Sammamish WA median list price is $629,000 with 218 properties that have been on the market for an average of 243 days. Inventory has been tightening and days-on-market increasing recently.  The Market Action Index has been basically flat, not providing strong indication for market conditions.. In the Sahalee and Pine Lake Neighborhoods we have seen relatively strong sales as home sales have been exceeding new inventory for several weeks. As of 12/14/09 here are the real estate home sales stats for the all Neighborhoods in the Sammamish, Washington area. The home sales and listed homes here are from the last 7 days to give a better reflection of what is going on in all the Sammamish neighborhoods during any given week. Active: 189  Pending: 29  Sold: 8  Other: 0  Total: 226    Bedrooms ... 12/14/2009

One of the many things that made Sammamish WA number 11 in great American cities this year are the public parks.  This is the first of a series on Sammamish Parks.  For comeplete list of Sammamish Parks visit the City of Sammamish web site. Located on the Southwest corner of the Beaver Lake, the park has been a part of the Lake since the 1930's when it was first developed as a weekend resort. Later it was a CYO summer camp for children before it was sold to King County in 1985. Transferred to the city of Sammamish on January 1, 2003, Beaver Lake Park offers opportunities for recreation, hiking, and exploring its 54 forested acres. In addition, Beaver Lake is an attractive fishing spot. The Lake There is public access and a boat ramp via Beaver Lake Park, located at the southwest corner ... 12/12/2009

Sammamish Bank Owned and Short Sale Properties, What's a Good Deal? First, some numbers to put things into perspective. Sammamish, WA has a population of over 40,000 people according to King County.gov with a little over 3500 housing units.  Currently there are 191 active single family residential listings in Sammamish according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service.  Of the 191 current active listings, NWMLS reports 11 homes as bank owned and 14 as short sales.  Total listings Bank Owned Short Sale Combined 191 12 13 25   6.28% 6.81 13.09% To put this into further perspective, of the 3500 housing units in the city of Sammamish, 5.45% are currently on the market, 13% of that 5.45% are short sales or bank owned.  This may be a higher number than in previous years, but don't be fooled by ... 12/10/2009

Studies have shown that experiences provide more long-lasting happiness than possessions. Try some of these free experiences to brighten your day: Check out the community calendar on your town’s website or stop by city hall to find a list of events going on in the community, many of which are free. Sammamish Community Site Sammamish City Calandar Find out if any local museums or zoos have any free public exhibits or if they offer free admission on certain days or free passes upon request. Cougar Mountain Zoo Woodland Park Zoo Bellevue Art Museum Volunteer your time; there are countless volunteer opportunities out there that require nothing more than your time. Check out SomethingToGive.org Attend a free class, like a cooking class at a local food store, a home repair class at a hardware... 12/09/2009

Research your purchases and know the true cost of ownership: SHOP AROUND The Internet is a great place to make sure you’re getting the best price, and there are a number of online sites you can use to search and compare services before you go to the store. If you decide to purchase something on the Internet, check several websites and make sure you deal with reputable merchants. Some great sites include: www.pricegrabber.com  www.shopping.com www.extrememegadeals.com Consider reliability and warranties when comparison shopping. A high-quality product with a good warranty may be worth paying a little more for up front. Consumer guides can be worth the cost if it leads to the right decision, and back issues can be found at the library. Read the fine print before you buy. Look out for hidd... 12/09/2009

Studies have shown that experiences provide more long-lasting happiness than possessions. Try some of these free experiences to brighten your day: Check out the community calendar on your town’s website or stop by city hall to find a list of events going on in the community, many of which are free. Sammamish Community Site Sammamish City Calendar Find out if any local museums or zoos have any free public exhibits or if they offer free admission on certain days or free passes upon request. Cougar Mountain Zoo Woodland Park Zoo Bellevue Art Museum Volunteer your time; there are countless volunteer opportunities out there that require nothing more than your time. Check out SomethingToGive.org Attend a free class, like a cooking class at a local food store, a home repair class at a hardware... 12/09/2009

