Everett’s Lake Stevens area one of the top 10 in the country for list to sale price!

The UPI is reporting today that the Lake Stevens area outside of Everett is one of the top ten areas in the country when comparing the list price of a home to the actual selling price.   Not a bad thing for sellers in the area!

The question that my researcher had for me was ‘why?’.  The answer is partly because people are still buying homes in the Seattle area, and second is the availability of 0% down payment home loans.  What?  You thought those had all died out?  Nope, two still exist!  The USDA Rural Home Loan and of course VA loans.  Both obviously come with their own set of conditions and restrictions.

It is my professional opinion that people are willing to pay a premium for homes in the Lake Stevens area because they qualify for no down payment home loans.  Additionally, there are many new home developments in that area that qualify for the USDA loans.  This means that buyers can get into a home with very little money AND don’t have to deal with the head aches and delays associated with buying a home going through a short sale.

If you take those two factors into consideration, it is no surprise that the Lake Stevens area is getting a lot of interest lately!  If you are looking for a home in an area that might qualify for the USDA 0% down payment home loan and have questions or need help finding a property that qualifies, give me a call at 425-773-3149.  I have helped several clients find great homes that qualified for zero down loans and I can help you too!

2009 Everett Sustainable Living Fair Saturday 10/3

It is easy to miss out on some to of the really interesting ‘green living’ events in our area mainly because they are not well publicized.  The 2009 Everett Sustainable Living Fair that is being held at the Snohomish PUD Building is just such an event.  From 9-4 you can come in and see how you can help transform your home and lifestyle to be a little more green and live in a more sustainable fashion!

Here is a map to the Sustainable Living Fair.  I won’t get to attend because I will be out showing homes all day, but I am sending the rest of the family down to check it out and learn more about living sustainably!

Frontier Bank Headquartered in Everett Sold to East Coast Company.

After reporting a $50 million dollar net loss a short time ago, it has been announced that the Everett based Frontier Bank has been sold to SP Acquisition Holdings Inc.  The deal for $24.4 in stock and warrants was announced Friday comes after a 10 month search for new capital to fund the bank.

Like many banks across the country, local Washington banks are struggling to find capital to offset their losses.  As of June 30, $818.8 million of Frontier's nearly $4 billion in assets — 20.5 percent — were considered nonperforming. Of that amount, $535 million were construction or development loans.  With numbers like those it is easy to see why many banks are failing, or are being sold off at pennies on the dollar.

Currently, little is visibly going to change at Frontier Bank, though they have laid off about 150 workers company wide since last year.

Why did the listing on my Everett home expire without it selling?

 

If you have a home for sale in the Everett Washington area, that has been on the market for some time and have actually gotten to the point where your listing has expired, you know something is wrong.  Unless a property is listed for a very short time, reaching the point where the listing expires is an indicator that some portion of the marketing plan has failed.  Don't feel bad though.  There were over 200 homes in Everett whose listings expired in May of 2009 alone!

What should you do then?  In most cases the first thing I would suggest if the listing on your Everett home has expired is get a new real estate agent.  The only reason you should keep your agent at this point is if they have been making suggestions of things that need to be changed, primarily price, that you have not been listening to.  A new agent won't help you if you won't take their advice!

The absolute first thing that must be done if your listing has expired, is to do a new CMA and adjust the price.  When a home doesn't sell the absolute and ultimate factor that has to be changed is the price!  The price that a home sells for is a direct reflection of its location, size, condition and marketing.  The best marketing plan in the world is of absolutely no use if the home is priced too high for its location, condition and size.

If you're Everett home hasn't sold, and has been on the market longer than 60 days, there is absolutely an issue with how it is priced!

If you are finding yourself frustrated with the marketing of your Everett home, and your listing has expired, please give me a call at 425-773-3149 to discuss what changes need to be done to get your property sold!

Velton’s Coffee keeps roasting and looking optimistic!

Original article about Velton’s Coffee

It is good to see a small business person pursing their dreams like Velton Ross, owner and operator of Velton’s Coffee in Everett, Washington.  I hadn’t heard about him until I read this article at HeraldNet about his coffee roasting operation in Everett.

The great part is that he has a plan and after his roasting business is established, he hopes to open up some local coffee shops so he can serve up some of his home-roasted beans himself!
HeraldNet 

If he does ever open up an intimate neighborhood cafe, it'll likely be in Everett or south Snohomish County, an area he says is woefully underserved when it comes to independent coffee shops.

