Susan’s Home Safari

House Key State Bond Class April 24th 2010

If you would like to attend this class, please call either Susan Jess or Sharon Maher.

View Duplex

Property Description
Status: Active
Price: $437,000
MLS#: 402
Address: 5815 Glenwood Ave # A & B, Everett, WA
Listing Agent: Susan Jess
Call: (425) 244-4031

Open House Sunday March 14th 1pm-4pm in Unit A

Investors! Great Rental Income And Renters Have Long Rental History. Also Great For Owner Occupied- Live In One Side & Rent The Other. In Tough Economic Times- Here’s A Great Opportunity To Have A Renter Help Pay Your Monthly Mortgage Payments. Great Price For The Size & PUGET SOUND VIEW. The Current Owners Had A New Roof Installed One Year Ago. Both Sides Have Large Decks To See The View. The Floor Plan Is The Same On Both Sides With One Bedroom Upstairs, Two Bedrooms Downstairs, Skylight, And Wood Fireplace. It Is The First Duplex Making It A Corner lot on Glenwood. New Garage Doors, New Carpet And Vinyl Floors In Unit A. Approx. 3060 sq ft For Entire Building-Approx. 1530 Each Side.

Please Do Not Disturb Tenants. If You Would Like To View This Great Investment- Give Me A Call So I Can Set Up An Appointment To Show It To You. I Have Further Details Regarding Rental Income And Expenses. Very Few Duplexes With A View Of The Sound- So Don’t Miss Out On This Opportunity!

Kitchen

Special Offer Valid Only Until December 31, 2009!

BUYERS

1. Free Housing Warming Party! I will provide everything necessary to have an awesome party for you and your guests within six months of moving into your new home. I provide several themes for you to choose from and you can have up to 25 guests. I do not provide alcoholic drinks due to liability and some restrictions apply. Please call me for details (425) 244-4031.

2. I will negotiate a basic one year home warranty for you if the seller is not already offering one and if seller does not agree to it, then I will purchase one for you (maximum value $365 & some restrictions apply). Please call me for details (425) 244-4031.

SELLERS

1. Free current market analysis of your home.

2. One year Basic Home Warranty from American Home Shield that covers you during your listing & for one year coverage from sale of your home to Buyer (Maximum $437 Value & some restrictions apply) when you list your home with me. Only available for single family residences.

3. Free Staging Consultation (I’m an accredited Home Stager). Statistics show that a staged home sells quicker.

Why miss out on these special offers in this great time to buy! Interests rates are great, many bargains are available, and new tax credits are being offered by our government! Call Susan today for a personal appointment (425) 244-4031.

Property Description
Status: Active
Price: $485,000
MLS#: 401
CBA#: 465162
Listing Agent: Susan Jess
Call: (425) 244-4031

One Acre Commercial Community Business

Wow! One Acre Zoned Community Business Commercial Right Next To Marysville’s Newest High School. Existing Manufactured Home & 2 Car Shop Are Included, But Best Use Of Property Is Commercial. Residence & Insulated Shop Are On A Pour Concrete Foundation. Public Water, Sewer, Natural Gas Are To The Property Line But Community Well, Septic, & Electricity Are ON Property. Great For Retail Or Personal Service Businesses, Buyer To Verify Business Use With City Of Marysville Prior To Purchase.

Give Me A Call For A Personal Tour! 425-244-4031

Property Description
Status: Active
Price: $2,700,000
MLS#: 407
CBA#: 465166
Listing Agent: Susan Jess
Call: (425) 244-4031

Wow! Almost 14 Acres Of Land Zoned Community Business Commercial within the City of Marysville With Hwy 9 Frontage. Great Opportunities For Future Development of Retail/Office/Residential Combo-Check With City Of Marysville For Community Business Zoning Rules For All Opportunities. New Marysville High School Is Being Built Across The Street. Approx. 1152 sq ft House With New Roof & 4 Bay Detached Garage/Shop Included. The House Is On Septic And Well. The Is Public Water Accessible Across Street And Sewer At SW Corner Of Property On 83 Ave NE. A Wetland Delineation Report Has Been Done And Filed With City Of Marysville. The Property Is Two Parcels Being Sold Together. Any Viewing Of The Home And Shop Is By Appointment Only. Why Don’t You Give Me A Call For A Private Tour Or More Information? Call (425) 244-4031 And Ask For Susan.

This is a question often asked of home owners when they are contemplating remodeling their kitchens and bathrooms. I would like to share the pros and cons of the different types of surface materials you may consider using to replace your old counter tops. First thought should be your budget and the purpose of why you are replacing the counter tops. If you have a limited budget or are planning on the use of the counter tops being used by renters, I would recommend installing laminate counter tops. They are inexpensive, can look very stylish, and are easily replaced. Laminate does have its downfalls. Abrasive cleaners can scratch, knives can easily cut into it, and hot pans can warp it and melt the finish. It is usually stain resistant, but not always. The other popular choices are granite, tile, concrete, and solid surface.

