June 2008  The Puyallup condo market looks to be making a shift in the seller's direction in the month of June. Pending sales and closed sales were up in June compared to May 2008. There are many condo projects around Puyallup that are providing incentives for buyers to make a move. With the median sales price dropping below $200,000 for a condo in Puyallup, it is affordable for many home buyers. The problem can come with getting approved for a loan on some condo projects, especially if it has been converted from an apartment to a condo. See the story of one buyer who experienced difficulties in an upcoming blog post. Working with the right professionals can make all the difference in this market. Be sure to get with a lender who knows about condos and condo conversions projects, then m... 07/01/2008

June 2008 The Puyallup Residential real estate market is showing signs of change. Buyers are still experiencing the edge when it comes to purchasing a home, but there are indications that change is on the way. There were fewer active listings in June as compared to May and there was a significant increase in the amount of pending sales. With pending sales at the highest level of 2008 and the number of active listings on the decrease, it appears we are heading towards a shift in the market. When there are fewer homes available and more buyers purchasing you can expect to see prices increase. On the flip side, closed sales were down in June 2008 compared to May. The reason for this could be that interest rates creeped up for much of the month, before sliding back down again near the end o... 07/01/2008

US Stocks are down slightly to begin the day, which may have more to do with a lingering "hangover" from Friday's losses than anything else.  Mortgage Bonds are trading at basically unchanged levels from last week's closing numbers.   There is a saying that "lousy Friday's are often followed by rotten Monday's", and with an absence of economic reports to alter direction, this seems to be the case.  Financials continue to be a concern as rumors regarding a 10% cut in investment banking divisions by both Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs have hit the Street.  Piling on to this negative trend, Oil prices continue to rise, despite a pledge by the Saudi's to raise production.    Mortgage Bonds rallied last week, but were turned back by the same technical pricing resistance point for three days in... 06/25/2008

Park Reviews: Hey all you park fans in Puyallup. Here is the place to find information about what parks are fun for the kids/family/pets, what to do, and where to go. The series starts with reviews of the parks in Puyallup, WA. Assisting me on this adventure are my 5-year-old daughter, Taylor, and my nearly 3-year old son, Tanner. They will give me the feedback from a kids perspective and my wife and I will provide feedback as parents.                                                             We invite you to visit the parks as we review them and add your comments, especially if you have older kids or younger kids who can provide a different perspective. The goal is to provide a place where parents can go find fun locations for the kids to play, then get out and play! 06/20/2008

Puyallup Park Review Rainier Woods Park   Rainier Woods is tucked away in a neighborhood just off 23rd and Shaw Road. My kids love this park, they call it picture park because it is the first park we took great pictures of the kids playing at the park. What they look forward to most are the see-saw and the swings:                    The area is usually pretty quiet in the mornings, but seems to be active in the evenings when little league baseball and softball takes over the fields. Oftentimes, Taylor and Tanner like to race to the fence, when no one is on the fields like this Saturday morning. Dad usually tries to keep up. Whoever makes it to the fence first encourages the others until everyone is done.   Then, it is a race back to the picnic tables:   The younger kids love to play go ... 06/20/2008

Can you believe how quickly the county has changed the layout of 94th in Puyallup? While widening the road many homeowners and business owners are seeing their property disappear. Even a church looks to be part of the new road as crews smooth the dirt within inches of the building. Drivers beware of long backups on 94th as the project continues, then connects with the city's portion of the project at 117th. We'll see if the project pays off to divert traffic from Meridian and provide an alternate route to the deep South Hill and Graham. 06/12/2008

The first week of June in Puyallup was the coldest on record dating back to 1894. While much of the nation was bathing in the heat, Puyallupites bundled up as if it was January. It seems the real estate market followed the weather pattern, as only six residential properties closed between June 2nd and June 9th. There is a a silver-lining as 37 residential properties went contingent or pending in the past week, so it looks like June could finish strong. Only time will tell if we are coming out of the slump. 06/11/2008

So anyone that has spent any amount of time driving around South Hill over the past year or so, may have noticed at the back of the old Safeway building, the sign to the right. Yes, FINALLY, South Hill was going to get a Japanese Steak House! First The Rock, now a Japanese Steak House, could life get any better? (OK, when someone opens an Indian restaurant, my life will be complete, but I digress) But it seems like we've been waiting, and waiting and waiting for Iron Chef to open. Well, finally last Thursday, open they did! Teri and I decided to drop by last night and see how it was. Walking into Iron Chef, you're greeted by a vast room with about 16 Teppanyaki stations, each seating 8 - 10 people, a bar and not much else. The floor is concrete and coated with something similar that you... 06/02/2008

I am here to help you with all your financing needs. I work with First Time Home Buyers, experienced buyers and refinances. There is always a solution to fit everyone's needs. Let me help you. Call me at (2530 241-1550 or check out my website at WWW.JUDYVU.COM. I look forward to hearing from you! 05/29/2008

