In Part I of this post, I reviewed new construction and communities by DR Horton, Soundbuilt Homes, Schneider Family Homes, and Conner Homes. Because new construction is such a huge part of our south King County and north Pierce County Auburn location, I’ve split my quick overview into two posts. In addition, you’ll find a few more tips about buying new construction in the post 20 Tips to Buying New Construction. Premier Homes I haven’t had a chance to work with any of the Premier Homes folks yet, but wanted to include them in this list as they have a nice community (Northlake) just barely southeast of Lakeland Hills in the Pierce County side of Auburn. At the same location, Lennar Corporation recently acquired the remaining home sites at Northlake and is now building them as Woodland M... 03/05/2012

Acquiring a new home is thrilling for every Buyer, but new construction, in particular, maintains an exceptionally high level of anticipation, followed by what seem to be endless delays and frustration, and then finally culminating in a near fever-pitch of excitement. In addition to the shiny new finishes and new house smell, of course, new construction is attractive to many buyers because of builder financing and low down payment incentives, extended warranties, and the desire to decorate a home from the ground up, choosing plans, colors, cabinets, counters, and flooring. Not to mention that a contract written for new construction will close, unlike so many of the short sale listings that are prevalent in our area. There’s a sure thing happening in new construction … less so with distr... 03/05/2012

Buying an Auburn Home | You Need an Inspection Home Inspections: The Different Types Home inspections tend to confuse homebuyers, especially if buying a house is a first-time experience. Below are different types of home inspections you may encounter: Primary Home Inspection This is the most important thing to do when buying a house. It is unbelievable how many homebuyers overlook this when purchasing a property. If you want to avoid homebuyer’s remorse you need to have your future house thoroughly inspected. 03/05/2012

Can two months be a trend? Well, not really, but we can look at a trend between 2011 and the new fresth start of 2012.  Let's do that for Auburn.  Any home, that is residential, not a condo or mobile home that has an address of Auburn, whether that be inside the city limits or not is used in this comparison.     So far for the homes in the Auburn Area the start to 2012 is better than the start of 2011.  Look at the chart and see that in Jan 2012 there was a 20 % increase of homes sold and in Feb 2012 there was a 19.64% of homes sold. Looks like this could be a great spring market!                 If you are thinking of selling your Auburn, Washington and would like more information on your Auburn neighborhoods market just fill out the form with your name, email address and property addr... 03/05/2012

When the Kids Move Back Home to Auburn When the Kids Move Back In Five million young adults are currently living with their parents, according to the Census Bureau – an astounding one in eight 25- to 34-year-olds. But it’s no wonder: Unemployment for people in their early twenties now touches 14%, vs. the national average of 8.5%. New grads are having a harder time finding first jobs, and layoffs are forcing some older twentysomethings, even thirtysomethings, to return home. If your kid comes boomeranging back, use these tips to help smooth the financial transition – for both of you. 03/05/2012

At the end of March I will be having a little house guest (grandson) for a few days so I have been scouring the area for things to do.  Looking in South King County area I came across the  Petpalooza - this of course isn't in March, but in May but I thought it worthwhile to get the information out there.  This looks like an amazing day for everyone and their fur babies!   Here are some activities: Skyhoundz Disc Dog Championships Seattle Flydogs demos Pony rides 'Unleashed' pet contests Agility areas A noon pet parade There are also over 150 vendor booths, giveaways and lots of activities to keep both humans and pets entertained. Now that sounds like a day!! Ready for the Parade!!  When:  May 19th - after the Dog Trot! Time:  10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Location:  Game Farm Park                 ... 03/05/2012

Auburn Home Owners | Appliances: When to Repair – When to Replace Appliances: When to Repair – When to Replace The hot water is no more, or the furnace makes you pull out the blankets. Perhaps your washing machine just spun it’s final load. The question becomes, Fix it, or junk it? If an electronic device cost less than $200, junk it without further thought. Repairing a relatively inexpensive item like a cordless phone or counter-top microwave is not cost-effective. 03/03/2012

