Residential Real Estate in SW Washington State

Residential Real Estate Services with Passion, Integrity, Knowledge

SOLD!! Affordable Lakeland Hills 3 Bedroom Home in Dieringer School District

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6226 Wesley Place SE, Auburn, WA 98092
MLS #1987665
Listed at $575,000

Click Here to View the Full Tour & More Photos

 

Massive Price Adjustment to match today’s changing market! If you’ve thought about moving to sought-after Lakeland Hills but were priced out, ACT NOW!

This awesome house has been updated in the last two years with central air conditioning, new roof, refrigerator, dishwasher & gorgeous LVP flooring for easy care & up-to-date style. The open kitchen/great room keeps the cook & crowd together for movie night or outside on the freshly stained deck & fully fenced yard. Upstairs is a darling loft — the perfect play room or office? Three bedrooms, including the primary suite with ensuite bath and walk-in closet, are all generously sized and bright with large windows and designer paint colors.

You’ll definitely sense the pride of ownership at every home on the street; the sellers say they will miss their neighbors! Walk to the community park for playtime or short drive to one of the many Lakeland Hills parks, shopping, schools. Dieringer School District!!
  • MLS# 1987665
  • Built in 2010
  • 1,719 SqFt*
  • 5,080 SqFt Lot
  • $5,281 2022 Property Taxes
  • $35/month HOA
  • 3 Bedrooms (including Primary)
  • 1 full bath, 1 three-quarter bath, 1 half  bath
  • 2-Car Attached Garage
  • Fully Fenced Back Yard
  • Central Air Conditioning

View the Tour

* buyer to verify home size and property size to own satisfaction

Call your agent for a private tour and then set the stage to move right in!

 

Contact me or your agent for a personal tour. If you’ve not yet prequalified, visit my lending resource page for a list of excellent loan officers.

6226 Wesley Place

SOLD!! 5-Acre Farm in Auburn with Mt. Rainier View

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You and your animals will appreciate this spectacular Mt. Rainier view property. Spacious NW styling is apparent as you enter the well-maintained home from its 13ft vaulted ceilings & generous picture windows to its bright and open living spaces! Slider off kitchen leads to outdoor patio with brick fireplace and BBQ. Second patio off master provides peaceful privacy. New flooring throughout home along with updated kitchen cabinets, counters, & stainless appliances including a brand new range.

Horses? Alpacas? Goats? The pastures on this 5-acre parcel are fenced & cross-fenced. There are two three-stall barns—one with tack room and matted stalls–plus chicken coop/tractors.

Lovely one-level homes on land are rare. Don’t miss this one!

Move right in!

 

  • $700,000
  • MLS# 1696123
  • Built in 1977
  • 2,030 SqFt
  • 5 Acres
  • $6,932 year property taxes
  • 3 bedrooms
  • 1.75 baths
  • Private Patio Off Master
  • 2 car garage
  • 2 Barns, Storage Shed, Chicken Coop/Tractors
  • Private Septic & Well
  • Gated

Contact me or your agent for a personal tour. If you’ve not yet prequalified, visit my lending resource page for a list of excellent loan officers.

 

SOLD! Amazing Sunsets — Perfect Starter Home in Awesome Commuter Location / 3 bedrooms / 1 bath / Auburn-Kent East Hill

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Lovely updated home just minutes from Hwy 18 is a commuter’s dream!

All one level–no stairs & most of the hard work is DONE! New roof & living room flooring in 2020 plus new furnace, A/C & septic in 2016. Cozy up to the wood burning fireplace indoors…or spend quality s’mores time at the firepit in the huge private fully-fenced backyard. There are 2 outbuildings on the property with electricity; great for a workshop, seasonal storage, chicken coop, etc. Bonus room adds extra space for theater, playroom or ? Convenient updated bath can also be accessed from master bedroom.

And … Oh My! The Sunsets from here are AMAZING!

Move right in!

View 360 walk through and Video Tour by clicking the above photo or HERE

Contact me or your agent for a personal tour. If you’ve not yet prequalified, visit my lending resource page for a list of excellent loan officers.

SOLD! — Cambridge Point Craftsman-Meticulous & Gorgeous!

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$475,000

30319 112th Place SE
Auburn, WA 98092
MLS# 1265252

Fabulous, serene, meticulous and inviting just begin to describe this lovely Craftsman home built by Charter Homes in 2008.

Drenched with sunlight, the home shines both inside and out, from its gleaming Brazilian cherry flooring, to the glowing granite counters, cherry cabinetry and stainless kitchen. The open, comfortable floor plan leads thoughtfully from each well-designed space to another. You’ll further appreciate the romantic master and ensuite, which is enhanced with corner windows highlighting a territorial view.

