Andree's July Newsletter

July 2021
With summer in full swing, and over a month without rain, it seemed a good time to head to the mountains in

search of waterfalls! Just an hour or two outside Seattle are a few delightful hikes up rivers to waterfalls, with opportunities for fishing. I set-out with a friend and drove over the Cascade Mountain range and up Icicle Creek Canyon to the end of the dirt road, where we set-out on our hike.

Afterwords, we went to Leavenworth to my favorite restaurant, South, for some good southwest food, including habanero prawns!

Pricing a Property

Pricing a property is an interesting process, and I have been working on several in the last few months since the restrictions ended. These are in different places geographically, but thanks to the tools we have in our multiple listing service, and my tech background, I can offer an accurate price opinion.

Considering that sellers often contact me weeks, months, and even years before the property sells, I first run a report using our “Realist” program. This report pulls all the public information on the property, and comes up with a range for the price, plus what it calls the RealAVM.

The RealAVM is generated by an algorithm, similar to the Zestimate and Redfin’s estimate.

Once in awhile a property owner will tell me that the number of bedrooms and bathrooms differ – this could be most likely because permits were not pulled for various additions. Thus, if a three-quarter bath was converted to a full bath (the addition of a bathtub) without a permit, this will not be reflected.

None of these programs “know” the condition of the house; the algorithms just work with like properties that have recently closed.

After pulling these numbers, I then go to our Comparative Market Analysis program in the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

I’ll often run what I call a “macro view”; I’ll draw a line around the neighborhood and see how many sales there have been in general, and if there were many escalations or reductions. This just gives a feel for the demand in a particular place.

Then I hone down to the micro view and look for specific comparables. Read more here.

Real Estate
From the Northwest Multiple Press Release:

Homebuyers may find some good news in the latest report from Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS). The number of active listings at the end of June, 6,358, reached the highest level since
November when buyers could choose from 6,505 properties. The volume of new listings added last month was the highest number in 17 months (13,111 last month versus 14,689 at the end of November 2019).

"Homebuyers will be happy to hear that between May and June the number of listings in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties rose, giving them more homes to choose from and possibly easing the pressure just a little," remarked Matthew Gardner, chief economist at Windermere Real Estate.

For the tri-county area, total active listings of single family homes and condominiums increased 14.5% from

May. System-wide, the report covering all 26 counties served by Northwest MLS shows month-to-month inventory improved 14.9%.

"Buyers need some relief, so I hope this trend continues," said Gardner.

Broker Dean Rebhuhn, owner at Village Homes and Properties, agreed the slight increase in new listings is good news for buyers, but tempered his optimism. "Low inventory and high demand coupled with low interest rates continue to drive up the market." He also noted Kittitas County "is no exception to brisk sales. Many homes in that county are selling within one or two weeks." Read more here

Trendgraphix - A great chart showing over a year's worth of statistics.

More Links* Newsy Links - see what has been happening in real estate.

Price Adjustment

We have had a price adjustment on the Chuckanut listing
to $795,000.

We Serve the Nation and the World - Relocation and Referrals

Who do you know that is interested in selling or buying a home? Referrals make up the bulk of my business and are not only a compliment but also much appreciated.

Because of our national and international network within Coldwell Banker, I can help you, a friend or relative anywhere with their move! I will call and interview brokers to try to make sure they are the right fit.I also will partner with brokers in our network when listing property outside the greater Seattle and Eastside area, such as in the San Juan Islands and on the Olympic Peninsula.

Thank you to my friend and client, Molly, for posting this nice review following the sale of her property:

"Andree did a wonderful job selling my condo in Edmonds. It was difficult to sell for many reasons, most notably a legal issue that the condo building was involved in. Andree was very persistent with marketing, open houses, and ultimately finding a way for the one buyer to proceed with a loan. She went beyond what a typical broker would do to make this deal go through. I felt that she was professional and courteous in all her interactions with all parties involved. She did an excellent job for me. I highly recommend her!"

Contact me for help in selling your existing home, or buying a new home!
Here are a couple of guidebooks:

Seller's Booklet: https://andreehurley.coldwellbankerbain.com/sellersbook

Buyer's Booklet: https://andreehurley.coldwellbankerbain.com/buyersbook

Testimonials from my Facebook page:

I have known Andree for more than 40 years as a friend. In recent years, she has sold 2 properties for me, and the results were excellent. Andree does her homework, is conscientious, and will go the extra mile and more to get a job done. I highly recommend her.

Friend me on Facebook! Let's keep in touch, virtually.