Puget Sound Real Estate Video Blog with Sandy Eagon

How Sandy Reached Out on Behalf of her Buyers

2017-01-23T14:15:00.001-08:00

“Well we had Sandy as our buying agent and we purchased our home and we closed on time and we had our house and everything was taken care of on the backend. I didn’t really have to worry about much. I was informed at all times of where the progress was at and what the issues might be and any flags that could have potentially been there in the process. I felt very looped in but at the same time I didn’t have to ask for it. They were visibly and notably on top of everything. There was something that, because we were buying in contingencies so there were some issues on my selling end. My selling agent wasn’t really involved enough and taking care of the process enough so Sandy just jumped in and reached out to the right people and tried to understand what the issues are and she helped us figure it out. That definitely wasn’t her job to do. She also put us in touch with some CPAs and lawyers when we had some tax questions about the buying. So, definitely quite a few instances, these are just the two that are top of mind.”

How Sandy Makes the Best of Difficult Situations

2017-01-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

“We got a house we wanted, we got rid of a house we didn’t want. In spite of all the little things that were caused by other things outside of her control it went really well. The buyers of our house that we were [selling] were making it difficult and she was going out of her way to help us get everything taken care of. Getting it repaired, she actually supplied us with a moving truck and couple of strong guys to help us move since we got behind the 8-ball between the buyers of our old house and getting into our new house. I mean considering all the stuff that happened it went really well. I mean there was a lot of things that got in the way, a lot of circumstantial stuff that doesn’t normally happen in the process of buying and selling homes and she was working for us on the selling and the buying aspect. Considering all the stuff that tried to sidetrack us it all went really well and she kept going above and beyond to get us where we needed to be and get into the new house.”

We're On It For Our Clients

2017-01-06T09:07:00.002-08:00

We have a great story to share today. It’s about how we were able to help some clients out of a stalemate during the inspection period.

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Just before Thanksgiving, we were introduced to a couple who weren't having much luck with their current agent. This agent was selling their house in Woodinville. She'd finally found them a buyer, but she was not returning phone calls and took days to follow up on requests. They knew that on their next purchase they needed an agent who was much more responsive. We talked with our couple that day, looked at five homes the next day, made two offers that night, and had one accepted by the weekend. We accomplished this even though this purchase was contingent on the their existing home selling.

Next, it was time to schedule the inspection. It was really a clean house overall, and the inspector didn't find many issues. Then we went out to the back porch, and the light wasn’t turning on. I thought that maybe the bulb just needed to be replaced, but the bulb just turned in circles when I tried to unscrew it.

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We take active responsibility and make things happen.

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We asked the seller to make sure the light was working. To our surprise, they refused this simple repair. They said it had worked the night before, so the inspector must have broken it. Because I had tried to unscrew the light, I knew I could have been the one to break it. Either way, I wasn't going to get in the way of my client’s dream home because of a broken light fixture. I volunteered to have the light fixed and we moved on with the deal.

That’s just a little slice of what we do. If we cause a problem, we take responsibility to fix it. We look for solutions, and we won't let our pride jeopardize our clients’ goals.

How Do We Go the Extra Mile(s) for Our Clients?

2016-12-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

The art of winning a negotiation for our team is based on our ability to find a solution to any problem. To show you what I mean, I have a quick story to tell you.

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What does it mean for us to go the extra mile for one of our clients? Let me tell you a story.

A few months ago, I got an email from one of my past clients who needed to sell his home and buy a new one for him and his fiance. We were excited to help him. Ultimately, he chose a home in Monroe. We competed for this house against another buyer and won. When we scheduled the inspection, though, we found that the roof was toast and asked the seller to replace it.

The seller took this request hard because he had just put $20,000 into the house to fix it up after he had renters in it. Since he decided it was too much for him to handle, we offered to split the cost with him. We raised the price of the house a little bit, but that wasn’t a problem for my buyer because he was going to get the full value of that roof. To give the seller confidence that we weren’t going anywhere after they put another $7,000 into their house, we also agreed to make our earnest money non-refundable after the roof was finished.