12/09/2009

Many homeowners facing foreclosure are overwhelmed by the prospect of loosing there home.  When it comes right down to it, it makes sense for a homeowner to exit the home on their terms.  Enter in the Short Sale.  In many cases when a homeowner cannot afford the home any more, the best alternative to foreclosure is short sale.  Below is a explanation of the possible results or either a short sale or foreclosure. Fannie Mae Mortgage Eligibility (Primary Residence): homeowner who loses a home to foreclosure is ineligible for a Fannie Mae backed mortgage for a period of 5 years. A homeowner who successfully negotiates and closes a short sale will be eligible for a Fannie Mae backed mortgage after 2 years Fannie Mae Mortgage Eligibility (Non-Primary Residence): An Investor who allows a prop... 12/09/2009

244th Ave NE, Sammamish, Your Tax Dollars at Work.  Silent Sunday 244th  has been a road to somewhere...., but not there...., yet.  The new bridge and road in eastern Sammamish will soon allow homeowners in Vintage and surrounding neighborhoods direct access to Rachel Carson Elementary and Inglewood Jr. High.  It will be much easier for homeowners to make that trip, as well as commutes to Redmond and points east and west.  The colors of the trees and the construction equipment seemed vivid when I took this picture.  The construction equipment makes me think of Tonka Trucks and Tinker Toys.  12/05/2009

Sammamish WA Bank Owned homes stats for November 2009 Active: 11  Pending: 3  Sold: 2  Other: 0  Total: 16    Bed  Bath  Sqft  List Price      Price  DOM  Minimum  0   0.00   0   $357,000   $357,000   1   Average  4   2.70   3,022   $543,740   $400,000   46   Median  4   2.63   2,660   $464,828   $400,000   34   Maximum  5   3.75   5,320   $899,900   $443,000   104   Total Dollar Value           $800,000      Average DOM Breakdown and Average % of List Price received on Solds by Market time:    0-30 Days   31-60 Days   61-90 Days   91-120 Days   120+ Days   No. of Listings   1    0    0    1    0   Breakdown %   50.00    0.00    0.00    50.00    0.00   Avg SP % LP   98.54    0.00    0.00   100.00    0.00  Some of the best deals in Real Estate are REO or Bank Owned Real Estate.  Banks a... 12/04/2009

Pine Lake Eagle & Crows, Sammamish WA   Checking on a listing in Pine Lake Heights in Sammamish we heard, “caw caw caw.”  Looking around we spot the object of all the ruckus, a beautiful bald eagle sitting nobly on the very top of a tree.  The crows apparently were jealous of the eagle and were trying to make his life miserable.  He truly didn’t seem to be bothered.   If you are planning to buy or sell in Sammamish, please contact Dan or Elsie Tabit with Northstone Real Estate.     12/02/2009

25 pound Turkey, 10 pounds of mashed potatoes, moms recipe for stuffing and gallons of gravy, yams, green bean casserole, cranberry jello, lots of pie,  20 members of the family over for dinner, 9 kids from age 3 through 19 laughing, playing and having fun as a family; great! Having Dad over to carve the turkey; Priceless! 11/29/2009

Often we are berated for being arrogant, well not me anyways, but a REALTOR I know gets harangued that he or she loves to see their face in print.  Well I found just the place where their image can be immortalized.  Heck their image could be handed down as a family heirloom.  At Simply Silhouettes you can send photos to be converted to silhouettes. In all seriousness, I highly recommend Simply Silhouettes for that perfect gift this holiday season.  Simply Silhouettes will create custom-designed silhouette products like holiday cards, stationery, apparel, wall prints and more. 11/25/2009

