Spokane Washington Real Estate Video blog with The Legacy Group

What's the Best Place to Live in Spokane?

2015-03-04T10:22:00.004-08:00

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation
Call us at 509-467-HOME(4663) for a FREE home buying or selling consultation.

Spring is nearly here and we are very excited for all the activity that the season will bring. There are some very exciting things going on in Spokane, for both buyers and sellers, and we want you to know about them. People have been asking us where the best places to live in Spokane are, so today we are going to talk about a few of our favorites.

The first is Kendall Yards, located downtown, right on the Spokane River. It's beautiful down there, and the area is within walking distance of downtown. They've got condos, single-family homes, restaurants, shopping, and more.

The second place we love in Spokane is Coyote Rock at River Crest. It's down on the Spokane River in the valley, and it's a beautiful neighborhood. Located right on the Centennial Trail, you can walk right out your front door onto the trail, or onto the river. We think this is the next big thing in Spokane real estate, and we think you'll agree once you see the properties there.

If you'd like to check out some of these hotspots and see what they are all about, we are here to help, just give us a call or send us an email. We'd love to set up a time with you to show you just how great these areas are.

Take Advantage of This Market to Earn Top Dollar on Your Home Now

2015-03-02T14:11:00.001-08:00

I have phenomenal news for potential home sellers in Spokane. Inventory is at an all-time low, and if you're selling you can get top dollar on your home.

Inventory has dropped by 10% over the last two years, and it's down 40% from our seasonal high in 2014. This means when you put your home up for sale, you will have little-to-no competition.

We also have more pre-approved buyers in our area than ever before. These buyers are ready to go, and this is partly due to loosened lending requirements.

It also doesn't hurt that interest rates are at historical lows right now, and mortgage insurance premiums have gone down as well. This has created a vast amount of buying power for consumers, and right now homes are more affordable than ever.

Another reason why now is the time to sell is because we've had a mild winter and spring is nearly here, so home buyers will be even more ready to purchase homes. These warmer temperatures will create quite a buzz and draw buyers out into the market.

The last and final reason to sell your home is because home values are higher than they've been in several years.

If you want to take advantage of this incredible seller's market, please contact me and I'll consult with you on what you can do to get the maximum value for your home. Always refer to me for your real estate needs in Spokane!

How Can You Prepare for the Spring Market?

2015-02-10T10:44:00.001-08:00

If you're planning on buying a home in Spokane this spring, you could not have entered the market at a better time.

One thing that I'll have you know is that renters will be taking advantage of low interest rates and purchasing homes this spring. Renters are also catching on to the fact that they can buy a home and pay less on a mortgage than on a monthly rental charge. This is why we expect a lot of first-time home buyers in Spokane this spring.

Buyers this spring can expect home appreciation, which will make a lot of sellers put their homes on the market. We anticipate a really good market for buyers with a lot of inventory and a lot of good opportunities for home buyers to find what they want.

The last, and possibly most important thing you need to know as a potential buyer in Spokane is that the feds have loosened up the requirements to get a mortgage loan. Lower interest rates, lower down payment requirements and lower rates on mortgage insurance are giving first-time home buyers more purchasing power. Loan-to-value ratios have also changed, which will also increase your buying power.

Now really is the time to make a decision if you're going to be purchasing a home in Spokane. If you need any assistance with your purchase, please be sure to reach out to my team. We would love to assist you!

How Should You Prepare Your Home for Sale?

2015-01-22T14:15:00.002-08:00

Looking to buy or sell a home in Spokane or Coeur d'Alene? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation to see what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at 509-467-HOME(4663) for a FREE home buying or selling consultation.
The new year is here and before you know it, the spring selling season will be here. Today we are going to talk about how we prepare our sellers to put their homes on the market in the spring.

The first thing we want to talk about is having your mindset ready to sell your home. A lot of sellers are emotionally involved in their home, so selling is a big decision. What you really need to focus on is that the home is not a family member, but a building and a business investment. You have to do whatever it takes to cash in on that investment, and being too emotional can hurt that.

Next, you want to hire the right agent. The best way to find the right agent is by looking at

their track record of success. In Couer d'Alene and Spokane, nobody has a better track record than The Legacy Group. We have sold more homes in the last 5 years than anybody else in the inland northwest and sold over 350 just this last year. We have the systems in place that allow us to do things other agents can't, and sell your home much faster.