Everything moved along nicely...until the house didn’t appraise. We went back and forth a couple times with the seller and his agent, but the seller wouldn’t budge. He wanted every single penny that he had originally been promised. My buyer, though, was not going to pay more for the house than he could finance, and he wasn’t going to pay more than what it was worth.

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On our team, we work to find solutions.

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At this point, we started talking with our lender about different finance options that could breathe life into this transaction. My lender suggested raising the interest rate a little bit so that instead of my buyer having to bring in his money to pay for his own closing costs, he could use it as a down payment and cover the roof expense. The process was a tad complicated, but the numbers equaled out in the end and my buyer was excited to hear about this compromise.

When I emailed our proposal to the seller’s agent, I got no response. So I reached out again, with still no response. I decided then that I needed to jump in and make this deal personal. In our business, we don’t have a lot of face-to-face conferencing anymore. Communication in today's real estate transactions rely on text and email. I decided, though, that it was time to show up at this agent’s office. I cleared my calendar and got in my car. When I arrived, he was in the middle of a meeting. I waited for him to finish.

Once we got the chance to actually talk face to face, he relayed his seller's frustration to me. He had already put so much work into the house, he shouldn’t have to bite the bullet and eat the whole expense. When I pointed out the counter-proposal that I'd sent to him, he hadn't even seen it yet. He asked whether my buyer had agreed to this proposal. He promised to contact the seller and get back to me right away. The seller wasn't excited, but it was a good middle-ground compromise. They took our proposal.

Now my buyer and his fiance are having their first Christmas together in their new home. All because I went a little old-school and met face to face to explain our proposal. That’s what I mean by going the extra mile for my clients.

If you’re looking for an agent who is willing to be a part of the solution, I’m your gal. If you’re interested in buying or selling or just want to hear how today's market affects you, please don’t hesitate to call me or send me an email. We're happy to help!

How Sandy Gave First Time Buyers the Tools They Needed

2016-11-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

"Well the best way to answer that question would be that this was actually the second offer we made on a house. And the first offer we made we didn't get any feedback and the offer was turned down. But then the second offer we got some feedback from Sandy and that feedback is what helped us get the offer. It wasn't like it was a lot of information, but it was exactly what we needed because we had no idea what we were doing. This was the first time we bought a house. The Realtor we were working with wasn't as helpful but Sandy was showing the house that we eventually bought and she gave us the right tools that we needed. Other than that she was very helpful about letting us know on a day-to-day basis, schedules and things of that nature. I almost wish she'd been our Realtor, would have been really nice."

Why We Don’t Chase the Almighty Dollar

2016-11-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

Here at Sandy and Company, if we’re going to serve you, we do it with your whole life situation in mind.

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Today, I wanted to talk about sales—how I serve you, and how that service also serves me at the same time.

Picture a salesperson. Sometimes, I hear from people about what that picture looks like to them. In the last month, I’ve had two people share their assumptions of what it means to make a living from sales. Their emphasis was on the “sales” portion of that paradigm. Let me tell you: at Sandy and Company, we’re on the opposite side.

At Keller Williams Realty, just like in many other businesses, we have mottos. One of these is “Customers always comes first.” If I can’t get a customer what they’re looking for, I will tell them. Likewise, when I believe I can help, I jump right in and make it happen.

Going back to the two who shared with me. One of them said he knew I was tempted to withhold information about what might be wrong with the house in the name of getting the sale done. I told him that wasn’t true at all. Don’t get me wrong, I have temptations, but that’s never one of them.

In the other conversation, she assumed my goal is to push my clients to the very top of their purchase point. In theory, that would serve me best. Once again, I had to correct her. That’s never my goal. as long as we can meet their home needs for less. On the contrary, I love it when my clients purchase well below their price points.

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My job is to serve you—not the almighty dollar.

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Why? Because my goal is to make sure that I serve your whole life situation. This means what’s most important is meeting your needs in the long run. If a client of mine purchases for less than they can afford, that means they could save extra money for other needs in their life. And when I serve you well, you are going to be so excited that someone is taking great care of you and giving you all of their expertise and knowledge. You're going to tell others about me, and that meets my needs in the long run.

