1019 21st St. Anacortes

This one is sold, but there will be others!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Vintage Anacortes home! Situated on a big fenced corner lot, a 2+Bedroom 1 Bath features lots of upgrades. Vinyl windows and easy care vinyl siding. RV parking, garden spaces, dog kennel,and mature trees. The detached 2 car garage also has a shop area and a 1 bedroom 3/4 bath apartment. Great Zoning potential R-4, so a lot can be done with this property. Contact Andrew Culp with John L. Scott Anacortes:

Andrew Culp
Realtor
John L. Scott Anacortes
(360)391-9342
Fax: (360)293-5605
andrewculp@johnlscott.com
http://www.andrewculp.com/

Nearly New in Mount Vernon WA

Fantastic 2 bed 1 bath home in Mount Vernon. Open floor plan with vaulted ceilings. Well maintained inside and out. Privacy fenced with attractive landscaping. Inside has decorator accents and a beautiful color palate. Contact Andrew Culp for additional information and showings.

Andrew Culp

Realtor

John L. Scott Anacortes

http://www.andrewculp.com/

http://www.johnlscott.com/andrewculp

(360)391-9342

Anacortes Real Estate

Well now that it's oficially spring, things are begining to happen around here. The Real Estate market is begining to take it's annual upturn in activity. Western Washington is coming out of its winter slumber and people are very optimistic about the prospects of buying a home in Anacortes. Go to my website http://www.andrewculp.com for all of your Real Estate questions and answers. I also have lots of local business information to provide the resources for any questions you may have regarding Anacortes Washington.

Real Estate Profitability

I'm really optimistic about 2007. I think that a lot of the buyers that were holding back around the holidays are starting to re-enter the market. Mortgage applications are up in my area and prices seem to have stabilized. Of course it is more important now to price a home right the first time. The homes that are priced right are percieved as the cream of the crop and outsell their competition. I work with my sellers to achieve the highest realistic price for their home, and I impress upon them that it's the market that sets their price, not their need or greed.
Oh, and another thing. I used to counter low ball offers in a sarcastic tone. If they came in at $20K below the asking price, I would counter back at $20K over the asking price, and let the selling agent know that my sellers were deeply insulted. Since our market has cooled since 2005, I have a different tone. I look at any offer and think, "well,here's a starting point, let's put this together". That strategy has paid off for me. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.

New Listing in Sedro Woolley

Sedro Wooley charmer on about 1/4 acre. 2Bed 1Bath with many upgrades. New Kitchen cabinets and stainless steel appliances. A remodeled bathroom with jetted tub and tankless gas water heater. The exterior boasts a new roof, 16x16 cedar deck, hot tub, and a poured concrete patio. Garage has been rewired, plummed and framed in for additional space (shop,rec room, storage)just needs some finish work. Offered at $189,900.00 by Andrew Culp Realtor John L. Scott Anacortes (360)391-9342

Does Spelling Count?

It always pays to proof your ads before they go to print. Realtors have so many platforms in which to market homes an share information. Letting a typo fall through the cracks can actually get someone in hot water with HUD or their local Board.

Anacortes Condominium 1710 Skyline Way #204

Close to Whidbey Island NAS and ready to move in, 2bedrooms 2 full baths condominium in Anacortes Washington. Two balconies, one has a private access from one of the bedrooms. Two seperate entrances make this a unique set up for a flexible living situation. This condo was recently updated in the kitchen and has new flooring throughout the home. Call your helpful listing agent Andrew Culp (360)391-9342 for showings and additional information.

Snowed In

Real Estate in winter is challenging. Only the most motivated buyers and sellers get involved in transactions when it's snowing and blowing. In my corner of the world we are challenged with icy roads, power outages, and school closures. Thankfully it only lasts for a couple of weeks every year. I don't know how Realtors in the midwest do it when they have a solid three months of winter.

