When You Want To Sell Your Home

You might be thinking about selling your home. After all, Spring is coming, right? When is the best time of year to sell your home? Is it Spring, Summer, Fall, or.... Winter? The answer might surprise you, or you might even think I'm pulling your leg. Many think that Winter isn't a good time to sell because the real estate market is "slow."

Well, it certainly has been harder to get around in Moses Lake because of the snow, but that hasn't kept me inside. I went to all of the open houses on our Broker's Open House Tour on Tuesdy, and they were wonderful to go into. In fact, there were only four on tour instead of the usual 10-16 or so, so I was able to go see every one of them, and I'd love to sell each one of them. So, if you are selling your house in the winter time and there are just a few homes on tour, then the agents will get to see every one of them in the 3 hour time span of tour, and the more likely that if they SEE your home, they will want to sell your home to the buyer they have, waiting to purchase their dream home. So, when is the best time to sell your home? THe answer is: anytime there's a buyer and an agent who gets to show your home. I have four clients who are preparing to sell their home with me as their real estate agent, and it's an exciting time of the year for them!

May your home be on the next Tuesday Tour!

Oh, and if you're snowed in while you're reading this, how about playing a fun game? Scroll all the way to the bottom and play the GYRO GAME.

So, You Want To Be A Real Estate Agent?

That's great that you are working on getting your real estate license. Two words I consistently have for real estate is that it is FUN and it's also CHALLENGING. It's never balanced between the two, and there is SO much on-the-job-training.

Here are some tips that I would have appreciated when I was working on my Rockwell Online Class...

Do all you can to pass ALL of the short quizzes throughout the course in order to pass the chapter exams and final exam with flying colors. You have three attempts at the end of the course to pass the final exam. Study the chapter exams and study the answers. They will help with the final exam. Now, as for the state licensing exam, it's more on common sense regarding real estate, but it's also a difficult exam. A large percentage of what you learn in the class won't be in the state exam. (Ironic!)

I have been in real estate as an assistant before, and have worked in the legal field, so I had some experience under my belt. You find out right after you take the state license exam whether you pass or fail. They don't give you a percentage either way. Get a good night's rest before you take the exam and expect a good outcome because of excellent study habits throughout the course.

Set aside a minimum of $3,000 to get started. There are LOTS of fees, association dues, membership dues, possibly franchise fees, desk fees, office supplies you buy, wardrobe changes....

Depending on where you work, you'll need business cards, a desk (possibly provided), a phone, a computer that you provide, a cell phone with 450-900 minutes per month ($60-$90/mo), a lot of determination and drive, a work-hard attitude, and a love of helping people. Interview two or more real estate companies before choosing one. I love the company I work with. Everybody in the office is incredibly helpful and the competition is very friendly. The broker/owners are always ready with advice, but ready to let you make your own decisions and mistakes, and believe me, there are plenty of mistakes to learn from, but try not to let those mistakes be ones that compromise client confidentiality or broker advice. Find a niche (homes, land, commercial) and become an expert at one before trying another. Have a plan for finding new clients. Read some good books by Danielle Kennedy. She is AWESOME for helping with details in getting started.

Read a book called "21 Things I Wish My Broker Would Have Told Me." Buy your real estate books on http://www.half.com/. They're cheaper! And last, but not least, when you interview a real estate company, try to have someone you can "shadow" while you're in training. This helps to shorten the learning curve, though it will still be high.

I hope this helps! I am excited for you! And for you spouses of up-and-coming real estate agent, it will be very important for you to be incredibly supportive of your spouse because the first year in real estate is tough! The average agent doesn't make their first sale for six months. One didn't make his first until his ninth month. I was fortunate and made two sales so far. But this is unusual.

Good luck and God bless you!

Connie Suehiro, 509-431-5804

Call me for a free list of homes in Moses Lake in your price range!

January 21, 2008 Economic Update from Mike Bess

Connie,

Here is a link to my
"January 21, 2008 Economic Update":
http://realtytimes.com/ncmeu/30/1.MikeBess

This Newsletter is full of interesting and useful information that I think you will enjoy whether you are a buyer, seller, homeowner, or renter.

This month's issue includes the following topics:
"Are You Leaving a Tax Deduction on the Table?"
"Investor Report: College and University Towns"

Plus a Calendar showing the most important economic indicators and their upcoming release dates.

I hope you enjoy this bi-weekly Newsletter.

If you have any comments, please e-mail them to me. Or, if you would like to see a certain topic covered in future months, let me know that too!

Sincerely,
Mike Bess

Michael Bess
Mortgage Banker
National City Mortgage, a division of National City Bank
31620 23rd Ave S #200
Federal Way, WA 98003
Office: 253-839-6500
Mobile: 253-632-0105
Fax: 253-839-6520
Email: mike.bess@ncmc.com
Web Page: http://www.ncmc.com/mikebess

(reproduced by permission from Mike Bess - Thanks, Mike!)

