Port Orchard Real Estate :: SoundBiteBlog.com

New construction here in Kitsap County WA has been hard hit of late due to the economic downturn and lenders tightening their purse strings.

However, one area builder appears to be thriving in this challenging market, Quadrant Homes.

A Fortune 500 company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhauser Corporation, Quadrant Homes “More House. Less Money” is Washington State’s Largest Home Builder, with over 14 active developments from Mount Vernon to Yelm.

I had the good fortune of selling one of the first homes in the Stendahl Ridge development in Poulsbo WA. At first, many area agents were somewhat wary and hesitant at showing Quadrant properties to their Buyers. There was a lot of negative buzz floating around at the time, whether real, imagined, or otherwise, to the effect that Quadrant salespeople weren’t exactly ‘Buyer Agent’ friendly.

I think part of this mis-perception stemmed from Quadrant’s required procedure of generating their own purchase & sales contract on-site, and their seemingly ‘overbearing’ control over the entire transaction. Add to that the rather unique practice of paying out the Buyer’s agent commission at the beginning of the transaction versus at the completion of building. Many who take agency representation seriously felt that Quadrant was intentionally forcing the Buyer’s agent out of the equation.

Having been through the process as a Buyer’s agent myself, I can certainly understand how such attitudes could occur. However, such was not my experience.

In order for Quadrant to deliver on their promise of “More House. Less Money” they have to tightly control the entire process from start to finish. If you’ve ever been involved in a new construction project, you know how quickly things can go south! And as far as being paid up front, who in their right mind would complain about something like that?

I am currently working with some awesome 1st-Time Home Buyers right now who are under contract on one of the homes in Phase 3 of Quadrant’s “The Ridge at McCormick Woods” in Port Orchard WA. We are working closely with Dan Spurlock, the Development Community Manager. Dan commands an impressive knowledge of Quadrant’s products and is intimately versed in all stages of the construction process. He skillfully guided my Buyers through each section of the contract, careful to explain key portions in detail, and answer all of their questions. I have every confidence that my Buyers will continue to be treated with the utmost courtesy, respect, and care.

If you’re a 1st-Time Buyer or just looking for a great value in a home purchase, give me a call @ 360-440-4758, and I’d be glad to give you a personal guided tour of ‘The Ridge at McCormick Woods!

~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~

Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, ActiveRain, and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

Posted in Port Orchard Real Estate | No Comments »

Tags: dan spurlock, Kitsap County WA real estate, port orchard real estate, quadrant homes, the ridge at mccormick woods

This coming weeknd is the final opportunity for you to run out to the coast and dig up the last remaining, ever illusive Razor Clams before the season ends.

The following news release appeared on the WA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife website:

OLYMPIA — Clam diggers received the go-ahead to proceed with the last razor clam dig of the spring season starting May 3, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

Long Beach and Twin Harbors Beach will open for morning digs May 3-7, while Copalis and Mocrocks are scheduled to open May 4-5 only.

No digging will be allowed after noon on any beach. Kalaloch Beach will remain closed to harvest.

All diggers must have an applicable 2008-09 fishing license to dig razor clams on any beach. A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Licenses can be purchased at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov, by telephone (1-866-246-9453), or in person at more than 600 license vendors throughout the state. A list of vendors is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/lic/vendors/vendors.htm.

Under WDFW rules, harvesters may take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 taken, regardless of size or condition. Each digger’s limit must be kept in a separate container.

Dates and low tides are:

• Saturday, May 3, 5:27 a.m., -0.3 ft: Long Beach and Twin Harbors only
• Sunday, May 4, 6:16 a.m., -1.2 ft: Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks
• Monday, May 5, 7:04 a.m., -1.9 ft: Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks
• Tuesday, May 6, 7:51 a.m., -2.3 ft: Long Beach and Twin Harbors only
• Wednesday, May 7, 8:39 a.m., -2.4 ft: Long Beach and Twin Harbors only

Real Estate Market Report/Conditions in Kitsap County WA for 10/04/2007

The following is a brief analysis of the combined single-family home and condo market within Kitsap County, Washington for October 2007, provided by Rich Jacobson of Windermere Real Estate, in Silverdale, WA (Data for Bainbridge Island WA is included below)

• Properties currently active on the market: 2273
• Properties closed in the last 180 days: 1687
• Average Sales Price: $336,020
• Average List Price: $341,304
• Ratio of List Price to Sales Price: 99.5%
• Average Days on Market: 87.5
• Sales Pending this Week: 41

Current Market Conditions: The highest ratio of List Price vs. Sale Price is still Area 141 (South Kitsap West of Hwy. 16) with 101%.  The lowest ratios were 97% for Areas 167 (Suquamish) and 161 (Hansville). Shortest Days on Market (DOM) continues to be Area 150 (E. Central Kitsap) with 62 DOM. Area 146 (Chico) was also still 2nd at 64. Longest DOM goes to Area 164 (Lofall) with 161, followed by Area 162 (Kingston) with 104.  Inventory rose again slightly, and sales decreased. But the sales prices improved by nearly 7%.

Bainbridge Island Stats: (Area 170)

• Properties currently Active on the market: 332
• Properties closed in last 180 days: 299
• Average Sales Price: $ 733,243
• Average List Price: $ 747,692
• Ratio of List Price to Sales Price: 98%
• Average Days on Market: 136
• Sales Pending this Week: 4

For Buyers: Dont’ listen to the media or Jim Cramer on the “Today Show.” Now is still a great time to consider purchasing a home here in Kitsap County WA. The current rate this morning for a 30-year fixed rate loan is still just under 6%! With the number of available homes on the market, Buyers have more choices and greater negotiation power.

