Monthly Rent is a 100% Interest Rate and Gives a Tenant Zero Rate of Return. There is a lot of discussion out there with interest rates rising and home loans becoming unaffordable. Let's break down some math for those of you that are currently renting. If your current lease is $2,400 a month that equates to $28,800 a year you're giving your landlord. A 2 year period that number jumps to $57,600 and in a 5 year period it equates to $144,000 that you never seen any ROI from. And, if you're in your mid 40s and you've rented for 20 years, you've paid out $576,000. So, take a moment and do some math. How much is your rent? How many years you've been renting? And, see what that looks like. And, if you have questions about buying a home and start putting that money in your pocket, because you ... 02/28/2023

4 Items YOU Expect when Interviewing a Real Estate Agent to Sell a Home or Property.When you're interviewing a real estate broker to sell your home property you at bare minimum should expect the 4 following things. 1. Above average communication. In a shifting market timely communication will be critical to a successful sale, 2. A robust marketing plan that includes professional photos, drone video, Matterport or other VR videos along with a robust social media marketing campaign, 3. You should expect open houses. At least for the first weekend and every other weekend till the home sells. 4. Brokers opens. Brokers opens are catered mostly to real estate brokers and are conducted on a certain day of the week depending on your area. Kinda like MLS definitions. So, if you're interviewing, ... 02/21/2023

So you have prequalification in hand. You have or wants / needs list balance and now its time to start looking at homes. 2 Things to Think about When Starting to Look at Homes. The First One: Compare the square footage of the home you're looking at online and the one you're looking at online. If you're looking at a home that is a1,000sf online and you live in 1,000sf and its to small there is no real point to go look at the home because it "might work". It might but the likelihood is low. The Second: Is Neighborhood composition. Real estate agent rarely put neighborhood pictures in a listing unless its a playground or park. So if you don't want to live in a certain neighborhood and your real estate agent didn't send you the property there might be a reason. Call and ask them: What kind ... 02/14/2023

Forever Home vs. Starter Home. Changing Mindset to Make a Move-Up Move in 5-7 Years. When people are buying their 1st home a term I hear quite frequently is "Forever Home" and understandably so. People are really excited about buying their 1st house and they want to have all the features for the long haul. That 10, 15, 20 years of living in the house. Yet, when you're getting started buying a 1st home there is a "Starter Homes". We call the "Starter Homes" for a reason. That allows a new homeowner get used to monthly payments, unforeseen expenses and then as life changes we use that equity and market appreciation to then go buy "Move-Up" purchase or "Forever Home". So, change mindset about 1st House and maybe it doesn't have to have all the bells and whistles in it but maybe it will be ... 02/13/2023

We're starting to receive some positive, and some negative, feedback across the socials so I made a quick video stemming from a recent interaction - watch below.One piece of feedback that sparked a past video came from a Facebook message just saying "thank you" and that they're learning a lot from these easy to follow real estate shorts.While the videos usually require 15 or so takes to make a one minute video I'm happy with, the videos are garnering a steady stream of views, likes, and driving subscriptions / follows. 02/02/2023

What are VA Home Loan Limits in Snohomish County, Wa?You might be surprised they're well over $600,000. Click the video to watch a 1 minute video explaining the zero down loan limits, type of homes that qualify (view all VA qualify homes here), and more. If you have questions please send a message or give me a call at 425-210-0709 to discuss using your VA Eligibility. 01/19/2023

An often overlooked home maintenance item is the home's dryer vent. Why is cleaning a dryer vent important?1. Eliminates (or greatly reduces) a Fire Hazard within the Home: Dryer lint has been known to catch fire when it builds up inside the vent.2. Improves Dryer Efficiency: With a clean vent a dryer will be operate normally and improve drying times.3. Reduces a Home's Interior Moisture Levels: Since the moist air can easily flow out the dryer vent, the interior of the home, and/or laundry area, will not experience increased moisture levels thus reduces the risk of mold and mildew.As the video shows, the cleaning takes less than 5 minutes using the Linteater Dryer-Vent Cleaning Kit that I purchased from Lowes.How To: Clean Dryer Vents in Less than 5 Minutes 12/15/2022

For the month of September, we focused on PCS-ing to Naval Station Everett, understanding VA benefits, learning towns near the Naval Station, improving personal credit, and applying for a VA home loan. The entire newsletter can be read here or by click the image below.If you're PCS-ing to Naval Station Everett, a active/veteran/discharge service member we can help you purchasing a home. We look forward to working hard for you because you work hard for us! Thank you for service and have a great day! 09/22/2022

Joy Blodgett is a loan officer with Caliber Home Loans and is also my wife. Over the years, Joy has worked with my clients to improve credit scores, get qualified for a home, refinance an existing loan, and teach overall financing and savings. With interest rates adjusting upwards people have to save and plan more when purchasing a home. In this quick video, Joy explains how you can become a saver with some simple steps you can do as there is no better time to start than now.If you have question or would like to talk to Joy directly please call her at 425-879-5771 09/02/2022

