We have a saying here in the Seattle area, "Summer starts on July 5th". The weather is usually less than ideal for July 4th celebrations; backyard picnics, swimming and pyrotechnics. But not this year, the sun is shining and the grills will be working overtime.
Be safe and have fun!
See Additional pictures on the new Maple Valley Photo Blog
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Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King & North Pierce counties since 1990 but specializes in the Maple Valley Washington area. She may be contacted directly at: 425-432-5400
Many months ago I expressed my frustration with Congress and HUD when legislation was passed to do away with downpayment assistance programs such as the Ameridream program. Those of us who have been in the industry for a while worked with many of these programs under names such as Nehemiah, HART, Ameridream and others.
According to the Ameridream site, since Congress abolished these programs in October of 2008, over 90,000 prospective home buyers have been unable to make a purchase.
The arguments against down-payment assistance programs (DAPs) revolve around a larger number of defaults on these loans and concern about over-inflated appraisal values. Both of these could easily have been addressed with stricter qualifying requirements and more in-depth appraisal review.
Opponents say "they should just save up their down-payment", but in a market such as King County, where the average sales price is $450,000, that's a HUGE amount for a young individual or couple to save. At the required FHA 3.5% down-payment, that's $15,000 needed for down-payment alone. And rents aren't cheap in our area either, which pushes the ability to purchase further and further away without these DAPs.
Before Congress right now is H.R. 600 "FHA Seller-Financed Reform Act of 2009", which if passed, according to Ameridream could help as many as 300,000 home buyers, stabilize market prices and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
It's a matter of common sense in my experienced opinion.
Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water....tougher credit scoring and underwriting guidelines along with home buyer education should be implemented. But there is a place for DAP's in the market and I hope Congress is willing and able to see the forest for the trees.
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Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select Real Estate. She has been successfully marketing and selling real estate in King and Pierce counties since 1990.
Copyright 2009, all rights reserved. Not portion may be reprinted without written permission.
I love my birthday!
In fact, I think I may actually be the most obnoxious birthday person I know.
It's a flaw. I accept it and am unwilling to "work on it".
So I actually had to think twice about scheduling an appointment with first time home buyers on my birthday (which by the way is June 14 if you'd like to send cards or flowers next year). But they were nice and needed help so I said what the heck.....
We met in my office as I do with all new clients and talked about the home buying process; pre-approval, areas they were interested in, and what their ultimate goals were....a typical first meeting. Little did any of us know it would take a full year for them to complete the home buying process.....and through absolutely no fault of their own.
In September, while waiting for an answer on a short sale offer, the buyer's financing was pulled when HUD removed seller-assisted downpayment programs. In January, having saved the remainder of their down-payment, we began looking again, made an offer, again on a short sale, and five months later were still waiting on an answer .
Then a HUD owned property became available. We were the successful bidder, but evidently HUD doesn't like to jump through any hoops and believes they don't have to play by the same set of rules other sellers in King County have to abide by....so a few more hurdles were cleared. VERY long process story short, one year and one day later the buyers became the owners of a 3 Bedroom 1.5 bath home in Covington.
First time home buyers are vital to the recovery of our housing market. There are buyers in the market right now who want to buy and sellers who are trying to sell but are upside down in value.
The short sale process in this country is so incredibly broken and common sense is thrown out the window in most cases. Unless and until something is done to make the process quicker and easier for these buyers, the market across the country will remain sluggish and more homes will fall into foreclosure. Not every buyer is going to be willing to take the ride (and stay on it as long) as my clients did.
By the way, my birthday was on a Sunday this year. We closed escrow on Monday June 15th- one year and one day after our first meeting last June. And although I would have been willing to share my birthday as their home anniversary date, I'm secretly glad I don't.
I warned you.
Obnoxious!
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Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King & North Pierce counties since 1990 but specializes in the Maple Valley Washington area. She may be contacted directly at: 425-432-5400
I'm fortunate to have a very short commute to the office every day. I think it's somewhere around 3 miles each way. But in that short 10 minute time frame I seem to see the darnedest things! Last year, after popping in the Maple Valley Market, I came outside to see this ....definitely one of the highlights of last summer.!
I live in "rural" Maple Valley, at least that's what we call it; technically, it's unincorporated King County but still I have a Maple Valley address and my kids attended Tahoma Schools.
Each day I get to drive by the Links at Olson Mansion and occasionally will spot a bald eagle perched by the U-Fish pond....lazily looking for an easy meal. (Bald eagles are HUGE by the way, but obviously very light as they barely bend the thin branches of the Leyland cypress trees)
But a few days ago, on my way home, I noticed up ahead that something seemed to blow up from the road onto a telephone line. I was a ways away but it appeared to by a garbage bag, or something dark, caught on the line and swaying in the breeze. The closer I got, the swaying was rhythmic and repetitive and something small and colorful was popping out the other side....it was a PEACOCK!!!! (Who knew they could fly? I thought they were just for "decoration"???). It had flown from the street to the telephone line and was sitting up there, cool-as-you-please rocking back and forth, it's tail going up and down.
When I told my husband the story, he said "Oh, yeah, I see them all the time on my way home.
