Uncategorized May 1, 2019

2 Bedroom Private Oasis in Central Tacoma

4311 S 7th Street, Tacoma WA 98405

Offered for $279,950

2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom

828 Square Feet, 6,000 Square Foot Lot

MLS#1449204

Welcome to this lovely oasis located near it all! This location is perfect for folks who want the quiet peaceful street, but want to be close to all of the happenings in Tacoma. This home is located just 2 blocks from the best coffee in Tacoma, Valhalla. Beer lovers, Beer Star is a two min stroll down the alley! Sushi Tama is a great place to grab sushi, and it is super close! It has a relaxed vibe, and the dishes they serve have a more traditional feel.

You’ve got quick access to all of the small businesses, restaurants, bars, and coffee spots that 6th Avenue has to offer. You’ve also got Jefferson Park nearby, where the seller liked to walk her dog, Otis-

“This neighborhood is incredible. It’s peaceful & walkable. Valhalla is just a couple blocks, a perfect stroll for coffee with Otis on the way to the park. I developed friendships with several people on our block, they’re available and they care about the people in the community. It’s a 20min walk to the Proctor Farmers Market on Saturdays & just as close to all the 6th ave businesses but you don’t get all the noise. Easy to hop a bus downtown for dates with my friends, access to connecting busses to take me into Seattle for shows, I was fine without a car. Tacoma Boys is an 18 minute walk, yep. I timed it. But the bus goes right by as well.” 

Mature landscaping makes the home private and peaceful. “I am going to miss the wisteria. There’s nothing like the perfume of those flowers freshly blooming. If the wind is just right it flows into the house, lightly and very delicate.” 

The house has such a nice flow to it! You can see the kitchen from the living room, and there are tons of windows which make it feel light, bright, and open.

Master bedroom is to the right when you enter the home, next to the bathroom.

The master bedroom has a lovely sun nook, which looks out to the private backyard. This room gets so much natural light! The seller used it as her art studio because of this. It was a space she was able to feel creative, produce and market her pieces which she showcases on her site for her business, Ravel and Unravel.

The second bedroom is located across from the bathroom, and looks out onto the front yard.

There is a nice big window in the living room, which allows you to look out into the front yard. When I asked what the seller would miss, one of the things she mentioned was, “The light! This house has such incredible natural light throughout the entire day.”

Concrete kitchen counters, checkered flooring, tile backsplash, and built-ins make this a super cute kitchen.

Sunny dining area, which gives you a view onto the deck, and private backyard.

There are plants everywhere, including fruit trees; italian plums, two fig trees in the back yard and one cherry tree.”The sun pours in during Spring/Summer, I’d open all the windows to let the breeze in & watch the birds eat the cherries on the tree outside the side window.”

If you go down the path, it will lead to the stairs which go down to the alley and detached garage.

There is a detached, one car garage. Sellers used it for storage! There is plenty of parking out front. Check out the video tours here, and here

For more information on this listing, feel free to text me (253-691-0688), or email me at Keryn@windermere.com. 

ListingsUncategorized March 21, 2019

The Psychology of Real Estate, Pt 4- The Power of Telling Your Home’s Story Through Marketing

 

If you chat with agents who have been in the Real Estate Industry for 20+ years, you will likely hear them talk about how much the business has changed. The internet and technology have made information on homes easier for buyers and sellers to access without the help of their agent and marketing techniques have come a long way. For the most part, buyers are searching for homes online. Not in newspapers, magazines, or printed paper pamphlets like the olden days.

What does this mean for sellers? There is a lot of room for creativity with the marketing for your home! There are paper options (“just listed” post card campaigns are a common paper option nowadays), online blog posts, and then all of the elements that help your home shine online, such as professional photography and listing videos.

If your agent provides a listing video as part of their services, being intentional about how the videographer films the home is important. Sometimes you see the same pan shots over and over again, or music that is bland or that doesn’t match the vibe of the property. It can leave you wondering how much the video really adds to the listing.

Are you trying to show the layout? How much natural light the interior gets? The old charm? The amazing location? These details are important when being intentional with what you are trying to showcase about the property.

I approach every listing differently. I don’t think a “one style fits all” approach is most effective when attempting to appeal to potential buyers. I think of listing videos as a story-telling medium. While evaluating a home, I ask the seller(s) a series of questions:

  • What first attracted you to this home when you decided to come see it as a buyer?
  • What are some of the qualities you found desirable about this home when you purchased it?
  • What will you miss the most about living here?
  • What are some good memories you have in this home?
  • Which places were your favorite to visit nearby (parks, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, etc.)?

