Increase Your Home's Value with a Spa-Like Shower

by The Beaupain Team

Recently, I wrote a post about whether it’s important to have a 5 piece bath, meaning a bath with a shower, tub, 2 sinks, and a toilet. I asked the question because a past client was thinking of moving his laundry upstairs to the master bath in place of the tub.

His goal:

To put a wine cellar in the laundry room on the main floor and move the laundry up to the master bath. He wanted my opinion regarding the importance of the tub. I put the question out on this blog and on Facebook. On Facebook, people said the tub was a dust collector. Personally, I agree with that. My tub is a dust collector, too.

My answer:

But is the eastside of Seattle ready for homes of a certain caliber to not have a master bath tub? Looking at it from a professional point of view, the master bath in homes newer than 1980 and more expensive than $500,000 should have some pizazz. The master bath is considered the hallmark of peace and privacy, a retreat if you will. It should make a statement. Buyers are going to expect that. When evaluating homes they’ll take the difference in a master bath seriously.

So if the wine cellar becomes a “gotta have” feature and the tub ultimately goes away, then the homeowner should install a terrific shower in its place. A good sized shower with a spa-like feel could be the ticket to overcoming any objections regarding the lack of the master bath tub. In fact, given all the feedback I’ve gotten on and off line about the unimportance of the tub, it would not surprise me at all if the sumptuous shower becomes the “gotta have” piece of the master bath. Will there be some people who object to the lack of the tub even if they don’t use it? Yes, there will be people who feel they must have the tub either to use or for resale value.

What do you think?

(Photo from Flickr, Golom Designs)

Bellevue Real Estate • Bellevue, WA • For Buyers • For Sellers • Issaquah Real Estate • Kirkland • Real Estate • Redmond • Sammamish, WA • Sammamish, WA Real Estate • Woodinville, WA Real Estate • May 16, 2011

How Many Condos Sold on Seattle's Eastside in April, 2011?

by The Beaupain Team

The total number of condos for sale increased by only 6 more on Seattle’s eastside in April, so we are still at record low numbers for sale. But the better news is the number of condo sales increased by 46 sales from March. More than one-fifth of all the condos for sale in April got offers! The odds of selling are, without a doubt, the best we’ve seen in years.

Knowing your competition and pricing your condo accordingly will put you in the 20%+ of condos that are selling.

Seattle Eastside Condo Sales Through April, 2011

If you plan to sell your condo in the near future, feel free to contact me if you have questions about what you need to do to get ready to sell. Every seller has to do a few things before putting a home on the market. If your home is positioned properly, it can be one of the lucky ones to get an offer.

Bellevue Real Estate • Bellevue, WA • For Buyers • For Sellers • Issaquah Real Estate • Issaquah, WA • Kirkland • Market Statistics • Real Estate • Redmond • Sammamish, WA • Sammamish, WA Real Estate • Seattle real estate • Woodinville, WA • Woodinville, WA Real Estate • May 12, 2011

How Many Homes Sold in Your Seattle Eastside Neighborhood in April, 2011?

by The Beaupain Team

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How many homes sold in April, 2011 in your neighborhood?

The increasing number of home sales on Seattle’s eastside continues, despite what the news media is saying. Every month of this year has had a big increase in the number of home sales over the previous month. It would be great if our news reporting could be more balanced. Our real estate market is more balanced, so let’s hope the media figures it out! One local news source did peg the market fairly well.

Right now, Seattle’s eastside has the most “normal” real estate market that we’ve seen in years. A “normal” market means everything is happening from homes selling the minute they hit the market to homes taking months to sell and at reduced prices. The “hot” homes are selling. “Hot” homes are great values with a good price tag, are staged and ready to go. The homes that are not “hot” are taking a long time to sell and go through several price reductions before getting an offer.

The other issue working in favor of a more positive real estate market is that in every area on the eastside, except Sammamish, there are fewer homes on the market. Less supply=more demand.

(Click on the cities below to see real estate trends for the past 5 years. You’ll find the median pricing for each city and whether the number of homes for sale and the number of sales went up or down. The odds of selling a home in each area is a result of the number of homes for sale divided by the actual number of home sales, so if 10 out of 100 homes sold, the odds of selling would be 10/100 or 10%)

The plateau: Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

The odds of selling a home were 20%.

Median sales price dropped: $514,950 to $499,900.

There were 701 homes for sale.

A total of 161 homes sold.

Redmond/East Bellevue

The odds of selling a home were 32%.

Median sales price decreased by 11% to $400,000 from $450,000.

176 homes were for sale

A total of 59 homes sold.

South Bellevue/Issaquah

The odds of selling a home were 24%.

Median price decreased from $599,900 to $568,800.

322 homes were for sale.

A total of 91 homes sold.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland

The odds of selling a home were 26%.

Median price was down from $409,500 to $397,000.

559 homes were for sale.

A total of 160 homes sold.

Kirkland

The odds of selling a home were 30%.

Median price decreased from $575,000 to $538,500Z .

