olympia real estate: Awesome Client Appreciation Party - 08/27/08 07:37 PM
With fantastic clients, rewarding real estate careers, and a solid support team, my partners and I feel sincere gratitude and the desire to celebrate with, and give back to the people who make it all possible: Our Clients.
The 2008 annual Key Group client appreciation BBQ turned out to be another fun-filled and exciting … (16 comments)
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olympia real estate: Positioning a "Built Green" home for high resale value - 07/29/08 05:11 PM
Building or buying a home that is designed to save on energy costs and has a low impact on the environment isn't just good for your utility bills or your social conscience. When it comes time to sell a "built green" house you can also expect a higher … (4 comments)
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olympia real estate: "Built Green" not just for Tree Huggers - 07/28/08 05:38 PM
Green home building has arrived. It has become so popular that "built green" is now one of the search functions for MLS listing searches. People who think that a "built green" home is for hippies or enviro-freaks will be surprised to learn that many new homes built in their communities are "built … (4 comments)
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olympia real estate: Vacation Home Exchange - 03/21/08 06:00 PM
No, this article is not about exchanging homes with other people for vacation purposes, like in the movie "The Holiday". That's for a future blog.
This is about how to claim your vacation home in a 1031 tax exchange.
The IRS allows you to put off paying capital gains tax on the sale of investment … (2 comments)
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olympia real estate: Thurston County Inventory Absorption Rate - 03/18/08 10:31 PM
GOOD NEWS FOR THE THURSTON COUNTY HOME MARKET!
Inventory of active listings is at a recent record low at 1626 active listings on March 16th, 2008, versus 2052 active listings on November 10th, 2007. At the same time the amount of average sales per month over the past 12 months has gone up … (7 comments)
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olympia real estate: Every Home Tells a Story - 03/03/08 04:36 PM
Although we might not always meet the home sellers or occupants when we show a home, we can still learn a lot about the lives they lead. Not so long ago I showed a house that was listed as a "fixer". As we approached we could see graffiti sprayed on the exterior wall. Inside we were greeted by dated, … (12 comments)
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olympia real estate: It's Easy being Green - 02/13/08 06:14 PM
With "green" I don't mean being envious, or the US Dollar, although going green does have something to do with saving money. As most people know, "living green" means to be environmentally conscious, and what better place to start making green choices than at right at home. According to the U.S. Energy Information … (4 comments)
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olympia real estate: Washington State Landlord Requirements - 11/21/07 06:02 PM
Did you know that the Washington State Legislature has enacted a law that requires landlords to notify their tenants about mold?
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2005-06/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5049.E.htm
The best way for landlords to fulfill this obligation is to include the Washington State Department of Heath's brochure on mold when handing over the keys. Just to be on … (7 comments)
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olympia real estate: Burdensome Impact Fees - 11/16/07 07:47 PM
Those pesky impact fees many cities charge for developing a new property are adding up to be quite a large chunk of change. The motivation behind charging impact fees is to recover the cost of added strain of the development on the public facilities, such as schools, roads, parks etc.
The city of … (2 comments)
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olympia real estate: Looking for Great Gift Ideas? - 11/15/07 07:37 PM
If you're still wondering what to give your clients, friends, or loved ones, here is a list of great online resources.
Easy to mail items of value for clients:
Mini calculators, custom day planners and more at http://www.myron.com/
Custom luggage tags, thermometers and other promotional products at http://www.westsky.com
Flower seed packets at http://www.americanmeadows.com/
Branded Christmas CDs … (14 comments)
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olympia real estate: Dropping Dollar could be good for Real Estate - 11/14/07 06:40 PM
A weak US dollar and a drop in US home prices are luring foreign investors to the U.S. real estate market. The U.S. dollar has dropped to its lowest level against the European Euro, currently priced at $1.47.
A recent article in "The Olympian" newspaper reports:
..."European investment is likely to pick up," said … (11 comments)
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olympia real estate: Are you like Forrest Gump? - 11/13/07 02:07 PM
How often are we chasing marketing trends, tempted to try out gimmicks and focused on getting a leg up on our competition? We're busy chasing success instead of having success attached to us as inseparably as a shadow.
That's why Forrest is my hero. He's a simple man who goes through life … (12 comments)
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olympia real estate: Thurston County Food Bank Donations - 11/13/07 01:37 PM
Sharing with those in need has just gotten easier. If you'd like to donate food items to the Thurston County Food Bank and you live on the west-side of Olympia, simply drop your items off at the Riley Jackson Real Estate office building at 1920 Black Lake Blvd. (next to Lumbermens).
… (0 comments)
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olympia real estate: Taking Inventory - 11/10/07 08:00 PM
Our MLS furnishes informative housing market statistics that reveal, among other things, the average sales price of homes, the average amount of time listings stay on the market and the sales price versus list price ratios.
All are very important statistics to know, but another important statistic to keep handy is the amount of … (9 comments)
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olympia real estate: Housing Inventory versus Demand - 11/10/07 07:40 PM
Just like in retail, we take inventory and measure the pace of demand.
The inventory versus demand picture in the Thurston County housing market looks like this:
Number of active residential listings: 2056
Number of residential listings sold within past 12 months: 4040
Average number of sales per month: 336
Number of months worth of … (4 comments)
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olympia real estate: Five Important Tips for Buyers of New Construction Homes - 11/01/07 08:41 PM
New construction activity has exploded here in the South Puget Sound area. This development has created a large inventory of new homes to choose from. With lender bonuses and other incentives, it's very tempting to walk into a model home and to walk out with a signed purchase and sale agreement.