I have listed homes that have been occupied by sellers, rental properties that had been previously occupied by tenants, and homes that we previously occupied by the homeowners, but were later rented out. I take all of these factors into account while developing the marketing plan and vision and creating a list of prep work needed to maximize the marketability of the home.

No matter what your specific situation is, there is room for creativity when marketing your home. Depending on the level of involvement you want, there are a few options I use:

  • Seller interview. This is where we use footage of the home with you talking over the video about what you love most about it. There is the option of my voice being laid over the footage, instead, if you are not comfortable or local when we record the video! Example of seller interview style here.
  • Focusing on elements of the home, no actors or voice overs. Being intentional with the shots, music, and making sure the home is prepped prior to filming (clean, staged, etc.). Example here and here.
  • Lifestyle. Focusing heavily on what’s around the home, such as restaurants, parks, theaters, local businesses, or easy access to transit, in addition to sharing the house itself. Example here.
  • Before and after. Showing off the improvements made to the home by the current seller(s) since they took ownership. Examples here and here.

Sometimes we end up blending all of these elements, other times we stick mainly with one theme. I don’t think a video is absolutely necessary to sell your home. However, I do think that it helps present your home as a premium product and can appeal to a potential buyers’ emotions. Many like to think that they are making an analytical decision when they purchase a home, but it usually ends up being an emotional choice, especially for first-time home buyers. Appealing to a buyer’s emotions, as well as being savvy and listing at a price that is strategic, makes for a solid list-to-sold equation.

For more on the list-to-sold equation, check out my blog post about determining a savvy list price, here.

Uncategorized March 17, 2019

3 Kick Ass Addendums to Help Buyers Knock Out the Competition!

Spring and summer are approaching! Traditionally this means we will be seeing an increase in inventory, and more buyers on the hunt for their home! You’ll likely be competing with other buyers when you do find a house that you want to offer on.

There are tools at your disposal to help you bring your A game when you submit an offer. These addendums add competitive layers to the contract, giving yourself more of an edge to help you knock out the competition.

 

  • 35E- Escalation Addendum. This addendum is used when you are ready to offer over list price, but you only want to do that if others are willing to do so. Basically, you’ll offer more to win the house, but you don’t want to offer your top amount right out the gate. Instead of offering 10-15k over list price flat out, you’d rather offer list, or slightly over, and say you will beat any other offer by x amount, not to exceed y amount. For example, a home is listed at 350k. You are willing to pay up to 365k for this house, but you don’t want to offer that right away. You include a 35E and say that you will beat any competing offer by 3k, not to exceed 365k. So if the seller has an offer for 360, your offer becomes 363. You can put any number you’d like for the escalation amount, and the cap amount (the highest you are willing to offer for that particular home). If the escalation addendum is triggered, the sellers agent must provide us with the competing offer, proving that it was activated. Pro Tip: I recommend using odd numbers with the 35E, since it is less common. For example, instead of escalating by 3k, escalate by 3,550, and cap at 365,550.

  • 22AD-Appraisal Gap Addendum. This one is baller, and I am seeing it make a comeback after disappearing for the winter. The 22AD is basically you pre-negotiating how much extra cash you are willing to bring if the appraisal comes in lower than the amount you offered for the home. Let’s say you attach a 22AD to your offer for 5k. If you offered 365k, and the appraised value comes in at 360k, that means you have agreed per the 22AD to bring that 5k loss to closing, in addition to your downpayment. This looks great to the seller because they are not losing that 5k in profit that they could have, if you hadn’t already agreed to bring it. If you didn’t attach a 22AD to your offer, you could just back out when the appraisal came in lower than your offer. A seller can ask you later in the process to bring extra cash if it doesn’t appraise for your offer amount, but a 22AD provides assurance to the seller that you’re willing to bring some extra cash if it doesn’t appraise. You are only agreeing to the amount that you put on the 22AD, so if the gap is wider than that amount you committed to, you are not obligated to bring more, even if the seller asks.

  • 65B-Rent Back: This one is for when you are offering on a home with a seller who for whatever reason, wants to stay in the home post you closing on it for a period of time. Maybe the seller is trying to coordinate a move into their new home, and wants some buffer time to close on the sale of their home you are buying, and then close on the purchase of their new home. In this circumstance, maybe they’d like 3-5 days to clean and move their stuff out. Whatever their reason, a rent back could set you apart from the other offers if the seller has the desire to stay in the home for a period of time post close. 

