Poulsbo WA Real Estate information from SoundBiteBlog.
Archive for Poulsbo Real Estate
April 24, 2008 at 1:50 am · Filed under Poulsbo Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Buyers, Sellers, Sparks from Sparky
We were pressed for time. My Out-of-State Buyers had only a few days, and were on a whirlwind schedule. They scoured the Internet from a coffee shop wireless connection, and threw a few more candidates into the mix.
It ended up being like that VISA commercial, where everyone in the store is using their VISA card, and then the one guy tries to use cash, and the whole place shuts down from the log jam.
I called one of the last minute entries. The ‘phone-to-show’ number was the Listing Agent’s cell number. I got his voicemail:
“Hi! This is Rich Jacobson of Brio Realty. I was wondering if I might be able to schedule a showing for your listing on Jones Street for later this afternoon. I have some Buyers from out of town, and they would like to see the house.”
I got a return phone call later that day:
“Hi, This is Bill from XYZ Real Estate. Here are the showing instructions for the Jones Street property. Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5:30pm to 7:00pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from Noon to 2pm, and Saturdays and Sundays after 7pm.”
…..The brakes on the Home Tour bus came to a screeching halt!!!!…..
It amazes me, given the current market conditions (slow as molasses going uphill on a cold day), why anyone would create obstacles to prevent a home from being shown?
Typically here in our market, the ‘phone-to-show’ number is the Seller’s phone. The Buyer’s agent calls and sets up the showing appointment with them directly. This eliminates one more step in the communication chain. Some Listing Agents prefer to have their cell phone as the ‘phone-to-show.’ This isn’t necessarily an issue, as long as the Listing Agent is readily accessible. But then, the Listing Agent still has to call the Sellers, obtain permission, then call the Buyer’s Agent back. This can sometimes cause delays.
In a slow market, where you have tons of inventory, and lots of homes competing for the same pool of Buyers, Sellers need to do everything within their ability to make the showing process easy and painless for Buyers and their Agents. That means removing any potential obstacles that may exist.
Now, obviously, this doesn’t mean, as a Seller, that you do anything that compromises your safety. Don’t ever allow anyone in through your front door who can’t establish their professional standing as a licensed real estate professional. Always have them activate the Lockbox first, to ensure they can properly/legally access the key, and provide digital record of their visit.
As a Seller, you need to be as accommodating as possible if you’re going to successfully compete with other homes on the market.
appointments, how to sell your home, Kitsap County WA, poulsbo wa real estate, sellers, showing your home slow marketBookmark this article to:
April 15, 2008 at 10:38 am · Filed under Poulsbo Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Sparks from Sparky, Bite Me Blogs
As many of you may know, I am a Community Builder with ActiveRain, a very large real estate network and blogging platform. It’s a start-up based out of Bellevue WA, and has over 80,000 members throughout the US and Canada.
Part of my role is to simply monitor the network, make sure the members are behaving, and to field questions.
Earlier today, I received an e-mail from a fairly new member out on the East coast. She’s in her in late 20’s, is relatively new to the real estate profession (she didn’t pick the best time to enter the fray!), and is working through the challenges of establishing her business in a slow market.
She recently wrote an article about real estate commissions and the portion that actually ends up in the agent’s bank account. It was a well-written article. However, no sooner had she published it, than a swarm of bubble bloggers descended upon her post and unleashed their commenting fury.
The first volley of comments were fairly typical of most bubble bloggers, but as the discussion slowly devolved, they became increasingly base and personally degrading towards the young author.
(For my regular readers, please forgive the following uncensored re-publishing of a few of these comments. I don’t usually allow this kind of language within the confines of SoundBiteBlog, but I felt it necessary to include them here)
One of the Bubble Bloggers made this degrading comment:
After reading the various posts on this subject, I think that everyone involved is failing to see the big picture here which is that —– is one hot mamma jamma MILF and I can tell that she is a jackal in the sack.
In fact, I would like to bone her very much if she is ever open and willing to fulfill my naughty realtor mom who will do anything to close the deal fantasy.
Most of you are so caught up in your evil realtor nonsense that you can not appreciate a fine cougar when you see one.
—–, love you long time. You are the bomb in my book. You can flip my house any day.
Call me.
-Dave
P.S: Post more pictures.
And another example of this senseless filthy attack:
I’ll pay you 6%. You have proven your worth. I just have one question:
Does that 6% get me some “alone time” in the VIP room and a guaranteed happy ending?
Because I think it’s only fair that I can do to you what your commission would be doing to me.
