Columbia Partners Real Estate
This is a big occasion. The renovation project has finally come to a close and the listing is now live! Check out the photos I took and visit the official website for more info!
My old infographic served my clients and me well, but I now have a new one that is much more readable and colorful. Check out: The Home Buying Process
We all know that housing prices in Seattle have gone up a dramatic amount in the last several years.
Home buyers are happy once they close a deal, but rising prices can cause a lot of stress along the way.
And renters see no relief in sight thanks to landlords raising prices with each lease renewal.
For some, it’s unbearable.
A larger chunk of my clients are now looking at fixers. Common sense tells us that fixers will be more affordable, but what I want to find out is how their prices compare to homes at various levels of (dis)repair.
The chart shows us median prices of houses in Seattle over the past several years. All types of homes went up in price, but the largest appreciation has been for homes in good condition or better. A few caveats about the data. This was sourced from NWMLS listings and the categories are an optional, subjective interpretation of the listing agent, so the categories, especially the one labeled “Fair” have some variation within them.
Northwest Seattle–Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, Crown Hill, Greenlake, Greenwood, and so on–continues to be my number one most requested set of neighborhoods so I wanted to take a special look at that area to see how it compares to Seattle as a whole.
This tells a very clear story. Fixed up homes command a significant price premium over homes in average or worse condition and the gap is widening.
So, yes deals are still available if you’re willing to buy a home with some flaws.
You’ve applied for a home loan, and suddenly, half-way through the process the lender gives you a list of repairs they want made before they fund the deal. Sometimes these repairs are trivial, even silly. But sometimes they will cost thousands. What just happened?
I was touring homes on the South side of Seattle and came across this lovely home near Seward Park. I only had time for a few quick pictures with my iPhone, but I knew from the moment I stepped into the octagonal foyer that I would find plenty of charm further inside. It may lack some modern conveniences, but if you like the look of colorfully tiled bathrooms, old radiators, and masonry you would probably enjoy looking inside.
Stats
Marius did an amazing job as our buyer’s agent. We had a wide search area and a long list of unusual criteria, but he was able to handle it all with ease. He worked with us to set up a very precise search filter, and saved a lot of time by researching each property’s available records before driving out to see them. We still looked at a lot of places all over the Puget Sound region – spanning 8 counties! – but our tireless search paid off with a PERFECT home. Beyond the search, Marius was an excellent guide all the way through closing the deal. He has a brilliant attention to detail, and patiently explained the intricacies of the process. Lightning-fast communication and excellent advice from Marius saved us from several pitfalls! His negotiation skills got us everything we wanted out of the deal, and by the end, we learned this: Listen to Marius! He has a habit of being right!