Some of these addendums make more sense in certain situations. It is the job of your agent to look at every house as a unique situation, and help you strategize to create the best offer for that particular house and seller. If you don’t fully understand an addendum, ask your agent to explain it until you do, or don’t use it at all.

These addendums can set you apart, but I only recommend you use them if you are 100% comfortable. I tell clients to think of it this way- make the best offer possible so that if you don’t win it, you don’t have any regrets, but if you do get it, you are not sick to your stomach. Sometimes you lose a house, but with that comes experience and practice with the process. Stay strong and positive as you continue with your search!

Uncategorized March 14, 2019

The Psychology of Real Estate, Pt 3- Beyond Terms: Strategizing & Submitting a Winning Offer

The majority of time I have been in Real Estate, the market has been in favor of sellers. I remember summers where every time a buyer would send me a listing they were excited about, I’d hold my breath and search recently sold homes nearby wondering, how much will this go for? Is there a review date? How fast can we get in there? We had to move FAST.

Although things have mellowed out a tad, I still have clients bidding over list price, submitting savvy offers and still not coming out on top. There are many components to crafting the offer itself that go beyond just how much money you are willing to offer. In addition, your agent should strategize the way in which they submit your offer. There are pieces to the puzzle of strategically submitting an offer that I don’t hear talked about much. Some details may not throw as big of a punch as others, but all of these things can help you and your agent paint your offer in the best possible light and increase the odds the seller picks your offer over any other offers.

When a buyer finds a home, the first thing I do is scroll down to see what the agent listed as far as financing options. Are any of them viable options for my client? If its a cash or conventional only house and my buyer is FHA, that is something I bring to their attention, ASAP. Different loan types have varying degrees of requirements as far as condition of the home goes, and sometimes it is obvious that a home won’t pass appraisal for a certain loan type.

Next, I look to see if there is an offer review date. Offer review dates have become much more common. This means that even if you submit an offer right away, the agent has a planned date to sit down with the sellers and go over all offers they received between the list date and review date. If the MLS includes an offer review date, I reach out to the agent to verify they plan to stick to it and ask them to let me know if anything changes. (Sometimes it does!)

After I make contact with the seller’s agent, I ask if there are any unique terms that the seller(s) are looking for. Sometimes, sellers may want a sooner or later close date or the option to rent the home for a period of time post-close (called a “rent back”), for example. Once I have that information, I make suggestions to my clients on offer terms and send them recently sold homes nearby that are similar.

When strategizing a winning offer, there are layers of considerations. I start with the technical aspects of the offer:

  • How much are you wanting to offer? Do you want to include an escalation clause? Appraisal Gap Addendum?
  • What type of financing are you using and how much is your down payment?
  • How much earnest money are you able/willing/comfortable offering?
  • How fast can your lender close on your loan?
  • Are you okay reducing the inspection timeframe?

There are components of the submission itself that I think are underplayed. Here are some aspects that I consider:

  • Is your lender willing to reach out to the listing agent, assuring them that your financing is dialed-in and that you are qualified for the home purchase?
  • Is your agent reaching out to the listing agent and letting them know an offer is headed their way and asking if there are any ways to make your offer stand out? This shows the listing agent that your agent is professional and cares about doing a good job.
  • Does your agent write a cover email, explaining why you are qualified for this home purchase, assuring the agent that you are motivated and committed to the home? In my emails, I also like to introduce the buyer’s lender and urge the agent to reach out to myself or the lender with any questions. I always attach the offer as a .pdf, not an electronic signing link, and include an approval letter from the lender. I write a summary of the offer in the body of the email, outlining our offer terms and noting any additional facts that make the offer look stronger that may not be conveyed in the contract itself, for example, an inspection date that may already be secured.
  • Staying in touch with the sellers agent, and following up is important. However, I would not recommend your agent blow up their phone. When you are on the listing side, you have agents texting and calling all day. If there is a buyers agent constantly asking how many offers you have, it can make your agent seem overbearing. If there are two offers exactly alike, but your agent is friendly, professional, and efficient, that could tip the odds over in your favor.

My suggestions for technical aspects of an offer vary depending on how the home is priced (high or low end of the estimated market value range), where it is located (more or less competitive area), and how long it has been on the market (has it been on longer than a week). The second list of aspects of submitting an offer to me are crucial, always. It matters that your agent is professional, writes and submits an organized, well laid-out offer, despite what the terms of the offer are! For more about being fierce in the Tacoma market as a buyer, read my blog post here. If you’re curious about ways to beef up your offer contractually, check out my blog post about different kick ass addendums that can add complexity and strength to your offer.