What is My Auburn Home Worth? Receive a custom evaluation for your Auburn Washington home, including comparisons to other homes that have recently sold or are on the market. This guarantees you receive the most accurate information available. To find out what your home is worth, click the link below to access the form:   What is My Auburn Home Worth   03/03/2012

Auburn WA Real Estate | January Homes Sold 2012 During the month of January Auburn had 49 homes sell.  This is almost half of what sold in December.  This includes detached homes, town-homes and manufactured homes on owned land. How exciting to be in a new home for all of the family gatherings! Below you will see a map with some Auburn, WA sold homes. These Auburn WA homes actually had a transfer of home ownership. Contracts complete and Lender funds available. The home buyer and seller signed all of their documents and escrow prepared the closing packages. Once all the I’s were dotted and the T’s crossed there where deeds recorded at the King County courthouse that transferred the property into the new home owner’s name! If you want to learn more about how we transfer property in Washi... 03/03/2012

Auburn WA Real Estate | Home Buying in Auburn WA Home Buying: When is the Best Time to buy a home in Auburn WA?   One of the questions we are asked most often is, “when will be the right time to think about buying a home in Auburn, WA?   The answer is right now, if possible, but let’s expand on that a little further.   One of the main concerns of those looking to buy a property is what might happen to house prices. Let’s face it; nobody wants to invest in such an expensive asset if it is going to continue to lose value. With the media full of reports of double digit declines in values, and estimates of further significant reductions throughout 2011 it would be very easy to conclude that it would be better to wait until values have reached rock bottom. Originally Posted at: Homefront Realty 02/29/2012

  In today's Auburn real estate market the trend is to have 3 types of homes to choose from, no not split level, ranch or two-story but, standard, short sale or bank owned.  I am sure the Auburn buying public would like to see how many of each product have sold over the last 13 almost 14 months.  In the graph below you can see what has sold as a standard sale, a short sale and a bank owned property.    Currently about 37 - 42 percent of homes are owned and sold by banks.  These homes have been foreclosed on by the lien holder and the occupant of the property had to move out, whether they wanted to or not.  During the year of 2011 short sales were about 20 - 25 % with the start of 2012 reaching around 38%.  I hope we can see more short sales instead of foreclosures during 2012 even thoug... 02/28/2012

  7 Ways to Boost Your Auburn WA Home’s Value | Auburn WA Real Estate   If you’re putting your Auburn home up for sale, you may be wondering which improvements will maximize the value of your property. Here are some of the most cost-effective improvements you can make – giving you the most bang for your home-improvement buck! 1 – Refinishing your hard wood floor or replacing worn tile can add thousands to your Auburn WA home’s bottom line. These improvements are especially cost effective if you rent the necessary equipment and do the labor yourself. 2 – Storage upgrades – If you have a roomier bedroom, consider dedicating some of that extra space to a walk-in closet. Or take that unused area in your garage and create some sturdy shelving for stowing away sports equipment and tools. Roo... 02/26/2012

Prepare Your Auburn Home For Sale | 3 Ways to Reduce Property Repair Costs     Prior to listing your home on the market for sale you must make sure it is in tip-top shape.  We all know that property repair costs can  really do damage to our bank account.  One of the best ways to keep costs down on real estate repairs is to do the work and maintenance yourself.  That works … unless you don’t have the time or necessary skills. In those cases, you’ll have to hire someone to do the work.   Here’s how to do it – and avoid ugly surprise   1. Get at least three quotes. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to get in touch with people to ask for a quote. So it’s tempting to get just one and quit. Don’t do it! You might be amazed at how much difference there will be in 3 different vendors.         ... 02/25/2012

With the start of the new year everyone's thoughts are to what the Auburn WA Real Estate holds.  Auburn WA real estate market has started out stronger than Jan 2011 with a Jan 2012 homes sold count of 59 compared to 46 in Jan 2011 the year has started out with a 28.261 increase Jan 2011 vs Jan 2012.  As the months close out it will be interesting if we will continue to see this trend.   The chart below will show the comparisons by month.  Check back monthly to find out if the trend continues.    Check out this link to see some Auburn WA Real Estate Homes Sold data that will compare the Years 2006 to the present.  Auburn WA Real Estate | 2012 Homes Sold Trend   Real Estate Values 02/24/2012

