Eastside Real Estate Working-for-you!

Monday's Inspiration -- A New Year's Prayer

Happy New Year!

During this coming year, may you enjoy good health and happiness.

May you have a kiss from your beloved, a smile from a child, a warm cozy home with the aroma of good food baking in the oven. May you have a merciful IRS agent, good friends and helpful neighbors. May you enjoy the fruits of your labors, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, and may the sun shine
on your face - but not too much.

May your computer and your refrigerator both be safe from spam, and may your email bring you only good news and jokes that are not as old as you are!

May you finally learn to understand what it is that you are supposed to eat: is it more pasta and less carbs? Or less pasta and more carbs . or is pasta a carb - in which case you can't eat it! Should you drink more coffee for the sake of itsinvigorating caffeine or should you drink decaffeinated coffee which is healthier, andwhich comes with a choice of artificial sweeteners - one of which causes cancer and the other which causes brain damage - I can never remember which. May the West Nile virus go back to the West Nile where it belongs and leave the rest of us alone.

May your occupation, whatever it may be, homemaker or doctor, lawyer or tailor, house husband or stock broker, give you much satisfaction.
And may it also earn you enough money to send your children through college and graduate school, and to support them ever after.

May you see a rainbow, may your child hit a home run with the bases loaded, may your team score a touchdown.

In this New Year that now begins, may your hair your teeth, your facelift and your stocks not fall, and may your blood pressure, your cholesterol and your mortgage interest rate not rise.

May you win the lottery, and thereby acquire a host of long lost relatives.

May your children and grandchildren receive a good report in school, and may you receive a good report also, from your dentist, from your ophthalmologist, from your dermatologist, from your cardiologist, from your gastroenterologist, from your podiatrist, from your urologist and ultimately, from your God. Whenever it rains - and it will - may you have anumbrella.

Exerpts from a New Year's Prayer by Rabbi Jacob Pressman

Friday's Did You Know? Isquowh...

Did you know that Issaquah hasn't always been Issaquah.   Issaquah is actually a corruption of the correct name "isquow, " which means "sound of water birds"...So I suppose  Issaquah means "used to sound like birds but now sounds like development"?

Issaquah also went by another name "Gilman" from 1892-1899. 

Seattle Eastside Real Estate Statistics -- November 2007

Here is a complete statistical analysis for the Seattle Eastside Real Estate NWMLS zones 500-600 for single family homes (not condos)

 

To see detailed charts of facts and trends for Seattle/Eastside real estate, click this link:
Show charts

Monday's Inspiration -- The Day We Celebrate The Birth of a Baby.

⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

    ⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

    ¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
    ¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Merry Christmas!

  From:  http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Luke+2&version=31

Sometimes things aren't exactly as they seem......

I received this in email the other day.  It will drive you nuts!

This is not an animated picture.  Your eyes are making it move.  To prove it, stare at one spot for a couple of seconds and everything will stop moving, or look at the black center of each circle and that circle will stop.  Now move your eyes to the next black circle and the one you were looking at will starting moving again.  What happens whey you look at the "Y" on the edges?

 

Friday's Did You Know? -- The Ferry Kalakala

The futuristic ferry, Kalakala, was built in the Lake Washington Shipyards, in Kirkland, and was launched on July 2, 1935.  The Kalaka was built for the Seattle to Bremerton run and was the largest and fastest ferry on Puget Sound.

She was very luxurious and was considered a tourist attraction.  The Kalakala even entertained passengers with her own eight piece orchestra.

To read more about the facinating ferry,  Kalakala, click here! http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=312

Cost vs. Value 2007 - Kitchen remodel

Oh, the kitchen... I've seen couples go out with every intention of buying a house only to end up buying a kitchen.  They grab you, seduce you... get you daydreaming about what it would be like to live in that home more than any other living area.  But, are they worth the effort to upgrade remodel?  OF COURSE!  Even without the report I can testify that the kitchen is the spokesman for the entire house.  Potential buyers will stand in the kitchen and judge the house...thats the emotion of the kitchen, lets look at the hard numbers!
Today we'll take a look at the kitchen section of Remodeling Cost vs. value report 2007.   All of this information and more can be downloaded at http:www.costvalue.com.

Major Kitchen Remodel - Midrange:
Criteria:  Update an outmoded 200-square-foot kitchen with a functional layout of 30 linear feet of semi-custom wood cabinets, including a 3x5 foot island; laminate countertops; and standard double-tub stainless-steel sink with standard single-lever faucet.  Include energy efficient wall oven, cooktop, ventilation system, built-in microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and custom lighting.  Add new resilient flooring.  Finish with painted walls, trim and ceiling.