Uncategorized March 13, 2019

The Psychology of Real Estate Series, Pt. 2 – Inspection Negotiation Tactics for Sellers

 

One of the most anxiety producing processes in Real Estate is the inspection negotiations. It is stressful for both parties of the transaction. Buyers are worried that they may discover that the house needs more work than they can afford (money, time, resources). The question of how much work a home needs is especially worrisome for first-time home buyers, who are typically shelling out a lot of cash between their earnest money, closing costs, down payment, moving costs, and paying for the home inspection(s).

A seller is usually stressed about the inspection, as well. They, too, worry that issues will come up they were not aware of, and they won’t have the cash on hand to take care of the repairs requested by the buyers. There is the concern that the buyer will insist the sellers make repairs the sellers don’t see as necessary, making the sale fail and starting the selling process all over again. The assumption usually made by a buyer or buyer’s agent is that the seller is making money from the sale of the home, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes a seller is barely breaking even or using the profits to pay off other debts or purchase a new home. Seeing their profit slowly decrease can be stressful and sometimes make selling not feasible.

No matter which side of the equation you are on, there are different strategies you can take when diving into an inspection negotiation.

As a seller, you could go as far as getting a pre-inspection done on your home, so that you are aware of everything before you go onto the market. This turns some sellers off because if they discover material defects, they then must disclose them to potential buyers right when they list the home or they are faced with repairs right away.

Sellers ask me often if they should take care of minor or major repairs before they list their home or if they should just wait for them to come up after the buyer inspects. Both are viable options, and there isn’t a clear cut answer. Here are some pros and cons I think sellers should consider to help decide which strategy speaks more to their mindset and which feels more comfortable to them.

Sellers taking care of repairs before you list. 

Pros:

  • Depending on the scale of necessary repairs, if done prior to going on market, we could use them in the marketing (video, blog post, MLS listing remarks). Some examples of repairs that could be marketed to attract buyers are installing a new roof, servicing or replacing a furnace, installing new flooring, or painting the interior or exterior. The sewer lines in Tacoma are generally super old, so providing proof that the line is functioning well can eliminate a huge concern for buyers right away! Doing these repairs and providing these assurances before we list makes the house look more attractive to buyers who want a house that is dialed in!
  • Doing work like replacing a roof or touching up chipped exterior paint could make the home more appealing to a wider range of buyers, which could get you more offers and put us in a better position to receive offers in the upper market range. That in turn will strengthen our inspection negotiation power since we will have less time on market. The winning buyer can be reminded that there is a ton of interest and not to be too picky on repair requests.
  • If you get work done on the home prior to listing, I suggest attaching the paid invoices to the MLS listing so that agents can pass those onto the buyers. It shows that you were committed to prepping the house before putting it up for sale – making buyers more confident in offering top dollar for the house. It also sets the tone that you have already done work and likely won’t want to negotiate petty items.
  • It gives sellers peace of mind knowing that you made the house as dialed-in and appealing as you could from the start. If things don’t go as you’d hoped, you won’t have that agonizing thought, “What if the roof was turning buyers off… What if I had just replaced that gross carpet in the living room…”
  • Completing some work prior to listing your home could make it available to more buyers with varying loan types. If your home needs exterior paint, or has a failing roof, it could fail appraisal for certain loan types. An experienced buyers agent will point out potential issues while showing your home to buyers with stricter financing. There are a handful of things you can do ahead of time to avoid appraisal concerns.

Cons:

  • If you get a pre-inspection done on your home to see what is needed, it can be burdensome. If you discover material defects, you must disclose them on a seller disclosure form when we first go on market. However, unless folks are waiving their inspection, for a person who likes to plan and anticipate as much as possible, it can provide relief to know there likely won’t be any surprises when a buyer performs their own inspection(s).
  • You might repair items that a buyer who chooses your home may have never tried asking for.
  • Market value isn’t a mathematical equation – we can’t say with 100% certainty that a new roof will get you X amount more on offers. However, I can say with confidence that the more move-in ready a home is, the more buyers you will appeal to.
  • Depending on your situation, you don’t want to spend all of the money you have on hand before we list. There are many ways you can use your current cash to make your home appealing (paint, flooring, staging, hiring a company to deep clean), and we need to look at your house and what will be the most useful within your resources. Every buyer is different, so you don’t want to spend money on something that one buyer might not care about, deplete your resources, then have a buyer press hard about a totally different issue that we didn’t address.