The current owners have spared no expense to make the home comfortable and easy to maintain: gas range in the kitchen, cozy gas fireplace, air conditioning, an in-ground sprinkler system, garage shelving and more.

 

  • Built in 2008
  • 2,189 sqft
  • 6,867 sqft Lot
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 2.5 Baths
  • $5,551 property taxes
  • $46/month HOA
  • Auburn School District
  • Hazelwood Elementary
  • Rainier Middle School
  • Auburn Mountainview High School
  • Gas range, fireplace, heat & hot water
  • Central Air Conditioning
  • Inground Sprinkler System
  • Fully Fenced Yard
View the Tour 

 

Sold! Convenient Country Living — 2-Story Tudor 3/4 acre

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13421 SE 294th Place
Auburn, WA 98092

Competitively Marketed at $500,000

This custom-built Tudor on ¾ acre is the real deal with its stucco and brick exterior and wonderful curb appeal at end of private road.

The interior was just updated with designer paints, hickory and tile floors, new carpeting, new bathrooms, and some new windows. The home also features classic Tudor styling with solid oak interior doors and cabinets, vaulted ceilings, dormers, and a loft. Room sizes are super generous and the awesome floor plan was built for entertaining.

Outside is dedicated vegetable garden space, green house, chicken coops, RV parking+, lovely landscaping and a fenced back yard. Bonneville Power lines on property behind home means acres and acres where no one can build, providing a wonderful long term buffer and views of the foothills. Tiny peek-a-boo Mt. Rainier view too!

All this easy country living is just minutes away from Hwy 18, Covington, Costco, etc. Beautiful!

Click here or photo below to view virtual tour and additional photos.

 

Preparing Your House For Sale in Auburn, WA … or Anywhere!

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PrintPreparing Your House For Sale in Auburn, WA … or Anywhere!

As with so many of the good things we want in life, selling a house is just plain hard work. Your house will be examined through a looking glass, so it’s critically important that it be well prepared, well priced, and well represented. Here are just a few of the steps necessary before hanging that For Sale sign:

House Prep

While this sometimes feels like an almost insurmountable task, carefully preparing your house is definitely the first step in successfully selling a home in today’s market. If you’ve ever taken the time to tour carefully staged model homes, you are likely aware that your home must compete on a very high level to quickly sell and pull the numbers you know your house is worth.

Basics

Start with these basic steps:

  • Declutter
  • Clean the closets
  • Depersonalize
  • Clean, clean, clean

Your house must sparkle, both inside and out. Remember that you’ll be packing up to move anyway … so start by going through the closets, the cupboards, removing the chatskies that have gathered in the bookcases, shelves and tables, and so on.

And don’t spare the furniture polish and glass cleaner. Dirty windows are definitely deal killers for so many people. They want to see bright clear views of the yard and garden.

Finally, don’t forget the outside! From the front door to the driveway to the fences. Be sure everything is neat and tidy. Bring in fresh bark if needed; mow the lawn; trim the hedges … get it?

Staging

It isn’t always necessary to hire a professional staging company to make your home look like a model home, but it is critical that your home display itself with an eye for design and presentation. If you can’t do this by yourself, at least start by bringing in your real estate broker (that’d be me!) and we’ll go through some use what you have tips to get started. And talk about professional staging, too!

What’s Selling?

Take a look at what’s actually selling in your area. Is your neighborhood still surrounded by foreclosures? How about new construction? Big houses? Smaller houses? Remodels? Each of these factors point to the type of marketing approacPrinth your home may require.

Pricing

One of the most common comments I hear when sitting with “wannabe” Sellers for the very first time is “The neighbor just sold their house for $$!” In fact, this comment is often the reason we’re sitting together at all. So how did that happen? In part because they knew the numbers.

When pricing your house, remember that your house is being weighed against every other house on the market. Therefore, your house needs to be the best value (in addition to looking the best, of course). You’ll be confident in your house price if you know these numbers:

  • Feature & Presentation Comparisons
  • $ per Square Foot Comparisons
  • Neighborhood Comparisons
  • Assessment to Sale Price Comparisons
  • Historical Data: Appreciation/Depreciation
  • Local Economic Factors

While not all of this data is easy to find, each number plays a role in determining what the optimum sale price of your home should be.

Timing

Yes, timing truly is important, but it’s not the end-all. While you need to know the timing trends for your area, remember that not every house sells only in the Spring and Summer. People have to move all times of the year. Your home may sell faster during the hot moments, but don’t panic if you’re not quite ready when the experts tell you to get going.

