Is This a Good Season to Sell My Home?

Seasons change and so do the number of buyers out there looking and dreaming of a new home. Spring makes everyone want to enjoy the weather and do the proverbial 'window shopping' thing. Could it be that buyers who are looking for homes this time of year are seriously looking for a new home? I believe buyers who brave the elements and continue to look for homes are seriously -- well, serious! Every seller wants only qualified and motivated buyers looking at their home. Maybe this is a good time to sell a home! No one wants people looking at ones home just for the sake of looking. There are usually fewer homes on the market this time of year. Interest rates are still low and all the media is shouting "Now is the Time to Buy!" Maybe now is also the time to SELL!

Real Estate Commissions and Seller's Trust

Real Estate has really taken a hit recently.    Along with the home buyers and sellers, agents are feeling the market's fluctuation.  When we have a desperate home seller wanting to sell, and yet they are in no risk of losing their home, is it a good idea to offer more compensation to the selling agent?  Will that get the job done?  Do agents really try harder to sell a home if the compensation to them is more? 

Recently I read an article that said, of course, the "compensation offered to a cooperating broker has a significant impact on the marketability of a seller's property".   Does that mean I should ask my sellers to compensate me, their listing agent and then give more to the selling agent?   Should I encourage them to put their numbers on the selling commission instead of a price reduction?   I don't think so.  As a REALTOR in Washington, I believe in negotiation and fairness.  If an agent sells a property, he should be compensated, rightfully so, but the belief that a buyer's agent is selling ‘just for the bucks' seems to demean our agents.  We are held to a standard to keep our buyer's interests ahead of our own.  I must believe we hold dear to that trust. 

Future Value in Real Estate

I had a question posed to me today.  Here it is:  " What do you think the value of Real Estate will be in 5 years?"  As a REALTOR, I know that Real Estate has typically been a good investment.  I know too that in recent years many people speculated in the market and flipped homes and I believe that has now gone the way of the dinosaurs!   Is it still a good thing to own a home?  I think  --  a resounding YES!  Should one expect to be able to 'flip' in a short couple of years?  That is another question.  I wouldn't advise expecting to make a windfall in the short term.

Living in a home and enjoying ones environment while gaining equity is a good thing.  One should be thinking of the long haul.  People still want their own place; it is truly the American dream.  Owning a home means planning for ones own future. 

Moses Lake, Washington is changing and growing.  I personally think we are on one level and are about to step up to the new plain.  Though things have slowed here to some degree, we have our sites set on the future and it is bright!  

Moses lake, Washington's Lake!

Springtime means a change to the level of the water in Moses Lake, Washington.  Lucky for all the homeowners on the lake, the water is lowered each Fall and raised again in the Spring.  Homeowners need not worry about weather ruining their dock.  

Spring is here and we are waiting for that water to start pouring in!  The lake 'clean up' is being scheduled and that will take place along the banks of the lowered lake in the next few weeks.  Our lake will once again be ready for that burst of Spring!

We are a farming community, thanks to the reclamation project of the 1940's.  The system of canals and dams enables this part of the world to grow some of the best produce in the country.  The ready water gives the parched land its lifeblood.  We truly are an Oasis on the Desert!

Spring Time in Moses Lake, Washington

Moses Lake, Washington is primed and waiting for Spring.  Our market is awakening from the doldrums of winter and we are seeing more activity.  Being the exception to the rule; we have a market that is a little slow, but viable.   We have high hopes for this spring and summer.  Moses Lake has over 300 days of sunshine and is the perfect spot for summer fun.  There are many properties to choose from and our buyers are just now realizing that it is a perfect time to buy a home.  There have been ads on television that mention the fact there are good markets in parts of the country, even though much of the country is suffering.  Our buyers are getting that message!

The 'local' Real Estate Market

We have all listened to the national news and heard the bad news about the Real Estate market.  What we haven't heard much about is that there are 'local' markets that remain good!  It is true that no one buys a home on the 'national market'.  Each market is local; be it good or bad.

Here in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington, we are lucky to be the exception to all the dire talk.  Our market is somewhat calmer than it was in the frantic days, but it is still strong and we have much expansion to look forward to.  Our newspapers are filled with exciting articles telling of expanding facilities, new construction and more to come.  Our local market is one of the lucky ones.  Interest rates are low and the supply of homes on the market is ample.  Now is the time!  Talk to a REALTOR and buy that home! 

New Year Resolutions

Real Estate Designations