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Name Washington’s New 64 Car Passenger Ferry

Many things can come from social networking and this gem comes from WSDOT’s Twitter status update. After reading the Tweet, my mind began to noodle over what would make a good name for Washington’s latest ferry. So far the brain hasn’t come up with anything worth mentioning and good thing the submission continues through April 30, 2010 to give us non creative minds a fair chance.

Factoid: “Of the 23 vessels currently operating in Puget Sound, 21 have names reflecting the state’s tribal heritage. The other two are named the Rhododendron and the Evergreen State”.
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Purchasing Short Sales & Bank Owned: Deals or Headaches?

Bank owned and short sales properties dominate the Snohomish County real estate market and it’s no surprise that many buyers are actively searching for these types of properties. But are these properties the bargain of the century or are they more trouble than they’re worth?

Being an active agent, I can contest to both scenarios being true. Great homes with no home inspection issues and excellent buys that require sweat equity. In 2009, one of my clients purchased a short sale and by doing so he received an excellent deal on a home in Mill Creek. This home is situated in a established neighborhood with few fixer uppers left – this home seemed to be the troubled home on the block. On the flip side, a few other 2009 clients purchased bank owned homes in Marysville that where just a few years old and required little to no work.
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47 Ways to Make Your Home Sell Faster

In a day and age where real estate purchases are price driven; it is important to not to forget items that greatly improve first impressions. Here are 47 items a real estate seller can do to gain a competitive advantage over comparable properties.

Throughout the Home

1. Open the draperies, pull up the shades, and let in the sunlight.
2. Create a positive mood. Turn on all lights, day or night, and install higher wattage light bulbs to show your home brightly.
3. Remove clutter from each room to visually enlarge them.
4. If you have a fireplace, highlight it in your decorating.
5. Keep your home dusted and vacuumed at all times.
6. Replace the carpet if it does not clean up well.
7. Have a family “game plan” to get the home in order quickly if necessary.
8. Air out your home for one-half hour before showing, if possible.
9. Lightly spray the house with air freshener so that it has a chance to diffuse before the buyer arrives.
10. Put family photos in storage.
11. Improve traffic flow through every room by removing unnecessary furniture.
12. Create the feeling of a spacious entry area by using decorative accents and removing unnecessary furniture.
13. Putty over and paint any nail holes or other mishaps in the walls.
14. Paint all interior walls a neutral color to brighten the home and make it look bigger.
15. Repair or replace any loose or damaged wallpaper.
16. Clean all lights bulbs and fixtures to brighten the home.
17. Wash all windows inside and out.
18. Use plants in transitional areas of your house.
19. Make the most of your attic’s potential.
20. Remove and/or hide excess extention cords and exposed wires.
21. Open doors to areas you want potential buyers to see such as walk-in closets, pantries, attics, etc.
22. Remove all smoke and pet odors.
23. Repair or replace banisters and handrails.
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Snohomish County Lot Sales 4th Quarter 2009

The lot sales in the 4th quarter of 2009 Snohomish County has increased by 36% over 3rd Quarter 2009, a significant gain since it’s not typical for banks to be lending to builders. More impressively, the prices on vacant land have decreased an astounding 66% from the beginning 2006 to the end of 2009.

Lot Sale Increase

The increase in sale volume has surged due to the high availability of vacant lots and limited number willing and able buyers. National building chains have seized the opportunity to purchase large volumes of lots for cheap. DR Horton purchased 38% of Snohomish County’s total lots with their single largest plat having 27 individual lots — Camden Meadows.

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Home search is having some difficulties

Update Friday @ 5:59pm

The mls search has been reinstated and the problem was due to our recent change. Have a great weekend.

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Update Friday @ 4:44pm

The account has been disable due to our recent move to Keller Williams Realty.

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The MLS search and foreclosure search are currently down. I have a call out to our providers tech support and awaiting a resolution. I apologize for any inconvenience this causes during your home search.

Posted in Barnett Associates Real Estate, LLC's Press Releases | Tagged | Leave a comment

Changes to the Office for 2010

Recently it may have been noticed that the the address and some of the contact numbers have changed as well as an savory addition to the individual listing pages.

