REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE Revised March 13, 2024 At the end of February there were 969 homes on the market in Pierce county representing a 1.6 month supply. There was a nearly equal number of pending sales. Both of those facts point to a seller’s market as we head into the 2024 season. Mortgage rates are stubbornly high... 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 »
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 »
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 »
Show Me The Money! Cash offers… Some people just don’t understand what makes cash attractive to home sellers. Consider these stories. A man recently made a verbal cash offer on one of our Tacoma home listings. He didn’t merely want to close the sale with cash; this guy wanted to bring the seller a suitcase full of money in person... Read More »
What to expect when you’re inspecting: Part 1 Overview The Hume Group recently met for a Q&A session with one of our preferred home inspectors, Dominic Schreiner of Finishing Touch Home Inspection, LLC. We covered some basic questions that we get a lot from Tacoma home buyers. Q: Are Inspectors licensed? Do they go through a training? A:... Read More »
by Ken Bajema, Buyer’s Agent for The Hume Group Why Do You Need a Buyer’s Agent? The real estate market changed drastically over the last fifteen years. It continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Technology has made it more consumer-oriented. In the not too distant past, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service printed out a publication of newly listed homes.... Read More »
by Ken Bajema There is an old saying that says “A smart man learns from his mistakes; a wise one learns from the mistakes of others.” Moving to a new town can be a daunting experience. Especially when you have two kids and two cats in tow and are driving over two hundred miles to your new home. I am a... Read More »
We do not share your information with anyone.