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.

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 have. There 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.

Right when a new client of mine reaches out to me and asks how the market is, I tell them the ugly truth. It is tough out there for buyers. Tough doesn’t quite paint the picture… sometimes I use Game of Thrones references to get my point across. If after I let them know the current state of the market, they are still interested in pursuing homeownership, I know I got a fierce buyer on my hands. 😉 

It doesn’t just take aspiration to buy a house right now; it takes guts, self-care, time, and persistence. It can be draining, so there are tactics that can make the process less painful for buyers. Here are a few of the tips I give to my buyers starting their journey, to ensure they come out of the gate strong, efficient, FIERCE and ultimately successful in less time.

1. We set up a time to meet and go over the process before touring homes. This is where I tell buyers the state of the market, and the different negotiation tactics at our disposal, so that clients are 100% prepared before going to battle for a home.
2. We need the approval from the lender IN HAND before we set up any searches, or see any homes in person. 
3. We set a time and day to go view as many homes as possible (6-10 is my preference). This way you have seen what is currently on the market, and you know what houses are being priced at in the different areas you are considering. I will also tell you what I believe the house is likely to actually sell for, since it is common for homes to sell over list price. When you have to escalate 10-30k above list to get your offer accepted, it can be more nerve wracking when you have not viewed enough properties to know what homes are being priced at, and ultimately selling for. 
4. Save, save, save! Having as much cash as you can helps in a variety of ways. Check out my post about why your offer isn’t being accepted (#2) for more details on this subject: 
5. Don’t invest too much emotional energy or time into a home until we are through the inspection, or better yet, the appraisal. Sellers can become unrealistic when they receive multiple offers in the beginning, and can become unreasonable and non-accommodating when things come up on inspections, or the appraisal comes in low. This could sadly end the transaction after being under contract 10+ days. Let’s not order the new kitchen floor tiling, or meet contractors at the house about the additional bathroom install, just yet. 😉 

If you’re thinking of buying a home in the future, I am happy to help you prep way in advance. Shoot me a text, or pop me an email.

To read more about me, or to learn more about the process, check out my other blog posts, here.

Welcome to the 2018 Tacoma market, Buyers! In case you haven’t heard, let me catch you up to speed. It is a sellers market out there. What does that mean for you? Buyers have little to no power in this market, unless the house falls under one of these categories:

1. It stinks (literally)… or figuratively 
2. It has been sitting on the market for over 20 days
3. It’s over priced
4. It has come back on the market after going pending, the seller is in a hurry, and miraculously, no one else is interested
5. It’s got a funky layout, or is located on a dumpy street
6. There was another cute house nearby with the same stats, listed lower with the same offer review date, and it distracted most of the competition

Sometimes, these scenarios still don’t matter.

That being said, in-general, buyers need to be strategic, and competitive while making offers. Typically, if priced right, and the proper preparation has gone into listing the home, houses are staying on market, available to the public for 4-5 days. That’s it.

If the house fits the equation for expectation of multiple offers (curb appeal, functional layout, clean, perhaps staged- but de-cluttered, and priced competitively), you should anticipate being in competition with 3-5+ other buyers.

I had a great conversation with a lender, and an escrow closer the other day, both telling me horror stories of clients not getting a home under contract even after making 10+ offers. Even in this market guys, something has to give. Have you had your agent in Tacoma make more than 5 offers on homes and were told yours just didn’t make the cut?

If you are making that many offers, there might be something else going on…

Reasons why your offer *might* not be getting accepted:

1.You’re not offering/escalating high enough.

Your agent can run comps (recently sold homes, within 1 mile or so from the subject property) and hopefully provide local insight in what homes like the one you want to offer on are typically going for. Of course if your agent says you need to go to x amount but you are not comfortable doing so, that is in your right, and you shouldn’t offer more than what it is worth to you. However, if this happens more than a couple of times, it may be time to re evaluate your offer amounts, or reduce the price range of homes you’re going for, so you can be more competitive.

2. You’re offering quite a lot over list price, but have little cash to back-up that offer amount.

What does this mean? Let’s say the house is listed for 250k and you are approved for 330k. You hear that there are other offers coming, and you say to your agent, “Go ahead and escalate to 330k, we really want this house!” The problem is, your agent runs the comps and sees that the chances of an appraiser confirming that it is worth that much (based on similar recently sold homes nearby) is slim to none. A savvy listing agent will tell their seller this, and if you don’t have a large downpayment, or a 22AD Appraisal Gap Addendum included in your offer, then just because your willing to offer (finance) that amount, doesn’t mean it is a reality for the seller(s). It’s okay to make an offer that is pushing it compared to the comps (pending listings nearby that haven’t closed yet might be closed by the time the appraiser goes out, giving them higher priced comparables to use in their value assessment), but going overboard without a 22AD likely won’t be taken seriously.

