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Sandy Noll

8 Reasons Real Estate Makes Sense Today

03-02-09
Sandy Noll

Now more than ever we need to spread the word that despite what the media says, this is a GREAT time to buy real estate. There are many programs available for qualified buyers, there is a ton of inventory so you, the buyer get the opportunity to negotiate for things that are important to you and interest rates are at 50 year lows!!!

One of my preferred lenders, Tom Lasswell with Guild Mortgage, wrote the following article.  I share Tom's sentiments, now is a great time to get into the real estate game!!  Feel free to share this with everyone and help spread the word!  


REAL ESTATE …Now On Sale

Eight Right Reasons Real Estate Makes Sense Today
By Tom Lasswell, scfl, Sr. Lending Advisor
Guild Mortgage Company

Whether you are a First Time Buyer, Seasoned Investor, Move up Buyer or Vacation Home Seeker, the dynamics of the current Real Estate Market are probably in your favor.  Here are some key reasons why we believe there are unprecedented values in today’s market.  (Your particular personal situation may reveal even more)

1.)    We have a buyers market!  Inventory of both new and existing homes is high.  This creates the opportunity for both an excellent selection of homes and the ability to negotiate the very best price.  In most markets prices have declined sharply over last year.  Your local neighborhood real estate professional should be able to give you statistics for any areas that you are interested in.  

 2.)    Flexible Seller Terms and Concessions- Just a few short years ago when there was less supply and numerous buyers these were difficult to obtain … Today, what we call Financial Terms and Concessions from the seller, including fully paid closing costs, repair and upgrade allowances and a flexible closing dates are many times now part of the real estate transaction.

3.)    Interest rates remain at all time lows- At the time of this writing “base” fixed rate home loans on most programs remained in the 4.875% to 5.125%, (APR 4.99 to 5.29%)  range, the lowest cost of money in recent times for years!

 4.)    Financing Options are plentiful- Contrary to what you may be hearing, for those with good credit and stable employment and income history, both 100% financing and low down payment loans are readily, and we mean readily available. Buyers must qualify based on each programs’ qualifying factors.

 5.)    Owning vs. Renting- For those looking to purchase property which they will occupy, a fixed mortgage payment may provide stability over a monthly rental payment.

 6.)    Asset Leveraging- As with many investment vehicles, home ownership can provide you a unique opportunity to leverage the amount of money used to purchase a property.  Building wealth through home ownership can be powerful.  Your CPA, accountant or tax preparer should be able to shed some light on this.

 7.)    Tax Benefits- For those that itemize their deductions real estate can provide reduced income tax liability.  Further for those of you looking to buy your first home, up until the middle part of 2009, the government is providing for those that qualify a tax credit up to $8000.00! (Your tax advisor can review this with you).

 8.)     Investor Choices Galore- Many investors hold and manage both residential and commercial real estate directly.  But in recent years another way to be invested in many real estate markets, yet not being a direct owner/manager of any particular property is through Real Estate Investment Trusts or (REIT’s).  REIT’s are structured investment vehicles that are designed to pay a rate of return and allow for interest in numerous real estate properties.    

 We clearly understand that as with any investment, buying and investing in Real Estate is a big decision.  As such we always encourage you discuss your real estate thoughts with your financial professionals/advisors.

 Copyright tlasswell 2009

When you are in the market to buy or sell real estate, I'd love to help you with that process.  Call me today and lets get to work on achieving your goals!



Sandy Noll
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Kirkland
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
http://positiverealestateprofessionals.com/washington/
Your Residential Real Estate Specialist

Are You Using Your Realtor® For Their Greatest Abilities?

02-26-09
Sandy Noll
In todays society where nearly everyone has access to the computer, I know that 80% of home buyers begin their quest of home ownership searching the web for homes in the area they desire to live in.  They search many sites, narrowing down their search to a select few possibilities.  Then they call their agent and go have a look at what they've chosen.

While the Internet is an invaluable tool, it does not always provide buyers or sellers with accurate or complete information.  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard "I was on XYZ site and it showed this property available, but you're telling me it's not" or just last week I got a call on my own listing and the caller said "Just wondering why the sign is still up?  I saw it on ABC's site a month ago and now it's gone, I assumed it had sold?"

As a buyer you can do your own searches but you should also have your Realtor® perform a search for you at least a couple times a week.  I set my clients up on a "hotsheet search" so it takes me about two minutes per client to run a search and email the listings to them.  I don't look through each listing, and my clients don't call me after receiving each email.  Only if there is something they want to see will they call me.  It's a win-win for everyone!  My clients get the latest in price changes and listings and I take them out only when they are ready to see something!

The same can be done for clients considering listing their home for sale.  I would set them up on a "sold" property search in their neighborhood.

As a buyer or seller it's great to do your research and be educated about what's happening in the real estate market, but don't be afraid to employ the services of your Realtor®.  We are here to help you get the most up to date and accurate information.



