the 90 DAY window

This evening I'm going to list a past clients home and take it to market. They are wonderful loyal clients. I sold them a home in 1995, then sold that home for them in 2002 and represented them on their move up dream home also in 2002. 11 years later they have raised their children, he has retired, and they want to move back to Oregon.
The listing contract I will have them sign will be a 90 day contract. With the right price on their home and the inconvenience of putting your home on the market, you do not want to exceed 90 days of having your real estate agent in your life if at all possible.

My marketing, the price and overall strategy in getting their home sold is presented to my seller with 90 days in mind.

90 Days.

That would be 3 months with the old math, or a quarter of any given year. 

90 days out of someone's life is a pretty good chunk of time. So if 90 days is a good chunk of time, 180 days or nearing a full year can be an absolute eternity for Mr. and Mrs. Seller.

With my initial meeting with sellers (and buyer's), I try to engage them with the entire process of getting their home sold or finding a buyer their dream home, or the complete real estate transaction, start to finish, organized into 90 day window. 

Are there exceptions to the 90 day window? of course. This is simply a strategy and goal for everyone. Especially you the seller.
 I have yet to meet a seller who does not have an agenda. It might be a job transfer, it might be they have already found their dream home, but can't buy that home until the home they're living in sells.

Motivation will also sway the 90 day window one way or the other . 

In the bigger real estate picture, a 90 day average market time in any real estate market is what some experts would call a "balanced market."
When average market times start coming in below 90 days, the market begins to shift towards a sellers market. When the average market times starts exceeding 90 days, the shift now becomes a buyer's market.

The 90 day window will make your agent a hero. I've had my fair share of the 365 day or longer relationships and my old saying used to be to the seller, 

"In trying to get your home sold, I've known you longer now, than some of my own children".

Build your real estate experience around 90 days and It should be a wonderful experience.

Oh and by the way ! ~ 90 days from the date of this blog is December 25th.
 Don't worry, no Christmas ads on this blog 90 days early. I'll leave that to big retail.

Good Luck

It's a great life !

see you over at http://www.thurstonliving.com/

a unique & happy ending out on Woodard Bay

On the morning of Wednesday July 3rd, I received a call from a representative for the State of Washington. She introduced herself and was with the Department of Natural Resources.
She had seen my listing online for sale on Woodard Bay and wanted to view the property that day. 
As the listing agent, I was there to meet her and her associate.
 I felt I had a very unique property with nearly 6 beautiful acres, 165 feet of Woodard Bay frontage, an indoor swimming pool and a 2,200 square foot sprawling rambler.

The 2 women showed up and were not the least bit interested in the home or swimming pool, or anything else I was busy trying to sell them. 
They were there to view the land and shoreline only. They did me the favor of viewing the home only at my insistence.

By Monday July 8th, the representative informed me the state of Washington would be purchasing my listing. GREAT !
With no interest in the home or swimming pool, their plan is to demolish the home and swimming pool. "Demolish" is a no longer the politically correct term. They plan to "deconstruct" the entire home and recycle every single item in the home.  

The family I was representing could not have been happier. It turns out the mother had been an environmentalists since the 1940's and it was very pleasing for her to know the land she had raised her family on, was going to be put back to its most natural state and will become part of the Woodard Bay Conservation Area.

I can't help think that in a few years I'll be out selling real estate in the Woodard Bay area and I'll drive by a home I sold, that is no longer there. 

It's progress/development in reverse.
 "Good going Washington State"
 It's been a privilege to be part of one of your transactions, that plans to preserve and conserve this beautiful state.

It's Great Life !





[ Kevin,

One behalf of us all, I want to thank you for your tireless and attentive work on this transaction.  It has proven an excellent end to what we feared would be a nightmare.  You have really helped us, and--more importantly--our mother.

Thank you.

brian ]

see you over at http://www.thurstonliving.com/

Olympia Home Sales Snapshot ~ August 2013

Kevin Lynch’s Home Sales Snapshot

Olympia WA

Olympia  ~ area  445,447 & 448

 the numbers for  August 2013 :

• Homes for sale ~ 177 homes are currently listed

                  Low $29,900 ~ High $1,600,000

                  Median $269,900

                  Avg. days on ~110

• Pending ~23 homes are in escrow

                  Low $99,900 ~ High $619,000

                  Median $218,900

                  Avg. days on ~ 63

•  August Sales 2013 ~37 homes sold in Olympia in August 2013

                 Low $107,500 ~ High $650,000

                 Median $266,900

                 Avg. days on ~ 39

• August  2012 ~52 homes Sold in Olympia in August 2012

                 Low $47,008 ~ High $650,000

                 Median $223,000

                 Avg. days on 102

A healthy +19.7% increase to the median price in Olympia for August 2013 compared to August 2012.
15 fewer homes sold this August compared to August 2012, but the average market time in August 2013 was outstanding.

