Come view this beautiful home in Puyallup Lipoma Firs Neighborhood Today Sunday 6/28 from 11am-1pm Live life, be well...Namaste! Krisy Clayton krisy@kw.com 253-576-4304 "Where Commitment and Possibilities Meet" 06/28/2009

I posted a blog yesterday showing off what one agent was doing with an aerial photo to help promote a unique listing, and it sparked a discussion about spending money to promote your listings.  Since I'm not a real estate agent, I don't honestly know what is normal and customary.  How Much Do YOU Spend On Each Listing? Does it depend on the listing itself?  Or do you have a fixed budget for each listing?  How do you decide - gut feeling?  Or stick to some plan you learned?  Do you ever ask the seller to pay for your marketing services up front? Has the slower real estate market caused you to cut back on your marketing efforts?  Or just the opposite as you realize that it takes extra effort to help get your home noticed amongst so many competing listings.  Or do you just hang a sign and ... 05/20/2009

Check out this gorgeous listing sign.  Normal listing signs have agency and agents names and something creative like "For Sale" on them.  But notice what this agent did with this one - which he positioned right on the main thoroughfair in town pointing it right up the street to the house on the hill. I wrote a blog earlier on this particular listing because the home has some historical significance in Puyallup, and the agent is using this blog to help promote his listing too.  Using an aerial photo on listing signs and telling the home's unique story through internet advertising and flyers in the home?  That's taking some extra steps to attract some buyers, for sure! I was sitting with this agent at an open house a few weeks back when a lady came in asking about the photo on the sign.  ... 05/19/2009

Spring is here and so is the real estate activity in Puyallup. After a dismal 2008 and a rough start to 2009, it seems that buyers are beginning to come out and actually purchase homes in Puyallup. Granted a majority of the sold homes in the past month are bank owned or short sales, the increase in activity is a welcome sight. The biggest indicator of the increase in real estate activity is the number of pending sales in Puyallup, 143 as of this posting for the past 30 days. Compare that to 68 pendings in March of 2009 and 86 pendings in April 2008. Now the question is how many of those will turn into SOLD properties. The ratio of pendings to solds has dropped in the past year, due to a number of factors, mainly financing difficulties. As underwriters of the loans continue to enforce st... 04/26/2009

Rose Bowl, Blueberries, Daffodils, and Silent Snap Counts? The last time this home came on the market was in 1947, so when I say that this "For Sale" offering is truly a rare and special event, I don't think I'm over-exaggerating the unique opportunity that sits here before you.  The home and surrounding land is known to local residents as "The Bond Blueberry Farm", and this home has a wonderful place in the history of the Puyallup Valley and beyond. Chuck Bond was a star for the University of Washington football team - one of many such UW stars to come from Puyallup High School over the years.  Chuck was Captain of the Huskies team that faced the University of Pittsburgh in the 1937 Rose Bowl.  Chuck was a defensive tackle but as good as he was, he and his teammates were unable to stop... 03/24/2009

The Tour Factory Marketing Engine is a comprehensive plan that helps agents acquire and sell more listings. As with any engine, the Tour Factory Marketing Engine is comprised of parts that work together to bring everyone to the table and close the deal. When it comes to Virtual Tours, this one "HAS IT ALL". The Ultimate Tour comes in 2 delicious flavors and comes loaded with the features and information buyers are looking for. Both the Classic Series and our new Elegant Series were designed to flatter your listing and get that phone ringing. Sellers love to be in the know and feel involved in the marketing of their home. Sellers also love agents who give them this involvement and regular information to keep them in the know. Tour Factory gives agents the ability to please their sellers ... 03/19/2009

I've heard great things about Active Rain and looking forward to building business relationships. 02/03/2009