I definitely encourage the coffee lovers out there to take a look at his website, order some coffee and request that your local brew shop get some of his goods to test out.

http://www.veltonscoffee.com/

Condominium Properties in Everett, Washington

There are condos for sale all over the United States. Their prices vary as much as their locations (from inexpensive to very expensive). Some people use condos for vacations, while others live in their condo year round. In many cases you have to do less yard work than living in a home. You don’t have neighbors surrounding you, like an apartment. You will probably have to pay a homeowners’ association fee, which you wouldn’t have to in some apartments, or if you had your own home (depending on where your home is located). Condos are also a great investment idea because they are popular as vacation rentals.

Homeowners’ Association:
Living in a condominium is a great idea if you are sick of yard work. This is because condos have little or no yards, and the small amount of yard you do have will be taken care of by someone from the homeowners’ association. If you are looking at condos for sale, you should realize that if your condo is in a neighborhood of condos, that you will probably be required to belong to a homeowners association. The homeowners’ association pays the person who keeps up all of the yards. They also fix anything that goes wrong with your condo, including electrical, sewage, heating, and other problems. While all of that is great, you do have to pay a monthly homeowners association fee, which is probably not less than $100. If you run into problems with your homeowners’ association, there are lawyers that specialize in condominium litigation.

Your neighborhood:
Some condos are located next to golf courses. Others have swimming pools, weight training facilities, miniature golf, recreation centers, and game rooms. The accessories that come with the condo may determine the age of people that live in the neighborhood. If you are interested in being around people that are your age, simply ask the manager of the condos what age the people who live in the neighborhood are.

Benefits of staying in a condo on your vacation:
While there are many condos for sale, there are also condos for rent. Since many people use their condo as a second home, or vacation home, there are condos in great vacation spots that can be rented for a week or longer. Renting a condo has some benefits that a hotel doesn’t: condos come with a kitchen, washer and dryer, and more space than a hotel room.

Renting out a condo:
After you have purchased your own condo, you may want to look for other condos for sale in the area, purchase them, and rent them out. This is one good way you can invest your money. Sometimes condos are attached, forming a duplex. You may purchase the duplex condo, and rent out half of it. If your condo is in a vacation area, you can choose to rent it out week-by-week, or you can rent it out permanently.

One thing to remember if you rent out a property: you may have to pay an income tax. You will also have to pay property tax, and for someone to clean out the condo after each renter, unless you choose to do it yourself. Figure this into any amount that you charge for rent.

Inside Everett Real Estate is a network entirely devoted to real estate information. The entire Inside Real Estate network has more than 100,000 pages of real estate for cities allover the United States. Inside Real Estate covers several topics from the basic "how to's" of real estate to city-specific real estate information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clint_Hunter

Technorati Tags: Everett,Washington,Condo,Real Estate,Condominiums

Teen Writing Workshop – Everett Downtown Library

Looking for something for your creative teen to do in the Everett area?  As part of the Big Read being put on by the National Endowment for the Arts, there will be a free teen workshop on writing a supernatural mystery.  I think this is pretty cool!

The best part is, that if you go to the Big Read website, you can search for community events in Everett, Lynnwood and all across the country!  This is a great way to keep your kids busy and not have to spend a bunch of money!

Technorati Tags: Everett Washington,Writing Workshop,Everett Events

What is the future of the history of Everett Washington?

Last night the Everett Historical Commission met to discuss the look and feel of what the future of the historical buildings in Everett should be.  HeraldNet quotes Mark French, Chairman of the Everett Historical Commission; "Ultimately we would like to see the downtown more strengthened through the use of historic property registration and perhaps a district,"

What are your thoughts on the historical flavor of Everett.  I must admit that I rarely get into the historical downtown area and wander around, so is it really something that needs protecting?  Or as my husband says, should those buildings be replaced with more efficient, safer structures that are easier on the environment and will withstand a major earthquake?

I am sure there are some strong opinions on both sides.  Where do you stand?

Technorati Tags: Everett Washington,Historical Distirct,Historical Buildings

Everett Opens its New Animal Shelter!

Just in time for the Spring kitten explosion, the Everett Animal Shelter has opened the doors to its new facility. 

The new animal shelter is cleaner and more capable of handling the thousands of stray and abandoned animals that come though their doors every year.

I highly encourage you support your local shelter, and if you are looking for a new pet that you start your search with Petfinder!

Horizon Air gets closer to a deal to make flights out of Paine Field

The Seattle Pi is reporting that despite continued resistance to the idea, Horizon Air is getting closer to establishing commercial air service out of Paine Field headed to Spokane and Portland.  Personally I would be more interested in Allegiant Air's flights to Vegas.

