Whether we see it as evidence of the advance of a wider green homes movement or simply of rising environmental consciousness, Olympia green homes are becoming properties with a distinct marketable sales advantage. What were once viewed as altruistic gestures practiced by only the most dedicated preservationists are going mainstream—and at a rapid clip. The National Association of Realtors® recently found that 70% of those surveyed believe eco-friendly features add value to a home. In other words, the practical advantages of ‘going green’ are becoming more and more evident to prospective buyers. For sure, one reason for the increasing popularity of green homes in Olympia is a growing and sincere concern about sustainability. But there’s also another reason: a growing and equally sincere ... 05/03/2015

One strategy for selling your Olympia home is to recognize the segment of the general public most likely to appreciate its inherent features, then be sure your sales approach will appeal to them. That doesn’t mean you will turn your back on all the other groups of buyers, of course—but it does mean you will make a deliberate effort to be especially sensitive to that group’s preferences, and highlight the features that are most likely to top their wish lists.  When the Target Audience is Empty-Nesters…The majority of current Olympia empty-nesters belong to the baby boomer generation. They are somewhere between 50 and 68 years of age, and there are about 75 million of them in the U.S.—nearly a quarter of the population. Empty-nesters are parents who currently don’t have any of their kids ... 05/01/2015

At some point while weighing the pros and cons of buying a new home in Olympia, you begin to mentally fix on a price range. If you are able to depend on a family income that’s fairly predictable, the issue is simplified. If not (small business owners, entrepreneurs, and many sales professionals frequently find themselves in this category), finding an appropriate price range takes careful deliberation. Sometimes the issue can be decided for you. In most cases, buying a home will involve a mortgage, so lenders get to weigh in. Since it’s a good idea to seek preapproval from a Olympia mortgage lender early on, you can let their professional opinion help with the price range. Let’s say the Martins have been preapproved for a $260,000 home loan. They have $20,000 set aside for a down payment... 04/29/2015

When you Google “seeking the best professional,” in about a half a second you are presented with 403 million candidates (not to play favorites, Search Engine Wise, when you ask Bing the same thing, it gives you a mere 62.6 million…which might actually prove more useful, since it would only take you a little more than a year to scan each for 2 seconds).Narrowing the quest, when you Google “seeking the best Realtor®,” it gives you just a few less than 2,000,000 likely results. Since anyone seeking the best real estate professional to buy or sell their home isn’t after one eight states away, almost everyone quickly narrows the search to ‘best Realtor in Olympia.’ That number varies from time to time, but almost always more than 500,000 show up (the ones at the top are paid ads).This isn’t ... 04/27/2015

You would think that smaller homes would be skyrocketing in popularity right about now. Statistics show that the average number of people in American households is shrinking. Practicality would seem to dictate that a trend toward downsizing should be underway, with significant implications for Olympia real estate.It’s no exaggeration to say that for as long as many Americans can remember, bigger has always been better. In terms of sheer floor space, the average American home increased from 1,900 square feet in 1993 to 2,400 two decades later. The reasons may have been both practical and psychological: for those who grew up in cramped quarters, space was the missing element—so elbow room and privacy became the essence of a desirable home. This was evident in Olympia real estate ads, wher... 04/26/2015

You would think the outside competition for Olympia foreclosure bargains might have up and disappeared by now…but no! As The Wall Street Journal described it last week, the shrinking number of foreclosure opportunities hasn’t driven Wall Street’s professional investors completely out of the market. But new techniques are altering their approach.Local Olympia foreclosure investors have had to worry about a previous incursion by big national private equity investment firms. In the aftermath of the real estate bust, sales of distressed properties assumed an ever-larger proportion of real estate activity. National firms seized on the growing supply of cheap foreclosed homes as a ‘sure-thing’ trade for investment firms backed by money from private equity companies who wanted ‘in’ on real est... 04/23/2015

Let’s start out by agreeing that a “For Sale by Owner” sign on a Olympia fence does have a certain appeal. It summons up mental images of a simple, direct relationship: no middle men, just straight talk and fair dealing with the One in Charge! And in fact, in many walks of life, dealing directly with the owner can be a plus. When you’re recommending a retail outlet to friends, telling them that you know the owner strengthens your endorsement.So when you cruise by a sign announcing a Olympia For Sale by Owner property—a “FSBO”—you wouldn’t be alone if you were tempted to walk up and knock on the door. Buying a home directly from its owner should be a way to purchase a house at the lowest possible price, what with no real estate professionals getting involved!That’s the fantasy, and altho... 04/22/2015

