Maple Valley, WA The Tahoma School District is gathering cell phones for soliders, continuing a drive which began at Tahoma Junior High. Used, old, and even broken cell phones and chargers acen be dropped of at any Tahoma School. This is a great way to recycle unused phones and accessories. For more information about the nationally sponsored program, visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com . This is a great cause, and proceeds help soliders serving abroad by providing them calling cards and phones. Let's recycle and help our troups! Julianna 01/07/2009

The best thing about the 2008 real estate market in Maple Valley? It's over! While it's conceivable we could to continue to slide with slower sales and softening prices, I just don't see how buyers can remain on the sidelines much longer given interest rates under 5% for a 30 year fixed and some very attractively priced bargains in our area. In order to give the most accurate picture of the year in review, I decided to go back and compare 2008 to the prior two years. Please note, these numbers reflect single family homes only listed and sold through NWMLS.   2008 2007 2006 Number of sales 479 764 1075 % Down from prior year -37% -29%   Average List Price 402663 440055 418490 Average Sales Price 397047 435835 418005 Average Days on Market 88 80 56   As you can see prices have softened, b... 01/06/2009

It is that time of year again when our courageous agents of Remax Select get ready for our biggest event of the year. Our Little Miracles Auction. The event is being held in April at the Olson Mansion here in wonderful Maple Valley, Washington. It takes several months of preparation and alot of behind the scene hours put in by a great team of "Outstanding Agents" (no Remax pun intended - ok, maybe a little one:) Without the long hours and hearts of these helpers, none of it would be possible. Ok I know it seems like I'm bragging a bit because I am one of them, but it is a great camaraderie! I spent a majority of my day trying to procure items for the live and silent auction. It's not as easy as you would think. I think I'm beginning to get cauliflower ear I was on the horn so much today... 01/06/2009

I have some thoughts on short sales... Are they slick and shady... or smart and savvy? I think in the end, it depends... the thing I can say with a good amount of certainty, is they are not going away in 2009...   Please note: I am not an attorney, and home sellers thinking about selling their home as a short sale should seek professional legal council. Are agents that price short sales well below market value of other homes in the market slick? Many think so! Especially when that low price is not what is the actual selling price on the home. It is important for a buyer to understand that making an offer to purchase a short sale is a whole different ballgame than navigating the regular market...and just because a home is listed at 20-50% or less than others does not necessarily mean tha... 01/06/2009

Presented by Julianna Hind, Keller Williams Realty (Selling Agent) Just Sold in Maple Valley!  Welcome New Homeowners...Relocating from Utah Valley to Maple Valley, Washington!     Maple Valley, WA 98038   Almost 2300 sq. ft. 2 story with 4 bedroom and 2.5 baths. Living room and dining room with vaulted ceilings. Island kitchen with eating nook and hardwood floors. Family room with cozy gas fireplace. Master bedroom with 5 piece bath and walk in closet. Bonus room. 3 car garage.Air conditioning. Walk to golf course and 2 new shopping centers. Great Tahoma schools. Builder - Pacific Huts and Castles.     It's always great to welcome new folks into our community! These buyers came all the way from Provo,Utah... and Seattle Weather made a good effort at competing with Utah's "Best Snow on... 01/03/2009

Please be safe this weekend and be prepared. The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is about to issue a winter storm warning. NOAA considers a warning to be an imminent or occurring weather event. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION AND CONSIDERED TO BE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM. People should plan to stay indoors if at all possible starting Saturday morning.   A very dangerous winter storm is going to disrupt transportation and power in the State beginning Saturday. Specific to the Maple Valley area expect the following: Strong winds gusting up to 75 mph in the Enumclaw, Black Diamond areas. It is likely that sustained winds will be from 25-35 mph in the Renton, Kent East Hills, and possible higher in the Maple Valley area from about 4PM Saturday to about 10 PM Sa... 12/20/2008

Yesterday I received an email from our local Chamber of Commerce, forwarded from the City of Maple Valley regarding a NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Association) storm warning. The language of the email was pretty concerning: "NOAA considers a warning to be an imminent or occurring weather event. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION AND CONSIDERED TO BE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM. People should plan to stay indoors if at all possible starting Saturday morning."   Maple Valley is located close to the Cascade Mountain foothills and often bears the brunt of the wind storms (along with Northbend & Enumclaw). We typically will experience wind storms at least once during the winter. But this storm is predicted to be as strong (or stronger) a storm we experienced back in 2003 when the gr... 12/20/2008

