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Credit Score Surprises
FICO, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are all different credit bureaus calculating credit scores. A borrower’s credit score will impact mortgage pricing. If there is a significant difference in the expected score and the actual score, this may indicate fraud or an...
Stage Your Home Like a Real Estate Pro
Home staging can be a significant factor in attracting your asking price. Real estate agents how that to make an excellent first impression, you should refresh paint on your front door as well as adding some color with potted plants or a new door mat. Every buyer has...
How 2020 Changed House Selling Forever
Homebuyers liked the convenient and innovative ways agents showed homes and closed on properties during COVID. Those practices may be here to stay. Buyers continue to want self-guided tours, high quality listing photos, detailed listing descriptions, video tours...
Getting Organized
Have you ever noticed that most of our self-improvement resolutions are action oriented? We’re going to join a yoga class. We’re going to clean out the garage. We’re going to reorganize our pantry. Simply setting a goal to “get organized” is too broad and you may find...
2021 Housing Market Forecast
2020 has been anything but typical – and not necessarily in a good way. But one thing is for certain: the housing market has been booming in recent months due to high buyer demand. After a dip in real estate transactions due to the initial COVID-19 outbreak, buyers...
Dig Into These Gardening Trends
More than 20 million Americans took up gardening last year to grow food or participate in a relaxing hobby. This year trends include bigger and better food gardens and more plants to decorate outdoor living spaces. Popular choices are bright, bold tropical plants that...
Record Low Inventory
Homes available for sale at the end of November 2020 were down 22% from a year earlier. It is the lowest inventory count since the National Association of Realtors began tracking in 1982. It is not surprising that home prices are shooting up thanks to strong demand...
Last Year’s Hottest Home Upgrades
Designers and contractors were busy in 2020 helping homeowners update their homes. Many closets received a makeover, creating more efficient organization with custom storage and shelving units. Thanks to COVID, mudrooms evolved into “sanitation stations” where people...
Cost-Effective Home Modifications to Improve your Health and Well-being
By Natalie Jones You might be shocked to learn that your home can impact your well-being. If you’ve been trying to improve your overall health, but have been struggling with stress, fatigue, or allergies, take a closer look at your home, and plan a few simple and...
The Unusual Real Estate Market Continues…
To Explain the unusual Real Estate Market: Mortgages are once again incredibly low. After increasing for much of last year, mortgages started dropping last November – and they kept dropping, up to and including the present. The current 30-year fixed-mortgage rates...
Getting Ready To Sell Your Home…
Call a Realtor: Interview your neighborhood specialist, ask what they do to market your home, and to provide a Comparative Market Analysis showing your home value. Prepare Your Home For Sale: Remove excess, bulky, or worn out furniture. Declutter. Deep Clean. Really...
Unusual Real Estate Market
Mortgages are once again incredibly low: Last year mortgage rates kept dropping. The current 30 year fixed mortgage rate stands at 3.49%. just 0.18 over the all time historic low. Home Prices are rising: Home prices rose 3.6% over last year (as of July 2019). We are...
Selling Your Home During The Holidays
Drawbacks to Selling Your Home Over the Holidays: Home buyers, not knowing any better, could think you are desperate. Buyers might try to negotiate or give you a lowball offer. It’s inconvenient to always be ready for a home showing. Not everybody can keep the house...
Venture Capital Enhances Local Real Estate Investment
In what is seen to be a long-term trend in Venture Capital, Bay Area investment firms have doubled their input into Seattle area start-ups in the past decade. Silicon Valley money now accounts for 40% of all local start-up capital. Out of town investors are attracted...
When Is The Best Time To Buy or Sell a Home?
I’ll challenge the idea that there is a ‘best’ time to buy or sell a home: Mortgage Rates Jump around. Even a small change in rates makes a large difference in home prices. This change is unpredictable. Statistics tell only part of the Story Home prices and demand...
Why should you hire a Real Estate Team instead of a solo Agent?
There are many benefits for you working with a team. Our Team has 4 Realtors working for you for the price of one. We have Buyer Specialists, solely dedicated to helping buyers find homes. We are able to meet all of your special needs for purchasing a home. Our...
Why Invest In Investment Property
Investors put their money in appreciating assets. Here are reasons you should consider doing the same: Rates Are Crazy Low. Low rates mean affordable lending – more for your money. It Will Appreciate. Home Price Index (HPI) has increased year-over-year basis every...
Principles Of Life
5 P’s of Life: Prior – Planning – Prevents – Poor – Performance To be truly successful in all we do both personally and professionally, planning is a must! Once we have our plans, we can go after our goals with passion, determination and focus to be successful. Taking...