-L. Flynt
We’ve had a few Seattle area Bubble Bloggers frequent SoundBiteBlog. Most of these individuals are extremely sharp. They’re very articulate and can discuss intricate economic indicators on a equal or better footing than most investment professionals. One in particular has become somewhat of a regular around here. Last time he stopped by, he actually gave me a compliment!
Many Bubble Bloggers tend to be rather argumentative and abrasive by nature, but rarely do they descend to this level of vicious attack. I was able to trace one of the perputraitors back to their blogspot site, and left a few choice comments of my own, along with the charge that he and his blog thugs didn’t reflect or represent the majority of Bubble Bloggers I had encountered.
No doubt they’ll hunt me down now and make me their next target….oh goody!
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February 17, 2008 at 1:21 am · Filed under Poulsbo Real Estate, Sparks from Sparky, Business Bites
In the early morning hours of May 30th of 2006, a very popular local eatery in Poulsbo WA was left in charred ruins by fire. When Mitzel’s, a well known landmark, went up in smoke, area residents lost a dining tradition they had enjoyed for over 20 years.
Fast forward to the present, and the grand opening of ”Taprock Northwest Grill.”
Recently, I offered my son, Ben, and his friend, Josh, a lunchtime reprieve from their house-building efforts, and treated them both to a meal at the new Taprock Northwest Grill.
As is typical of most newly opened restaurants, the place was packed with plenty of local business people and assorted patrons patiently awaiting a seat.
The hired help was extremely friendly and gracious throughout our meal. On several occasions, the Manager, Steve Hancock, came up, personally greeted us, and inquired about our meal/service.
Yours Truly enjoyed a plate of Pan-Fried Totten Bay Oysters, while both Ben and Josh manhandled the Mountain High Tillamook Cheddar & Bacon Burger.
Trust me when I say that “Mountain High’ is an adequate description!
The food was very tasty, the service prompt and attentive, and the prices kind to my wallet.
The decor was classic Pacific Northwest, appointed with generous use of wood and stone, giving you the sense of an upscale hunting lodge or ski resort, but only next to a strip mall. It wasn’t too high-end though. Ben and Josh felt right at home in their work boots and bibs.
Overall, a very pleasant experience, and one that will no doubt more than adequately fill the shoes left behind by Mitzel’s.
Located at 760 NE Liberty Road, Poulsbo, WA 98370 * Phone: 360.697.2215
Hours of Operation
Sunday - Thursday: 11am - 10pm
Friday and Saturday: 11am - 11pm
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January 9, 2008 at 12:46 am · Filed under Bites of Kitsap, Bremerton Real Estate, Silverdale Real Estate, Port Orchard Real Estate, Poulsbo Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Buyers, Sellers, Sparks from Sparky
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,
nor the Son, but the Father only.” ~ Matthew 24:36
Okay, let me start off by saying that I mean no disrespect here. I am just as anxious for the 2nd Coming to happen as the next card-carrying evangelical fundamentalist (Come quickly, Lord Jesus!). But it seems that lately, we’ve had just as many people attempting to forecast the future of real estate as we do those who’ve attempted to predict the date and time for the return of the Son of Man.
In both instances, it’s simply a best guess. No one knows for certain what’s going to happen and when. Certainly there are indicators and previous cycle patterns to analyze and compare. But the reality remains, no one knows for certain.
But in real estate, there is one thing we can say with confidence - “No Two Markets are the Same!”
Just because some Wall Street ‘wannabe’ claims that the 2nd Great Depression is looming right around the corner, doesn’t make him right. Those guys earn a living on speculation! And if one more TV News Starlet, scratching her way to higher ratings, refers to the current housing market as a ‘Holocaust,’ I promise I’m gonna hurl!
Are there areas in the US housing market where things are tough? You betcha! In some places, prices are dropping, valuations are decreasing, and foreclosures are rising at an alarming pace.
But there are just as many housing markets, if not more, that are experiencing ‘normal‘ conditions. By ‘normal,’ I mean, experiencing the usual cycles historically associated with the real estate market. Every 8 to 10 years or so, we go through a market adjustment. After enjoying several years of very fast or brisk activity, the market begins to slow.
It is during these downturns, that the pessimistic media naysayers of ‘doom & gloom’ act as though these kind of cycles have never happened to us before. The constant bombardment of their incessant negativity begins to affect us, and their created perception starts to become our reality.
Certainly, if one lone trader can adversely affect the cost of crude oil, then the constant negative bombardment of media hypesters can easily influence our perceptions over the current real estate market.
The real truth is that real estate is bad in some places, but not so bad in some, and still fairly good in others. Please, don’t allow the Media’s broad brush strokes to paint an incorrect picture of YOUR market. If you’re looking to buy or sell, consult with your local real estate professional. No one is better equipped or knows your market more intimately than someone who is actively involved in providing expert representation in your specific area.
