Home Sales in Moses Lake are up!

Home sales for Moses Lake for October are now in:

July sales: 30
August sales: 31
Sept sales: 25
October sales: 36!!!!!!!

It's still a buyer's market, so buyers, let's get you warmed up, visit with your lender and see what you can afford, and place an offer on the house of your dreams while the prices and interest rates are low. Rates are around 5 - 6%.

Did you know back in 1982 the rates were around 18%???

A $150,000 home at an interest rate of 5% is approximately $1,026 monthly.
That same home at 18% is a monthly payment of $2,482.

Let's look at some more estimated numbers for a $150,000 house with various interest rates, including property tax and homeowner's insurance.

At 6%: $1,120 monthly
7%: $1,219
8%: $1,322
9%: $1,428

It's all the same house, but different house payments. These interest rates can't stay low forever. Call me today and I'll get you set up with a lender, and we'll team up to find a house you can afford today!

It's a Brand New Day!

We've had several sales in Moses Lake in the past week or two. That's awesome! There are now 346 homes for sale, and 20 homes have sold since the beginning of October. Three of the sales were foreclosures. It's still a buyer's market until the number of homes for sale reaches about half the amount that are for sale. Call me if you want to see one of the homes for sale. Now IS the time to buy!
-Connie
509-431-5804

Moses Lake Home Sales Staying Steady

Moses Lake Home Sales Staying Steady

Homes Sales in Moses Lake, Washington, one of the fastest growing smaller cities in Washington, are growing steadily.

An average of 350 homes are consistently for sale over the past four months, and an average of 30 homes are sold each month. About 80-85 are continually in pending.

If you are interested in using a USDA loan, you can expect great benefits like no MIP, but you can also expect to wait 2-3 months before your transaction closes. The benefits of using USDA Rural loans, because of a lack of manpower in Olympia, (Sorry, folks!) it's taking longer to get loans. Let's get more underwriters hired so buyers can move into their homes!

The news about Spokane's Fairchild Air Force Base moving planes into Moses Lake temporarily next year will be bringing more purchasers into town, and new faces to greet! Fairchild needs to repave their runway, so that will take several months before that is complete.

Thank you to the many people who are choosing Moses Lake to fly from, into other cities such as Seattle and Spokane. We have great air service!

Looking for a job in Moses Lake? Search no further. There are many sources from which to choose. These include monster.com, geezerjobs.com, www.ColumbiaBasinHerald.com, and www.nickelsaver.com. These are just a few of the places to look. While you're in town, sign up for a temporary job until you get your permanent job. Apply at Basin Employment (BEST) and Total Employment And Management (TEAM).

Move to Moses Lake! It's a great city to live in.

Congratulations, Paula Howell, on your Sale!

We're excited for Paula on her most recent sale... we'll wait for it to go officially into pending before we post it publicly. In the meantime, we're breaking out in a celebration!

With an average 30 homes sales per month in the city of Moses Lake by over 150 licensed agents, we're glad Paula is on our team and being a part of the 30 sales.

For those of you interested in checking out one or more of the 352 homes for sale in Moses Lake, contact me at 509-431-5804, and let's get started with how much home you can afford and are dreaming of. I'll get a list of homes right off to you.

Have a great day, and keep on dreaming!

A home in Ephrata with acreage for less than $130,000??? Really?? WHERE???

Are you a buyer who is looking for a home with acreage that doesn't cost too much? Usually, you are going to pay more than $185,000 for it, but there is a brand new listing with more than 10 acres in the Ephrata area for less than $130,000, and I'm excited to show it to you!

It's my friend's listing, so I'm not able to provide more information here, but hey, call me. I'm available at 509-431-5804, and I'd love to tell you more about it!

There are over 350 homes for sale in Moses Lake. It is a buyer's market, and now is a very good time to get in on it as a buyer!

I'll talk with you soon!

Connie Suehiro, Realtor
Gary Mann Real Estate
509-431-5804

PREPARING TO SELL YOUR HOME - CHECKLIST.

You can significantly influence the selling price of your house by preparing it and your property before putting it on the market! Here are suggestions to improve a buyer's first impression of your home. Review the checklist now, before every open house showing, and before photos are taken. Check to see exactly what the camera will see. By all means, look carefully at walls, floors and ceilings for signs or wear, marks or need for repainting or wallpapering. And, don't forget to look at trim, including doors and windows.

GENERAL:-
Remove clutter, papers, unnecessary items-
Replace burned-out bulbs throughout the house-
Remove cobwebs from ceilings, corners-
Remove paint splash on tile, floor, cabinets-
Wash, polish all door hardware, handrails-
Reorganize, clean out all closets-
Replace switches, outlets that don't work-
Add colorful plants, flowers to several rooms-
Replace or rejuvenate pillows, accessories-
Clean out, sweep, organize garage-
Organize, make neat basement and attic storage

There are many other things you can do. For a more complete list to be emailed to you, email me at homes@iglide.net.

For assistance with any of your real estate needs, please contact me by email, phone or visit me at my office, whether it's to get started on helping you realize your goals and dreams, or just to ask a question - no pressure, no hassle, no obligation - just a friendly conversation. I would welcome the opportunity to make a difference for you.

Connie Suehiro, Realtor
Gary Mann Real Estate
305 E. Third Ave.
Moses Lake, Wa 98837
509-431-5804 direct

Do You Want To Buy a Foreclosure In Moses Lake?