Why Hire a Buyer Specialist to Buy a Home?
Re-think the idea you don’t need an agent to buy a home. Here is what our Buyer Specialists do for your purchasing of a home: Help you determine what your needs and wants are Before you start looking at homes, which is very important in this fast-moving market. Our...
Getting Your Home Ready To Sell!
Having worked with buyers and sellers for over 30 years there are things I have seen that make sense and other things that don’t. You need to look at it from a re-sale perspective. One big item would be not to over improve. Some things that work are new counter tops...
Thinking Of Buying An Older Home?
Foundation and Structural Issues: Be sure to hire a licensed structural engineer. Electrical & Plumbing Issues: Updating these systems can be costly. Keeping the original knob-and-tube wiring or original cast-iron pipes can be a serious safety hazard. Hazardous...
Housing Bubble??
Yes the economy is roaring along. The stock market is at an all-time high, unemployment is near record lows, and inflation is minimal. The growth of home values has slowed or decreased nationwide over the last year, and home sales are down nationwide. This may bring...
8 Ways To Get Rid of Pet Smells
Awful Pet Odors Turn Off Buyers and often keep your home from selling. Air Out The House. Remove or replace pet bedding. Scrub Thoroughly. Vinegar, wood floor cleaner or an odor-neutralizing product. Clean Drapes and Upholstery. Pet odors seep into fabrics. Clean Your...
5 Important Factors To Consider Before Buying a House
Saving A Down Payment. A road that seems to have no end, a drawn-out arduous journey. The excitement is unfathomable when you reach your goal. The Bills. Don’t stretch your budget and overlook expenses. Include taxes and insurance in your monthly payment along with...
Simple Tips for Families Moving to a New City
By Kris Louis Moving your family to a new city is a big step in life, and it can be a long and taxing process. Before you even leave town, you have to sell your house, find a new home, declutter and pack up all your belongings, and arrange the move, among other...
Should I Pay Off My Mortgage Early?
Advantages Of Paying Off Your Mortgage Early Eliminate monthly mortgage expense – free up income for other things: travel, invest it, stash in savings, home improvements. Save you money in interest. What To Consider Before Paying Off Your Mortgage Early Have you maxed...
How Much Can You Trust Zillow’s Zestimates??
Can you really trust a Zestimate to accurately determine the value of your home? A Zestimate is Zillow’s online home valuation tool. The answer depends. This valuation tool is based on an algorithm, that means there are certain elements of your home’s value that it...
Decluttering and Cleaning for Profit: Home-Prep for Busy Parents
By Kris Louis On top of all the other daily responsibilities you have as parents — getting everybody up and out to school, making sure homework is done, having meals together, getting to doctor appointments, and so much more — you have also decided to put your home up...
2019 Market Trends
By Penny McLaughlin Our phenomenon happening right now is related to both older folks and Millennials. The trend is for Seniors to stay put and not sell the family home. This creates a challenge as more and more Millennials look to enter the housing market. This...
Accompanied Showings Hinder Home Sales…..
“Accompanied showings” means when the buyer’s agent is required to have the listing agent present in order to show the home. The last thing a buyer’s agent wants to see in the showing instructions is that the listing agent has to be present, which means the two agents...
What to Expect from the 2019 Housing Market
Buying The most common topic of conversation for homebuyers & sellers this new year is rising interest rates. Mortgage rates are at their highest since 2011. Higher interest rates are a sign of a good economy – especially compared with historically low...
2019 Real Estate Forecast: What Home Buyers, Sellers, and Investors Can Expect
There’s no doubt about it: the 2018 housing market has seen its ups and downs. The year started with sky-high home prices, historically low mortgage rates and a definitive upper hand for sellers. In recent months though, home price growth has faltered, rates have risen to their highest point in nearly eight years, and favor […]
Stop Making Your Landlord Rich
Most renters don’t know how easy it is to purchase a new home or realize that their mortgage payments could be equal or less than what they are currently paying in rent. Homeownership is a great way to establish roots within your community, provide stability and build...
What Makes a Home Worthy of Your Golden Years?
by Michael Longsdon Robert Browning said, “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.” Seniors who hope to make their golden years their best ones can ensure continued independence with an appropriate living environment. Here’s what to look for when purchasing a senior-friendly home and what to do if you’re ready to […]
Downsizing for Seniors: How to Successfully Move into a Smaller Space
by Michael Longsdon Downsizing can be emotionally overwhelming and physically exhausting. Fortunately, planning ahead can make the process much easier. Keep your end goal in mind as you work your way through decluttering your home and searching for a new place to...
