Special offer

Maple Valley, WA Real Estate News

By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
Happy New Year to the buyer of this incredible, custom NW Contemporary in the Cedar Downs neighborhood. Stunning and unique floorplan which is essentially a Rambler (3 BR, self-contained upstairs) with lower level One BR Mother-in-Law quarters. Additional Info & Photos Virtual Tour   First time on the market, this property had been meticulously maintained by the original owners and over $80,000 was spent in recent enhancements & updates.  Sales price: $439,950. Thank you to Tiffinie Clark of Windermere Lake Tapps, Tim Samuels with the Legacy Group and Merry Smith of First American Escrow for a professional, smooth closing! I just love happy endings!
Comments 1
By Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt
(HOMEFRONT Realty)
Maple Valley Real Estate | Homes Sold November 2011 During the month of November there were 39 homes that sold in Maple Valley, Washington. These homes all have the city listed as Maple Valley. If you would like to see stats for an individual neighborhood just fill out the form below and we can get the information to you. These Maple Valley 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 prepared by escrow for 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 gre...
Comments 0
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
This was originially posted at MapleValleyRealEstate.com, I thought I'd share these numbers with our AR readers before posting year end numbers in a few weeks. The Maple Valley real estate market is making a come back! With a bit more than three weeks left in 2011, the total number of Single Family Residential closed sales already exceeds last year’s total by 9.5%. With many closings occurring at the end of this month, we’ll likely see a definite 10%+ increase in sales volume. 2006 was the peak of the market in terms of number of closed sales, which equaled 1076.  The following year, saw those numbers drop to 764 (which also happened to be the peak year in pricing). The tumble continued down a whopping 38% the 2008 481 sales, before sinking to it’s lowest point in 2009 with 429 homes cl...
Comments 3
By Gabrielle Nemes, 206.300.8421, S King & Pierce County RE Advocate
(RE/MAX Realty South)
Five months in the making … and here it is! Congratulations to a VERY excited first time home buyer! May you enjoy many many years in your new house! And who wouldn’t – all that brand new space just for you, combined with an awesome view of Mt. Rainier and the foothills! Whoo hooo!!! There’s a mountain there … a BIG one. Mt Rainier! Darned clouds got in the way!  And congratulations and a big thank you to everyone on the team that made this one possible. Dave Jagosh of Pacific NW Inspections, Beth Jensen of Cobalt Mortgage, and, of course, all of the folks at Kendall Homes. Thanks so much for your hard work on this one!
Comments 4
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
Last weekend, while visiting my parents in beautiful Palm Desert, CA, I rewatched the movie Secretariat with my Mom and Sister. What a great story about facing adversity (Penny Chenery) and resiliance (Secretariat).  I am an optimist always, and it's nice to begin seeing signs of positive movement in the market.  Here's an excerpt from a recent article I wrote on the Maple Valley Real Estate website: The Maple Valley real estate market is making a come back! With a bit more than three weeks left in 2011, the total number of Single Family Residential closed sales already exceeds last year’s total by 9.5%. With many closings occurring at the end of this month, we’ll likely see a definite 10%+ increase in sales volume. 2006 was the peak of the market in terms of number of closed sales, whi...
Comments 0
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
Happy Thanksgiving to the new owners of this lovely 3 BR home in Maple Valley! The previous owners contacted me this Summer as a job relocation out of state meant they would need to sell. Having bought this home in 2007, their value was, needless to say, much lower than when purchased. We negotiated this Fannie Mae short sale, with a full waiver of deficiency rights, received approval on the 2nd….all without the owners ever having to be late on a payment. Start to finish, the process took about 4 months, but only because the first buyer backed out and we lost about 3 weeks getting things in place for the second buyer. If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, no two short sales are exactly alike, which is why, if you’re considering this option as an exit strategy, it’s important to get i...
Comments 2
By Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt
(HOMEFRONT Realty)
Maple Valley Real Estate | Homes Sold October 2011 During the month of September there were 47 homes that sold in Maple Valley, Washington. These homes all have the city listed as Maple Valley. If you would like to see stats for an individual neighborhood just fill out the form below and we can get the information to you. These Maple Valley 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 gre...