Not everyone can afford to prep their home 100% before listing. These ideas are for folks who are in a wonderful position to sell and ask me what is the way to get top dollar for their home. There is a list of items I provide sellers prior to listing, which ranges from the must-do’s to the more expensive, optional tasks. At minimum, you want to clean, de-clutter, and make sure the door locks work properly, light-bulbs are not burnt out, and there are no beeping smoke detectors. For more information on keeping your house from turning buyers off, check out my post – Sellers, Let’s Not Creep Buyers or Their Agents Out!

Uncategorized March 9, 2019

The Psychology of Real Estate Series, Pt. 1 – Strategically Pricing Your Home

 

No matter whether the market is favoring buyers or sellers, pricing a home is one of the hardest things to do. There are many factors to consider when determining a realistic and savvy list price. Real Estate is not just an analytical endeavor. While people are complex and choose a home based on a variety of factors, list price plays a huge role in it! You and your agent want to be strategic when pricing your home, to leverage your power when you first launch it onto the market.

Here are some things to consider when deciding on list price:

When do you want or need your sale finalized? Are you hoping to get an offer right away? Knowing your preferred timeline helps when deciding on list price strategy. In the current market, if you want to get your house from active to pending as fast as possible, it makes sense to list towards the bottom end of the anticipated market value range (what you believe buyers are willing to pay for it, given the current market conditions and recently sold houses nearby).

Also, doing it this way tends to get more buyers in the door right away, and usually kicks off a situation where buyers are competing with one another, creating a multiple offer situation. It is similar to the “sale” mentality. When buyers see a home that is listed competitively, many tend to want it more, and decide that they have a better chance of competing with others, versus going for the other house that is listed 10-15k higher than yours. Sometimes when you list in the top end of the anticipated market value range, it can turn buyers off – even ones who are willing to offer that same, higher amount to beat competing offers!

“But, Keryn, what if people don’t offer over list price, and we listed at the bottom end of the range?” I would never recommend listing your home at a price you didn’t want to sell it for. I firmly believe if you list towards the bottom of what you anticipate getting, that the offers will come in at true market value. If you go this route, it is wise to have an offer review date so that the home can get enough exposure and give agents enough time to craft and submit an offer. Worst case scenario, if no offers are received by your review date (sometimes these things happen!), make sure your agent removes the review date from the listing to avoid making the home look unappealing, like no one wanted it!

Other benefits to this strategy include:

  • Possibly gaining a back up offer. A backup offer is a second buyer who automatically gets the house if the winning buyer backs out. Having a backup means you don’t have to go back on market, which means you don’t sit longer and risk having to drop the price to get new buyers back through or have someone try and negotiate the price down. 
  • More inspection negotiation leverage. A back up offer increases your power in inspection negotiations with your winning buyer as well. If a buyer gets too picky on inspection repair requests, it is nice to be able to remind the buyer’s agent that there were multiple offers and that there is a back up offer pending. They know if they back out it isn’t as big of a hassle for you – there’s another eager buyer waiting to get the house!
  • It is less likely to receive a less-than-list offer. Buyers know it will likely go at or over list with other buyers competing against them, especially since this is designed to get offers in the first week on market. 

If you have more time, you might rather list towards or at the tip-top of the range we think we can get. This strategy also has its pros. It can be overwhelming to sift through many offers and hard to let down the buyers who lose the house. It also tends to filter out buyers who aren’t serious enough to see the transaction all the way through. If you go this route, I recommend having a price reduction plan in place so that the house doesn’t sit too long if you don’t get an offer. You don’t want the listing to go stale, and you don’t want to turn buyers off by seeming unmotivated. Are there exceptions to this rule? Yes. Is your home valued much higher than the average sales price, appealing to a smaller amount of buyers? Is your home a unique property, that will sing to a particular buyer who might not be looking at the time we list? These are things to consider while coming up with a listing strategy!

Coming up with list price is one of the most challenging parts of listing, in my opinion. You don’t want to come on too low, but you don’t want to turn buyers off by coming on too high. Coming up with a list price is part art and part science. There are things we do to make sure we are making our best estimate of what people will be willing to offer for your home. We look at specifics of the home (size, condition, location), and we compare it to homes sold recently nearby (as an appraiser will do later in the process). We also look at the current market conditions. Are there a lot of buyers? How many homes are we competing with nearby? 

Coming up with list price can be challenging, but it can also be fun! I just urge people to be intentional with how and why they list their home for the price that they do. I love presenting my clients with a variety of options and empowering them to decide which route works best for them.

To read more about making your home as appealing as possible, check out my blog post Ten Details That Create An Amazing Showing Experience!”

