’ll check you out very thoroughly and make choices as to whom she will use to represent her with great scrutiny.

Like a lot of young people today; when she moved back up to Washington from Southern California last year, she handled almost everything online except driving the car. She’s a good judge of character. You can’t BS your way around her and go for a close. She wants to see your value, judge your character, check your motives and will discuss these things with her friends.

Shannon is not bashful; she’s a better negotiator than I am, and a stickler for detail.

Her preferred method of communication is texting then email then maybe Facebook (that is if you’ve made your way into her circle of friends).

She’s an awesome daughter and it’s probably very obvious that I am a proud father. Yet, I say this because she and all of her friends are very much alike in this certain way. They’re smart, hip, investigative, transparent, authentic, street smart, and a little shy at first until they develop some trust for you. They expect you to be honest and know what you’re talking about. They won’t tolerate any pushy sales tactics. You'll have to earn their trust and their business.

They are, “Your next potential client, soon to arrive.”

To go where no blogger has gone before...

Julie McCullough Hale (Ticor Title Company) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:56:55 -0500

More new thoughts from my friend Rene Fabre. This anniversary really takes some of us 'back!' Thx Rene. -- JMH

Via René Fabre Internet Marketing (Ticor Title Company):

I just have to chime in on this awesome 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. I'm of the age where this so totally captured my imagination forever... (Talk about a personal Paradigm Shift!)

See, The Paradigm Shift.

My brother Steve and I were absolutely glued to the TV on this one. We were of the generation totally inspired by the words of president John F. Kennedy in his 1962 speech: "We choose to go to the Moon..."

My folks bought a new refrigerator around 1960. Steve and I hauled the box it came in up to our bedroom and made a (Gemini) space capsule out of it. We had all kinds of gizmos we created with buttons, toggle switches and lots of small lights you could turn on and off with kits we had put together (intended for other purposes, of course). We could play in that box for hours and days on end. Our imaginations traveled the planets and beyond.

(Kennedy speech excerpt)...

"There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."...

Another hero past... I remember seeing the landing and especially Walter Cronkite reading the words on the plate attached to the base of the Lunar Landing Module, "We came in peace for all mankind."

NASA and the vision of space travel gave us limitless benefit. It inspired so much of the technology we now use every day. My only sadness is that it lost momentum and it became wrapped in bureacracy and politics. We created a lot of reasons why not to do something. Not that we couldn't do it. We simply chose not to follow the dream.

We were in tumultous times in the late 1960's that were in some ways not so different than today... Yet, we saw hope, something bigger than us, a vision of humanity to aspire to that was way beyond the mess we were in at the time. I can't wait to hear the speech, "we choose to go to Mars." Not because it's easy, it's not. What about our problems here? We'll fix them to. And, the goal will serve all mankind.

"That's one small step for Man. One giant leap for Mankind."

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin

Your Presence Online is Like a Garden

Julie McCullough Hale (Ticor Title Company) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:41:27 -0500

Interesting thoughts and perspective from my friend and colleague, Matt Sweet, Ticor Title and Escrow. Thanks Matt! - JMH

Via Matt Sweet - Real Estate Tech Tools - Internet Marketing (Ticor Title - Gig Harbor Pierce County):

Recently, I was at a round table discussion group with a dozen or so realtors. And as we talked about what it means to bring our 'conversation' to the web, the inevitable happened. Someone chimed in with the question, "How much time do I have to spend on all this stuff?" He continued, "I don't have all day to play around online..." This question comes up quite often when someone is introduced to the idea of establishing their presence on the web. It seems overwhelming... It seems like it's a job for geeks... It's going to take over my life...

And for some, a little bit of fear lurks behind this question. We are confronted with the unknown. We must recognize that we have our old habits. We are challenged to do something different in order to get different results. We begin to wonder what activities equate to productivity? And at the heart of the question for a businessperson is, "How is this going to tie to the deal?" That's a logical and reasonable question. I mean, if I'm going to put in some effort, I want to know what kind of results I can expect in return.

So what is my take on this question? First, I believe being present online and having an ongoing conversation has everything to do with community and thus 'the deal'. Secondly, I believe that like everything in life, we reap what we sow.

