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January 31, 2006
Edmonds Open House
Date: February 3, 2006
Time: 4pm - 7pm
and
Date: February 4, 2006
Time: 1pm - 4pm
Better than New! Gorgeous Edmonds Bowl Daylight Rambler with beautiful Sound Mountain & City Views. Complete top to bottom Remodel in 2005. Luxurious Great Room Floor Plan with Total Western Exposure. Gourmet Kitchen on both floors, Each with Maple Cabinets & Granite Counters. Elegant Main Floor Mater Suite with Sitting area , Gas Fireplace & Walk-In Closets.5-Pce Mster Bath w/Marble, Tile & Jetted Tub. Lower Level with 2 bdrms + Bns rm, Covered View Deck & Lots of Room for R.V and Boat Parking
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2.5
Square Footage: 3500
Year Built: 1953
For a tour of this home please contact Beau Betts:
email - beaubetts@johnlscott.com
office - 425-744-5317
Beau Betts provides Edmonds real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to sell an Edmonds home or Edmonds condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 2:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 26, 2006
More Good News For Seattle Real Estate
In the latest article titled "Northwest Passage? Markets May Get a Lift from Seattle" by Lawrence Yun of Real Estate Insights, a publication for the National Assocation of Realtors, he mentions that the forecast for Seattle real estate is a 40% increase in the median price for the greater Seattle area within the next two years.
The Seattle area economy is in recovery with the creation of 57,100 jobs within the past twelve months and our job creation rate is 3.5% which is more than twice the national average and "unusually high among large metro markets."
Seattle is a great place to be a homeowner!
To see the article in it's entirety, click here.
Beau Betts provides Seattle real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to buy or sell a Seattle home or Seattle condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 12:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 25, 2006
New FHA Loan Limits
These are the new maximum FHA loan limits effective January 18, 2006:
King County and Snohomish County
One unit $335,800
Two unit $378,200
Three unit $459,500
Four unit $530,250
Beau Betts provides Seattle real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to buy or sell a Seattle home or Seattle condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 1:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 23, 2006
Edmonds View Home
Better than New! Gorgeous Edmonds Bowl Daylight Rambler with beautiful Sound Mountain & City Views. Complete top to bottom Remodel in 2005. Luxurious Great Room Floor Plan with Total Western Exposure. Gourmet Kitchen on both floors, Each with Maple Cabinets & Granite Counters. Elegant Main Floor Mater Suite with Sitting area , Gas Fireplace & Walk-In Closets.5-Pce Mster Bath w/Marble, Tile & Jetted Tub. Lower Level with 2 bdrms + Bns rm, Covered View Deck & Lots of Room for R.V and Boat Parking
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2.5
Square Footage: 3500
Year Built: 1953
For a tour of this home please contact Beau Betts:
email - beaubetts@johnlscott.com
office - 425-744-5317
Beau Betts provides Edmonds real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to sell an Edmonds home or Edmonds condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 1:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 19, 2006
Lynnwood Open House
Date: January 22, 2006
Time: 1pm - 4pm
This fabulous Lynnwood home is in the sought after northwest retreat of Echelon Crossing. Located just on the edge of Bothell, close to everything, minutes from I-5, 405, Alderwood Mall, yet nestled on a gorgeous cul-de-sac, next to a park. The home has several upgrades and features hardwood flooring, wood blinds, large kitchen with great room effect w/center island, pantry & top-of-the-line appliances. Formal Living & dining rooms. Family rm w/frplce. Master bdrm with 5 peice bath and fireplace.
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2.5
Square Footage: 2437
Year Built: 2005
Beau Betts provides Lynnwood real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to buy or sell a Lynnwood home or Lynnwood condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 1:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 17, 2006
Prepare For a Successful Sale
Did you know that February and March are historically the busiest months for home sales? If you’re considering putting your house on the market this spring, here are some steps you can take now to ensure a successful sale.
• Thoroughly clean your entire house, or hire someone to do it for you. Pay particular attention to your bathrooms and kitchen. A new shower curtain and towels are a smart idea. Scrub your tubs, toilets, and sinks to make them sparkle. Your stove, oven, refrigerator, microwave, and other appliances must be spotless.
• Open rooms appear larger, so storing or getting rid of clutter and excess furniture is wise. Closet space can sell a home, too. Organized closets, bookshelves, and drawers are very appealing to buyers.
• A fresh coat of a neutral-colored paint not only gives your house a clean feeling, but potential buyers can more easily picture their own furnishings working with the surroundings.
• Don’t underestimate curb appeal. Your yard may be the determining factor in whether buyers make an appointment to see the inside of your home. Keep flowerbeds weeded and pruned, walkways and decks swept and clean, and grass mowed.