Maple Valley, WA: Lake Wilderness December 19, 2008... Need some holiday cheer? The best place to be this Friday night in Maple Valley is touring the Lake Wilderness Neighborhood and treating yourself to the holiday lights. This is a benefit for the Maple Valley food bank, and everyone is encouraged to bring canned goods and even unwrapped gifts. there is nothing like the spirit of giving and holiday lights against a blanket of beautiful snow to get you feeling like Christmas is here! As reported in the Maple Valley Reporter: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/cmv/news/36350164.html Julianna Hind, Realtor®, IRIS® Real Estate and Design Specialist Keller Williams Auburn 1002 15th ST SW Suite 106 Auburn, WA 98092   Office: 253-249-2500 Mobile: 206-679-4768 Fax: 206-774-0404   julianna... 12/18/2008

The following monthly statistics for the Maple Valley area are for new residential listings per month and the average days on the market for those said listings. These monthly statistics are listed per month through the month of November. It's a great tool to see the market trend over the last several months. These are strictly for residential listings only and do not include numbers for Condominiums or New Construction.   12/17/2008

I put together my first bank owned property report for the Maple Valley market almost  one year ago. Back then I said: " Currently (as of 12.26.07) there are 4 Bank Owned Properties for sale in the Maple Valley market, this is a higher number than we've seen in the past, but certainly better than many other areas of the Country and hopefully a trend we will not see increasing." Here we are a year later and sadly the trend has increased, by 400%! Unfortantely, a high number of short sales and Lender's inability to move quickly on their decisions, have caused motivated buyers to move on to listings (either bank owned or not) where they won't have to wait for an answer. If it were possible to get a faster response on short-sales, we may see these numbers stabilize and then hopefully begin ... 12/11/2008

These numbers reflect single family homes listed and sold through NWMLS and do not represent any "by owner" transactions which may have closed. Through November 30, 2007 there were 736 homes closed with the average sales price being $439,481 Through November 30, 2008 there were 399 homes closed with the average sales price being $398,495 Price Down 9% on Average Sales 39% in number Average Days on Market Down 10% (a good thing!) Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King & North Pierce counties since 1990 but specializes in the Maple Valley Washington area. .She may be contacted directly at: 425-432-5400 Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved Colleen Fischesser 12/09/2008

Several months ago an agent in my office took a floor call from a woman who asked "Is anything in Maple Valley selling?" While we chuckled about the question, I know there are many Maple Valley residents who are wondering the same thing. The answer of course is yes. It's not a big, high fiving, we-are-the-champions kind of YES!!!, but more of a relaxed "you-betcha". And you don't have to look all that hard to find them. So as we head into the last month of 2008, I thought I'd answer the question, "What's Selling in Maple Valley right now?" Since November 1, 27 single family homes listed through NWMLS have accepted contracts. (Pending status). Of those 27, 19% are short sales (where the bank must give approval to accept less than what is owned on the home), 11% are bank owned properties ... 11/30/2008

If you're hoping for a brand new Maple Valley home before Christmas, you're most likely going to have to choose from one of the 26 completed New Construction properties currently on the market. Of the 91 Active Residential Single Family new constructions properties listed through NWMLS, less than 30% are finished, move-in ready homes. Approximately 36% are presales (where the builder will not begin construction until a contract is mutually agreed) and the balance are homes currently under-construction. Typically buyers are able to negotiate their best deal with a builder when a home is finished and completed. So whether it's an interest rate buy-down, backyard landscaping & fence, after-market upgrades....your agent should be able to help you negotiate a strong deal in this market.   He... 11/30/2008

Maple Valley's Watergardens Neighborhood is one of two 55+ gated Senior Commnities in Maple Valley. Both are very popular and I haven't seen available inventory like this in many, many years. Currently there are 6 homes in Watergardens available for sale. The average list price of these is $365,825 and they have been on the market for an average of 69 days. One home is in Pending status awaiting the close of escrow. It was on the market for 20 days and was listed at $357,000 In the last 6 months, 3 homes have sold and closed at an average price of $363,667 and a market time of 25 days. For more information on the Watergardens neighborhood and the Maple Valley Community vist MovingMapleValley.com       Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has b... 11/07/2008

