As happens with many short sale listings I work on, the first buyer ends up getting impatient and it is the 2nd in line who benefits from those intial efforts. Such will be the case with this acreage property in the Hobart area in rural Maple Valley. The Seller has been formally accepted into the FHA Pre-forclosure program which means all that's needed to move forward is an offer. Offered at $187,500...this is a great opportunity for affordable acreage within the Tahoma School District. This 3 Bedroom on 2.4 acres offers peach and quiet along with room to spread out. The manufactured home is light and bright with vaulted ceilings, a formal Living and Family room and many updates including tiled Master bath. There is a carport as well as detached shop. Additional photos and virtual tour ... 02/08/2011

Maple Valley home sales over the half million mark number 28 for the year to date. These properties are single family homes, within the Tahoma School District. With 35 Active Listings and 9 pending sales, this market will probably end the year with a few more sales to make the Absorption Rate for this price point just over 12 months. In other words, if sales stay on this current pace, it would take about 12-14 months to absorb all the current Active inventory (assuming no additional listings come on the market, which isn't likely) You can view current listing inventory within the Tahoma School District, priced over $500,000 here. I'll follow up tomorrow with a more detailed snapshot of these sales; pricing, days on market, average lot size, etc.   **Post originally published at Maple Va... 12/21/2010

Delivering keys to new homeowners today produced BIG smiles and a few hugs all around. Congratulations Jim and Margaret!!! Thanks again to a flawless team: Marilyn Brown at First American Title & Escrow -- I'm so glad we can count on you. Beth Jensen at Cobalt Mortgage -- Right on time and delivered as promised; the buyers and I were thrilled! Dave Jagosh -- Your inspection services were JUST right! 12/01/2010

When setting up a listing presentation for potential sellers, one of the important pieces is a look at how today's average home prices compare to average home prices for the last few years. Many of the sellers with whom I've interacted lately in Maple Valley bought their homes in the last five or six years. Comparing what they paid for the home then with what average prices look like now is one step in determining listing price. Notice that prices in October of 2010 are below prices for October since 2004! (yikes!) ... But looking over the last few months, prices actually seem to be pretty close to prices in 2004. However, it's important to know that prices are local. What's happening in your neighborhood may be somewhat different. Working with a qualified real estate broker will help y... 11/13/2010

Often when we think about going Green, we think in terms of large scale changes. But simple little things can make a big difference on our surrounding environments. I don't know about you, but I have a cabinet full of old prescriptions with one or three or 5 tablet/capsules remaining. I even have a few full vials of pain pills from recent surgeries, that I didn't need. I can't throw them in the garbage. I"m on a Septic System and don't want to flush them down the toilet where they will eventually end up in some water table, somewhere. So what's a person to do with their unused prescriptions? Take them to the Maple Valley Police Station, this Saturday: Drug Drop Box Program Kickoff Event Date: 11/5/2010 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM Location: Maple Valley Police Department22017 SE Wax Road, Suite 10... 11/03/2010

The Break-InMy client was following me in her car. I couldn’t find house number four on our tour. I stopped, got out and took the listing back to her. “My GPS says the house should be right here, but I don’t see the sign.”“It is right over there. The sign is in the window, but you can’t see it from where you are.” she offers helpfully. “But, the listing says North East and this is South East.”“I know. I think the listing is wrong. My GPS says it has to be right here, and this is the area I searched. It can’t be anywhere else” I counter.“The picture on the listing is not this house either!” she says, incredulously.“I know. I think the listing agent didn’t bother to put the right picture on the listing So, I’m not very impressed with this agent. Wrong address, wrong picture.”“How many be... 10/20/2010

Nicole Cuccia | RE/MAX Select Property Management | nicole@maplevalleyrealestate.com | (425) 413-0998 24002 SE 253rd Pl, Maple Valley, WA Beautiful 4 BR + HUGE Bonus + Den in Sought After Neighborhood! 4BR/3BA Single Family House $2,200/month Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Sq Footage 3,210 Parking 3 dedicated Pet Policy Cats, Dogs Deposit $2,200 DESCRIPTION Beautiful 4 Bedroom Plus HUGE Bonus in sought after SpringHaven Neighborhood! Spacious Home with formal Living room & Dining Room and Kitchen with Eating Space. Hardwood flooring throughout, French Doors, Downstairs office or possible bedroom, Large Laundry Room, Master Bedroom with 5 pc Master Bath w/Jacuzzi Tub. On almost an acre of privacy, partially fenced with Dog Run & Large entertainment-sized deck! 3 Car Garage and T... 10/19/2010

