Just about any investor on the lookout for a promising Olympia rental property has a number of assumed criteria in mind—often arrived at without bothering to sit down to list them. Remember, this is already a successful individual, usually with ample business experience—and always with the financial acumen to be able to make a substantial investment. For them, creating a written decision matrix really isn’t necessary. Still, there’s a lot of literature on the web offering opinions on what are the most commonly agreed-upon factors for choosing a rental property. Quite a few “Top 10”s. Going over them, it turns out that some are only slight variations on a single theme, so I’ve boiled them down to a “Top Six.” The first one is barely ever mentioned. It’s this: 1.      Most investors have... 02/26/2015

      The Olympia foreclosure situation is a good deal different from what we were discussing a few years ago when the tidal wave of 7.3 million foreclosures and short sales swept the nation. When The New York Times “Dealbook” recently pronounced that the supply of cheap foreclosed homes in America is dwindling, it came as news to…well, no one.   Let’s face it: Olympia investors wouldn’t need to look up the latest statistics to guess that number of offerings would be down. The continuing rebound in home values, slow but steady improvement in the overall economic picture, and even just the passage of time has to mean that the glut of subprime-crisis-era foreclosures would have worked their way through the system.    But there are always new foreclosures, and for anyone hoping to make a b... 02/25/2015

Some folks live for our Olympia winters. For them, the brisk air is a tonic; longer night times are invitations to enjoy the warmth and cheer of fireside camaraderie; the prospect of winter sports is something they look forward to all year long. For everyone else it may be more of a drag—particularly when a succession of storms seem to conspire to make their lives miserable. It can also be a tough time to sell a Olympia house—but only if you allow it to be! Winter does tend to make most Olympia houses look drab and barren; and, in general, potential buyers tend to be scarce for a number of reasons. But those who are in the wintertime hunt are apt to be quite serious, so it’s worth remembering that sales can be kindled on even the bleakest February day—especially for owners who keep in ... 02/23/2015

In the 98501 Zip Code? Wondering what the Real Estate Market is doing around you? Check out up-to-date statistics on:*Price Trends (Active & Sold Comps)*Inventory Trends*Ownership Stats *Average "Days On Market"*Distressed Listing Stats*Community & School InfoLooking to purchase in a different area? Compare zip codes!Receive a free, no obligation market analysis - specific to your home? No problem - QuallsTeamInfo@gmail.com or email us through our website. We want you to be educated on your market, we're seeing daily positive movement!http://www.quallsrealestate.com/mimarket/zip/98501/ 02/17/2015

Here is the Lake Saint Clair / Pattison Lake / Sunwood Lakes WA real estate market update for January 2015.   Why live here? Southeast Thurston County features some beautiful lake front properties and communities such as Lake St. Clair, Pattison Lake, Kelly's Corner and Sunwood Lakes. Residents in this area can also get larger parcels for horses at Evergreen Valley, new construction, and late-century homes. Schools: Many residents are in the North Thurston School District and Yelm School District. Search homes for sale in Lake Saint Clair, Pattison Lake, Sunwood Lakes WA.   Lake Saint Clair / Pattison Lake / Sunwood Lakes real estate market snapshot Curious to know what your home is worth? Click here to learn more.   Find Lake Saint Clair / Pattison Lake WA Homes for Sale Visit my websi... 02/09/2015

Here is the East Olympia WA real estate market update for January 2015.   Why live in East Olympia? East Olympians enjoy a variety of home choices - from the gated golf community of Indian Summer to larger parcels suitable for horses to lake front homes on Hewitt Lake. Residents enjoy biking and walking on the Chehalis-Western Trail, Lattin's Country Cider Mill and Farm, and floating down the Deschutes River on a hot summer day. Find homes for sale in East Olympia. Schools: Many residents in this area are in the North Thurston School District and Tumwater School District.     East Olympia real estate market snapshot Curious to know what your home is worth? Click here to learn more.   Find homes for sale in East Olympia, WA. Visit my website to search East Olympia, WA homes for sale, or ... 02/09/2015

Here is the South Olympia WA real estate market update for January 2015.   Why live in South Olympia? South Olympia is considered a desirable part of Thurston County by its residents. South Olympians have lots of sidewalks and biking paths, and many enjoy the amenities of the YMCA, which has an indoor swimming pool. Ward Lake and Chambers Lake offer lakefront homes and water activities, while the Carlyon neighborhood offers a mix of mid-century and older vintage homes. Watch my walking tour of the South Capitol neighborhood:   Schools: Many residents covet the Olympia School District, especially Olympia High School. There are residents in this area who belong to the Tumwater School District. Types of homes: South Olympia offers a mix of new construction, mid-century as well as vintage h... 02/09/2015

