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Open Houses on Saturday August 7th Anderson Island

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Both of our listings on Anderson Island will be held open this Saturday from 1pm to 4pm. If you are looking for a home to use on weekends and vacations you should consider buying a home on Anderson Island

Both of our listings are on the same street with vacant lots in between them so I will be moving between the houses to allow visitors to tour. Please call me directly at (253) 219-1194 if you would like to meet me prior to the open houses or if you cannot make it until later. I would be happy to show you through either home personally.

The homes are located at 11208 Tillicum Dr and 11302 Tillicum Dr. The homes are offered at $249,000 and $350,000 For more details on both homes please visit our featured listings page.

Thanks for looking and I hope to see you on the island this week. To see more about Anderson Island please take a look at Explore Anderson Island by following this link.

Posted in For Sale, Open House, Puget Sound | No Responses »

New listing on Anderson Island 11302 Tillicum Drive Offered at $350,000

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Are you looking to get away from your busy life? Want to take it easy on the island for weekends or perhaps you are ready to just move to the island and be done with the rat race?

Just listed 3 bedroom 2.5 bath 3200+ square foot home on Anderson Island. The home is in the process of being painted inside and out so photos are being delayed. However, here are a couple of photos to give you an idea of what the house looks like both inside and out.

The house faces south and has views of East Oro Bay. Situated on a large lot with tons of potential this is a home you need to take the time do come to the island to look at.

This post is a work in progress over the weekend of July 3oth to August 1st. 2010 We will have our custom home site up for this property.

Please continue to visit the site for more information.

Offered at $350,000 this home is just waiting for you and your family to move in and begin making your own memories on Anderson Island.

To Be Continued! For more information on Anderson Island you can visit Explore Anderson Island.

When you’re ready for your own tour of the island please call and we can set up a time to go to Anderson Island and take a tour of one of the jewels in the Puget Sound.

Posted in For Sale, Puget Sound | No Responses »

Anderson Island Sales Year To Date

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

I am going to a listing appointment today on Anderson Island and I was pulling up the statistics for the island.

There are currently 59 homes for sale on Anderson Island. Minimum price $69,000 and Maximum price $1,750,000. The median value is $257,000 and the Average price is $333,000. Average days on market is 123 days.

7 homes have sold this year on Anderson Island.

Looks like there is enough inventory on the island for the next 4+ years at the current rates. If you are going to be selling on Anderson Island you need to make sure you are pricing your home right and working with an agent who gets the word out. Of course I think I am that guy but you need to see for yourself.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home on Anderson Island please give me a call today.(253) 219-1194. I would be happy to set up a time to meet with you to go over the market on Anderson Island. The island is a truly beautiful spot and is one of the Puget Sounds hidden gems. If you would like more information on Anderson Island there is a new blog about the island that I have been enjoying following. You can Explore Anderson Island here.

Posted in Puget Sound, Ramblings | 1 Response »

USDA Washington State 2010 Income Levels Have Changed

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

The USDA has announced some changes to the 2010 Washington State Income Levels to qualify for 100% zero down USDA financing.

Take a look at table below to see what the income levels for where you live have been adjusted to. Income levels in Pierce County is now at $80,050 for a family up to 4 people. The income level is a very doable level for many of the homes located in Pierce County.

If you’re considering buying a home in Pierce County and you are not considering buying within the City Limits of Tacoma you might just find USDA financing a very valuable way to help your family get into a home this year.

When you are ready to talk about buying a home in Pierce County call (253) 219-1194 and we can setup a time to meet and discuss your options. As a Realtor® it is important that I keep up to date on both our local real estate market and on the various financing options. Just as no Realtor® is a perfect fit for every client; not every lender is a perfect fit. Working together we can find the best fit for you and your needs when it comes to buying a home in Pierce County using USDA financing or another type of financing.

County	1-4 person household	5-8 person household
Benton, Franklin	$74,750	$98,650
Kitsap, Thurston	$82,650	$109,100
Island	$89,550	$118,200
King, Snohomish	$92,600	$122,250
Clark, Skamania	$81,850	$108,050
Pierce	$80,050	$105,650
San Juan	$78,050	$103,050
All other Counties Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend O’Reille, Skagit, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, and Yakima	$74,050	$97,750

Posted in Buying a Home, Lending, Puget Sound, USDA Financing | No Responses »

USDA Loans Show Me an Example of What We Can Buy

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

I was chatting with a friend the other day about USDA loans and she mentioned that she thought that USDA loans were for farm houses and things way out in the “sticks” I explained to her that her concept of USDA loans was a bit off.

Yes you have to be purchasing a home in a “rural area” but rural is a term that our government uses a bit differently. In Pierce County Washington much of the county is considered rural. That means that towns like Gig Harbor, Graham, Bonney Lake, Roy, McKenna, DuPont and many more are considered rural. You can find more information on Pierce County USDA eligibility by reading our other articles here on Classic Homes Northwest.