Like Rene Fabré so aptly puts it, "Conversations are markets... Conversations create community. Communities consist of people participating in conversations." We are in a relationship business. People prefer to do business with people that they know and trust, right? So the big question is how will people find you and trust you except through communities? With the majority of the people searching for real estate online, doesn't it make sense to be present and participating in communities and conversations about real estate there?

Another way to think of it is like this. Let's say there's a very seasoned, skilled, knowledgeable, and personable realtor named Pat that has been doing business successfully in the northwest for 20-years. Pat may be a stellar agent but how does the rest of the world know that? The 200 million people on Facebook would only know that if he's present and engaged in conversation there. Google searchers would only know that if Pat is part of a conversation anywhere else online. After all, Google can't read minds (at least there's no proof of it). Google needs to see strong evidence of who Pat is before it will reward him with a high rank. The evidence will be found when Pat becomes present and engaged online by contributing content that explicitly reflects who he is.

So, in response to the big question above ('how much time do I have to spend on this stuff'), finding the answer requires another question. How big and of what quality do you want your presence to be?

It's helpful to think of your internet presence as if it were your own garden. The content and conversations you have online are like seeds. Some of them will take root, grow and and bear fruit in the form of new relationships, trust, and business. Others will not take to the soil and will be forgotten. But either way, like a garden, your presence online won't necessarily bear fruit overnight. It is a direct reflection of what you have put into it. It takes careful planning, sowing, cultivating, early attempts at success (a.k.a. mistakes), and faith that something is going to grow from it. Because after all, we can prepare, plant, water, and cultivate, but how something happens to grow is a wonderful mystery. Is it not?

Enjoy,
Matt Sweet
Ticor Title

Market Update: Mercer Island, WA 98040

Julie McCullough Hale (Ticor Title Company) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:39:47 -0500

Thanks Rene! Homebuyers and Sellers, let us know if you'd like a report for your neighborhood. Just post your comment here, and we'll see what we can do. Remember King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties only for now. Thanks!!

- Julie McCullough Hale, Ticor Title & Escrow, RRNetwork.com, Seattle

Via René Fabre Internet Marketing (Ticor Title Company):

Just east of Seattle, west of Bellevue, and north of Renton over Interstate 90 in the southend of Lake Washington stands Mercer Island. Mercer Island is also a city, and one of the premiere neighborhoods in the Northwest. The only way on and off this Island City without a boat is Interstate 90.

You're just minutes from downtown Seattle, or Bellevue.

Some of my favorite views are from the south end of the Island... looking south and east at the Cascade Mountains and Mt. Rainier...

At my most recent count Mercer Island has 7162 homes. There are 782 with Lake Washington lake front.

Our study today is only looking at MI properties that are not waterfront. As most of you are very aware, waterfront and non-waterfront properties is like comparing apples and almonds, you can't.

Residential Transaction Study 6/20/2009

Project description: Mercer Island, WA 98040 (SFD's)

monthly market Most recent transaction: 6/12/2009 Market (homes): 6386

month year sales mrkt% $/sqft avg price median

Jun 2009 5 0.1% $283 $1,073,000 $980,000

May 2009 11 0.2% $328 $979,453 $819,000

Apr 2009 7 0.1% $336 $1,101,214 $980,000

Mar 2009 9 0.1% $305 $903,722 $765,000

Feb 2009 4 0.1% $258 $747,000 $754,000

Jan 2009 5 0.1% $232 $833,600 $835,000

property characteristics

1 story 3783 w/ bsmt 3,841 platted 5,714

1.5 story 256 avg bsmt sqft 1,330 avg lot sqft¹ 12,734

2 story 2260 w/ garage 3,842 unplatted 672

3+ story 36 avg garage sqft 535 avg lot sqft² 20,318

avg % imprvd 22% avg year built 1968 avg bldg sqft 3,066

avg # beds 4 avg # baths 2

¹avg lot sqft of all platted properties ²avg lot sqft of all unplatted properties

The data used in this report is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.
Ticor Title cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies.
© 2004-2009 Ticor Title Renton WA 98057

Market Update: Maple Valley, WA 98038... (non-waterfront SFD's)

Julie McCullough Hale (Ticor Title Company) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:37:43 -0500

Another 'Market Update' from my friend Rene Fabre. One more coming to you shortly for Mercer Island.