Puyallup Spring Art & Wine Walk Saturday May 10th. The Spring Art & Wine Walk in Puyallup will be held Saturday May 10th. from 1 to 6 pm. There will be sixteen sites featuring 30 different wines. In addition nine locations will be providing food. This is an outstanding way to get out and sample some fine Washington wines while supporting the Puyallup area. Enjoy downtown Puyallup and take in some fine artwork and wine. Tickets are $15.00 per person or $5.00 per person to just sample the food. For more information visit www.puyallupmainstreet.com   Contact Scott Cowan, Rainier Real Estate. Licensed real estate salesperson in Washington at 253-219-1194 to list your property for sale or purchase a home in Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Puyallup, and the rest of Pierce County Washington. Gladly accep... 05/06/2008

Puyallup, WaBecause there are quite a few of us who like to gather "stuff"... I would like to talk about that today. It ends up being a problem when we try to fit it all into the limited square footage that we have. Too many items and improper placement can actually make people more tired, more irritable, and generally uneasy, yet they don't know why! For a home buyer, it is even more pronounced when they walk into a space. How can they imagine themselves living there? Although some people can see to the "bones" of the home (the flippers and the super savvy bargain hunters) a homeowner isn't usually targeting that market, so it is important to Lighten up and Let it Breathe! ... let the space flow, air, sunshine, and life dance about the room!Julianna Hind, IRIS, RESA, DCIwww.roomspinner... 04/30/2008

A Generous People turns one year old this month. It's been a wonderful experience writing for the community and it has definately caused me to learn more about this industry than if I hadn't. I'm glad that I started and look forward to many years to come. Stop by and say, "hey". 04/29/2008

Puyallup real estate is on the rise for the fourth week in a row. The surprise this week was in the Puyallup condo market. Pending sales and solds are up this week in both condos and residential, posting the highest totals of the month. With a few more days remaining in the month of April, it looks to be the best month of the year so far in Puyallup. Look for market updates on Brian's Blog every Monday! Any suggestions to make these updates more beneficial to you are welcomed and encouraged.  For Puyallup real estate market analysis for your particular Puyallup neighborhood contact the Solinsky Real Estate Team at bsolinsky@kw.com. Search for homes in western washington at www.findwestwahomes.com or search directly at www.puyallupneighbors.com 04/28/2008

The Puyallup Farmers Market Season starts May 3rd. Running every Saturday through October.The market also runs on May through August.The Puyallup Farmers Market is sponsored by the Main Street Association of Puyallup. The Puyallup Valley has long been a vibrant farming community. The Puyallup Farmers Market allows you to buy direct from local growers. Pick up fresh fruits, veggies, and flowers only hours after being harvested. Local artists, craftspeople, musicians and more will be available.The Puyallup Farmers Market is held at Pioneer Park & Pavilion, Puyallup, WA. Saturday, 9:00am to 2:00pm Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm Buying local is a great way to have a sense of community. It's a great way to purchase quality goods. It's a great way to get out and see what is available in your own b... 04/19/2008

... is looking up. The number of new listings is up ever so slightly. The number of sales did rise a bit, but the time on market for sellers is relatively the same. The median price of homes split - Pierce County went down, but Puyallup went up. Both are still down on year-over-year numbers.Check out the Pierce County March Market Update.Check out the Puyallup March Market Update. 04/18/2008

... bounces back a bit. The number of new listings is still stalled, bucking the seasonal trend. The number of sales did rise a bit, but so did the time on market for sellers. The median price of homes also bounced back but is still down in year-over-year numbers.Check out the Pierce County March Market Update.Check out the Puyallup March Market Update. 03/27/2008

The Puyallup Real Estate landscape has exploded in recent years.  It seems like there is a Wallgreens or Rite Aid on nearly every corner.  But you know what?  Sometimes it's the little guys that really win you over.  One of those "little guys" is Kirk's Pharmacy at Sunrise.  My wife turned me on to this little pharmacy that could about a year ago.  I should have posted back then, but sometimes you forget the ones you love, so Kirk, I'm sorry.  I'm trying to make it up to you now.Located in the Sunrise Medical Campus (110th Avenue and Sunrise Blvd.) Kirk's Pharmacy at Sunrise reminds me of the days I used to go into Ludwig's pharmacy on South Tacoma Way with my grandmother.  Ludwig (I think!?) used to greet my grandmother by name and toss me a roll of life savers every time we came in.  ... 03/07/2008

Rainier Real Estate has just moved into our new office. This is a cause for excitement and a great reason to have a party!It's been a while since I been associated with a business that has moved locations. It was so much easier when I changed offices. Just pack up my "stuff" say my goodbye's. Then I just needed to unpack at my new location, introduce myself to everyone and learn the ropes of the office. This however, well this has been a eye opening experience! A great experience but an eye opener for sure. Our company has grown so much in the past six months ( some say it's because I am an agent there. "Thanks mom for that!") we've outgrown our little historic office space and we've had to move into our new strip mall location. Over three times the size and we have parking!!! OH yes pa... 02/28/2008

... continues to slow down. The number of new listings has largely stalled, which is good for those already trying to sell their home. However, the number of sales is down, the days on market is rising, and the median price of homes has retreated to numbers not seen a while.Check out the Pierce County February Market Update.Check out the Puyallup February Market Update.  02/22/2008

www.searchpiercecountyhomes.com is our new web-based home search for 1000's of homes in any area. Wonderful easy, user-friend sight to use. 02/15/2008