Free and unrestricted access to all homes listed in the Northwest MLS (Multiple Listing Service). Detailed property descriptions, the latest pricing information, multiple photos, and more are downloaded daily straight from the Northwest MLS system. You no longer have to go from site to site looking for information – it’s all right here!

I am not going to require you to registration to use my Kitsap County real estate search, but by creating an account you’ll be able to: Save your favorite properties and search criteria to your cart for quick, one-click access. Receive regular email updates on new properties in your favorite areas as well as any status or price changes for listings you are watching.

Your question might be, “Can you be a move-up buyer in a buyer’s market?” If you have a home to sell to move up to another home in Kitsap County, this may be the very best time. Your current home may have lost some value, but the “move up” home you have your eye on, which is larger and in a higher price range has lost some value too, probably more in comparison.

Did you know that with my Move-Up Buyer’s Advantage Plan can save you as much as 2% of the sales price of your current Kitsap home? This could save you thousands of dollars in the selling process.

Starting TODAY and running through the end of the year, I am offering a discounted commission program to qualified Move-Up Buyers of Kitsap County.

Remember all real estate commissions are negotiable and there isn’t any set standard real estate commission, but in our area the traditional real estate commission can typically run anywhere from 5% to 6%.

Understanding that many sellers might be confused about whether or not to jump into the Kitsap Real Estate Market with all the talking heads on TV giving us the doom and gloom spiel each and everyday I wanted to implement a plan that would educate sellers in the process of selling a home in a buyer’s market and wanting to move up to another home in the same market area. I researched the internet for programs and ideas to help Move-up Buyers in my market area of Kitsap County, especially in this slow and sluggish market to realize their dreams. I came up with my Move-Up Buyer’s Advantage Plan which will give the Move-Up Buyer an incentive to make that leap to their next home and save them thousands of dollars along the way. Remember that when you are purchasing your Move-Up Home you will be a buyer and it is a Buyer’s Market in Kitsap County. Let’s work this to your advantage as a Move-Up Buyer.

Here is how my Move-Up Buyer’s Advantage Plan works: If you allow me to act as your Buyer’s Agent on the purchase of your next home, I will then list and sell your current home for a total commission of only 4%.

Based on a hypothetical commission of 6%, my Move-Up Buyer’s Advantage Plan offers you a savings of over 33% in real estate commission!

Let’s look at the savings when selling a home listed at $300,000. At the traditional 6% commission rate the amount paid in commission would be $18,000, with my Move-Up Buyer’s Advantage Plan the commission would be $12,000, a huge $6,000 savings! That is $6,000 that you keep! That is $6,000 that you can use to help purchase the next dream home!

If you have thought about selling your Kitsap area home but have been a little hesitant in today’s economic climate my Move-Up Buyer’s Advantage Plan will give you the peace of mind and save you money in the process. Don’t you owe it to yourself and your family to contact me today?

Move-Up Buyer’s Advantage Plan Highlights

• Same professional service
• Coordinated settlements for the sale and purchase transactions
• An exclusive agent that handles all the details
• Substantial savings without service sacrifice

I am a dedicated, Full Service Real Estate Professional
with 14 years of exceptional real estate experience. I only offer top of the line representation to all of my buyers and sellers. Whenever, I offer a special promotion, a discount event or a plan such as this I DO NOT discount my service.

You will find in my Bio this line, “Lots of people sell real estate, but not everyone is good at it.” It is a line that I totally believe. I want you to know that I AM good at it. Any agent can list your home in the NWMLS, but many simply won’t – or they don’t know how – to market your home properly. I do so much more than just enter your home in the NWMLS, I have a full-spectrum marketing strategy that is designed to drive traffic to your home and get you the highest offer price possible.

Move-Up Buyer’s Advantage Plan Qualifications

• DO NOT currently have their home listed with another Real Estate Company
• DO NOT currently have a Buyer Agency Agreement with another Real Estate Agent
• Must be pre-approved for the next home purchase
• Purchase of new home must be in or around the Kitsap County area
• If wanting to purchase New Construction I MUST accompany them on their first trip to the Model Home.

You might have some questions. If you do and are ready or researching a Move-Up home purchase then please contact me via email or phone so that I can explain the process in more detail.

So how you may ask does this commission business work?

Typically in the West Sound area when a home is sold a 5% to 6% commission is paid by the seller. Half of this commission goes the Buyer’s agent and half goes to the Listing agent.

With the Move-Up Buyer’s Advantage Plan you list your home with me and as your Listing agent I will offer you a reduced total commission of just 4% on the sale of your home.

We will enter into a listing agreement at a rate of 4% commission. This commission which is usually split between listing and selling agents isn’t very attractive to the Buyer’s agent and so with my Move-Up Buyer’s Advantage Plan I do the division a little different to be competitive in this Buyer’s Market. I will be paid 1% and the real estate agent working with the buyers of your current home will be paid 3% to stay competitive. Just remember that even though I am reducing my commission I am NOT reducing my service!

When you purchase your next home, the Sellers of that home will also pay a commission to me as your Buyer’s Agent. Because I will earn a commission on both the sale and the purchase of your nest home, I am able to save you money when you sell.

Now, isn’t that simple? You will receive my old fashioned personal service that includes the technology of today at a huge savings!

If you would like more information, or if you would like to get started just send me an EMAIL
or call me at 360-990-1433.

Let’s get you MOVED!

Jo

Are you sitting on the fence? Have you read the many horror stories across the nation? Well, remember real estate is local and here in the Kitsap County area we are in an amazing buyer’s market. It just might be the perfect time for you to purchase a home if you are a First-Time Home Buyer. Here is a nudge to get you into the housing market. On July 30^th President Bush signed into law House Bill 3221 (H.R. 3221: Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008) which included a special tax incentive for First-Time Home Buyers (Sec.3001). This bill provides a tax credit up to $7,500 for homes purchased on or after April 9, 2008, which the First-Time Home Buyer will repay over 15 years following the purchase. This is not a down-payment assistance program, but rather a ZERO INTEREST LOAN that has some amazing features.

• The tax credit is available for first-time home buyers only. Purchaser (and spouse) may not have owned a principal residence in the previous 3 years.
  
• The maximum credit amount is ten percent of the cost of the home and can not exceed $7,500.
  
• Property eligible is any single-family residence that will be a principal residence.
  
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after April 9, 2008 and before
  July 1, 2009.
  
• There are income limits. Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
  
• The tax credit works like an interest-free loan and must be repaid over a 15-year period. Each year 6.67% of the credit to be repaid – if you received the full credit that is only $500.25!. If sold before 15 years than remainder of credit is paid at time of sale.

If this sounds interesting to you why not give me a call so we can discuss it in more detail and I can get you in touch with one of my local lenders. I do not want you to think I am an expert in this area but I do have a network of mortgage lenders that are. You might also want to discuss this with your CPA. I am not allowed to practice law or give tax advice.

Today if you are an eligible veteran you have an opportunity as a home buyer that many non-veterans don’t have when it comes to cash out of pocket to purchase a home. Most of the zero down home loan programs are not available any longer. However if you are a veteran you have the option to use your VA benefit to purchase a home in the Bremerton, Silverdale, Naval Kitsap area of Kitsap County!

Here are some facts and links to the official government web
pages. If you would like to speak with a lender that can handle a VA Home Loan in the Naval Base Kitsap area give me a call – I know just the person to connect you with!

• VA Home Loan Guarantee program provides mortgage insurance with 100% financing.
  
• No monthly mortgage insurance required
  
• Up to 41% Debt to Income Ration
  
• Credit guidelines may be more flexible than other types of loans. No credit – there are ways!
  
• No minimum credit score requirements
  

If you want to do more research prior to making the call please click on the links below.

Department of Veterans Affairs – Home Loan Guaranty Services

Department of Veterans Affairs – Veterans Information Portal

Department of Veterans Affairs – Am I Eligible

The quote listed below is one I have used in my marketing materials for several years, so today when I ran across this news article on MSN from US News and World Report I just had to share.

It is true. Not all real estate professionals are equal. Just like in other professions there are those that have some qualities that make them stand out. With the slower market of today you want to make sure that the real estate professional you choose is the best fit for you. Read the article and let me know what you think.

I began my real estate career in 1994. I soon found out that I loved selling real estate and that I was really good at it! Lots of people sell real estate, but not everyone is good at it. I bring to my clients the commitment to work hard and have fun.

6 signs of a crummy real-estate agent

Directions:

3200 NW Byron, Silverdale WA

In 2004 the Kitsap County Veteran’s Memorial was dedicated in a ceremony that included speeches, color guards and the raising of the United States flag along with the POW/MIA flag and the service flags of each branch of the military.

I found the original program of the ceremony on the Kitsap County Veterans Memorial web site and found it to be very interesting. I wasn’t living in the area during 2004 and so was unable to enjoy this very impressive ceremony.





I have however, been to the memorial on a few occasions and find it to be one that is very peaceful and inspiring. I guess that is because it is on the waterfront. Something about paying respect to those who have served our Nation in such a setting is very calming.
The Kitsap County Veterans Memorial is located adjacent to Silverdale Waterfront Park next to the gazebo area right down on the shore.

Here is a video I recorded on July 11th.

Following is information for the first six months of the 2008 local Kitsap County Real Estate Market. This information is the Average Days on Market (DOM) along with the Average % of List Price received on Solds all listed by Market Time.

Silverdale

Bremerton

	0-30 Days	31-60 Days	61-90 Days	91-120 Days	120+ Days
No. of Listings	124	74	54	40	94
Breakdown %	32.12	19.17	13.99	10.36	24.35
Avg % SP/LP	99.16	97.70	97.31	98.26	97.69

Kitsap County

	0-30 Days	31-60 Days	61-90 Days	91-120 Days	120+ Days
No. of Listings	344	209	167	121	369
Breakdown %	28.43	17.27	13.80	10.00	30.50
Avg % SP/LP	99.40	96.70	96.82	96.89	95.46

“Statistics not compiled or published by NWMLS.”
Equal Opportunity Housing
All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed

Homes on Market :: 2153

Median Market time for 2008 :: 74 Days

Homes on Market right now longer than 120 days :: 781 of which 75 have been on the market longer than 365 days – yes, longer than ONE YEAR!

Of the homes listed for sale between $200,000 and $300,000 there are 211 that have been on the market longer than 120 days. Homes listed for sale between $300,000 and $400,000 run second place with a total of 156 homes on the market longer than 120 days.

Yes, it’s a buyer’s market in Kitsap County with proof from the absorption rate and yet buyer activity is so slow because sellers are either not getting the correct information from their real estate professional or they aren’t listening to the advice. I also believe that some real estate professionals are taking the listing not based on facts and numbers but on wishes and dreams.

If you want to sell your home in Kitsap County and realize your dreams you must price the property to sell. Why be on the market for 6 months, 9 months or even 1 year? Reduce your price and do what you were planning to do. Why is everyone wasting so much time and energy on over-priced listings? The market has changed!

Just because a seller states the home is sold “as-is” you will still need to have a home inspection done for YOU.  I don’t care if the seller isn’t going to repair any problems and I am sure if they have had their real estate agent list the home “as-is” there are probably plenty. “AS-IS” really is a “legal term” that is over used in the remarks section of many real estate listings. “As-is” still must come with disclosures if the seller is aware.

Anyway, this isn’t about the seller, this is about you the buyer. If you find a home with “as-is” in the remarks section the seller is trying to tell you that they will not repair any item, so why would you pay to have an inspection done? Why would you shell out $300-$400 dollars on an inspection that only means something to you? THAT IS WHY! It will mean something to YOU!

I see the inspection like the “story of a home” and you need a place to start writing your chapter. Just imagine if the story is a murder mystery and really scary. Would you want to know the facts so you could solve the mystery or would you rather find them on your own? I myself would want some help because I am no NCIS agent. I don’t possess all the tools or the knowledge to be able to uncover all of the dark scary secrets of some homicides homes.

I have written offers for buyers on homes where the seller refuses to finish projects, refuses to fix items, and refuses to listen to requests from buyers. I wrote these offers still contingent on a home inspection. Just because you know a seller won’t repair any items you may not know all the items that need repair. You WILL have an inspection done so that you will have the facts. Once you have the facts you can decide to continue on to solve the mystery closing or you can pick out a different title with not as scary of a plot home that isn’t “as-is”.