Finally, pricing your home correctly is a big step. There is a school of thought out there that pricing your home high initially will eventually bring you the most money for your home sale. In reality, that's not the truth. We have found, through our track record of success, if you price a home correctly at first, it allows us to negotiate more aggressively on your behalf to get you that full price offer you want.

We'd like to thank everyone for checking out our blog today. We truly appreciate your business and staying in touch with us. If you have any questions for us at all, don't hesitate to give us a call or send us a quick email today.

What Should You Expect in 2015?

2014-12-19T10:10:00.001-08:00

On behalf of The Legacy Group, we would first off like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

So, what should you expect in terms of real estate after the new year? Well, this spring is going to be great for buyers and sellers alike. Buyers will have more purchasing power with all-time low interest rates remaining the norm. Sellers will enjoy the fact that home values are going to steadily appreciate and increase over the next year.

Today we'd like to offer a quick holiday home selling tip for you. If you have your home listed currently or are planning on listing it soon, make sure the Christmas tree you get fits well in your home. A lot of times people will buy a larger tree, and it ends up overpowering the space that it's in and tends to make the room look smaller than it is. Keep that in mind this winter if you are thinking of selling your home.

Thanks for checking out our blog today. If you have any questions for us, we'd love to talk. Just give us a call or send us a quick email.

Should You Wait Until Spring to Buy?

2014-12-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

Today we want to answer a few questions we have been getting from our buyer clients who are looking to purchase homes in the area.

A question we have been hearing a lot is "Should I wait until the market gets hot to buy a home?" Understandably, after the down market we had a few years back, a lot of buyers are sitting on the sidelines and aren't sure if our recovery is real or temporary. As a result, by the time they do make a decision, many times the market has come up a lot and they have missed out on some great opportunities.

How can you prevent this from happening? The fall and winter months can be a great time to purchase a home. There are plenty of great homes left on the market and our inventory is only slightly less than what it was at the peak of the summer when we see most homes on the market.

Secondly, there are far less buyers out there in the fall and winter, which means less competition for you. This way, buyers don't have to feel rushed into making a decision.

For those reasons, the fall can be a great time to buy. However, if the timing isn't right for you or your family and you are thinking of waiting until after winter, you shouldn’t worry since the spring season is a great time for buyers as well. In addition to the excellent seasonal conditions, we also have lenders that can help you get everything situated before you even start looking for a new home.

If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We hope to hear from you soon!

Where's the Value of You're Home Headed?

2014-10-30T11:48:00.001-07:00

The most common question we get here in the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene areas is, "Has our market really recovered?" What they're really asking is how much their home is worth. Before jumping into the numbers, you should know the ways agents look at the market:

Absorption rate: This measures the rate at which homes are selling. It looks at all the active homes on the market and the rate they're being sold at to come up with an inventory. A given market's inventory is the number of months it would take to sell all active homes if no new homes were to be put on the market. When supply is under 5 months, we're in a seller's market - when supply is over 7 months, the market is favorable to buyers.
Mortgage applications: This tells agents how many serious buyers are out there. Professionals in the mortgage industry keep us updated on a weekly basis to let us know how many new applications they've received. This is how we get a general idea of the total number of buyers in the market.

So, what are we seeing in our area? Well, our absorption rate is currently at 3.9 months, which means we're in a market that's favorable to sellers. However, we've seen a decline in mortgage applications, so there are fewer buyers looking. This is all very normal, we typically see the market cool off as the summer comes to a close and the fall kicks into full gear. Overall, we have a pretty healthy market for buyers and sellers alike.

If you would like more detailed information on market conditions, or have real estate questions of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love give you a hand!

A Special Reason to Watch the Shark Tank Season Premier Tonight!

2014-09-25T14:15:00.001-07:00

Tune in to ABC’s Shark Tank premiering on Friday Sept. 26 at 8/7c to see Seth Maefsky of The Legacy Group side-by-side with real estate magnate Barbara Corcoran.

