Auburn, WA

Agents in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area tend to travel around a bit. Me too!

After all within a 10-15 mile radius of my home ... or maybe about 30-35 minutes of drive time might be a better gauge ... I can touch, let's see, 19 cities:

Auburn (my home town), Maple Valley (my office location), Kent (my previous home's location), Renton (my high school years), south Seattle (where I grew up), Issaquah, Covington, Federal Way, Edgewood, Jovita, Sumner, Bonney Lake, Lake Tapps, Milton, Fife, Tacoma, Des Moines, Puyallup. Even Bellevue is only about 35 minutes away in reasonable traffic. And I'll bet I'm forgetting a few!

So ... when asked where I work, I say southeast King County and northeast Tacoma.

I wonder if anyone but me knows where that is?

If you're wondering, really, where your home price is, take a look at this little chart. Here you can see that the average closed sale home price in Auburn at the end of June is still below average price as it was in 2005! As you can see also, prices continue to fall in the area. Here you can see the steep climb buyers paid for homes during 2005 and how they basically leveled off until June of 2008, when they took a nosedive.

Graphs such as this one tell the overall story vividly.

Every area is different, every neighborhood is different and every home is different. But be careful! One danger in focusing too much on a chart of this type is that it's ONE piece of information used when considering the value of your home when it's time for sale -- or perhaps when it's time to purchase. But it's an important consideration and one every great agent uses.

"Green acres is the place for me. Farm livin' is the life for me. Land spreadin' out so far and wide Keep Manhattan Seattle, just give me that countryside."

I've seen aLOT of houses over the nearly 2 decades I've been selling real estate. Although I'm able to appreciate each one (no matter size, condition or location) for it's individuality, every now and then I'm able to view and (even better) sell a really special property.

This was the case with the sale of this 6.5 acre mini-farm on Green Valley Road which closed on June 29.

What an awesome property!

The original owners had maintained the home in impeccable condition and had created a completely self-sustaining farm; from raising their own beef, to HUGE garden, fruit and nut trees, barn/shop, generator, gas pump....you name, this place had it.

The setting was gorgeous and one of a kind! (I hope to share some photos for you soon)

The new owners are settling in and I wish them years and years of happy memories ahead.

Thank you to Rob Guthrie of Windermere Real Estate for a successful cross sale and to Merry Smith of Sammamish Escrow for yet another seamless closing process.

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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. No portion may be reprinted without written permission.

One of our family's favorite events takes place every July 3rd at Emerald Downs in Auburn.

Now, the horse racing is great ... and if you bet more than $2 a race, you just might make more than my usual 20-cents! (actually, that's pretty good for me ... I'm usually rooting for the horse that comes in dead last).

After the races, however, is the best part -- Emerald Downs hosts one of the most spectacular fireworks events we've ever seen! I don't believe there's any admission charge to get in for just the fireworks show, but it IS crowded. (Admission to the races is $7 for each adult, with kids under 17 free.) You'll want to bring your blanket and spread out on the lawn to watch.

The show lasts for, oh maybe 20 minutes or so. And it's amazing. And since it's held on the 3rd, you can still do your scheduled fireworks picnic at home on the 4th without breaking tradition.

Happy Fourth of July! Hope to see you at the show ... I've saved up $20 of $2 bills. I'm set. After tomorrow's races I may never have to work again.