Auburn WA Real Estate | October Homes Sold 2011 During the month of October there were 61 homes that sold in Auburn, Washington.   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 as 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 Washington State a really great site to visit is the Escrow Association of Washington site. There you can find definitions and explanations of the home buying process for Auburn Washington.   Let’s look at those 65 Auburn homes ... 11/18/2011

  Thanksgiving is almost here .. almost! Just a few days away. In our family, that means the kids come to our home with grandchildren in tow (“I’m” the grandma now), with special treats tucked in baskets, games to play and visiting to be done. We’ll spend 2-3 days chasing the little ones around while they decide that "gramma" and "grampa" live on a farm (NOT), have lots of good hot cocoa and whipped cream, hugs, and stories. They’ll likely ride the “tractor,” (read that as the riding lawnmower), chase the dogs, pick up the eggs from the chickens, feed the neighbor's horses, and try to prevent the cat from bringing his latest mousing finds into the house. Then there’re the evenings to sit with a quiet glass of wine with the grown children after the crowd of little ones go to bed. (When d... 11/18/2011

A few days ago, the Seattle Times reported that when comparing home prices in King County in October 2011 to October 2010 a ”puzzling” drop of 15% occurred. Since I represent very knowledgeable clients in the south King County as well, I thought I’d better be sure I understood those numbers for myself. I’ve had a bit of difficulty actually supporting that County-wide 15% price drop number. Based on closed residential home sales in October 2010 and in October 2011, here’s what I see: (Actually, I also took at look at September just to see how they compared – those numbers are here too)   My numbers for the County in October support a 10.14% price drop coupled with a 14.09% increase in the number of actual residential transactions that closed. September year over year shows a 9.64% drop i... 11/14/2011

Buying a Home is like joining a family – Check that Neighborhood!     You all know that saying – “You can choose your friends, but not your family”. It kind of applies when buying a home too. You can choose your home but sometimes the neighborhood becomes that dysfunctional family member. When the market was HOT HOT HOT it was very hard to research a neighborhood at different times of the week. But, now with most areas being a buyer’s market you as a buyer can take your time to walk, drive and snoop around the neighborhood. When I first start working with buyers I ask if they have a certain neighborhood in mind. If they do I ask if they have spent any time there. If they haven’t I suggest that they do some research. Here is a list of what to check.   Traffic at 7am Traffic at 6pm Traffi... 10/25/2011

Window Replacement Auburn can be one of your home's most attractive features. Window Replacement Auburn can provide you with convenient ventilation, ease of use, superior natural light, and cleaning convenience not found in older windows. If you have an older home, or inefficient windows you could be throwing up 30% of your heating and cooling dollars out the window, literally. On average, with Window Replacement Auburn, the owner could expect to recoup approximately 69% upon the sale of the home when replacing their older windows with Window Replacement Auburn from Green City Window and Door.   Green City Window and Door  http://Greencitywindow.com : We are a General Contractor with over 45 years of experience in the building trades specializing in replacing residential windows and doo... 10/18/2011

  Auburn WA Real Estate | September Homes Sold 2011 During the month of September there were 65 homes that sold in Auburn, Washington.   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 as 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 Washington State a really great site to visit is the Escrow Association of Washington site. There you can find definitions and explanations of the home buying process for Auburn Washington.     Let’s look at those 65 Aubur... 10/12/2011

For more information about this home for lease in Auburn, WA, contact Nicole Cuccia, our Property Manager. 206-948-6079. 2832 V Ct SE Nice 4 BR + Huge Bonus on Large .62 Acre Lot PROPERTY DETAILS $1,895 LISTING INFORMATION MLS: 259601Bedrooms: 4Full Baths: 3Partial Baths: 0Sq ft: 2130Lot Size: .62Style: Split LevelGarage: 2 CarHeat Source: GasTaxes: $0.00 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION Nice 4 BR on beautifully landscaped .62 acre lot with Herb & Vegetable gardens....nearly ready to Harvest! Kitchen boasts Maple Cabinetry w/ pull-outs, tile counters and Hardwood floors. Lower level has HUGE Rec Rm, 4th BR and private bath. Extras include 5 piece master, security system, fully fenced rear yard and oversized Garage. All this on a quiet Cul-de-Sac with private rear yard. All properties are subject t... 08/13/2011

