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4 Things Only a Realtor (and Not the Internet) Knows About Real Estate

According to the National Association of Realtors, 42 percent of homebuyers start their home search online, and 92 percent use the Web during the home search process.

Only a Realtor

While the Internet can be a good place to start looking, there are things real estate agents know about the process of buying and selling a home that can’t be found in any Web browser. Here are a few:

1. How to price a home

When setting a listing price, agents consider scores of factors, from local and national market trends and neighborhood development activity to the latest buyer preferences for kitchen appliances and landscaping. Every home is unique, and an agent with a track record of success knows how to price it attractively in the market.

The Internet isn’t always much help when it comes to comparison shopping, either. Many of the same factors that help an agent set an appropriate listing price aren’t available in an algorithm, so online estimators aren’t always accurate – and could be costly if you purchase without consulting a real, live professional.

2. Marketing offline

While online marketing can certainly be valuable, agents have networks of contacts and years of experience to round out their marketing plans.

And, for buyers, agents often can tap into their network to learn about great properties before they hit the real estate websites or even the MLS.

3. Key points in the process

If you find a home you love online, the website won’t be there to guide you through a mortgage application, find a home inspector or advise you what to do if an inspection reveals issues.

4. How to negotiate

Having an experienced, professional negotiator drive your transaction can be vital to reaching a fair price for the property you’re buying or selling. A website can give you an estimate of how much a property should cost, but it can’t evaluate whether that’s a great price or not.

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July 2016 RE/MAX National Housing Report

July NHR

Home Sales Warm Up With Summer Temps

With the market now in the midst of the popular summer selling season, both home sales and prices are rising with the summer temperatures. Homebuyer demand in June kept sales levels above last year’s by 0.7%, with a strong increase of 9.4% over sales in May. The Median Sales Price in June was $229,900, which marks a 2.2% increase over prices seen in June 2015. As year-over-year price increases moderate, there’s a positive impact on home affordability. The number of homes for sale in June fell 15.6% from levels one year ago, making inventory supply a significant challenge, especially in West Coast metros. At the rate of home sales in June, the national Months Supply of Inventory was 3.2, a slight improvement from the 3.0 supply seen in May.

Read the full article in RE/MAX’s Newsroom…

Watch the short video on YouTube…

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RE/MAX ReStage Instagram Contest is Now Live and Features a $2,500 Prize!

REMAX Restage Challenge

Have an eye for design? Show it off! Flaunt your own beautiful home-staging strategies by entering the #REMAXReStage Challenge on Instagram. You could win a gift card worth $250 – or the Grand Prize of $2,500 – to West Elm! Follow @remax to get started.

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31003 14th Ave S #D-18, Federal Way, WA 98003

1(view from deck)

$85,000

1 bedroom; 1 bathroom; 623 square feet

Don’t miss this top floor WATERFRONT condo! Enjoy sunsets and geese on peaceful Easter Lake from your living room and deck. You’ll appreciate some fresh paint and counters in this clean, move-in ready condo with open floor plan. Liberty Lake is a beautiful and well maintained lakeside community that has a clubhouse, gazebo, pool, hot tub, sauna and exercise rm. It’s close to stores, restaurants and main bus line. Ideal for investors with no rental cap, but you may love this community and not want to leave!

Sold 8/11/16

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4 Ways to Prepare for the Final Walk-through

Home

When you are buying a home, the final walk-through is very important to ensure that any requested repairs have been taken care of by the seller and that everything in the home is in good working condition. In most cases, the final walk-through takes place a few days before closing.

Follow these four tips to make sure that you do not miss out on any details during the final walk-through of your new home.

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5 Tips to Help Buyers Save for a Down Payment

Calculator

Saving for a down payment can pose one of the biggest challenges for potential home buyers.

Indeed, “a down payment is often the largest single payment a consumer makes in their lifetime and saving for it isn’t easy,” says Corey Carlisle, executive director of the American Bankers Association Foundation. “However, with a few changes, consumers can put themselves on track to make their home ownership dream a reality.”

In honor of American Housing Month, the American Bankers Association Foundation recently featured several tips to help consumers cut their household costs and start saving for a down payment.

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Mortgage Rates Hover Near All-Time Low

Graph - down

Fixed-rate mortgages recently dropped to their lowest averages of the year, which analysts attribute to the fallout from the recent “Brexit” vote. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.48 percent, only 17 basis points from its all-time record low of 3.31 percent in November 2012, Freddie Mac reports.

Read the article for more details…

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Beware of These Home Inspection Red Flags

Checklist

A home inspection not only allows buyers to learn more about their home, it also helps them uncover any potential problems.

Curbed.com recently featured a 14-point checklist to help home buyers during a home inspection. Here are a few items they suggest to investigate further during a home inspection that will give buyers more confidence in moving forward.

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The Top 20 Markets for June 2016

Top 20 Markets for June

The overall residential housing market is heating up this summer, but a markets in a few cities across the country are in a league of their own, notes Jonathan Smoke, realtor.com®’s chief economist.

Realtor.com®’s research team identified the hottest markets by factoring in which ones had the most views per listing on its website and saw the quickest inventory movement. In these markets, homes are selling 20 to 38 days faster than the rest of the U.S.

Once again, California dominates this month’s list, but eight other states are also represented (Texas, Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Washington, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire). Seasonality is a big factor in this month’s rankings, Smoke notes.

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17848 Scatter Lane SW, Rochester, WA 98579

1

JUST LISTED!

$165,000

2 bedrooms; 1.75 bathrooms; 1,412 square feet

Enjoy nature and wildlife on your peaceful park-like property with 2.83 acres and over 161 feet of creek front! Completely remodeled in and out, this home is bright and refreshing; features vaulted ceilings, a cozy pellet stove that heats the whole home, tile and hardwood floors, and newer appliances. Relax in your sun room that emphasizes panoramic views or enjoy a fire down by the creek. You’ll appreciate the large tile shower, walk-in closet and views from the huge master bedroom. You will love this and never want to leave!

Sold 8/23/16