Selling Homes ALL Around

Illahee North Spacious 3 Bedroom Home

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 03:12:48 -0700

6175 Oceanside Pl NE, Bremerton WA 98311 Some view of the Sound and Mt Rainier in this well maintained ILLAHEE NORTH neighborhood home. Spacious 2,274 sqft floor-plan on a great landscaped and fenced lot. Features 3 or 4 Bedrooms, 3 Full baths, 5 piece master bath with walk in closet. Open, bright updated kitchen w/nook area and dining room, 2 gas log fireplaces, fresh paint, hardwood flooring & All Appliances stay! 2+ car garage. French door to patio, vaulted ceiling and lots of natural light from energy efficient windows. Gas heat! Jo SossHomefront Realty360-990-1433 Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Bremerton Real Estate Statistics Aug 2015

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 09:22:55 -0700

Bremeton Real Estate – Seller’s Market, lack of inventory frustrates buyers. Bremerton is like all of the other areas with pent-up demand fueling home sales. Military families, relocating PSNS workers, move up buyers and first time home buyers are all vying for limited inventory. It is currently a seller’s market with well maintained, updated, correctly priced homes receiving offers within days. Inventory is very low with only 2 months of supply. If no other homes entered into the market we would be out of homes for sale in a 2 month time span. It’s a great time to list a property in Bremerton.Bremerton reported 102 closed sales during August, which was shy of the 123 homes sold in August 2014.Small increases in interest rates have not had a noticeable impact on activity and with the Fed justannouncing this week it would not raise interest rates buyers should feel comfortable through the last weeks of 2015.Take a look at the charts below for the up to date statistics for Bremerton Real Estate. We classify Bremeton with any home listed or sold that has the Bremeton city address. These homes might be in the Bremerton School District or the Central Kitsap School District. Statistics not compiled or published by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Statistics compiled and published by HOMEFRONT Realty. Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Active Duty Military Discount - Real Estate Rebate - Buy/Sell

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 03:40:00 -0800

HOMEFRONT Realty, the sponsor of Naval Base Kitsap Relocation is offering a “military discount” to ALL Active Duty Military members. This rebate will allow a buyer to use the rebate amount towards closing costs on their home purchase, or if allowable by their lender a FULL CASH REBATE. As long as it can be entered on the HUD-1 Closing Statement you can receive CASH at closing. There are some very small restrictions so please contact HOMEFRONT Realty for more answers or read the articles below. Home sellers can also participate. A seller will receive 25% CASH back REBATE at Closing. That is 25% of the commission between you and your HOMEFRONT Realty Broker. Active Duty Military Buyer Rebate Active Duty Military Seller Rebate Program Active Duty Military Discount Program Registration Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

BREMERTON REAL ESTATE | BREMERTON HOUSING MARKET REPORT JUNE 2014

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 11:36:08 -0700

So Far This Summer is For Sellers But that doesn’t mean that its difficult for buyers. Here in the Bremerton Real Estate Market buyers are still enjoying many homes with prices low enough and interest rates still low that the monthly mortgage payment can be cheaper than paying rent. Prices have not risen substantially to keep buyers priced out of a home. In fact the median June-2013 vs Jun-2014 sold price is down -5%! Bremerton continues to be a Seller’s* Market with just 3.3 months of inventory. Months Supply of Inventory Jun-2013 vs Jun-2014: The average months supply of inventory is down -39% Below are some market statistics for the Bremerton area for the month of June 2014. These homes all have Bremerton listed as their city in their physical address. During the month of June 2014 156 new listings became active in the NWMLS data base. New Properties by Month Jun-2013 vs Jun-2014: The number of New properties is up 10% There were 135 homes that received offers and the seller and buyer came to terms and those homes are now pending inspection pending back up, pending short sale or PENDING and headed to closing. Under Contract Properties by Month Jun-2013 vs Jun-2014: The number of Under Contract properties is up 39% During June 104 homes that had been listed as pending closed and the change of ownership was recorded at the Kitsap County Courthouse. Sold Properties by Month Jun-2013 vs Jun-2014: The number of Sold properties is down -5% *Using absorption rates can help you define markets. My definition breaks down like this… Normal Market – Between 5 and 6 months of inventory. Seller’s Market - Between 1 and 4 months of inventory. Buyer’s Market – 7 months and higher. Now remember that absorption rates just track trends and isn’t an exact science! What do these numbers mean? Is it a good time to buy? Is it a good time to sell. It all depends on your individual situation. I would rather buy in a buyers market and I would rather sell in a buyers market if I have to buy another home with the proceeds. I am a fan of the NORMAL market – everyone can feel more comfortable and real estate transactions are not as stressful. If you would like to find out the value of your home please feel free to contact me via phone or email. I would be more than happy to supply you with a FREE Market Analysis. If you would like to purchase a home in the Bremerton area please give me a call or contact me via email. We can discuss your future plans and I can set you up on an email campaign to receive the hot new listings quicker than YOU can find them.“Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.” “Equal Opportunity Housing All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.” Bremerton, WA Real EstateProperties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $0 – $100,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $100,000 – $200,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $200,000 – $300,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $300,000 – $400,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $400,000 – $500,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $500,000 – $600,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $600,000 – $700,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $700,000 – $800,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $800,000 – $900,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $900,000 – $1,000,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $1,000,000 – $1,100,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $1,200,000 – $1,300,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $1,300,000 – $1,400,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $1,400,000 – $1,500,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $1,900,000 – $2,000,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $2,200,000 – $2,300,000 Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