Can You Believe The Interest Rates??

My friend, Heidi Backus, of Ascendant Capital Mortgage, here in Moses Lake, keeps me up to date on home loan interest rates. I'm sure you keep tabs from the news how the federal government is doing in bringing down rates because of our nation's economy.

The GREAT news for you buyers AND sellers for today is that today's interest rate for a 30 year loan, with five percent down, is 5.5%!! That's wonderful for buyers so your monthly payment can be easy on your family's budget, and it's great for you sellers simply because it's an incentive for the potential buyers for your home.

Let's say you want to buy a house for $100,000 at 5.5% interest rate.

When I plug in the numbers in our NWMLS financial calculator, here's what your financial statement could potentially look like with a $100,000 sales price, $5,000 down, and a 5.5% interest rate on $95,000 for 30 years, taking into account the monthly payments of principal, interest, PMI (mortgage insurance), property tax, and homeowners insurance: a house payment around $700 to $750 per month. Now, would those numbers work for you?

Are you renting? What is your monthly rent? $700 to $750 per month? It's time to buy and invest in your financial future. Think about it, and then call me at 509-431-5804. I'll help you find a home you can afford and a lender you'll really enjoy working with.

Here are some other potential monthly payments:

Sales price: $125,000, 5% down, 5.5% interest: approx $868/mo.

Sales price: $150,000, 5% down, 5.5% interest: approx $1,024/mo.

Sales price: $150,000, 10% down, 5.5% interest: approx $946/mo.

Sales price: $250,000, 5% down, 5.5% interest: approx $1,645/mo.

Sales price: $350,000, 5% down, 5.5 interest: approx $2,270/mo.

Naturally, these numbers also depend on your credit rating among other factors that the lenders are experts at, but you get a general idea of what your monthly payment could be if you bought a house today. My disclaimer here: I'm not the lending expert, and these are approximations, so consult your lender as soon as you read this, or contact Heidi Backus at Ascendant Capital Mortgage at 509-771-1061, and she will give you her expert advice on obtaining a home loan. She's GREAT to work with.

Call me for a free list of homes in your price range: 509-431-5804 - Connie Suehiro

Do You Want To Buy A Home at a GREAT price?

Today in the Moses Lake area, there are 83 homes for sale for $180,000 and less. The interest rates keep going down, so now is a GREAT time to buy!

Did you go to the Gary Mann Real Estate Showcase of Homes last Saturday? Wasn't it fun? I went out to Joyce DeLeon's listing in Cove West, behind the old State Park (Blue Heron Park), and oh, the fixtures and accessories are just gorgeous! Everything is high quality like J&J Construction always puts in their homes. Be sure you go out to our Showcase of Homes this Saturday too. Look for our full page ad in the Friday Columbia Basin Herald newspaper or come in to our office at 305 E. Third for a full color brochure and a mapped route, with the details on each home we're showing this weekend from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.


See you there!


Connie

Moses Lake Open House - Showcase of Homes

Gary Mann Real Estate is hosting our weekly Showcase of Homes in Moses Lake. For a list of open houses on Saturday from 12-3, come down to the office at 305 E. Third or pick up the Friday Columbia Basin Herald and take a look at the back side of the front page. We have about 10 open houses in our Showcase of Homes this weekend. Look for our open houses every Friday. You can also stop by any of these locations for a flyer with a mapped route inside: Michael's, The Lake Inn, Bob's Cafe, Azteca, Perkins, Travelodge, and many other hotels and restaurants in Moses Lake.

If you would like your home showcased in our Showcase of Homes, come on down to Gary Mann Real Estate and ask for Connie, or give me a call at 509-431-5804 and I'll help you get your house ready for sale and ready for an open house. I look forward to meeting you!

Connie Suehiro

Real Estate Agent

509-431-5804

Gary Mann Real Estate, Moses Lake, WA

A New Season, A New Association President

The Moses Lake - Othello Realtor Association has new state directors and a new Association President for the year. Today at our monthly meeting and luncheon, catered by the Serenity Cafe', Jason Hall, of Gary Mann Real Estate, was inaugurated as our new president as he took the oath of office. We thank Mary Thorne for the great job she has done this past year and welcome Jason Hall as the new president. Congratulations, Jason!


For help with all your real estate needs, feel free to call me, and also, be sure to ask for your free list of homes in the Moses Lake area in your price range. I'll email or mail it to you. 509-431-5804 direct

~Connie

Waterfront Home Video Clip

At the Open House in the Showcase of Homes that our real estate company, Gary Mann Real Estate, hosted last Saturday, I recorded a 15-second clip of the frozen lake behind the home for sale at 5108 Shorecrest, in the Cascade Valley of Moses Lake. I hope you enjoy it! Click on the arrow in the screen below:

Call me for a free list of homes in your price range: 509-431-5804.