2nd coming, cycles, doom and gloom, market dynamics, media negativity, naysayers, real estate, seattle real estate blog, slow market washington real estate blogBookmark this article to:
December 7, 2007 at 11:35 am · Filed under Bites of Kitsap, Bremerton Real Estate, Silverdale Real Estate, Port Orchard Real Estate, Bainbridge Island Real Estate, Poulsbo Real Estate, Real Estate Bites, Buyers, Sellers, Mortgage Bites, Sparks from Sparky, Gig Harbor Real Estate, Kitsap Market Reports
Real Estate Market Report/Conditions in Kitsap County WA for 12/06/2007
The following is a brief analysis of the combined single-family home and condo market within Kitsap County, Washington for December 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: 1989
- Properties closed in the last 180 days: 1561
- Average Sales Price: $335,174
- Average List Price: $342,303
- Ratio of List Price to Sales Price: 98%
- Average Days on Market: 88
- Sales Pending this Week: 35
Current Market Conditions: Area 141 (South Kitsap West of Hwy. 16) still has the highest ratio of List Price vs. Sale Price with 102%. The lowest ratio was 95% for Area 161 (Hansville). Shortest Days on Market (DOM) was Area 166 (Poulsbo) at 63, and Area 150 (E. Central Kitsap) coming in 2nd with 69. Longest DOM goes to Area 163 (Port Gamble) with 133, followed by Area 161 (Hansville) at 106. Inventory levels dropped by nearly 10%, with many Sellers electing to remove their homes from market over the Christmas Holidays. Overall, prices continue to hold fairly steady, as do the days on market.
Bainbridge Island Stats: (Area 170)
- Properties currently Active on the market: 288
- Properties closed in last 180 days: 235
- Average Sales Price: $ 732,699
- Average List Price: $ 754,554
- Ratio of List Price to Sales Price: 97%
- Average Days on Market: 125
- Sales Pending this week: 6
For Buyers: There is no better time than ‘NOW’ to consider purchasing a home here in Kitsap County WA. Be sure to work very closely with your Mortgage Loan Officer throughout all stages of the transaction. Loan programs are changing constantly, and underwriters are imposing more and more conditions. A good Loan Officer will stay on top of these issues, and help to keep your loan process moving along smoothly.
For Sellers: Many Sellers are waiting until the market picks up again in the early Spring to put their home up for sale. You may want to consider an earlier launch date (early January) to give yourself a ‘jump’ on the competition.
For 1st Time Buyers: You might want to consider one of my listings, the Gorman Condominiums, near beautiful Kitsap Lake in Bremerton WA. For only $ 129,950 your dream of home ownership can come true!
For more additional information and resources concerning real estate in Kitsap County WA and the Western Puget Sound, access my website, Kitsap Life.
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December 3, 2007 at 10:14 am · Filed under Bites of Washington, Bites of Kitsap, Bremerton Real Estate, Silverdale Real Estate, Port Orchard Real Estate, Bainbridge Island Real Estate, Poulsbo Real Estate, Sparks from Sparky, Business Bites, Gig Harbor Real Estate
One of our family’s annual Holiday traditions is venturing out the weekend after Thanksgiving, and cutting down our Yuletide Christmas Tree.
In addition to the usual multitude of ‘pre-cut’ tree lots, there are a number of excellent ‘live’ tree farms located throughout Kitsap County WA.
Our first year here, we purchased a ‘pre-cut’ tree from Olmstead’s Christmas Trees here in Silverdale WA. They were close and convenient, just down the street from Clear Creek Elementary on Sunde Road.
For the proceeding couple of years, we went out to Kuney’s Christmas Trees, on Pioneer Road out in Seabeck WA. For a flat fee, you can select any tree on their property, regardless of size. Definitely a good bargain!
The last 3 years, we’ve cut out trees out at Hubert’s Noble Ridge Christmas Tree Farm, off Seabeck Hwy. in Bremerton WA. Although somewhat pricey, compared to other area lots, they have a wide selection of numerous evergreen varieties, including Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, Noble Fir, Shasta Fir, Western White Pine, and Southwest Alpine. They also offer the ”Noble House,” a place to snuggle up to a cozy fire and enjoy a cup of hot cider.
Our local newspaper, the Kitsap Sun, published a fairly comprehensive list of Christmas Tree farms throughout the West Sound area. Go HERE to access the list.
Another great National resource directory for finding Christmas Tree Farms throughout the US is www.PickYourOwnChristmasTree.org
To all of our SoundBiteBlog readers, have a very Merry Christmas Holidays, and a most prosperous New Year!
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