BREMERTON REAL ESTATE | BREMERTON HOUSING MARKET REPORT MAY 2014

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 02:09:00 -0700

Bremerton is still a Seller’s Market with just under 4 months of active inventory Inventory is still low and Bremerton continues to be a Seller’s* Market with just 4 months of inventory. Below are some market statistics for the Bremerton area for the month of May 2014. These homes all have Bremerton listed as their city in their physical address. During the month of May 2014 167 new listings became active in the NWMLS data base, which was 2 homes more than May 2013 and 8 more than in April 2014. Bremerton’s supply of inventory is low. There were 118 homes that received offers and the seller and buyer came to terms and those homes are now pending inspection pending back up, pending short sale or PENDING and headed to closing. The pending transactions rose by 7 over May of 2013 , but was a decrease from April of 2014. During May 107 homes that had been listed as pending closed and the change of ownership was recorded at the Kitsap County Courthouse. This is a 11.5% increase from May of 2013 and a 21.6% increase over last month. *Using absorption rates can help you define markets. My definition breaks down like this… Normal Market – Between 5 and 6 months of inventory. Seller’s Market - Between 1 and 4 months of inventory. Buyer’s Market – 7 months and higher. Now remember that absorption rates just track trends and isn’t an exact science! What do these numbers mean? Is it a good time to buy? Is it a good time to sell. It all depends on your individual situation. I would rather buy in a buyers market and I would rather sell in a buyers market if I have to buy another home with the proceeds. I am a fan of the NORMAL market – everyone can feel more comfortable and real estate transactions are not as stressful. If you would like to find out the value of your home please feel free to contact me via phone or email. I would be more than happy to supply you with a FREE Market Analysis. If you would like to purchase a home in the Bremerton area please give me a call or contact me via email. We can discuss your future plans and I can set you up on an email campaign to receive the hot new listings quicker than YOU can find them.“Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.” “Equal Opportunity Housing All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.” Bremerton, WA Real EstateProperties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $0 – $100,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $100,000 – $200,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $200,000 – $300,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $300,000 – $400,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $400,000 – $500,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $500,000 – $600,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $600,000 – $700,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $700,000 – $800,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $800,000 – $900,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $900,000 – $1,000,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $1,000,000 – $1,100,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $1,200,000 – $1,300,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $1,300,000 – $1,400,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $1,400,000 – $1,500,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $1,900,000 – $2,000,000 Properties for Sale in Bremerton, WA Between $2,200,000 – $2,300,000 Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

YOUR NEIGHBOR’S NEGOTIATIONS WILL AFFECT YOUR HOME SALE.

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Thu, 01 May 2014 06:46:49 -0700

Your neighbors left money on the negotiation table. They sold too quickly, took the first offer and closed $10,000 less than they should have. Why? Personally I believe it was their agents fault. The local real estate market is hot in spots and not in others. Even with low inventory, prices in some areas are not escalating like others. I believe that if there is a ready and willing buyer and the seller and buyer can agree on price and terms a real estate transaction should be able to close. It can of course if the terms are cash, but if the terms include financing, as in the buyer needs to secure a loan to make the purchase, it just might not happen. We have that appraisal hoop to leap through. The other day I started to think about how your neighbor’s negotiations could affect your home sale. We need to be concerned with happening in our neighborhoods, on our street, two doors down or next door. These home sales will most likely start the story of your home sale. Ponder this; a couple homes are in a neighborhood that was built by two builders, both with almost identical finishes. Homes are sized similar, on similar lots; you know the neighborhood – the “cookie cutter” development that is so popular in many areas of Puget Sound. Home one goes on the market for $469,950 and goes pending in just a couple of days. You hear the rumor there were multiple offers and a bidding war ensued. You won’t know until the closing which will be in about 30 days. House number two sees this activity and decides to go on the market at $459,950, very similar house but a little smaller. This home gets a ton of activity and you hear through the neighborhood gossip that there were multiple offers and it is pending in 2 days. You are thinking of putting your home on the market which is within eyesight of each of the previous homes. The market is hot and there are no other homes for sale in this sought after neighborhood. So you wait to see what the sold prices are for the two current homes that just went pending with bidding wars. Remember these homes were on the market for about 24 hours and then offers were ratified. It’s now 30 days later and new neighbors are moving in I give you a call because I can see the closed data in the MLS, anyone can see closed data in our area it’s all public knowledge through each counties websites. I however, can see it the day it’s available. House 1 – sold for $459,950, didn’t seem to be a bidding war there. House 2 sold for $450,000; there sure wasn’t a bidding war on that home either. WHAT happened? Well, you know all that gossip at the neighborhood? It’s probably not that reliable. There probably were no bidding wars. Sellers took the first offer and either couldn’t show comparables to substantiate their list price or didn’t have an agent that could negotiate properly, or both. These homes were priced right but the sellers just didn’t have the confidence in the price or the process to demand a better offer. I know for a FACT that a buyer would have taken a full price offer on either one of these homes. These homes are in a very popular neighborhood. I also know that the sellers didn’t have to sale immediately. Why the rush? Why did they leave money on the table? We will never know, but because they did your asking price and subsequently your selling price just might be affected by these sellers. Your home is identical to home number 2, you really should be able to get $459,950 for your property in a short market time of under 30 days, however unless the buyers have cash home number 2 could affect your value on the appraisal. It’s that crystal ball thing – we just won’t know until we try. So do we try or do we wait 3 months and hopefully home number 2′s appraisal won’t have as much weight. It will have some weight; we will just have to find some more similar comps that can boost your price. Yes, your neighbor’s negotiations will affect your sale.Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Backyard FIRE-PIT - is yours legal?

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 02:24:20 -0700

With Spring just around the corner and day light saving time in full force it won’t be long before we start spending a lot of time outdoors. We will be gardening, BBQ’ing and for some the ever popular “fire-pitting”. Grab some friends, family or neighbors throw some logs in a pit and sit around the glow of the flame sipping your drink of choice in your very own backyard. The fire-pit is a phenomenon. You can build one yourself, get a plan at a local lumber yard or buy one that is pre-made from Lowe’s. This morning Lowe’s Facebook page posted a link to their Pinterest Pin on their Outside Your Home board showing how to build your own fire-pit. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/101190322851812588/ Do you know if your fire-pit is legal? Where do you live? If you live in Kitsap County you are probably OK. I looked up Outdoor burning information from South Kitsap Fire and Rescue - http://skfr.org/public-info/outdoor-burning-info-2 which was a little confusing so I made the call to verify the information. In Kitsap County the homeowner fire-pit falls under this category. RECREATIONAL OUTDOOR FIRES (3′Lx3′Wx2′H) No permit required.Permissible countywide. Burn pile must be less than 3′Lx3′Wx2′H in a designated fire pit that is situated 25′ away from any structures. Burn ONLY dry seasoned firewood or charcoal. However, if you live in an incorporated city limits like The City of Port Orchard or The City of Bremerton it is NOT legal for you to have a fire-pit. Yep, you read that right NOT LEGAL. Are they going to enforce this – maybe. All depends. If someone sees your fire-pit and knows that its illegal they can call the authorities and the authorities will come out. I know that I can’t have a fire-pit as I live in The City of Bremerton city limits. I have neighbors that would call and “turn me in” just because they are “those” kinds of neighbors. (I have a fence permit to prove it ) So, be aware of your rights when it comes to your back-yard fire-pit. Call the authorities if you have any questions! Here is the link to the “Burn Ban Map” http://www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/gis/maps/BurnBan/index.html Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