Comments 2
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
Nicole Cuccia | RE/MAX Select Property Management | nicole@maplevalleyrealestate.com | (425) 432-4414 25421 213th Ave SE Unit 30, Maple Valley, WA Hard-to-Find End Unit Townhome in Cedar Downs! 2BR/1+1BA Condo $1,295/month Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Sq Footage 1,240 Parking 2 dedicated Pet Policy Cats, Dogs, Conditional Deposit $1,295 DESCRIPTION Hard-to-find End Unit Cedar Downs townhome in beautiful private setting on dead end street. This home features a kitchen with eating space, fireplace, Master BR has Master BA with doubles sinks and big double closet, Loft/Bonus area, big bedroom leads to atrium. Fenced patio with mature trees for added privacy. 2 Car Garage with openers. Yard service included. Great location and Tahoma schools! see additional photos below RENTAL FE...
Comments 0
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
 Not all Short Sale Approvals are hard to get. In fact, this HAFA short sale approval came within 30 days of mutual acceptance between buyer and seller.  Sometimes the tough stuff isn't readily apparent...until it pops up when you least expect it. And in this case, that would be on the LAST day of closing, when Chase wasn't able approve the final HUD because they were missing a document in the file.(Which had been faxed and refaxed, and confirmed to have been received on multiple dates...but I digress) The negotiator on the file was out sick, one person told me the HUD was approved, a Supervisor granted us a wire extension and then nothing....we waited, and waited, watching the clock tick closer to our funding cut-of and still no HUD approval.  Fortunately, it's fairly easy to get thro...
Comments 1
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
Go Raiders!  My father would cringe if he heard me say that....only because growing up the Oakland Raiders were one of our family's least favorite teams. But I do root for the  Raiders these days.....the organization two of my sons played for many years ago; the Maple Valley Raiders. At the beginning of every school year I republish this post which was Originally published, 8/31/2008: __________________ The leaves are beginning to fade into yellow on my Dogwood and Maple trees so I know football is just around the corner. When my 3 guys were little, they couldn't wait to play football. They had seen pictures and football cards of their Grandpa when he had played and they were just chomping at the bit to suit up and get out on the field. Fortunately for them, Maple Valley has a very popu...
Comments 6
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
9:30 Am this morning....I imagine there were quite a few smiling faces at bus stops across South King County this morning as parents sent their kids off to school for the 2011/2012 school year. Some districts resumed last week but for only a day or two, today seemed more like the "official" start of school. Sadly it also seemed more like the "official" end of Summer (Just in time for scorching temps too!).  For me, as a parent whose children never act as if they are all adults, I wasn't at the bus stop or particpating in car pools (been there, done that!). Instead, I was at my desk, working the phone on the many Short Sale files I have in Escrow. Is it just me, or have short sale negotiators gotten much more friendly over the last three and a half years? I have been negotiating short sa...
Comments 4
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
I don't know if every little girl dreams of having a pony horse at some point in her life, but I know I sure did!  Unfortunatley I  had to wait until I turned 30 and realized that as an "official grownup" I could get myself I horse if I darned well wanted one! At the time, my husband and I didn't live in Maple Valley, but shortly after I bought my quarter horse mare , "Sunny" we began looking for a home on acreage where we could enjoy the equestrian life on a more personal level. While we ended up buying a home on a few acres, we had to put the time and money into fencing, cross-fencing and a small barn. For some that works, for others, they are looking for a more "out of the box" horse property. Here's a snapshot of Acreage properties in the Tahoma School district with a barn already i...
Comments 0
By Gabrielle Nemes, 206.300.8421, S King & Pierce County RE Advocate
(RE/MAX Realty South)
Seattle is a gorgeous area, full of lakes, mountains, and lots of green spaces. Just to the east of Seattle, directly across Lake Washington, are Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland and other communities, commonly referred to as Washington's high-tech corridor. Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and a batch of other big tech name companies make their home in our Seattle and eastside areas. We love them to death ... but they DO increase home prices in the area. However, just a few miles southeast of Bellevue lies Maple Valley. Those of us in the area, believe Maple Valley is the best Bellevue suburb! After all, Maple Valley's affordable prices, idyllic setting, mountain views, top rated and highly desired schools, and mix of new subdivision-style homes and acreage properties make it a logical choice for...
Comments 1
By Gabrielle Nemes, 206.300.8421, S King & Pierce County RE Advocate
(RE/MAX Realty South)
Now that summer's coming to a close (well at least on the calendar), I thought a wrap up of Maple Valley home sales activity might be due. This information only includes those homes that post a mailing address of Maple Valley. Here's how things looked over the summer: Of interest, especially, was the little 380 square foot cabin right on Lake Wilderness that sold for $175,000. Gorgeous beachfront! Not to slight the 6,280 square foot bank-owned beauty on five acres, of course. It sold, unfinished, for $466,000. There are some real bargains out here! Of the 156 homes, here's how they broke down as far as type of sale: It's certainly felt like a much busier summer than we've seen for the past couple of years. Doing a quick check for the previous couple of years, it does appear that we've a...
