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 »
Real Estate Market Update Updated December 4, 2019 Interest rates remain very low and our market here in Tacoma remains a seller’s market with inventory low nearly across the board. As is typical, the extreme upper end shows less of an inventory problem. But even in the $600K to $700K range we are seeing a large number of pending sales... 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 »
Jonathan and I checked out Amazon Go for you… You probably heard that behemoth Amazon opened a store in downtown Seattle called Amazon Go. The big idea is there is no checkout line. Just swipe your phone as you enter and grab what you want. Your designated card is charged automatically. The top secret, proprietary system seems to... Read More »
FIRST NIGHT in Downtown Tacoma – New Year’s Eve My wife and I usually ponder the same two options for New Year’s Eve; go to a party or lay low and hit the sack before the ball drops. In recent years the latter option is a heavy favorite. However, last year we decided to give First Night a go, along... Read More »
We grew up in Tacoma and we are engaged full time in the real estate market in Pierce County. Write us with questions, whether you are looking to buy or sell. We will generally get back to you same day.
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