SEARCHED ON ZILLOW? YOU MISSED 72% OF HOMES AVAILABLE BREMERTON 98312

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 06:57:43 -0800

March 5, 2014 by Jo Soss This morning while doing some market research for a client I received a phone call from Zillow. These calls come in from time to time when some other agent decides to stop paying Zillow for some advertising product. Today it was that zip code 98312 became available for purchase. My office is in 98312 and I live in 98312 so you would think I would “jump” at the chance to purchase a spot on the Zillow website for zip code 98312. Nope, I politely declined. Then I started to wonder, why was the other agent giving up the spot in 98312? Probably because the return on investment just wasn’t what they thought it would be. I very rarely pay for ads and at the moment I am not paying for any advertisement on Zillow or Trulia. I don’t think I have ever paid for advertising on Zillow. If I have it would have been years and years ago. I know I have never paid for a zip code. This phone call got me to thinking. What does that zip code 98312 look like. I went to Zillow and put in zip code 98312. There were 42 homes listed for sale. Forty-two homes for sale? I knew something was a miss. You see the Northwest Multiple Listing Service which all real estate brokers in the area belong to does NOT syndicated listings to these 3rd party sites. So Zillow would not be getting the homes that are listed through the MLS to them. We as companies or individual brokers can enter our listings on Zillow and HOMEFRONT Realty does. However, there are a bunch of other real estate agents/brokers that do NOT. If you were a buyer in the 98312 zip code of Bremerton and you were searching on Zillow you would have MISSED 113 homes for sale! That number again is 1 1 3!!! Crazy! If you were searching for homes on HOMEFRONT Realty you would have seen ALL 113 homes that are available along with some pending homes, homes that are NOT sold but not in a total active status. Most of these homes will sell, but some will be back on the market, so always nice to see that data too. I guess I was shocked to see that Buyers using Zillow to search for their home would miss out on 72% of the homes available in Bremerton’s 98312! Buyers do your self a service and search on a Company website – we are the ones that have ALL of the listings. Don’t miss out on your dream home! Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Port Orchard Real Estate - Housing Market Report – JAN 2014

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 03:37:38 -0800

Looks like the Port Orchard real estate market starts the year off with a normal market* carrying about 5 months of inventory. . Below are some market statistics for the Port Orchard area for the month of January 2014. These homes all have Port Orchard listed as their city in their physical address. During the month of January 2014 96 new listings became active in the NWMLS data base, which is a 9% decrease from last year and a 41.2 % increase from December 2013. *Using absorption rates can help you define markets. My definition breaks down like this… Normal Market – Between 5 and 6 months of inventory. Seller’s Market - Between 1 and 4 months of inventory. Buyer’s Market – 7 months and higher. Now remember that absorption rates just track trends and isn't an exact science! What do these numbers mean? Is it a good time to buy? Is it a good time to sell. It all depends on your individual situation. I would rather buy in a buyers market and I would rather sell in a buyers market if I have to buy another home with the proceeds. I am a fan of the NORMAL market – everyone can feel more comfortable and real estate transactions are not as stressful. If you would like to find out the value of your home please feel free to contact me via phone or email. I would be more than happy to supply you with a FREE Market Analysis. If you would like to purchase a home in the Port Orchard / Manchester area please give me a call or contact me via email. We can discuss your future plans and I can set you up on an email campaign to receive the hot new listings quicker than YOU can find them. “Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.” * Equal Opportunity Housing* “All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.” Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

BREMERTON REAL ESTATE – BREMERTON HOUSING MARKET REPORT – JAN 2014

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 05:54:26 -0800

The return to a Sellers’s* Market in Bremerton. Below are some market statistics for the Bremerton area for the month of January 2014. These homes all have Bremerton listed as their city in their physical address. During the month of January 2014 124 new listings became active in the NWMLS data base, which is a 15% increase from last year and a 74.648 % increase from December 2013. Even with an increase of new listings Bremerton’s supply of inventory is low. There were 90 homes that received offers and the seller and buyer came to terms and those homes are now pending inspection pending back up, pending short sale or PENDING and headed to closing. The pending transactions rose 6% over January of 2013 and was a 45% increase over December 2013. During January 65 homes that had been listed as pending closed and the change of ownership was recorded at the Kitsap County Courthouse. This is a 23% increase over January of 2013 and a 18% decrease over last month. *Using absorption rates can help you define markets. My definition breaks down like this… Normal Market – Between 5 and 6 months of inventory. Seller’s Market - Between 1 and 4 months of inventory. Buyer’s Market – 7 months and higher. Now remember that absorption rates just track trends and isn’t an exact science! What do these numbers mean? Is it a good time to buy? Is it a good time to sell. It all depends on your individual situation. I would rather buy in a buyers market and I would rather sell in a buyers market if I have to buy another home with the proceeds. I am a fan of the NORMAL market – everyone can feel more comfortable and real estate transactions are not as stressful. If you would like to find out the value of your home please feel free to contact me via phone or email. I would be more than happy to supply you with a FREE Market Analysis. If you would like to purchase a home in the Bremerton area please give me a call or contact me via email. We can discuss your future plans and I can set you up on an email campaign to receive the hot new listings quicker than YOU can find them.“Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.” “Equal Opportunity Housing All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.” Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Do a "DRIVE BY"! What Every Buyer Needs to Know - Kitsap Real Estate

