March 5th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
Last year, Keller Williams Real Estate launched RED (Renew Energize Donate) Day, a day in which over 600 KW offices and 70,000 KW agents set aside the day to donate back to our community. At Keller Williams Gig Harbor, we were able to join forces with Habitat for Humanity and help to build a couple of houses on the Key Peninsula. You can read about our experience here.
RED Day 2010 is approaching in May, and I was hoping you could help me help the community. How? Give us some tips or ideas of someone or something that could use a helping hand. Come join us! Sread the word. If you have a few minutes, take a look at this video to get a grasp of the scope of this project, then leave me a comment or shoot me an email letting me know who KW Gig Harbor could help this year.
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March 5th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
There is no shortage of new construction homes on the market in Gig Harbor (74 currently active in zip codes 98335, 98332, and 98333). Trying to find a really good value on a new home is a different story. I recently found 3 homes, all built by the same builder, that I would consider among the best deals for homes for sale in Gig Harbor.
There are 2 homes, both listed at $299,000, right next door to each other in a great close in location just off of Olympic Drive in Gig Harbor. These are both 3 bed, 2 bath, 1500 square foot homes on over 1/2 acre of land. They are just minutes from Gig Harbor’s Uptown Center and HWY 16, so if being close to the action is important but you don’t want to be cramped by your neighbors, these homes would be a great option.
They’re a couple of months from being completed, so there’s the option of choosing your own finish work which is a huge plus. If buying a home in Gig Harbor for under $300,000 is a dream of yours (or someone you know), there aren’t any other options like these two.
The other home, also built by Eagle Homes, Inc, is a 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 2200 square foot home on 1/2 acre for $415,800. Located off of Peacock Hill, this home puts you right around the corner from the Gig Harbor YMCA, Costco, Target, etc. while again giving you the privacy of a large lot. The finish work in this house is equal to what you’d find in the other new homes listed for $550k and up.
If you or someone you know is looking for a great buy on a new home in Gig Harbor, give me a call and we can take a look at these homes that Eagle Homes have built. See for yourself if you agree that they are 3 of the best buys in all of Gig Harbor real estate.
**Homes advertised on this site with written permission from listing agent
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February 25th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
A touring theater group from Seattle will be at Gig Harbor’s Harbor Ridge Middle School next Thursday to do a performance on Cyber Bullying.
Taproot Theatre’s Road Company—the touring part of a Seattle professional theatre—travels to schools around the Pacific Northwest during the school year, teaching them how to respond to—and even prevent—bullying and harassment. They have a touring show called “New Girl” that deals specifically with cyberbullying. The shows are guided by some of the leading bullying-prevention curricula in the United States (from Committee for Children), and combine engaging stories with effective lessons. They’ll be performing “New Girl” at Harbor Ridge Middle School on March 4 at 1:30 p.m.
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February 24th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
I’ve spent the past 6 days at a conference in New Orleans. Don’t mean to offend, but if I never go back there again it’ll be just fine with me. I wrote a little jingle to the tune of “Back in the Saddle” by Gene Autry (I know I’m in Gig Harbor, not Seattle, but Seattle sounds a whole lot more like “the saddle” than Gig Harbor!):
I’m back in Seattle again,
back with my wife, my best friend!
Where the sky is blue and the water is too,
I’m back in Seattle again!
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February 23rd, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
At one time, short sales and foreclosures in Gig Harbor didn’t seem like they’d be a big issue. Now, they’re a very important part of the real estate industry. Yet there’s still a lot of confusion about the difference and implications of the two. Here’s a brief really brief summary of the short sale and foreclosures in Gig Harbor.
A short sale, in short, is anything but short. What “short sale” means is that the owner is trying to sell the house for less than what is still owed to the bank. Imagine someone bought a house for $400,000 in 2007, took out a $375,000 mortgage, and now needs to sell because their job is moving them out of state. Their house is now only worth $340,000, so their sale will come up more than $30,000 “short” of what they owe the bank. In short sales, owners may or may not be making their payments still…that’s not really the issue. It’s simply a matter of owing more than the house is worth.
Foreclosures, on the other hand, are homes owned by the bank. You’ll hear these called REO properties as well. Foreclosure properties are generally easier to purchase, as you’re just dealing with the bank and they already know their numbers. Short sales, however, can take months, several months actually, to complete. You’re dealing directly with the owner as the seller, but the owner needs to get bank approval, and the bank needs to run through all of their checklists to ensure that the seller really can’t pay off the difference. It’s not uncommon in a short sale for a buyer to make an offer, and find out 3 months down the road that the bank said “no.”
Short sales aren’t necessarily something to run away from, unless you’re in a time crunch (like trying to qualify for the tax credits). You can get fantastic deals on short sales, you just have to be patient, and try to remain emotionally unattached. It also helps to hire the right short sale coordinators (like me!) to walk you through the process.
Short sales are a part of the real estate landscape now, even in Gig Harbor. Currently there are 72 homes and 6 condos in Gig Harbor listed as short sales in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). Couple that with the 31 homes and 1 condo in Gig Harbor listed as “bank owned” and you’ve got over 17% of the total listed inventory.
