Real Estate Market Update Updated October 27, 2021 Here is a quick look at the Pierce County numbers for September: Active Listings = 1,112 UP 11.09% from this time last year Pending Sales = 1,859. DOWN 1.74% Closed Sales = 1,666 ... Read More »
I find it interesting to reflect on the shifts in consumer wants and needs after a sudden societal upheaval. I don’t suppose I need to tell you what societal upheaval I mean. At first toilet paper was scarce. I still cannot make sense of that one. You could not buy a Nintendo Switch last spring because apparently everyone wanted to... Read More »
You have probably encountered the Elephant House on North 30th just above Old Town even if you didn’t know it at the time. Even at a glance it stands out from your average north Tacoma residence. It is beautiful for starters; Dutch Colonial architecture, notable for extensive use of Wilkeson sandstone and stately columns. Perhaps you did a double take... Read More »
Job Carr’s famous cabin in Old Town was not the first home here but it was the first home built by non-native permanent settlers to our area. Carr arrived in Tacoma and claimed a big chunk of the Ruston Way waterfront. He was actually late to the party. Someone grabbed that real estate first. In 1853 Peter Judson claimed roughly... Read More »
Some Tacoma buyers recently found a house they loved and got it under contract subject to inspection. The inspector said it was a creampuff (a 100 year old creampuff) but he later emailed a list of scary-sounding findings in his report. The foundation showed signs of settling, the roof was nearing the end of its useful life, etc. There were... Read More »
ADUs On May 1 the City of Tacoma began allowing detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on residential properties. These are also known as in-law apartments and granny flats. The purpose is to address housing choice and affordability. Should you build one? The short answer is that it depends on your intended use. Portland Already Allows ADUs An agent friend in... Read More »
Online Home Valuations There is temptation to think the future has arrived; that we are in a new and glorious age where computers can think for us; a world in which an algorithm can pinpoint your one true soulmate out of a crowd of singles. But there is much computers simply cannot do, such as account for hyperbole and fabrication... Read More »
The Future has the Best Realtors Here’s Why The Days Of Pushy Real Estate Agents Are Numbered Stereotypical pushy real estate agents give the profession a bad name. Agents often get portrayed in fiction as slick, schlocky or manipulative. Buyers and sellers are leery about running into this type of character at open houses or when calling prospective agents... Read More »
Spying on Buyers We have occasionally plotted out offers with our buyers while still inside the home. Seated comfortably at the seller’s kitchen table, those conversations likely included sensitive information like how much our client was willing to pay. It was fine – the sellers were not listening. And speaking of sellers not listening, buyers sometimes critique a seller’s... Read More »
Why should you be negotiating toward win-win? I was recently quoted in an article on negotiating entitled Top 15 Real Estate Negotiation Strategies from the Pros. I enjoyed seeing the ideas from other contributors. For starters, I think it is important that the term “win-win” jumps out a lot from this set of ideas. Why is that a big deal?... Read More »
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