REALTORS + Blood, The Radio Interview

I'm feeling extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to speak this morning on KGY with Smilin J and Tori Fairhurst of the Puget Sound Blood Center about the Thurston County REALTORS Association's upcoming mobile blood drives.  Here's the link to the 15 minute Piece:

How Much Is Enough?

There is no doubt about it: this is a buyers market.  Buyers have their pick of anything and everything on the market today.  So if you are in the market to sell, listen up.

It's our responsibility to sell your home in the shortest amount of time, at the highest possible price and the best terms available.  

The condition of the home, your responsibility, must be the best it can possibly be.  Case in point:  We listed this beautiful South Olympia home in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the Olympia area.  This home is an estate and the heirs were understandably hoping to do as little as possible in preparing the home for sale.

From the first day we entered this home, we suggested the owners remove the carpet (installed in every single room) to expose the gorgeous hardwoods underneath.  After a few months on the market and no offers, our clients took our advice and the first buyer to see the home with the floor modification made an offer.

As trusted professionals in our industry, take our advice.  You'll be glad you did.

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Hot Off The Press

RE/MAX and This Old House have teamed up to co-brand a new do-it-yourself consumer magazine, "Maximize Your Home with RE/MAX," to help me connect with you.

In addition to a number of helpful articles for homeowners, the magazine includes a letter from RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly, a RE/MAX ad featuring the J.D. Power and Associates awards, and a Lowe’s ad offering a 10 percent-off coupon.


If you haven't received your copy, please let me know so I can send you one.

FSBO In This Market?

Consumers have been using REALTORS for over one hundred years; there must be a reason for this.  Before searching online or skimming the yellow pages for the best looking real estate agency, a person must be knowledgeable of the agent & company they are choosing to represent their biggest investment.  You won’t find any inexperienced agents in our RE/MAX Office.  But you will find synergy – the kind that occurs when the best work with the best, sharing the support & services of the world’s premier real estate organization.  Over the past 35 years, RE/MAX has grown from a single top producer to nearly 95,000 agents.  That’s more than 95,000 professionals, averaging twice the experience & three times as many sales per agent as other real estate agent in the United States.

Many homeowners decide to market their homes independently in order to save money by not paying the real estate agent’s professional fee for services.  Buyers in today’s market are working with professional agent to find a home.  We have all the tools for a successful sale.  Why would a buyer go to a ‘for sale by owner’ when there are over 1200 homes for sale in Thurston County listed in the NWMLS?  Obviously they are looking for a deal & there’s just no such thing as a deal.  Frequently the job of selling your own home is extremely difficult because of emotional involvement.  Retaining objectivity throughout negotiations with a buyer is not always easy.  I can negotiate in three party transactions without getting emotionally involved as a seller easily could.

Even if successful, will they ever know with certainty that they received the highest possible price?  I can assist in this process by getting price data on sold comparable properties & helping create a marketing plan for their home.  First identifying it’s selling features.  Then decide who the potential buyers are & how they can be reached.

Should they advertise and if so, where?  What will the marketing strategy be and to who?  Will they hold open houses?  Open houses will allow them to meet all their neighbors, as well as those who just like to “kick the tires” off of the local real estate market.  At my office, we’re constantly developing new promotional tools, implementing new advertising strategies & introducing new technologies to keep us “Out in Front” of the competition.

Finally, when a seller tries to sell & market the home on their own, they are not equipped with the mandatory Washington State forms such as the five page real property transfer disclosure statement & the lead based paint disclosure.  Unlike our major competitors, RE/MAX is still led by the same team who created it 35 years ago.  The concept was to attract the top agents in the profession who felt that they wanted to have total control over their sale and marketing efforts.

Isn’t the decision easy?  Call me & you’ll have an agent for life.

4 Quick Tips for Prepping to Sell Your Home

1. Super clean.  Make the house shine from top to bottom.  Don't forget about cleaning the carpets, drapes & windows too.
2. Clear the clutter & unload some furniture.  Remove unnecessary items from countertops, bathtubs & shower stalls - all areas that  often attract the most clutter.  Keep only the necessities.  A decluttered home helps buyers mentally "move in" with their own belongings.  You may need to rearrange or remove some furniture.  Pieces that crowd a space can make it look smaller than it really is.
3. Prep your landscaping.  Check gutters and roof for dry rot and moss, and ensure they are clean.  Examine all plants: Prune bushes and trees, make sure no plants are blocking windows, remove any dead plants & keep the lawn freshly mowed.
4. Add nice touches.  Coordinate towels in the bathroom in one or two colors only.  Keep accessories restricted to groups of one, three or five items.  Make sure all lights and lamps are on for showings, and set an inviting mood: Have soft background music turned on.

Washington Real Estate Market Research Update

Derived from the Washington Association of REALTORs, the data for the last quarters of 2011 has been compiled as follows:


85,870  Homes sold in Washington in 3rd quarter, 2011, up 0.8% from previous quarter.


$225,300  Median home sales price in Washington in 3rd quarter, down 9.5% in last year.


3,625  Single-family building permits issued in Washington during the 2nd quarter of 2011.  Up 26.7% from last year.


62.9%   Homeownership rate in Washington in 3rd quarter 2011. Down from 66.9% in 2008.

5.0%   Apartment vacancy rate in Washington in 3rd quarter 2011.

$952   Average apartment rent in Washington n 3rd quarter 2011.

The Ten Commandments for 2012

I recently came across the "Ten Commandments of Endurance" by elite extreme endurance athlete, Marshall Ulrich.  I read, reread, reread again and decided, these ten commandments aren’t only for athletes but rather, a tool we can all refer to in everyday life.

Enjoy and don’t just read – put this to use!

1.      Expect a journey and a battle

2.     Focus on the present and set intermediate goals

3.     Don’t dwell on the negative

4.     Transcend the physical

5.     Accept your fate

6.     Have confidence you will succeed

7.     Know that there will be an end

8.    Suffering is okay

9.     Be kind to yourself

10. Quitting is not an option