Uncategorized February 21, 2019

Bright and Beautifully Updated Home With Vaulted Ceilings

5508 Cricket Lane SE, Lacey WA 98503 

Offered for $299,950.00

3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathrooms

1,748 Square Feet

HOA Dues: $95 per Month

MLS#: 1412508

There are many things to boast of when it comes to this house! First, you have the location. You are close to many parks, lakes, and places to eat. Wonderwood Park is 2 min away, you have Rainier Vista Park, and Mullen Road Habitat Reserve nearby. As if that weren’t enough nature to explore close by, you also have Chambers Lake Park, and Hicks Lake.

For a nice beer and burger, the seller recommends checking out Pints and Quarts. If you’re a fan of Starbucks like myself, there is one close by!

“We love how quiet the neighborhood is, close to parks and lakes, family friendly, pet friendly, very close to many amenities, and close to I5…I am going to miss the large living room with high ceilings with all the natural light which has been fantastic for entertaining. Being able to watch the Lacey fireworks from the upstairs bedrooms. Knowing we are so close to schools, many amenities, and having so much room in that home.”

Second, you have the space itself. There were many updates done that make this home feel modern and new! Right as you enter the space, you are greeted by tall, vaulted ceilings, which open up to the second story. It feels so bright and clean, with all of the windows in the space, and the interior paint that was done in 2016- it still looks fresh and beautiful!

“When we first saw this home we really liked the neighborhood, how clean it was, quiet, family friendly, pet friendly, and how close it was to things around town. Then when we went inside the high ceilings in the living room with all the natural light and how updated it was, we just fell in love with it.” -Seller

The vaulted ceilings expand up to the second floor. 

The fireplace makes the space feel warm and welcoming.

I personally love how you can see the trees out of the living room windows. Feels very Pacific Northwest!

The layout of the main floor is open concept; you feel connected to the entire space whether you are in the living room, kitchen, or dining space. The seller enjoyed hosting friends in this space.

“Some of our happy memories in the home are having my husbands soldiers over for a BBQ and being able to entertain in the backyard with a large patio and then still having it right by the kitchen and living room. We always felt connected to our guests.”

The dining space is located right off of the kitchen. You can fit a large table in that space!

The kitchen was updated in 2016 and it has a modern, bright, and clean feel.

Stainless steel appliances stay with the home! I love the tile in the kitchen.

It is nice that you can be cooking in the kitchen, but still see into the living room.

Cute bar in the kitchen to drink coffee at, chat with the chef, or get some work done.

The kitchen is a nice size- there are many cabinets for storage!

First bathroom is located on the main level. 

All of the bedrooms are located upstairs…

The master bedroom is located at the top of the stairs. 

The bedroom is large, with skylights, and a big bathroom and walk-in closet.

Again with the lovely view of the trees out of the windows. 

Master bedroom has this spacious bathroom! The double sinks are lovely.

Who doesn’t like a big walk-in closet? 

The two other bedrooms are located on the other side of the home…

You can view the Lacey fireworks show from the two upstairs bedrooms.

There are two bathrooms upstairs, one in the master, and one near the two additional bedrooms.

 The backyard feels private, and woodsy. The sellers enjoyed watching their pup play in the yard, while they hung out on the patio, ” My husband and I loved sitting out in the back patio in the morning enjoying our morning coffee and having our dog play outside.” 

Large, attached two car garage! The furnace and water heater are easily accessible. 

If you have any questions, please text me at (253) 691-0688. Check out the video here

Uncategorized December 6, 2018

Two Bedroom Condo with Breathtaking Views of Tacoma!

320 E 32nd Street #108, Tacoma WA 98404

Offered for $265,000.00

2 Bedrooms, 1.75 Bathrooms 

1,162 Square Feet

HOA Dues: $282 Per Month 

MLS#1391598

Breathtaking views of the city, bay, and mountains from the Hawthorne Hills Condominium! What is fantastic about this condo is, you can enjoy these sights from your living room, kitchen, private balcony, community room, & the rooftop deck! It is fun to see beautiful Tacoma in all of it’s glory from up at the top of Pacific Avenue. The city lights at night are lovely. 

The location is convenient for commuters, and it is close to the freeways and all of the shops and restaurants downtown! Bleach independent clothing & skate shop for your Tacoma pride clothing, and Stocklist Goods is a great place for gifts! Indochine, El Gaucho, Pacific Grill, and Matador are some great places to grab a bite downtown.

The seller mentions how close Top of Tacoma is for a delicious brunch spot, and for a hip bar scene. If you’re in the mood for a fine dining experience with a view, there is Stanley and Seaforts just a few blocks away!