When I’m in sales, there is a transaction happening, but what I’m thinking about is how I can serve you today. If that means we make a transaction together, great! If not, I’m satisfied as long as I know that I helped you. My clients know that about me, which make them comfortable to introduce me to their friends, family and colleagues.

Just yesterday, some clients and I let go of a project we had been working on for six months. It was an arduous process, and we weren’t sure it was going to work, but we gave it a shot anyway. When the numbers didn’t add up in the end and my clients asked to kill the deal, I understood completely. My job is to serve you—not the almighty dollar.

If you’re looking to buy or sell real estate, please give me a call or shoot me an email. If I’m not the right person for the job, I promise you I’ll find someone who is. I look forward to helping you!

How Sandy was Always There for Marvin

2016-11-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

"Oh the results were fantastic. We looked for a house for several years and Sandy was always there for us. She'd constantly send us updates on notes, she was right on top of everything as far as what we were looking for. We called on a Wednesday or a Thursday and said, "We're coming down for the weekend, can you meet us?" And she was there on Saturday and had houses lined up for us to look at and we bought one of those."

How Working with Our Team Benefits You

2016-11-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Working with a team means knowing that everyone is on the same page to find the best solution as quickly as possible.

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When you’re thinking of buying or selling a house, what you’re really thinking about is yourself. You aren’t thinking about your Realtor’s system and whether it’s set up to help you. Knowing whether that system involves working with a team or not, though, can prove critical.

Some people might assume that more people means more problems, but that’s not usually true. Let me share an example.

Just this last month, we were working for one of our buyers who had a few hiccups in his transaction. When we initially wrote the offer, I knew his loan wasn’t going to be the easiest. Still, it was only a matter of following a step-by-step process. Which is why we asked for a six-week closing.

After the listing agent talked with the seller, she came back to me and asked,"Could we close sooner?"

My standard response to this request is,"Sure, although we may ask for a couple extra days at the very end if we need them." As per the listing agent’s wishes, we made the closing date sooner by about a week. From there, everything started moving forward—the client got the house, we completed the inspection and appraisal, and we were just about to get documents to escrow.

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On a team, everyone has to work together to find a solution.

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Just before the underwriter fully checked off, however, she realized that my client’s IRS auto-payment had not been deducted out of his account. Because we needed time to work with the IRS, we asked the seller for another week. Of course, the seller was not happy with this request. They were in the process of buying their own house, and they were getting charged by the builder every single day that they were late for that closing.

I felt very responsible for this quagmire until my office manager reminded me that we'd originally asked for this closing date. With this in mind, we went back to the listing agent and asked for the time back that we originally gave them. Doing that made our responsibility much easier to handle and freed us up to find a solution.

So you see that when we have more people involved in a transaction, we work more efficiently to get the job done. Let me know what we can do to get my team working for you, whether that means buying a house today or six months down the road.

What Do Golf and Real Estate Have in Common?

2016-10-26T10:18:00.002-07:00

Though golf is a new hobby of mine, it shares many characteristics with the real estate world. Each practice has taught me something about the other.

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Our warm weather is winding down here, but one of the things I really enjoy about both summer and autumn is that both seasons give us a chance to get outside and play golf. It’s a relatively new hobby of mine, and I’ve had a great time lately strengthening my game and thinking about how golf is like real estate.

Golf is different than my previous hobbies like quilting, gardening, or scrapbooking. Then I could produce something tangible to show for my efforts. In golf, when I have a great score, I still feel like I’ve accomplished something.

How does this relate to real estate? Real estate has an end product as well. Most of the time, you have a closing at the end—someone bought a house and someone sold a house. Whether my clients get a paycheck, a new home, or something off their shoulders that they don’t have to think about anymore, it’s a great thing to look back on.

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In both golf and real estate, I can depend on feedback in order to get better.

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Also, when I make a mistake while golfing, I can ask for feedback from my group and advice to improve my game. When real estate issues come up, my amazing team provides feedback and advice on the best way to serve our client. It’s very much a group effort, and we have something great to show for it at the end.

As you may have seen from my Facebook post this summer, I'm using the budget model of golf. This doesn’t mean it costs less money: rather, I'm squeezing every last pennies’ worth of value because my score(strokes) are so high. I’m going to enjoy my game, appreciate the people around me, and learn from my mistakes.