Marketing

Presenting your home to potential buyers requires knowledge of how buyers find houses and what they see when they do find it. It’s not just about hanging the sign, it’s about courting the right folks in the right way, and that includes both potential buyers and potential real estate brokers:

  • Photos
  • Online Presence
  • MLS Listing
  • Video Tours
  • Flyers

When you’re ready to think about selling your home, give me a call. We’ll go through all of the steps and information necessary when preparing your house for sale in Auburn, WA … or Anywhere!

 

 

SOLD! Auburn WA Country Living! Barn, Shop, 5 Acres!

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East side of Barn
Iconic barn!

Five acres, 1,900 square feet, a huge shop and a barn make this solidly built home and property a real find for someone wanting to raise a few chickens, horses, or maybe even an alpaca or two.

On the market for the very first time since the family built the home in 1969, the owner’s children (and grandchildren … and great grandchildren) are saddened to see this home now being sold, but tell me that the memories contained within its walls will last a lifetime.

With generous spaces including a massive family room that was home to jigsaw puzzles and game playing, the home features a formal living/dining room combination with a wall-to-wall built-in china hutch, three bedrooms (could easily be four), plus two full baths.

Located inside the Auburn city limits and situated down a private lane, the home and land are just moments away from Highway 18 and Green River Community College and within a block or so walking distance to the newer Jacobsen Elementary and Auburn Mountainview High School. Live here and you’ll also be only five minutes from Covington with its Costco and extensive shopping areas.

Complete your own updates to the kitchen, baths, and amenities and then build your own memories within these cherished walls.

 

MLS # 711670 3+ bedrooms Shop approx 24′ x 40′
1900 sq ft (house) 2 bathrooms Barn approx 24′ x 32′
Built by Terhune in 1969 Formal living/dining room Electric Heat & Hot Water
Two, 2 1/2 acre parcels* Family room Propane Fireplace
    Private well & septic

*Bonneville Power & Tacoma Water easements limit development possibilities

Auburn WA Country Home with Barn Shop 5 Acres
Perfect 1-Story Home!

Want to see more? Visit the virtual tour,
then call your personal Broker … or me … to arrange a private showing!

 

 

Buying New Construction in south King County (Auburn, Kent, Renton, etc.)

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presaleAlthough pre-existing home sales were still in recovery mode over the last couple of years, new construction seemed to take on wings of its own, especially in our south King and Pierce County areas. From experience in working with several buyers of new construction in new communities, I can tell you that there are many things to consider. Here are just a few:

  • Can you tour model homes or previous construction by the builder? Especially in larger communities, builders often construct one or more model homes that display standard finishes and upgrades. Sometimes upgrades are a bit tricky to identify, so you’ll want to be sure you and your broker ask lots of questions about what is included in the base price.
  • Is there a HomeOwners Association and are there CC&Rs? If you anticipate buying new construction in south King County areas such as Auburn, Kent, Renton, or Federal Way, you’ll find that, typically, HOA administration is often retained by the builder until the majority of homes are completed. At that time, the Association will elect its own officers and be under its own control, typically still guided by a set of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs). CC&Rs are recorded document(s) that list what can and can’t be done as a resident of the community. You’ll want to be sure to review a copy to see if your lifestyle fits within its guidelines.
  • Can you choose both the lot and floor plan? You may find that the builder has already pre-permitted a specific home for each particular lot or may not be willing to build on a certain lot until other areas are completed. If you have your heart set on a specific floor plan, you may need to adjust your site preferences.
  • What sort of warranty is included? Most builders offer at least a one-year warranty, fixing anything that goes awry during that time period (other than normal wear and tear). Some builders, however, offer extended protection plans perhaps protecting you from foundation issues for 10 years, with peeling paint for maybe only 1-2 years.
  • Are there community playgrounds and events? As lot sizes have shrunk in many areas, builders and developers have often set aside areas for outside events. Can you see these by driving through the neighborhood? Does the number and size seem reasonable for the number of homes included in the community?
  • And finally, how long before you can move in? What a sticky question! Some of the most popular builders are completely sold out of current, standing inventory, while others have a few homes that are ready to go. Typically, if a builder can get started on your new house right away, you’ll find that it still takes 5-6 months or so to construct a new home. But be prepared for much longer time frames! If you anticipate buying new construction in south King County areas such as Auburn, Kent, Renton, or Federal Way, you’ll find that many of these jurisdictions seem to be painfully slow or just totally swamped in completing the permit process.

Questions? Please give me a call or send me a message about buying new construction. There’s a lot to learn!