Star Lake is a smaller body of water near the Northwest corner of Auburn. Just South of Kent and just East of I-5, the location is easily accessible but maintains a peaceful, small-town feel. Star Lake waterfront homes typically sell for $300,000 to $600,000, depending on home sizes, waterfront footage, docks, moorage, etc. View Larger Map Get Directions View Bird’s Eye   Star Lake Waterfront Homes For Sale – Active Auburn Waterfront Real Estate Listings 3922 South Star Lake Road Auburn $499,500 3 beds, 1.8 baths, 2,180 sq ft 3930 S 275th Place Auburn $549,999 3 beds, 2 baths, 1,904 sq ft 3204 S Star Lake Rd Auburn $569,950 3 beds, 2.5 baths, 2,386 sq ft Sold Star Lake Waterfront Homes 3713 S 272nd St Kent $226,500 2 beds, 1 baths, 840 sq ft 3918 S Star Lake Rd Auburn $385,000 3 beds, 1... 08/05/2011

Value is in the Land Overview Maps Photos $75,000 Lots and Land Main Features Lot: 11,325 sqft Location 4340 S 321st PlAuburn, WA 98003USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Ryan Karns Windermere(253) 569-8435pfsryan@hotmail.comhttp://www.ryan.seattle-tacomahomes.com Listed by: Windermere Our recent listings Three Bedroom Rambler in GrahamPacific Ridge Home that is move in readyValue is in the LandBeautiful Heritage Home in FircrestBeautiful Norris Built Home in North Shore Subscribe to our listing feed Nearby properties for sale 07/08/2011

It's Spring, which means Farmer's Markets are "Springing" Up All Over! I love shopping at local Farmer's Markets. Just mingling amongst all the fresh produce, the local crafts, and flowers is inspiring. I always come away with the zeal to go home and weed. Or something equally as dirty. Not to mention, of course, my reusuable shopping bag, full of goodies. Veggies, lettuces, fruits...even an occasional quart of fresh fresh milk. Yummy. We eat really well for a few days after my trip. Near my home in Auburn, Washington are a few Farmer's markets worth mentioning. I missed all of the grand openings this year, but I definitely stop by a couple of times a month for goodies! Here's the info you'll need to visit. Click the heading for additional information.  Auburn International Farmers Mark... 06/16/2011

  I'm going to loosely define "Spring" as March 1st through today, June 15th-- our 2011 period of incredible rainfall, cool weather, brief sunshine and a few rainbows thrown in around the edges. I know Summer doesn't officially start for another week or so, but I'm calling it now ...   Here's how I see it: A total of 333 Residential transactions closed, consisting of 276 single family homes 32 condominiums 25 manufactured homes. For Single Family Homes, the significant "averages" looked like this: 276 Single Family Homes $243,456 Sales Price 125 days Total days on market (before an offer acceptable to both the Buyer and Seller) 3/2.25 Average number of bedrooms and bathrooms 2023 sq ft Average size of home sold 92 Bank Owned or Foreclosed Homes (includes HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Ma... 06/15/2011

I love fireworks. Actually, I love BIG firework displays. The ones that the young’uns persist in lighting off in the neighborhood designed to just be big bangs are annoying. (Well, don't laugh, but I really like those snake'y things -- those little black things that you light that crawl all over the ground.) But give me lots of sparkles and trailing lights and I’m in every time! So ... this is a heads up! It's time to start planning! One of the best shows in our area is, without a doubt, hosted by Emerald Downs in Auburn. Combined with the fun and excitement of horse racing, a plate of nachos or garlic fries and a margarita (or two), the day just can’t get much better! Fireworks at Emerald Downs, 2010 Emerald Downs traditionally puts on the show on the 3rd –- which is good if you also h... 06/07/2011

Blue balloons should begin flying tomorrow in recognition of the National Realtor© Open House weekend and to point folks to those properties participating in the event all across the country. Not only is this a good time to showcase listings, but I've armed my actively searching Buyer clients with handfuls of business cards so that they can be comfortable touring homes, as well. Which brings to mind the question of the real purpose of open houses. Of course, ideally an open house event might spawn a buyer for the featured property. At the very least, open houses can be a dynamite way to pick up a new client or two. In the most recent couple of years, however, I've backed off doing open houses. Yes, I still do them periodically, but not nearly as often as I used to. Why? Because no matte... 06/03/2011