CONGRATULATIONS to New Home Buyers, Jacob & Saundra! And, THANK YOU for the Awesome Review:"Quincy is a very friendly, honest, and helpful agent. He made our home buying experience easy and stress free. He is quick to respond and his approachability made us feel comfortable with asking multitudes of questions. I highly recommend him!" www.trulia.com/profile/QuallsTeamInfo 04/18/2015

Float Ward Lake, from your own private Dock, on a day like Today?? YES!!!  ***Check out this Awesome Home & ENJOY*** http://www.quallsrealestate.com/listing/mlsid/185/propertyid/753721/       04/17/2015

Here is the Lake Saint Clair / Pattison Lake / Sunwood Lakes WA real estate market update for March 2015. Why live here?Southeast Thurston County features some beautiful lake front properties and communities such as Lake St. Clair, Pattison Lake, Kelly's Corner and Sunwood Lakes. Residents in this area can also get larger parcels for horses at Evergreen Valley, new construction, and late-century homes.Schools: Many residents are in the North Thurston School District and Yelm School District. Search homes for sale in Lake Saint Clair, Pattison Lake, Sunwood Lakes WA.  Lake Saint Clair / Pattison Lake / Sunwood Lakes real estate market snapshot  Curious to know what your home is worth? Click here to learn more. Find Lake Saint Clair / Pattison Lake WA Homes for SaleVisit my website to sea... 04/16/2015

Here is the South Olympia WA real estate market update for March 2015. Why live in South Olympia?South Olympia is considered a desirable part of Thurston County by its residents.South Olympians have lots of sidewalks and biking paths, and many enjoy the amenities of the YMCA, which has an indoor swimming pool. Ward Lake and Chambers Lake offer lakefront homes and water activities, while the Carlyon neighborhood offers a mix of mid-century and older vintage homes. Watch my walking tour of the South Capitol neighborhood: Schools: Many residents covet the Olympia School District, especially Olympia High School. There are residents in this area who belong to the Tumwater School District. Types of homes: South Olympia offers a mix of new construction, mid-century as well as vintage homes.Sea... 04/16/2015

Here is the North Olympia WA real estate market update for March 2015. Why live in North Olympia?North Olympia beckons home-dwellers who are inspired by vintage homes, some of which are on the Historic Registry. This area includes the Capitol Campus, downtown Olympia, Bigelow, East Bay and East Olympia Hill. Homes in this area range from the majestic homes of Olympia's original pioneers to the more modest homes built for the pioneering sawmill and port workers.Some homes offer water and Capitol views, and many residents enjoy being able to walk to the Capitol, downtown Olympia and the waterfront.Schools: Many residents in this area are in the Olympia School District and North Thurston School District. Types of homes: Vintage! Search North Olympia homes for sale.  North Olympia real esta... 04/15/2015

Here is the West Olympia WA real estate market update for March 2015. Why live in West Olympia?West Olympians love their part of town! There is The Evergreen State College and South Puget Sound Community College, Capitol Medical Center and the shopping mall to name a few amenities. The main north-south road, Cooper Point Road NW, leads to the homes with water views of either Eld Inlet to the west or Budd Inlet to the east.Investors can find opportunities with rental properties near The Evergreen State College while longtime, homesteaders can find their dream home in West Olympia.Schools: Many residents are in the Olympia School District.Types of homes: West Olympia offers some residents with desirable inlet water views, new construction and vintage homes. Neighborhoods in West Olympia i... 04/15/2015

Since Olympia home interest rates continue to play such a leading role for buyers in today’s real estate market, any relevant news items bear watching. For quite a while, home interest rates in Olympia have cooperated nicely, dwelling at tantalizingly low levels. It’s been helpful to sellers and buyers alike.Meanwhile, some strange headlines about European home interest rates have been appearing from time to time. They never seemed to make much sense, but it’s Europe, after all—and we have our hands full trying to clarify our own economics right here on this side of the Atlantic.Yet there are some headlines you just can’t ignore. Late March, this one appeared in Yahoo Finance:“NEGATIVE MORTGAGE RATES IN DENMARK”After pausing to be certain the item wasn’t under an April Fool’s dateline (... 04/13/2015