Comments 2
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
So the cat is out of the bag.... Maple Valley, WA has been named to Family Circle Magazine's "Top 10" towns in the United States. (I'm not great at Geography,  but I think we're the only community West of the Rockies to make the list). Citing proximity to recreation, strength of schools and strong sense of Community, the recognition has certainly brought an increase in traffic to my website MapleValleyRealEstate.com as well as phone calls and emails from across the country....both from buyers looking to settle here and investors sitting up and take notice. While first time home buyers have been driving the market for the first half of the year, my prediction is investors....especially first time investors, will begin to come on strong in the second half of this year. The name of the gam...
Comments 0
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
Not everyone who has to short sale their house is in financial distress. Although it is more common for owners inquiring about short sale options to be behind on payments, there are situations where people need to move but are unable to sell under a "regular" sales scenario because their property is hugely upside down in value. A typical scenario is the relocating employee. Keeping your job (or climbing the ladder) means making a move but your home has lost 40% in value,. You have some savings, but no where near enough to clear your mortgage lien(s) at closing.   You're able to make your payments every month but 2 payments (mortgage here, rental there) would push you over budget and into the red on a regular basis.  Renting is an option for some, but if you're like many owners who boug...
Comments 22
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
Real Estate activity for the greater Maple Valley area (including all single family homes listed and sold within the Tahoma School District) for the week of 5.30.11 to 6.6.11. Tahoma School District 5.30.11 to 6.6.11 ********** Total Number of Homes for Sale: 227 Average List Price: 337,317 Average Days on Market 98     Total Number of New Listings in the past 7 days: 32 Average List Price: 334,103 Average Days on Market: 4     Total Pending Home Sales in the past 7 days: 15 Average List Price: 301,089 Average Days on Market: 49     Total Homes with Price Changes in the past 7 days: 16 Average Price Change Percentage: -5% Average Total Price Change: -10,781     Total Homes Sold in the past 7 days: 8 Average Sold Price: 266,172 Average Days on Market: 64 View past market reports by week ...
Comments 0
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
While the majority of homes on Acreage in rural Maple Valley are on 5 acres or less, there are a fair number of properties on larger parcels if one's looking for equestrian, farming or privacy reasons.A few years ago I drove by a pending sale in Hobart, it was a 15 acre horse farm. I remember when it sold the last time around and it got me wondering if that would be the largest parcel to have sold in Maple Valley. So I ran through my memory trying to recall exactly what the largest parcel sale has been in the last few years. There were a few I remembered on 10 acres.....gorgeous newer homes, but those weren't the largest parcels.Then I remembered another Hobart horse farm on nearly 12 acres that sold in the Winter of 2010. I looked online and found a couple of 35-ish acre homesteads tha...
Comments 2
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
So 3 short days ago, I hit the "submit" button on the listing for my own home. That was the easy part.  Our decision to sell coincides with our newly adopted empty-nester status combined with a desire to spread our investment dollars over a broader geographic area (yes, I mean a 2nd home in the SUN!). And, as a Realtor, if I'm going to take my own advice, we were planning on selling in the next one to 2 years, so I knew the best time was now. That's the rational explanation. Here's the emotional reality: After weeks of purging, cleaning, prepping, edging, staging, tweaking, storing, hiding (don't look under the beds), polishing, shining, repairing, and planting, I still am worried that we've missed something. Are we priced too high? Are we priced too low? What if no one likes it? What i...
Comments 52
By Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop, A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!
(NextHome Experience)
Nicole Cuccia | RE/MAX Select Property Management | nicole@maplevalleyrealestate.com | (425) 432-4414 24214 SE 277th St, Maple Valley, WA 3 Bedroom + Huge Loft + Den at Maplewoods! 3BR/2+1BA Single Family House $1,675/month Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Sq Footage 2,020 Parking None Pet Policy Cats, Dogs, Conditional Deposit $1,675 DESCRIPTION Welcome to the Arbors at Maple Woods! Beautiful 2008 built 3 BR +Huge Loft (possible 4th BR)+Den. Spacious Kit w/plenty of counter/storage space, SS Appliances (all appls stay!) & Pantry. Great Room concept is a must for Entertaining! Family rm features Gas Fireplace, Surround Sound thru out w/built in Ipod Docking Station. Large BRs w/walk in closets & convenient Upstairs Laundry. Fully Fenced yard backs to water reserve for added priva...
Comments 1