Hello 1981!   This was the year MTV was launched, Ronald Reagan was president and Lady Diana married Prince Charles.  This was also the year I was on my Shorewood Elementary School softball team.  (I'm standing between Jennifer and Celeste.) What fun that was because most of our dads were the coaches, and they usually sent us into fits of giggles with their win-at-all-costs pep talks!  (They were very intense for us 4th to 6th graders.)  They would also yell at us if we got bored in the outfield and started collecting dandelion flowers instead of being focused on the game.  It was pure entertainment! But I also use this photo in my listing presentation.  Because after all, listing and selling a home is a team effort. If the outfielder is picking flowers instead of watching for that rar... 05/04/2017

5004 72nd Lane NE Olympia, WA 98516 Diamond Ridge beautiful 4,191 square foot home with formal living & dining rooms, 4 bedroom/office, 2.75 bath home with lovely hardwood floors, large bonus space above the oversized three car garage. Eighteen foot ceiling with grand staircase in the entry. Fourteen foot ceilings in the formal living and dining room. Two gas fireplaces and gourmet kitchen w/large island & granite counter-tops. Large fenced back yard & oversized patio. All located on a private 5 acres close to town and I-5 access. Gail Smith(360) 561-0852The Ben Kinney TeamKeller Williams Western Realty 04/18/2017

7237 Ridgemont Dr SE Olympia, WA 98513 Well maintained home w/incredible view of Lake Pattison from kitchen, dining, and living rooms on upper level. Recently upgraded kitchen w/cherry cabinets, marble tile counter tops & SS appliances. Large covered deck to enjoy the lake view year round. New roof in 2013 with leaf-guard gutters. Huge family room on lower level for entertaining. Raised bed gardens ready to plant; mature colorful beautiful landscaping is a gardener's paradise. Step-in hydro therapy tub. Private lake access included. Gail Smith (360) 561-0852 The Ben Kinney Team Keller Williams Western Realty   04/18/2017

Communication.  We ALL know how important communication is, and pretty much everyone complains about the lack of communication or how something is said or written or misunderstandings or when the message is received or not received, etc. In order to help alleviate the communication barrier, I like to ask my clients, “what is the best way for me to communication with you?”  And then I also tell them what is best for me.  But sometimes even that message doesn’t get through.  So, here’s the message: You do not need to text me that you have sent me an email.  I am a Realtor.  I live and die by my phone.  My phone will ding, ping, ring and vibrate if I get a text, an email, or even the rare phone call! I’m all in favor of over-communicating but I’m not in favor of double-communicating.  So p... 04/13/2017

3200 41st Ave NE Olympia, WA 98506 Close to the city but live in the country on this 5 acre piece with 2592 sf home and additional small barn.chicken house and large 1638 sf detached shop with 3 bays, including RV storage, 3/4 bath and two 10x9 rooms for office space or extra guest area. Master on the main floor with 2 bedrooms up and large attached garage. Kitchen has plenty of storage and tile floors with built in desk. Fully fenced with gated entry for extra security. Roof is less than 3 years old and septic was new in 2015. Gail Smith(360) 561-0852The Ben Kinney TeamKeller Williams Western Realty 04/12/2017

17 XX Fern St Olympia, WA 98502 Rare 6.57 acres on Olympia's west side ready for 39+/- single family homes or 58+/- town homes/duplexes. Add 20% for an additional affordable housing density bonus. Water, power, sewer & natural gas to the edge of property. Close access to shopping, schools, bus lines, freeways, and within minutes of downtown and the freeway. This piece is made up of 6 different parcels. See legal. Property to the east listed also, 2.83 acre piece. See MLS#1098581. Entire 9.4 acre piece. See MLS#1098605 Gail Smith(360) 561-0852The Ben Kinney TeamKeller Williams Western Realty 04/06/2017

17 XX Division St Olympia, WA 98502 Rare 9.4 acres on the west side of Olympia ready for 56 +/- single family homes or 87-104 +/- town homes/duplexes. Add 20% for affordable housing density bonus. Water, power, sewer & natural gas to the edge of property. Close access to shopping, schools, bus lines, freeways, and within minutes of downtown and the freeway. This piece is made up of 12 different parcels. See legal. Also listed as a smaller 2.83 acre piece (MLS#1098581) and a 6.57 acre piece (MLS#1098610) Gail Smith(360) 561-0852The Ben Kinney TeamKeller Williams Western Realty  04/04/2017