Starter Home…or Not?
Should you invest in a starter home? Or is it a better to wait and save for your “forever” home? Economists often define a “starter home” as being in the lower third of the market’s valuation (as opposed to trade-up homes and luxury homes). For many homeowners, a starter home isn’t about price. It’s about […]
The Appraisal Process
The appraisal process can be a mystery to the home buyer and seller. Here is information that I hope will help explain the process. If you have three different appraisals, you will have three different values. If you have three different Realtor opinions, you will likely get three different opinions of value. Unfortunately, in the […]
Costly Remodeling Mistakes
Taking on a home improvement project is expensive enough – why add to the bill? Whether you are fixing a leaky faucet or remodeling an entire bathroom, here are some costly mistakes to avoid. Skipping Less Glamorous Improvements It’s crucial to take care of structural issues before starting on cosmetic fixes. A beautiful kitchen and […]
Zillow overestimated home value by 700 percent
By Mike Rosenberg Seattle Times business reporter When Seattle residents Sue and Roy Carlson bought a modest home on the Kitsap Peninsula in June, they paid $225,000 — a discount because the house was headed for foreclosure. Redfin now estimates the home in Belfair, southwest of Bremerton, is worth $318,000. Realtor.com’s algorithm pegs the house at […]
Carol Glad Recognized for Contributions
The following content was posted to Facebook by the North Kitsap School District on November 16, 2017: Here’s a great way to support NK students! Starting this month, our board member, real estate agent extraordinaire Carol Geller Glad, is making a donation to the NK Schools Foundation every time she closes a sale. That’s great news […]
Kitsap Home Inventory Remains Low
Home Selling I’d like to give you information on selling your home this is an important message for home sellers. There are several things coming together that affect Kitsap Home Prices right now: Housing Inventory Remains very low The total number of homes on the market fell about 10% in the last quarter of […]
Why Use a Local Lender vs an Internet or Out of State Lender?
Why Use a Local Lender vs an Internet or Out of State Lender? Buying a home will likely be the biggest purchase you will ever make in your life. Finally moving into your new home will be a joyous occasion and for some, the culmination of a dream. Yet, the process can also be daunting […]
New Tax Laws for 2018
New tax laws are being implemented this year that may impact homeowners’ taxes.* While these new tax laws will affect income taxes filed in 2019, it’s important to be aware of what changes could potentially affect you and your wallet. BELOW ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF HOW THE NEW LAWS MAY AFFECT HOMEOWNERS: The mortgage […]
Why Hire a Buyer Specialist to Buy a Home?
Why Hire a Buyer Specialist to Buy a Home? Re-think the idea you don’t need an agent to buy a home. Here is what our Buyer Specialist does for your purchasing of a home: Help you determine what your needs and wants are before you start looking at homes, which is very important in this […]
Overpricing Your Home Is a Critical Mistake
Overpricing Your Home Is a Critical Mistake You can run into trouble when you overprice your home for sale, even in a hot market. When Sellers push the limit on pricing their home it affects Buyers. Buyers are much more aware of market values then they used to be before the internet. To most buyers […]
Remodeling that Pays Off!!!!
Remodeling that Pays Off!!!! Kitchen – To maximize your return keep your investment to under 20% of the value of your home. The outcome is a Whopping 85% return on your investment. Bathroom – Can cost up to $20,000. for a detailed remodel. However, it will pay for itself with an added 80% return. Deck […]
Need Help Finding Services?
Need Help Finding Services? “It is a good idea as a homeowner to budget about 1% of your home value each year for home maintenance projects”, according to Daily Real estate News. Those who don’t keep up the pace of maintenance often find themselves with lots of expensive, overdue projects to complete shortly before selling […]
Inside Kitsap County Real Estate
Inside Kitsap County Real Estate We are Fortunate to Live In Kitsap County People are moving here every day. Many people are choosing our beautiful neighborhoods to make their homes, it is no wonder home prices have gone up quickly. Some say it is a bubble, but I disagree. Our market will remain healthy as […]
Kitsap County Market Updates
Kitsap County Market Updates Click a city link below to see the most recent real estate market updates Bainbridge Island Bremerton Kingston Port Orchard Poulsbo Silverdale
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Moving can be both exciting and a hassle at the same time. You can reduce the hassle and make your move an easier experience with Penny’s truck – FREE – when Penny and her team help you buy or sell your home. Ask for details and reserve the truck for your move date...
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