Head on down the hill to Freighthouse Square for the best food court offerings in Tacoma, including my personal favorite place to get indian food, Little India Express

The unit itself has a functional layout. The bedrooms and bathrooms are spaced out nicely, and the living space is on the opposite end of the condo from the master bedroom. In the open concept kitchen/living space, you will find granite kitchen counter tops, stainless steel appliances, and a new garbage disposal.

The open concept kitchen and living room space are located at the end of the hall once you enter the unit.

The dining space is off of the kitchen, and down the hall on the opposite end of the condo is where you will find the entrance, and the bedrooms and bathrooms.  

This cute built in office space is tucked behind double doors in the main hallway. It looks like a closet on the outside, and when you open it you are greeted by a minimalist office space! Are you prone to desk clutter? Easily hide your secret office space from guests by closing the doors!

The second bedroom is located down the hall when you enter the condo, it is the last door on the right.

This is the second bathroom, and it is located next to the second bedroom. 

The laundry room is to the right when you enter the condo- there is storage space and shelving in there as well!

The first door on the right when you enter the condo is the master bedroom and bathroom…  

There is a large closet to the right when you enter the master bathroom.

The community room is wonderful. It is a great space to hold events, parties, and social gatherings. If you’re an introvert like myself, you’ll love being able to host things in this great space, while keeping the condo your private oasis.

The seller used to host large game nights, fundraising events, and birthday parties here. The view from the community room is magnificent and a great party booster!

No need to join a gym, or you can skip the commute to a gym on those cold, dark winter nights! The fitness room is located near the community room.

As if the condo itself, community room, and fitness room weren’t enough to get you to buy this place, take the elevator up to the rooftop deck…  

The rooftop deck has a couple of BBQS, a sink+cooking space. It is great for entertaining, and the view up there is seriously AMAZING. 

There is additional parking out back. The designated parking space for unit 108 is in the back of the building, conveniently located near the entrance to the condo. There are guest specific parking spaces available as well. The condo is on the first level, but the building is secured entry. There are elevators and stairs that lead up to the higher units and the rooftop deck, but getting into your unit is super easy and hassle free!

To watch the listing video and hear the seller talk about what they love about the condo, click here.

Please feel free to pop me a text at (253) 691-0688 with any questions.

 

ListingsUncategorized October 25, 2018

Immaculate Remodeled Craftsman with Original Character Intact!

4827 6th Avenue, Tacoma WA 98406 

3 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom 

1,735 Sq Feet, 6,000 Sq Foot Lot 

Offered For: $415,000

MLS#1378595

Immaculate modern craftsman, completely remodeled in 2017, with original charm intact! This home has so many updates to boast of, including a new roof (complete tear off job), electrical and plumbing work, and retrofitting in the crawlspace. This home didn’t just get new windows, paint, and remodeled bathroom+kitchen- it got a whole makeover! The siding is new, hardieplank, and the sellers installed a privacy fence when they bought it. 

Location is key! Close to all of the fun found on  6th Avenue , but located on the calmer block, lined with trees. Between being situated on the portion of 6th Avenue with less hustle and bustle, the home being planted on a hill above the street, and the privacy fence, you don’t feel like you’re on a busy street! Plus, you have the entertainment spaces in the back yard, and the garage+ gravel parking area, with plenty of room for you and guests to park.

Pop on over to Valhalla Coffee for some of the most delicious, local craft coffee. Tacoma has so many parks! This home is located near Jefferson Park

Right when you enter the home you are greeted by 9 foot high ceilings, and a bright, modern, open floor plan! 

The fireplace was beautifully rehabbed, and a new gas insert installed. The sellers recently had it inspected, and serviced; it is in full working order for this winter. 

Through the living room, you enter the dining room space, bonus room, and kitchen. These are all distinct spaces, but with an open flow. The seller expressed how much she appreciates the flexibility of the spaces, in addition to the brightness and openness. It just feels so clean, and bright!

The bonus room is currently being used as a craft-room/ art space, but could be used as a home office, playroom, library, etc. The ample natural light in this space, in combination with the view of the trees lining the street outside, is great for creative inspiration, and mental clarity. 

The kitchen is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Modern, spacious, and bright, with newer stainless steel appliances. Cute bar space to sip coffee at, chat with the chef, or enjoy a casual breakfast. 

Original Butlers Pantry was restored, and served as the inspiration for the rest of the kitchen. 

This is the first bedroom, which is located on the first floor. Sellers currently use this as their guest room, and remarked that their friends always comment on how great they sleep in this room. Peaceful, comfortable, and quiet.