Do you have a Seattle Neighborhood where you'd like to see these kind of statistics! Please let me know by posting your comment / request here. Thanks!

- Julie McCullough Hale, Ticor Title Co, RRNetwork.com, Seattle

Via René Fabre Internet Marketing (Ticor Title Company):

Southeast of Renton, just a few minutes down Hwy 169 begins Maple Valley. It extends south for several miles ending at the city of Black Diamond. Just north of Black Diamond and directly east of Kent is the city of Maple Valley. As much as this area has grown, it still has a rural flavor. You're about an hour out of Seattle (with normal traffic)...

As you can see in the study below there are 8,950 homes, 6,910 are in platted sub-divisions and 2,040 are on acreage. If you've looked at my previous RTS posts that ratio of platted to unplatted is quite different. As you get closer to Seattle and the urban core the lots get smaller and they're is less and less unplatted acreage.

In the city/zip code of Maple Valley, 1/4 of the homes are on acreage and notice the average lot size is 148,937 square feet, or just under 3.5 acres. Also the average lot size for subdivision lots is larger than most in city lots averaging 15,278...

The Cedar River runs out of the Cascade Mountains and north up the valley through Renton and into Lake Washington. It's one of the best aquifers anywhere and as a resident of Renton we enjoy great tap water. The Green River also cuts through the valley to the south and makes its way through a break in the hills, directly west into Auburn and dumps into the Puyallup River. So within the shadow to the north of Mt. Rainier we have two wonderful watersheds.

Residential Transaction Study 6/15/2009

Project description: Maple Valley, WA 98038 (non-waterfront SFD's)

monthly market Most recent transaction: 6/5/2009 Market (homes): 8950

month year sales mrkt% $/sqft avg price median

Jun 2009 2 % $137 $277,500 $277,500

May 2009 34 0.4% $149 $322,018 $310,000

Apr 2009 34 0.4% $147 $347,934 $316,975

Mar 2009 27 0.3% $147 $323,788 $306,000

Feb 2009 20 0.2% $151 $346,729 $293,196

Jan 2009 22 0.2% $143 $333,824 $312,360

property characteristics

1 story 3324 w/ bsmt 1,755 platted 6,910

1.5 story 294 avg bsmt sqft 1,044 avg lot sqft¹ 15,278

2 story 5293 w/ garage 7,271 unplatted 2,040

3+ story 6 avg garage sqft 552 avg lot sqft² 148,937

avg % imprvd 67% avg year built 1989 avg bldg sqft 2,238

avg # beds 3 avg # baths 2

¹avg lot sqft of all platted properties ²avg lot sqft of all unplatted properties

The data used in this report is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.
Ticor Title cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies.
© 2004-2009 Ticor Title Renton WA 98057

Market Update: Queen Anne Hill... Seattle, WA 98109 & 98119

Julie McCullough Hale (Ticor Title Company) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:40:22 -0500

New 'Market Updates' from my colleague Rene Fabre. I bet there are more on the way......!

Via René Fabre Internet Marketing (Ticor Title Company):

Queen Anne Hill stands 456 feet above Elliott Bay and Lake Union at it's highest point and has some of the most beautiful views of Seattle. These are the one's you see on magazine covers and in the movies with the Space Needle in the foreground and the Seattle Skyline and Mt. Rainier in the background.

Queen Anne Hill is situated just north of downtown Seattle, and even though there are a lot of condominiums now, it still holds a lot of old world charm. The Queen Anne neighborhood gets it's name from the grand Victorian 'Queen Anne style' homes that were built there. It's history dates back to 1851 with the arrival of the Denny party, but it didn't really develop until the 1890's when the cable cars could carry people and goods up the steep grade.

Queen Anne is split north and south by two zip codes, West = 98119, and East = 98109.

The east side of Queen Anne Hill is bordered by Westlake Ave N, and to the south, Mercer St.