Really?
Now I ask you, what's weirder?
Seeing a peacock on a phone line while driving home, or the fact my husband didn't think it was noteworthy?
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Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King & North Pierce counties since 1990 but specializes in the Maple Valley Washington area. She may be contacted directly at: 425-432-5400
"It is the month of June, The month of leaves and roses When pleasant sights salute the eyes,
And pleasant scents the noses."
- N.P. Willis
The month of June is not typically as glorious as this we have been experiencing weather wise. Summer does not not officially begin for another 10 days or so, but it feels as if we're in full summertime mode here in Maple Valley. The Farmers Market is set to open next weekend, my youngest son just finished college classes for the year (and is already sleeping in too late each morning) and last night the Tahoma Senior High class of 2009 graduated! Congratulations to all students, their parents and families!!!
There are lots activities happening in and around town this Summer. Of course this weekend is Maple Valley Days. July 4th Celebration at Lake Wilderness from 4pm to 10:20 pm and then the Music in the Park series begins July 9th also at Lake Wilderness Park.
If you're looking to cool off this Summer, here are some good options.
And of course, the real estate market is just beginning to gain some momentum, great news for sellers and buyers. If you're in the market to make a move, there's a nice variety of available homes within the Tahoma school district from which to choose.
Summer is really just beginning and hopefully there will be many fun memories made throughout the next several months.
But back to those Tahoma Seniors.....this is for you!
Behind on Payments? We May Be Able to Help!
Find out what your Maple Valley home is worth.
Find My Maple Valley Dream Home!
Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King & North Pierce counties since 1990 but specializes in the Maple Valley Washington area. She may be contacted directly at: 425-432-5400
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Broker, Owner, Wife, Mom, Friend & generally Fun Person(if I do say so myself) Serving South King & North Pierce Counties. Specializing in Single Family Residential marketing & sales since 1990!
Almost 18 years ago I decided to enter the Real Estate Industry because I loved the house hunting process and was excited about the opportunities and challenges presented by being self-employed.
I was bitten by the "house-hunting bug" as a young girl when I would go through the Sunday papers with my parents, looking for open houses. My father, Mike McCormack was an NFL football coach and we had moved several times throughout my childhood before finally settling in the NW when he took a job with the Seattle Seahawks. I came to view house hunting and the moving process as an adventure, and although it can sometimes be stressful and inconvenient, I love the process as much today as I did back then!
More than anything, I believe my role is to serve as a real estate advisor for my clients...to offer advice and options in order for them to make informed, educated decisions. I specialize in the greater Maple Valley market which is defined by the Tahoma School District boundaries.
Nestled beside the picturesque Cascade Foothill Mountain Range, approximately 20 miles Southeast of Seattle, Maple Valley Washington is a growing community rich in History and recreational opportunity. Skiing and hiking are only a 45 minute drive away at,Crystal Mountain, or Snoqualmie Summit. Boating and jet-skiing on Lake Sawyer, or swimming at Lake Wilderness are some favorite warm weather activities.
The greater Maple Valley area is defined by the Tahoma School District boundaries and also includes Hobart, Ravensdale & part of Renton. The City of Maple Valley, which incorporated in 1997, is where you'll find traditional subdivisions and retail shops. The rural portion of Maple Valley falls within unincorporated King County and is comprised mostly of homes on acreage. Population is approximately 29,600 (City of Maple Valley approximately 17,000). Median age is 33 and median income is $74,781.
View Complete Maple Valley Demographics.
The Maple Valley housing market is comprised predominantly of single family homes in a variety of settings...homes in traditional neighborhoods, homes on acreage, equestrian properties, lakefront homes and new construction. View information on Maple Valley neighborhoods.
If you're moving to the Seattle area, you may want to learn a little more about Maple Valley. Many area residents, priced out of the Bellevue, Issaquah and Remond Housing Market, moved a little farther South and found an area with a variety of homes ranging from Waterfront to Acreage to New Construction which were more affordable PLUS a School District with the highest test scores in South King County.
What Colleen's Clients Say....
"We wanted to express our gratitude to you for a completely worry-free purchase and sale. From the no-pressure sale, to the very effective marketing of our home, your attention to detail made the entire process pain-free! You anticipated each element with precision, accuracy and, most importantly, caring. We felt as though we were going through this overwhelming process with a friend at our side, and theat eased stress levels considerably."
The Forman's, Maple Valley WA
"Not only did I appreciate knowledge of the market and the area, I really appreciated your warm personality and strategic thinking..."
R. Asay, Auburn WA
"We chose you as our agent because of a personal recommendation from our friends who had seen your work before and they were right...you handled everything in a very professional manner but with a down-to-earth approach and a nice personal touch that we really enjoyed. We felt confident in your guidance and honesty.. So thanks for going the extra mile and for everything you did...
G & L Malmrose, Kent WA
"Colleen really knows the area inside and out, from builders to schools. She is also very knowledgeable when it comes to all the details of buying and selling. Our house sold in under a week for full price...due in part to her marketing skills....There is no doubt we would use Colleen again "
The Marottas, Maple Valley WA
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