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 08:35:30 -0800

DO A “DRIVE BY”! WHAT EVERY BUYER NEEDS TO KNOW – KITSAP REAL ESTATE February 13, 2014 by Jo Soss You have found the perfect house, you want to make an offer, you have seen it in the early afternoon for about 20-30 minutes. Do you write an offer or do you do a “drive by”? I encourage ALL of my buyers to drive by the property they want to purchase at different times of the day/night prior to writing a purchase and sale agreement. Our Form 35 – Inspection Addendum does have a section titled Neighborhood Review Contingency that gives the buyer the opportunity to review all areas of the neighborhood during an agreed upon time frame which is usually 3 days from mutual acceptance. Of course you can use this to preform your due diligence on the neighborhood, but from my experience by the time you have written an offer, went through any kind of counter-offer phase and have come to terms with a mutually accepted contract you just are not that motivated to preform a neighborhood review. This is why I counsel to review the neighborhood prior to submitting an offer. Drive by during the day. Are there basketball hoops in the cul-de-sac? If the neighborhood is not in a HOA (Home Owners Association) the only fall back you have is the City of County the neighborhoods is located in. Is it garbage day? If not, do you see cans left out on the street? Drive by at night, see what type of street lighting there is. See what neighbors have what lights on. Is there a neighbor with a security light that is right next to a window where you won’t want light at night? How are all the cars parked? Do people have to use their driveways? (Some HOA’s demand this) If not, do people use them? Are drive ways empty and cars parked out on the street? Drive by during the morning commute time and see if the neighborhood is used as a “cut through” for commuters. Are the stop signs sufficient? Are people driving too fast? Will kids have to walk to school or are they bused? Is there a vacant lot next to or in back of the home? What can become of this lot. Will there be 1 home or will the city/county allow for the lot to be subdivided into two or more? Will the homes built there face towards one street or maybe the other street so their backyards back up to your side yard? If you want to purchase a classic charmer will a vacant lot and new construction ruin what your idea is of the neighborhood? Builders will build anything anywhere as long as they can get a permit and cities/counties want that permit money! Never assume anything. Remember that neighborhoods are always changing and your new neighborhood will but at least if you are careful and do your homework the changes won’t effect your quality of life or the joy of your new home. Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Silverdale Homes Sold Last 3 Years

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 07:35:25 -0800

When ever a year ends it is always fun to look at some real estate market data. Below you will find charts for the last 3 years of real estate sales in the Bremerton, Port Orchard, Silverdale and Poulsbo areas of Kitsap County. The data is all by quarter. With all the media coming out with what happens in the Seattle and King County area it is important to remember that real estate is local and then includes market trends and data. The real estate market in Kitsap County is slowly recovering. Most areas have 5-6 months of inventory which would be a normal market - HEAR that? Normal! Of course there are always markets inside markets. Your neighborhood maybe be hotter than other areas in Kitsap County. Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

NEW 2014 BAH RATES | NAVAL BASE KITSAP | BREMERTON | BANGOR | PSNS | NAVAL HOSPITAL BREMERTON

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 04:08:54 -0800

January 25, 2014 by Jo Soss I am sure by now you have seen the charts with the NEW 2014 BAH Rates for the Naval Base Kitsap area. Fairly depressing to say the least. No increase for almost anyone! Those of us here receiving BAH are lucky to be “grandfathered” into our current BAH allowance. New military members coming into the are are in for a little surprise. Bremerton was THE area with THE largest decrease in housing allowance for 2014. Why? Most of the headlines or snippets you read when you Google the term 2014 BAH rates shows that there was a 5% increase – largest in the last 5 years. So why did the Naval Base Kitsap area take such a hit? Here are some bullet points from the DOD -Each year BAH rates are reviewed and adjusted to account for fluctuations in rent, utilities and renter’s insurance in a given location. This routine rate adjustment happens each year. BAH is designed to assist service members assigned to permanent duty stations within the U.S. with acquiring housing comparable to civilians in the same income range, at that location. This year, BAH rates will increase an average of 5 percent when the new rates take effect on January 1, 2014. An estimated $20 billion will be paid to approximately one million Service Members in 2014. On average, BAH rates for members with dependents will increase approximately $79 per month and $76 for members without dependents. A typical mid-grade enlisted member with dependents, for example, will find his/her BAH about $79 per month higher than last year, while a typical junior officer without dependents will find his/her BAH about $76 higher than last year. BAH rates at about 20% of the Military Housing Areas (approximately 60 areas) will decrease in 2014 from 2013 rates. No matter what happens to housing costs, an individual member will not see his/her BAH rate decrease as long as they do not have a reduction in pay grade, change in dependency status, or permanent change of station. This is called rate protection, and is designed to ensure that members who have made long-term commitments in the form of a lease or contract are not penalized if the area’s housing costs decrease. Because BAH is computed from median rent and local averages, it is not intended to cover every member’s total housing cost, and some members at a location may incur out-of-pocket expenses based on their actual housing choices. – See more at: http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2013/12/dod-releases-2014-basic-allowance-for-housing-rates/#sthash.UN22kl62.dpufFor my husbands rank this is a 5.72% decrease which really is almost a 10% decrease if the other 80% of the military members received a 5% increase. What happened in our area to cause such a drop? BAH is calculated on median rent rates and local averages, since I am in the business I am going to try and pull some figures. I said “try” because rental rates are hard to get a hold of. No consistent reporting like home sales. Here is an interesting article. Guess we might have to wait until Sept of 2014 to see what the actual numbers are. http://www.deptofnumbers.com/rent/washington/bremerton/ How does the DOD calculate the BAH – where do they get their numbers? Off to look – and here is your answer folks. 11. What is the source of BAH rental data? Current data is obtained from multiple sources, employing a “checks and balances” approach to ensure reliability and accuracy of data. Current residential vacancies, identified in local newspapers and real estate rental listings, are an important, but not our only, source of data. Vacancies are selected at random, and subjected to a multi-tiered screening process to ensure accuracy and reliability. Telephone interviews establish the availability and exact location of each residential unit sampled. The sample is designed to obtain a statistical confidence level of 95 percent or higher. Yellow page listings of apartments and real estate management companies are employed to identify units for rental pricing. It is also common to consult real estate professionals in a locality to obtain important confirmation and additional sources of data. When available, fort/post/base housing referral offices are contacted to tap local military expertise and gain insights into the local concerns of uniformed members. Finally, DoD and the Services conduct on-site evaluations at various locations to confirm and ensure reliability and accuracy of the cost data. Future enhancements include examining potential Internet uses as well as housing data available from other government agencies. Yeah, there really is no way to dispute the findings. Me, I don’t believe that rental rates have decreased 5% in our area. If anything I think they have increased. The demand for rental units is still high here with the housing bubble burst and the lack of military members now renting vs buying. But, I will wait for the Sept figures to be released before becoming more vocal. Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