Sigh. The national newspapers are shouting from the rooftops about how crappy terrible new construction is selling. Another sensationalism report blowing things totally out of proportion. According to an Associated Press article quoted in my local Seattle Times, new home sales so far this year across the nation accounted for just 5% of all sales. Historically, they say, new home sales make up about 15% of all sales. Around my Auburn, Washington area home, I can count at least 10 new construction developments just starting up. Maybe more than ten if I give it a bit more thought. The point is, around here new construction is selling. Why? Well,  builders are savvy in their marketing and pricing, selling more homes than short sales during this brief snapshot. Since January 1st, here's the ... 03/24/2011

Selling a manufactured home on land is a bit different than selling a stick-built home. There are a few more inspections and requirements, not to mention finding a lender that will lend!  Here in the Auburn area of Western Washington, I’ve had the dubious pleasure of working through a few sticky manufactured home transactions over the last few months. Now, don’t get me wrong -- working with the buyers and sellers was truly a pleasure! It’s just that there are so many different steps to be taken that sometimes clients can feel a bit overwhelmed by the whole process; and it’s so necessary to be the knowledgeable hand that helps guide the sale. With a couple of caveats that every transaction is truly different and that different jurisdictions have slightly different requirements, here are ... 03/15/2011

Talking with prospective buyer clients every week involves having frank discussions about how they see themselves reaching their new house goals. Listening to them describe the sort of house they want along with how they see themselves living in the home, the neighborhood and location, helps set up a relationship that describes how a buying transaction will proceed. Some folks are emotional buyers. They drive into a neighborhood, walk into a house and instantly fall in love. THIS is the house. The sofa goes there. The kids can set up the WII there. The stand mixer fits perfectly into that corner of the kitchen counter. They walk away from the house emotionally invested, talking about the colors of the walls … that sort of thing. These emotional buyers aren’t the best ones to introduce t... 03/04/2011

I absolutely love getting a phone call from a Buyer looking to relocate to the Seattle-Tacoma area. One of the early questions when talking to someone moving to the area involves where they will work and how long they're willing to commute. Almost always, the answers are something similar to "I'm being transferred to ____________ (downtown Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma) and don't want to drive more than about 20-30 minutes." That's certainly and admirable goal and one I completely understand. Unfortunately, for most of the greater Seattle/Tacoma area, that can be a bit challenging when compared to the purchase dollars also in the equation. As reported this morning in our local paper, The Seattle Times, Seattle ranks 10th in the nation with the worst traffic according to the 2010 Urban Mobil... 01/20/2011

One of the requirements to obtaining and maintaining a mortgage or loan on your home is that it be adequately insured against unexpected disasters. It's important to know that damage from floods or landslides are not typically included in normal homeowner insurance policies. Evaluation of whether a home resides within a flood plain is part of the consideration in obtaining affordable homeowner's insurance. This can affect the ability of a buyer to fulfill the terms of their purchase contract, as expensive insurance may negatively impact that buyer's ability to qualify for the purchase of the home. Similarly, the requirement that flood insurance be obtained can negatively impact the Seller's ability to sell a home. A home that's not insurable, or one that has what appear to be excessivel... 01/19/2011

In 2010, 734 homes in Auburn, Washington sold, with the assistance of real estate agents, for an average of $282,429 after being on the market for an average of 142 days, selling for 92.5% of the price at which the home was originally listed.         Of the homes sold, 127 were reported as having been Bank or REO (real estate owned) properties. For clarification, REO properties could include those that are corporate owned, bank owned, HUD, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac properties. An additional 53 homes were reported as short sales.   The information in this report and all charts and graphs were manually compiled by Gabrielle Nemes from information gathered from the NW Multiple Listing Service. Included are all residential properties with Auburn addresses in either King or Pierce counties. 01/18/2011

  If you are a young couple looking for that perfect neighborhood to raise a family, Lakeland Hills is a place that you should really come see for yourself.  It's less than thirty minutes from both Seattle and Tacoma, and Lake Tapps is almost walking distance away.  The schools are great with fantastic teachers and coaches.  It has grocery stores and restaurants and shops very close by.  It also has excellent parks spotted all over the Lakeland community.  You can take your kids to play on equipment, or play basketball, tennis, baseball, or to throw a football around or to play soccer.  There is paved walking trails for your exercise and your pets, which are flat and some are more challenging.  One of my favorite trails is down along the white river, which is at the base of Lake land ne... 12/12/2010