Bellingham Homes & Real Estate

Big Predictions for Housing for Next 2 Years A great article from Realtor Magazine about the next few years.

http://nwhomemag.com/west-seattle-mid-century-modern-homes-remarkable-remake A Great remodel on a West Seattle home is this months "home of the month". Check it out for some local Seattle flavor and ideas.

http://www.seattlemag.com/article/readers-choice-2013-best-restaurants-seattle Looking for a great place to eat tonight? Check out this great read by Seattle Mag! Readers choice on the best places to eat in Seattle. Happy Friday!

http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/03/28/chinese-mom-reportedly-buys-6-5-million-nyc-apartment-for-toddl?ncid=edlinkusreal00000002&ts=1364536586 This is a nice pad for anyone, but for a 2 year old? Interesting....

http://realestate.aol.com/blog/gallery/what-can-you-buy-for-700-000/#photoID-5777684 A good article on AOL about what $700k buys you across the country. Kind of a fun article.

http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/03/26/home-prices-case-shiller-index/ You've probably felt that things are going well in most markets. Here in Seattle what few homes that are on the market are going fast (if priced right). There are a few that have sat for a little longer due to being over priced. But all in all we still don't have enough supply of homes to meet demands. This is driving the home prices in our area. It's a good time to list if you are thinking of selling this year!

http://pro.truliablog.com/buyers/7-hidden-reasons-buyers-hate-homes/ A great read from the folks at Trulia on what drives buyers nuts about listings.

KB Home Ready to Ramp Up Production A great article about Americas largest home builder and their plans to speed up production!

Sellers Who Delay May Miss Out Who's waiting to list their home? Don't wait too long...

Since it's Monday and Spring is here I figured I'd post one of our Summer in flight summer pics of the San Juan Islands. Summer will be here soon.. Hang in there!    

Home Size Preferences Differ With Age, Culture Happy Monday! Hope everyone is enjoying the start to their week. Here is a great article from Realtor mag.

http://realestate.aol.com/blog/curb-appeal-5-low-cost-easy-landscaping-tips?ncid=edlinkusreal00000001&ts=1363987725# A great article on some of the smaller landscaping items you can do to keep that curb appeal up! With Spring here you need to keep up on the little things so they don't turn into a big project! Have a great weekend!

How are things in the Seattle housing market? Well here it is in a nut shell. As you can see the supply still low compared to last year. And you can see that properties are selling but with the low supply it feels like properties are flying off the market.

Homes Near Public Transportation Hold Value Better Are you looking for a home near public transportation? What else is important in your home search?

http://smartasset.com/blog/housing/how-to-find-a-real-estate-agent/ Great article on finding a real estate agent. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions as well!

How to Manage a Multiple Offer Market | Clean Slate A great blog by Better homes and Garden on multiple offer scenarios. Seattle is full of these right now, so it's good to be prepared.

http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/06/25/first-time-homebuyers-guide/# A great article from AOL for first time home buyers!

http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/21/news/economy/home-sales/index.html A great article from CNN Money about the increase in sales prices. We are seeing homes going for asking price and some times more these days. Are you looking to buy or sell a home in the Seattle /Bellevue area? Give us a call so we can make it as easy as possible! Hope everyone is enjoying spring! Jackotto @remax.net

Existing-Home Sales and Prices Continue to Rise

http://realestate.msn.com/blogs/listedblogpost.aspx?post=1968c548-1e99-4b25-9434-b1ea62bac542&ocid=vt_fbmsnre A fun article about Woz and Apple, now his former home is up for sale! Happy Tuesday!

http://m.nwitimes.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/real-estate-is-typically-a-person-s-biggest-investment-so/article_43cc6cee-8341-5119-bbf3-5e56f0ce13d3.html?mobile_touch=true

http://styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org/2013/03/11/take-note-of-the-floor-buyers-certainly-will/ It doesn't matter if you have hardwood, laminate or carpet. The condition of you flooring is important to buyers, here is a good read on how to make the most of your flooring (By Realtor Magazine)

http://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/2013/02/24/the-worlds-scariest-hotel-swimming-pool/ I came across this and just had to share it. You always see crazy pools but you don't usually see one like this.