Connie Suehiro

Real Estate Agent

What Are The Lending Rates Today? GREAT!!

According to MortgageLoan.Com today, a

30 Yr Fixed loan is 5.44%.

That is amazing! It's time to buy a house at that rate! How exciting for all you buyers out there.

For more information on rates today, click here: http://www.mortgageloan.com/

Then call me direct for a free list of homes in your price range:

509-431-5804 I look forward to talking with you!

Looking for a Home or Job in Moses Lake?

We have both!

According to a recent announcement, "Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) has decided to more than double its production of polysilicon and commence construction of a third plant that will be located in Moses Lake, Washington."

For the full story, click here: http://www.grantedc.com/files/newsletters/61_REC_Announcement.pdf

Are you interested in finding out the value of your home in Moses Lake and the surrounding area? Gather some information for me, like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage of your home, and provide the year it was built, the area or neighborhood you're in, your address, and if you have a fireplace, family room and what type of heating and cooling you have. Then, call me for a free evaluation of what your home may be worth. I'd love to help you find out this information, and if you're ready, to help you sell it.

If you need to find a home to buy, go to www.GaryMannRealEstate.com. We have ALL of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service's homes on our webpage, including many virtual tours. Just come and check it out. Many buyers look first on the internet for their homes.

I look forward to working with you!

Connie Suehiro
Real Estate Agent
Gary Mann Real Estate
305 E. Third
Moses Lake, WA 98837
509-431-5804 direct

Housing Sales in Moses Lake Looking GOOD

In Los Angeles, you'll see this headline: Housing Outlook Takes a Grim Turn

In Moses Lake, you could see this headline: Gary Mann Real Estate of Moses Lake/Ephrata Continues to Climb in Sales When Many Other Real Estate Companies have Taken a Downturn.

What do our sales mean for you as a buyer or seller? It means when you need to have your home sold, we'll have buyers for you! And when you need to buy a home, we'll have the knowledge and customer service to help you find the home that would help you fit your needs.

If you would like our statistics that we just went through in our Agent's weekly meeting that we had this morning, call me today and you'll get a sample of our information along with a free list of homes available in your price range. In Moses Lake alone today, there are 285 homes for sale. These range in price from $50,000 up past $700,000, with 125 of them being less than $200,000, and of those 125, 53 homes are less than $150,000. So, call me today for that free list, and let's get you connected with a lender who can help you find your price range. The mortgage rates are down again, so it's a good time to buy in Moses Lake!

Call me at 509-431-5804 directly or 509-765-3463 at the office. I look forward to serving your needs.

Connie Suehiro
Real Estate Agent
Gary Mann Real Estate
305 E. Third
Moses Lake, WA 98837

Amortization Calculators

I was showing a wonderful home on New Year's Eve to a family, and the buyer, who fell in love with it, asked me, "How much would the monthly payment be if I bought this house?" I thought to myself, "I should know this, but I'm not an expert (though I should be) in monthly payments." Fortunately, I KNOW an expert, and that's even better! So, I asked them if I could have a lender call them, and they said, "Yes!" They set up an appointment to meet with her.

But what if you want to know NOW? If you'd like to get an idea of what the monthly payments on your next home would be, I'd like to introduce you to Mike Bess' mortgage calculator online, (and you don't even need to disclose your name or other personal information.) Go to his online newsletter, scroll down to "DO THE MATH" and click on Amortization Schedule. Click here: http://realtytimes.com/ncm/81/1.MikeBess

Happy New Year!

For a FREE list of homes in your price range, call me at 509-431-5804.

Connie Suehiro
Real Estate Agent
Gary Mann Real Estate
305 E. Third
Moses Lake, WA 98837
509-431-5804 direct
509-765-3463 office

Homes Sales - Good News, Bad News

There are all kinds of real estate news going across the nation. Here are some recent news story lines:

- Home Sales Up a Bit, Situation Bleak
- SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- The historic Ridpath Hotel in Spokane is for sale for $8.5 million.
- What to do if you're facing foreclosure
- Waiting to refinance would not be wise


Good News!
APPROXIMATELY:
Over 510 Homes Sold in Moses Lake, WA in the year 2005
Over 530 Homes Sold in Moses Lake, WA in the year 2006
Over 610 Homes Sold in Moses Lake, WA in the year 2007



Now, of course, I'll add a disclaimer here. These numbers are approximate, but they are very close! We're growing, and it is exciting for our part of the world.


Come join us! Call me for a FREE list of homes in your price range:
Connie Suehiro 509-431-5804 direct
Gary Mann Real Estate
305 E. Third
Moses Lake, WA 98837