Here are steps … (4 comments)
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olympia real estate: 3608 Stevens Dr., Lacey - 10/30/07 05:07 PM
People with distinguished taste will appreciate this superb home at Meridian Campus in Lacey.
This fabulous former model home backs to a community pond and greenbelt, offering secluded privacy and unbelievable views. The interior of the home is bright and spacious, offering 3 bedrooms, an office/den and a large bonus room. With over … (0 comments)
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olympia real estate: Free Trees - 10/28/07 04:12 PM
The City of Olympia has a wonderful urban forestry program called NeighborWoods. The goal is to have more tree lines streets, which add more appeal, provide shade and habitat. In exchange for planting and caring for the trees (watering, pruning, mulching), the city provides the trees for free. The only prerequisites are … (3 comments)
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olympia real estate: Spooky Olympia Homes - 10/27/07 03:13 PM
This is the time of year when gargantuan spiders may take over your home and feed on your visitors...
When ghosts and witches descend on your neighborhood,...
and gory monsters inhabit the front yards,...
turning them into grave yards.
In my Olympia neighborhood, many residents like to go all out with their Halloween … (7 comments)
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olympia real estate: Finding the Right Housing Option for Seniors - 10/18/07 07:26 PM
With advancing age comes a time when one's housing accommodation may no longer be suitable. Health problems, inconvenience, or safety concerns may not allow seniors to remain in the same home they've raised their families in. Many seniors, or their family members are researching alternate residential arrangements.
With the advent of the baby boomers retiring, … (8 comments)
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olympia real estate: Record Foreclosure Rates - The true picture - 09/15/07 11:28 PM
According to national media reporting, the average national foreclosure start rate is at record levels. This is blamed mostly on irresponsible sub-prime mortgage lending practices. A detailed picture shows that in most of the states the foreclosure start rates have actually declined.According to the Mortgage Bankers Association the extreme conditions in four … (10 comments)
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olympia real estate: Charming and Neat as a Pin - 08/11/07 09:06 PM
Click on the image for an online property flyer.
This charming home is located between Olympia and Tumwater. Pioneer Park and the Briggs YMCA are just a short walk up the road. The exterior of the home is deceptively plain. You'll be pleasantly surprised to find Pergo flooring, upgraded carpet, ceramic … (0 comments)
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olympia real estate: The best place to live - 08/08/07 10:22 PM
... and you'll see why Olympia is considered the best place to live in Washington.
Olympia is located on the southern tip of Puget Sound and offers great views of the Olympic Mountains, as well as Mt. Rainier. It is located right along the I-5 corridor and lies between Seattle and Portland. Housing … (9 comments)
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olympia real estate: Cell phone towers - detrimental to real estate values? - 08/05/07 02:13 PM
According to BBC News, a major UK study recently found that
..."In the trial, many of those who blame masts for their symptoms reported greater distress when they thought the signal was on, suggesting the problem has a psychological basis."
..."However, the Environmental Health Perspectives study stressed people were nonetheless suffering … (5 comments)
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olympia real estate: Should Realtors attend Closings? - 07/30/07 11:13 PM
I have heard some of my fellow Realtors say they don't attend their clients'closings because they fear their buyers might not want them to know any financial details. I've heard brokers caution agents to stay away from closings to reduce liability.
I don't get it. Walking buyers through a real estate … (52 comments)
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olympia real estate: German speaking Realtor - Olympia, Ft. Lewis, McChord - 07/30/07 10:31 PM
When I first moved to Olympia, WA, I was happy to learn just how many German people live in this area. With the two large military installations, Ft. Lewis and Mc Chord AFB nearby, many of the military wives come from Germany (I'm one of them). I started a German conversation group in 2002 that meets once … (8 comments)
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olympia real estate: Better photos with little effort - 07/28/07 03:04 AM
Unless you contract out for photo services, taking pictures is part of a Realtor's or Stager's job functions. Good pictures are a significant element in marketing a home. Who hasn't heard "A picture is worth a thousand words"?
Some pictures speak volumes; like a listing photo of a house covered in snow and still on the MLS in … (44 comments)
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olympia real estate: Thurston County Market News - 07/26/07 08:17 PM
Home sellers sigh about having to lower their sales prices. Current local home inventory is 35% up from last year and the number of buyers has dramatically diminished due to the shake-up of the sub-prime lending market. The average number of days a home is on the market is currently at … (4 comments)
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olympia real estate: Historic Neighborhoods - 07/21/07 03:43 PM
I live in Olympia's South Capitol Neighborhood, which is a nationally recognized historic district. As such, any remodeling plans have to be approved not just by the city, but also by the Olympia Heritage Commission. Many home buyers will not be aware of this requirement until they submit their permit requests … (7 comments)
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olympia real estate: Lack of low income housing - 07/18/07 11:20 AM
With real estate prices at a premium, developers, builders and home owners naturally seek to maximize on their investments. Providing low-income housing is not usually a motivating cause for the private sector. The lack of low-income housing, or transitional housing, however, impacts the entire community. Here in Thurston County, the number of … (3 comments)
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