1308 Upper Corbet Drive, Bremerton - New Price $122,500

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 03:14:18 -0800

1308 Upper Corbet Drive
Bremerton, WA 98312
Bremerton Cutie - Privacy in a Park Like Setting

Home

Virtual Tour

Photo Gallery

Property Map

Financing

Request Showing

Contact Me

Jo Soss

Office:	360-830-6195:
Mobile:	360-990-1433:

Price	:	$122,500.00
Bedrooms	:	2
Bathrooms	:	1.00
Square Foot	:	705
Lot Size	:	12,632 sq.ft.
County	:	Kitsap
Property Type	:	Single Family
Year Built	:	1942
MLS Number	:	466350

click for more information and pictures

Property Description

If you want charm and privacy in a park like setting, you need to see this updated Bremerton cutie! New siding, garage is gorgeous, could be extra living space. New designer paint w/ neutral carpets. Remodeled bath w/ designer current style fixtures. Over sized lot. Lower lot has out-building and just might be able to be sub-divided. The upper lot has been extensively landscaped. Lots of parking and well,THIS ONE IS REALLY NICE! Look at the Photos! Brand New Carpet - never lived on!

Equal Housing Opportunity.

Homefront Realty : 614 Dora Ave - Bremerton, : 360-830-6195

Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

KITSAP COUNTY REAL ESTATE BUBBLE 2004-2013 MARKET TRENDS 10 YEARS

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 03:03:37 -0800

January 22, 2014 by Jo Soss Timing is everything, in the stock market and in real estate. What year you purchased your home will determine if you are one of the lucky ones that can sale today and enjoy the lower prices and lower interest rates or have to stay put for a few more years. Those that purchased prior to 2004 and sold in 2007 hit the Kitsap County Real Estate lottery! Those of us that purchased in 2006 and 2007 are still in a huge puddle from that bubble! Unless you have funds to take to escrow or you are willing to short sale it is probably best to stay put a couple more years. The real estate boom started in 2004 with a huge increase in sales which led to a huge increase in median home sale prices for 2005. The next 3 years sellers would see multiple offers and lower market times. The Kitsap County Real Estate Bubble hit its high note in 2007 with a median sold price of $291,500! There were 3,224 homes sold in 2007 with an average days on market of 89. Days on market over the last 10 years haven’t’ seen the fluctuation like the quantity of sales or sales prices. The chart below is an easy glimpse at the bust and how we came through it. This last year, 2013 seemed to finish strong with a 2010 median sold price and a lower days on market of 78. If interest rates stay low and if the inventory can continue to improve we might be on our way to a more stable real estate market. The Real Estate Bubble is local so even though you are in Kitsap County there are pockets that were hit harder by the bust and have taken longer to recover. “Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.” “Equal Opportunity Housing All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.” Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

BREMERTON REAL ESTATE BUBBLE – WHAT YEAR WAS THE PEAK?

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 05:13:03 -0800

January 21, 2014 by Jo Soss We can FINALLY look back and see the peak and the bust. The figures are not pretty and we still have a long way to go, but its nice to see what really happened instead of reading all the speculation. Real Estate Bubble: Web definitions A real estate bubble or property bubble is a type of economic bubble that occurs periodically in local or global real estate markets. It can be identified through rapid increases in valuations of real property such as housing until they reach unsustainable levels and then decline. … http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_estate_bubbleThe Bremerton Real Estate Bubble was identifiable due to the rapid increase in housing prices and yet it can only be definitively measured in hindsight after we had the market correction. So what year were we at the peak? Over the last 10 years the year 2007 showed us the highest median sales price for Bremerton Real Estate. That year we reached a median sales price of $242,950, which wasn’t that much higher than the year 2006 at $239,500. So, if you purchased in 2006 or 2007 you are a victim of the Bremerton Real Estate Housing Bubble. When did the Bremerton Real Estate Bubble burst? for the first year after 2007 the decline was 5.351% which wasn’t too devastating. Then cam the years of 2011 and 2012 which took the median price down to the cellar in the mid to low $180′s. Now that is devastating! We saw a slight increase in median sales price in 2013 over 2012 of 2.757% and are about 7% higher than the year 2004. If you purchased in 2004 and didn’t refinance at the higher market values you can sell your home today and make a marginal profit. Those of us that purchased during the boom years will have to wait several more years to sale the traditional way. Short sales will still be the only way for hundreds of Bremerton home owners. I hope we see an increase in 2014. The year 2005 had a huge 26.492% increase over the year 2004! “Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.” “Equal Opportunity Housing All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.” Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

BREMERTON REAL ESTATE MARKET – YEAR END BRINGS NORMAL MARKET

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 14:20:32 -0800

Here are some bullet points – Bremerton Real Estate Market year ending 2013Average days on market is down 22% over Dec 12 and down from Nov 13 but have risen since April of 2013. Average currently is 73 days. Median sold price has had its up’s and down’s in the last 12 months. Median sold price for Dec-13 was $167,250 which is a 9% decrease from Dec-12. Its also a slight decrease from Nov-13 and the lowest median sold price for the entire year of Dec-13. In Dec-13 there were 78 homes that sold in Bremerton. That is a 7% increase over Dec-12 and an increase over Nov-13 but still a decline from the months of Apr, May, Jun, July, Aug, Sept and Oct. Properties that went under contract has been fairly steady over the last 4 months and an increase of 22% over Dec-12. More properties came into the market in Dec-13 than Dec-12 – an increase of 27%. There is lots of inventory in Bremerton. The inventory has stayed pretty constant in the last 12 months, with a high of 682 homes for sale in August 2013 and a low of 542 homes for sale in January 2013. The months supply of inventory has decreased 20% from Dec-12. Currently there are 6 months worth of inventory available in Bremerton which means its on the high end of a normal market. A buyer’s market surfaces when inventory goes over that 6 month supply figure. Whats a Buyer’s Market? Or how do you figure what kind of market we are in? Check out this article that was written a few months ago. It was written for Kent, WA, but the principles are the same for any market. Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Marine Corps Toys For Tots - a great way to GIVE