17 XX Cushing St, Olympia 98502 Rare 2.83 acres on Olympia's West Side ready for 17+/- single family homes or 30+/- town homes. Add 20% for affordable housing density bonus. Water, power, sewer & natural gas to the edge of property. Close access to shopping, schools, bus lines, freeways and within minutes of downtown and the freeway. Property is make up of 6 different parcels. See legal. Property to the west listed also, 6.57 acre piece. Gail Smith(360) 561-0852The Ben Kinney TeamKeller Williams Western Realty  04/04/2017

I'm an incredibly loyal person and value good products. There are some companies/products that have proven time and again that they will not disappoint, and I will likely remain a life-long customer for them. It's actually difficult to narrow it down to just three, as there are quite few products in my life that I swear by and stick to, but here are a few:Bosch AppliancesBosch is a German company that exemplifies the German attributes of quality, reliability and innovation. I value their sleek styling and great performance. I love our Bosch espresso machine that we've had for 15 years and it still works like the day we bought it. The Bosch dishwashers are super quiet and highly efficient with minimal water and energy use. The company has been in business for 70 years and has proved itse... 03/28/2017

 1315 Fern St SW, Olympia 98502 Level lot zoned multi-family in desirable west side location. Close to Capital Mall, shopping, bus lines and services. Perfect spot to build that investment rental property. Can build up to 10 units, buyer to verify. Lot is level and clear with trees lining 2 sides. All necessary utilities are in the street. Corner lot with road access from two sides. If you are looking for the perfect opportunity to build some multi-family units in a tight rental market, this is it. This one will not last long. Gail Smith(360) 561-0852The Ben Kinney TeamKeller Williams Western Realty 03/28/2017

Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty's annual college scholarship essay contest for 2017 starts on April 10th and is open to Olympia-area high school students. 1st Prize:  $1,000 plus the winner gets to choose their favorite educator to receive a $500 Inspirational Educator Award.  Read all the details here, at http://www.cbolympia.com/scholarship  My brokerage started this essay contest 7 years ago, and this has been very well-received by students, parents, and teachers.  We have also had the privilege of receiving and reading wonderfully creative essays.  They keep getting better and better each year!  If you know of a high school student in the Olympia, WA area, please forward this to them so they can participate.     03/24/2017

8229 Ski View Lane SW Olympia, WA 98512 Beautiful home in gated, lakefront community. Elegant NW 4+ bedroom, 3.5 bath custom home on .60 acre with 130' of lake front, complete w/boat house at water's edge. 1800+/- sq ft garage with room for 4 or more cars plus workshop and fitness gym. Gourmet kitchen w/granite tile counters; luxurious master suite with double walk-in closets & 2nd laundry room in master closet. In floor radiant heat, central vac, gas fireplace. Wired for on demand generator. Apartment above garage w/complete kitchen. Gail Smith(360) 561-0852The Ben Kinney TeamKeller Williams Western Realty 03/22/2017

February 2017 was filled with love in Olympia WA as home buyers came out in the rain, sleet, snow and hail and purchased homes!    Many sellers in Olympia WA (in Thurston County) were wooed and pursued by several buyers who offered expensive purchase prices, took off their contingencies and proved their commitment by using a reputable local lender.  Yes, this market is sexier than a steamy romance novel!  Check out these record-breaking love connections: February 2017 was THE February of all Februarys.  Thurston County sold the most homes this February than all other Februarys with 294 sales.  The second closest year to this record was in 2006 with 288 sales. (Data gathered from the NWMLS.)   And buyers continue to be optimistic.Although there may be fewer choices for buyers than in the... 03/08/2017

