St Nick shows up for REALTORS

It seems that there may be a little something extra in my stocking this year, as the good news starts to show. Last Sunday’s Seattle Times started my Christmas cheer by declaring that, “Opportunity Knocks!” With plenty of inventory and mortgage rates low Ron Lieber summates “Five or ten years from now…..we will look in the rearview mirror and realize that we missed a golden age for first time home buyers.” The sugar plums are dancing in my head! I have always felt that buying a home shouldn’t be attached to market ups and downs. The buying process is one that is about the home, not the investment potential. However, with all that is happened this year, the Seattle area real estate future looks great. This was echoed in Forbes.com recent article titled “America’s Best Long-Term Real Estate Bets”. It discusses how more stringent building restrictions and better growth management plans prevents the market for overbuilding in boom times. I am not a betting man, and I like the term “long-term”. I believe it is important for buyers to have a plan, save for a down payment, and don’t buy a home that will stretch your budget. In addition, In Rhonda recent post at the MortgagePorter.com Rhonda outlines the feds actions and how they will effect long term interest rates. Right now we are seeing 4.875% rates on 30 year fixed! Ho Ho Ho!

Chilly weather in Sammamish can cause big problems!

I get up this morning and man it is chhhhhhilllllly! It made it very hard for me to get out of my warm cozy bed. After donning all my warm clothes and careful not to forget my Husky Slippers(GO DAWGS) I began the routine of getting my day started... feed the dog. As I was feeding Aurora I noticed her water bowl frozen over. At that moment I realized that I haven't prepaired my plumbing for this weather.

Sure, as someone in the business I should know better, but give me a free pass please. I called my friends at Schuerman Plumbing and asked for their advise. Here is what Jim recomends.

1. Make sure all outside hoses are detached from the faucet.



2. Wrap the hose bib(aka faucet) with a towel or even just a plastic bag. You can get a cover at ACE Hardware also.



3. If your kitchen sink plumbing is on a outside wall you can open the cabinets to allow air from the home to keep the pipes warm.

These are just a few tips that could save you a ton of headaches! Enjoy the White Christmas!

You will WIN with Stu!

What a pleasure it has been to work with great home inspectors. I have worked with quite a few inspectors in my days, but Stu Anderson from WIN Home Inspections is one of the best. I will have to also put in a plug for Brandon Marchant for Pillar to Post, however he has moved out of my area down to the Olympia, Washington area. Stu always shows up on early and begins the exterior inspection often times having it done before I arrive. His is quick and thorough and is very knowledgeable about home maintenance. What I like most about Stu is the care he displays in answering questions.

Last a testimonial about Stu is that he goes the extra mile, as we were finishing our inspection process my buyer wanted to measure the carpet to get an idea of how many square feet of carpet the would need. Stu grabbed his electronic tape measure and saved us all a lot of time & effort! Thanks Stu!!!

Unbelievable deals to be had at Seattle New home Auction

This last Sunday marked a new for me. I attended my first Real Estate Auction. The auction was put on by Auction Today. What an amazing production this was. The auction lasted a little over 2 hours and included real live Auctioneers. Home buyers had to be ready with cashier's checks on hand. Auctioneers auctioned off over 50+ new homes surrounding the Greater Puget Sound area. Homes that were previously listed at 500K were sold on the spot for 385K. I have to say I was amazed and stunned to see some really great homes sell for bargain basement deals. I hope to keep an eye out there for more Auctions like this.