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 02:17:36 -0800

Just a little reminder - Don't forget to give to Toys for Tots. Toys for Tots is a Marine Corps Reserve community service project. You will see Marines in their dress blues at malls, shops and local businesses soliciting donations. If you see one of their barrels please make sure you drop something in. On the Toys for Tots official website you can find a drop location, or take your donation to any ToysRus. Toys for Tots is very special to many families in our great country. The toys collected will be given to families in need in many areas. My husband who is in the Navy was stationed with a Marine Corps unit in Anchorage, Alaska for 3 years and would gear up to go out "on remote delivery" for Toys for Tots. The Alaska Marines do this every year prior to Christmas. There will be toys delivered to about 550 children and teens in the remote city/villages of Ruby, Koyukuk and Nulato McGrath and delivering to Nikolai. There is a high school there that offers a trade school so they will be delivering to these teens. It is nice to know an organization that realizes older children are just as important. For some of these kids these will be the only gifts they receive. For some these are the only toys they receive for a year. Until the next remote delivery arrives. I know my husband enjoyed this part of his job tremendously - the adventure of the Alaska wilderness on snowmobiles in minus 10, 20 or 30 degree weather and the look on the kids faces when they bring in the toys - and yep one of the Marines dresses up as Santa. REMOTE DELIVERY 2008 Delta(-)Company Anti-Terrorism Battalion Anchorage Alaska This is how Santa loads his sleigh to go remote. (Santa's sleigh is a C130) Here is the gorgeous view flying over Mt McKinley area! This is how Santa travels over the vast wilderness of the Alaska Bush -(with native guide Fred) HO HO HO !! This is the first time some of these children have seen Santa or received a Toy Fishing with Alaska Native Guide Fred Just looking at these photos gave me a chill. My husband loved to do this. He learned so much about the Native Alaskan life and made some real fascinating connections. He was so amazed at how people with so little would feed them and give them jams, jellies, jerky and what ever they had to say thanks. Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

BREMERTON WA REAL ESTATE – HOMES SOLD SEPTEMBER 2013 MARKET REPORT

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 02:57:41 -0800

BREMERTON WA REAL ESTATE – HOMES SOLD SEPTEMBER 2013 MARKET REPORT The return to a Buyer’s Market in Bremerton. Below are some market statistics for the Bremerton area for the month of September 2013. These homes all have Bremerton listed as their city in their physical address. During the month of September 111 new listings became active in the NWMLS data base, which is a 5% increase from last year and a 23% decrease from August. There were 86 homes that received offers and the seller and buyer came to terms and those homes are now pending inspection pending back up, pending short sale or PENDING and headed to closing. The pending transactions rose 32% over September of 2012 but was a 20% decrease over August 2013 month. During September 92 homes that had been listed as pending closed and the change of ownership was recorded at the Kitsap County Courthouse. This is a 33% increase over September of 2012 and a 12% decrease over last month. How many months of inventory is this? If you take the total number of active listings and divide by the number of homes pending as an average over the past month there would be 6 months for the Bremerton area. This is the calculation process used by the NWMLS when they release data to the public. This number of 6 months would indicate a return to a buyer’s market. Compared to September of 2012 the active inventory is down about 29%. In 2012 there was 8 months of inventory in September. What do these numbers mean? Is it a good time to buy? Is it a good time to sell. It all depends on your individual situation. I would rather buy in a buyers market and I would rather sell in a buyers market if I have to buy another home with the proceeds. I am a fan of the NORMAL market – everyone can feel more comfortable and real estate transactions are not as stressful. If you would like to find out the value of your home please feel free to contact me via phone or email. I would be more than happy to supply you with a FREE Market Analysis. If you would like to purchase a home in the Bremerton area please give me a call or contact me via email. We can discuss your future plans and I can set you up on an email campaign to receive the hot new listings quicker than YOU can find them.“Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.” “Equal Opportunity Housing All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.” Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Did US News & World Report Get it Right?

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 01:00:03 -0700

DID US NEWS & WORLD REPORT GET IT RIGHT? BREMERTON/SILVERDALE TOP 10 HOUSING MARKETSeptember 24, 2013 by Jo Soss Did US News & World Report get it right? Bremerton/Silverdale area predicted number one (1) on the Top 10 Housing Markets in the next 10 years. The news article was released in June of 2009 and KCPQ reported it locally in September of 2009. I was browsing some old articles I had written and came across this one. I thought, so what has happened? Is the Bremerton/Silverdale area on the rebound? In 2009 the median home sold price was $212,500. The US News article projected a 5.22% increase in home prices over the next 10 years. That 5.22% increase is even a little depressing from what the area was use to during the “bubble years”. So I pulled some data together, below are the median home sold prices for the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 year to date. 2010 – - – $214,000 2011 – - – $198,000 2012 – - – $190,000 2013 – - – $200,000 (year to date) So far in the 3.5 years since the prediction the area is at a 5.882 % decrease. There are still about 6 years left of the prediction- will be fun to watch as we plug along. So far its anyone’s guess. Here is the original article I wrote back in 2009 - the video is missing due to the platform change. http://activerain.com/blogsview/1263704/local-news-finally-reports-us-news-world-report-names-bremerton-silverdale-1-in-the-top-10-housing-markets-for-the-next-10-years- Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Bremerton WA Real Estate Market August 2013