Immediately south of Mercer St is the Seattle Center, home of the Century 21 World's Fair and the Space Needle. This area and just north of Mercer St. is the neighborhood known as...

Lower Queen Anne

Note: In the RTS below the last transaction date in this zip code was 6/4/2009. This gives you the most current date of the data. The transactions in June were transfers of title like Quit Claim Deeds or other, and were not sales. That's why you do not see any statistics.

Residential Transaction Study 6/19/2009

Project description: Queen Anne Hill - Seattle 98109

monthly market Most recent transaction: 6/4/2009 Market (homes): 1799

month year sales mrkt% $/sqft avg price median

Jun 2009

May 2009 4 0.2% $283 $745,625 $706,250

Apr 2009 3 0.2% $230 $624,272 $600,000

Mar 2009 4 0.2% $302 $590,000 $637,500

Feb 2009 2 0.1% $314 $620,000 $620,000

Jan 2009 2 0.1% $202 $497,714 $497,714

property characteristics

1 story 410 w/ bsmt 1,722 platted 1,763

1.5 story 650 avg bsmt sqft 980 avg lot sqft¹ 4,555

2 story 620 w/ garage 234 unplatted 36

3+ story 51 avg garage sqft 264 avg lot sqft² 8,008

avg % imprvd 55% avg year built 1925 avg bldg sqft 2,708

avg # beds 3 avg # baths 2

¹avg lot sqft of all platted properties ²avg lot sqft of all unplatted properties

The west side of Queen Anne Hill is in Seattle zip code 98119. Here to you have magnificant views of Elliott Bay, Magnolia, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains. The North end of the hills has great views of the Locks, marinas, and Salmon Bay.

Queen Anne Hill History

HistoryLink.org/Queen Anne Hill

Residential Transaction Study 6/19/2009

Project description: Queen Anne Hill - Seattle 98119

monthly market Most recent transaction: 6/12/2009 Market (homes): 3116

month year sales mrkt% $/sqft avg price median

Jun 2009 5 0.2% $281 $775,442 $770,000

May 2009 13 0.4% $351 $706,000 $629,500

Apr 2009 5 0.2% $283 $689,300 $555,000

Mar 2009 3 0.1% $303 $1,015,500 $947,500

Feb 2009 9 0.3% $307 $826,496 $649,000

Jan 2009 6 0.2% $307 $762,083 $619,250

property characteristics

1 story 964 w/ bsmt 2,926 platted 3,032

1.5 story 942 avg bsmt sqft 937 avg lot sqft¹ 4,698

2 story 1041 w/ garage 365 unplatted 84

3+ story 47 avg garage sqft 279 avg lot sqft² 4,447

avg % imprvd 52% avg year built 1927 avg bldg sqft 2,550

avg # beds 3 avg # baths 2

¹avg lot sqft of all platted properties ²avg lot sqft of all unplatted properties

The data used in this report is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.
Ticor Title cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies.
© 2004-2009 Ticor Title Renton WA 98057

Sleepless and Sold in Seattle

Julie McCullough Hale (Ticor Title Company) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:32:26 -0500

Here in Seattle, every day most of us in real estate are almost losing sleep over the ‘market.' And studying reports just gives us all migraines. Imagine my delight, when I discovered a new 107 Neighborhood Analysis that doesn't make my eyes cross. Nice having data that is easy to digest. And, it should be a cinch for those prospective sellers and buyers. So whether you're reading this here in the Emerald city, or across the county, sit back and leaf thru Seattle Metropolitan Home Magazine's newest take on the market.

I spent time with one of my favorite agents yesterday, going over the maps in 107 Neighborhoods by Numbers. He was sending it immediately to some buyers, who love ‘the numbers,' and who are deciding between several Seattle neighborhoods. This interactive map gives both a ‘list view,' and a map view. Click on the map, and you'll see Metro Seattle chopped up into understandable neighborhoods. Click ‘South Seattle,' and you'll see a well defined West Seattle, and East to Lake Washington. Next, select up to ten different neighborhoods to compare. But wait, there's more!