Concrete countertops in some regions are currently very popular in the very upscale homes, but it is becoming a fading fad. Having concrete countertops installed can sometimes be more expensive than granite. They are more porous, less refined, and can wear unevenly- but to some that is part of the charm of having this type of counter top. It’s important that it is sealed properly because if not, oil and water can seep in staining the surface making it darker than other areas. If you were to replace the concrete in the future, there is the risk of damaging the cabinets because of the rebar in the concrete.

Tile countertops are also a very nice countertop and can vary in price depending on the individual tile chosen. Tile is non-staining and will not scratch, but it can chip and break easily. It is heat resistant, grout can be a problem with cleaning or wearing away, and is slightly more expensive than laminate.

Solid surface countertops are usually acrylic and polyester plastics. They are usually non-porous and stain resistant. Scratches can usually be repaired easily. It is fairly durable, requires proper sealing to prevent staining, and comes in wide variety of colors (sometimes even trying to resemble granite). It can be expensive, sometimes more than granite.

Granite counter tops are an excellent choice in my opinion. Granite is quarried all over the world with many various colors and patterns to choose from. Some of the natural patterns are quite beautiful and are definitely one of a kind. They are usually more expensive than the other products, but their longevity adds value. This is the most common stone used for countertops. It doesn’t scratch easily or burn and is very durable. I love the fact that you can put a hot pot on the countertop and not have to worry about damaging the surface. But beware, don’t put a hot ceramic item on granite because it will crack the item(hot tile on cold stone). Granite will need to be sealed at least once a year to prevent water stains in areas where it is wet often. Granite slab in my opinion is better than granite tile for resale value because again- you have a grout issue with it being tiled. Granite tile is less expensive and you can easily install it yourself versus granite slab. But I personally know that you can have granite slab installed fairly inexpensively if you shop around. The beauty of granite will always sell itself.

Whatever countertop you choose, please think of the future such as is this countertop surface going to enhance resale value and/or can it be easily replaced when it’s no longer in good condition. If you would like to give your comments about the pros and cons of each of these countertops-feel free to do so here. If you would like me to share more information about how to improve your home for resale, I’d love to hear from you.

I just wanted to take a moment to share some information that I have acquired that others have been asking me about recently. For both buyers and sellers this has been of interest.  Buyers see and hear about all the foreclosures and think they should be able to get a home for next to nothing. Yes, there are a lot of great deals right now in this market that buyers should definitely take the opportunity to purchase. But not all homeowners are desperate to sell and want to protect their investments. Also, if there are several homes in the same neighborhood that are short sales, foreclosures, bank owned properties-the sale of those homes effects the future property value of the home you are interested in purchasing. Many people don’t understand what short sale, foreclosures, REO- Bank Owned Properties, and Deed in Lieu of foreclosure means.

Here are short definitions of each before I proceed further:

1.      Short Sale- When the sellers owe more on their mortgages than the value of their home, the sellers are in a shortage situation if they decide to sell. There will not be enough money to pay off the loan(s). The seller would need to come to the table with proceeds to satisfy their lien(s). In order to be considered for short-sale eligibility one would have to have a hardship such as divorce, medical expenses, job loss, death of family member or some similar life catastrophic situation. In addition, the seller’s expenses must exceed his/her/their assets and income; they are behind on their payments and have no way to repay the bank. Simply owing more than the home is worth yet wanting to sell regardless of a lack of hardship is not a reason to apply for a short sale.  Homes listed for sale that are short sale usually take several months to purchase and a lot can happen that affects the outcome.

2.     Foreclosure- There are many ways homes can be foreclosed on in regards to who may “foreclose” on the homes. For purposes of keeping this a simple answer for this article, I have summarized this and recommend you seek legal counsel for a more accurate description if you are in need of further explanation.  When the owner of a home has defaulted on their mortgage(s), this is the legal and professional proceeding in which a mortgagee, or other lien holder, usually a lender, obtains a court ordered termination of a mortgagor’s equitable right of redemption. When the process is complete, the lender can sell the property and keep the proceeds to pay off its mortgage and any legal costs, and it is typically said that “the lender has foreclosed its mortgage or lien“.  

3.     Deed in lieu of foreclosure- where the bank accepts the deed of the home in place of paying off the loan.

4.     REO-Bank Owned Properties- where the bank/mortgage company owns the home after a foreclosure sale or acquired the home from deed in lieu of foreclosure. These are properties that could be listed for a quick sale at a reduced price to lessen the bank’s inventory of homes (banks are in the lending business, not usually real estate property management). 

