EDMONDS, WA -- Here's an interesting website. If you've ever wanted a web-based view of where crimes happen and what type of crimes, this website might be for you. Unfortunately, it doesn't currently include the cities of Edmonds or Shoreline but perhaps you know someone who might find this interesting.Oddly enough, it does include those high crime areas like Medina and Yarrow Point. Go figure.
You can also check crime data for other states and cities here as well.
Don't freak though. Crime happens everywhere.
EDMONDS, WA -- As of today, November 4, it looks like we are seeing some real momentum with an extension and expansion of the home buyer tax credit. First, and simply, it looks like the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit will get extended until some time in the spring of 2010. What's unclear right now is how much, if any, type of tax credit will be provided for current homeowners who might want to "buy up." Several bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate and it's still unclear as to which, if any, will win out.
One thing I have seen that I do not like: there are some versions of expansion bills that require homeowners to have lived in their homes for a minimum of 5 years to qualify for the expanded (non-first time home buyer) credit. Why cut out the others? It seems wholly unfair to me to leave out those who would like to move up but aren't afforded the opportunity to get a tax break (in this economy no less!) because they have lived in their homes for "only" 4 or 3 or 2 years. Even the homestead law allows them to take tax free capital gains on their homes if they've lived in them for just 3 of the past 5 years.
Rather than add to the confusion, you can read for yourself the myriad of news reports on the various bills and where they stand. Keep in mind what they say about laws and sausages: two things you never really want to see made.
News link updates on the home buyer tax credit:
Happy reading!
Casey
Edmonds, WA -- I've heard about her story and now it looks like she's gone viral and
her story has been picked up by the Seattle times. Local fundraiser Carol Schillios has been on her business' rooftop since late July trying to raise money for a number of causes, including a health clinic in Nepal.
If you want to see for yourself, give a donation or just to ask her a few questions of your own, you can visit her at downtown Edmonds.
Shoreline, WA -- Break out the rain coats and umbrella.... Fall is officially here! In the real estate world, that has translated into lower condo sales in Shoreline, WA. After holding steady the past 2 months, the number of closed sales of condos in Shoreline dipped to just 3 closings in October 2009. A year ago, there were 5 condo closings. And these numbers are anemic. Back in the hay-day, numbers were much more brisk. In October 2006, for instance, we had 19 condo closings in Shoreline.
I don't expect the volume to change much for the 4th quarter of 2009. But what you might want to consider is the Days on Market (DOM) for listings the next three months. They have fluctuated quite wildly for condos this year. If you have a nice condo, it might actually make sense to list your condo now as marketing time can be as low as two months.
SHORELINE, WA -- Sale of single family homes in Shoreline,WA were down for the third consecutive month. But this isn't all bad news as we usually see a dip in production as we get into the colder, wetter fall and winter months of the year. In fact,
32 homes sold in October of this year was better than the 27 sold a year ago. I'm also seeing healthy numbers of homes that are going Pending and off the market, which helps determine inventory levels.
What can we look forward to over the fall and winter months? Look for real estate sales in Shoreline to be slow but steady. We're slowly making the turn but these months do tend to be quiet. I'll be looking for steady - if albeit slow - activity over the next several months. It might take longer to sell in these months but I don't expect sales to dry up completely. Patience is still key.
I proposed to my wife in Richmond Beach. She works in the Shoreline School District. We live in Edmonds. Practicing what we preach..... serving Edmonds, Shoreline and Richmond Beach since 2001.
Casey holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration and is a Managing Broker. Prior to becoming a Realtor, he worked as a policy analyst for the Washington State Senate. He works tirelessly for each of his clients with the utmost integrity - and a bit of levity too. Casey also commits a significant amount of his personal time to various causes and serves on several boards throughout the greater Seattle region.
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Crazy enough to be a Realtor during a recession! But that's the true test of one's committment to the job, isn't it? To be here even during the worst recession since WWII is a testament to Casey's commitment to his clients, past and present. For over 10 years, Casey has worked throughout the greater Seattle metropolitan market. He has worked with many first time home-buyers as well as investors and other home sellers - from the highest to the lowest price points. In fact, one of the very first deals Casey closed was a mobile home for $50,000. Having spoken to this prospective buyer on the phone for a bit, Casey decided that it would have been disingenous of him "hang up" on him. Instead, Casey took ownership for the call and worked with this client until he closed.
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“Wow. What can I say? Casey has been my Realtor in getting me into a condo in the Seattle area and then out of it three and a half years later as I moved back to the Midwest. Casey took what had the potential to be an extremely stressful time and turned it into a smooth ride. But this was just the finale of what I call a three-and-a-half year working relationship.
“First of all, after buying my place in Renton, I decided to rent out one of my rooms. I wasn’t sure how to do that so Casey got me leasing forms and walked me through the process of making the renting situation legal and binding. He gave me professional advice as far as what to charge and how much deposit to ask for. Later, when I was getting ready to sell my place, I decided to enter into a “rent to own” situation, which again, he was instrumental in helping lay the ground work for. When my “buyers” decided to move to the Midwest themselves and therefore not buy the condo, I had already moved back to Chicago. I was therefore unavailable to do much with the place to get it ready to sell. I was a little beside myself. Casey took it upon himself, to work with my current renters in making the condo inviting to new potential buyers. He stayed in regular contact with my renters, pushed them to stay on top of certain things and connected me with electricians, plumbers and contractors to do work on the condo. He paid out of pocket for these different jobs (which I of course paid him back for). What Realtor does that? He was so supportive emotionally and professionally.
