Hiking paths, Carmichael Park with tennis court, Azela Park, skiing, restaurants are all within minutes. Some of the home's highlights are hardwood floors, an open floor plan, light-filled rooms, two living spaces and a dream kitchen! 2 car attached garage with alley access and a private yard. This home welcomes you with open arms!
In appreciation of your friendship, support and business, I'd like to invite you, your family and friends to join me for an afternoon of bowling and pizza! Come play a few games and meet other new homeowners!
October 09 2016 Bowling from 1 - 3pm, stop by anytime!
RSVP by October 7th to 206.334.8348 or saviya.rowland@coldwellbanker.com
- from ConsumerReports.org
If you’re on the hunt for a new house this summer, be prepared for lots of competition. With inventory still tight and home prices on the rise in much of the country, it’s still a seller’s market in many places. Nationally, there’s a 4.7-month supply of homes for sale right now, according to the National Association of Realtors. (A six-month supply is considered a balanced market.) That means that a home buyer needs a game plan in order to stand out in a crowded field in order to get an offer accepted. Follow these steps to prepare:
1. Have your finances in order. Sellers still prefer to work with a home buyer who can make the purchase without a mortgage, since there’s no chance that financing will fall through. All-cash buyers made up 33 percent of sales in the first quarter of 2016, according to RealtyTrac. If you can’t pay in cash, you’ll need a pre-approval letter that shows you can secure the necessary loan. Meet with a lender to get pre-approved, which includes a credit check and income verification, before you’ve even started looking at houses. That will not only put you in a more competitive position, but it will also give you a sense of whether your budget is realistic.
2. Be aggressive. When you’re in research mode, you may spend months checking out open houses and pouring over online listings, but once you're serious about making a purchase you’ll need to move quickly. In a sellers’ market, well-priced homes get offers within a few days, and if a home buyer waits too long, the opportunity could be missed. If you find a home you love and think it is fairly priced, make an offer that’s close to asking price. “Make your first offer an aggressive one,” says Jeremy Swillinger, an agent with Level Group in New York City. “You might not get another shot.”
If you’re buying the home with a mortgage, putting down a larger earnest money deposit, a specific kind of security deposit, can signal to the buyers that you’re in good financial shape and serious about the purchase.
3. Eliminate as many contingencies as possible. There’s less incentive in today’s market for sellers to accept an offer with many contingencies. In particular, they’re likely to reject an offer from a buyer who can only close the deal contingent on the sale of an existing property. If you find yourself in that position, you may need to close on the sale of your current home first. “It’s all about making the offer as uncomplicated as possible,” Swillinger says. “It’s not just the price, but it’s also about the terms and eliminating any risks that could keep the buyer from getting to the closing table.”
Still, there are some contingencies that you need to keep in place, even if it slows down the sale. For example, you should never waive your inspection contingency (although you may be able to have one before you make an offer), and proceed with caution before waiving a financing contingency.
4. Be easy to work with. If you can’t or don’t want to compete by increasing your offer, you can be a stand-out home buyer by being flexible and responsive during negotiations. “If you’ve made an offer and there’s a deadline, you need to be by your phone,” says Tim Savoy, a sales associate with Coldwell Banker in Washington, D.C. “That’s when most of the fast-paced action happens, and most sellers are looking for a quick response.”
Sellers may want to close quickly or to lease back the property for a period after the close. Working with their timeline and be willing to accommodate their needs can make your offer more attractive. If you need an inspection, schedule it as quickly as possible and don’t nickel-and-dime over minor repairs.
5. Write a letter. For some sellers, especially those selling a family home that they’ve lived in for many years, the process can be an emotional one. Appeal to that by writing a letter explaining why you believe their home is the right one for you, and send it in along with your offer. “You want to make a personal connection with the seller,” Swillinger says. “Tell them why you love the property and how you can see yourself living there.”
The letter may not do much good if someone else is offering significantly more money than you, but if all other things are equal, a heart-felt letter may give you the edge.
reprinted from consumerrerports.org
All of the above will be part of what I will help you work towards, to get in order so that when the right home comes around, we are ready to place that offer and SHINE! It's a touch market right now, so every little thing helps you get closer towards your goal of buying that perfect home!
Excellent value in this 3 bedroom rambler located on a large lot in a quiet area of Auburn. Remodeled kitchen with dining, freshly painted inside and out, hardwood floors and vinyl windows. 1 car garage with room for storage. Easy access to schools, 167, Hwy 18, shopping, restaurants, parks, sporting activities (skiing, boating) and Auburn Municipal Airport.
Walkability. This is top request from many of my clients, walkability. While Seattle has many "walkable" neighborhoods, it ranks #7 on Walk Score, this latest analysis shows that Seattle is tops for neighborhoods that combine "affordability, walkability that are near good schools".
