Carmen Tomlinson, King & Pierce Counties WA

Little Miracles Happen Every day!

Our 2nd Annual Little Miracles Auction benefitting Children's Miracle Network & Children's Hospital in Seattle is fast approaching. This year we've decided to honor one member of the community who makes the difference in the lives of sick or disabled children.

This year we will be honoring Mr. Ken Eide, a Special Education teacher at Shadow Lake Elementary for his ongoing dedication to some of the most profoundly disabled children in Maple Valley. He is long overdue for recognition! He is a teacher who goes above & beyond with his care & nurturing of not only his students but their families.

He stops in at one particular student's home every morning to feed this child who gets anxious about going to school.

Congratulations Ken Eide! You are our 2008 Miracle Maker! The world is a better place because of you!

Foreclosures & Short-sales

Foreclosures & short sales are popping up like crazy in our region. I was out showing homes to a client and 3 of the 5 we were viewing were short sales. It's a trying time for a lot of homeowners right now. Whether it's a mortgage that's resetting or too much equity taken out, it's a difficult scenario. Home ownership is the American dream yet banks are taking homes back in record numbers.

The Pendulum has swung the other way. Lending guidelines & appraisals are not just conservative but amazingly conservative. I recently had my own home appraised. I was shocked when it came in grossly under value! I could have disputed it easily with comps. If I were selling, I would list it substantially higher, (not just 20 or 30K) and the market could bare it! It just made me even more aware of the lenders crunching to make sure they're underwriting responsible loans. That's a good thing though, within reason of course!

They're dropping like flies!

I've been selling Real Estate for many years now. Over those years I've made a lot of contacts with other agents. You tend to see all the old familiar faces over time and get to know the ones who are in the business as a career. I have enjoyed bantering back & forth with agents from all the various companies. We have discussed market trends, price opinions & general information. We'll attend each other's Broker's Open Houses & call on each other's listings & most certainly show them when the opportunity presents because it's always nice to have another professional on the other end of a transaction.

Lately, I've heard about more fellow agents than I can count who are getting out of the business. Sure, the market is slower but this is the prime time if you ask me! I'm excited about what I do! The value of having a skilled Realtor is more apparent than ever! A solid Marketing Plan, a diligent Realtor to follow through with it, and when leads come in; an agent who will follow up on them timely! Not to mention, helping sellers with all the things they need to know about selling & preparing their home for sale with success.

I love my job and wouldn't trade it for any other.......unless it required me to sit on a beach & soak up some sun in the tropics!

I am currently working with several buyer clients who ponder "when is the right time to buy?" They have all inquired at one point or another "when do you think we'll hit the bottom in the market?" What a great question! If I knew the answer to that I could stand to make alot of money! The real estate crystal ball. I would definitely get a Patton on that!

The best advice I can give is that by the time we know we've hit the bottom of the market it will have passed us by. Interest Rates are low! It's funny, I hear some agents that have been in the biz for ages telling the new ones about times where the mortgage interest rates were 15%. FIFTEEN! We're in a market which is much more "normal" than we've seen in years. I remember a couple years ago writing an offer on the hood of my car while people were lined up to get in to see the home we just saw! It was a circus! Everyone got too used to a quick market!

Real Estate is still a very solid sound investment. It's not meant to be a short term endeavor.

I'm telling my buyer clients "Now is the time to buy!" Strike while the iron is hot! I know a slower market breeds uncertainty but a slower market is when you can leverage your buying power! Now is the time to buy!

I'm having some yardwork & pruning done on my property. I was standing outside talking with the landscape company and realized how messy my yard is with dead branches everywhere. Our grass is brown & looking very sad. I am really looking forward to having new soil added to the garden beds so I can add some color. Flowers have a way of beautifying any space. If I were selling I think people might drive up and keep on driving! Not really but I'm critical because I never take my Realtor hat off! First Impressions are Everything when selling.....but I'm not so I guess I'm ok while we're trying to get the yard back in shape!

My poor family, when we sold our last two homes I was like a drill sargeant! Yes, bootcamp! Before we left the house for each showing we would run the vacuum so there were nice lines in the carpet. Obsessive, I know. Hey, I was doing my family a favor, I didn't want them to have to endure the craziness longer than they had to!! Afterall, I knew how important the first impression is! It's fun seeing my client's reaction when we walk in the front door of a home that may belong to them soon!