• Once inside, buyers want to feel cozy and at home. You can help them with this by staging your house. Light fireplaces, especially if the weather is still cool. A freshly brewed pot of coffee or baking bread give off an inviting aroma.
• Lighting is very important to setting the mood in your home. Bright, well-lit houses feel more spacious and cheerful. Open all curtains and drapes during the day. If the view isn’t appealing, cover it with sheer window treatments that let light through. Turn on all lamps, even during the day. Hallways, closets, and stairways need to be brightly lit as well.
When your home is on the market, it can be shown any time of day. Be sure to keep it clean and organized. A little effort now can pay off big in the long run.
Beau Betts provides Seattle real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to buy or sell a Seattle home or Seattle condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 2:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Puget Sound 2006 Real Estate Market Forecast
The kick-off of the New Year provides an opportunity to reflect on what made 2005 great and what we have to look forward to in 2006. This past year, more people than ever realized the dream and benefits of homeownership. This is significant because homeownership is critical to a region’s well-being. It enhances civic, economic, business, and employment stability. It also adds value in ways that are sometimes difficult to quantify. It brings families together in a shared desire to make their neighborhoods safe. It brings neighbors together as advocates for good schools, and it fosters new friendships.
According to the National Association of Realtors, 2006 is expected to be another historically strong year. Existing home sales should ease by about 3.5 percent compared to 2005, making it the second most productive year on record. Interest rates are anticipated to rise to 6.7 percent by the year’s end, which will cause some buyers to back out of the market. Fewer numbers of buyers will ease the pressure on home sales and prices, helping to bring more equilibrium to the market. However, housing inventories in the region are still very low, which means that until interest rates start to tick upwards, there will continue to be strong competition for homes, especially in the “more affordable” markets.
The other factor that will continue to impact the Pacific Northwest housing economy is growth management. Buyers want to live close to the job centers to avoid traffic congestion. However, there simply is not enough housing supply for everyone in these areas, so prices appreciate, pushing out many people who cannot afford to buy. As a result, buyers must drive further out in order to afford a home, which compounds the traffic congestion, and makes those homes closer to the job centers even more desirable—and more expensive. It’s a simple case of supply and demand.
Overall, the 2006 housing market is expected to be another historically strong year. Yes, interest rates are expected to rise from their current record lows, but six percent still provides phenomenal opportunities for homeownership.
Beau Betts provides Seattle real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to buy or sell a Seattle home or Seattle condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 2:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 5, 2006
Housing Bubble In Puget Sound Highly Unlikely
This is an article that was written by J. Lennox Scott, the Chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate.
The National Association of Realtors recently released a statement dispelling concerns of a housing bubble in certain metropolitan markets, such as Seattle. The subject of housing bubbles has dominated the media and dinner party conversations alike, amidst what has been a dream housing market for nearly five years. Rarely does a week go by that I don’t get questioned about the potential of a housing bubble in the Seattle area, and my answer is always the same—it’s highly unlikely.
To understand why, you must first understand exactly what a housing bubble is and how it forms. The broad interpretation of housing bubble refers to an unsustainable gain in home prices. The premise is that a price bubble is at risk of “popping,” resulting in a loss of equity. The Puget Sound region experienced this very thing in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, when the dot-com bubble burst and values of luxury homes declined by ten to twenty percent. However, during this same time, prices of “more affordable” homes continued to appreciate at a healthy rate. The bubble experienced during the dot com decline was due to a very specific set of circumstances taking place in the stock market and was primarily isolated to upper-end homes.
As mentioned, a housing bubble is caused by unsustainable home price gains. Homeowners in the Puget Sound region have undoubtedly benefited from strong and consistent appreciation, 10-15 percent annually in most areas; however compared to other parts of the country the gains have been fairly moderate. According to Freddie Mac, the entire New England region has seen an average home price gain of over 28 percent during the past two years. The concern here is that this appreciation is unsustainable because there is no way that income and population growth can keep up with this pace—two factors that are principal drivers of the housing economy. As a result, many areas within New England, such as New York and Boston, could succumb to a price reversal.
The Puget Sound region has very different market conditions from New England. The housing prices in this area are expected to continue to appreciate at a healthy rate, as they’ve done for the past few years, perhaps just at a more moderate pace. The reason for this is supply and demand. The Puget Sound region continues to suffer from an unsuccessful growth management plan that sees severe traffic congestion combined with a shortage of housing supply in neighborhoods close to the job centers. Because the demand for these homes is high, prices have reached beyond the grasp of many buyers. As a result, more and more people are forced to buy in outlining suburbs where housing is more readily affordable, which compounds the traffic problem, forging a vicious cycle. As such, until our traffic and housing density problems are solved, the Puget Sound region is not a likely candidate for a housing bubble.