I was also fortunate enough to have been able to join golf and real estate in a literal sense when I sponsored a charity golf tournament this last summer for Leah’s Dream Foundation. Whenever I can put golf and real estate together, I get the chance to know people, serve them, and have a great time. So if I ever see you out on the golf course, be sure to come up and say hello!

In the meantime, if you’re looking to sell or buy real estate, don’t hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

Donate to Your Local Food Bank This Fall

2016-10-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

When everything is going groovy for you, it’s easy to think of fall as a time of harvest and ample supply. However, there are many out there who are hungry. We need to be a resource to them too.

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Fall can be a really exciting time. The leaves start turning, the air gets crisp, and the holidays are just around the corner. When everything is groovy around you — the roof over your head is solid and your cupboards are full — it’s easy to think of the fall as a harvest time, a time of ample supply. Unfortunately, that is not the case for everyone.

In the Marysville community, we have a large population of people who are either hungry or on the verge of hunger. This is true in every community, including Everett, Stanwood, and Lake Stevens. Jesus said that the poor will always be with you, but we don’t want them to be the same people all the time. It’s really important to make sure that we do what we can as the hands and the feet of Jesus, caring for our neighbors.

Jesus also said that when you give out a cup of water in His name, you are giving it to Him. We need to help our communities in tangible ways. October is the food drive month for Realtors, and that’s why I’m sending you this. If you can, please drop off food or cash donations to our office and we will deliver them to the Marysville Food Bank. I can even swing by and pick up your donations from you.

If you are not from Marysville but would like to support the food bank, let me know. I can put you in touch with someone either in Marysville or in your own community. Remember, it’s important to give where you live.

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Let’s be good neighbors to each other.

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One reason the food bank is so near to my heart is that when I was a child, we often got those baskets of food. We got the commodity cheese, powdered scrambled eggs, and powdered milk from the government. I didn’t even like real milk when I first tried it because I wasn’t used to it. It’s very important to me that when I am experiencing abundance that I give back as well. Please help us be a resource for others.

If you are on the other side of this — if you are struggling right now, please let me know. I can put you in touch with someone who can help you. The Everett Gospel Mission not only helps people with housing, they will also give you a bag of food. They even have a little store that you can walk through complete with household items, clothes, and food that you can have for free.

So this fall, let’s be good neighbors to each other. If you are my neighbor and you need help, please open up. I am here to help you. At Keller Williams, we are a team. TEAM stands for Together Everyone Achieves More. Let’s work together to put food on the table for our neighbors and make our community a great place to live.

Again, if you have any donations for our food bank, just drop them off at our office at 1027 State Ave #102 in Marysville. If you can't make the trip, let me know and I will collect the donations for you. I look forward to hearing from you!

How Our Buyer Shrunk Her Home and Evaporated Her Mortgage Payment

2016-10-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

I have a story I wanted to share about a buyer who we recently helped downsize into a newer home that better fit her needs as she transitioned into retirement.

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Today I wanted to tell you a story about a Baby Boomer buyer we just helped downsize and why she's so excited about her brand new home in her retirement years.

I got a call from a lender with a client who was very stressed out–she had a nearly 4,000 sq. ft. house with three living spaces and a huge garage. It was an older brick home that needed some paint and just some all-around love. The payment was also huge, nearly $4,000. It was just too much.

She has been working hard all her life and is coming up on retirement. She was also having a hard time making ends meet because of this monstrous payment and all the maintenance required. So my lender spoke with her about her whole financial situation and found that she was in a position to buy a reverse mortgage.

Now, a reverse mortgage is not for everyone and there are some important criteria to consider, so I'll refer you to my lender for that conversation if it's one you want to have.

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Where are you in the cycle of your home life?

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With the reverse mortgage, our buyer was able to put down a significant chunk for a down payment, and now she's not going to have a payment for the rest of time she lives in her home. All she has to do is maintain her insurance, taxes, and the home itself.

When looking at houses, she needed something with separate spaces for both herself and her adult son who lived with her. We were able to find her a split-level home where he has the lower level and she has the upstairs, and the home is much newer than her previous home. It's perfect for them.