Corcoran is Shark Tank’s resident real estate mogul and a prominent self-made multi millionaire. She is now endorsing a select few of the best real estate minds in the country, Maefsky included. Seth Maefsky will appear in a commercial airing during the Shark Tank season premier, and in several additional episodes throughout the season.

Maefky’s company, The Legacy Group, is a dominant leader in the real estate industry, providing phenomenal service and expertise to a wide base of clientele in Portlan, Coeur d'Alene and Northern Idaho.

Maefsky is also part of the exclusive Radio & Television Experts (RATE) group, an elite network of real estate rainmakers. The RATE group has worked with numerous celebrities in addition to Corcoran, including Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and John Tesh, to spread awareness of the group’s real estate endeavours.

Corcoran is an iconic figure in the New York real estate scene and nationally known as the real estate contributor to the NBC TODAY show. She has invested in more than two dozen businesses to date on Shark Tank, and has written several well-received books including Shark Tales: How I turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business.

The Market is Healthy in Spokane - What Does This Mean if You Are Trying to Sell Your Home?

2014-08-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

With interest rates as low as 3.7% in the Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Northern Idaho areas, there are many qualified buyers out there. If you are looking to put your home on the market, you are going to need to take the necessary steps if you want it to sell quickly and at top value.

While pricing is important, having your Spokane home professionally photographed and staged are two ways you can ensure a successful transaction. Buyers are looking to develop a sense of your home through pictures and video before they will take the next step of a personal showing. That's why we provide these services as part of our home selling service.

With such great real estate market conditions, you might as well take advantage of our free home value report to see if selling is the right move for you. Many people believe the time to sell is when the market is hot, but really the best time to move is when you're prepared and the numbers make sense for you.

If you are unsure about taking the leap or have any questions about home prices in your neighborhood, don't hesitate to contact us. We would love to help!

Low Interest Rates Mean There's No Better Time to Buy a New Home in Spokane & Northern Idaho

2014-08-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

While browsing some real estate news the other day we came across something we thought you might be interested in. Contrary to what most analysts expected, interest rates are dropping nationwide. In the Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Northern Idaho areas, interest rates are as low as 3.7%.

This is great news if you are looking to buy a home. By locking in an incredibly low interest rate now, you'll have substantially more spending power in the future. The market is moving in the buyer's direction, as there is a wide variety of inventory available. It's important you act soon, as reports indicate the Federal Reserve plans to stop buying mortgage-backed securities, which is what has kept interest rates so low.

So if you're thinking about buying in our area, don't hesitate to give us a call. We would love to help you take advantage of these wonderful conditions.

Spokane Real Estate Market Update for Summer 2014- Market Heating up for Sellers

2014-06-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

Spokane Real Estate Market Update - Summer 2014

Thanks for taking a moment to watch this short video update. We'll be educating you on what is happening in your local real estate market, which includes Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Northern Idaho.

In these three markets we have a shortage of inventory. This means that we have more buyers right now than we have homes to sell.

This also puts us in a seller's market. This means that home sellers are at an advantage because their properties are in high demand and they can ask a higher price for their home.

There has also been a 10% appreciation in home prices, and this is very common with a low inventory. When demand for homes is greater and inventory is low, prices inevitably go up.

If you're looking to sell your home in Spokane or Coeur d'Alene - right now is a great time. If you need any help with this process, don't hesitate to contact us via phone or email. We're always willing to help!

Also, if you're thinking about buying a home in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene or Northern Idaho, please let us know and we would be glad to meet with you and discuss your needs.

Using a Full-service Team Guarantees You a Better Real Estate Experience

2014-05-08T09:29:00.004-07:00

Why Hire the Legacy Group to Buy or Sell Your Home

When making one of the largest financial decisions of your life, doesn't it make sense to hire a team with a proven track record of success?

Our team has a perfect record. In fact, we've been the #1 team in the Inland Northwest for the past six years in a row! We sold 327 homes last year, and over 1,500 in the past six years.

We're so confident in our abilities that we have a Guaranteed Sale program. Meaning if we don't sell your home, we'll buy it from you.

For our buyers, we have our Love It or Leave It Guarantee. If you're unhappy with your new home in the first 6 months after moving in, we'll sell it for you for free.

If you're looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, or Northern Idaho, please don't hesitate to contact us and our team of real estate professionals.