Tag Archives: Karen Williams

Hot Off The Press

Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Real Estate, West Seattle,
  • Seattle’s not the only place with increasing home prices. Record rising home prices have hit the suburbs. The median single family home price in Southwest King County (Burien, Tukwila, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac, Federal Way and West Kent) increased 11.2% last month compared to February 2016. North King County (Shoreline, Lake Forest Park and Kenmore) median home prices rose by 16.6%, according the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.
  • Did Seattle’s population just hit 700,000? According to Mayor Murray in his State of the City address, 67 people per day moved to Seattle in 2016. If true, this pushed the city population over the 700,000 mark. You can’t help but wonder what these people think about all our rain?
  • The cost of a parking spot: A designated spot in the Park Slope Garage in Brooklyn New York is on the market for $300,000. That’s the same price as a condo in other parts of the neighborhood.   The Associated Press as printed in the Seattle Times.

 

Preparing to Sell in a Fast Market

Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Real Estate, West Seattle, ,

Our real estate market is currently chock-full of opportunities for sellers. Shorter days-on-market, high list to sales price ratios and growing sales prices may have you thinking about your next move. If this sounds like you, the time to begin preparing is now:

STEP 1 – CONTACT ME! Because each neighborhood, style of home, and price point is different, it is important to learn just how hot the demand currently is for your home. If the demand is currently at a very high level this may adjust how much needs to be done to prepare your home and get it on the market. In addition, I want to know where you are moving to which will allow us to strategize and determine what selling and buying looks like financially and timing-wise.

STEP 2 – CLEAN AND POLISH. We will determine together if there are any larger projects that need to be done to get your home on the market, but decluttering, giving your home a deep cleaning, and touching up the curb appeal is critical in ANY market!

STEP 3 – ESTABLISH LISTING WEEK STRATEGY. The week that your home goes on the market will be a very busy one. I will have photos done and once the home is on the market, there may be a number of showings and people through your home. Depending on the anticipated demand for access, you may want to simply leave town for a few days, stay at a friend’s home or even at a hotel. Consider it a mini-vacation!

STEP 4 – DETERMINE PRE-INSPECTION OPTIONS. If demand for your home is going to be strong, some buyers may waive the inspection contingency (the inspection contingency would allow them to back out of the contract if agreement cannot be met on what needs to be fixed ahead of time). Therefore, some buyers may ask to do a pre-inspection before they write an offer. This is done at the buyers’ expense. We can discuss the pros and cons of allowing pre-inspections before we put the home on the market.

STEP 5 – OPEN HOUSE. Depending on where your home is located, an open house allows for a number of potential buyers through at the same time and is a great tool to generate excitement about your home. If I anticipate that the open house will be very busy, I will enlist the help of another agent to assist in crowd control.

STEP 6 – OFFER REVIEW DATE. If I anticipate there will be multiple offers, we can discuss the pros and cons of having a date that lets buyers know when they need to submit an offer by.

Generally speaking, selling your home in a fast market can go much quicker than you might think, so preparing for your move ahead of time will make life much easier when it is time to sign on the line. If this has you thinking, let’s talk! Give me a call or text: 206-484-2777 or email: karenwi@johnlscott.com.

A Winning Year for Normandy Park Real Estate

Normandy Park, Real Estate, , , , , , ,

I BELIEVE it’s going to be a SUPER year for Normandy Park Real Estate sales. We have a shortage of homes on the market, historically low interest rates and a quick market time for new listings that are competitively priced. The average sales price for Normandy Park homes was up 21% last year. I am definitely ALL IN for a RE-PETE of last year’s appreciation. Happy New Year and Go Hawks!

Seahawks 1-13-15 2
John L. Scott Des Moines Brokers Showing their Seahawks Pride!

Karen Williams has been a Realtor with John L. Scott for 18 years. She happily resides in Normand Park, Washington with her husband and two dogs, Griffey and Faith. She can be reached at 206. 484.2777 or karenwi@johnlscott.com

Normandy Park’s 30 Acre Woods

Normandy Park, Real Estate, , , , , , ,

Walker Creek

I take my dogs on the Walker Preserve trails in Normandy Park almost everyday. I love walking here! It feels like my very own 30 Acre Woods. This natural wooded preserve is maintained by neighborhood volunteers. I’m so grateful for their contribution to our community.

Trail Pic

Karen Williams has been a Realtor with John L. Scott for 18 years. She happily resides in Normand Park, Washington with her husband, son and two dogs, Griffey and Faith. She can be reached at 206. 484.2777 or karenwi@johnlscott.com

Summer’s Here And The Pools Are Open

Real Estate, , , , , , , ,

On my morning walk to the beach, I passed the Normandy Park Swim Club and heard the familiar sounds of an early morning swim team practice. Summer officially starts today and in Normandy Park that means the two summer swim clubs are open for business.

Both Olympic View Swim Club and Normandy Park Swim Club offer swim lessons, competitive swim and dive teams and a synchronized swimming program. More importantly, these community clubs are a gathering place for neighborhood picnics, pickle ball games, family BBQ’s, and hours of fun with friends at the pool.

Hurray for the first day of summer! I can’t wait to dive in.

NP Pool Pic

Karen Williams has been a Realtor with John L. Scott for 17 years. She happily resides in Normand Park, Washington with her husband, son and two dogs, Griffey and Faith. She can be reached at 206. 484.2777 or karenwi@johnlscott.com

“Little Free Library” In Normandy Park

Normandy Park, Real Estate, , , , , , , , , ,

On a tree-lined street that winds through the heart of Normandy Park, is a “Little Free Library”.  It’s a free-standing wood box full of books, in the front yard of a home on a prominent corner lot.  The Little Free Library is a place where anyone can stop and pick up a book or leave a book to share. 

For the past few years, I’ve become accustom to the convenience of downloading and reading books electronically. Today, I decided to stop at the corner and pick out a book.  I was surprised at how that  little wooden box of books made me feel so connected to my community. It’s sweet, it’s simple and I loved it!  I’ll be back.

For more information on the “Little Free Library” movement, visit www.littlefreelibrary.org

NP library

Karen Williams has been a Realtor with John L. Scott for 17 years. She happily resides in Normand Park, Washington with her husband and two dogs, Griffey and Faith. She can be reached at 206. 484.2777 or karenwi@johnlscott.com

 

The Normandy Park Cove Is A Gem For Locals

Normandy Park, Real Estate, , , , , , , , ,

Cove Beach Pic

Privately owned by 1800 Normandy Park households with equal and undivided interest, “The Cove” is a treasured gem.  It consists of 18 acres and includes 700 feet of waterfront on Puget Sound, a community clubhouse, tennis courts, woods with interpretive trails, two creeks (Miller and Walker), a duck pond for salmon rearing and a wetland area. The clubhouse is a popular place for weddings and community events. As a bonus, Normandy Park is dog friendly and The Cove is a popular meet up place for the resident pups.

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Karen Williams has been a Realtor with John L. Scott for 17 years. She happily resides in Normand Park, Washington with her husband and two dogs, Griffey and Faith. She can be reached at 206. 484.2777 or karenwi@johnlscott.com