Snow/Ice/Wind Storm of January 2012
I was a bit (well, a lot) skeptical about whether we’d end up with a storm of the magnitude the weather folks were predicting early last week. We were to get 12-18” of snow. Uh huh … right! In my area of south King County, we’d had a number of just wet little snow blizzards that melted about the time the flakes hit the ground. What I didn’t know, was that the worst of the storm was just laughing at me … waiting for me to go back into the house to finish my skeptical blog post. For my area of the Auburn east hill, snow was late to arrive, but when it did, it was daggone serious. Now,... [Read more...]
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
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
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...]
Auburn, WA: 2011–The Year That Was
The end of the year is a good time to take a look back and see how things shaped up. After all of the negative press, residential real estate sales in Auburn improved, both for the month of December 2011, and year over year compared to 2010. Here’s a quick look at the numbers: Who says the economy still not improving!? Compare the numbers from 2008! The next chart compares year end stats: I’m jazzed! Look at that nice up-tick in closed sales! So … what sold in Auburn in December? Traditional sales are creeping up in number …. a really good thing, but equally good... [Read more...]
Houses are Affordable in Maple Valley, WA!
Seattle is a gorgeous area, full of lakes, mountains, and lots of green spaces. Just to the east of Seattle, directly across Lake Washington, are Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland and other communities, commonly referred to as Washington’s high-tech corridor. Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and a batch of other big tech name companies make their home in our Seattle and eastside areas. We love them to death … but they DO increase home prices in the area. However, just a few miles southeast of Bellevue lies Maple Valley. Those of us in the area, believe Maple Valley is the best Bellevue suburb!... [Read more...]
Maple Valley Summer Sales
Now that summer’s coming to a close (well at least on the calendar), I thought a wrap up of Maple Valley home sales activity might be due. For reporting purposes, I’ve only included transactions that post a mailing address of Maple Valley, which includes the largest hub of homes in the local Multiple Listing Service are that includes those short drives into Ravensdale & Hobart, along with Black Diamond and then waaay out into Kangley and east all the way to the mountains. Here’s how things looked over the summer: Of interest, especially, was the little 380 square foot cabin... [Read more...]
Farmer’s Markets are “Springing” Up All Over!
It’s Spring, which means Farmer’s Markets are “Springing” Up All Over! I love shopping at local Farmer’s Markets. Just mingling amongst all the fresh produce, the local crafts, and flowers is inspiring. I always come away with the zeal to go home and weed. Or something equally as dirty. Not to mention, of course, my reusuable shopping bag, full of goodies. Veggies, lettuces, fruits…even an occasional quart of fresh fresh milk. Yummy. We eat really well for a few days after my trip. Near my home in Auburn, Washington are a few Farmer’s markets worth mentioning.... [Read more...]
Springtime Sales in Auburn, WA
Spring in Auburn! I’m going to loosely define “Spring” as March 1st through today, June 15th– our period of incredible rainfall and cold weather. I know Summer doesn’t officially start for another week or so, but I’m calling it now … Here’s how I see it: A total of 333 Residential transactions closed, consisting of 276 single family homes 32 condominiums 25 manufactured homes. For Single Family Homes, the significant “averages” looked like this: 276 Single Family Homes $243,456 Sales Price 125 days Total days on market... [Read more...]
Fireworks on the 3rd of July!
I love fireworks. Actually, I love BIG firework displays. The ones that the young’uns persist in lighting off in the neighborhood designed to just be big bangs are annoying. Well, don’t laugh, but I really like those snake’y things — those little black things that you light that crawl all over the ground. But give me lots of sparkles and trailing lights and I’m in every time! So … this is a heads up! It’s time to start planning! One of the best shows in our area is, without a doubt, hosted by Emerald Downs in Auburn. Combined with the fun and excitement of horse... [Read more...]
New Construction IS Selling in Auburn, Washington!
Sigh. The national newspapers are shouting from the rooftops about how crappy terrible new construction is selling. Another sensationalism report blowing things totally out of proportion. According to an Associated Press article quoted in my local Seattle Times, new home sales so far this year across the nation accounted for just 5% of all sales. Historically, they say, new home sales make up about 15% of all sales. Around my Auburn, Washington area home, I can count at least 10 new construction developments just starting up. Maybe more than ten if I give it a bit more thought. The point is, around... [Read more...]
Relocating? Consider Seattle-Tacoma Region Traffic When Choosing A Home
I absolutely love getting a phone call from a Buyer looking to relocate to the Seattle-Tacoma area. One of the early questions when talking to someone moving to the area involves where they will work and how long they’re willing to commute. Almost always, the answers are something similar to “I’m being transferred to ____________ (downtown Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma) and don’t want to drive more than about 20-30 minutes.” That’s certainly and admirable goal and one I completely understand. Unfortunately, for most of the greater Seattle/Tacoma area, that... [Read more...]
Flood Maps Affect Home Sales and Purchases
One of the requirements to obtaining and maintaining a mortgage or loan on your home is that it be adequately insured against unexpected disasters. It’s important to know that damage from floods or landslides are not typically included in normal homeowner insurance policies. Evaluation of whether a home resides within a flood plain is part of the consideration in obtaining affordable homeowner’s insurance. This can affect the ability of a buyer to fulfill the terms of their purchase contract, as expensive insurance may negatively impact that buyer’s ability to qualify for the... [Read more...]
Auburn, WA Market Snapshot – January 2011
In 2010, 734 homes in Auburn, Washington sold, with the assistance of real estate agents, for an average of $282,429 after being on the market for an average of 142 days, selling for 92.5% of the price at which the home was originally listed. Of the homes sold, 127 were reported as having been Bank or REO (real estate owned) properties. For clarification, REO properties could include those that are corporate owned, bank owned, HUD, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac properties. An additional 53 homes were reported as short sales. The information in this report and all charts... [Read more...]
December 2010 Auburn WA Home Listing Statistics
December 2010 Listings by Status, Price & Ownership Residential Properties with Auburn Addresses in King and Pierce Counties Statistics as of 1/3/2011 for Listings dated 12/1/2010-12/31-2010 Active Listings These properties were listed between December 1 and December 31, 2010 and have not yet sold. All Short Sales Bank/REO Price Range Quantity Average DOM* Quantity Average DOM* Quantity Average DOM* $50,000 thru $59,999 1 11 1 11 $70,000 thru $79,999 1 5 1 5 $80,000 thru $89,999 2 9 2 9 $100,000 thru $119,999 1 12 1 12 $120,000 thru $139,999 2 15 2 15 $140,000 thru $159,999 7 21 3 15 4 25 $160,000 thru $179,999 8 16 3 21 4 10 $180,000 thru $199,999 9 18 2 17 3 22 $200,000 thru $249,999 15 22 2 22 7 18 $250,000 thru $299,999 17 20 2 12 3 19 $300,000 thru $349,999 6 28 1 12 $350,000 thru $399,999 5 16 1 32 $500,000 thru $549,999 1 32 1 32 $550,000 thru $599,999 1 17 $650,000 thru $699,999 1 20 Totals 77 20 14 18 29 17 Summary... [Read more...]