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 03:57:01 -0700

BREMERTON WA REAL ESTATE – HOMES SOLD AUGUST 2013 MARKET REPORTSeptember 23, 2013 by Jo Soss Below are some market statistics for the Bremerton area for the month of August 2013. These homes all have Bremerton listed as their city in their physical address. Currently as of September 23rd there are 432 homes available for sale in the Bremerton area of Kitsap County. During the month of August 144 new listings became active in the NWMLS data base, which is a 20% increase from last year and a 9% decrease from July. There were 118 homes that received offers and the seller and buyer came to terms and those homes are now pending inspection pending back up, pending short sale or PENDING and headed to closing. The pending transactions rose 55% over July of 2012 and was an increase over last month. During August 104 homes that had been listed as pending closed and the change of ownership was recorded at the Kitsap County Courthouse. This is a 62% increase over August of 2012 and a very slight decrease over last month. Let’s look at those 104 Bremerton homes Bremerton WA Real Estate - Homes Sold August 2013

Total number of Homes Sold	104
Median Original List Price	$197,500
Median List Price	$197,500
Median Selling Price	$197,000
CDOM=Cumulative Days on Market.	34
DOM=Days on Market:	31

How many months of inventory is this? If you take the total number of active listings and divide by the number of homes pending as an average over the past month there would be 4 months for the Bremerton area. This is the calculation process used by the NWMLS when they release data to the public. This number of 4 months would indicate a seller’s market. Compared to August of 2012 the active inventory is down about 39%. In 2012 there was 6 months of inventory in August. Inventory is LOW in Bremerton. Median sold prices have only improved by 5% over last year. The theory of supply and demand has not helped the median sold price in the Bremerton area. Lots of foreclosures still plaque the Bremerton real estate market. What do these numbers mean? Is it a good time to buy? Is it a good time to sell. It all depends on your individual situation. I would rather buy in a buyers market and I would rather sell in a buyers market if I have to buy another home with the proceeds. I am a fan of the NORMAL market – everyone can feel more comfortable and real estate transactions are not as stressful. If you would like to find out the value of your home please feel free to contact me via phone or email. I would be more than happy to supply you with a FREE Market Analysis. If you would like to purchase a home in the Bremerton area please give me a call or contact me via email. We can discuss your future plans and I can set you up on an email campaign to receive the hot new listings quicker than YOU can find them. “Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.” “Equal Opportunity Housing All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.” Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Why didn't my house sell?

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 04:08:11 -0700

3 Reasons Your House Didn't Sell Your phone is ringing off the hook AFTER your home came OFF the market. The calls are from real estate agents in your area that want you to list your home with them. They are going to tell you that your home should have sold. They are going to tell you that they can sell your home. They have some kind of magic your last real estate agent didn't have. However, are they going to tell you the truth or are they just going to throw spaghetti on the wall like the last real estate agent. Spaghetti on the wall? That's what we at HOMEFRONT Realty call the "let's see what happens" marketing technique. Ever cook spaghetti? One way to see if its done is to throw it against the wall and see if it will stick. If it does, its done and if it doesn't then its not. Easy and simple. When it comes to marketing the "hey, let's give a bunch of these ideas a try---one of 'em might work." isn't' a really good technique. We are going to break it down -- 3 reasons why your home did not sell. Let's start... 1. Price The main reason is the price. No matter what you have done to prepare your home for sale, no matter what marketing techniques your real estate agent used if the price isn't right nothing else is going to help. Was your last real estate agent honest with you on your price? Did they let YOU price your home to sell? If they did, why would you let them? Who is the expert when it comes to market trends and market data in your area? Is it you? Probably not, but the real estate agent was too afraid to tell you the correct way to arrive at the correct price. They were afraid that you wouldn't list your home with them if they disagreed with your price. They were not willing to explain and educate you on the value of a good pricing strategy. What is the market time for a similar home in your area? Did they talk to you about the absorption rate in your neighborhood? Price it right and it WILL sell! 2. Marketing You just can't have a sign installed and expect someone to drive by who just so happens to be in the market for a home exactly like yours and call the number listed. Did you realize that around 90% of home buyers start their real estate search online? What was your last real estate agents online marketing strategy like? Listed in the MLS, maybe a virtual tour, some photos? Did you ever take a look at what your home's listing looked like on the internet? Did you read the descriptions? What about the photos? Where the photos good or were they out of focus, off color or totally embarrassing? Not a very good first impression if the photos are horrid! HOMEFRONT Realty has several places to display your home online. You will find your home on the company website as a featured property, on Facebook as its own business page and as a stand alone website that showcases just your home. Of course we advertise on Zillow and Trulia and syndicate your home to over 40 other websites. You will be found on the internet, which is where the buyers are. 3. Presentation Ever here the words "curb appeal"? If your home's curb appeal makes for a great first impression potential home-buyers will want to see what's inside. Your home must entice people to see it. Most of the time this is done with photos. Your home must shine inside and out. Your home must be staged to sell. We can either do the staging professionally or you can opt to use some of our suggestions. Whatever way you decide to go you will need to de-clutter and deep clean. Have you ever been to a new construction model home?That is what you want potential buyers to see - to see... NEW -- their NEW HOME. Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

PORT ORCHARD WA 98366-98367 HOMES SOLD MARKET REPORT AUGUST 2013

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 05:34:26 -0700

PORT ORCHARD WA 98366-98367 HOMES SOLD REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT AUGUST 2013September 16, 2013 by Jo Soss Below are some market statistics for the Port Orchard / Manchester area for the month of August 2013. These homes are located in the 98366 and 98367 zip code areas and have a listed city of either Port Orchard or Manchester for their physical address. Currently (September 16th ) there are 390 homes available for sale in the Port Orchard / Manchester area of Kitsap County. During the month of August 121 new listings became active in the NWMLS data base, which is an increase over last year by 34 properties and a small increase over last month (July). There were 105 homes that received offers and the seller and buyer came to terms and those homes are now pending inspection pending back up, pending short sale or PENDING and headed to closing. This is a huge 50 property increase over August 2012 and a slight increase over July 2013. During August 84 homes that had been listed as pending closed and the change of ownership was recorded at the Kitsap County Courthouse. This is a 20% increase from 2012 and a decrease of 6 closings from July of 2013. Let’s look at those 84 Port Orchard homes Port Orchard WA Real Estate - Homes Sold August 2013 Edit

Total number of Homes Sold	84
Median List Price	$253,750
Median Selling Price	$243,500
DOM=Days on Market:	40
Average List Price	$263,279
Average Selling Price	$256,369
DOM=Days on Market Average:	64

