thurston county: A better way to donate to local charities in the Olympia, WA area - 10/29/18 11:13 AM
   
 
Give where you live this season! 
The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound (www.thecommunityfoundation.com) is an organization in Olympia, WA that manages charitable gifts from donors by administering and professionally managing donated funds to make the most of the gifted funds.
 
Between October 31 to November 20, 2018, the Foundation is running the GIVE LOCAL campaign.  This three-week online giving campaign will support non-profits in Thurston, Mason and Lewis counties in Washington State.  There are over 75 organizations that have been reviewed by the Community Foundation.  And 100% of the funds raised from GIVE LOCAL are passed along to the … (4 comments)

thurston county: Fall 2018 Olympia WA Real Estate Market Update – is the market finally softening? - 10/28/18 01:48 PM
Fall 2018 Olympia WA Real Estate Market Update – is the market finally softening? 
 
Have you read the headlines that the market is correcting and we are heading towards a downturn?  That might be a little premature but anytime there are fewer closed sales or an increase in inventory, the media is quick to sound the “market correction” alarms.  But in looking at the broader context, the market is still firmly set in a seller’s market despite the media reports.
Here are the facts for the Olympia WA area real estate market.
 
FACT:
Closed sales were down 14.9% from September last year. … (3 comments)

thurston county: Tumwater Hill, WA – an overlooked neighborhood for commuters - 10/03/18 08:38 PM
Many residents in Thurston County are outbound commuters and are typically going north to Tacoma, Joint-Base Lewis McChord or even Seattle. Many homebuyers want to be as far north as they can in Thurston County for their commutes but in doing so are missing out on a great neighborhood that may only add 5-10 minutes to their commute: Tumwater Hill.
 
Tumwater Hill is, of course, located in the city of Tumwater, WA. The hill has many different housing options from new construction to mid-century ramblers. But one of the biggest draws is the location to I-5. From Tumwater Hill, you can be … (1 comments)

thurston county: When you can’t find the right house - 09/13/18 10:45 AM
Looking for a new home can start out to be a fun process but can quickly turn very frustrating in a market where new listings are few and far between.  Here are some tips if you are looking to buy a home but just can’t seem to find the right one.
  
Revisit why you are moving. 
Usually, a change in job, marital status, family status and/or financial position are the main reasons why people move. From here, buyers develop their list of wants and needs for their next home.  This list may have some things you can compromise on. Then there is … (1 comments)

thurston county: How to find out if a residential oil tank has been decommissioned in Olympia, WA - 09/05/18 05:23 PM
Tips for finding records on decommissioned oil tanks in Olympia, WASome older homes in the Olympia WA area relied on buried and sometimes above-ground oil tanks to fuel their furnaces to heat their homes.  Many of these homes have since been converted to natural gas or electric and the oil tank is now not in use. Oil tanks can last for about 30 years before they start to corrode and potentially start to leak oil into the soil and groundwater. 
 
Decommissioning a tank involves either digging out the tank and removing it or leaving the tank in place and filling it with material … (0 comments)

thurston county: Olympia WA Real Estate Market Update Summer 2018 - 08/03/18 10:01 AM
What’s Driving this Hot Market?
 
The South Sound continues to set records in the housing market.  I’m often asked, “what’s next in store?”  (How long will this last?  What is the longer-term impact on our market?)
 
Forecasting is a tricky business, but we focus on many trends to anticipate things to come. 
 
One of those is regional home prices. Coming out of the recession, our market’s gains primarily came from a huge rush of pent-up demand from local buyers.  This pool of buyers is still robust.  However, going forward a big impact is coming from in-bound migration of buyers in search … (0 comments)

thurston county: Olympia WA Real Estate Market Update December 2017 - 12/14/17 01:46 PM
Here is the Olympia WA real estate market update for mid-December 2017.
It's been quite a record-breaking year in Olympia and the surrounding areas in Thurston County WA. 
 
In 2017...
 
We had more closed sales:
All of 2016 - 4,912 sales
YTD 2017 - 5,212 sales so far with two more weeks left in the year  
 
The number of new listings is up slightly from last year:
All of 2016 - 5,930 new listings
YTD 2017 - 5,932 new listings so far. The last time we had these many listings added to the market was in 2005 to 2008 BUT the STANDING INVENTORY was higher in those years … (2 comments)

thurston county: Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater WA Real Estate Market Update for Summer 2017 - 09/06/17 03:14 PM
The end of summer is upon us, and the real estate market has been just as hot as the summer weather.
Here is the summer 2017 real estate market update for the Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater areas of Washington.
 
Click here to watch the 1-minute update:
 
 
 
Supply is LOW, Demand is HIGH, which is driving up SALES PRICES
Supply is VERY LOW with just 1.7 months of supply.  As you can see by this chart, the last time our market was anywhere near this low of supply within the last 17 years was in 2004. This market has been in a Seller's Market for … (0 comments)

thurston county: Olympia WA real estate market update for August 2017 - 08/03/17 03:03 PM
Like our August weather, the Olympia WA real estate market is continuing to be smokin' hot!  
This update is short and sweet, but please contact me for customized information about how your home fits into the market.
 
Check out my video update here about the real estate market in Olympia WA.
 
 
As an Olympia WA seller, here is what to love about this year's real estate market:
Buyers competing for your home - driving up the price
You may have heard that inventory levels are down.  They are but we are also adding new listings at a record pace.  Even with all the new listings … (0 comments)

thurston county: Why all the negativity in such a great real estate market? - 07/10/17 03:28 PM
Why all the negativity in such a great real estate market?
 