And this was the very first house we looked at. We looked at a couple others, but the first house ended up being her perfect home. It really does happen once in a while. We're getting her previous home ready for the market, and we know it will be perfect for someone needing more space.

If you're looking into your retirement years and you're thinking about your house and your mortgage, I'd love to talk with you about it. The question is this–where are you in the cycle of your home life? Give me a call or send me an email and we'll talk soon.

How to Win as a Buyer in Today’s Market

2016-09-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

If you are a buyer in today’s market, you probably know that things are tough out there. How can you win the house you want?

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It is a tough market out there for buyers right now and it’s important that you work with the right agent. Our team works hard to help buyers win in this market, and you should make sure you work with an agent who knows how to compete with other offers.

Last weekend, I was doing an open house for one of my sellers. It was a hot listing that went on the market Wednesday and by Saturday, we already had a full-price offer in place. However, we still held open houses that weekend because we had already said we would wait to review offers that Monday.

One of the buyers who walked in had seen our advertising and really wanted to check out the home. However, they were also bummed because they had just lost out on a house. I said, “I know, it’s a pretty tough market out there. We’re doing a lot of escalation clauses.” I mentioned a few other things we do to help our buyers get ahead in the current market, and they just said, “What’s that?”

Their reaction really gave me pause because we talk about how we can help our buyers win so frequently that it just becomes an automatic part of our process. There are tools you can use to make your offer better than someone else’s and there are ways to put your best offer forward. You don’t have to max out your budget right away; you can start out softer so that you are able to get stronger down the line, and we can help you get that house.

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We have tools and strategies to help buyers win in this tough market.

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I took the time to educate this buyer, which still benefits my seller. “Let’s say we have a full-price offer. Here is how you might craft your offer to get the home.” They hadn’t heard any of these strategies before. But they still thought it didn’t matter because the main problem was the seller probably wouldn’t pay the closing costs. My answer? “That’s no problem at all!”

Most sellers are willing to pay closing costs, especially if they get the price they want for the house. I gave them a few different points to make their offer better. They went back to their own agent and wrote their own offer. The agent called me the next day with some questions. The buyer wound up getting the house for $15,000 less than their max and my seller was able to get $5,000 more than they expected, even after paying the buyers' closing costs.

We can make this happen for you. Don’t assume that just because your agent is part of a big team means they will know, understand and use all of the strategies necessary to win in this tough market. Talk to your agent about what happens when you’re in a bidding war. If you’re not sure what questions to ask them, give me a call and I can help you out.

If you have any other real estate questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you!

Jasen’s Impression of Sandy and Company

2016-09-15T09:06:00.003-07:00

“She was very easy to work with, very professional and it ended in purchasing our home. She regularly went above and beyond, I just got a sense that she was very in tune with her job and she was always giving us helpful advice.”

Be a Savvy Investor by Using a Tax Deferred Exchange

2016-08-30T14:20:00.001-07:00

If you’re an investor looking to sell a property you didn’t live in and avoid paying the capital gains tax on the sale, you need to think about using a tax deferred exchange. That means, basically, rolling the profit you’d make from that sale directly into your next purchase.

In our market, it’s the perfect time to sell. Is it the perfect time to buy for an investment property, though?

Let’s say you sell a 1,500 square foot house and buy a 2,500 square foot house. Then, let’s say you sold that slightly bigger house and bought a duplex. With those three purchases, you’re getting a bigger investment and putting your equity to work for you by having your tenants pay rent, and still not paying any capital gains tax. You’re delaying paying any meaningful taxes until further down the road when you’re not in your strongest income years.

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If you’re an investor, you need to think about using a tax deferred exchange.

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The question, then, isn’t whether investing in real estate is a good idea, but how to do it in a savvy manner. I have no problem paying taxes; I just don’t plan to be paying more than I need to.

If any of this interests you, reach out to me by giving me a call or sending me an email. I’m excited to hear from you!