Here is the North Olympia WA real estate market update for January 2015.   Why live in North Olympia? North Olympia beckons home-dwellers who are inspired by vintage homes, some of which are on the Historic Registry. This area includes the Capitol Campus, downtown Olympia, Bigelow, East Bay and East Olympia Hill. Homes in this area range from the majestic homes of Olympia's original pioneers to the more modest homes built for the pioneering sawmill and port workers. Some homes offer water and Capitol views, and many residents enjoy being able to walk to the Capitol, downtown Olympia and the waterfront. Schools: Many residents in this area are in the Olympia School District and North Thurston School District. Types of homes: Vintage! Search North Olympia homes for sale.   North Olympia r... 02/07/2015

Here is the West Olympia WA real estate market update for January 2015.   Why live in West Olympia? West Olympians love their part of town! There is The Evergreen State College and South Puget Sound Community College, Capitol Medical Center and the shopping mall to name a few amenities. The main north-south road, Cooper Point Road NW, leads to the homes with water views of either Eld Inlet to the west or Budd Inlet to the east. Investors can find opportunities with rental properties near The Evergreen State College while longtime, homesteaders can find their dream home in West Olympia. Schools: Many residents are in the Olympia School District. Types of homes: West Olympia offers some residents with desirable inlet water views, new construction and vintage homes. Neighborhoods in West O... 02/07/2015

Here is the Delphi / Black Hills WA real estate update for January 2015.   Why live in the Delphi / Black Hills area? Delphi / Black Hills residents are in an area of homes on larger parcels of land. Buyers can find their coveted horse properties here! There are also some high-end neighborhoods including Field of Dreams and Cougar Ridge as well as the neighborhoods of Alpine Hills, Black Lake, Littlerock, Mud Bay, and Waddell Creek. This area also includes part of the Capitol State Forest. Schools: Many residents in this area are in the Tumwater School District. Types of Homes: There are a wide variety of choices between homes on a golf course, horse properties and larger acreage homes with mountain views. Buyers can also find unique, custom-built homes along with manufactured homes and... 02/06/2015

Here is the Summit Lake / Steamboat Island WA real estate market update for January 2015.   Why live in Summit Lake / Steamboat Island areas? Northwest Thurston County not only features the major areas of Summit Lake and Steamboat Island but also Carlyon Beach, Gravelly Beach, Hunter Point, Madrona Beach, and Oyster Bay. For water views and beach access on a budget (at least less expensive than West Olympia!), you'll want to check out the Northwest section of Thurston County. People may look at a map and think it is too far from Olympia, and that's just not the case. You can get into town in about 10-15 minutes yet you feel far and isolated. Home buyers can not only find beach properties but also horse properties in this area of Thurston County. Mini-farms are sprinkled throughout, and ... 02/06/2015

Seahawks mania is abound with the Hawks preparing for their second Super Bowl appearance this Sunday.  Our office is decked out in Seahawks colors and we've raised the Seahawks flag.  I think it pairs very nicely with our Coldwell Banker Blue!   01/27/2015

NEW to market home in sought-after Olympia School District!  1514 Fairview St SE, Olympia WA 98501 (MLS #724846)Welcome Home, to the Ideal Location on an Excellent Corner-Lot! Private Neighborhood in Olympia Schools, this 2,360 SF Home offers the Warm, Unique touch you are looking for. 4 bdrms, 2.5 bths, Chef's kitchen w/walk-in pantry, 2 dining areas, living rm, family rm w/gas fireplace, utility rm AND bonus rm w/lg alcove closet. Cherry floors & cabinets, molding, granite counters, tile backsplash & an open flowing floorplan. 3-car garage, fenced backyard w/ patio & garden space. Close to Amenities!       12/17/2014

It's time again for the Christmas Forest 2014 in Olympia WA at the Red Lion Hotel!   When:  December 3 - 7, 2014 Where:  Red Lion Hotel, 2300 Evergreen Park Drive, Olympia WA Cost:  Adults $6, Children $1 (under 12) More information:  www.provforest.org   The Christmas Forest is a five-day holiday event showcasing designer-decorated Christmas trees and wreaths, which always inspire me for decorating my own tree.  Attendees can also enter a raffle to win a tree, wreath or other special items.  Plus some of the decorations used on the trees can be purchased at the Holiday Gift Shop at the Red Lion.  Each day has entertainment while viewing the Christmas trees.  Visit www.provforest.org for the schedule.         Not only do I look forward to this event every year to see beautifully decorat... 12/04/2014