*An appraisal gap addendum is a pre determined amount of additional cash that you offer to bring in-the-event that the house appraises for less than you are willing to offer. For example, you offer 270k, and attach a 22AD addendum, agreeing to bring up to 10k extra cash if it appraises for less than your offer of 270k. Appraisal comes in at 265k, that means you bring 5k extra to close so that the seller doesn’t receive a lower profit from what you offered. If it appraises for lower than 10k, you have only agreed to cover 10k of the gap upfront.

3. The other terms of your offer are weak.

It is not uncommon for more than one offer to come in around the same amount, even with escalations with varying escalation increment amounts. If more than one offer lands on the same amount, the agent and their sellers are going to be analyzing the other terms. How strong is the earnest money? How long is the inspection period? When is the closing date? Who is the lender?

*Escalation Addendums are used to offer a base amount, and state that you will beat any competing offer by x amount, up to x amount. You set the max amount you’re willing to pay, without offering it flat out, right away.

4. Little details that make a difference…

–Did your agent reach out before submitting the offer to introduce themselves, and request information about what the seller is looking for (any special terms they’d like to see?), and find out how many other offers the agent may be expecting?

-Did you or your agent request that your lender reach out to the listing agent via phone call, text, or email to introduce themselves and express how qualified you are for this purchase?

-Did your agent let the listing agent know your offer was coming before submitting it?

-Did your agent take the time to attach your offer, and pre approval letter from your lender, to the offer submission email?

-Did your agent take the time to include a professional cover email summarizing the terms of your offer?

-Do you and your agent fully understand the details of your offer?

There are times where I can just tell a house is going to go way over list, or likely receive cash offers. I will explain this to my buyer(s) and check in with the agent to see if my suspicions are correct. Sometimes I ask a question as vague as, “Hey, out of your 6 offers you have received, is it safe to assume one or more are cash, and are above list?” If they say yes, that can save you precious time and energy you would spend going for that particular house, and let you set your sights on another! It’s always worth a shot to ask.

Not sure why a seller would prefer a cash offer to a financed one? Check out my blog post on that topic, Why Does a Seller Care If I’m Using Cash or a Loan to Buy Their House: https://keryn.withwre.com/2018/01/02/seller-care-im-using-cash-loan-buy-house

5401 S 11th Street, Tacoma WA 98465

At a Glance: 

Square Footage: 1,625 

4 Bedrooms, 2 Baths with 2 of the bedrooms located upstairs, two downstairs, and a bathroom on both floors.

Remodel in 2014 included fresh paint, new flooring, new appliances, new windows, and a new roof.

Large covered deck off of the living room, spacious backyard, one car garage, and outdoor shed. 

Offered for $325,000

MLS#1255202

Location is key- live near the entertainment found on 6th Avenue, but be situated on a corner lot, on a quiet street. It’s the best of both worlds! Sellers frequently walked to Tacoma Boys, Cutters Point Coffee, and DeLong Park. 

I chatted with the seller about some of the greatest things she appreciated about living here-

“The quiet mornings with the sliding door and windows open. Listening to the wind chimes and birds during the warm months, the sunny kitchen, the two decks, my lovely neighbors behind me, having the yard to play with the dog.” 

Both sellers mentioned that they remember it immediately feeling like home when they walked in for the first time. When I asked about specific memories they have of living in the house, they both mentioned a party-

“We hosted a Great Gatsby themed birthday party for a friend that involved costumes, themed food and drink, a photo booth, and croquet outside. People were able to easily flow outside to enjoy the sun and inside to dance and eat.”

The layout is both functional for everyday living, and perfect for entertaining. 

Newer appliances in the updated kitchen.There is a covered deck, right off of the living room. Seller expressed how she would miss having coffee out on the decks in the morning, or be out relaxing in the evening with a cocktail.

Pictured above are the two upstairs bedrooms and upstairs bathroom. If you are looking to have roommates, or family members live with you, the layout of this home lends itself well to that. People on each floor can have privacy, and separate bathrooms.

 Downstairs has the additional bedrooms and bathroom…

Both of the bathrooms have their own tub and shower, which is nice for roommates, family members, or kids who are taking the downstairs bedrooms.

Coming in at around 7,000 square feet, the yard is quite spacious. There is an outdoor shed, one car garage, and plenty of street parking. It feels like a little slice of the PNW with all of the trees. It’s like you live in the wilderness, but are super close to all of the great things in the city.