For Sellers: You’ve got to do your homework and ensure that you’re fully prepared for market. Your house will really need to ‘pop’ and be priced aggressively if you want to stand out from the masses. Working closely with your Listing Agent, you should pull out all the stops and do everything possible to position your home ‘Head & Shoulders’ above the competition.

For 1st Time Buyers, you might want to consider one of my listings, the Gorman Condominiums, near Kitsap Lake in Bremerton WA. For only $129,950 property ownership can be a reality for you!

For additional information and resources concerning real estate in Kitsap County WA, access my website, www.KitsapLife.com

Posted in Bainbridge Island Real Estate, Bremerton WA Real Estate, Buyers, Gig Harbor Real Estate, Port Orchard Real Estate, Poulsbo Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Sellers, Silverdale WA Real Estate | No Comments »

We had lots of things to celebrate this past week here in Kitsap County. My son’s football team won their last game, tying for first place in their Junior High league. Our local high school, the Central Kitsap Cougars, won their first divisional playoff game against Puyallup by a thrilling score of 31-16. Hey, what can I say, it’s football season!

But by far the most exciting thing that happened this past week was that my clients, TR and Arwen, closed on their very first home purchase!

It’s been almost a year since I began communicating with Arwen. She found me through the Internet and we started a regular string of e-mails back and forth. TR (proudly serving in the US Navy) was expecting new orders, and one of the potential duty stations was Bangor Subase, just outside of Silverdale WA.

Finally, the orders to Bangor were cut, and TR & Arwen arrived in Kitsap County! Shortly after arriving, TR made Chief Petty Officer. I can say, with complete confidence, that our Naval forces stand prepared and at the ready with people like TR at the helm!

The 3 of us jumped feet first into the home hunting fray, and had a blast! I truly enjoy working with 1st Time Buyers, especially ones like TR & Arwen. They had some excellent questions and trusted my counsel. We were fortunate to find a really great home in Port Orchard WA and negotiate a really great contract.

The entire process went along without difficulty, and we were able to close ahead of schedule.

Congratulations, TR & Arwen! You guys were AWESOME! Good Job!

This is what I truly love about my career in real state – “Helping people achieve their Next Adventure in Life!”

Posted in Bainbridge Island Real Estate, Bremerton WA Real Estate, Buyers, Gig Harbor Real Estate, Kitsap County Bites, Port Orchard Real Estate, Poulsbo Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Silverdale WA Real Estate | No Comments »

These are challenging days for Sellers, not only here on the Kitsap Peninsula, but in housing markets throughout the country. Inventory levels of available homes are at an all-time high; many homes languish on the market for what seems like an eternity, with little or no activity; loan underwriters have tightened their purse strings, making it much more difficult for hopeful buyers to qualify; global uncertainties, from the war in Iraq, to the price of crude oil, has consumer confidence faltering, keeping many potential buyers sitting on the fence.

                               * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

There is a wide spectrum of Sellers out there:

• The ‘Late Show’ Seller – this one is lost in a time warp and still thinks it’s a brisk Seller’s Market. Their listing price is over a year old and about 25% too high.
• The ‘Upside Down’ Seller – their adjustable rate mortgage just went throught the roof, and they owe more than the house is currently worth. Surely someone will pay more than what they need to net?
• The ‘Perceived Value’ Seller – “Our house is the nicest house in the development. We’ve invested a lot of money into improvements over the years, and we think it should sell for a lot more than what other homes are selling for.”
• The ‘Robbing-Peter-to-pay-Paul’ Seller – this Seller has an offer on another house and has to sell their current home for ‘X’ amount of dollars in order to make the new purchase work.
• The ‘Testing-the-Water’ Seller - “We don’t HAVE to move, but let’s price it really high and just see what happens.”

Tough market conditions call for equally Tough questions:

1. Why are you selling your house? What is your motivation? Do you HAVE to move right now?
2. When your Listing Agent conducted their market analysis, what price range did they determine/advise? How does that price compare with what your house is listed for now? What counsel does your Agent have for pricing today?
3. How long can you afford to NOT sell your house?
4. What ’other’ viable options are there to selling? A Lease/Purchase agreement? Conversion to a rental?

They say that there are only 3 reasons why a house doesn’t sell:

• The house is overpriced.
• There is some obvious, glaring material defect with the house that screams out, “Don’t Buy Me!”
• Your Listing Agent has fallen asleep at the marketing wheel.

These are the only reasons. If your house has been on the market for any length of time, without any activity, showings, or offers, it’s has to be one of these three.

There are 3 things that determine how quickly and successfully a house will sell:

1. Location
2. Condtion
3. Price

Of these 3 things, you, as a Seller, can control 2 of them. You can work to improve the condition of the property – the curb appeal, how well it shows; and you can determine the asking or listing price.

A great resource for Home Sellers is “Preparing Your Home to Sell: How to Increase Your Home’s Sales Appeal“ by David Knox.  I have several copies of this DVD available for loan, or go to www.davidknox.com

Even though the market has slowed, there are still Buyers out there who are moving to our area. Hopefully, asking yourself some of these tough questions will enable you to more aggressively market & sell your home, helping you to “Achieve the Next Adventure in Life!”

Posted in Bainbridge Island Real Estate, Bremerton WA Real Estate, Buyers, Gig Harbor Real Estate, Port Orchard Real Estate, Poulsbo Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Sellers, Silverdale WA Real Estate | 4 Comments »