The bathroom is located on the main floor, and has plenty of storage space! 

Two of the bedrooms are located upstairs. There is a bonus space, to the left of the stairs. The sellers currently have it set up as a quiet reading space. 

When the sellers viewed the home back when they purchased it, one of the details they loved and noted was the brightness, and calm vibes found upstairs.

There is one bedroom facing the front of the house, and one facing the back. This is the room that faces the front.

This is the room that faces the backyard. Could be used as bedroom, or an office.

 

The outdoor space like the indoor space, is versatile, functional, and sleek! The sellers created multiple spaces for entertaining, and relaxing. 

Darling artwork that the sellers secured to the boards are included in the sale of the home.

 

Garden space out back! 

There is a lounge space out the back door, on the deck. Sellers recently had it re-planked, and painted. 

Large, new, heated 3 car garage! Tons of space for cars, motorcycles, tools, gear, and storage. You could set up a fitness center, or a workshop. Lots of parking available out-front on the street, in addition to garage+gravel parking space off of alley.

Have any additional questions? Pop me a text, or give me a call at (253) 691-0688. Check out the video, here

Uncategorized September 25, 2018

Spacious 3 Bedroom 2.75 Bath Home in Central Tacoma


1420 S Stevens Street, Tacoma WA 98405 

3 Bedroom, 2.75 Bath

2,111 Square Feet, 9,000 Square Foot Lot 

Offered For $359,950 

MLS# 1366729

Needing a lot of square footage in Central Tacoma?… This home was originally built in 1952 and was remodeled in 2004. Centrally located, with super quick freeway access, and walking distance to Fred Meyer and Starbucks. This home literally puts you in the center of it all! Drive to any of the Tacoma neighborhoods in 5-10 min. Proctor and 6th Avenue are just a few minutes away.

Are you a fan of the Sounders or the Rainiers? You are a 2 minute drive away from Cheney Stadium! Even if you are not into sports, it is a fun experience to go to a game with friends. Have your friends meet you at your place, so you don’t have to worry about parking at the game! 

One of my favorite things about Tacoma is how many parks we haveThere are many parks near this home, including Delong Park, and the Tacoma Nature Center.

Right when you walk in, you are greeted by tall ceilings, and a lovely living room area. This house has a unique layout- you have the living room which is down a few steps, right when you enter. It is open and bright, but also feels peaceful and cozy. The sellers had the interior freshly painted before we went on market; the home has a clean, bright feel throughout. 

There are a ton of features I love about this home, but first and foremost, let’s take a look at the bathroom count! 3 bedrooms and 2.75 baths! A lot of homes in Tacoma are older, and it is tough to find more than one bathroom, let alone 3. These are not “quirky” bathrooms that you tend to see in Tacoma. You know, the ones that started out as teeny closets that got converted into toilet+ sink, powder rooms? These are legit bathrooms.

 The first bathroom is on the main level, which is easy for guests to access. The first room on the main level, the sellers used as a bedroom, but can also be set up as a home office.

The kitchen is located further down the hall, past the first bedroom, to the right, as you enter the home. 

 

This kitchen has a ton of counter and storage space, plus, enough room for a dining area. The sellers had a large hutch in the kitchen when they lived here, and the kitchen still felt spacious! The flooring was recently installed in the kitchen. 

The other two bedrooms are located upstairs, which is nice. You have the bathroom on the main level for guests, and the majority of the personal living space separate. 

 Second bathroom is to the right, at the top of the stairs. 

This bathroom has a shower stall as well! 

The second bedroom at the top of the stairs, across from the second bathroom.

 Down the hall upstairs, is the massive master suite… this happens to be included in my top three favorite features in this home!

Tons of natural light, and a large bathroom attached. Note the large walk-in closet!      

Double sinks, a tub, and a shower! The flooring in all of the bathrooms are brand new. 

Speaking of spacious and new, the sellers just had the deck re-done. You access the deck through the living room, out the sliding doors…

The deck wraps around the corner… lots of space to grill, and entertain. The deck overlooks the large backyard. 

With S Stevens being a busier street, it is nice to have the large yard to make a private oasis! Partially fenced, with fruit trees, and so much space- 9,000 square feet! There is plenty of room to not only create areas for lounging, entertaining, and gardening, but you could make a parking space in the back as well if you wanted, and still have plenty of yard left! 

Last but not least, the attached garage for covered parking, or storage. Have any additional questions? Feel free to pop me a text, or give me a call at (253) 691-0688.