Pullman WA Real Estate Market Report (YTD ~July 8, 2009)
By Lori Cofer, REALTOR ~ “Your Pullman Real Estate Connection”
Pullman Washington is uniquely situated in the rolling hills of a unique area of the country called the Palouse. This little piece of paradise is a result of the soft silt that was blown in from the glacial out wash during the last ice age according to scientists. The result is fertile hills of wheat, lentil, barley, peas and canola as far as the eye can see. Situated in the middle of this wonderful paradise is Washington State University, home of the Washington State Cougars…Go Cougs!
Pullman is divided into four hills: Military Hill, Sunnyside Hill, Pioneer Hill and College Hill. I specialize in the Pullman Washington Real Estate market and would love to help you find the home that perfectly fits you and your lifestyle.
This 4th of July the fireworks from our local celebration at Sunnyside park were spectacular as always. Enjoy the above picture courtesy of Mark & Eric Tetzlaff of one of our previous community celebrations! We are fortunate to be a part of such a great community whereby we can gather for great community events as these.
We have 39 HOMES PENDING
WE have SOLD 229 HOMES
Our AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET is 126
Our AVERAGE LIST PRICE is 249,408
Our AVERAGE SELLING PRICE is 237,399
Lori Cofer, REALTOR
509-330-0086
loricofer@yahoo.com
About the Author: The above piece was provided as a community service by Lori Cofer, a local Pullman WA Real Estate Agent. Lori can be reached via email at loricofer@yahoo.com or by phone at 509-330-0086. Lori is happy to assist you in all your Pullman real estate and Moscow Real Estate needs. Lori is “Your Pullman WA Real Estate
Pullman WA Real Estate ~ Selling Your Home Part 3
Pullman WA Real Estate ~ Selling Your Home Part 3
By Lori Cofer, REALTOR, “Your Pullman Real Estate Connection”
Spring has sprung and the market is kicking in to full swing! In this three part series we have been looking at ways for you to get your home looking its very best to impress those buyers!
First, we looked at ways to increase curb appeal so your home makes a great first impression! We want those potential buyers to WANT to come in, not drive by!
Next, we looked at tips to get your home in tip top shape for the market by getting those pesky repairs done, de-personalizing and de-cluttering the space. We want a great backdrop for the story that is about to be told…selling your home!
Here are few final tips that will help you get your home market ready!
Light the stage! Make sure your lighting is adequate. You want a nice well lit backdrop to show off your home. And don’t forget your windows! Windows are a wonderful, natural source of light. So make the most of them! Keep them clean inside and out! Let the light shine in and help sell your home! And don’t neglect your window treatments. A fresh pair of curtains on a decorative rod can really update a room!
Organize! “What do my closets say about me?” Neatly organized closets and kitchen cupboards are a positive reflection on how I take treat my things, including my home! An organized and tidy closet tells your buyer that you have that valuable commodity called STORAGE!!!
Look Down! Take some time to get your floors in shape! If you have wood floors, check out all the products they have to make them look new again. Carpeting most likely requires a professional cleaning to look its best. And don’t forget to give vinyl, tile and laminate flooring a good scrubbing. Do what it takes to make them SHINE!
The kitchen and appliances should sparkle! The kitchen is the heart of the home and the heart of the kitchen has got to be the appliances. And do get everything off the counter tops you possibly can so they can help sell your home. A simple bowl with fresh fruit or flowers will say all you need to! When a buyer walk into your kitchen, you want it absolutely spotless so they can envision their family gathering around as family meals are prepared…or maybe ENVISIONING THEIR HOUSE WARMING PARTY!! Now you are talking!
And PLEASE don’t forget the bathroom! No yuk factors here! Take a good hard look at your bathroom and make it shine. Make sure your shower/tub sparkles. Replace any dingy caulk. Put some elbow grease into the tile work. Make fixtures and chrome work sparkle! Do please keep your toilet lid down and extra toilet rolls of paper out of sight! And a new shower curtain and fresh towels displayed neatly make a great impression!