Even if prices in the Puget Sound region should start to ease, it’s important to remember that homeownership is an extremely solid investment for reasons that go well beyond the financial.
Furthermore, with an evening of the market, we should see a better balance between buyers and sellers, reducing the frenzy we’ve experienced for the last few years. While other metro markets in the U.S. might be in line for a housing price reduction, the greater Seattle area is well positioned for continued growth and appreciation, contributing to the overall strengthening of the economy in the coming years.
Beau Betts provides Seattle real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to sell a Seattle home or Seattle condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 2:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Seattle Broadview Neighborhood Home
Charming 2 Bedroom cottage in North Seattle. Amazing location close to downtown, Northgate mall, and I-5. Large back porch w/covered area. Beautiful wood stove for those cold winter nights. Cute kitchen with skylight. Carpet in living room one year young. Open floor plan to suit your many needs. You can see the pride in ownership here. A must see.
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 1
Square Footage: 1030
Year Built: 1947
For a tour of this home please contact Beau Betts:
email - beaubetts@johnlscott.com
office - 425-744-5317
Beau Betts provides Seattle real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to sell a Seattle home or Seattle condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 1:10 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
The Institute For Luxury Home Marketing
This is a news release regarding some training that I have completed in the field of Luxury Home Sales and Marketing.
Beau Betts Attends Special Training, Builds Expertise n Luxury Home Market
(Lynnwood, Washington 2006) – BEAU BETTS with JOHN L. SCOTT REAL ESTATE recently completed a luxury home marketing training course offered by The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing in Portland, OR.
The course - which covered such topics as demographics of the affluent, lifestyle segmentation, trends and amenities in today’s luxury home product, and creating a marketing plan for the multimillion dollar property – was taught by Laurie Moore-Moore, President of the Dallas-based Institute and author of the book, “Rich Buyer, Rich Seller! The Real Estate Agents’ Guide to Marketing Luxury Homes.”
“The course is a step towards earning the prestigious Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist designation which The Institute awards internationally to sales professionals who meet performance standards in the upper-tier residential market,” said Moore-Moore. BEAU BETTS is an example of a sales associate who works to hone the special skills and competencies necessary to provide exceptional service in the fine homes and estates marketplace.”
BETTS is an award-winning sales associate who has been in real estate since 2002 and specializes in the North King County and Southern Snohomish County markets.
“The training provided new insight about the upper tier market, helped me polish my skills, and provided valuable networking contacts with other agents across the country who specialize in luxury properties,” said BETTS. “In addition, I discovered new and creative tools for promoting expensive homes and estates and new resources for finding buyer prospects. Home buyers and sellers will benefit from my new knowledge.”
For current information on the upper tier market, contact BEAU BETTS at JOHN L. SCOTT REAL ESTATE 425-774-5317 or BEAUBETTS@JOHNLSCOTT.COM
Beau Betts provides greater Seattle luxury real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to sell a Seattle luxury home or Seattle luxury condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 11:48 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
I'm Quoted By The National Association of Realtors
It looks like my blogging efforts are beginning to be noticed. The National Association of Realtors interviewed me about blogging and even included a quote albeit a brief one.
"Beau Betts of John L. Scott Realty in Seattle, Wash., reports that 'with the blog I experience consistent Web traffic that is significantly higher than my traditional e-mail real estate marketing efforts were generating.' "
You can visit the the Center for Realtor Technology Newsletter here.
Beau Betts provides Seattle real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to sell a Seattle home or Seattle condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 11:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 2005 Real Estate Statistics
King County
Residential sales volume for November 2005 increased 5% from October 2005
All Sales vs Year-to-date 2004
- Residential sales volume: up 20% to $17.3 billion
- Residential transactions: up 5% to 42,406
- Mobile home sales on land: up 18% to $61 million
- Plexes (2-5 units) sales: up 36% to $486 million
- Land Sales: increased 65% to $750 million
- Average residence: $405,603, up 14%
Snohomish County
Residential sales volume for November 2005 increased 16% from October 2005
All Sales vs Year-to-date 2004
- Residential sales volume: up 33% to $5.4 billion
- Residential transactions: up 15% to 17,066
- Mobile home sales on land: up 38% to $108 million
- Plexes (2-5 units) sales: up 38% to $126 million
- Land Sales: increased 69% to $518 million
- Average residence: $312,917, up 16%
Beau Betts provides King County real estate and Snohomish County real estate services. Contact Beau Betts in order to sell a home or condominium property for the best possible price....quickly and professionally.
Posted by beaubetts at 10:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
