Real Estate Thoughts & Advice for the Auburn, Kent, Maple Valley, Puyallup, Renton & Tacoma Areas

RE/MAX 2012 Housing Message with Margaret Kelly (RE/MAX CEO)

Margaret Kelly, the Chief Executive Officer at RE/MAX is highly visible in her television commercials, along with being a spokesperson to those of us who are RE/MAX professionals. In this quick video clip, she summarizes what I believe is a reasonable statement of what we might expect to see in the real estate market in 2012.  

MainVue Homes at The Bridges in Auburn, WA

MainVue Homes at The Bridges in Auburn, WA

New home-building in Auburn, WA continues to increase, as evidenced by a quick drive through the area. One of the most ambitious new developments in Auburn is The Bridges, by MainVue Homes, located just east of 124th, between 304th and 288th. A few years ago I watched as the area was cleared and developed with streets, lights, and playgrounds, and then the real estate economy tanked and the property sat idle … until recently! Unfortunately, it appears that the folks at MainVue homes have decided not to list their homes on our local MLS. Visiting both their Web and physical sites indicate that... [Read more...]

The Winter Storm Watch Continues

The Winter Storm Watch Continues

My husband, the amateur weatherman, has been obsessively following the build-up to the “Megastorm” of decades, currently predicted for our greater Seattle region. We’ve been watching for days, experiencing a bit of snow here, and a bit of snow there. At our home in east Auburn, so far we’ve accumulated a couple of inches, which largely went away today even through additional flurries of wet heavy snow. I grew up in Seattle and remember a few good-sized snow storms from my childhood; even one or two while raising our own children. This storm, however, is expected to dump somewhere between... [Read more...]

A Look at Sales in Lakeland Hills

A Look at Sales in Lakeland Hills

I’ve always loved the Lakeland Hills area of Auburn, which technically straddles the King County / Auburn County borders and includes both Auburn and Sumner addresses. Perched above the Auburn valley, there are also some staggering views of the valley, southeast of Mt. Rainier, and east of the Cascade foothills. Much of Lakeland Hills is new(er) construction in a planned community with a variety of housing choices and prices, shopping, parks and entertainment. Here you’ll find apartments, condominiums (both attached and detached), along with single family homes. A large portion of the newest... [Read more...]

You Can Test Drive a Car … But Not a House!

You Can Test Drive a Car … But Not a House!

The last couple of weekends have included a few hours helping our son decide what car to buy. We’ve been to this dealer and that, had him prequalified … and have driven a number of cars, usually with the all-chatty salesman in the backseat telling us exactly why this car is THE one to buy. We’ve driven some brand new cars and are now taking a look at a few that a just a couple of years old (Mom insisting that maybe the payment will be a bit easier on his monthly budget.) Now that we’ve graduated to the used car market, I’ve been busy reading CarFax reports, looking over my son’s shoulder... [Read more...]

Real Estate Thoughts & Advice for the Auburn, Kent, Maple Valley, Puyallup, Renton & Tacoma Areas