Sellers are wondering is now a good time to list their homes for sale. That depends on the seller’s situation.  Generally speaking, the spring/summer is a great time to list your home for sale as that is usually the time buyers’ start looking for a home to purchase. Home owners that purchased their homes prior to 2003 before the great appreciation increase will most likely have equity in their home and will not likely sell their home below what they paid for it originally. But again, it depends on each homeowner individually. Many homeowners used their homes as a bank by refinancing taking their equity out of their homes to pay off credit card debt. If you did that and if you are in an area that took a depreciation hit because of foreclosures, you may take a loss on the sale of your home because of that additional debt.  Purchasing a home is usually the greatest investment you can make if done wisely.

Here is something to think about if you own a home and are thinking about selling.  If you own a home right now and want to purchase another home (various reasons such as downsizing or wanting a new home) and are worried about taking a loss on your home when you sell it, think about the big picture.  Interest rates are at an all time low of 4.75 % (varies daily) and homes are being affordably priced, focus on the money you are saving in the long run of having the lower interest rate and getting the bigger or better home at reduced prices versus taking a small hit on the sale of your current home. Most sellers are looking at what their homes could have sold for during this most recent appreciation time frame and thinking that if they sold now-they are taking a loss.  When in reality you may not be taking a loss at all because you didn’t purchase it at that higher price. If you did purchase a home from 2006 to 2007, there may be a possibility you would be taking a loss because of the correction in the market. Again, everyone is in a different situation, but if you are interested in me doing a current market analysis of your home with a net proceeds calculation to give you a perspective of whether you can afford to sell and/or purchase a home- give me a call as I do this for you of which I do this service for free.

Buyers are waiting thinking that the bottom hasn’t hit yet.  Sounds familiar with stocks in the opposite direction of holding on for the highest price. A little like gambling in some ways with that way of thinking. Most of this area in Snohomish County has experienced the correction in the market. Builders are and have slashed their prices of the pre-sale homes trying to stimulate buyers into purchasing. I wouldn’t wait if you want to capture these great deals because in my opinion come summer time more buyers will be buying and builders are not going to be as receptive on giving incentives. Supply and demand, once that demand is there prices stabilize or go up. Give me a call or email and I can update you on the great deals that are available right now. I will do my best to negotiate the best deal on a home purchase.  Check out other areas in my website to learn more about how I make you my highest priority!

Curb Appeal

Landscaping can add 7-15 % *  to your home’s value. Taking time to improve your curb appeal can add value to your home in many ways. If you are trying to sell your home, having a great impression can draw a buyer into the yard to get them into the front door of your home. That’s really big first step in getting your home sold.  Another way it adds value is just for feeling good about entering your home with an inviting atmosphere while residing there.  We are just coming into spring when opportunities arise with nice weather to work in our yards. 

Get your entire family involved because when it’s done, it builds camaraderie with each other and pride in their home.  Here are some steps you can take right away that can dramatically improve your yards appearance that add a big impact.

• Clear away tree limbs and leaves that have fallen to the ground.
• Keep shrubs trimmed, add color with plants and keep the soil free of weeds with mulch or ground cover.
• Make sure walkways are in good condition and free of cracks.  Paint or stain concrete walks, steps and porches.
• Replace your porch light with a new fixture that complements your home’s style.
• A new mailbox and handsome street numbers will yield a great return on your investment (plus it helps emergency aid locate your home quicker too!).
• Give your front door a fresh coat of paint or stain. Paint the trim if you have a tight budget.
• Small garden areas should not feature too many different kinds of plants and materials. This will make your landscaping look cluttered- keep it simple and clean.
• Using an edger along paths or borders of flower beds usually makes the yard look clean.

Here are some other interesting notes that will solidify your reason for getting out in nature and doing these suggestions.  Mature landscaping can lower energy costs, dampen noise and help reduce air pollution.  Create an Outdoor Space.  Adding a deck or patio for entertaining or relaxing year round can be a great investment for your home.  A 2008  Cost vs. Value Report produced by Realtor® Magazine stated that installing a deck provides up to 81.8 % return on investment.  I’ve seen some really nice patio areas that have created an extended room outside of the home just off the dining area which were covered and nicely decorated with cozy outdoor furniture.  Run with your imagination or if you get stuck, call me! Since I’m an Accredited Home Stager, I can definitely give you ideas and suggestions for improving that first impression.  For more information on lawn care, visit Toby Barnett’s blog on Lawn Care Season is Rapidly Approaching.

*(source-Gallup Organization)

Moving to Snohomish County Washington? Send me an email with your name and mailing address so we can send you a relocation packet.  This packet includes information about each of the cities in Snohomish County, the home buying process, what to look for in a home, contact information for schools, and much more.

This page is under construction and I will be adding more information soon. If you have a favorite business, park, nature adventure, or any comments you feel would help inform people about this beautiful area that we live in- I would appreciate your comments and suggestions. I have a great relocation packet that I send- but I’m always looking for new suggestions to add.