"Beauty and folly are old companions." Benjamin Franklin

see you over at http://www.thurstonliving.com/

                                 Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Lacey Home Sales Snapshot ~ August 2013

Kevin Lynch’s Home Sales Report

Lacey, WA

Lacey  ~ SE area 450

 the numbers for the August 2013:

• Homes for sale ~ 94 homes are currently listed

                  Low $89,900 ~ High $569,900

                  Median $224,945

                  Avg. days on ~ 70

• Pending  ~ 28 homes are in escrow

                  Low $107,900 ~ High $309,990

                  Median $184,950

                  Avg. days on ~ 64

• August Sales 2013 ~ 31 homes sold in Lacey in August 2013

                 Low $94,299 ~ High $545,000

                 Median $215,000

                 Avg. days on ~ 54

• August  2012 ~ 45 homes sold in Lacey in August 2012

                 Low $50,000 ~ High $525,500

                 Median $189,950

                 Avg. days on 103

A +13.2% increase to the median price in Lacey for August 2013 compared to August 2012.
What a difference a year makes. 
Last August (August 2012) 14 more homes had sold in August because last August, Lacey had sufficient inventory. Just viewing the average market times of all 3 2013 categories you can see that Lacey is starved for inventory. Supply and Demand

"Beauty awakens the soul to act."Dante Alighieri

see you over at http://www.thurstonliving.com/

                                 Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Tumwater Home Sales Snapshot ~ August 2013

Kevin Lynch’s Home Sales Report

Tumwater WA

Tumwater  ~ SW, SE area 443

 the numbers for August 2013 :

• Homes for sale ~ 134 homes are currently listed

                  Low $120,000 ~ High $595,000

                  Median $267,000

                  Avg. days on ~104

• Pending  ~ 27 homes are in escrow

                  Low $160,000 ~ High $309,500

                  Median $229,950

                  Avg. days on ~ 66

• August  2013 Sales ~ 40 homes sold in Tumwater in August 2013

                 Low $85,000 ~ High $384,950

                 Median $224,850

                 Avg. days on ~56

•  August  2012 ~26 homes Sold in Tumwater in August 2012

                 Low $157,000 ~ High $470,000

                 Median $269,300

                Avg. days on 134

A  -16.5% fall to the median price in Tumwater August 2013 compared to August 2012.
14 more homes sold in August 2013 with a remarkable average market time.

"Of life's two chief prizes, beauty and truth, I found the first in a loving heart and the second in a laborer's hand."Khalil Gibran

see you over at http://www.thurstonliving.com/

                                 Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Delphi Hills Home Sales Snapshot ~ August 2013

Kevin Lynch’s Home Sales Report

Delphi Hills

Delphi Hills  ~ SW area 442

 the numbers for August 2013 :

• Homes for sale ~ 40 homes are currently listed

                  Low $114,900 ~ High $1,750,000

                  Median $337,450

                  Avg. days on ~ 94

• Pending  ~ 5 homes are in escrow

                 Low $120,000 ~ High $269,900

                 Median $187,000

                Avg. Days on 66

• August  2013 Sales ~ 11 homes sold in Delphi Hills in August 2013

                 Low $100,000 ~ High $589,000

                 Median $349,950

                 Avg. days on ~ 35

• August  2012 ~8  homes Sold in Delphi Hills August 2012

                Low $55,000 ~ High $655,000

                Median $274,500

                Avg. days on 96

A + 25.5% spike to the median price for Delph Hills in August 2013 compared to August 2012.
The 11 closed sales in August '13 sold with an average 35 day market time. WOW !

"Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time." Albert Camus

see you over at http://www.thurstonliving.com/

          Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

West Olympia Home Sales Snapshot ~ August 2013

Kevin Lynch’s Home Sales Report

West Olympia

West  Olympia  ~ NW area 444

 the numbers for August 2013 :

• Homes for sale ~ 179 Homes are currently listed

                  Low $129,000 ~ High $1,495,000

                  Median $269,500

                  Avg. days on ~ 96

• Pending  ~ 26 Homes are in escrow

                  Low $179,900 ~ High $699,950

                  Median $246,450

                  Avg. days on ~ 110

• West Olympia August 2013 Sales ~ 29 Homes sold in August 2013

                  Low $124,500 ~ High $760,000

                  Median $260,000

                  Avg. days on ~ 120

• August  Sales 2012 ~27 Homes Sold in West Olympia in August 2012

                  Low $136,000 ~ High $643,915

                  Median $262,000

                  Avg. days on 106

Very slight change to the median price in West Olympia for August 2013 compared to August 2012.

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."Confucius

see you over at http://www.thurstonliving.com/

a few hundred yards south of Haystack rock ~ low tide

                                 Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.