I'll take a 4 door model with air conditioning please!!
Check out Toyota Homes:
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/more_than_cars/housing/index.html
Lesson learned about maintaining my blog.
I recently added a button that messed up my blog. I fortunately had a back up to my template but somehow when I copied and pasted it back it changed everything. My posts would not show up even after republishing.
I'm now in the process of rebuilding my page so if you were used to seeing something that is now not there please let me know. I'm in the process of copying the buttons and chiclets back into place. The good news is 1) I had a back up and 2) the main content is still there.
It may take me a little time so please be patient. These things never happen when you have a lot of time on your hands to fix them.
PS I got some good help in the Blogger help group to help me realize what the problem was and to get on track to fixing it. Be patient, it can take time to get a response that is helpful but it does work.
Working with your own real estate team....always pays off!
Whether you are going to be buying or selling a home your first step should always be to assemble your real estate team.
Your agent is the first step. Choose one you can trust, who is knowledgeable and who can introduce your to other team members.
Your agent should also be able to tell you about title and escrow companies. Making choices you are comfortable with makes it easier for you to trust and rely on what you learn from them when you have questions or concerns.
Growth, Land Use, Development, issues affecting you and your community regardless of where you live.
Mike Eliason is the Government Affairs Director for the Kitsap County Association of Realtors and a great asset to our organization. States, Cities and Counties are struggling with the issue of land use, growth and development across the
Be prepared and plan for our
state’s continuing growth
By Mike Eliason,
The most important aspect of planning is making sure people will have a place to live, preferably near their workplace. Determining where people live also dictates how they — and the rest of us — will live. Families who cannot find homes close to work must commute. Adding commuters to the freeway doesn’t help air quality or freeway congestion. Commuters are less likely than residents to shop in local stores or eat in community restaurants. Because they spend so much time commuting, they are less likely to have time to volunteer in schools, churches, and local government.
Making sure people can find a home means ensuring a supply of homes that is diverse in location, price, and style. Some people want a garden and a lawn where the kids can play, while others prefer the freedom from chores that a condo offers. Some people prefer the peace and quiet of rural life to the hustle and bustle of living in the city. Still others need a flexible floor plan that can accommodate elderly relatives.
Big or little, urban or rural, expensive or modest, all homes require a fundamental ingredient: land. Creating homes means we must plan to make land available for use in the way that residents need it. We must allow consumers the maximum amount of flexibility possible in home styles and uses. That’s the best way to make the most efficient use of what little land is available for homes, and to create choices people want and need.
One of the aspects of new neighborhoods people say they want most is green space. Parks, lawns, and green borders to roads and walks help to create healthy and prosperous neighborhoods. Medical studies show that green space has a calming effect that can reduce stress, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Parks encourage people to go outside and exercise, which helps reduce obesity. Trees, bushes, and other plants cool us in hot weather, soak up rain water in the winter, and clean water by filtering run-off year ‘round.
Carefully planned growth also is good for our economic health. Growth and development are signs of a healthy community. A growing population helps support community services. That adds up to fewer costs to existing residents for services, such as parks, recreation, schools, and transportation. New residents in a community enhance the vitality of neighborhoods and commercial areas. New and expanding businesses mean more jobs and more choices for goods and services for everyone.
Some hope to stop growth by refusing somehow to admit it or recognize it. But tightening the lid on a boiling pot just guarantees we’ll all get burned when it boils over.
Factors That Affect Home Pricing
| YES | NO |
| • Location | • What the owners paid for the home |
| • Style, size & condition of the home | • Amount of money spent on improvements |
| • Unique aspects of the property | • Redecorating costs |
| • Time of year & market conditions | • What a neighbor’s home sold for last year |
| • How quickly the owner needs to sell | • Amount of cash the seller needs |
Interesting Real Estate Facts
Where did the average buyer first learn about the house they purchased:
36% From their real estate agent
24% From the internet
15% From a yard sign
81% of Buyers used a Real Estate Agent
Buyers typicaly took 8 weeks to find their home and looked at 11 homes before buying one.
Stay tuned for more real estate facts..........Source is The 2005 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
Younger Generations Spend More on Housing
Survey: Younger Generations Spend More on Housing
(May 10, 2006) -- A recent survey of home buyers in three generations — Gen Y (those born between 1979 and 1994), Gen X (born between 1978 and 1965), and baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1965) — show that the two younger generations are outspending boomers in their first home purchase.
Both of the younger generations also devote a larger portion of their salaries to housing costs, according to the survey, conducted by Century 21 Real Estate. The goal of the survey was to understand and compare the experiences of the first-home purchase among members of three different generations.
Unlike boomers who purchased their first homes in response to life events such as a marriage or birth, financial incentives motivate both Gen X and Gen Y buyers with investment value cited as the “key driver” by the Century 21 survey with 42 percent of Gen X respondents and 39 percent of Gen Y respondents citing a “safe investment” as the reason for purchase.
A similar business-like approach is applied to the home search and purchase. “These guys don’t get caught up in the process. They’re very bottom-line oriented and results oriented,” says John Tuccillo, former NAR chief economist and principal of John Tuccillo Associates, an economics and business consulting firm in Virginia.
“Don’t expect them to fall in love with the property,” he cautions. “What matters is whether the house works for them and whether it’s a good deal.”
“Real estate professionals shouldn’t only get to know this group, they should also begin to look at their own materials, particularly Web sites, from the perspective of this demographic,” Tuccillo says.
A higher proportion of younger buyers use the Internet. For Gen Y it ranked as the primary source of home shopping information according to the survey. Experts such as Tuccillo and Melody Bohrer, vice president for education for ERA Real Estate say that being able to remain anonymous while they gather information is a top criterion for younger buyers.
Less relationship oriented than boomers, younger buyers are also more likely than boomers to say “next” if a salesperson doesn’t meet their expectations. However, Bohrer says, “They will be loyal if you work the way they want.”
— By Camilla McLaughlin for REALTOR® Magazine Online
Real Estate Statistics for Kitsap County Washington 5/7/2006
For Kitsap County Washington as of 5/7/2006
983 Active Listings
59 Homes went Pending last week
61 Average Days on Market
$275,900 Average List Price
$273,560 Average Sale Price
99% List price to sale price ratio
16.7 weeks of inventory
Learn more about Defining Your Market.
When Buying a Home in a Sellers Market......
1) Make sure you are working with an agent who represents you in your real estate transaction. You may want to sign a buyers agency agreement, this will ensure the agent you are working with will look out for your best interests and will bring their knowledge and tools to bear to help increase your chances of success. Bonus.....Typically the agent is being compensated by the seller so you have nothing to loose.
2) Use a local lender, not an out of state lender or internet mortgage company. When the going gets rough it is easier to walk into their office to ask for help and there will be more leverage from your agent to ensure the transaction closes on time.
3) Maintain the separation of church and state.....what I mean here is there seems to be a trend of real estate agents also wanting to play the role of mortgage broker. This is not in your best interest. The checks and balances that come into play will work in your best interest. Plus if your loan can not go through you want to be able to direct your mortgage to another company without loosing the relationship you've built with your real estate agent.
These are just a few ideas to increase your chances of success when purchasing a home in a sellers market.....check back often for more. Click here for more ideas and how to define the market you are in now.
Homes in Kitsap: Meeting With Kitsap County Tax Assessor, Jim Avery
Dave Jones in his blog, at www.HomesInKitsap.blogspot.com writes about a visit to our office by the County Assessor, Jim Avery. Despite what many might think increasing property values do not equate to increased taxes. Also great information on senior exemptions, check out his blog!