SOLD!! Riverwalk View Home in Auburn WA

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Beautiful resale opportunity in prized Riverwalk Community with territorial view and magnificent sunsets. Home is in wonderful shape & shows pride of ownership!

1999 Centex tri-level features 3 bedrooms, 2½ baths, with a wonderful open kitchen & family room concept, keeping the cook part of the action while nicely splitting the two rooms. For more formal occasions, you’ll also appreciate the separate living room and dining room.

Huge windows in kitchen plus vaulted ceilings in living & dining rooms add height and massive daylight. The private backyard is perfect for summer BBQ’s on the patio!

Central air & gas heat with heat pump & fireplace in family room make for year-round comfort. From the Berber carpeting inside–to the sprinkler system outside for easy yard upkeep–to the “just pressure wash me” vinyl siding, this home is easy-care from start to finish.

Don’t miss out. This may be a short sale, but everyone is on-board for a successful transaction!

  • MLS #362145
  • 1620 SqFt / 6,631 SqFt Lot
  • 3 Bedrooms, 2½ Baths
  • Vaulted Master Suite w/ Walk-In Closet & Full Bath
  • Front & Back Yard Sprinkler System
  • Dead End Street
  • HOA Dues just $75/year
  • Vaulted Formal Dining & Living Room w/Ceiling Fan
  • Lower Family Room w/Gas Fireplace
  • Gas Utilities & Central Air Conditioning

 

 

 

Snow/Ice/Wind Storm of January 2012

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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, remember you east coasters … we’re talking about the Seattle area here. We don’t get much in the way of snow. We may get a few inches here and there, close the schools for a day, and then melt off. There’s little snow equipment in the area, we live up/down on hills and the snow we do get is typically very very wet. None of that dry fluffy stuff that’s fun to ski … just Seattle “concrete.”

P1040017This time around was no exception. After fits and starts, snow really started to fall on Wednesday and it was wet wet wet sticky stuff. Great for making snow sculptures. That sort of thing.

Thursday morning around 7am, the power went out. A quick look outside said that it had snowed a bit more. With accumulations around 8 inches or so after it’d melted off a bit. Bummer—I wanted SNOW!—and an adventure! At my house, situated on a small community well, septic systems, electric heat, it was going to be a cold few hours – outside was around 28 degrees or so.

P1040023But, expecting the best and dressing in layers, we were prepared! Flashlights, generator, a full fridge and pantry full of food, bottles of drinking water and a bathtub full of water for the necessary stuff. Bring it on. We were ready.

HAHAHAHAHAAAA

Fast forward to late Thursday … it’s raining. That’s what was predicted. It was going to rain off all of our accumulations. No problem. What the weather folks didn’t know, is that the rain was freezing. Encapsulating everything and accumulating a deadly layer of ice on top of the snow. And it just kept on accumulating. By the time the rain stopped and turn back to snow on Friday, we’d gathered about an inch of solid ice on top of our snow layer. Stuff is falling off the trees everywhere. (Nothing like laying in bed listening … creeeekkkk, screee, schuuuuuckkkkk, CRASH!) Outside, it’s a winter wonderland with ice coating everything.

P1040025But then the snow kept on coming … again! Now there was about two inches of snow on top of the ice! Yikes! I had no idea. Friday morning I decided to let the dogs out front to avoid the broken tree mess in our back yard … and immediately after stepping off the porch all four legs splayed out on both dogs. Getting purchase and standing back up was a challenge for them.

By late Friday we were able to actually make it out of our driveway and back to the world and what a mess it was. Downed trees, downed wires, cars in ditches; it was total destruction. No wonder we had no power. Lines were down on both sides of our private road, huge trees laying everywhere.

P1040031But real estate calls just kept on coming. My cell phone kept ringing with people looking for houses. So on Saturday I decided to go ahead and make a showing appointment and give it a go. Yikes, what a further mess. Now our feeder road was totally blocked off, with power line trucks guarding the road so no one could get in or out. Lots of yellow caution tape. (Yay!! Maybe they were working on restoring power!) With lots of talking, we were allowed to carefully go around all of the barriers and trees and off to my showing. Only to be stood up by the Buyers. Sigh … but it was a fun adventure!

Here’s a shot of my favorite shade tree during the ice storm … and after. What you can’t see here is the line of tree trunks that are now just sticks. There’s gonna be a lot of tree removal again this year. I’m thinking that Mother Nature decided pruning was necessary so decided to help us get a start at it. We were very very fortunate – no real damage, but sure a lot of destruction. (And I was mighty glad to take a hot shower on Sunday when the power was restored!)