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Sequim, WA Real Estate News

By Ben Kinney, We do real estate:Tech, Training, Sales, Brokerage
(Ben Kinney Team)
822 E Washington St.Sequim, WA 98382 This Chevron located on 30,056 Lot size is a +1,558 SF Chevron Service Station located at Sequim, WA. Located within one of Clallam most desired suburban cities just close to Port Angeles, this property offers investors/operators a huge opportunity to own/operate a high-performing Chevron with optimal exposure in a growing market. Focusing on a profitable margin of gas/diesel and grocery with a CAP OF 5.5%. Must see this fully serviced gas station which features an RV cleaning site. Jagdeep Sidhu360-255-8243Keller Williams Western Realty
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By Sue Eller
(Realogics Sotheby's International Realty-Sequim)
I am thrilled to be able to call the Olympic Peninsula area home again after over 30 years of living in California. I have spent hours wandering the area with my camera, trying to capture the beauty here. This video is a compilation of photos that give me a sense of peace. I hope you enjoy!
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By Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker
(Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate)
Many retirees are looking at Sequim real estate, which makes sense since Sequim, Washington owns the famous Sequim Blue Hole or the Sequim Rain Shadow where the rainfall is one-third that of Seattle. For retirees planning to come and look at Sequim real estate, they may also be thinking about how they will travel to visit children and grandchildren. Is Sequim close enough to an aiport and how difficult are travel arrangements from Sequim to many other areas of the country? A trip from Sequim to Vegas starts with a two hour drive to SeaTac. Parking is easy, and I recommend a secured parking lot I have been using for years, MVP Airport Parking. They will park your car and drive you to the airport which is only a few minutes away, and they charge $10.95 per day. SeaTac is a beautiful airpo...
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By Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker
(Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate)
Sequim real estate has become a hot item, and retirees from around the country are searching for their idea of the perfect Sequim real estate.  Now they have help.  The largest Sequim real estate blog with over 1,400 articles gives buyers more relevant information about Sequim real estate than any other source.  Sequim Real Estate Help This Sequim real estate blog is written specifically for retirees who are planning to move to the Sequim or Port Angeles area.  There are answers for almost every question buyers have been asking about Sequim real estate for 20 years.  You'll find answers on issues like: What is the best Sequim MLS site?, Tips About Negotiating Price on Sequim Real Estate, Sequim Septic Systems, An Insider Perspective on Sequim Home Prices, Mistakes Sellers Are Making, Tr...
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By Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker
(Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate)
You can search the Sequim Real Estate MLS online with a powerful site, and this video explains how to get the most out of your search:
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By Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker
(Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate)
How does the assessed tax value and the sales price of homes compare compare?  This is a question I get from clients moving to my local market, and because it’s different around the country, clients ask me if the county assessed tax value of the home they might buy is the same as fair market value or the price at which homes actually sell.  In other words, would an independent bank appraisal be the same as the County tax assessment?  If you are going to make an offer on a home (or write an offer for a client), wouldn’t you like to know if the assessed tax value is a good indicator of the true FMV?  Clients are willing to pay a reasonable price, but they don’t want to over pay for a home in this market. Read full article at:  Assessed Tax Value vs. Sales Price
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By Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker
(Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate)
There's a new Sequim Real Estate eBook out and available as a download, Buying and Selling Real Estate in the Rain Shadow of Sequim, in an eBook format for the iPad and other eBook readers using the ePub format. The book looks beautiful on an iPad. The fonts are easily changed on an iPad, and the size of the fonts can be increased or decreased. This technology is great, and the eBook includes color photos. Sequim Real Estate eBook for iPad This eBook is not quite 300 pages (depending on the size of the font you use), but it does includes relevant links to hundreds of articles, videos, and audios, as well as tools to learn all about Sequim real estate. This is a great tool for buyers who want to avoid traps for the unwary and who want to find the perfect home and negotiate the best possi...
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By Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker
(Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate)
Sequim Real Estate Links(9 Key Links to Find Your Home)Sequim Real Estate Just SoldSequim Featured ListingsSearch Sequim MLSSequim Real Estate Market ReportsSequim Relocation Package OnlineSequim Real Estate LawSequim Custom Home BuilderSequim Custom Homes Blog Sequim Real Estate NewsletterSequim Newsletter
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By Patricia Kennedy, Home in the Capital
(RLAH@properties)
In Sequim, in Washington state's Dungeness Valley, the main crop is my favorite plant, lavender.  I took this photo at the Purple Haze Lavender Farm just outside of the utterly charming town of Sequim.  There are twelve acres of lavender, (organic, of course), and the place smells just heavenly!  The gift shop sells all things lavender, including soaps, oils, and even salad dressing! And if you are planning a vacation, they also have rentals available that look like they'd be great fun!  Oh, and they also have those monster crabs that taste amazing!
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By Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker
(Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate)
Sequim real estate stats for March, 2010 are shown in this summary. DOM represents "days on market," or the total number of days a home has been listed for sale in the MLS (multiple listing service). These stats from the Olympic Listing Service represent all properties, both homes and land, during March. For you statisticians out there, these stats are not separated into residential site built, residential off-site built, homes or condos, and the data is not weighted. Still, the general nature of the market is interesting to look at.