282 homes were for sale.

A total of 94 homes sold.

West Bellevue

The odds of selling a home were 22%.

Median pricing was down from $849,000 to $649,995.

170 homes were for sale.

A total of 45 homes sold.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

The odds of selling a home were 23%

Median pricing decreased from $514,995 to $462,475.

299 homes were for sale.

A total of 80 homes sold.

If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact me.

Bellevue, WA • For Buyers • For Homeowners • For Sellers • Kirkland • Market Statistics • Real Estate • Redmond • Sammamish, WA • Sammamish, WA Real Estate • Woodinville, WA Real Estate • May 11, 2011

The Positive Real Estate Market on Seattle's Eastside Continued in April, 2011

by The Beaupain Team

Seattle Eastside Real Estate Sales Through April, 2011

Seattle-eastside real estate is looking good! The trend continues to be the most positive in the last four years. This positive market means this a good, but very realistic market. Some homes are selling within a week, others take longer, and some do not sell. In reality, it’s a balanced market in which the homes that sell quickly do so because of price and/or condition.

The usual spring spike in the number of homes for sale has also not happened so far this year. Last year in April there almost 450 more homes for sale on Seattle’s eastside than this past April.

In April 2011, there were 2634 homes for sale and 654 had offers. The number 464 in the last column on the chart shows how many homes sold and closed in April. In order for these sales to close in April, the offers would been accepted in February or March with an April closing date.

The absorption rate, the number of homes that sold during a particular month when compared to the number for sale, was 25%. One-fourth of the Seattle eastside homes for sale sold in April.

Are you seeing less “for sale” signs in your neighborhood? What about “sold” signs?

For Homeowners • For Sellers • Real Estate Marketing • May 10, 2011

Spring Has Sprung in Seattle, Now is the Time to Take Pictures of Your Yard

by The Beaupain Team

I love this time of year in the Seattle area. The long days make it such a wonderful time to be outdoors. The spring color is fabulous with the rhodies, azaleas, tulips and more. When the leaves start coming in the new growth is a wonderful bright, fresh green color. Everyone’s yard looks the best this time of year.

Spring flowers in Seattle

So grab your camera and take some photos of your yard as it continues to bloom throughout the summer. I think we take the springtime beauty of Seattle for granted this time of year and forget how gray the skies can be. Good photos of the flowers are not only fun to look at particularly when its’ gray outside and they are great to use as a marketing tool no matter what month you decide to make a move.

Flowering Trees

Think you’re not going to move for many years? That’s okay, start building up the photo gallery for your home now. After all, someday you may decide to move and it could be in February. We all know how our yards look that time of year.

Bellevue Real Estate • Bellevue, WA • Real Estate • May 4, 2011

Does a 5 Piece Master Bath Increase A Home's Value?

by The Beaupain Team

You know what a 5 piece bath is, it has 5 pieces. These 5 pieces are easily (think Jack Nicholson) identifiable as a shower, bathtub, 2 sinks, and a toilet. The 5 piece master bath is expected in a certain style, age, and price range of a home in the Seattle eastside real estate market.

Here’s why I’m asking the question: My client and his wife are thinking of adding a wine cellar to their home. The only place a wine cellar would fit is in the main floor laundry room. The laundry would then need to move upstairs and be relocated to the master bath. The laundry could easily fit in the master bath in place of the soaking tub. I know it would be done well as everything these people do only adds quality and character to the home.

They bought a home built in the 1990’s that would be priced in today’s market for over $650,000. It’s a nice two story home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths located in Bellevue. The master has a 5 piece bath, which is a typical feature of this caliber of home.

The home owners never use the soaking tub and think it’s wasted space. I hear this from a lot of buyers. The master bath looks more elegant with the tub, but the tub is rarely, if ever, used. I bet you know a lot people who don’t use their tubs, but take showers instead.

Master Bath Tub

Do you think a tub is needed for utility, looks, as an amenity?

Does it decrease the value of the home if there’s no tub in the master bath?

Would you choose to not buy a home of this caliber if there was no master bath tub?

Is it important for a home to keep the typical and expected features, such as 5 piece baths in a certain style of home?

What would you recommend? Would you suggest the home owners pursue this plan and add a wine cellar, take out the the soaking tub in the master bath and put the washer and dryer in its place?

I’m interested in hearing what you think. I’ll let you know what I think in another post. Stay tuned.

Architecture • Built Green and Sustainable Living • For Homeowners • Real Estate • Remodeling and style trends • April 21, 2011

Midcentury Modern Meets Eco-Friendly Home Design

by The Beaupain Team

I’m passionate about “green” living, sustainability, eco-friendly and mid-century modern design. I’ve been lucky to be able to pursue these interests on various trips to Palm Springs, CA, which is a hub of mid-century modern design. Back in February, I was down in the California desert during Palm Springs Modernism Week. It’s a fun week filled with lectures, films, and house tours. Usually the homes are among the most iconic of midcentury modern style.