http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/03/12/2013-buy-home/ Are you thinking of buying a home this year? Not sure if you missed the chance or if this year is still a great time to buy? Here is a great article on the upcoming year. Are you looking for a home in the Seattle area? I can help, give me a shout today! (206) 388-6102 or jackotto @remax.net

http://blog.homes.com/2013/03/6-questions-to-ask-your-loan-officer-before-starting-the-loan-process/ A great article from people over at homes.com on how to tackle the loan process. Making sure to ask the right questions at the beginning can expedite the process and minimize delays. Happy Friday!!

http://www.zillowblog.com/2013-03-07/how-much-house-can-you-get-for-525000-2/ A great article on what $525k brings you in various parts of the country.

http://www.zillowblog.com/2013-03-07/3-ways-to-avoid-an-hoa-horror-story/ A great article again by the folks at Zillow! Just a few tips on how to know what's going on in the HOA when you are purchasing a home. Always good to know before you buy right!?

3 Reasons Your Home's Value is Increasing!  A good article about a few reasons why your home is increasing in value!

Housing Supply Keeping King Co. Prices High! Another great article on the Seattle housing market!

So I had the pleasure of looking for clothes for my wedding this summer over the weekend. Does anyone have any suggestions about where in the Seattle area or online to shop? Turns out finding several bridesmaids dresses is harder then suits (or just hard in general). And I'll tell you right now I can't take much more "shopping" for dresses :) Also, what about great places for suits? Men's wearhouse seemed a little pricey and the charge for alterations. I found a better priced suit at JCPenny but still need it altered. HELP! In other news, I've been working a new Facebook page for our Seattle waterfront properties. If you could please swing on over and Like the page. I'm also looking for photos to showcase on the page as well. Do you have a waterfront home? Or know someone who does? I'm interested in some pics! Puget Sound Waterfront Properties Spring is right around the corner, are you thinking of buying a home? If so what are you looking for? Wh

What Home Buyers Want In 2013 A great article from reatormag.com about what people are looking for this year. What is important in your search?

Top 5 Reason To Hire a RE/MAX Agent. I came across this sweet little blog from Re/Max of Canada. A few good tid bits on why to hire an agent!

5 Reasons Your Home Isn't Selling (You shouldn't be having trouble these days! ) BUT If you are having trouble selling your home right now then there is definitely something wrong. Here is a good list of things to look at. Also you need to have a great agent. Or as I like to call myself, a wingman. I don't succeed until you succeed! So if your agent won't listen or you find yourself having to do all the work, you need a new agent. They are supposed to be there for YOU! So if you need someone who will listen and be your wingman, give me a call. Jackotto@remax.net

5 Best Cities To Sell Homes Right Now! With the shortage of homes in our market apparent, it's no wonder #Seattle made the list of Top 5 places to sell a home right now. Properties are selling at a brisk pace, one we haven't seen in years. It's a great time to sell your home! If you have any questions about getting your home on the market give us a shout. The sooner you get it listed, the sooner you can be on the road to sold! Once again Friday is the best day to list a home, statistically you get better offers going into the weekends when buyers can see "new" listings. Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoy the warm (ish) weather! :)

Home Sale Contracts Highest in 2.5 Years! A Great link to MSN about the status of the markets right now. Short supply still affecting markets across the country.

March 1st, The Market Is Crazy Here In Seattle.  I was looking at homes that were on the market for just a few days and went pending in less than a week. Now this is a great market for sellers, we want to get that word out! If you are thinking about selling your home in #Seattle then give us a call. It's been a long time since you could sell your home in less then a week and if priced right, at asking price. We are even seeing multiple offer scenarios resulting in homes being purchased for MORE than asking price. So call today and let's get your home on the road to sold! Now buyers are finding themselves in a difference place then they are used to. You don't have time to weigh your options, get pre approved etc. If you wait, the homes are gone. Buyers are going into transactions fully ready to make the strongest offer possible. So make sure you are ready to make an offer, and if you want an inspection be prepared to get a pre inspection done. We want you to be ready