Changing careers... I'm now with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Sequim, WA

After 5 1/2 years of working as both a Realtor and a Certified Residential Appraiser in Sequim, WA, I've decided to make a career change. I will now be working as a Home Mortgage Consultant with Lori Taylor at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage here in Sequim.


I can say that I'm actually excited about the change, and I think it's coming at a good time.


Here in Sequim there are approximately 100 real estate agents, and we've been averaging about 21 sales/month of site-built homes... do the math and the odds are not so good.


And the changes that have happened to the appraisal industry in the last few years has made it harder than ever to keep clients somewhat satisfied and keep my sanity. The latest change just happened September 1, 2011, with the change in format to UAD, and now it takes even more time to finish a report. It's just not fun anymore, and it's so frustrating to me, since appraisal used to be a great way to make a living, and now it's very difficult to make ends meet, especially in our current market.


And, I believe that my 20+ years of real estate experience will be a great benefit to me as I make the change. I know I have a lot to learn, but I'm up to the challenge. And now instead of 2 semi-full time jobs, I will only have 1.


Wow!... What will that be like? One can only dream.


So, if you're looking to make a purchase in the Sequim area, and you're going to need a loan, or if you want to take advantage of the extremely low interest rates and would like to refinance your home, I'd love to help you, so please call, email or text me.

And agents, I'm here for you too! :)

New Ross and Grocery Outlet coming to Sequim!

The new Ross store and Grocery Outlet are under construction. They are located on Washington Avenue between Costco and Home Depot.

Change is coming to Sequim... small businesses closing, new larger ones going in. Not sure if that's good news or bad news.

The Cottage Company in Sequim is gone!

Sad news... I just went by The Cottage Company on Second and Bell Street alley to buy a gift for a new baby, and sadly they are no longer there. No signs or any indication that maybe they moved, as it just looks like they closed up shop. I liked that shop and am sorry to see it go.

Just another indication of how hard the economy is hitting small towns like Sequim.

So where is Spring? Still cold and gray in Sequim... ugh!

I keep waiting for the sun to come out, but no... it's still cold and gray. We've had 9.44 inches of rain so far this year, and for Sequim, that's a lot.

Here's something exciting: we're getting a new Ross store and a new Grocery Outlet, both currently under construction, and they're located between Costco and Home Depot.

Hung up 2 hanging planters on my front porch that I got from Home Depot today for $19.99 each. Just trying to make the front porch a little cheery. Flowers make me happy, and I can see them from my office window.

A mini-update on Sequim real estate: Average sales price for site-built homes sold since January 1, 2011 is $275,819, which is about the same as for all of 2010, and Median sales price is $242,000, which is a decline of about 3%, and sales volume is down approximately 23% for monthly sales vs 2010. Not so bad, but not a booming rebound either.

Appraisal volume for me is really slow, and I've seen reports that new loan originations are way down, so that's obviously what's going on. Let's hope things improve soon, or I'll be looking for work - yikes! JK...

QR Code for new listing in Sequim, WA

Sequim real estate market looking good!

The year end stats for site-built homes in Sequim were actually pretty good. Overall, volume was up slightly for 2010 vs 2009, and Average sales price was down only 2% in 2010 vs 2009, which is relatively flat.

Port Angeles Average sales price was down 5% in 2010 vs 2009. Active listing inventories have come down, some have expired, some sold, etc., so now we have about 11.5 months of inventory available, which is slowly improving.

Some of the available homes have been on the market a long time and are 'stale', which makes DOM (Days on Market) a little tough to interpret, as some new listings come on the market and sell in a very short time.

If you would like a copy of my Excel spreadsheet comparing sales for site-built homes over the last 5 years, send me an email and I will send it to you as a pdf file.

And I actually have a BUYER that I'm working with now... it's been so long I almost forgot how, but not quite. It's all coming back to me... showing houses is kinda fun.

Marti

Appraisal volume increasing in Sequim and Port Angeles

So I'm busy, really busy with appraisals, which is a good thing, especially for me.

And it also means that people are feeling the need to refinance, given the especially low rates available right now.

Plus we have some really good local lenders here in Sequim:

Michelle at Eagle Home Mortgage, 360-683-2688 
Charmayne at Goldfinch Mortgage 360-681-4248
Hayley at Peninsula Mortgage 360-681-8623
Lori Taylor at Wells Fargo 360-683-1512

These hard-working women are all excellent at getting a loan funded, which is what it's all about, so please consider working with them when you need a home loan.

That's all for now... I'm off to make veggie spaghetti for dinner. If you'd like to learn more about the vegetarian/vegan/raw food lifestyle, check out our website at http://www.veggie2raw.com/ for more info.

Have a good one... I'm working on glass #2, wine that is!

Snow piling up in Sequim, November 22, 2010

Fred is out snowplowing the street in front of our house... and it's still snowing! Crazy weather in Sequim...

The snow is piling up, Pinky is getting cold.

Pinky cam update... this was Pinky in the morning...

And this is Pinky at 1:00pm Monday November 22, 2010... still snowing hard.

Snowing in Sequim... Pinky loves the snow!

Here's Pinky enjoying his first snow... for those of you who don't know Pinky yet, he's a rescue pink flamingo from a job that Fred did in Port Angeles. Fred found him lying in a pile of yard debris, and rescued him for me. When I first met him he was a dirty pink flamingo - I know, it sounds like a tropical drink, and yes, I'm considering creating a drink in his honor.

Anyway, I scrubbed him up, and named him Pinky, and he now proudly adorns my front yard. I love him.

I've also included a picture of the snow coming down in my front yard... nice and snowy! I love how quiet it is outside when it's snowing... going for a walk.