Why Jim Recommends Sandy to Anybody

2016-08-29T15:00:00.002-07:00

“When I wanted to put my house up for sale, I knew that Sandy was familiar with the neighborhood. She listed it and within four days it was sold. I was very happy with the quick work that she did for me. It was good. She always works good, she always does above what she needs to do. Everything that Sandy does it just seems like it is top, top notch. I would recommend her to anybody.”

How a $10 Wax Ring Could Save You $10,000

2016-08-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

What do you know about the wax rings on toilets? It's a very sexy topic, I know.

I recently had two different clients whose inspectors found leaking toilets. In fact, one of the leaks had spread underneath both the bathtub and the surrounding ceramic tile floor. And the seller refused to handle that repair, so my buyer inherited this problem.

This turned out to be a $10,000 repair job!

Do you know how much a new wax ring around that toilet would have cost? About $8. If that seller had replaced the wax ring when needed, the entire $10,000 repair job could have disappeared. Good thing my buyer is planning to do some remodeling in the future, but he still had to spend $2,500 to repair just the minimum damage.

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Wouldn't you spend $8 to save $10,000?

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So this led me to do some research on toilet maintenance (yeah, it's a glamorous job being your Realtor resource!). After all, it's hard to notice a leak when it's under ceramic tile. What I found is that a properly installed wax ring should protect for 10 to 20 years. So even if all seems well but it has been 10 or 12 years, pick a day. Drain the toilet and replace the wax ring, because it doesn't cost much at all.

And do it right! Failing to install a wax ring properly can be just as expensive as having it fail on its own. Further, it can also cause dangerous sewer gas to enter your home.That ring connects the toilet to the floor, acting like a caulking that keeps water and sewer gas from leaking out. But even if you want to hire a professional to ensure it's done completely correctly, it will only cost you a couple hundred bucks, instead of $10,000! It’s not worth the risk!

If you notice any issue with your floor, take care of it quickly. $8? or $10,000? I know which one I'd rather leave in my pocket.

If you have more questions, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Agents Must Take the Lead through the Home Sale Process

2016-08-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

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Legal deadlines are one of the most important facets of real estate, so it’s important to have the help of your real estate expert with you all along the way.

In a perfect world, you sign a contract and in 30 days, the buyer has the keys. This is a really complicated transaction though, with legal and physical issues, lender criteria, and much more in between. It’s our job to understand this process so we can assure your success down the road.

We track when your loan gets out of the underwriting process, so you have time to sign disclosures and have the correct documents reviewed. There may also be agreed-upon repairs to inspect prior to closing. Sometimes these repairs aren’t done to the buyer’s satisfaction, which can cause a lot of heartache and delay.

We deal with the appraiser who may expect things to be done a certain way as well. Appraisers can’t simply take our word that repairs were done right on the home - they re-inspect as well. Many things happen in 30 to 45 days, and much gets pushed into the last two weeks.

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We’ll make sure you have a Plan A, B, and C to achieve your real estate goals.

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Both buyers and sellers have other issues going on in their lives, which also complicates matters. For instance, the seller may be buying a new home too, and they’re being held accountable to their seller to get the funds for their closing. If they can’t close on the home you’re buying, they may not be able to close in time on their next home. It’s extremely stressful. Consider services like a moving truck as well: many are booked three weeks in advance, and can't accommodate changes on two days' notice.

My job as a consultant is to talk with you about all these different issues and to ensure that you’re prepared for Plan B and maybe even Plan C. We want to make sure that if we don't take the exact path we planned on taking at the beginning, we still get you to your destination.

If you have any questions about the real estate process or you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in Puget Sound, give me a call today. Make it a great day!

How Sandy Was Always There When Charlene Was Buying a Home

2016-08-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

“Well the results were fantastic. She guided me through the whole process, she was there when I got crazy and helped me. I can’t say enough about her. I’m very pleased with everything she did for me and she was right there all the time doing what had to be done and keeping me informed. I’m very satisfied with her. You know buying a house is so confusing, but she was right there with all the answers and guiding me through it, and just the whole thing. She’s always there. And that’s what I like about her, and she tells you up front what it is, what’s going on, how it’s going to happen. I’ve bought houses before and it’s never been this easy. I mean I’m not saying it was perfectly easy because there’s always things that the lenders do, but she was always right there for me. “