Click on ‘compare neighborhoods,' and the report gives you a quick view of only those you've selected. I love it! You can also click any of the 20 or so columns divided by categories like ‘2008 Median Home Price' and ‘2007 Median Home Price.' But the good reading is toward the end - use the navigation slider to view:

•· "Meet the Neighbors" (Median Age, percent single / married / divorced, Dogs owned vs. Cats owned, and other really important stuff)

•· "The good, the bad, and the ugly." (Park acreage per square mile, crime stats, minutes to Downtown)

•· "So goes the Market" - Price Change since 2007, Comparable median price from 2005 to 2008, and more

Just click a ‘category' to sort, and instantly - you have a handy comparison.

After digging thru all of this lovely data, visit the current issue's opening article on real estate, ‘Buy? Sell? Or Hold on for Dear Life?' Senior Editor Matthew Halverson has done a fine job evaluating what's happening here in Space Needle-ville. He interviewed home owners, lenders, and of course Realtors®, to see what's happening through the eyes of many different people. Here are some answers for anyone considering:

Outgrowing your current home - Should I buy, or wait?

Low Interest Rates - Time to Refinance?

Buying a Condo - Now, or wait?

Skip down to the conclusion or ‘Last Word,' if you're in a hurry. But don't miss the other content. If you're living in Seattle's real estate market right now, or are about to relocate here, this is all worth a read.

In my job as a Seattle Title and Escrow professional, I see my share of reports. For me, Seattle Metropolitan Homes has hit a grand slam with this month's real estate report. Take a look , and post your comments here. Are you impressed?

•- Julie McCullough Hale, Ticor Title Company, RRNetwork.com

(Cross posted at RRNetwork.com)


Residential Transaction Study	6/20/2009
Project description: Mercer Island, WA 98040 (SFD's)

month	year	sales	mrkt%	$/sqft	avg price	median
Jun	2009	5	0.1%	$283	$1,073,000	$980,000
May	2009	11	0.2%	$328	$979,453	$819,000
Apr	2009	7	0.1%	$336	$1,101,214	$980,000
Mar	2009	9	0.1%	$305	$903,722	$765,000
Feb	2009	4	0.1%	$258	$747,000	$754,000
Jan	2009	5	0.1%	$232	$833,600	$835,000

1 story	3783	w/ bsmt	3,841	platted	5,714
1.5 story	256	avg bsmt sqft	1,330	avg lot sqft¹	12,734
2 story	2260	w/ garage	3,842	unplatted	672
3+ story	36	avg garage sqft	535	avg lot sqft²	20,318
avg % imprvd	22%	avg year built	1968	avg bldg sqft	3,066
avg # beds	4	avg # baths	2

	¹avg lot sqft of all platted properties	²avg lot sqft of all unplatted properties


	The data used in this report is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Ticor Title cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies. © 2004-2009 Ticor Title Renton WA 98057


Residential Transaction Study	6/15/2009
Project description: Maple Valley, WA 98038 (non-waterfront SFD's)

1 story	3324	w/ bsmt	1,755	platted	6,910
1.5 story	294	avg bsmt sqft	1,044	avg lot sqft¹	15,278
2 story	5293	w/ garage	7,271	unplatted	2,040
3+ story	6	avg garage sqft	552	avg lot sqft²	148,937
avg % imprvd	67%	avg year built	1989	avg bldg sqft	2,238
avg # beds	3	avg # baths	2


Residential Transaction Study	6/19/2009
Project description: Queen Anne Hill - Seattle 98109

1 story	410	w/ bsmt	1,722	platted	1,763
1.5 story	650	avg bsmt sqft	980	avg lot sqft¹	4,555
2 story	620	w/ garage	234	unplatted	36
3+ story	51	avg garage sqft	264	avg lot sqft²	8,008
avg % imprvd	55%	avg year built	1925	avg bldg sqft	2,708
avg # beds	3	avg # baths	2

1 story	964	w/ bsmt	2,926	platted	3,032
1.5 story	942	avg bsmt sqft	937	avg lot sqft¹	4,698
2 story	1041	w/ garage	365	unplatted	84
3+ story	47	avg garage sqft	279	avg lot sqft²	4,447
avg % imprvd	52%	avg year built	1927	avg bldg sqft	2,550
avg # beds	3	avg # baths	2