Sandy Noll
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Kirkland
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
http://positiverealestateprofessionals.com/washington/
Your Residential Real Estate Specialist

KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY IS THIRD LARGEST REAL ESTATE COMPANY IN THE NATION

02-24-09
Sandy Noll
HOT OFF THE PRESSES:  KW IS THIRD LARGEST IN THE NATION!!!!

The current economy is forcing many businesses to close their doors, including many real estate brokerages.  BUT with sound systems in place, positive non gloom-n-doom attitudes and great leaders to help us forge ahead, Keller Williams has continued to grow and prosper!!

This week is the annual Keller Williams Family Reunion in Orlando, FL and today during the State Of Our Company Address it was announced that we are the third largest real estate company in the nation!!
 

Keller Williams is #3 in the nation

WOO HOO FOR KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY!!!

To anyone that is considering a career in real estate I encourage you to contact me or someone you know who is an associate at Keller Williams Realty.  

For anyone who is contemplating hanging up their hat as a Realtor® because their office has dwindled to a handful of negative people, call me or an associate at Keller Williams Realty!  Your office or as we call it, your Market Center and the people who work there and attend the meetings there can have a huge impact on your attitude and willingness to continue during this moment of hard times.  For anyone that stays the course  great rewards are ahead!

To learn more about Keller Williams Realty give me a call today at 425-890-0878 and I can put you in touch with a team leader in your area who will help you get on the path to success!!


Sandy Noll
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Kirkland
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
http://positiverealestateprofessionals.com/washington/
Your Residential Real Estate Specialist

Home Value Down 12%........Is It Really Bad News?

02-05-09
Sandy Noll
Last night on the 11 o'clock news they reported that home values had dropped 12% in King County.  To most people listening this would sound like bad news, but is it really?  The answer is, it all depends when you bought your home.

Real Estate has never been a get rich quick investment.  Sure there were a couple years where appreciation rates reached double digits, but not only is that unrealistic, it priced many would be buyers out of the market.  Prices needed to be corrected and this means they needed to come down a bit.  But that doesn't mean you are upside down in you home, if you bought a few years ago.  I don't suggest you take my word for it, let the numbers speak for themselves.

Let's say you bought a home 10 years ago for $200,000.  If the appreciation rate was 5% each year for 10 years your home would be worth $325,778.93 today.  You've made $125k+ in ten years.  

Now a scenario similar to the pricing we saw in King County.  If you take the same $200k home and have 6 years with 5% appreciation, 1 year with 14% appreciation, 1 year with 10% appreciation and 2 years with 2% your home would be worth $349,674.27 today.  You've made $149k+ in ten years and with 2 years at 2% appreciation you are still well ahead of the game!  

Even if appreciation stayed at 2% for two more years you are at $363,801 versus $359,171.27 which is where you'd have been had appreciation stayed at 5% all along.  Not bad!



Now of course for those people who bought in the height of the boom, you may be facing little or no equity as of today.  But like those who bought ten years ago have done, you must wait and your equity will too build!  Real Estate ALWAYS goes up in value.  The most important thing to remember is DO NOT REFINANCE AND TAKE OUT ALL YOUR EQUITY!!  Every time you take all your equity it's as if you just bought the home all over again!!  Now is a great time to refinance if you can get a lower rate, but leave your equity alone, you'll need it when you decide to move up to another home.

For those contemplating selling, you may be thinking "my neighbor got $20,000 more than what my Realtor told me my home is worth today and he sold a couple of years ago".  This may be the case because he sold during the height of the boom when prices were driven up because of multiple offer situations, and sometimes more was paid than a home was really worth!  The other thing to keep in mind, is if your home has decreased in value based on selling prices of two years ago, so has the home you are wanting to buy!  

The best part about buying and selling right now.....historically low interest rates!  You can actually afford more home today with rates around 5% than you could have two years ago with rates at 6-7%!  Here's a link to a mortgage calculator you can play around with.  Put in your purchase price and play with the rates.  You'd be surprised what 1% can do to your payment!

Bad news sells stories!  I wish the truth or good news did too, but it isn't as drama filled so the media will continue to only report the bad news.  The best way to get informed is to seek the help of a Real Estate Professional or Mortgage Professional.  We are the ones with the factual data and we'll help you to make informed decisions when selling, buying or refinancing real estate. And there hasn't been a better time than now to sell and buy if you've positioned yourself right!!

(This example is for homes in western Washington, contact your local area expert for information about the values of homes in your city).


Sandy Noll
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Kirkland
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
Your Kirkland, Woodinville, and Bothell Home Expert

Attention First Time Home Buyers.......

01-23-09
Sandy Noll

If you are a first time home buyer and have 10-20% for a down payment/loan fees and want to purchase a home at the foreclosure auction (which requires all cash) and quite possibly get a screamin deal, CALL ME TODAY!!!

I have a resource to help you do just that and they are eager to lend to qualified buyers/investors. Not limited to first time home buyers either......systems for investors lacking all cash too!

Sandy Noll
Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
Your Woodinville, Kirkland & Bothell
Real Estate Professional