Foreclosure homes Hello Puyallup foreclosure Buyers! Thanks for reading part 2 of my foreclosure series! We've already covered the pre foreclosure opportunity- short sales. Purchasing a short sale in Puyallup is certainly one way for buyers to take advantage of the current low rates and high inventory.  Another opportunity you may consider is the bank owned or Reo home. Bank owned homes or reo (real estate owned) are simply homes that have already gone through the short sale or deed in lieu process and are now owned by the bank.  They present a unique opportunity to buy quickly at less than retail prices. Good quality bank owned homes are a little more difficult to find in the Puyallup real estate market than short sales but do exist in many neighborhoods.  Most often these homes will n... 01/16/2009

Hello Puyallup foreclosure Buyers! Welcome to my blog, Thank you for the visit! I've been swamped with calls lately from potential Puyallup foreclosure buyers that have been misinformed at best. I've written this post specifically for buyers interested in purchasing a Puyallup foreclosure or pre foreclosure.  This post will cover something that you may not want to know, but it's information you absolutely need to know.  Do you know the difference between a true foreclosure and a pre-foreclosure?  Before you answer, please read on.  Rather than focus on the  Puyallup Foreclosure term, you really need to acquaint yourselves with the correct terms used by real estate professionals. Let's tackle the Short Sale- This is the pre-foreclosure opportunity that many co workers in your lunch room ... 12/21/2008

The Market...  As you know, the distressed home market is increasing or at least becoming a major percentage of homes sales.  With the economy going to need a few years to recover, it is more than likely; we will see this trend continue and maybe rise.  This is potentially a lucrative niche market for us real estate professionals, and I, for one, would like to capture a piece of the market.  It only makes sense that most buyers today are looking to purchase good deals and where else can you find them but in the distressed home seller market.  So here's the problem, not many agents are marketing to this niche and the agents who do, do not have the skill set, nor the legal support to conduct a proper Distressed Home consultation.   Well, I met up with a broker/owner, these past few days,... 12/16/2008

 Need to Sell Your Home?  Did your home listing expire? Now, because the market is slower and there is a lot of homes in inventory, my advice to you is, stay and hold on until we seem some changes.  Why?  There is simply too many homes on the market and you may not earn the investment returns you need for your investment. However, if you need to sell and you feel that your equity gained, based on today's market, is enough, then read on... If your home's MLS (Multiple Listing Service) has expired, then you are receiving numerous phone calls, as early as 8 AM, or will be receiving mailings, or a personal visit from an agent.  It's part of the prospecting program of us many agents, and hopefully you weren't too overwhelmed. Most agents work really hard and if their marketing efforts do not... 12/05/2008

Thanks again www.activerain.com for another successful transactions between 2 Active Rain agents.  I am a Real Estate agent in Auburn, Washington who after selling a clients home in Puyallup, requested an agent from activerain to help my seller find a home in Minnesota to purchase and move into. I came across Stieg Strand, who I requested to help my clients. He went out and immediately found my clients a home and made this a painless transaction for my clients. Thanks so much for your help Stieg!   The agents involved were.... Jason Schweiger - Real Estate 2000 - www.mynwagent.com - http://activerain.com/mynorthwestagent and Stieg Strand - Re/Max A-1 - http://www.stiegstrand.com - http://activerain.com/stiegstrand   11/25/2008

Market ActivityOne positive market trend continued for the month of October - listing inventory decreased from 1087 in September, to 1046 by the end of October. Inventory reduction is one of the keys to our housing market recovery. The number of homes sold in October fell by 38% to 83, from 133 in September. The state of the economy and the jobs outlook continue to press down on the housing market. Ever the optimist though, homes are still being bought and sold in this market - it has not ceased up, but just needs a bit of grease. Realtor associations are working with state and federal legislators to find a way to boost the housing market. We should have hope for the coming year. Read on... 11/19/2008

Puyallup City Manager Gary McLean made it official today, naming interim police chief Jim Collyer as the city's new chief of police. Collyer has been serving as interim chief since April 2008.  Prior to that, Collyer served as the Deputy Chief since 2003. "Chief Collyer brings a depth of experience and professionalism to the position," said McLean, "and he's earned the respect of officers and staff both here in Puyallup and across the state." Collyer began his career with the Puyallup Police Department in 1983 as a patrol officer.  Over the next 25 years he also served as training officer, detective, patrol sergeant, narcotics unit supervisor, general investigations unit supervisor, tactical team supervisor, multi-agency major crimes team supervisor, patrol division commander, investiga... 11/19/2008