JOB COST:  $60,199
RESALE VALUE: $64,785
COST RECOUPED:  107.6%

Minor Kitchen Remodel - Midrange:
Criteria:  In a functional but dated 200-square-foot kitchen with 30 linear feet of cabinetry and countertops.  Leave cabinet boxes in place but replace fronts with new raised-panel wood doors and drawers, including new hardware.  Replace wall oven and cook-top with new energy-efficient models.  Replace laminate countertops; install mid-priced sink and faucet.  Repaint trim, add wall covering, and remove and replace resilient flooring.

JOB COST:  $22,380
RESALE VALUE: $28,183
COST RECOUPED:  125.9%

Major Kitchen Remodel - Upscale
Criteria:  Update outmoded 200-square-foot kitchen with 30 linear feet of top-of-the-line custom cherry cabinets with built-in sliding shelves and other interior accessories.  Include stone countertops with imported ceramic or glass tile back-splash; built-in refrigerator, cooktop, and 36-inch commercial grade range and vent hood; build-in warming drawer, trash compactor, and built-in combination microwave and convection oven.  Install high-end under-mount sink with designer faucets, and built-in water filtration system.  Add new general and task lighting including low-voltage under-cabinet lights.  Install cork flooring, cherry trim.

JOB COST:  $116,210
RESALE VALUE: $115,287
COST RECOUPED:  99.2%

All of the statistical information was provided by
c 2007 Hanley Wood, LLC.  Reproduced by permission.  Complete city data from the Remodeling 2007 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded for free at www.costvsvalue.com

   

Monday's Inspiration -- A Father's Love, Team Hoyt

Over the years, I've seen many inspirational speakers.  I've seen Team Hoyt speak twice while attending Brian Buffini's Mastermind conferences, and have read Dick Hoyt's book.  These guys are truly inspirational.  Take a moment and watch this video.

Home Improvement...Cost Vs. Value 2007 overview

Don't you just love talking home improvement?  Everyone loves to daydream as they prepare their home for selling, or as the walk through a home looking to buy.  Inevitably the questions start... what do you think the value of this is... or how much do you think it would cost to...

Well the 2007 cost vs. value report is in!

As expected, the Seattle area shows significant strength in any and all home improvement projects when you consider cost vs. value.  We are higher then both the Pacific Region and the 2007 national averages.  You can download the entire report at http://www.costvsvalue.com.

Though our numbers in Seattle are higher than the averages,  Only about half of the midrange projects are worth MORE than they cost upon resale. The projects that get you the most bang for buck? (the percentages on the right displays the cost recouped for each home improvement project)

Attic Bedroom Remodel         106.3%
Basement Remodel                107.8%
Bathroom Remodel                     105.8% 
Wood Deck Addition                  120.4%
Major Kitchen Remodel            107.6%
Minor Kitchen Remodel           125.9%
Two Story Addition                    101.1%
Vinyl Window Replacement   107.9%
Wood Window Replacement    116.6%

On the flip side, there are those projects that just don't yeild the fruits of your labor.  Here are the list of losers:

Bathroom Addition                     90.7%
Family Room Addition               95.3%
Garage Addition                           93.2%
Home Office Remodel                75.5%
Master Suite Addition                93.9%
Roofing Replacement              90.6%
Siding Replacement                94.3%
Sun Room Addition                 72.7%

Over the next couple weeks, I'll break down some of the categories.  We'll look at project description, cost, and cost recouped, so stay tuned!  

All of the statistical information was provided by
c 2007 Hanley Wood, LLC.  Reproduced by permission.  Complete city data from the Remodeling 2007 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded for free at www.costvsvalue.com

   

When A Client Turns Into a Friend

Today, I had lunch with one of my best all-time clients, Tom.  Tom and I have done over 10 transactions together over the years, and he's referred many other clients to me.  When I look down my client list, Tom ranks right up there.

What made today's lunch special for me, is Tom brought me two venison steaks. 

Tom is hard worker for sure, but when hunting season comes.... bye bye, Tom.  He's headed for the fields in Eastern Washington to  hunt those elusive mule and white tail deer.  This year he was successful and he brought me two venison steaks.

Those steaks are valuable.  Heck, there's not all that much meat on a deer.....and he gave me two of them.  Those steaks came from Tom's passions.  They came from the two weeks in his life he uses to recharge.  The costs from those steaks came from his outfitting from his truck and clothing to rifle and scope.  They came from practice to shoot straight and true.  They came from the hours of stories he's shared about his hunting fields....the new scope he just purchased, his hopes before he goes....and his successes.

But most of all, they came from friendship.

Thank you,Tom

Greg Perry