Regardless of which side of the fence you are on when it comes to commercial flights out of Paine Field, it looks like it is going to go ahead and become a reality. 

Personally I am not thrilled about the possibility of added noise (though a half dozen flights a day isn't that many) but with the economy like it is, I have a hard time saying no to a project that will add jobs and revenue to the community.

Technorati Tags: Everett,Washington,Paine Field,Horizon Air,Allegiant Air,Commercial Flights

Everett Industrial Complex Sells

Costar is reporting that an industrial condo unit in Everett was bought by MD Real Estate recently.

MD Real Estate purchased an industrial condominium in the 526 Commerce Center in Everett, WA, for $1 million, or about $135 per square foot.
The 7,400-square-foot condo is at 1420 80th St. SW, a 46,890-square-foot facility that was constructed in 1991.

This is not a huge piece of news, but it does bring my attention to a new source of commercial real estate news.  Costar reports commercial real estate news across the country and has an RSS feed specific for the Seattle region.  Very nice to see!

Frontier Bank is On the Watch List

From the flood of recent articles, it looks like the recent changes at Everett Washington based Frontier Bank were set in motion by federal regulators.  Apparently they were concerned that Frontier Bank could go the way of Washington Mutual.

There was even a cease and desist letter filed by the FDIC to halt the decline of the bank.  The major points of the C&D letter were to stop:

• Operating the bank with management practices that were harming the bank.
• Operating without proper board of directors oversight into the management of the bank.
• Operating with too little capital in relation to the quality of the assets held.
• Operating with inadequate loan valuation reserve.
• Operating with a large volume of poor quality loans.
• Engaging in unsatisfactory lending and collection practices.
• Operating in a manner that produces low earnings.
• Operating with insufficient liquidity.

Sounds like they were messing up across the board!  In a press release issued Tuesday, Frontier Bank addressed some of the concerns in an effort to reassure investors and customers alike.  Newly appointed Frontier CEO Patrick Fahey points out that many changes have been made to bring the institution back around.  These include cutting executive pay and diversifying their loan portfolio.

Congratulations to the Port of Everett

Found this snippet of news this morning about the Port of Everett in the Mukilteo Beacon's website:

On March 12, the Port of Everett received the "Best of Industry" award for local government from the United Way of Snohomish County. The Port’s Facilities and Security Director Scott Grindy also received a nomination for campaign manager of the year.
In 2008, in partnership with local businesses, the Port of Everett raised $12,246 for the United Way of Snohomish County. Each year, the Port employees find fun and innovative ways to raise money to support the United Way’s mission. Through weekly raffles and the port’s annual fundraising event, staff works hard to raise awareness about the importance of giving.
Port employees contributed $10,532 through payroll deductions, and also raised $1,599 through a silent auction. This is $1,981 more than last year’s fundraising efforts. These donations are used to help fund more than 114 programs and 49 agencies in Snohomish County, including the Red Cross, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the 211-resource hotline.

Federal Stimulus Money to Be Used to Build Bike Path in Everett

Whether you agree with the stimulus plan or not, it is getting projects done.  The Herald is reporting that almost $2 million dollars are going to be spent building this bike path and that it will employ 25 people.  This is in conjunction with the other development that is going on down at the Port of Everett.

The Port of Everett will receive $1.9 million in federal stimulus funds to create an enhanced pedestrian and bicycle path along W. Marine View Drive between 11th and 16th streets. The money was authorized Thursday by the Puget Sound Regional Council. "The construction field is an area that has been hard hit by the recent recession and we are excited to have the opportunity to do our part in helping put people back to work in our community," said John Mohr, port director. Mohr said the project is ready to move forward. Part of it includes traffic safety improvements to 13th Street, intended as the entrance to a $400 million redevelopment along the waterfront. The work is expected to create 25 construction jobs.

Everett Fixer For Sale - $144,950

If you have been looking for an inexpensive home in Everett, here is your chance!  Yes, it is in a short sale, and it does need work, but that only means more opportunity to gain some equity, even in this market!

• 2 Bedrooms
• 1 Bath
• 864 Square Feet
• Needs Carpet, Paint and Finish Work

For those of you that like project houses, this Everett home is perfect!  If you would like to take a look at it, please give me a call at 425-773-3149.

Listing #:  29002056

Hello Everett Washington!

I want to take a moment to welcome you to my blog about real estate, home loans and news from Everett, Washington!

If there is something in particular you would like me to cover or talk about, leave me a comment and I will do my best to get to it!  In the mean time, lets hope that Spring shows up for real and that the snow goes away sometime soon!

 
- Enough of this already! -