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Maple Valley Real Estate | Maple Valley WA | Page 6

Posts Tagged ‘ Maple Valley Real Estate ’

The Definition of “Quirky”

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The Definition of “Quirky”

The loose definition of “quirk” is having a “peculiar trait”….according to Merriam-Webster’s online definition at least.   This was the word of the day this past weekend while I was showing homes in the Maple Valley area. No matter which home we went to, there was, inevitably, an odd quirk to the property.  Be it poor condition, a bizarre floorplan or an unusual property trait, we seemed destined to find something quirky about every single home we viewed. Many had great amenities, ”except for”.  The longer we looked, the more we began to expect ( even look forward to identifying )the quirk in the next house. We weren’t disappointed. Every home we viewed had “something odd” about it. Quirky. Odd can be good and odd can be bad. But if there is something quirky about a home, the price needs to reflect that oddity or “quirk”. Otherwise, it will just become topic for conversation and the buyers will say “next”. There is a buyer for every home. But not at any price. Unless you’re willing to wait a really long time.   Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King

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Maple Valley Market Retrospective

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This is an interesting look back over the past 3 1/2 years at homes sold in the Maple Valley market area. We were certainly spoiled with low market times which have more than doubled in the last year over a 44 day average in 2005.     2005 2006 2007 2008 (YTD) Number Sold 1029 1044 745 255 Average Market Time 44 days 55 days 79 days 95 days Average Sales Price $348,057 $415,424 $436,894 $406,781

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Maple Valley Bank-Owned Listing Report

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Maple Valley Bank-Owned Listing Report

This information is for Single Family Homes in the greater Maple Valley area and represents only listings published through NWMLS, and does not take into consideration private or auction sales. Currently On the Market:   11 Average List Price:   $343,936     Highest List Price: $729,900      Lowest List Price: $140,000 It’s often the perception of consumers that Banks will take deep discounts when negotiating to get these listings off their books. While that is sometimes the case, more often, the discount has been made when the bank first took over the property in foreclosure. Here’s a look at recent Bank-Owned sales in our area and List to Sales price ratios: Number Sold: 8 The Lowest:  Listing at $253,000 Sold for $245,000- a difference of about 3% The Highest: Listing at $488,000 Sold for $470,000- a difference of about 3.68% All eight of the homes sold within the last six months, closed between 94.77 to 97.74% of Listing Price. In other words, if you have your eye on a Bank-Owned home, thinking you may get it for ten or twenty percent off asking price, I think you should have a “plan B”-just in case! Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple

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Maple Valley Lakefront Homes

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Maple Valley Lakefront Homes

One of the best things about living in the Pacific Northwest, aside from the abundant greenery is the beauty of the many natural lakes in the area.  Those of us who live in the greater Maple Valley area , which is approximately 20 miles South East of Seattle, are fortunate to have several lakes available for public use. Lake Sawyer is the fourth largest lake in King County and allows motor boats; definitely a popular choice with water skiers and wake boarders and also boasts some of the best bass fishing (if tales are true) in the area!  There are several other smaller, non-motor boat lakes: Lake Lucerne, Pipe Lake, Lake Wilderness, Lake Retreat, Shadow Lake and Spring Lake (if I’ve forgotten any, please let me know) which fall within the coveted Tahoma School District. Lake Wilderness is open to the public for swimming and fishing and the Cherokee Bay community  and Cedar Downs neigbhorhood both enjoy a community waterfront park on Pipe Lake. The others are primarily available only to those lucky enough to own waterfront real estate. Traditionally lakefront property has been a solid investment due to the principle of supply and. demand. Here is a lakefront snapshot of waterfront properties within the Tahoma School District Boundaries: 8 ACTIVE PROPERTIES CURRENTLY

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Maple Valley New Listing-4 BR Townhome $319,950

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Maple Valley New Listing-4 BR Townhome $319,950

Just listed in Division III of Valley Green, this Schneider Homes built Townhome is a unique 4 Bedroom plan with approximately 1600 square feet of living space. Located on semi cul-de-sac, the home has an attached 2 car garage and backs to trees and protected open space. The original owners have made recent updates which include extensive laminate flooring, air-conditioning and a large entertainment-sized outdoor deck. Take the virtual tour or call for more information 425-432-5400. Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King & North Pierce counties since 1990 but specializes in the Maple Valley Washington area. .She may be contacted directly at: 425-432-5400 Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved Colleen Fischesser

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What’s Selling in Maple Valley?

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What’s Selling in Maple Valley?

Is anything? The answer is a resounding YES! However a close look at the numbers reveals that homes priced between three and four hundred thousand account for more than half of all pending sales. Currently of the 379 active Residential Single Family listings in the Maple Valley market, homes priced between 300,000 and 400,000 represent 35% of the inventory. However homes in the same price range represent 65% of the total number of pending sales. (A pending sale is one which is either subject to inspection or in escrow but not yet closed) The reasoning behind this trend could be two-fold. One, there is a large number of New Construction listings in this price range-homes which have recently undergone significant price slashes, thus appealing to investment conscious buyers; and two, tighter lending requirements mean buyers have to have higher down-payments and are unable to purchase higher priced listings. Eventually, this should have a trickle up effect on the 500+ market. Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King & North Pierce counties since 1990 but specializes in the Maple Valley Washington area. .She may

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Mortgage Interest Rates to Rise?

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Mortgage Interest Rates to Rise?

It’s something not many people are talking about; especially with the sluggish housing market. But some industry gurus believe it’s very likely the Fed will have to raise interest rates to curtail the rising price of gas and produce. I’ve been following Dr. Mark Dotzour, Chief Economist and Director of Research at Texas A&M University’s forecasting for several months now. Back in February, respected editor of Realty Times, Blanche Evans, wrote about Dotzour’s prediction that interest rates could “soar”. Unfortunately, what he says makes sense. A news article on the Real Estate Center’s website quotes Dotzour as recently saying “Trucking firms, auto dealers, airlines and retailers are all suffering heavily from the high cost of energy,” Dotzour said. “At some point, the Fed will have to increase rates and increase them quickly.” I’m not a financial professional (disclaimer there….did you pick up on that?) and am about as far from an economist as you can get, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that prices are increasing (outside of the housing industry) rather quickly and it would seem something is eventually going to have to be done to reverse that trend. Is the sky falling? No. But if

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Doughnut Hole Price Drops Too!

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Doughnut Hole Price Drops Too!

According to a recent Seattle Times article, the County’s intent to sell the 167 acre parcel at Kent Kangley & 228th may have hit a snag. After much public pressure, the County agreed to open the sale up to a public bidding process, and then learned….as many Maple Valley homeowners have, that this is a buyer’s market. It turns out Yarrow Bay was the only developer willing to step up, however their bid was now 15% lower than their original offer. And to add insult to injury, Yarrow Bay has apparently withdrawn the added Icy Creek acreage which had been added originally to sweeten the pot. What I find ironic is that the County is citing the “appraised value” of the property which came in at 71M…a far cry from Yarrow Bay’s original 51M and final 35M offer. I would hope the County has some capable employees who understand the ups and downs of a real estate market. Regardless of what a property appraises for, it is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay. It’s a basic principle; the seller can set the price, but it is the buyer who will ultimately determine the value. Is the County Assessor sitting up

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All information is current as of published date. Listings for sale or rent, are avaialable as of the date published, however price and availability are subject to change.