How Sandy Went Beyond Merry’s Expectations

2016-08-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

“I thought she went beyond my expectation as far as working on our behalf. I was very pleased with the way she was able to act as a go-between between ourselves and the builder. She was effective and she put forth more effort than most people would usually do, so I was very pleased. And she was easy to work with, with us. I was really glad to have her as my Realtor. The builder made a commitment to us that he later reneged on and she took it upon herself to write a request explaining our particular difficult situation that he would reconsider. And they did try to reconsider and do what they could to help us out. I don’t think that would have happened if she hadn’t stuck her neck out for us.“

How Sandy Sold Mary’s Home

2016-07-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

I’ve worked with Sandy before so I had utter confidence in what she suggested as a listing price. When she listed it I signed the papers and two seconds later the sign went up and about an hour and a half later I can’t even begin to tell you how many agents walked in with their clients. That was on a Thursday and we had all the offers that we needed by Saturday. What more can I say. I was hysterical because I didn’t expect it to happen that fast. She was very calming to me because I really was [hysterical]. I thought I’d have a couple weeks or something, I didn’t expect to have an offer in two days. She not only calmed me, she had an open house. You know I was saying let’s forget the open house and she said no, this can make the difference between the listing price or less. So I said okay, fine. In order to prep the house she had equipment that I could borrow that was so very necessary such as a power washer, a rug cleaner. This woman is on the ball. I will tell you at the close of sale things went a little screwy and she knocked herself to make things right for me. I can’t praise her enough.

To Permit or Not To Permit

2016-06-27T07:58:00.001-07:00

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When homeowners are going to build or remodel something in their home, do they really need a permit? It might seem tempting to just skip this step, but as you’ll see, it can have some horrendous consequences.

A client of mine is currently buying a home here in Washington. However, he needs to sell his home in Alaska first. Things were going just great until he found out that there was a problem with the garage he had built behind his Alaska home. The county found that the garage was built three feet into the setback from the property line. He had to go in front of the zoning board to ask for a variance to be able to sell his property with the garage. They said no.

Now the owner has to take three feet off his garage, and that involves removing the stairs, the roof, and changing the foundation.

“

IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER ALL THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES.

”

He thought he was making the right move because he was very handy and knew how to build a garage. What he did not take into account was that he needed a permit. If he would have spent the $100 or so to get the permit, he could have discovered the setback and updated his building plans accordingly.

Now it is going to cost him more than $18,000 to remove three feet from the corner of his garage. We’re confident that we’ll be able to find a solution in the end, but the transaction is a hot mess right now. He’s wishing he got that permit right about now, and you would too if this happened to you.

So, when you’re considering a remodel or home improvement project, ask yourself what the possible consequences could be. If they’re anywhere near the trouble that this seller had to go through, go ahead and get a permit. It will save you much more in the long run.

UPDATE: As it turns out, this my client had originally gotten the permit for his garage. However, he changed the project plans after getting the permit and did not check with the county. He wanted the lines of the garage to match his house instead of the property line. So he turned the garage, and that's when the corner of the garage pushed into that setback.

Since he didn't follow up with anyone about his permit after changing the plans, he's dealing with a lot of heartache along with the almost $20,000. He lost his Alaska buyer and the Washington home he was hoping to move into.

This is still a lesson in not only acquiring a permit, but following a permit closely.

If you have any questions for me don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you!

How Sandy Impressed Nancy

2016-06-20T07:28:00.005-07:00

“She was very pleasant and she did a fantastic job for us, we were very, very pleased with her. I’ve lived in the same house for like 27 years so I haven’t dealt with very many Realtors, but I know quite a few and she was just very pleasant, we enjoyed working with her. She did a good job for us.”

Summer 2016 Home Price Update

2016-06-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Clients and friends,

I have an important update for you about the value of your home.

If you’ve been following the news, the Federal Reserve is likely to raise interest rates when they meet on June 15th.

It’s been all over the news these past few weeks.

http://nypost.com/2016/05/23/why-the-federal-reserve-has-to-raise-interest-rates/

This makes it more expensive for people to own a home by raising their mortgage payments.

It also decreases your pool of buyers thus lowering your home value.