The air is crisp, the nights are chilly, and the smell of...LUMPIA?!?  During the Thanksgiving holidays, many of us are accustomed to the traditional dishes of a baked Turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and of course stuffing!  But for a filipino household, we have an extra dish, that some of you may know of and have eaten zealously at a filipino party.  Lumpia!  Similar to it's cousin, the chinese egg roll, the Lumpia is a bit more addicting.  It's a rolled rice wrapped with either pork, chicken, beef or all three inside.  And included in these ingredients, is usually one TOP SECRET ingredient that has been in the family for generations.  Well, maybe not generations but since they landed in America! Seriously though, I look forward to Thanksgiving every year, even as a ki... 11/18/2008

I predict the RedHawk New Home Community will be one of the fastest selling homes in the Puyallup area.  It's being developed in a prime location.  RedHawk is central to the new Frederickson Town Centre (under construction), the new Sunrise Village,   5-10 minutes from the freeway, and very close the Puyallup schools.  Along with its proximity to Puyallup's attractions, it is positioned in a great price range, the $200k's. Who's building it?  None other than Puyallup based Builder, Bill Riley Communities, or BRC Homes.  BRC Homes is known for their quality work and very personable customer service.  They have impacted the Puyallup community by providing homes that allow every person to enjoy.  Be sure to keep an eye out when you pass through on 160th.  If you are able to buy now, it mig... 11/03/2008

Current Price TrendsSeptember statistics released by the NWMLS show a significant drop in the median home price. The median home price for Pierce County ended September at $250k - representing another 11% drop in year-to-date appreciation. I believe that this drop represents a large sell-off of homes in the lower price spectrum, as opposed to a drop in prices throughout the market. The rise in number of sales this month could support either theory - regardless, reducing standing inventory is good for all sellers. Read on... 10/29/2008

How's the job market in Puyallup?  If you are currently looking to relocate, for employment, or just want to know, here's  some information about the Puyallup Employment Trends.  The major employers owns about 20% of the Puyallup job market .  It's really no surprise that Health and Education is the major portion of jobs in Puyallup, since we have Good Samaritan, now a part of Multicare and our ever growing Puyallup School district.  We'll probably see more of an increase, since they are expanding their Pediatrics care. Included below are some other statistics about the Puyallup area, take a look below. For more information, click on the links below, which will take you to Simply Hired's site.  Note:The statistics and graph are courtesty of Simply Hired. - R. ANTHONY SOLIS, GRI | www.ra... 10/27/2008

I'm sure you've watched the news and read some articles on the real estate market.  Although, yes it is true it is slower than what we've experienced a few years ago, but every product has its down cycle.  Right now, there are many, many, many homes available on the market.  How does this affect the market?  Well, in economics 101, it's all about supply and demand.  Lets see if I can express the principle of supply and demand.  If we agree that a good market is when the price, supply, and demand of a product is in "balance", we'll move forward.  If the price is fair, then consumers will buy (demand), and if the production (supply) is steady, we've got balance.  This state of balance is what a market is ideally trying to be in.  Of course there are many factors; competitive products, mar... 10/21/2008

   Starbucks Grand Opening Opening day is Thursday, October 16th for the new Starbucks Drive Through in Fredrickson! Owner and operator, Gwen Joseph, is offering free drinks on opening day: "Stop by our new Starbucks Location on 176th and Canyon road this Thursday October 16 from 4pm to 7pm. Just for stopping by you'll have your choice of any tall beverage on us! Friends, family and free coffee what more could you ask for? Everyone is welcome to join the fun so bring a friend or two along with you." Canyon Crossing is located on 176th and Canyon Road. If you have not visited Fredrickson lately, take advantage of this offer and make a visit. Things have sure changed at that intersection. Canyon Crossing has a Safeway, Taco Bell and of course the new Starbucks. More is planned and lease s... 10/16/2008