These are just a few ideas that I hope you find helpful. Feel free to email me or call me and I would be happy to provide you with a personal evaluation.
About the Author: The above piece was provided as a community service by Lori Cofer, a local Pullman WA Real Estate Agent. Lori can be reached via email at loricofer@yahoo.com or by phone at 509-330-0086. Lori is happy to assist you in all your Pullman real estate and Moscow Real Estate needs
Pullman WA Real Estate — Selling Your Home (Part 2)
Pullman WA Real Estate — Selling Your Home (Part 2)
Lori Cofer, “Your Pullman Real Estate Connection”
You and your REALTOR® are a team with a common goal…selling your home! Your REALTOR® spends time each day marketing your property, analyzing your competition, previewing properties and showing properties such as yours to potential buyers. They use this knowledge to benefit you, their client, from the time you entrust the listing of your home to them to the day of closing! I know I do!
You, as the seller, have a very important role in the process. You set the stage with a great first impression!!! If you stop to think about it, your buyer will most likely spend anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes in your home before moving on to see another home. That is not very long time. So you want to WOW your buyers, so they linger in your home and want to come back for another look!
Previously we looked at ways to get the outside of your house in tip top market shape! We all want to be proud of our home when we pull in the drive, right? This is your first chance to impress your buyer and get them to WANT to come inside! And you won’t sell your house if they don’t!
So now lets move inside! Start at the front door and take a good hard look at your house. As you do, ask yourself, “If I were buying this house, what would my impression be?” Put yourself in your buyer’s shoes! START THINKING LIKE A BUYER! With that in mind, go to work and get your home ready to tell your buyer …”Yes, Mr or Mrs. Buyer…I have a great home and I want to SELL my home to YOU!” The next few parts of this series will provide tips to help you do just that!
Get it Repaired! - Neglected repairs give a bad impression. They tell a story that doesn’t have a good outcome. If minor repairs such as doors that stick and switches that don’t work are neglected, how about the big stuff? So get those repairs done!
Get rid of clutter! We all acquire way too much stuff! Now is the time to make a fresh start. You are moving anyway, right? So think in terms of, do I want to move this? If not, get rid of it! And pack everything you can and put it in storage! Not only will you be that much closer to moving, but ready to move quickly if need be!
Remove excess furniture! Remember, less is better! When a REALTOR® brings a clients to tour your home, they are moving in large groups of people all at once. Buyer’s want to appreciate the spaces your house has to offer. And they want to feel the flow of the rooms too! You want a free and spacious feeling as you move through the home. And don’t be afraid to be creative and move furniture around a bit! And try different angels as well! Have some fun!
De-personalize! Ask yourself, “Is my personality reflected in this room”? If so, take it down! You want the buyer to SEE THEMSELVES living in the home, not how you lived in the home! They aren’t looking for a home for you, but a home for THEM!
Think Neutral! Ask yourself, “How does the paint look? Is it neutral? Or has it seen better days?” Paint provides amazing bang for the buck! Roll up your sleeves and put a fresh, neutral color on the walls. You will be amazed!
These are just a few ideas that I hope you find helpful. Feel free to email me or call me and I would be happy to provide you with a personal evaluation.
About the Author: The above piece was provided by Lori Cofer, a local Pullman WA Real Estate Agent. Lori can be reached via email at loricofer@yahoo.com or by phone at 509-330-0086. Lori is happy to assist you in all your Pullman real estate and Moscow Real Estate needs.
Pullman Real Estate — Part one — Tips on Selling Your Home
Pullman Real Estate — Tips on Selling Your Home (1)
By Lori Cofer “Your Pullman Real Estate Connection”
Selling your home is a team effort between your REALTOR and yourself. There can be no doubt that pricing your home and marketing your home is essential to achieving your goal of getting your home SOLD! And this is where your REALTOR is invaluable in getting your home ready to market!
