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Archives for June 2011

Farmer’s Markets are “Springing” Up All Over!

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It’s Spring, which means Farmer’s Markets are “Springing” Up All Over!

I love shopping at local Farmer’s Markets. Just mingling amongst all the fresh produce, the local crafts, and flowers is inspiring. I always come away with the zeal to go home and weed. Or something equally as dirty.

Not to mention, of course, my reusuable shopping bag, full of goodies. Veggies, lettuces, fruits…even an occasional quart of fresh fresh milk. Yummy. We eat really well for a few days after my trip.

Near my home in Auburn, Washington are a few Farmer’s markets worth mentioning. I missed all of the grand openings this year, but I definitely stop by a couple of times a month for goodies!

Here’s the info you’ll need to visit. Click the heading for additional information.

 Auburn International Farmers Market

June 12 to September 25
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Auburn Sound Transit Plaza, 23 A St SW

The Auburn International Farmers Market boasts more than 40 vendors offering a variety of fresh locally grown farm-based foods, hand-crafted items, and concession stand that are restaurant-based but feature a home-cooked taste. The 2011 weekly market starts June 12 and runs through September 25. The market will again include free performances, guest chef demonstrations with farm-fresh ingredients, children’s activities, and classes on health, nutrition, and gardening. AIFM 2011 Special Events June 12 Opening Day ceremonies begin at 8:30am June 19 – Sound Transit and Metro Appreciation Day July 10 – Kids Day July 24 – The Dog Days of Summer | Complete with the annual Parade of Market Dogs August 7 – National Farmers Market Week | Vendor Recognition Day September 11 Remembrance Day September 18 – Senior Appreciation Day

Kent Farmers Market, sponsored by the Kent Lions Club

Saturdays, June 4 to September 24
Town Square Plaza — 2nd Avenue &b Smith Street

When in Auburn and Kent, Take some time to visit each of these local sources for fresh foods and produce. After all, Farmer’s Markets are “Springing” Up All Over!

 

 

 

 

Thank You Tacoma Sprint Store! — You Were GREAT!

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Customer service should be a critical part of every business .. and yet so often it’s lacking. Sometimes, however, there are folks that go above and beyond to be helpful. Today I had just such an experience!

I use Sprint as my cell carrier. And their customer service with regard to phone repairs and support has, in general, been okay. Not exceptional. Just okay.

Today, however, was totally different!

A bit of background: About 3 weeks ago I decided that it was time to request repairs for the fuzzy call quality on my phone. Called Sprint and got the typical run-around. “You have to take the phone to the repair center and they’ll diagnose it.” Sigh. 45-minute drive one way. Wait my turn until they could even put me in the “we’ll look at your phone” queue. Then 2 hours while they looked at it. Only to be told … “oh, you’re phone has liquid damage and we won’t fix it. It’ll cost you $100 deductible through your insurance!” AACK!!!

So I whined, and got terribly cranky all to no result. I paid $100 to get the phone replaced.

Yesterday I dropped my phone off the edge of a wastebasket onto a tile floor–about 8″. The screen cracked. I call up Sprint to be told “well, we normally can’t fix these and it’ll be another insurance claim.” Imagine my dismay. I’m REALLY ticked off at this point, but thinking … okay, this is going to cost me yet ANOTHER $100.

Due to a full day of real estate appointments, however, my time was very limited and I knew I’d just have to drop in to the repair center in Tacoma as I was passing through. Crossing my fingers on a tight schedule, I was really praying that this thing could be fixed.

So I dropped in. Diana, the receptionist, was incredibly sweet and understanding. She listened to my whine with empathy. She didn’t think the phone was fixable, but would ask the technician. Guess what? They fixed it! Totally. Without a hassle at all. And FAST, too! It took them just enough time for me to walk across the street to Starbucks, buy a cup of coffee, and a couple of “thank you” gift cards for Diana and the Tina, tech.

When I got back to the store, Tina came out personally so that I was able to tell her how grateful I was that she was able to repair my phone! And, you know what? She told me that “nobody” had ever thanked them with a cup of coffee.

If you ever need phone repair from Sprint, go visit Diana and the folks at the Sprint store near the Tacoma Mall–3702 S. Fife Street. They’re fabulous!

And treat ’em nice. They’re worth it!

The Value of Photos: It’s Good Seller Representation

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Buyers are hooked on photos. I mean REALLY hooked on what they see when searching online for a home. They read a home’s description in the marketing remarks, then expect to see a visual confirmation of all of the features mentioned. From there they go to Google maps, or Bing, or wherever and pull up aerial photos. They look at birds-eye views; sometimes they try to get elevation views so they can get an idea of what can really be seen when looking out of the living room windows!

Sellers are too! They want to see their home in all of its beauty up on the Web. Every feature. Every room. With flowers in bloom and counters gleaming. They’ve already looked at lots of houses on the internet and know that their house looks at least as good as all of the ones they see, and probably better.

And then there’s us Agents/Brokers. We do a quick MLS search for a home for a particular feature trying to find the perfect house for our clients, or in an attempt to begin evaluating the competition.

When working with clients, it’s so important to listen to what they want and/or why they bought the house they did. Perhaps it’s a great back yard. Or they want “this” kitchen. Or that master bathroom is amazing. That sort of thing. And, as agents, we tend to write all that down and include it in the description.

But sadly, so much of that glorious description isn’t borne out in the photos.

Case in point: Today I began searching for a Buyer who wants a mountain view. My MLS search pointed out 17 listings in his area and price range. Of those 17 listings, only three (3!!) actually gave some attempt at showing the mountain view they described or had included as a feature in the listing itself.