Yet another feather in the Tahoma School District's cap.....Glacier Park Elementary school has been named a School of Distinction by the office of State Superintendent of Public Schools.  State Superintendent Terry Bergeson said "Students and teachers and schools continue to make incredible progress," Bergeson said. "This award celebrates the real gains these schools have made, gains that aren't recognized by the federal No Child Left Behind law or its ‘Adequate Yearly Progress' calculations." The Tahoma School District continues to be a strong draw to families relocating to the greater Seattle area. High WASL scores along with relatively more affordable housing (compared to districts closer to Seattle/Bellevue) means "more house for the money". Congratulations to the Administration, Te... 10/29/2008

We've been able to enjoy some really beautiful Autumn weather this week. In years past, I think the rains have forced leaves prematurely to the ground, but not this year. There is color galore here in my corner of the Pacific Northwest, and I'm soaking it up!  If you're curious what Maple Valley looks like in the Fall.....here you go!       Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King & North Pierce counties since 1990 but specializes in the Maple Valley Washington area. .She may be contacted directly at: 425-432-5400 Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved Colleen Fischesser 10/25/2008

 A few weeks ago I spoke with someone relocating to the area who expressed surprise to find (on an internet search) homes around the 1 Million price point. Although this niche isn't representative of the majority of the inventory in our area, there are many properties in the greater Maple Valley area which fall within the "Luxury Home" category. Active Listings: Currently there are 12 homes on the market* priced $800,000 or higher with more than 4000 square feet. The lowest list price is $849,000 and the highest price is $5,875,000. Pending Sales: There is currently one pending sale with a list price of 1,515,250. Sold within the last 6 Months: There have been 3 homes sold and closed within the last 6 months ranging from a low of $810,000 to a high of 1,420,000. These homes had an avera... 10/24/2008

Pillar To Post welcomes your comments and concerns. You can contact us: Click Here MOTIVATION THE LAW OF ATTRACTIONHave you ever wondered why some people seem to "get lucky" and attract all the success and good things they want and others seem to have the worst luck bumping up against obstacle after obstacle?CLICK HERE FOR MORE >>   SAFETY SENSE DUST-FREE FANSWant to guarantee dust-free breezes through your house? Clean all your fans the expert way and cut down on allergy symptoms.CLICK HERE FOR MORE >>   HOUSE HINTS WELCOME FALLThese easy, affordable touches will cozy up your home for the cooler days and longer nights ahead.CLICK HERE FOR MORE >>   RELAXATION TIME SECURE YOUR HOME FOR LESSYou don't have to break the bank to make your home more secure. There are low-cost tricks that ca... 10/22/2008

The Market Report is for residential single family homes listed through NWMLS in the Valley Green community of Maple Valley. Currently there are 5 Active Listings on the Market with an Average List Price of $356,8906. Of these 5, one is a zero lot-line Townhome.  Currently there is 1 Pending Sale with an Average List Price of $304,950. The is a rambler floorplan. Within the last 6 months, 9 homes have sold and closed with an Average Sales Price of $331,761. If you'd like to know what your Valley Green Home is worth, visit MapleValleyHomeValues.com   Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King & North Pierce counties since 1990 but specializes in the Maple Valley Washington are... 10/21/2008

The Market Report is for residential single family homes listed through NWMLS in the Pebble Creek community of Maple Valley. Currently there are 9 Active Listings on the Market with an Average List Price of $373,436. Of these 9, 7 of them are New Construction listings. Currently there are 6 Pending Sales with an Average List Price of $353,125. Of these 6 all but 1 are New Construction listings. Within the last 6 months, 30 homes have sold and closed with an Average Sales Price of $371,001. All of these sales were New Construction homes.   Colleen Fischesser is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Select in Maple Valley, WA. She has been successfully selling and marketing properties all over South King & North Pierce counties since 1990 but specializes in the Maple Valley Washington area. .She may... 10/21/2008