But YOU also play an essential role in marketing your home. Your role is to make your home stand out from all the rest! As they say, you only get one chance to make a good first impression! Here is the first part of a series designed to help you do just that!
The first step in marketing your home is to break the emotional tie that you have with your home. You have to step back and recognize that in order to effectively sell your home, you have to come to grips with the fact that your home must be marketable. To do so, your home has to appeal to the broadest spectrum of buyers it possibly can. When you no longer see “you” in the home, you are that much closer to getting your home sold! We will talk more about this when we look at de-cluttering and de-personalizing your home next time.
Let’s start by first taking a notebook and pen and taking a constructive walk up to your house and through each room. Start by noting the things that are must be taken care of. Look for things that need to be repaired. Neglected repairs signals a lack of overall care of the property, so if something is broken or not working properly, get it fixed! In fact, some seller’s consider a pre-inspection report from a qualified inspector helpful. That way, they have the confidence to know that there are no big surprises that will surface later on!
Next, let’s consider the “curb appeal” of the house. Go to your curb and try to take an objective look at your house. As you do, ask yourself:
Does my front door make a great first impression?
Is the entry way well lit?
Can I read the street numbers?
Is the outside of the house clean? How about the windows?
Are under the eaves swept and clean, and does the paint and trim look good?
Is the walkway and driveway in good repair, clean and tidy?
Are hoses neatly coiled and tucked away?
Are garbage receptacles out of sight?
How does the landscaping look? Is everything well trimmed, mowed and weeded?
What points of interest could I use to draw buyer’s in to want to see the rest of my home?
How about some colorful pots of flowers, a door wreath or garden objects tucked in garden beds?
Remember, you aren’t going to sell your home if the buyer’s won’t come in to take a look!! You want to make sure your home says WELCOME from the curb to the front door and beyond! In the next part of this series, we will take a look at what you can do to help make your buyers love what they see inside!
About the Author: The above piece was provided by Lori Cofer, a local Pullman WA Real Estate Agent. Lori can be reached via email at loricofer@yahoo.com or by phone at 509-330-0086. Lori is happy to assist you in all your Pullman real estate and Moscow Real Estate needs.
Pullman Real Estate — Tips on Selling Your Pullman WA Home
Pullman Washington Real Estate ~ Tips on Selling Your Pullman WA Home
By Lori Cofer, REALTOR
“Your Pullman Real Estate Connection”
Here are just a few of many things to keep in mind as you prepare to put your house on the market.
Remove Clutter. Now is the time to begin to sort and pack up things you won’t need. The result is your home will look tidy and more spacious to your prospective buyer. Besides, you are moving, right? So why not get a jump start on it!
Remove Extra Furniture. We all have pieces of furniture that might be too big and bulky. Remember, less is better! It helps facilitate your showings if people can easily move through your home.
Clean, Clean, Clean Until Your Home Sparkles. You always want to put your very best foot forward and a clean home sells much better than a dirty one. You don’t get a chance to make a second impression in life, and this is certainly true in the sale of your home.
Greet Your Visitors With a Pleasant Smell. The first thing that will greet your prospective buyers will be how your home smells. Odors, especially pet odors, are an absolute no no. A nice, clean fresh smell is always welcome. Don’t overpower your guests with intense room fresheners etc. Remember, some people are sensitive to smell
Make a Great First Impression. Take an objective stroll up to your front door and into your home. Is the walk clean and tidy? Are bushes trimmed? Is the front door attractive? Is the doormat worn? How does your mail box look? Is there something of interest such as an attractive wreath or a nice pot of flowers.
Feel free to call me for a free market analysis of your Home. I would be happy to meet with you and discuss my personalized analysis of your home and how to put your best foot forward in the sale of your home.
Lori Cofer, REALTOR, Licensed in WA&ID ~ 509.330.0086