Now that’s a bit of a problem. The client wants to see photos and I’m left to question just how much of a view there actually is. One listing described an “amazing Mt. Rainier view.” Not a picture anywhere. Not even a mention that “The Mountain” really IS out there on a clear day. Of course I’ll drive out and take a look myself, but really? Is the mountain really visible?

Good photos are immensely valuable, especially to the Seller. This “amazing Mt. Rainier view” is intriguing enough to call the Buyer to go take a look. But just imagine how many folks would like to see that view and dream a little … perhaps just enough … to buy the house.

It doesn’t take an expensive camera to get good photos, but it does take paying attention. Both to the descriptions from the seller and to what we actually write. As agents, those are the things we need to emphasize in our photos. Rhapsodizing about the granite counters is one thing — showing a photo of a clean, decluttered, gleaming counter says it all. The potential buyer should say “Wow, Look at That!”

There’s value in that photo and it’s good seller representation.

 

Keeping Transactions on Course is a Bit Like Herding Chickens

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My family is new to the world of chicken-keeping. Funny busy noisy creatures those chickens. But inclined to running all over the place when attempting to direct them from one place to another. Block one bird from running off course, then look around and another one has doubled back and is heading back to the pen … or off to dig up a worm in a totally different area of the yard.

Kind of like keeping real estate transactions on course. Sometimes it takes a lot of arm waiving and shirt flapping to keep everyone moving in the same direction from start to finish. But persistence does pay off. Sometimes you have to pick one chicken up and carry it to the final destination. Seems like I’ve done that in my real estate career just a few times! Well, I guess I haven’t actually picked up any clients and carried them around, although sometimes it felt like it!

The business of real estate is hard work. It takes perserverance, tenacity, professionalism, exacting and timely actions, smiling personality, and a  lot of arm waiving and shirt flapping as well.

Maybe my career in real estate has trained me well for chicken-keeping! Or maybe it’s the other way around. Give me a call if you ever need someone to herd your real estate transaction through from start to finish.

 

Being a Buyer’s Agent Requires Amazing Knowledge

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Being a Buyer’s Agent … that broker who assists buyers find their dream house and guides them through to closing of their purchase … requires an amazing amount of knowledge in today’s market.

Just a few years ago, being a buyer’s agent essentially involved locating and assisting a buyer in writing an offer, carrying it around to all parties involved and shepherding the transaction through to closing, whereupon the golden keys were given and the buyer became the happy owner of their new house. (Yes, I know there was more, but essentially.)

While those steps are still in place with an “upgrade” to their practical application, the amount of knowledge necessary now to guide a buyer through to making the actual offer is enormous.

 

For example, short sales abound in most parts of the country. At the very least, the Buyer’s Agent must

  • Have knowledge of the steps involved in making an offer,
  • Determine whether the asking price is reasonable compared to the likelihood of the seller receiving approval,
  • Research and determine how many liens might exist against the property,
  • Research whether a foreclosure is imminent,
  • Determine whether other offers were made on the property previously and why they might have failed,
  • Consider the experience of the person/firm handling the short sale negotiations
  • Determine who will pay for the short sale negotiation
  • And make an educated thought about whether or not this sale is likely to close.

Now on to bank-owned or REO properties. A few pertinent considerations for the agent:

  • Which Bank owns the property
  • Is the property owned by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae … is it a HUD home?
  • What are the offer procedures for those types of properties?
  • What’s the likelihood that the Buyer’s approved financing is appropriate for the type of ownership (for example, a VA loan isn’t particularly appropriate for a HUD-owned property)
  • What bank addendums are needed to make an offer? Do they override the existing MLS forms?
  • Can the normal MLS forms be used in making an offer?

And then there’s the house itself:

  • Is it likely that the property will qualify for the type of financing for which the Buyer has been approved? For example, if the buyer hopes to use an FHA loan … are there obvious defects that may need repair before the purchase can be completed? (let alone those that the appraiser might note)
  • Or … suppose the Buyer is looking at a property that will require a Rehab loan. Hmmmm, what type? An FHA 203(k)? Or what about HomePath Renovation or some of the other specific loans sponsored by a municipality?
  • And then, roughly, will the renovations be more than the Buyer can afford? Or more than, say, an FHA 203(k) StreamLine loan might allow?
  • Is that LP siding?
  • Does that roof look like it’ll pass the 5-year test?

    • 

And so on …

The agent with whom a Buyer works needs an enormous amount of knowledge just to bring a appropriately written offer to the Seller. — An amazing amount of knowledge!

It’s a Blue Balloon Weekend!

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Blue balloons should begin flying tomorrow in recognition of the National Realtor© Open House weekend and to point folks to those properties participating in the event all across the country. Not only is this a good time to showcase listings, but I’ve armed my actively searching Buyer clients with handfuls of business cards so that they can be comfortable touring homes, as well.

Which brings to mind the question of the real purpose of open houses. Of course, ideally an open house event might spawn a buyer for the featured property. At the very least, open houses can be a dynamite way to pick up a new client or two.

In the most recent couple of years, however, I’ve backed off doing open houses. Yes, I still do them periodically, but not nearly as often as I used to. Why? Because no matter how well prepared I try to be – advertising the event, bringing the cookies, doing the homework, preparing the give-aways – the hours almost always go by with little more than a nod from a passing looky-loo.

5621 S 232nd Street, Kent, WA -- Open 1-3pm Saturday 6/4/11

This should be an interesting event. In our area … at least for me … this Spring season has been busy busy with new Buyers and listings. So I’m sincerely hopeful that the increase of activity will manifest itself over the weekend. It’d be fun (yikes!) to be slammed with folks looking to buy, wouldn’t it?

I curious as to whether you’re participating as well. What do you expect to see this weekend?

If you’re in the downtown Kent Washington area tomorrow afternoon, drop by to see me at 5621 S 232nd Street. I’ll bring the snacks, you bring the questions!