You Can Always Expect These 4 Things From the Right Agent

As a buyer, there are four things you should demand of your agent during any transaction.


Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report. 

Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale.

Whenever you begin working with an agent on the purchase of your next home, there are four demands you should be making. 

1. To tell you the truth about price. It’s so important that you have an agent who cares enough about you to be honest. The right Realtor will be candid with you and properly guide you on the issue of pricing. Someone with a lot of experience will be ideal for this job.

2. To be understanding of your timetable. Your agent needs to understand and respect your time frame. This way, they can get you into the right home when it works best for you. An agent should always be proactive in meeting your needs and your schedule.

It’s important that your agent cares enough to be honest.

3. To remove as many challenges as possible. Something I’ve been humbled by in my career is that every transaction presents a learning opportunity. I have hundreds of home sales under my belt, but there is still always something new for me to learn. An agent with a lot of experience will be able to use everything they’ve learned in their career so far to remove as many challenges from the transaction as possible.

4. To find you the right house. As a buyer, it’s your right to demand that any professional you work with finds you the best fit for your needs. Still, you need to be realistic. A good agent knows how to deliver good news, while a great agent knows how to deliver tough news. 

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Your 2017 Market Overview for Pierce County

It’s time for your 2017 real estate market recap. How did the Pierce County market do this year?


Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report. 

Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale.

It’s time for your market overview. As we wrap up 2017, I want to take a look at where we’ve been in the past, where we are in the present, and projections for the future.

First, let’s look at supply. Zero to five months of inventory represents a seller’s market, when home prices are on the rise. Six to seven months of inventory represents a flat market, which is a healthy place to be. In a flat market, home prices rise according to inflation. Eight months or more of inventory puts us in a buyer’s market, which is when we see values start to decline.

Right now, we only have one month of supply. At this time of year back in 2009, we had 15 months of inventory. That is a phenomenal difference.

Our median sales price at this time of year in 2006 was $279,500. The market then peaked in the summer of 2007. By this time of year in 2011, the median sales price had dropped to $185,000. 

The current median sales price has surpassed the old market peak from 2007.

Now, the median sales price is at $287,725. It’s very nice to see that after the huge collapse of the entire economy, we have surpassed where we were back in the old peak days. It’s a very different market now than it was then. There are no concerns about a bubble bursting.

That said, we do need a healthy correction. That involves you sellers putting their houses on the market. We have a real lack of inventory and we need more homes on the market.

Finally, let’s take a look at the average days on market. In 2015, the average days on market was 58. That number has dropped to 32 days on market in 2017. That is a healthy spot for the average days on market to be.

You may think that since it’s a seller’s market, you should wait to buy a home. That is not the case. Interest rates are still low, which means now is a smart time to buy real estate.

If you have any questions or plan on buying or selling a home in 2018, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Get Ahead of the Home Buying Game With These 7 Tips

Are you looking to buy a home in 2018? These seven tips to prepare yourself early can set you up for success.


Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report. 

Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale.

If a goal of yours in 2018 is purchasing a home, I want to give you seven helpful tips to help prepare you for the process.

1. Check your credit score. Make sure there isn’t anything on there that will negatively impact your credit score. That way, if there is anything on there, you have time to take the initiative to sort those issues out so you can get the best interest rate possible.
2. Don’t open any new credit cards. Doing so tends to have a negative impact on your credit score.
3. Suggest financial gifts to friends and family, instead of having them buying you presents. Personally, I would rather receive a check than an actual gift, and I’d also rather give a check than try to figure out what they want. Let them know about your home buying goals for 2018 and ask for them to help support you in that way.

Suggest financial gifts to friends and family, instead of having them buying you presents.

4. Interview potential real estate agents. All agents aren’t created equal. Take the time to speak with a few to get an idea of where their strengths are, how they can best help you, as well as if their personality matches yours.
5. Keep an eye on interest rates. Rates have a habit of fluctuating, and they’re on an upward trend right now. Interest rates increasing by 1% is the equivalent of your mortgage payment increasing by 10%.
6. Find a good mortgage lender to walk you through the process and ensure that you get the most competitive rate. I know some dynamite lenders that I would be more than happy to share with you.
7. Take the time to get pre-approved. Sometimes it can be as easy as a phone call and a couple of emails to get through the pre-approval process. Getting this done early can set you up for success and prevent unpleasant surprises from popping up and preventing you from getting the home of your dreams.

If you have any questions about buying a home in 2018, feel free to give me a call. I’m here to be an advocate for you—let’s do this.

Selling in 2018? These 5 Tips Can Help

Have you been thinking of selling your home in 2018? If you have, think about utilizing these five tips.


Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report. 

Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale.

If you’re thinking of selling a property in the upcoming year, there are five tips you can use moving forward.

1. Declutter and simplify your house. Doing this is an amazing feeling. Getting rid of all the extra stuff you’ve accumulated is a great first step to selling your home.
2. Interview real estate agents. Before you make any major changes or move too far into the process, you should start talking to professionals. Also, all agents are not created equal. It’s important to find someone who truly knows what they’re doing.
3. Make repairs as suggested by your agent. There are a lot of projects sellers might assume would be a good idea, but some things simply won’t bring a good return. Many of the repairs your agent could suggest might be small details you hadn’t previously noticed.

Set your transaction up for success from the start by getting a pre-appraisal.

4. Stage your home. Homes that are staged professionally sell more quickly and for more money across the board.
5. Get a pre-appraisal. Rather than waiting to see whether or not the deal might fall through later down the line, get an appraisal done ahead of time so that you know you’re in the clear. Right now, one in four real estate transactions falls through due to appraisal issues. So, set your transaction up for success from the start by getting a pre-appraisal.

As a bonus tip: the presence of the colors red and yellow will subconsciously influence people to buy. Having red and yellow flowers in your yard, for example, can help you promote buyer interest.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

4 Unexpected Costs First-Time Homebuyers Should Watch out for

There are four costs that tend to sneak up on first-time homebuyers during the home purchase that you need to plan for.


Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report. 

Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale.

When buying a home for the first time, there are four unexpected costs you might not be aware of but must be prepared for.

The first is the home inspection cost. Paying for a home inspection is money well spent. The cost of one can depend on the size of the house, but you can expect to pay around $400, give or take. During the inspection, a professional home inspector will check the systems, appliances, and structure of your home thoroughly. This is a great opportunity for you to learn more about the home you will possibly be owning.

The next cost is your earnest money deposit. This doesn’t represent any additional money you have to come up with—it can be credited to your down payment. However, it is due up front, so make sure you have that sum prepared once your offer’s been accepted. The size of your earnest money deposit depends on the value of the home, but $1,500 is a good amount to expect to pay.

Don’t forget about these costs when buying a home.

The third cost is potential moving costs. Depending on how far you’re moving, this cost can add up, especially if you’re using a U-haul vehicle or a moving company.

Finally, you have first-year surprise expenses. Within your first year of homeownership, there’s a very real likelihood you’ll have some surprise expenses pop up. This is why I recommend having an emergency fund in place just in case. Dave Ramsey—whom we’re endorsed by here in the greater Tacoma area—can serve as a great reference for how to set up an emergency fund and create financial stability in your life.

Additionally, while we’re on the topic of expenses, you should know that what’s even more expensive than any of these costs is paying your landlord’s mortgage. Locally, it’s more affordable to own a home than it is to rent one.

If you have any more questions about the unexpected costs of buying a home or you’re interested in buying a home in our area, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help set you on the path toward homeownership.