The next video in the series How-To Build a Shop in Snohomish County has been published.In this video I cover 3 topics The County's Permit Website. The Architect I Hired. Submitting Building Plans. The video is over 8 mins yet this step starts to set the tone of getting your shop built and submitted to County for review.Thank you for tuning and as always, please comment, call, or email if I can be of help! 07/21/2022

As you may or may not know, I am making a video series on How-To Build a Shop in Snohomish County, Wa and to inject a bit of humor, and a bit of reality at the same time, I decided to make a video meme of how I'm feeling. Hope you enjoy the YouTube short. 06/10/2022

Previously, I made a video on how to care for a roof by applying moss kill semi-annually. Since making the original video back in 2018 that video has garnered over 12k views and a fair amount of comments. Those results are pretty good for a quick driveway video.Yet, those comments have held a constant theme of "you didn't show us how to apply it and that is why were are on YouTube". Regardless of my personal beliefs of how not difficult applying moss kill is by listening to the video or reading the instructions, I made a follow up video showing my exact steps.Here is the second video in the Home Maintenance Minute video. It took using a few GoPro's and the phone & mic to get enough footage to make a video and hope it is actually interesting enough to watch. 05/27/2022

The next video in our series How to Build a Shop in Snohomish County is out and we decided to focus on receiving a As-Built from the Department of Health and locating the property's drainfield as to avoid getting a permit denied based on an improper encroachment. 04/14/2022

Out of 1,700 real estate agents and teams under the Ben Kinney Brokerages of Keller Williams, we were #14 in total homes sold in 2021.We are very proud of our achievement because we are a small team. We don't have admin staff, we don't have just buyer's agents, we don't have just listing agents. We have Mickie, Toby, & Tracy in 2021. Tracy has relocated to Spokane ☹️ yet we're happy for in her new adventure with Kelly Right RE of Spokane LLC.Looking forward, we are excited to have added Casey Stivers to the team and having a successful 2022!In addition, Toby was #10 Team Agent by Units Across all Ben Kinney Brokerages Locations in 2021. Have to be proud of that!!!Ok, the self pat-on-the-back is over 😀 03/30/2022

With April approaching, we decided to put together some infographics, using a newspaper format, regarding Snohomish County property taxes. If you're interested in knowing more please enjoy the read on 7 different topics and impact Snohomish County property owners. 03/28/2022

I starting a new series on Shops in Snohomish County and more specifically How To Build a Shop in Snohomish County. You might ask why this series is important. My clients as well as our area, shops are highly desirable and people want a nice covered space for projects, storage, and even work. So this series is aimed at answer questions Snohomish County residents may have about the process - design, permitting, and construction. Thanks for tuning and we'll see in later videos.Also, don't forget to ask your questions in the comments or send me an email at toby@barnettassociates.net. 03/02/2022

In a recent transaction, where the sellers relocated prior to closing, the escrow company needed the propane tanks' percentage reading. While out at the property I decided to make a quick video on how propane tank leases and propane tank levels typically work in a Washington real estate transaction. 01/20/2022

Charming Lake Stevens Home with Lake Views OverviewMapsPhotosFeaturesMarket Stats List Price $599,500 Single Family Home Main Features 4 Bedrooms2.5 BathroomsInterior: 1,960 sqftLot: 2,542 sqftYear Built: 2013MLS #: 1877923 Location 1300 92nd Avenue NELake Stevens, WA 98258 Description Lakeside living is yours w this lovely Lake Pointe home. Roomy, open-concept layout maximizes airy spaces. Upgrades galore: new paint, carpet, advanced lighting, smart home, security. Large kitchen w/ oversized island, granite, stainless appliances – ideal for entertaining. Excellent flow to dining, living and 2nd story deck. The bedrooms are restful havens, with a standout owner’s suite: the deep soaking tub is an indulgent treat, and the closet is cavernous. Wake up to water views and you’ll never go b... 01/13/2022

Wow! What a year 2021 has been and we come into the 4th quarter, Mickie, Tracy, and I (Toby) are working hard to help accomplish folk's real estate goals, make improvements to the website, and revamp our newsletter.To start, we'd like to thank the nearly 3,500 people who have registered, at one time or another, on the website and the nearly 500 people a day who activity use the website. Being a Snohomish County focused real estate team & website, it is a big deal to us to have so many that continue to find value in what we provide. Since the early years of online home search, circa 2005, when barnettassociates.net was the first local site to allow people to publicly search properties so much has changed, and we are continuing to look towards the future.The website is receiving 2 major u... 11/12/2021

Just Sold! Investment Opportunity in Marysville OverviewMapsMarket Stats $510,000 Single Family Home Main Features 6 Bedrooms1.75 BathroomsInterior: 2,120 sqftLot: 25,700 sqftYear Built: 1948MLS #: 1801414 Location 5707 61st Street NEMarysville, WA 98270 Description Zoning is R6.5 and has potential to keep the current structure, rehab, and rent out during subdivision process. Consult the City of Marysville to explore opportunities available. This six bedroom house has potential for great cashflow. The lots would have a partial water view from a second story. The house itself will require a full rehab to reach market standards for a rental property. Sharpen your pencil and run the numbers as this asset is available today. Put a single family or maybe a duplex. This could be a great plac... 11/09/2021