North Bend - 13803 457th Ave SE - $515,000.00
Exquisite 4BR home in the stunning Wood River community. 2510sf gorgeous Craftsman home nestled in a truly spectacular setting on over 3/4 acre surrounded by mountain views. This home has it all: Beautiful kitchen, dining room, living room, family room, office, laundry room, hardwoods, vaulted ceilings, french doors, fireplace, security system, covered porch, patio, firepit, sprinkler system, and amazing landscaping. Master bedroom has large Walk In Closet & Master Bath w/soaking tub. Oversized garage with space for 4th car, shop, or ??. Community river access & trail. Breathtaking fairytale location, yet convenient to I-90, Seattle, skiing & trails. 1 year Fidelity Home Warranty. This is NOT a short sale. Must see this exceptional property! for more information contact Tonya Eliason at 425-831-5721.
| |||||||||||
All information in this site is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and is subject to change |
Thursday, February 25, 2010
New Listing in Wood River: Gorgeous home in a breathtaking setting
Thursday, February 18, 2010
When should you walk away from your mortgage?
A brief video featuring Jill Schlesinger of CBS Moneywatch on the subject
Watch CBS News Videos Online
Source:
Watch CBS News Videos Online
Source:
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
North Bend has a new logo
The City of North Bend now has a new logo to go with it's new slogan "easy to reach ... hard to leave"
The new logo was officially released today with this press release from North Bend City Hall:
CITY OF NORTH BEND
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2010
THE CITY OF NORTH BEND INTRODUCES NEW LOGO
North Bend, WA – The Mayor and the City Council of North Bend are excited to announce the launch of a new logo for the City of North Bend. As part of the continuing work on the branding and marketing of the City, the new logo follows the development of the City tag line “easy to reach … hard to leave”. The new logo graphically represents Mt. Si and the Snoqualmie River, which are the scenic icons of the City.
“North Bend is the gateway to all of the outdoor recreational activities in the Central Cascades, within easy reach of Seattle and the Eastside, North Bend is the trail-head for all activities at all levels. Our new logo symbolizes the rugged outdoor beauty that is the hallmark of North Bend,” said Ken Hearing, Mayor of North Bend. “With the help of the North Bend Economic Development Commission and a local volunteer marketing team, the City is encouraging an ambitious program of signature events and downtown transformation that will truly make North Bend a city that is easy to reach and hard to leave,” Mayor Hearing added.
With the unveiling of the new logo, the City of North Bend hopes to better position the City and its natural assets in the minds of all regional outdoor enthusiasts. City officials feel confident that the new logo accomplishes this goal.
Source: City of North Bend
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Revisiting the Pour House Bar & Grill in North Bend
It had been a while since I'd eaten at the Pour House in North Bend (I'd tried it a few times their first month in business). If you haven't been there since the remodel, it might be time to drop by again, I'm glad I did. They've really done some great things with the place, it's got a new look and a new menu. In the past month, I've eaten in and gotten several carry-outs. I had the Fried Chicken dinner and was nicely surprised, it was very good. Both my husband, myself and our pups have all enjoyed the sandwiches, fries and soups we've tried as well. I'm looking forward to making my way through the rest of the new menu in the months to come. Don't miss out on their weekend breakfast menu - served until 2pm!
Have Real Estate prices in North Bend fallen over past year?
This chart shows North Bend median prices for a residential home over the past 12 months:
Days on market for North Bend, WA residential home:
Inventory is down, however, which is a positive trend:
Although home prices have fallen and we're seeing longer days on market, home's are selling and the rate of decline has slowed.
Source: Altos Research, LLC
Days on market for North Bend, WA residential home:
Inventory is down, however, which is a positive trend:
Although home prices have fallen and we're seeing longer days on market, home's are selling and the rate of decline has slowed.
Source: Altos Research, LLC
Snoqualmie, Issaquah & Bellevue Real Estate Trends
All three cities have seen a continued drop in prices over the past 9 months, however the rate of decline is beginning to slow. Days on market for Snoqualmie and Issaquah while still high, have begun to turn the corner as well. Bellevue is still seeing an increase in days on market, but that is largely driven by the higher end homes. It is still very hard to finance and purchase homes above $1,000,000 even when they are in foreclosure and much reduced from past levels.
Overall, homes under $450,000 are seeing a significant uptick in activity as many buyers are taking advantage of changing FHA laws and the expiring tax credits. Homes between $450k and 700k are also seeing activity pick up, however many of these homes were selling for $700 to 900k in the past few years and this is where we find the greatest concentration of "Short Sales"
If you have any questions about your home or neighborhood in particular feel free to call, and I'll be happy to provide you with more exact data for your specific neighborhood and home.
Friday, February 12, 2010
New Listing: 6.91 stunning acres in North Bend - Development Property
1045 Maloney Grove Avenue SE, North Bend - $800,000
Developers and investors don't miss this amazing opportunity! 6.91 future sub dividable acres located within the City of North Bend (estimate 28 lots). 360 degree mtn views surround this stunning, mostly level acreage. Power & water in street. Gas nearby. Sewer to property anticipated late 2010. Nice 2BR home and outbuildings on property, but real value is in this properties future. Pls do not disturb tenant. Add'l docs available (proposed plat map, engineering reports etc). Think to the future.
| |||||||||||
All information in this site is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and is subject to change |
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Phrasing in listing can affect sale price
What's "beautiful" worth? About $12,500!
The right phrasing in real-estate listings can speed a sale and even boost the final price, a Canadian study says. And here's a tip: If you must sell, don't put "must sell" in your ad.
In real-estate listings, what's the difference between describing your home as "beautiful" versus "move-in condition"? About $12,500 on a $250,000 home.