Olympia, Washington single-family Market Watch (Dec. 1, 2014)   There are currently 599 active listings in Olympia. In the past seven days Olympia experienced; 14 New listings recorded 9 Homes came back on the market 26 Homes had list price reductions 2  Homes had list price increased 0 Contingent 15 listings expired 11 listings cancelled 43 listings went pending 48 listings sold and closed  69 Bank or real estate owned properties Currently there are 282 houses that have been on the market for over 100 days...  (97 houses over 200 days)   About Olympia; ~ Olympia is a incorporated city founded in 1859. The population in 2010 census was 46,478. Olympia is a bordering community to JBLM (Joint Base Lewis-McChord). Commute times to JBLM are between 30 and 59 minutes. (Depending on traffic) ... 12/01/2014

Olympia, Washington single-family Market Watch (Nov. 24, 2014)   There are currently 629 active listings in Olympia. In the past seven days Olympia experienced; 43 New listings recorded 7 Homes came back on the market 48 Homes had list price reductions 1  Homes had list price increased 1 Contingent 6 listings expired 9 listings cancelled 49 listings went pending 39 listings sold and closed  71 Bank or real estate owned properties Currently there are 289 houses that have been on the market for over 100 days...  (95 houses over 200 days)   About Olympia; ~ Olympia is a incorporated city founded in 1859. The population in 2010 census was 46,478. Olympia is a bordering community to JBLM (Joint Base Lewis-McChord). Commute times to JBLM are between 30 and 59 minutes. (Depending on traffic) O... 11/24/2014

The Thurston County WA real estate market for Fall 2014 has continued on a positive trend of increasing home sale prices and strong buyer activity. The Thurston County real estate market has been through its trials since the downturn in the summer of 2008 to the summer of 2013.  Sixty months of decline was going to take some effort to stop and turn around, and for the last 19 months, Thurston County saw consistent gains in average home sales prices.   Prices always hinge on supply and demand To move prices back up, buyers had to return to the Thurston County market.  When prices reached the point that owning a home made more sense than renting, buyers came back to the market.  In fact, nearly two years before prices stopped falling, buyer activity began to rise.  It took buyers some for... 11/07/2014

Olympia, Washington single-family Market Watch (Oct 20, 2014)   There are currently 715 active listings in Olympia. In the past seven days Olympia experienced; 43 New listings recorded 15 Homes came back on the market 70 Homes had list price reductions 1  Homes had list price increased 2 Contingent 7 listings expired 9 listings cancelled 67 listings went pending 29 listings sold and closed  58 Bank or real estate owned properties Currently there are 296 houses that have been on the market for over 100 days...  (88 houses over 200 days)   About Olympia; ~ Olympia is a incorporated city founded in 1859. The population in 2010 census was 46,478. Olympia is a bordering community to JBLM (Joint Base Lewis-McChord). Commute times to JBLM are between 30 and 59 minutes. (Depending on traffic) O... 10/19/2014

Here is the East Olympia WA real estate market update for September 2014.   Why live in East Olympia? East Olympians enjoy a variety of home choices - from the gated golf community of Indian Summer to larger parcels suitable for horses to lake front homes on Hewitt Lake. Residents enjoy biking and walking on the Chehalis-Western Trail, Lattin's Country Cider Mill and Farm, and floating down the Deschutes River on a hot summer day. Find homes for sale in East Olympia. Schools: Many residents in this area are in the North Thurston School District and Tumwater School District.       East Olympia real estate market snapshot for the third quarter 2014. Average Sales Price for Q3 2014 is $334,362. This is up from last year at this time when the average sales price was $314,007. Number of Home... 10/17/2014

Here is the South Olympia WA real estate market update for September 2014.   Why live in South Olympia? South Olympia is considered a desirable part of Thurston County by its residents. South Olympians have lots of sidewalks and biking paths, and many enjoy the amenities of the YMCA, which has an indoor swimming pool. Ward Lake and Chambers Lake offer lakefront homes and water activities, while the Carlyon neighborhood offers a mix of mid-century and older vintage homes. Watch my walking tour of the South Capitol neighborhood:   Schools: Many residents covet the Olympia School District, especially Olympia High School. There are residents in this area who belong to the Tumwater School District. Types of homes: South Olympia offers a mix of new construction, mid-century as well as vintage... 10/17/2014