If you’re looking to buy a home, either a primary home, vacation home, or investment property, in the Gig Harbor area and would like more information on short sales and bank owned homes, please give me a call. If you feel you may need to short sell your home, I can give you guidance there as well.
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February 22nd, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
When it comes time to sell your home in Gig Harbor, choosing among the many Gig Harbor real estate companies can be confusing. I’m now in my 6th year as a Realtor associated with Keller Williams Realty, and I occasionally have clients and potential clients say they’re not familiar with KW. Before you choose your real estate company, consider the following:
- Keller Williams International is recognized in the Swanepoel Report as the #1 trend setter for 2009.
- Keller Williams Realty received the highest overall satisfaction rating by J.D. Powers and Associates.
- Keller Williams Realty was recognized in December of 2009 as the #1 real estate franchise.
- Swanepoel’s own survey of over 10,000 agents ranked Keller Williams as the most recognized real estate franchise brand as voted by the industry.
- Keller Williams recently surpassed ReMax to become the 3rd largest real estate company in the country. As of this month, we have well over 70,000 agents and 650 offices located throughout the United States, Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada.
So why isn’t all of this verifiable data being touted more readily? Because Keller Williams is agent-centric, not owner-centric. In other words, we believe that agents make the company, rather than the company making the agent. We don’t spend money on national (or local) advertising. We let the individual agents run their own businesses. The company’s belief is that if we have the best trained, most satisfied agents, then they’ll provide the most educated, most satisfying experience to our clients.
There are several great real estate agents in Gig Harbor, working for a variety of different real estate companies. Ultimately, you’re hiring the agent, not the company. But it is nice to know that when you hire a Keller Williams agent, you’re hiring someone with the backing of the nation’s 3rd largest company. If you’re moving to another area, or have a home to sell in another area before moving to Gig Harbor, chances are we have a Keller Williams agent there who can help. Just ask me and I’ll do the research to find the agent who is best suited to help you.
If you’d like more information on our company and our beliefs, just ask!
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February 21st, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
The Gig Harbor Police Department will be hosting a very valuable course titled “Trust in Parenting.” Below is the document I was sent describing the event.
We are excited to announce we’ve scheduled a new “Trust in Parenting” course (formerly called “Upgrade Your POS”). ”Trust in Parenting” is a 6-week course for couples who want to become better communicators and parents. The course will cover practical knowledge and skills that directly effect how you communicate both as a parent and as a spouse.
The first class is on February 23, from 6:30-7:30pm. We will hold the classes at the Boys and Girls Club in Gig Harbor.
We recommend you check out the new “Trust in Parenting” website to get more information on the course, and read the agenda for each class.
Free childcare is an option if you need, but you’ll need to contact Peggy Lowe at 253-530-1740 at least 2 days ahead of time.
You can sign up for the course online or call our offices at 253-851-0350.
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February 20th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
There, I said it out loud…”there’s more to Gig Harbor than El Pueblito.” Gig Harbor isn’t known for our wide variety of restaurants, but we do have a few. My wife and I (and now our daughter too) have enjoyed a weekly date night at El Pueblito for about the past 7 years. I’m not sure we’ve missed more than 10 weeks in that span. I can’t remember the last family birthday not celebrated at El Pueblito. It’s not just that they have the best Mexican food in Gig Harbor, it’s the service there too. They know us. They know our order. When your water is low, it doesn’t matter if it’s the bus girl or the owner who sees it, they’ll fill it up. Need more chips? Any waiter, not just your waiter, will gladly fill them up.
But enough about El Pueblito. We do eat other places from time to time. But enough about us. Where do you like to eat in Gig Harbor? Let us know the best!
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February 20th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
We’re all familiar with “Sleepless in Seattle,” but this new “Distracted in Gig Harbor” has caught me off guard. Funny thing, this blog has been the source of nearly 80% of my real estate business over the past two years, and yet when business gets really cranking like it has the past few weeks, the blog is what gets ignored.
Well, no more! I intend to block my time accordingly and get the Gig Harbor community information flowing again! Well, maybe after this great weather passes!
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February 12th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
Since we’re half way through February, let’s take a look at the January real estate stats for Gig Harbor. Overall, things were a bit slow. Here’s the skinny:
Single Family Homes
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Units sold: 20
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Median Price: $326,000
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Current Inventory: 506
Condos
- Units sold: 3
- Median Price: $150,000
- Current Inventory: 68
So what do these numbers tell us about real estate in Gig Harbor? One, it’s still very much a buyer’s market. With 25 months of inventory for homes, and 22.6 months of inventory for condos, there’s still A LOT of choices for buyers. It also shows that prices took a bit of a dip. Mostly, however, I think that it shows that January was kind of a stinker month after several good months in a row!
If you’ve got any questions about your home’s worth, inventory counts or sales in a particular neighborhood in Gig Harbor, or any other real estate related questions, please let me know!
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