Professor Paul Anglin, a real-estate economist in Guelph, Ontario, says that homes described as "beautiful" in real-estate listings sell for 5% more while "move-in condition" has no effect on sale price.
Anglin and his colleagues from the University of Windsor and researchers from Canada Mortgage and Housing examined about 20,000 real-estate listings and sales data in Windsor and Essex counties, Ontario, from between 1997 and early 2000. Among other things, they studied how listings' phrasing affected sale prices and the length of time it took for the listings to close.
When speed is of the essence
Listings with the words "beautiful" or "gorgeous" sold 15% faster. "Landscaping" in a listing hastened a sale by 20%. Describing a property as in "move-in condition" quickened the sale by 12%. Calling a home a "handyman special" cut sale time by half (researchers excluded listings that used the term to describe a workshop or hobby area).
Other familiar jargon, such as "must see" or "vacant," or including the information that a seller was moving, had virtually no effect on the time before a sale.
The kiss of death appears to be language that reeks of desperation -- words such as "motivated" and "must sell." These slowed sales by 30%. The term "ranch" house slowed sales by 10%. Properties described as rentals (income-producing) took 60% longer to sell.
Though Anglin assumes the basic effects he identified are universal, the size of their impact will vary by locale, he says.
Do you believe in magic words?
Is there magic in these words? Does the concrete, visual nature of "landscaping," for example, fire a buyer's imagination?
"Any time I see the word 'turnkey,' I expect that house is in immaculate condition," she says.
Frize's business partner has his own favorite turn of phrase: "He always writes, 'This could be the best buy in town.' He believes in this wholeheartedly. We put it on every listing. It's like good karma for us. We have sold 100% of our listings."
What surprises Anglin is that some hot words not only speed a sale but also seem to raise the closing price. "If a house is described as 'beautiful,' everybody expects it to sell for a higher price," he says. "The thing that surprised me is that it sells for a higher price -- and faster. ... I don't have a good explanation for it."
Maybe, he says, buyers' idea of beauty includes features such as structural integrity, a good neighborhood and excellent upkeep, qualities agents call "curb appeal," which allay the fears buyers usually bring to big transactions.
Language + price = sale
None of this is to suggest that opting for "must see" over "must sell" is all it takes to sell your house quickly and garner a higher list price. The hot words have to be used accurately, and they must be combined with the right price.
"The single most important message that a seller can send to a buyer is their choice of list price," Anglin's study says.
Thus, the study does not illustrate a triumph of style over substance, Anglin says, but how certain words, used accurately, can boost a listing's power. Although "beautiful" seems to make a house sell faster, using the term dishonestly can offend buyers and create distrust that will backfire on a seller.
"The basic idea is that you are trying to find the one buyer who is going to buy the house. As a seller, you hope they'll pay a high price and quickly find your house. But usually it does not work that way," Anglin says. "It takes some time to find a buyer, and usually the buyer does not want to pay a high price. The purpose of the listing information is to attract not just any buyer but the buyers who would like the house that you are trying to sell."
That's why, although "handyman special" may sound negative -- "most people do not want to go anywhere near that place," Anglin notes -- it's an efficient, positively framed means of isolating such properties for the specific buyers interested in tackling fixer-uppers.
Size matters
Home size, too, is another important factor. The smaller the property, the quicker the sale. One-bathroom homes sold 13% faster. Homes with three bathrooms took 50% longer to sell. Homes with two stories or more took more than 20% longer.
The size-speed relationship makes sense to real-estate agent Joe Dobson of Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Smaller homes usually cost less, and there's more competition in lower price ranges, he says.
For the most part, Dobson says, his experience bears out Anglin's research, with a couple exceptions. "'Motivated,' that's been beat to death. In a slowing market, every seller is 'motivated,'" Dobson says.
But sometimes, he says, desperate language can work when accompanied by an emotion-laden explanation such as "must sell due to health reasons" or -- a phrase Dobson likes but has found occasion to use only three times in his 36-year career -- "divorce dictates dumping."
Source: MSNBC Real Estate
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Vote today
Don't forget to vote today! If you haven't already mailed your ballot, today is the final day to cast your vote in the special election.
On the ballot for residents of Snoqualmie Valley are 2 Snoqualmie Valley School District No. 410 levies, Proposition 1 and Proposition 2 as well as King County Rural Library District Proposition 1
Home Buyer's Tax Credit at a glance
$8,000 First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance
The $6,500 Move-Up / Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance
*Always consult your Tax Advisor or CPA for full details and eligibility
Source: National Association of Home Builders http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/
- The $8,000 tax credit is for first-time home buyers only. For the tax credit program, the IRS defines a first-time home buyer as someone who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.
- The tax credit does not have to be repaid unless the home is sold or ceases to be used as the buyer’s principal residence within three years after the initial purchase.
- The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
- The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
- The tax credit now applies to sales occurring on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, a home purchase completed by June 30, 2010 will qualify.
- For homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before November 6, 2009, the income limits are $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly.
- For homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010, single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
The $6,500 Move-Up / Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance
- To be eligible to claim the tax credit, buyers must have owned and lived in their previous home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years.
- The tax credit does not have to be repaid unless the home is sold or ceases to be used as the buyer’s principal residence within three years after the initial purchase.
- The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $6,500.
- The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
- The credit is available for homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, the home purchase qualifies provided it is completed by June 30, 2010.
- Single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
*Always consult your Tax Advisor or CPA for full details and eligibility
Source: National Association of Home Builders http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/
Brunello Ristorante Italiano
My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner tonight at Brunello, a new "authentic Italian" restaurant in Snoqualmie Ridge. Our food was excellent, the ambiance was great and everyone was very friendly. Glad to have found this great new dining option in the area.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