Further, after a 6-year record run up in home prices since the 2008-2009 recession, this may be the last year to get the maximum price on your home sale.

It’s likely we’ll see a market correction next year.

We’re still seeing neighborhoods with very tight inventory. This means if you list your home for sale, it will sell quickly and in many neighborhoods above asking price.

I write you because this summer is the best year to sell your home to get the maximum price.

If you are thinking about selling your home, I have a special gift for you…

It’s the latest housing data from the market. It will give you a good guideline of where the market is going but at the end of the day, the best way to get up-to-date information about the market is by speaking with an expert, like the members of our team.

You can find out what your home is worth right now based on your neighbor’s recent home sale price.

Want to know what your home would sell for today?

Enter your home address here to learn what price your home is worth.

With a short visit to your home, I’ll fill you in on what price it will sell for today at no charge.

We’ve worked with many home buyers recently and know exactly what people are looking for in the hottest homes.

My estimates are right on the money.

And not to worry - if you’re thinking about buying a new home, I’ll share with you the neighborhoods where home prices are now more affordable.

You may be able to live in a nicer area you previously thought unaffordable.

I can also help you secure a low, fixed rate mortgage without junk fees with a minimal down payment.

I’ll put you in touch with my best preferred lenders.

Anyway, I write you since we’re wrapping up one of the hottest home selling seasons ever.

Our economy is normalizing, interest rates are rising, and pent-up demand following the 2008-2009 recession is less. This is the summer to sell your home.

So, I invite you to find out what your home will sell for. It’s free to you.

You can also email or call me at (425) 422-7372 or Sandy@SandyAndCompany.com. I’m happy to answer any questions you have about real estate.

Now Is the Time for Sellers to Act

2016-06-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

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If you’re in the Puget Sound area and haven’t been able to sell your home in the last few years because your value isn’t quite where you want it to be, we’ve got some great information to share with you.

A homeowner reached out to me about a month and a half ago. They had tried to sell last year, but they owed more than their market value. When they'd bought, they needed all 3200 square feet: they had three children at home and were holding church services in their bonus room. But now it was time to downsize, both for size and money. The husband had just changed jobs and travels a lot, so they weren’t even sure whether Snohomish County was where they wanted to be. Two of the three children are moving out in the fall. Their budget was stretched, the market is peaking, and they knew it was time to sell.

After looking at the home, we decided that if the home was going to sell, this was the market to do it in. We did our full marketing blitz, including personally inviting the neighbors to our open house that had about 30 buyers go through. We really pushed the top of the market with our price, and we were hoping for one or two good offers. We had several people come through multiple times, and the right buyer showed up.

We secured a full-price offer for our sellers, and the home sale just closed. This family decided to rent so they have the flexibility to decide where they want to settle in the next year. They have 1,500 less square feet to clean, pay $1,000 less per month on their rent, and they accomplished all of this in today’s market.

We are at the peak of the market, the growth is slowing. There’s a shift coming up, so your top window of opportunity in this market is closing. Who do you know who we can help with our expert service and proven systems to get top dollar?

If you or someone you know has been wondering whether it’s the right time to sell, we would be happy to talk to you. Just give us a call or send us an email and we’ll be in touch!

Puget Sound Real Estate Market Update

2016-06-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

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Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale

Our real estate market has been wildly hot for the past few years. It’s even been so good that some people think we’d made another bubble, but we’re starting to see some of that growth slow down. Between January 2015 to 2016, we experienced 11% growth in our market. That is pretty typical from what we have been seeing, but from month to month after January, we have seen that growth trickle slowly down to 8%.

What does this mean for you? If you’re thinking of selling, you may want to do so soon. Prices are still rising, and they certainly won’t be falling, but you may be better off selling your home right now. Most people look to the past to predict their outcome, but I have to look towards the future for you, and our market is slowing down.

I can’t tell you what the future will be like, but I can tell you that growth is slowing for right now. This doesn’t mean you need to rush to get your home on the market, but it’s a good idea to step in sooner than later.

If you’re buying, this slowing is helping you. Remember that interest rates are still very low. This is why you need to call me and discuss all the factors in our market that affect your home search. Give me a call today!