8 Tips for Buying a Rental Property
Rental properties are in full swing and now is a great time to consider buying a rental property because most owner-occupied homes have already been sold over the spring and summer. We're now left with a lot of homeowners that may not have sold over the summer and...
5 Tips to Selling a Luxury Home
Selling a home is not always the easiest thing to do but selling a luxury home can be even harder. Not only do you need to find the right pricing structure, but the right agent as well. You need a level of expertise when selling a luxury home because those agents have...
Does Buying a House Impact My Career?
The American dream of owning a home has become easier over the years and while we are deeply rooted in consumerism, Americans are looking at things that are making them happier, and homeownership isn't necessarily one of them. However, buying a home is a great...
3 Issues You May Have with a Cash Offer
Every home seller once a cash offer, right? But before accepting that cash offer, there are three things to consider. Not all-cash offers are as amazing as they sound. There could be other factors involved such as the terms of the loan, timing, and who you are selling...
How Much are Starter Homes on Mercer Island?
I got this question this weekend it's an odd question to ask because Mercer Island is not what you would call your "starter" location. Homes on Mercer Island start at about $1 million and the average price is somewhere between 2 million and $4 million depending on the...
Do I Need a Buyer’s Agent with New Construction?
When buying a newly constructed home some buyers forgo the use of a buyer’s agent and deal directly with the builder and the builder’s agent. To some buyers, it may seem that a buyer’s agent is unnecessary but in actuality, a buyer’s agent can be quite helpful...
5 Luxury Additions To Your Home to Wow Buyers
Not every home improvement increases your home's value but if you're looking to elevate your home design, especially for potential luxury buyers, here are five editions you could consider. #1. Home gym. Having a well-created home gym or exercise room can be a welcome...
5 Staging Hacks You Need to Know
We all know about the basics when it comes to getting a home ready to sell; cleaning, organizing, keeping things neutral, repainting, and fixing items that need repair. But there are some other cosmetic and surface packs that you can use to really appeal to today's...
5 Things Never to Say in a Real Estate Listing
When devising up the real estate listing you want it to be amazing but you also wanted to be honest. That description along with the photos could make or break a sale so that description has to be amazing. However, there are some trigger words that you'll want to...
6 Ways to Make Your Home Look More Expensive
We all want to get the most from the sale of our property and while we are at the mercy of appraisers we can do little tricks and tips to make our homes look more expensive - hence, get more attention and ultimately an offer. Here are 6 ways to make your home look...
How to Add Value to a Garage
The garage is probably one of the last places sellers/homeowners think about when listing their property, cleaning, and preparing to market the home but it is another room of the house and it shouldn't be neglected. You want to appeal to people looking for a great...
How to Become a Successful Landlord
Real estate investing can be fun, stressful, anxiety-inducing, and exciting, but there's usually always a great pay off. If you're looking at getting into the investment/landlord business obviously, you want to be a successful one. Here's one of the best ways to...
Should We Rent Short Term Before Buying?
Renting Short Term Before Buying in a Particular Neighborhood I can't tell you how many families I spoke with over the last few decades that are moving to the Seattle area or surrounding cities such as Mercer Island or Bellevue or other areas that choose to rent...
Do Agents Have to Inform Buyers About Previously Discovered Issues?
Here's the situation; a buyers agent represented buyers that terminated the purchase after discovering black mold in the home. That same buyer's agent has another interested buyer who would like to make an offer on the same home. Will of the buyer's agent have to...
What if You Own More Than Your House is Worth?
Do You Owe More On Your House Than it is Currently Worth? This is not an uncommon predicament even though we are not seeing as many of these issues as we saw just 10 years ago. Many homeowners have found themselves in similar situations and it's usually okay unless...
Can We Use Zillow to Price or Estimate Our Home?
Can Zillow Help Price My Home? I list dozens if not hundreds of homes each year and most sellers have already done a little bit of research on their home and how to price it. Many of these homeowners turn to larger corporate sites such as Zillow and Trulia. The...
Can a Seller Counter Offer for More Than the Asking Price?
I've listed my home for $520,000. I received a full price offer but I want to counter for $530,000. Can I do this? You might think this is a strange request since the homeowner/seller already received a full price offer but it may be more common than you think. Is it...
4 Steps to Redesigning a Kitchen That Will Sell
The heart of the home is often the kitchen and it's also one of the most expensive rooms to remodel but, when it comes to selling a house, it's the one that could really make or break a deal. If you're planning on selling your Mercer Island or Seattle area home...
How to Think Like a Buyer
It's after Memorial Day and boom, dozens of new listings have hit the market almost saturating it. Sellers are wondering why they are not getting as many hits or showings on their properties as their counterparts just a month earlier. Memorial Day seems to be the...
Family Members Want You to Co-Sign? There’s Another Way
Have you been asked by a family member to co-sign either on an auto loan or bigger yet, a home loan? This is a huge undertaking and you are responsible if they don't pay so are there any other options? Usually, the single biggest challenge for new homebuyers is coming...
Simple Steps to a Successful Sale
I want to provide you with the steps and tools needed for a fast closing. Selling your home not only requires the dedication and experience of a trusted, local agent but a seller that is also on the same page when it comes to listing and marketing. While I can provide...
Should We Use a Real Estate Team or Individual Agent?
Real estate teams are forming all over the country but are they a benefit for the client? Real estate agents typically belong to an agency or brokerage. This is where they hang their license unless they want to be on their own, taking all the risks and liabilities of...
Tiny House on Mercer Island – The Perfect Retirement
The tiny house movement is all the big rage now; people selling 3000 square-foot homes and moving into less than 400 ft.². But can it really help you retire early, save money and free up your life? I recently helped a retired couple with a tiny house on Mercer Island....
Do You Really Want to Live on Mercer Island?
I talk to a lot of people daily about the prospect of living on Mercer Island. Some are extremely affluent business people looking to move here from California so the idea of spending a million or more on a home on an island is not a far-fetched idea. In many cases,...
Should You Really Listen to Your Agent?
Selling and buying real estate seems like a no-brainer; a buyer and a seller exchange property for money and the deal is done, but of course, most people involved in the transaction will say that it's much more complicated than that. So is there really any point to...
8 Easy Ways to Declutter a Kitchen
The kitchen is the hub of the home, the place everyone in the family spends most of their time, the place where friends gather. Since the kitchen is a gathering place of people it can also quickly become a gathering place of stuff. When the clutter begins to pile up...
Does Zillow Overestimate the Value of Your Home?
Zillow May Be Overestimating the Value of Your Home and the Accuracy of the “Zestimate” Buying and selling a home is arguably one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. Find the right home then sell and hope you gain more at the sale than you paid initially. Most...
How to Save Money When Buying New Construction
There are a lot of new home subdivisions and developments popping up all over the Puget Sound and I've sold dozens of buyers brand-new construction and in all that time, there are some tips and secrets to know about saving money when buying new construction and what...
Why You Should Never Waive the Home Inspection
A home inspection is one of the most crucial parts of the home buying process. Waiving the inspection contingency on a home is being done more and more in very hot housing markets to give buyers an edge over other buyers making an offer on the same home....
In a Less Competitive Market, Should Sellers Conduct a Home Inspection?
With multiple offers becoming more and more common place beginning in late 2014/early 2015, some listing agents implemented a strategy where the seller conducts a professional home inspection prior to listing the house. The inspection report is then made available at...