“Overall, Casey goes out of his way to make things as best as they possibly can be for his clients. Even at the last, Casey nit-picked a few dollars for me here and a few dollars there because, as he would say, “every bit helps.” Wow, I was really being looked out for. Would I recommend Casey? That’s a no-brainer. His actions speak for himself.” - Gayle S.
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“Thanks for all your help selling my home. You went way beyond our agreement and it gave me peace of mind knowing you were on the job.” - Lisa M.
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“You were so great to work with and I would absolutely recommend you to anyone looking to sell. I really appreciate how helpful you were throughout the whole process and willing to go the extra mile for us. Thanks again for making it such a good experience.” - Lewis & Shannon B.
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“Casey provided us with great recommendations on getting our place ready for the market. We got the offer we wanted 8 hours after the house went on the market. He was professional, friendly, and stayed in communication with us through the entire process. We would happily use him as our agent again.” - Don & Brandy P.
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“I was very tentative about the buying and selling process when I first started talking with Casey. I simply wanted to learn more about the process and the current market. Casey was able to answer all of my questions and explain things in a way that made sense. He was very patient with my numerous questions and busy schedule as well. Casey was able to carefully balance optimism with realistic expectations which meant I was never let down and could always see the light at the end of the tunnel. I couldn’t be more pleased with the house that Casey found for me, not to mention all of his help with my old condo which he listed and sold very quickly. Based on my experiences with Casey, I would recommend him to help sell or buy your next home.” - Alisa C.
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“Casey worked diligently with us to sell a home in a very slow market. He kept us updated at all steps of the process, was very responsive to questions via phone and email, and went out of his way to make the whole situation as easy and convenient as possible.” - Grace L.
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“This was my first home and I feel so lucky that I had Casey Bui as my agent. He knows so much about so many different areas in the greater Seattle community. He is organized and prompt. He could spot advantages and disadvantages of properties that we would never have considered. Without ever being coercive or pushy, he would reflect back to us our own ideas and opinions- and he was a great listener, both to our explicit and implicit communications. We feel that he hugely contributed to our decision making process. My wife and I felt like we were “difficult” clients: we would want to see new places immediately (like that afternoon); we would want to see places again and then change our minds about them and we couldn’t narrow down our search geographically and so we wanted to see a huge quantity of houses. Casey couldn’t have been more accommodating with all our requests. If something was a priority for us, he made it a priority for him. And he went above and beyond the call of duty so often- down to the point where he helped us install some new doors in the house. Casey’s years of experience have meant that he has accumulated a lot of contacts in the building and real estate industry. He always knew someone who could give us specialized advice about roofing or electrical circuits or permits when we got serious about a property. But possibly his biggest strength is his strategic vision. A lot of sellers and buyers want to play games and Casey is very skilled at recognizing the game and working out what to do about it. Had it not been for Casey we would have been lost when it came to counter offers and pre-inspections and escalation clauses.” - Saul & Seema C.
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“Casey was very helpful in finding our first home. He's patient and really listened to our likes and dislikes. He was always on top of new listings. In fact, the house we finally bought had only been in the market for less than 24 hours. He's very easy to get a long with and is very knowledgeable about the market. We recommended Casey to our friend who eventually also found his first home with Casey's help.” - Elmer & Regina D.
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“Casey Bui came to us highly recommended by other first-time home buyers and we were not disappointed! Casey was incredibly patient and flexible as we went through our house search and helped us look at almost 30 houses before we found the perfect one. Always willing to work around our schedules and needs, Casey was a dedicated advocate for us in the negotiation process and a wonderful support. We strongly recommend Casey as a real estate agent." - Kevin & Amy B.
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“After meeting Casey, we can honestly say we couldn't have picked a better agent to help us find our home. From the moment we met him we felt comfortable. His dedication, knowledge and experience was evident in every step of the home buying process. His patience and understanding our needs was the key to successfully helping us find our perfect home. Thanks Casey!” - Dan N. & Sidnie S.,
Casey made the process of buying my condo an easy one. He made sure I was aware of all the steps that needed to happen to make the deal happen and has made sure that I've been taken care of since I've moved in. - Lara H.
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Casey is exactly the kind of person you want helping you with something as important as buying or selling your home - he is knowledgeable and patient, he has great integrity and he is committed to helping clients. My wife and I were residing overseas when we purchased a condo, with a great deal of assistance from Casey. We were in town only for a short period of time and Casey went far above and beyond our expectations in terms of accommodating our schedule and meeting our needs, including addressing specific concerns we had related to purchasing a condo and then leaving the country again. Casey continued to provide support even after we returned to our temporary home overseas. He is someone you can trust completely, and someone who will go the extra mile for you. I would strongly recommend Casey to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. He made all the difference for us. - Peter H.
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