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By Arthur Buhrer MLO 114080, Owner Broker/ Washington State
(Arthur Buhrer, Olympic Mortgage Services CL 1456034)
In December I personally closed on four USDA purchases here in the Sequim and Port Angeles Area. What makes the USDA loan so attractive to homebuyers? 1. This loan requires no down payment. Some may say that homeowners need to have a little skin in the game and don’t like Zero down loans. While I do agree with this point my experience is that for many people in our area 5-10% down payment is sometimes out of reach for them; especially folks starting out or going through major life changes. 2. Compared to the FHA mortgage, USDA loans do not require Mortgage Insurance. On a $200,000 purchase price that saves you $91/month on your mortgage payment. 3. Closing costs can be seller paid or if the home appraises for more than the purchase price they can be added onto the loan and financed. 4. ...
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By Arthur Buhrer MLO 114080, Owner Broker/ Washington State
(Arthur Buhrer, Olympic Mortgage Services CL 1456034)
Initially the first time home buyer tax credit didn’t seem like a motivational factor for residents here in Sequim and Port Angeles. However, since August, once people began to see time winding down on the tax credit; purchases began to increase quickly. For many locals who have be patient are now finding lower home prices, lower interest rates, and all this with an $8,000 credit on the horizon. 3 POINTS about the new Home Buyer tax credit that has been extended as of November 6th. 1. First time home buyer purchases between Jan. 2009 and April 30th 2010 may be eligible. If under contract by or on April 30th you have until June 30th to close on your home purchase. 2. Move up buyers may also eligible for a tax credit up to $6,500. For this you must have resided in your current residence f...
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By Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker
(Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate)
Port Williams Beach in Sequim is a beautiful place to walk along the water's edge, and there's a public boat lunch, too.
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By Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker
(Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate)
Port Williams Beach in Sequim is a beautiful place to walk along the water's edge, and there's a public boat lunch, too.
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By Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker
(Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate)
Sequim real estate is selling, but of course, we are in the slower winter months right now.  We are closing in on the end of 2009, so how do monthly home sales look this year? Here's a chart showing monthly home sales comparing Sequim and Port Angeles site built homes sold in the price range of $200,000 to $500,000. This would include the vast majority of homes sold in our area. Of course, it is no surprise that November and December are slow. These are the slow winter months when buyers have turned their attention to family and to the holiday celebrations. November through March tend to be the slower months as shown in this chart. This year sales did not perk until May, but if the economy is healthy or on the mend, we could see buyers making their move in March of 2010. We did see an u...
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By Arthur Buhrer MLO 114080, Owner Broker/ Washington State
(Arthur Buhrer, Olympic Mortgage Services CL 1456034)
Mary’s husband passed away a couple of years ago and Mary’s life, as she had known it, suddenly changed. The household income was cut by more than half and her responsibility to maintain her life more than doubled. Mary struggled to make the mortgage payments with her single income for two years and even came up short on the property taxes over the last two years. When Mary and I meet she had about a month left before she was going to lose her home. It was hard to believe but she was about to let her home go and was about to walk away from over $100,000 in equity. See owed $110,000 on her home that was worth about $230,000 and was going to just let the bank have it or file bankruptcy. Mary had just turned 62 which is the first requirement for a Reverse mortgage. She also had a lot of eq...
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By Sherry Siegel, Managing Broker, EcoBroker, ABR
(BrokersGroup, serving Sequim and Port Angeles)
.... another brief YouTube video, courtesy of http://warealtor.org/ If you're still wondering if this is a good time to buy a home, you'll definitely want to listen in as Bob and Sally get a lesson on Mortgages, Interest Rates, and Savings. Maybe you don't remember what happened to Interest Rates during the 1980s (OK, maybe you were too young to care about interest rates in the 1980s). Well let me tell you-they were UGLY. They were so ugly I wondered how my kids would ever be able to afford homes of their own. But now it's 2009, and Interest Rates are beautiful.  Here's your chance to grab the low rates while you can.  So what are you waiting for? You've got things to do. Here's a short list: 1. Watch the YouTube video 2. Head on over to wahomeowners.com for some more excellent informat...
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By Sherry Siegel, Managing Broker, EcoBroker, ABR
(BrokersGroup, serving Sequim and Port Angeles)
.... a brief YouTube video, courtesy of http://warealtor.org/ Unless you've been vacationing in other parts of the world for the last year, you've probably heard about the $8,000 First-time Homebuyers Tax Credit.   Still want a chance to use that Tax Credit? You MUST be fast. How fast? The deadline to have everything completed is November 30. So what are you waiting for? You've got things to do. Here's a short list: 1. Watch the YouTube video.     2. Head on over to wahomeowners.com for some more excellent information. 3. Locate a local Realtor to guide you through the process (hint: ActiveRain is a good place to look for a local Realtor.) 4. Ask your Realtor for the name of a trusted local lender--(hint: ActiveRain is also a good place to look for a local lender.) 5. Gather up your tax...
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By Arthur Buhrer MLO 114080, Owner Broker/ Washington State
(Arthur Buhrer, Olympic Mortgage Services CL 1456034)
Why are lenders taking so long to underwrite and fund loans, or even return phone calls? In what used to take two weeks to 30 days tops, depending on appraisal, is now taking 30-60 even 90 days in some cases. Let's start by adding a declining market, a recession, if you will. Next add corporate layoffs and mortgage industry downsizing to the mix. Stir in a heavy dose of credit guideline changes, almost on a daily bases. Fold in Federal lending rate cuts, dropping mortgage interest rates, and exponentially increasing refinancing (refi boom). Lastly, sprinkle Credit crunch on top with new regulations such as HVCC/HERA and what do you get?A recipe for the perfect storm of delayed underwriting, increased fees and costs, and frustrated home buyers. My experience has been pleasant with those ...
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