  Welcome to the year 2012!  What does the real estate market in Auburn WA have in store for Auburn area home sellers and buyers this year?  What is the market trend going to be here locally?  What is a market trend anyway?    Definition of 'Trend' The general direction of a market or of the price of an asset. Trends can vary in length from short, to intermediate, to long term. If you can identify a trend, it can be highly profitable, because you will be able to trade with the trend. Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/trend.asp#ixzz1nA8gS67B   With the year barely started it is too early to see a trend in homes sold in Auburn for 2012, but as the year goes on we should be able to see the trend in the first 3 months.  That is why I have included the past years information to ... 02/22/2012

   Auburn home buyers understand the cost of  updating a bathroom when looking for a home to buy.   With this in mind you must be sure your bathrooms look their best when you decide to put your Auburn home on the market.  Bathrooms must be that supporting actor right behind the kitchen.  It is important that bathrooms are clean, bright and smell fresh. Install all new decor - shower curtain, blinds/curtains, rugs, towels. Fresh coat of paint on walls and ceiling. Make sure fan works and is quiet Polish all fixtures. Install highest possible watt light bulbs. Hang bright, fresh towels with a style like a spa. Remove stains from toilets and bathtubs. Use a neutral plugin air freshener. (out of sight) Clear off counters except for some spa like touches.   A great idea is to look through a ... 02/21/2012

The kitchen is often the most important room in the house, some call it the heart of the home.  Make it bright and attractive. Gone are the days where the kitchen is hidden in back of the house.  Here in the Pacific Northwest the home style switched to an open plan concept which brought the kitchen into the spotlight.  Often the kitchen and family room are in the middle of the home and usually within view to all the other lower level rooms.  With this much visibility the kitchen needs to be in tip top shape.      It must be sparkle clean. Sink must shine and have nothing in it or around it. Remove almost everything from the counters. Remove all hanging towels. Get rid of anything on the refrigerator Put a vase of fresh flowers on the table. Replace curtains or clean existing ones Windo... 02/18/2012

Preparing your Auburn home with Buyer eyes.   Step Two:     While the real estate broker is pulling the key out of the key box the buyer is usually standing there waiting to be let in, standing there right in front of the door.   Usually the first thing a buyer looks at closely is the front door. Put new paint on the front door. Make sure the frame has fresh paint A new entry handle that is of the current style can transform an older door. Depending on the style of home a brass or stainless kick plate is a nice touch. If there is glass, make sure it sparkles. Hang a natrual wreath.  Buy a new door mat. Stay tuned for Step Three [the kitchen] 02/17/2012

Preparing your Auburn home with Buyer eyes.   Step one:      Before you put your Auburn home on the market you must take the effort into repairing and cleaning your Auburn home so that you will be able to enjoy a fast sale at the best possible price.  As Auburn home buyers approach your property the first time, impressions are formed quickly. Paint your Auburn house – this can do more for sales appeal than any other factor. (even just the trim will be a huge positive impression) Yard – Remove all toys, garbage cans, garden tools and other items from view.  Mow your lawn at least once per week and right before showings if you can and keep  it edged. Close garage doors. Put colorful flowers in front of house. Stay tuned for Step two - The Front Door.  02/17/2012

Auburn WA Real Estate | Making the Most of a Buyer’s Market Don’t Wait If You Find the Right House There is a lot of hesitation in a buyers’ market because buyers often get scared that prices will keep going down and they will miss out on better deals, or that they will experience negative equity. While those scenarios could happen, the truth is that it is impossible to predict whether the market will keep falling and there is even a chance that prices might start to rise before you find the “right” deal. The best plan is to aggressively search for a home and only buy one you can truly afford, no matter what the market is doing. Most home prices will appreciate over the long run, so in the end a little negative equity at the beginning will not hurt you if you start out in a sensible, af... 02/16/2012