This is a great time to go on vacation, or just spend some quality time with the family. I can't believe I spent thirty dollars for a cheap plastic sled at the hardware store. It was well worth the price watching my four year old bombing down the hills. He had no desire to go back in the house even though his face was beet red and numb. I think he thouroughly enjoyed himself.

This can be a challenging time for the housing market, but showing homes can be a lot of fun when the family has the house all dressed up for Christmas, with the lights and the tree and all of the decorations. The prospective buyers don't have to use their imagination to wonder what the house would look like with holiday decorations.

Some homes look really good with a good layer of snow around. It's also nice to publish pictures and market homes with the contrast of the snow bringing out the colors of the home and trim. With view property there are fewer obstructions this time of year without the leaves on the trees. I'm going out today to get a few snowy shots on a couple listings just for additional marketing pictures.

I wish the snow would last longer but in the Pacific Northwest this is just a temporary condition. It's going to melt away soon and be replaced by rain as usual.

The Best of Times

These are the times that try men's souls. Baloney!!!!!!
Welcome one and all to the reality of Real Estate. As a Realtor in a consistently hot market, let me tell you that this cool down that we are experiencing is a welcome one. For the last 3 years, my sales territory has experienced unprecedented growth. This has been great from a volume standpoint. From a customer-care standpoint it has been less than glorious.
I built my business on a client based business model. I have many years in various service industries where the customer is always right and that's hard to ignore. Many businesses have poor products, but if the perception of quality is instilled in the consumer, they will succeed. This is especially dificult in hot Real Estate markets. Try to explain to long time residents of a community that rising housing prices have driven them out of the market. "If I had only bought five years ago" is the cry of the first time buyer.
So what is the secret? How can everyone benefit from a hot market that is slowing?
Here it is.........Are you ready?............Do you have a pen and paper?..........
Don't wait for the bubble to burst!! There is no such thing!! Don't wait to pay off your fancy car!! Trade it in for something practical!! Clean up your credit and get pre-qualified!!
There I'm done yelling at you. Now that I have your attention, here's some sound advise. Real Estate will always blow hot and cold. Be patient. Just like the stock market there are always ups and downs. Buy now when it's cooler and when it heats up again, sell. You will still make money even if we don't see double digit appreciation every year. It's still cheaper than renting and it's an investment in your retirement. (but that's another story)
What makes this such a great time to invest in a home or investment property is that sellers have to get real. They can't price their property as agressively, and have to look reality in the face. Gone are the days of the multiple offer situation. We can actually fit the home to the buyers' needs and avoid pressurring our clients into a "buy it now or lose it" scenario. Let's all breathe a sigh of relief and get back to service with a smile. It's a wonderful time to be in this business.

Inspection,Who's Responsible?

My training taught me quite a lot about contracts, and customer service. My training also taught me about liability. Here's a little annecdotal information. An agent and client were present together with the home inspector during an inspection. The new agent, eager to be helpful and diligent, went everywhere with the client and the inspector around the house. Taking care to note any deficiencies that the inspector points out. It's a newer home, so no laundry list of problems. Except, they couldn't get the gas range and oven to work. After a few attempts they moved on. End of story......right? Later that evening the seller comes home to a gas filled home, rescues the family pet and ventilates the house. Whew!!!! No harm done, everyone's OK.
Flip that story around to a not so happy ending. Consider the liabilities for the inspector, and the agent. We operate with the best intentions. We do our best for our clients. All it takes is one small slip and the lawyers and insurance companies are on us like a cheap suit. They always look for the deepest pockets. The agent may or may not be loaded, but you can be damn sure the brokerage has got some coin, and who cares who goes down in the process.
I'm not too keen on the verbage on listing agreements. The liability coverage of homeowners' insurance policies is supposed to cover damage of real and personal property. What about personal injury? Who is responsible for clients and their pets, and their friends, and their neighbors, and their kids, and their cousins, and their parents, and their cars, should something go wrong at a listed property?