Nicole Cuccia | RE/MAX Select Property Management | nicole@maplevalleyrealestate.com | (425) 413-0998 22842 SE 265th Pl, Maple Valley, WA Traditional 2 Story in Wilderness Estates! 3BR/2BA Single Family House $1,495/month Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Sq Footage 1,654 Parking 2 dedicated Pet Policy No pets Deposit $1,495 DESCRIPTION Traditional 2 Story Gem in Wilderness Estates! Beautifully maintained home features: Formal Living & Dining Room, Extensive Hardwood Flooring Throughout, Kitchen with Eating Space and Breakfast Bar, Vaulted Ceilings, Architectural Details with Big Bright Windows, White Doors & Millworks, Pedistal Sink in Powder Room & Dual Sinks in Master. Nicely landscaped front yard and backyard with mature trees for added privacy. Great Neighborhood and Award Wi... 10/07/2010

Maple Valley Market Activity for Single Family Homes on One or More Acre within Tahoma School District: Active  Listings   # Homes Available:                        57 Minimum Priced Home:               $169,900 Average Price:                                  $599, 688 Maximum Price:                              $2,995,000 Median Price:                                   $509,000   Pending (in Escrow)  Properties   # Homes Under Contract:            18 Minimum Priced Home:               $150,000 Average Price:                                  $457,658 Maximum Price:                              $1999000 Median Price:                                   $347,425   SOLD  Listings   # Homes Closed (past 6 months) :                 32 Minimum Priced Home:               $50,000 Average Price: ... 09/29/2010

Similar to the Boring but Invaluable Statistics for Auburn posted yesterday, Maple Valley, WA where my office resides and located about 15 minutes northeast of Auburn, has it's own set of Tedius but Crucial Statistics. Tedious but Crucial Statistic #1: As with much of the area, home prices have fallen a bit in Maple Valley for the last few years. However, encouraging is that since February, prices have actually risen slightly: FebruaryMarchApril May June July $ 287,729 $ 271,727 $ 271,158 $ 305,186 $ 308,423 $ 311,281 When looking at effective pricing, you may want to consider home prices for similar houses in about the May 2005 timeframe:   Moving quickly on to Tedious but Crucial Statistic #2: Assuming no additional homes are listed for sale in Maple Valley, and looking at only a sing... 08/27/2010

Hi all: I hope you're enjoying your weekend! Today we celebrate the wedding of our daughter! We're very excited. Needless to say, my job is really to just show up and give the bride away. Oh, I also have to work on a speech! My wife has been the one who has tirelessly worked on the wedding along with her other sisters and mother. The event is being held in Maple Valley, WA. on a small lake. The weather forecast calls for clouds with some sun breaks. The neatest thing will be seeing everyone we don't get to see that often. My daughter is very excited to finally be Mrs. Paul Klein and start her new life. Her husband is a  very solid and nice young man. They complement each other nicely. So here I am in shorts enjoying the last few hours before the festivities kick off. I hope you're havin... 08/21/2010

  I will never forget the day I stepped into the backyard of our Cape Cod style home in Cincinnati, which backed to a small stream and discovered wads of toilet paper wrapped around the roots of the Weeping Willow tree on the banks...YUK!  It turns out our "waterfront" was really more of a stormwater overflow.  This was 27 years ago, about 4 years before we relocated our family to the Seattle area. Since then, surrounded by huge, beautiful bodies of water such as Lake Washington, Lake Sawyer, The Cedar and Green Rivers, I have a whole new appreciateion for the concept of Waterfront property. I guess you can call me stupid, but when someone calls me and says they are looking for "Waterfront Property", I don't really think they mean a small trickle of a creek through the wetlands on the b... 08/18/2010

With the recent local real estate market challenges, do you know how much equity you have in your Maple Valley home right now? And if you have no interest in moving, should you even care? Webster's defines equity as it pertains to real estate as : "... the difference between the current market value of the property and the amount the owner still owes on the mortgage. Thus, it is the amount, if any, the owner would receive after selling a property and paying off the mortgage" Even if you have no interest in moving or need to sell there are a few very good reasons why your home's equity value is something you should evaluate every year: 1. Life happens. Could you sell right now if you had to? If you lost your job or got sick? Information is power! Although the market is continually fluct... 08/10/2010