More on USDA Loans in Pierce County.

Update on congressional extending the funding for the 2010 fiscal year.

Here are two listings we have right now that are located within USDA boundaries. One is located on Anderson Island Offered at $259,000 with a great view of East Oro Bay.Membership in the Riviera Country Club is included in the annual homeowners dues as is your water.Learn more about Anderson Island here. The other is in Scenic Shores by Lake Lawrence. Anderson Island is a remote quiet island in the Puget Sound but it a great place to get away for a weekend etc. If you are a first time buyer and you are looking for an affordable home then you should take a look at Anderson Island. The home for sale at Lake Lawrence is offered at $209,000 and allows you to use the facilities at Lake Lawrence with your HOA dues. Close to Ft. Lewis, Olympia, Yelm, and a 30 minute drive to Tacoma. This 3 bedroom home could be yours for what most of us pay in rent each month. For more information on this house we have lots more here.

As you can see both of these homes are not farm houses and they are not on dirt roads. USDA loans can help you if you are looking at homes in the areas outside of the main core of Pierce County and the City of Tacoma.

When you’re ready to learn more about USDA loans and how they can help you take advantage of the current interest rates and property values we will be happy to introduce you to a lender who can walk you through the process.

If you would like a list of USDA eligible homes in Pierce County please fill out the contact form on the right side of the blog. We will send out a list of currently available homes to you. If you’re ready to talk so are we. Give us a call at 253-219-1194 today.

Posted in Buying a Home, Lending, Puget Sound, USDA Financing | 1 Response »

USDA Financing Fiscal Year 2010 Funds Running Out. Conditional Commitments Will be Issued

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

As we have reported here in previous articles the USDA is running out of funds for the fiscal year 2010. The announcement today that the USDA will issue conditional commitments for Section 502 Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loans after the funds have been exhausted is potential good news for home buyers in Pierce County or anywhere that it is possible to use USDA financing. Your USDA approved lender can continue to process completed loan requests, receive conditional commitments, and close loans.

There is a change to the USDA financing the “Guarantee Fee” is increasing to 3.5% for purchase loan and it is increasing to 2.25 for refinance loans. The cost of getting a USDA loan has just increased. The borrower can still put zero down but will have the guarantee fee wrapped into the total loan. In a very simple example if you were to buy a 100,000$ home the initial loan amount would be 103,500$

While the cost of borrowing money using USDA financing has gone up the news that funds will continue to be available is good news for home buyers. When you are ready to begin looking for your home we hope you will give us a call so we can help you through the process of making a great decision. We work with multiple approved USDA lenders and we can help match you with a lender who will work hard for you to get the best possible financing. We then will work hard for you to find the best home and the best deal. We’re here when you’re ready.

Posted in Buying a Home, Lending, Puget Sound, USDA Financing | 3 Responses »

11 Building Lots on Anderson Island Available. Starting at $7,000

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

Are you looking for your own island getaway? Anderson Island is the southernmost island in the Puget Sound. Served by The Pierce County Ferry System Anderson Island is only 20 minutes from the mainland. It is light years away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The island has a general store, post office, elementary school, fire station, nursery, gym, 2 freshwater lakes and more.

The building lots are all located in the Riviera Community Club and have full access to all of the features of the Riviera. Details on the Riviera can be found here.

The lots all have power and water at the street. The lots would be great for a full time home or a weekend getaway cabin. Lot size ranges from 8,400 to 9,200 sqft. The lots are wooded for your privacy. Possible seller financing with 20% down payment.

For more information and a map with the lots locations as well as driving instructions please contact us directly. To schedule a tour of Anderson Island please contact us and we will setup a day and time to go over to the island and show you all that makes Anderson Island special. Additional information on Anderson Island can be found on the blog Explore Anderson Island.

Posted in For Sale, Puget Sound | 1 Response »

April 2010 Pierce County Median Home Price $215,000

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

Sales volume appears to be moving upward according to numbers released for April 2010 home sales. 7,368 homes had mutually accepted offers in April 2010 in the four county Puget Sound region. The highest volume since August 2006

Was this due to the tax credit?

In my opinion yes the number have been inflated by the tax credit and it will be interesting to see what May’s number look like. However, interest rates are still very low. Employment numbers while not fantastic are beginning to show signs of stabilizing and in some areas improvement. The Puget Sound region should be able to begin the recovery process. Is this time to be excited no, not at all. It is time however to consider your individual housing requirements. If buying a home makes sense at this time you will have a number of other factors that appear to be in your favor as well.

Posted in Buying a Home, Puget Sound, Ramblings | 1 Response »

Classic Homes Northwest

Helping people buy and sell classic homes in Tacoma and the Pacific Northwest