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Archives for April 2019

Affordable 4-Bedroom Craftsman–Walk to Pacific Lutheran University!

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SOLD Above Asking Price!

$272,500
872 115th St S
Tacoma, WA 98444
MLS# 1440176

If you like Craftsman styling on a starter-home budget, this charming updated home, situated behind a huge privacy hedge, may be the perfect home for you.

Updated kitchen with white Shaker-style cabinets, quartz counters, subway tile and stainless appliances also features moveable island. The formal dining room is just off kitchen for entertainment, then step through to the comfortable “sectional-sized” living room. The king-sized master bedroom, with corner windows is on main floor for accessibility, with three additional bedrooms upstairs.

Outside is a fully-fenced yard, RV parking, and oversized detached garage–plenty of room for toys and tools!

Want to walk to school? 872 115th St South is just six blocks from PLU, and also within a few short minutes from JBLM, Shopping, 512 & I-5!

This home is move-in ready just for you!

● Built in 1941
● Effective year built: 1998
● 1,236 Sq Ft
● 7,500 Sq Ft Lot
● 4 Bedrooms (Master on Main Floor)
● 1 Bath		● Property Taxes: $2,616
● Franklin Pierce School District
● NO HOA!
● New Lifetime Warranted Roof
● Kitchen Appliances Stay

View the Virtual Tour & Additional Photos

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Why Pet-Friendly Homes Are in High Demand

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Why Pet-Friendly Homes Are in High Demand | MyKCM

One of the many benefits of owning your own home is the freedom to find your ‘furever’ friend. By pointing out the aspects of your home that make it ‘pet-friendly’ in your listing, you’ll attract these buyers, rather than alienating the 68% of American households that have a pet!

If you are one of the many homeowners looking to list your home for sale, how do you stand out to the millions of pet parents searching for their dream home?

Whether a dog person, a cat person, or someone who prefers the company of another pet species, 99% of pet owners say that they consider their animal to be family. When finding a home, 95% of animal owners believe it is important that a housing community allows animals.

A study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed that there are many aspects of the home buying, selling and owning experience that have been greatly impacted by our love for our pets.

This should come as no surprise, as $72 billion was spent on pets in the U.S in 2018. NAR’s President William E. Brown shed some light on the impact of pet owners and their home search.

“It is important to understand the unique needs and wants of animal owners when it comes to homeownership. REALTORS® understand that when someone buys a home, they are buying it with the needs of their whole family in mind; ask pet owners, and they will enthusiastically agree that their animals are part of their family.”

The Power of Pets When Choosing the Right Home

  • 89% of pet owners say they would not give up their pet due to a housing restriction
  • 81% of Americans say their pets play a role in their housing situation
  • 31% of animal owners have refused to put in an offer on a home because it wasn’t a good fit for their animals
  • 19% of Americans say they would consider moving for their pet
  • 12% percent have moved for their pet

New home builders have actually begun installing retractable pet gates that tuck away neatly inside door jams as a highly requested feature in new homes to attract pet-parents.

So, if you are a homeowner looking to sell in today’s pet-friendly environment, point out the features of your home that will attract pet owners:

  • Fully fenced in backyard – (91% of pet owners ranked this as the most important feature of a home to accommodate their pet)
  • Locations of dog parks/walking paths/pet-friendly beaches in the area (71% ranked this as the top feature of any neighborhood they would consider)
  • Proximity to veterinarians/groomers/pet supply stores (31%)

Bottom Line

Americans love their pets and will look for pet-friendly features in the home they wish to buy, so take advantage of this knowledge by pointing out your home’s ability to meet their needs.

Affordable, Beautiful, 3+ Bedrooms!!

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Sold above asking price

$240,000
6204 Aldea Court SE
Lacey, WA 98503
MLS# 1431521

Affordable, well-maintained homes on big lots are rare! This easy-care home offers a wonderful alternative to apartment or even condo living! Here you’ll have  a fenced back yard, 2-car attached garage, RV parking space, and an end-of-the-culdesac location.

Greatroom flow keeps the cook part of the action, while providing table space plus kitchen bar open to the living area. Bedrooms and baths are split between ends of the home, with ensuite in master bedroom. Vaulted ceilings and ceiling fan plus air conditioning make the home light, bright and comfortable even during the hottest days of the summer.

This home is move-in ready just for you!

● Built in 1992
● 1,512 Sq Ft
● 10,906 SqFt Culdesac Lot
● 3 Bedrooms + Den
● 2 Baths		● Covered Patio
● Gas Kitchen Range, Heat, H20
● Central Air Conditioning
● North Thurston School District
● $10/month HOA Dues

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5 Bedrooms & Beautifully Refreshed!

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Sold in 4 days above asking price

$340,000
8823 Wakeman Dr SE
Olympia, WA 98513
MLS# 1429487

Enter this wonderful home in Madrona Park to bright sunlight & generous spaces! Sporting the perfect layout for everyday living and entertaining, you’ll be greeted with beautiful fresh paint both inside and out, new carpeting, new fixtures—even a newer roof.

On the main floor: living/dining/kitchen with gas range, island, generous family room with fireplace, laundry, and bedroom #5 (currently in use as a home office). Upstairs is the massive master suite with 5-piece ensuite & walk-in closet, plus three more bedrooms (one with a walk-in closet).

From its dark green lawns, fenced yard and patio, this home is move-in ready. Great JBLM commute location too! This is home!

  • Built in 2000
  • 2,696 Sq Ft
  • 8,269 SqFt Lot
  • $3,395/year property taxes
  • $30/month HOA
  • 5 Bedrooms
  • 2.5 Baths
  • Formal Living & Dining Room, Family Room, Eat-in Kitchen
  • Gas range, Fireplace, Heat & Hot Water
  • Fully Fenced Yard

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Homebuyers Shouldn’t Worry About 2008 All Over Again

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Last week, realtor.com released a survey of active home shoppers (those who plan to purchase their next home in 1 year or less). The survey asked their opinion on an impending recession and its possible impact on the housing market.

Two major takeaways from the survey:

  • 42% believe a recession will occur this year or next (another 16% said 2021)
  • 59% believe the housing market would fare the same or worse than it did in 2008

Why all the talk about a recession recently?

Over the last year, four separate surveys have been taken asking when we can expect the next recession to occur:

  1. The Pulsenomics Survey of Market Analysts
  2. The Wall Street Journal Survey of Economists
  3. The Duke University Survey of American CFOs
  4. The National Association of Business Economics

70% of all respondents to the four surveys believe that a recession will occur in 2019 or 2020 with an additional 18% saying 2021.

However, we must realize that a recession does not mean we will experience another housing crash. According to the dictionary definition, a recession is:

“A period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters.”

During the last recession, a dramatic fall in home values helped cause it.

However, according to research done by CoreLogic, home values weren’t negatively impacted as they were in 2008 during the previous four recessions:

Homebuyers Shouldn’t Worry About 2008 All Over Again | MyKCM

During the four recessions prior to 2008, home values depreciated only once (at a level that was less than 2%). The other three times home values appreciated, twice well above the historic norm of 3.6%.

Bottom Line

If there is an economic slowdown in our near future, there is no need for fear to set in. Most experts agree with Ralph McLaughlin, CoreLogic’s Deputy Chief Economist, who recently explained that there’s no reason to panic right now, even if we may be headed for a recession.

“We’re seeing a cooling of the housing market, but nothing that indicates a crash.”