How many months of inventory is this? If you take the total number of active listings and divide by the number of homes that have gone pending over the last 60 days there would be between 3.5 and 4 months for the Port Orchard/Manchester area. That would indicate a seller’s market. Lack of new homes coming on the market has set Port Orchard back to a Seller’s market when last month it was headed to a normal market. What do these numbers mean? Is it a good time to buy? Is it a good time to sell. It all depends on your individual situation. I would rather buy in a buyers market and I would rather sell in a buyers market if I have to buy another home with the proceeds. I am a fan of the NORMAL market – everyone can feel more comfortable and real estate transactions are not as stressful. If you would like to find out the value of your home please feel free to contact me via phone or email. I would be more than happy to supply you with a FREE Market Analysis. If you would like to purchase a home in the Port Orchard / Manchester area please give me a call or contact me via email. We can discuss your future plans and I can set you up on an email campaign to receive the hot new listings quicker than YOU can find them. “Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.” * Equal Opportunity Housing* “All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.” Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Port Orchard Move-Up Buyer | Port Orchard Real Estate Market Talk

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 02:37:54 -0700

PORT ORCHARD MOVE-UP BUYER July 31, 2013 by Jo Soss The last few years have been very difficult for home sellers. But, now with the market on the mend you might want to think about becoming a move-up buyer. The move-up buyer is a homeowner who has to sell their current home to move UP to maybe their dream home. Did you purchase your first home prior to the market decline? You might be able to make the step up to a home that fits your needs more than your “first-time-buyer” home. Your life has probably changed which means your housing needs probably have also. Your home might have lost some equity in the market down-turn and it might not be acquiring equity as fast as we here in the West Sound are use to. You probably are worried about not getting what you think you should when selling your home after this down-turn. Let’s do the math: Home sellers sometimes get overwhelmed thinking about how much less they might receive for their home when they have to sell in or just after a market down turn. They usually forget to look at the flip side: how much less they will pay for their next home. Look at this example, if your home is worth $250,000 and you want to buy a home that is $400,000, the difference in value is seemingly $100,000. However with home prices that have decreased roughly 10%* on average in today’s market, your current home’s value would be $225,000 and the home you want to move up to would be worth $360,000. So while your home value has decreased by only $25,000, the home you want has decreased $40,000! So, how do you start this move-up process? What are the steps? What do you do first? Sell? Buy? Can you list and then purchase contingent in this market? Step 1: First we need to start with a loan qualification. Figure out what type of payment you want to have on your new property, contact one of our preferred lenders, have them work the math and tell us how much home you can purchase. Step 2: We need to find out what your current home will sell for in today’s market. We will perform a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). This shows us what homes are selling for that are similar to yours. Step 3: Get ready to list the home for sale. Do some de-cluttering, check they systems, make repairs and stage for photos. Step 4: List home For Sale! Step 5: Start looking at home to move-up to. This might be a tricky part. You might find a home you love and want to make an offer. You can make an offer that is contingent on the sale of your current home, but the sellers don’t have to accept it. If they don’t accept your offer, that’s fine, we will just continue to market your home so that you can write a non-contingent offer. Homes in the Port Orchard area have a market time of about 35 days. You have some time. Sure the home might sell but new homes come on the market daily. There will be another, maybe even better. * Port Orchard median sold price for homes in 2005 was $234,900. In 2012 the median sold price was $211,000 which would be a decrease of $23,900 or 10.175%. Homes sold in 2013 are helping bridge the gap. So far this year the median sold price is $221,250 which is just about a 6% decrease. Port Orchard is making gains. Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

BREMERTON WA REAL ESTATE – HOMES SOLD JUNE 2013 MARKET REPORT

Jo Olson, Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt (HOMEFRONT Realty) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 02:37:25 -0700

BREMERTON WA REAL ESTATE – HOMES SOLD JUNE 2013 MARKET REPORTJuly 24, 2013 by Jo Soss Below are some market statistics for the Bremerton area for the month of June 2013. These homes all have Bremerton listed as their city in their physical address. Currently as of July 24th there are 511 homes available for sale in the Bremerton area of Kitsap County. During the month of June 140 new listings became active in the NWMLS data base, which is a 8% increase from last year and a 15% decrease from May. There were 112 homes that received offers and the seller and buyer came to terms and those homes are now pending inspection pending back up, pending short sale or PENDING and headed to closing. The pending transactions rose 51% over June of 2012 and was a 14%decrease over last month. During June 108 homes that had been listed as pending closed and the change of ownership was recorded at the Kitsap County Courthouse. This is a 42% increase over June of 2012 and a 12 % increase over last month. Let’s look at those 108 Bremerton homes Bremerton WA Real Estate - Homes Sold June 2013

Total number of Homes Sold	108
Median Original List Price	$199,250
Median List Price	$199,500
Median Selling Price	$199,500
CDOM=Cumulative Days on Market.	52
DOM=Days on Market:	48

How many months of inventory is this? If you take the total number of active listings and divide by the number of homes pending as an average over the past month there would be 4 months for the Bremerton area. This is the calculation process used by the NWMLS when they release data to the public. This number of 4 months would indicate a seller’s market. Bremerton’s active inventory has increased over last months where there was only 3 months of inventroy! Compared to June of 2012 the active inventory is done about 38%. Inventory is LOW in Bremerton. Median sold prices have only improved by 8% over last year. The theory of supply and demand has not helped the median sold price in the Bremerton area. This increase is huge compared to last months. Lots of foreclosures still plaque the Bremerton real estate market. What do these numbers mean? Is it a good time to buy? Is it a good time to sell. It all depends on your individual situation. I would rather buy in a buyers market and I would rather sell in a buyers market if I have to buy another home with the proceeds. I am a fan of the NORMAL market – everyone can feel more comfortable and real estate transactions are not as stressful. If you would like to find out the value of your home please feel free to contact me via phone or email. I would be more than happy to supply you with a FREE Market Analysis. If you would like to purchase a home in the Bremerton area please give me a call or contact me via email. We can discuss your future plans and I can set you up on an email campaign to receive the hot new listings quicker than YOU can find them. “Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.” Equal Opportunity Housing All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.” Author:Jo Soss Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.