The real estate market for 2017 has been a good year.
After years of short-sales, bank-owned properties, an unstable economy and low buyer confidence, 2017 is a breath of fresh air.  But sometimes, you just can’t make people happy, especially the media.
Last week, The Olympian, our local newspaper headlined an article, “Buying a home in Thurston County continues to be an exercise in frustration.” The first two paragraphs read:
“If you’re a prospective home-buyer looking for a little relief in a market that favors sellers, you didn’t find it in June, according … (5 comments)

thurston county: How these sellers made $60,000 on their Lacey, WA house in just 15 months - 11/08/16 08:08 AM
"How these sellers made $60,000 on their Lacey, WA house in just 15 months" seems like a pretty sensational headline and I usually don't start out my blog posts this way, but this is absolutely true.  Here's how these sellers did it.
 
 
Summary
My clients purchased this newly-constructed home in July 2014 for $409,950 in Lacey, WA.  Fifteen months later in October 2016, they sold the home in just 7 days for $470,000.
How did these sellers get the most amount of money for the home in the least amount of time, and came out ahead after just buying the home 15 months ago?
 
Market … (1 comments)

thurston county: Move already! Why it's okay to finally list and sell your home! - 11/17/15 07:47 AM
Have you heard?  The real estate market is improving!  Move already - now is the time to list and sell your home today!
 
For home owners who purchased at the height of the market in 2005 to 2007, many felt stuck in their homes and that they could not sell.  If you've been waiting for the market to improve so you could sell your home, wait no more, and here's why:  Absorption Rate.
 
What is Absorption Rate?
This is perhaps the single best statistic in real estate to gauge the market's health.  The absorption rate takes into consideration both supply and demand.  In measures the … (2 comments)

thurston county: Thurston County WA real estate market update for June 2015 - 07/31/15 08:45 AM
Here is the Thurston County WA real estate market update for June 2015.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Is this positive trend sustainable?
 
With all the good real estate news, I’m frequently asked whether this run is sustainable.  While I wish I could predict the future, what I can say is there are fundamental differences between this current trend and the last run-up that resulted in an unprecedented downturn.
FIRST—lenders are not giving loans to unqualified buyers.  The last upward trend had loans given to people who could not afford them.  That led to an artificial boost in demand, which blasted the market to unsustainable heights.  Today, lenders are required … (1 comments)

thurston county: Thurston County WA real estate market update for March 2015 - 04/24/15 04:44 AM
Here is the Thurston County WA real estate market update for March 2015.
 
Thurston County WA has had an unseasonably mild winter and our spring is almost like our typical summers!  But the real estate market has snowballed this spring.
In March 2015, the local housing market continued to show phenomenal growth with pending and closed sales on the rise.  Pending sales in March were up 34% over last year, and closed sales were up 37%.  In other words, 86 more home sellers were able to sell in March 2015 than in March 2014.
Continuing on this record growth, we are happy to report there … (4 comments)

thurston county: Summit Lake / Steamboat Island WA real estate market update for March 2015 - 04/12/15 10:05 AM
Here is the Summit Lake / Steamboat Island WA real estate market update for March 2015.
 
Why live in Summit Lake / Steamboat Island areas?
Northwest Thurston County not only features the major areas of Summit Lake and Steamboat Island but also Carlyon Beach, Gravelly Beach, Hunter Point, Madrona Beach, and Oyster Bay.
For water views and beach access on a budget (at least less expensive than West Olympia!), you'll want to check out the Northwest section of Thurston County. People may look at a map and think it is too far from Olympia, and that's just not the case. You can get into town in … (0 comments)

thurston county: Thurston County WA real estate market update for January 2015 - 02/10/15 04:15 AM
The trends are positive for Thurston County! Here is the Thurston County WA real estate market update for January 2015.
 
                           
Thinking about selling? You can!
In 2005 and 2006, the Thurston County real estate market was saturated with new construction that was meant to supply the demand in 2003 and 2004. This overhang of supply coupled with a significant percentage of distressed sales (short-sales and foreclosures) reaching 34% of the market, caused an oversupply that would persist for the next five years. With the increasing supply … (1 comments)

thurston county: Thurston County WA current real estate market update April 2014 - 05/13/14 06:51 AM
Here is the Thurston County WA current real estate market update as of April 2014.
Thurston County WA is located in the South Puget Sound region of Western Washington. It is the home of the State Capitol in Olympia. The other major towns in Thurston County are Tumwater, Lacey, Yelm, Tenino and Rochester.

Some fun facts about Washington State:
State Flower:  Coast rhododendron
State Marine Mammal: Orca
State Tree: Western Hemlock
State Bird: Willow goldfinch
State Gem: Petrified wood
State Fossil: Columbian mammoth
Unofficial State Nickname: the Evergreen State

Major Employers in Thurston County include:
Federal, State and City Government Providence St. Peter Hospital and Capital Medical Center The Evergreen State College … (0 comments)

 
Francine Viola, REALTOR®, In Tune with your Real Estate Needs (Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty, Olympia WA)

Francine Viola

REALTOR®, In Tune with your Real Estate Needs

Olympia, WA

More about me…

Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty, Olympia WA

Address: 3333 Capitol Blvd S, Olympia, WA, 98501

Mobile: (360) 359-0689



Listings

Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog