Since my retirement from the Army in 2004, I have made a point of placing the real estate needs of soldiers and their families at the top of my list.  I have lived the life, and am familiar with the realities of a military move.

This post is an announcement of the creation a new housing website geared to Soldiers, Airmen, and their families, Fort Lewis Realtor.com.   I invite you to visit the website, and make use of the tools available there:

• IDX MLS Mapped searches
• Customizable Email Listing Alerts
• Free Market Snapshot Reports: online report containing easy to interpret sales analysis at the neighborhood level, provided from real time MLS data.
• Instant Home Comps; compiled with MLS not Tax information.
• Area Links and Information

In addition to the resources available on the website, I am always happy to discuss the real estate market, and real estate transactions in general with anyone who will listen.   For more information visit Fort Lewis Realtor.com.

$799,900 South Bay Waterfront At It’s Best; 5 Acres Of Low Bank Waterfront With Beach On Henderson Inlet, 3100 Sf 6 Bed, 4bath Home Featuring Formal Living&dining, Separate Office, Family Room, Large Waterview Deck And Patio. This Daylight Basement Home Is Set Up For Mom With 2nd Kitchen And Ample Living Space Down. Many Recent Upgrades Include New Roof, New Elec. System, New Paint, Updated Kitchen And Baths. Usable Land On A Private Road, Great For Kids, Horses, And Nature.  -  County: Thurston  -  City: Olympia  -  Schl Dist: North Thurston  -  Acres: 5.250

For information contact Phil at 360-970-9977

To view more photos click here

The Real Estate market we are experiencing in

Is your house realtor and showing friendly?  Do you require 24 hour notice to show, or does the listing say “call and show”?  Are the pets living elsewhere, or at least away visiting during showings?  Is the buyers first reaction to look further, or get out the door/back in the car before the sleeping teenager wakes up?

Most of our society, home buyers included, have certain pre-dispositions when it comes to shopping, home buying, and how they feel about being in someone else’s space.  When we go into the “buying” mode we often see things with the following pre-disposition:  It’s too expensive; it’s not perfect (therefore a discount is in order); What are the hidden problems.

The solutions to the first two are obvious, the last may not be.  Buyers are in your space when they view the home.  If you, as the seller, allow for the showing environment to be uncomfortable, most peoples first reaction will be to leave.  This applies to pets in the house, dirty underwear, and everything in between.  If the house is messy, does that mean that maintenance of the house was messy?  If the visible plumbing fixtures are in bad repair, what is the condition of the hidden parts.  Keeping the home in tip top shape may be an inconvienience, but remember that the buyer is the  customer; if the customer isn’t happy, he or she will go elsewhere.

We are in a buyers market, and the customer is king.  Put yourself in the buyers shoes as you prepare to sell your home.  Go out and view other homes on the market and make note of your feelings and reactions to the situations you confront…it will shed new light on being a seller.

To Learn More About the Thurston County Real Estate Market, and more about selling your home; please visit my website, Olympia Property Sales.com.