On one of this year’s home tours, I got to see a home built in 2007 from a true mid-century design. The home was designed in 1955 by California architect, William Krisel, but was built with today’s energy standards and features in mind. It’s a really cool combination of midcentury design matched with eco-friendly energy standards.

The article was first posted on Windermere’s blog where you can read it in its entirety. Hey, if you love midcentury modern. Check out Palm Springs, California sometime and try to make it to Modernism Week. By the way, William Krisel also designed the House of Tomorrow, which became the honeymoon hideaway of Elvis and Priscilla Presley.

Mid-century Modern Incorporates energy saving standards

Palm Springs Mid-Century Modern Meets Todays Energy Standards

Bellevue Real Estate • For Buyers • For Sellers • Issaquah Real Estate • Issaquah, WA • Kirkland • Market Statistics • Real Estate • Sammamish, WA • Sammamish, WA Real Estate • Woodinville, WA • Woodinville, WA Real Estate • April 14, 2011

How Many Condos Sold on Seattle's Eastside in March, 2011?

by The Beaupain Team

There are now more than 1000 condos for sale on Seattle’s eastside, still a very low number. Match it with the increases in the number of sales each month and the eastside condo market is having it’s best sales quarter in years! One-fifth of all the condos for sale in March got offers! This is the best odds there have been for condos for years, and I mean years.

Condo sales have been trending upwards, big time, since December of last year. The number of condo sales almost doubled in March from December. There’s a trend here in eastside condo sales, don’t you think?

Seattle Eastside Condo Sales Through March 2011

Bellevue Real Estate • For Buyers • For Sellers • Issaquah Real Estate • Issaquah, WA • Kirkland • Market Statistics • Real Estate • Redmond • Sammamish, WA Real Estate • Seattle real estate • Woodinville, WA • Woodinville, WA Real Estate • April 13, 2011

How Many Real Estate Sales Were in Your Seattle-Eastside Neighborhood in March, 2011?

by The Beaupain Team

How many homes sold in March, 2011 in your neighborhood?

The number of home sales for the eastside took a huge jump over last month’s total. Each month of 2011 has seen a big increase in sales.

Are the sales stronger than March of 2010? No, they’re not. But remember, in March, 2010, buyers were scrambling to buy to get the tax credit. This March, buyers are out buying because they’re ready to buy, not because a tax credit is dangling in front of them. It’s been great to see the amount of activity in each neighborhood on the eastside. In reality, it’s the hot homes that are selling. “Hot” homes are great values with a good price tag and are staged and ready to go. The homes that are not “hot” are taking a long time to sell and go through a lot of price reductions before getting an offer.

The plateau: Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

The odds of selling a home were 23%.

Median sales price dropped: $497,500 to $466,500.

There were 637 homes for sale.

A total of 160 homes sold.

Redmond/East Bellevue

The odds of selling a home were 29%.

Median sales price increased by .5% to $467,250 from $464,995.

166 homes were for sale

A total of 64 homes sold.

South Bellevue/Issaquah

The odds of selling a home were 32.5%.

Median price increased from $539,450 to $571,470.

281 homes were for sale.

A total of 100 homes sold.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland

The odds of selling a home were 27%.

Median price was down from $396,725 to $359,900.

556 homes were for sale.

A total of 175 homes sold.

Kirkland

The odds of selling a home were 25%.

Median price increased to $559,000 from $515,000, an 8.5% increase.

278 homes were for sale.

A total of 84 homes sold.

West Bellevue

The odds of selling a home were 25%.

Median pricing was down from $921,500 to $780,000.

169 homes were for sale.

A total of 46 homes sold.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

The odds of selling a home were 24%

Median pricing decreased from $529,450 to $461,950.

287 homes were for sale.

A total of 86 homes sold.

If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact me.

Bellevue Real Estate • For Buyers • For Sellers • King County Real Estate • Market Statistics • Real Estate • April 11, 2011

How Many Real Estate Sales Were On Seattle's Eastside in March, 2011?

by The Beaupain Team

Seattle Eastside Real Estate Sales Through March 2011

I see a trend happening in eastside real estate. The Seattle Times was wondering if there was a trend being established in Seattle area real estate. It’s happening on the eastside. This trend started in December of last year. Since that time, the number of homes selling each month has increased. Home sales have almost doubled from December’s 351 sales to March’s 657 sales. That’s a huge increase, a 47% increase in real estate sales! It sure sounds like an upward trend to me.

Match this news with the fact that the number of eastside homes for sale has only increased by 150 homes since December and there’s a good real estate market on the eastside. Last year, there almost 440 more homes for sale in March.

In March 2011, there were 2540 homes for sale and 657 had offers. The number 452 in the last column on the chart shows how many homes sold and closed that month. In order for these sales to close in March, the offers would have happened in January or February.

So far this year, we haven’t seen the number of homes for sale jump up by much. But if many more homes come on the market, the upward trend in home sales could slow down. An increase in the number of homes for sale could have an impact on how quickly homes sell.

Are you seeing more sold signs in your neighborhood?