Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Federal Way & Puyallup

Do you develop your website for your target market? The website is good even in its default presentation, but there are so many opportunities to enhance its use. One way is by adding content (additional pages) with your distinct message and tools you offer to your real estate clients and prospects in your social media and other online marketing venues. Let’s say you want to promote a page titled ‘My Special Properties’ online, but for some reason you did not want the page to display when someone comes directly to your website home page. Here is how to do it: While in My Office, hover over Site Builder, slide to Content, and click  Pages. Under any of the four Main Navigation Tabs that accept drop down pages click ‘ Add Page.’ Title the page, click  Add , then click ‘ Edit Content.’ Add your material to the page and click  Submit. The page now has been added to the Main Navigation button content, but it is ‘hidden’ from view at the website. If you want to c...

A 3 hour Lunch & Learn on How to Get More Listings with our new Director of Career Development, Scott Stevenson. https://bhhshowtogetlistings.eventbrite.com

The  National Association of Realtors  (NAR) released the results of their latest  Existing Home Sales Report  which revealed that home sales declined 0.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.38 million in June from 5.41 million in May, and are 2.2% below a year ago. Some may look at these numbers and think that now is a bad time to sell their house, but in fact, the opposite is true. The national slowdown in sales is directly tied to a lack of inventory available for the buyers who are  out in the market  looking for their dream homes! In fact, the inventory of homes for sale had fallen year-over-year for 36 consecutive months before posting a modest 0.5% gain last month and has had an upward impact on home prices. NAR’s  Chief Economist  Lawrence Yun had this to say, “It’s important to note that despite the modest year-over-year rise in inventory, the current level is far from what’s needed to satisfy demand levels. Furthermore, i...

Whether you are a rookie homebuyer or have gone through the process many times, having a  local real estate expert  who is well versed in the neighborhood you are looking to move to, as well as the trends of that area, should be your goal while home shopping. One great example of an agent who is in your corner and is always looking out for your best interests is one of the main characters on  ABC’s  Modern Family ,  Phil Dunphy. For those who aren’t familiar with the character, Phil is a REALTOR ®  with a huge heart who always strives to do his best for his family and his clients. In one episode, he even shared an oath that he created and holds himself accountable to: “On my honor, I promise to aid in man’s quest for shelter, to recognize I’m not just in the business of houses — I’m in the business of dreams in the shape of houses. To disclose all illegal additions, shoddy construction, murders, and ghosts. And to put my clients’ needs before...

Some Highlights: Real estate has outranked stocks/mutual funds, gold, savings accounts/CDs, and bonds as the best long-term investment among Americans for the last 5 years! The generations agree! Real estate is the best investment! Generation X leads the way with 37% believing in real estate as the top investment. JULY 27, 2018 / BY  THE KCM CREW

With home prices continuing to appreciate above historic levels, some are concerned that we may be heading for another housing ‘boom & bust.’ It is important to remember, however, that today’s market is quite different than the bubble market of twelve years ago. Here are four key metrics that will explain why: Home Prices Mortgage Standards Foreclosure Rates Housing Affordability 1. HOME PRICES There is no doubt that home prices have reached 2006 levels in many markets across the country. However, after more than a decade, home prices should be much higher based on inflation alone. Last week,  CoreLogic   reported  that, “The inflation-adjusted U.S. median sale price in June 2006 was $247,110 (or $199,899 in 2006 dollars), compared with $213,400 in March 2018.”  (This is the latest data available.) 2. MORTGAGE STANDARDS Many are concerned that lending institutions are again easing standards to a level that helped create the last housin...

As more and more baby boomers enter retirement age, the question of whether or not to sell their homes and move will become a hot topic. In today’s housing market climate, with low available inventory in the starter and trade-up home categories, it makes sense to evaluate your home’s ability to adapt to your needs in retirement. According to the  National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents  (NAEBA), there are  7 factors  that you should consider when choosing your retirement home.1 1. Affordability “It may be easy enough to afford your home today but think long-term about your monthly costs. Account for property taxes, insurance, HOA fees, utilities – all the things that will be due whether or not you have a mortgage on the property.” Would moving to a complex with homeowner association (HOA) fees actually be cheaper than having to hire all the contractors you would need to maintain your home, lawn, etc.? Would your taxes go down significantly if you...

Get ready for another month of learning! August is right around the corner, so be sure to look at the digital or physical printouts of the calendar to pick/ choose what class you'll be taking. Let's get educated! ☺ Both our Career Nights:  1st Tuesday:  https://bhhsfwcareers1.eventbrite.com 3rd Tuesday:  https://bhhsfwcareers3.eventbrite.com Test Prep:  https://bhhstestprep.eventbrite.com DISC & RE:  https://bhhsdisc.eventbrite.com Listing Presentations:    https://bhhsnwlistingpresentation.eventbrite.com

Every homeowner wants to make sure that they maximize their financial reward when selling their home, but how do you guarantee that you receive the maximum value for your house? Here are two ways to ensure that you get the highest price possible. 1. Price it a Little Low This may seem counterintuitive, but let’s take a look at this concept for a moment. Many homeowners think that pricing their homes a little OVER market value will leave them with room for negotiation when, in actuality, it just dramatically lessens the  demand  for their houses  (see chart below). Instead of the seller trying to ‘win’ the negotiation with one buyer, they should price their house so that demand for the home is maximized. By doing so, the  seller  will not be fighting with a  buyer  over the price but will instead have  multiple buyers   fighting  with  each other  over the house. Realtor.com  gives this advice: “...