Read the full article from KOMONews.com:
WASHINGTON (AP) - Few neighborhoods can match the perks of Adams Morgan in Washington, D.C. - a reality that reflects a broader problem for the U.S. housing market.
Residents of Adams Morgan enjoy a bevy of bars, restaurants, exercise studios and shopping, just steps from their row houses and condo buildings. Home values are reasonable relative to neighborhood incomes. And in general, the area schools rate as better than average nationally.
Across the country, just 14 percent of neighborhoods manage to be at once affordably priced, walkable and near decent schools. And many of those neighborhoods exist in only two cities: Washington and Seattle, according to a new analysis released Wednesday by the real estate brokerage Redfin.
The findings suggest a substantial mismatch between the neighborhoods where people say they want to live and the homes actually available to them.
"Cities have not kept up with consumer tastes," said Nela Richardson, Redfin's chief economist.
The analysis examined 170 neighborhoods in 20 cities, comparing home sales and income data with rankings from the organizations Walk Score and GreatSchools. Some cities, such as Baltimore, Boston and Philadelphia, contained balanced neighborhoods - where people of different income classes could afford to live - but their schools performed poorly.
Others, such as Phoenix, San Antonio and Columbus, Ohio, enjoy above-average neighborhood schools. But their communities pretty much require cars for doing basic errands.
Homebuyers have long sought high-quality schools. But a rising emphasis on walkability reflects a generational shift. Compared with older generations, millennials, ages 18 to 34, disproportionately prefer walking, according to a survey released in July by the National Association of Realtors and the Transportation Research and Education Center at Portland State University.
Nearly a third of millennials commute to work or school by foot, compared with 13 percent for the post-World War II baby boom generation.
In the Redfin report, only 24 neighborhoods in eight cities met all three criteria of walkability, affordability and schools. Seven of the neighborhoods were in Seattle. Its University District neighborhood - site of the University of Washington's campus - ranked as the highest.
Though housing in the University District is expensive - the median home value is near $620,000, roughly triple the national level - high area incomes tend to make it relatively affordable. More than 57 percent of families earned more than $100,000 in 2014, according to the Census Bureau.
Three of the top neighborhoods were in Washington, D.C. Adams Morgan - ranked third by Redfin - is packed with bars along its 18th Street corridor. Yet its residents are also relatively well-paid, with 61 percent of families making at least $100,000. Among the new condo buildings is Ontario 17, which has sold over 70 percent of its units since its pre-construction sales began a year ago. Its ground floor features a Pilates-style studio.
"A lot of the homeowners who did purchase already lived in Adams Morgan," said Brenda Moreno, the broker managing condo sales for the building. "People want to be very close to work."
But the increased popularity of walkable neighborhoods could mean that many will eventually lose their affordability. The Redfin analysis shows that few walkable communities also have access to better-than-average public and charter schools - meaning that their home values might rise and cause affordability to drop.
A separate measure by the real estate data firm Zillow shows that prices in Seattle's University District have shot up nearly 17 percent in the past 12 months, a sign that walkable neighborhoods may soon price out its least prosperous residents.
"These balanced neighborhoods are an endangered species right now," said Richardson, Redfin's chief economist.
Halloween 2015 has come and gone and now all attention turns to the holidays. Whether you're hosting friends and family this year at your home or traveling near (or far) to be with loved ones, there's plenty to take care of in and around your home this time of year!
From deep cleaning the kitchen (cooking and baking in a freshly scrubbed kitchen will make a world of difference!), cleaning the chimney (important!) or making sure your yard is ready for the cold weather ahead, there's loads to do.
We've just started sending out a monthly newsletter filled with interesting things to do in the area, tips for homeowners, Seattle real estate market trend info and more! Don't miss out on Seattle Diverse Properties' October newsletter, sign up now at the bottom of contact page!
Fall is a good time to take care of big home repair projects before shorter days (and in many areas, ice and snow) make outdoor work too difficult. And if you do live in an area with cold winters, take some time this fall to boost energy efficiency throughout your home, and prevent damage from winter storms with proper tree care (we spoke with an expert to find out what you need to do). Tick these 15 items off your list this season, and you can rest easy knowing that your home and yard are buttoned up and ready for winter.
Here's the bare bones list, but do read the full article on houzz.com. It's filled w/ great tips and ideas to get you ready for winter!
Saviya Rowland of Seattle Diverse Properties and Cindy Fraoli of Guild Mortgage in Kirkland are doing a free homebuyer seminar this Saturday.
Seattle Diverse Properties is a Real Estate group based in the Seattle, Washington area. We specialize in properties on both sides of Lake Washington.
I love what I do and I hope it shows. Nothing is more satisfying than helping my clients find or sell their home so that their next chapter in life can unfold! If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.
Saviya Robinson (206) 334-8348
RealSaviya@gmail.com