With the holiday season right around the corner many sellers are wondering if they should keep their home on the market or wait for brighter days. Before I get into that here's a great video to get you in the mood. Amazing Perth Christmas Lights 2008 - Watch today’s top amazing videos here Now back to the business of selling your home during the crazy holiday season.  Rule number one, ensure you have the right price.  It's important to ensure you are priced to move in the next 30 days.  Next to get your home sold in this environment you can't just be competitive you must be compelling.  In The Seattle Times published a great article by Lisa Pemberton-Butler it outlines Do's & Don'ts of holiday home sales. To get your home sold during the holidays DO: Keep your home warm, if you have a f... 11/22/2009

Beware of Bandits this Thanksgiving, Silent Sunday We've been hosting our family Thanksgiving feast the past couple years and frankly have inadequate room in our refrigerator.  We put a few items out on our deck to keep cool; it was near freezing so temperature was no problem.  Late that night, after everyone had gone home we had some bandits drop in for some stuffing.  11/21/2009

Sammamish WA Bank Owned homes stats for October 2009 Active: 6  Pending: 0  Sold: 1  Other: 0  Total: 7    Bedrooms  Bathrooms  Square Feet  List Price  Selling Price  DOM  Minimum  3   2.50   2,110   $329,900   $320,000   14   Average  4   2.93   3,196   $596,214   $320,000   43   Median  4   2.75   2,740   $495,000   $320,000   30   Maximum  5   3.75   5,320   $924,950   $320,000   80   Total Dollar Value           $320,000      Average DOM Breakdown and Average % of List Price received on Solds by Market time:    0-30 Days   31-60 Days   61-90 Days   91-120 Days   120+ Days   No. of Listings   1    0    0    0    0   Breakdown %  100.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00   Avg SP % LP   97.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00  Some of the best deals in Real Estate are REO or Bank Owned Re... 11/12/2009

Million Dollar Mobile Home?  Yes! I was out doing our normal Tuesday Tour of Brokers Open houses and stumbled upon something which surprised me.  A double wide mobile home on the market for over a million dollars, in fact it's $1,250,000 to be precise.  Built in 1993 it's fairly typical as mobile homes go.  1783 Square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, living room, 2 car detached garage. Okay, why $1.25 million?  Are the fixtures solid gold?  Even with the current price of gold I'm not sure we'd make it there, but no.  Is it on 100 acres of prime land?  No, it's on a little over a quarter acre.  Is it built out of some exotic wood imported from South America, transported here on the back of an alpaca by a Peruvian native who grew the trees himself from saplings?  No, but nice guess.  ... 11/11/2009

Much talk has come out about the NEW tax credit for owners of existing homes.  The new tax credit now extends it's tax credit to current homeowners.  The new law signed by president Obama has extended and expanded the homebuyer tax credit.  The new credit was signed into law November 6th, 2009 Revised Home Buyers Tax Credit Valid: November 6, 2009 – April 30, 2010 First-time Buyer - Amount of Credit: $8,000 ($4,000 if married filing separate) First-time Buyer- Definition for Eligibility: may not have had an interest in a principal residence for 3 years prior to purchase. Current Homeowner – Amount of Credit: $6,500 and $3,200 if married filing separate. (There was no provision for this in the original plan.) Current Homeowner - Definition for Eligibility:  Must have used the home sold, ... 11/10/2009

To most of you that aren't dependent on spell check you already knew that.  The point I am trying to make is when you hire a Realtor(R) you are hiring their team.  I have learned that the service on my transactions is only as good as the team I surround myself with. With the many aspects of one real estate transaction, even the best Realtor(R) can lose track of a tiny point that, left unattended can turn into a major issue.  Early in my career I didn't recognize the importance of a good escrow closer.  It cost me money but more importantly it cost me my integrity.  In a nutshell what happened was that the lender didn't get loan documentation to escrow in time to review that the loan was for more that the buyer wanted to borrow.  They had more funds that they wanted to put down on the n... 11/08/2009

For our 25th anniversary, Elsie & I took a few days without kids and enjoyed spending time all around Mt. Rainier.  On this occasion, we had been up at the Paradise Visitors Center as the sun was fading. The sky began to change hues and we soaked it all in.  I only wish the pictures could truly capture what we saw and felt.  11/08/2009