Are you a buyer who thinks that buying a home that has been through the foreclosure process is a good deal?

You may be right!

If a home has been foreclosed on and is now listed with a real estate agent, it could be a good way to buy a home that is affordable for you if it is in your price range. Ask your real estate agent to do a search on homes that are owned by HUD or Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac or any other bank that you are interested in buying from, and she will bring up a list for you.

Let's see. Maybe I can pull up a list right now...

There is one home owned by Fannie Mae and one owned by Freddie Mac in Moses Lake. That's not alot. Which is great for homeowners.

I have one buyer who is interested in a "GREAT DEAL!" but there aren't many of those around because if you were to go to the sheriff's sale, there are a lot of people waiting to get the great deal, and the price of a great deal is driven up by those who are bidding on it at the auction. Simply put, check your pre-approval amount with your lender and let your Realtor know what you can afford, then go on a home tour with your list of homes that fits your criteria in hand.

If you'd like to tour homes in your price range with a Letter of Loan Commitment from your lender in hand, call me and let's set up an appointment.

See you soon!

~Connie
509-431-5804

Who do you know?

The interest rates are still good, and there's a good selection of houses, who do you know that might be interested in buying or selling in the near future? Help them out and give them a call and let them know I'm helping people in our Moses Lake area to buy and sell their homes. My number is 509-431-5804, and you can email me at homes@iglide.net.

I look forward to visiting with you and helping out!

Connie Suehiro, Realtor

509-431-5804 DIRECT

Public Searches of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service

The public has a back door to our Northwest Multiple Listing Service, so you can start searching through the portal, and when your real estate agent gives you a listing number, you can go to this search portal to look it up. OR, you can give your real estate agent the listing number (which will make you look very up-to-date!) and they can look it up in the Realtor section of the Northwest MLS to give you more information about your dream home or land. Isn't that awesome?? Give it a try right now. Go to the website below and start your search for your dream home!

www.nwrealestate.com then click on Grant County for towns like Moses Lake, Ephrata, Wilson Creek, Ephrata, and Othello homes and land.

As you will find out in the Real Estate News section (in the little green box on the left hand side of the NWMLS page, "Northwest Multiple Listing Service, owned by its member brokers, is the largest full-service MLS in the Northwest. Its membership includes approximately 28,000 brokers and agents. The organization, based in Kirkland, currently serves 19 counties, mostly in western Washington, plus Grant, Kittitas and Okanogan counties in the central part of the state." So, you have a LOT of homes to choose from.

If you would like some help with your search, or you would like to start previewing homes, call me up and I'll set up some appointments to go see those homes. Make sure you have talked with a lender to find out how much of a loan you qualify for so that you are looking at homes that are in your price range.

Today's interest rate quoted to me today is 4.75%. That's around $716 a month for a $100,000 home if you qualify for that rate. Cheaper than rent! For a home around $150,000, that's a monthly payment of approximately $1,037.00. (Did you know you can buy a new home for $135,000.00 AND choose your flooring, cabinets, and paint colors? Call me today at 509-431-5804. Let's get you into your own home and stop paying your landlord's mortgage.)

(Here's the information for a brand new $135,000 home: landscaped front yard with underground sprinkler system, covered front entry, vaulted ceilings, oak cabinets, rounded drywall corners, tile entry, central heat & air, 30 year roof, etc. Doesn't that sound beautiful??)

I'll talk with you soon!

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

Selling Your Home in a Declining Market

Mike Bess is a mortgage broker on the west side of Washington, and I get his newsletter updates frequently. He has a lot of great information to share.

Here is a link to his
January 7, 2009 Economic Update:

http://realtytimes.com/ncmeu/53/1.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:

"Selling Your Home in a Declining Market"
"Good Time To Buy A Vacation Home"

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 Mike. Or, if you would like to see a certain topic covered in future months, let him know that too!

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

Here's a tip that might save you thousands of dollars

If you have owned your home for more than five years, you could save thousands of dollars. Homes purchased with a loan greater than 80% require PMI, or Private Mortgage Insurance. This insurance pays the mortgage company off if you don't pay off your loan. But when your equity, the difference between your loan and the current value of your home, reaches 20% or more, you are no longer required to pay PMI. If you have paid enough on your home in just a few years that the loan is less than 80% of what you originally paid for it, you should be able to qualify for a removal of your PMI payments. PMI is generally half or less of 1%, but it is still money going out of your pocket.

You may be one of thousands of people who are considering refinancing your home so you can lower your payments. Make sure you and your lender take into account the difference of the appraised value of your home and the amount of your loan. If the difference is 20% or more, you can remove the PMI payment.

Another thought on refinancing is that usually a lender will require you to get an appraisal to prove the value of your home. Before you spend the $400+ for an appraisal, ask the lending company if they would be willing to accept the assessed value. You will know what your assessed value is if you recently received your tax statement from the county to let you know what their new assessment is on your home. We all know that Grant County has considerably raised our assessed values since Moses Lake and other Grant County homes have consistently increased in value for the most part.

If you are just curious about the market value (similar, but not the same as appraised value) of your home, just give me a call at 509-431-5804 and I'll supply you with the sales of comparable homes in your area to give you an idea of what your home's value is.