The contact numbers have been changed due to Mickie and I finding a new home at Keller Williams Realty in Marysville with Roy VanWinkle and Jason Woodward. It is an exciting time for us and office the digs are quite nice. Our office is set up and very functional but have to say I miss having a window seat.

The listing pages have been updated to incorporate local market statistics, school directories, businesses, and a walkability score that encompass a particular property. Now buyers can get a more indepth look at a property’s profile and the proximity of schools, businesses and recreation. Pretty exciting updates, maybe that is because everything tech is cool to me, and look for some more small changes on the site in the near feature.

Posted in Barnett Associates Real Estate, LLC's Press Releases | Tagged | Leave a comment

Snowmobile Parks in Washington State

The sport of snowmobiling is growing every year and it easy to see why. Snowmobiling offers a wonderful family and friends experience as opens up opportunities to see Washington’s back country scenery. If you are like me, you can’t get enough of the deep powder, hill climbing, and the great trails to make your adrenaline race.

Last winter, a friend and I took 18 people which have never experienced the sport out for a three day weekend trip. I found it very rewarding for them, along with myself and a repeat trip is already in the making. Snowmobile parks in Washington State are some of the best around. There are more than 100 snow parks in the State of Washington with 80 designated for snowmobiling. Every snow park has its advantages and disadvantages and your skill level will determine which snow park is most suitable for you. Here is a list of snow parks that I enjoy to visit in no particular order.
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Crazy Neighbor Stories – Come Share Yours

Crazy neighbors. From time to time we all have had them, our friends or family lived next door to them, or just heard some stories that seem to come right out of the movie “The Burbs“.

Today, I was talking with a previous client and she shared her recent experiences. Living in the golf course community of Gleneagle in Arlington, one wouldn’t expect to find to much craziness. This is not the case of Julie (real name not used).
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Changes to the NWMLS means Easier Searching for Consumers

It has been said that necessity is the mother of all inventions and it seems the real estate industry is finding itself coming up with new ideas. A few years back, prior to the real estate collapse, consumers didn’t have the means to quickly identify properties as short sales, bank owned, or what can be considered a standard seller.

Before getting into the new changes it is probably worth reviewing a little history preceding the changes. The problem arose when excited buyers would inquire on a home to why the listing price was so much lower than competing homes. Feeling like they found the buy of the century and anxious to write a Purchase and Sale, buyers were quickly discouraged upon finding out the property was in a short sale situation.
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Washington Real Estate Recap for 2009

As the second to last day of 2009 is upon us, I would like to take a moment to reflect on some things that I will associate with this year.

First Time Homebuyer Tax credit

From January to November sales in Washington increased from 2,650 total units to 5,523 total units with the highest month being October with 5,970 total units. During that time, even with rising unemployment rates, buyers who where on fence turned out in record numbers to capitalize on low housing prices, an abundance of inventory, and government incentives like the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit. It is hard to discount the effects of the tax credit on sales but for 2010 it will take much more than incentives to get the economy going.

*June 2006 there was 11,187.00 total units closed.
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A Year Round Washington

Snowmobile Parks in Washington State

The sport of snowmobiling is growing every year and it easy to see why. Snowmobiling offers a wonderful family and friends experience as opens up opportunities to see Washington’s back country scenery. If you are like me, you can’t get [...]

Click to continue...

Home Buyer & Seller Information

Purchasing Short Sales & Bank Owned: Deals or Headaches?

Bank owned and short sales properties dominate the Snohomish County real estate market and it’s no surprise that many buyers are actively searching for these types of properties. But are these properties the bargain of the century or are they [...]

Click to continue...

Snohomish County Market Updates

Snohomish County Lot Sales 4th Quarter 2009

The lot sales in the 4th quarter of 2009 Snohomish County has increased by 36% over 3rd Quarter 2009, a significant gain since it’s not typical for banks to be lending to builders. More impressively, the prices on vacant land [...]

Click to continue...