Here is the Summit Lake / Steamboat Island WA real estate market update for March 2015. Why live in Summit Lake / Steamboat Island areas?Northwest Thurston County not only features the major areas of Summit Lake and Steamboat Island but also Carlyon Beach, Gravelly Beach, Hunter Point, Madrona Beach, and Oyster Bay.For water views and beach access on a budget (at least less expensive than West Olympia!), you'll want to check out the Northwest section of Thurston County. People may look at a map and think it is too far from Olympia, and that's just not the case. You can get into town in about 10-15 minutes yet you feel far and isolated.Home buyers can not only find beach properties but also horse properties in this area of Thurston County. Mini-farms are sprinkled throughout, and residen... 04/12/2015

                                                When the first spring day comes along (as opposed to the first day of spring), a goodly proportion of Olympia’s residents feel the annual pull toward the garden store aisles. Even those who’ve stoutly resisted ordering seeds, gardening tools, or any of the other back yard paraphernalia the catalogs kept hawking all winter can succumb to this particular Call of Nature.Burpee, Scotts and Miracle-Gro shareholders can relax: spring has sprung.The Olympia spring real estate selling season starts stirring, too, pretty much in lockstep with the appearance of the tulips. Whether or not the tulips have succeeded in poking up out of the ground, it’s a cinch that by this time they will have made colorful appearances on store shelves everywhere, just ... 04/06/2015

Trying to ferret out which features home buyers value most is no simple matter, even though that’s of particular importance when you have a Olympia house for sale. Updated kitchens and bathrooms are always near the top of the ‘most desired’ features compilations; and I’d put ample storage right there with them. It may not come to mind when you ask prospects what they value the most, because it’s a “feature” that’s so much an integral part of a home’s design—but a house for sale with small closets and few drawers is still likely to register with buyers as somehow “smaller” than others with the same square footage. According to the National Association of Home Builders, updated cabinets and counters may catch a buyer’s eye, but other less expensive improvements are may serve the same purp... 04/04/2015

A few weeks ago, an eye-catching article surfaced on the Investopedia web site—one with the arresting title of “When is the Right Time to Buy a Home?” I have always assumed that for prospective Olympia home buyer, the answer to that question varies by the individual circumstances. But if there is a more cut-and-dried universal answer, it would certainly be good to know it. Definitely worth reading. Despite its name, Investopedia is not an encyclopedic history of investing. Its own history is interesting, though—it started in Canada, was acquired by Forbes, then sold a short while later to ValueClick for $42,000,000 (talk about good investments)! The article that was to supply the answer to “When is the Right Time to Buy a Home?” did turn out to have the right answer, though it’s a littl... 04/03/2015

**SOLD by the Qualls Team!** 1,106 SF on Olympia's Eastside - Will be placed up for rent after renovations. Stay Tuned!   Looking to purchase an investment property? Now may be the time....Deals to be had + Rental Market is Strong...   www.QuallsRealEstate.com or QuallsTeamInfo@gmail.com  ‪#‎realestate‬ ‪#‎investment‬ ‪#‎olympiahomes‬ ‪#‎tumwaterhomes‬ ‪#‎laceyhomes‬‪ #‎deals‬ 04/02/2015

If anyone involved in Olympia real estate were to try to pick a word to characterize the mortgage industry as a whole, “sentimental” wouldn’t be among them. Especially over the past several years, “frustrated” might be apt, or “hog-tied.” Mortgage issuers been hampered by tough rules developed in reaction to the sub-prime mortgage mess. They certainly wanted to issue more mortgages, if only for their own profitability, but until recently, the lending guidelines made that difficult. In any case, this is an industry that relies on hard facts and statistics to govern lending decisions. Mortgage industry leaders are therefore not inclined to be overly optimistic, overly pessimistic—nor are they prone to exaggeration in their public pronouncements. So when the powers-that-be at Fannie Mae co... 04/01/2015