Timing is everything especially when it comes to illuminating your house. I have four sets of outdoor lights with light switches all over the house. Out of laziness, I don’t run around the house and garage flipping light switches to light up the outside of my house, therefore my house looks pretty vacant once the sun sets. Not the look I’m going for, so to solve this issue, I invested in these sleek new programmable timers. I purchased these from Amazon, and replaced the light switches with these timers. They were very easy to program and look pretty cool, too. The best part is these particular timers do not need to be re-programmed when the time changes. It has a setting where it will automatically come on at sunset. The benefit to these timers is that my outdoor lights will be on ever... 02/21/2017

The real estate market in Olympia WA and surrounding areas is in need of sellers! In January 2017, we are breaking records.  This January is the best start of any year!  Here's a quick recap in this video below.  Check it out!  In January 2017, we closed more sales than ever with 308 sales.  And you wouldn't consider January to be the peak of any real estate market.  Neither do we, and we are expecting much higher numbers in the coming months.Buyers: buckle up and hang on! Seller: get your homes ready to list!  This high number of sales is a combination effect of sellers who have been waiting to sell, can now sell.  And buyers who are experiencing continued low interest rates, strong buying power and the confidence to invest in real estate.Sellers are realizing strong gains and healthy ... 02/14/2017

Many times when I am working with buyers who have small kids who come along the tour of homes, I get a little nervous.  No matter how many times you tell a little kid not to touch anything, they, of course, touch everything! As a showing agent, I try to make sure the house is in the exact same way as we found it.  I find myself following the kids around making sure everything is back to how it was, and inadvertently end up in a conversation with them. I was working with these buyers who had a very talkative 4-year-old boy.  He had so much on his mind!  I think the parents were happy to get a reprieve from his chatty ways when I patiently listened!  But this little kid was very smart and very observant.  The first house we went to, he was very unsure why we were at someone else’s house, ... 02/08/2017

2910 Briarwood Ct SE, Olympia 98501 This is the dream home of this neighborhood. The 5 bedroom 3-1/2 bath home features a magnificent entry with a winding staircase and pillared columns to showcase the living room w/completely enclosed atrium for an outdoor living experience year round. Main floor master, formal dining, parlor off entry, country kitchen w/built-in sub zeros, commercial 6 burner Garland range, 3 sinks, island and large eating area. 50's style bonus room with wet bar and pool table is perfect for entertaining. Gail Smith(360) 561-0852The Ben Kinney TeamKeller Williams Western Realty 02/08/2017

 We all know what shaggy dog stories are. They’re the jokes that go on and on and then peter out without much of a punchline. I think I found a scientific study about real estate that fits that description—but you can decide for yourself.We remember that true “science” is only possible when a theory can be experimentally tested and then repeated by others. Since Olympia real estate’s market conditions are always in flux, controlled laboratory conditions don’t exist. The result is that marketing residential real estate here in Olympia is rightly classified as at least as much art as science.Since that’s the case, whenever serious study is aimed at the field of real estate sales, it deserves consideration. Such was the case a while back when a professor at George Washington University pub... 02/04/2017

   If this is going to be a year of upsets, the rules for when Olympia listings are best initiated might be primed to fly out the window. There’s no guarantee that 2017’s Olympia listing performance will bend the rules, but if the National Association of Realtor’s® news site is right, it’s a definite possibility.The history has long demonstrated that the most opportune time of year to add your home to the Olympia listings is during the peak spring and summer seasons. When you look at the volume of home sales through most years, those months do look inviting. There are exceptions, but for the most part, spring and summer regularly excel in sales volume.Last week, the Realtor® website ran an article in their Trends area headlining that “This Year, Sellers May Benefit from Listing Early.” ... 01/28/2017

Architectural delight in prime commuting location and desirable Olympia school district! Flowing floor plan with vaulted ceilings, archways, and alcoves; rich colors, panel doors, and white trim package - move in ready! Open kitchen boasts tile counters and back splash, chocolate cabinetry, and an eating bar. Master Suite: His and Her closets plus 3/4 bath. Separate Office/Den. Gas hot water and furnace. Owner's pride! Fully fenced back yard with sprinkler system and expansive concrete patio. Only moments from the mall!  Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 1.75 Sq. Ft.: 1,506 Price: $235,000   Property Site   For more information about this property, please contact Cynthia Schmier at (360) 400-3475 or cschmier@remax.net 01/26/2017