Although I'd potted a few of my patio planters about 7 weeks ago,I've been waiting for Summer to finally arrive before doing them all. Ok it's August for petesake, and I can't wait any longer.....well, that and a looming outdoor party spurred me to action. Even if we only get a few weeks enjoyment from it, I was bound and determined to get some color into the yard. It wasn't easy finding a good selection of annuals, Home Depot, Fred Meyer and a few of the other big box stores didn't have much selection. p> So last weekend, I drug my husband with me to Taylor Creek Nursery, out near Hobart on 216th Ave Se. I've visited many times but this was my first trip this Summer. To my delight, there was a great selection to choose from. The owner is very helpful with questions and (what I appreci... 08/09/2010

Mission accomplished! The Seller of this wonderful little house in the Hobart area of Maple Valley left a legacy for the new Buyer family -- "Here's a place where you can raise your own young children, with places to run and play and shout and sing. We loved it and know you will too." This transaction was simple and surprisingly quick! With particular thanks to Erik Reault of Cobalt Mortgage who put together a very fast and efficient FHA 203k rehab loan, and thanks to the cooperating agent on the transaction, Jeff Kissick. Thank you both for a job well done and your great communication. And, of course, special thanks to members of my valued team: You prove your excellence and professionalism every single time!-- Marilyn Brown (and Dawn Carlson, my rep) and the rest of the staff at First... 08/06/2010

Maple Valley area short sales (single family homes within the Tahoma School District boundaries) currently make up approximately 16% of Active Listing inventory. However short sales comprise approximately 41% of pending sales (homes under contract waiting lender approval or financing for the buyer). So why the difference? Partly it is due to the length of time a short sale takes to negotiate. These properties stay in escrow longer than a "regular sale" which is usually closed within 30-45 days. These regular sales flow into and out of the Pending pipeline while many short sales stay in place longer. Another reason may very well be that short sales often must be priced more aggressively to incentivize a buyer to stick with the deal and wait out the process. One this is clear though, if L... 07/19/2010

Maple Valley homes for sale that fall within the Tahoma School District boundaries currently number 269. The lowest listing price is $99,900 and the highest listing price is $2,995,000.   Inventory seems to be decreasing slightly as units sold are almost equal to the number of available listings . Many home owners in the area are wondering if they should sell now or wait and the answer I give every time is “it depends”. Feel free to call or email anytime to discuss your specific situation and real estate goals to see if you should try to make a move now, or if holding off is in your best interest. 07/12/2010

Hello all: I just wanted to wish all of you a Happy and safe 4th of July weekend! I'm not sure if anyone is going to be able to keep things lit up here as it's raining today. Perhaps it will clear by Sunday. I love the 4th and everything it brings. It's all about family and up here almost every town has some kind of celebration. What are we up to? We usually head to my brother-in-laws' place on Pipe Lake. There are usually 50 or so people there, way too much food and a boatload of fireworks courtesy of the Muckleshoot Indian reservation. And you? What are your plans? I like the idea of a 3 day weekend at this point. I even get to go golfing with my son on Monday! Have a nice 3 day weekend! 07/02/2010

Despite a mild weather forecast for this 4th of July weekend, I know there are many local Maple Valley families planning celebrations; bbq's, picnics and for some, fireworks! If you live in outside the city limits (Unincorporated King County), fireworks are permissible ONLY on July 4th and can only be discharged between the hours of 9am and 11pm. Within the City limits of Maple Valley fireworks are also ok but only on the 4th.  The neighboring cities of Covington, Black Diamond, Kent and Enumclaw all also permit fireworks on July 4th, but Renton and Issaquah have banned fireworks use. Have fun, but please be safe! 06/29/2010

Maple Valley WA Single Family home sales and market information as of 6/28/2010 Average Sales Price: Inventory: This graph demonstrates the number of active listings within the Tahoma School District boundaries compared to those in Escrow (Pending) and those closed within the last 6 months.   It will be interesting to see how many closed sales will make the June 30 tax credit deadline cutoff. 06/28/2010