Over the many years as a professional real estate agent my growing list of friends is the biggest prize. A quick phone call, the chance meeting in the grocery store or seeing one another in the mall (trying to get that much needed exercise) brings me a lot of joy. New technology has changed our industry and I intend to “keep up”. Facebook, twitter, all the new avenues of communications will be a special focus in the next few months.

Notice that my business name is now “Linda Miller Real Estate”. My name, my business, my responsibility to serve you. Jim and I are looking for all the ways we can help you and provide the extra service you deserve. Mike is continuing to be our tech support and he watches over all the advertising. Of course, there are “sign guys”, inspectors, lenders, title people–all of them are part of our “team” to guide you, our clients, as you make very important real estate decisions. Give me a call! In fact, you just might receive a call from me first. Happy Fall!

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be involved with folks that are at their greatest stress levels? Every real estate agent can go into great detail about helping people through tough times. Packing, making tough decisions, maybe adding others issues to the mix, i.e., down sizing, illness, death or divorce–we have seen it all. Yes, it is fun to see a family find the perfect home and see kids choose their own bedroom, but most of the time the stress comes through.

Recently I watched a family follow their dreams to a new job and community. Not only is our market challenging for sellers–buyers can struggle with the lending process. Low appraisals, excess work requirements, paperwork demands and delays, and the final hourly countdown until the keys are handed over–it all adds up to stress. To my seller friends the trauma was endless. Let me give one piece of advice: communicate! We are here to reach out to every available resource and get the job done. Be nice, for goodness sake!

While driving around our city (taking pictures for spokanepics.com) I have been excited to see some new development. Financial news hasn’t always given us the warm & fuzzies, so I am pleased to see some progress!

We were in Browne’s Addition yesterday and noticed small businesses (i.e., a Tully’s coffee shop) and activity around the area’s hub. Also at the Wandermere shopping center there’s new construction which has stirred our curiosity, and close to home a retirement apartment complex is being built. We noticed this in just a few short hours, going and coming. Is it enough to say things are turning around? Probably safer to say “we’re still alive”!

Previously I have commented on the condition of homes I had seen recently. Come on sellers….clean ‘em up! What makes you think, Mr. Seller, somebody is going to love your dirt? Enough ranting….let’s talk to buyers. When you, as a buyer, view a property that is less than perfect, try to see the house scrubbed and painted. You might be losing out on a great house when you quickly cross it off the list of possibilities.

My advice to buyers: if the house looks messy, there is probably delayed maintenance. Offers should reflect condition–then use contingencies, i.e., inspections, to really discover if there are serious problems with the house. Sellers, do you understand?…….you are asking for low offers with every dirty toilet! Smells….yikes–lower offers still. Weeds in the flower beds, dirty windows, blinds that are stained and torn….No offers.  Wake up America!

Life sometimes catches us off-guard. It’s not unusual for family situations to change suddenly and a move becomes necessary.  So many times I have discussed the need for regular updating to a home.   When it’s time to sell (and there will be that time) the job of preparing for the marketplace is easier, and less costly, if there has been regular maintenance.

I have been showing homes this last week and I am amazed at the conditions of some properties. The facts are these: there are fewer buyers, more competition, and decreasing values. Why wouldn’t a seller want to capture the buyer by being competitive? That means to offer more amenity at a lower price. Simple.

I have seen more unkempt homes, trashed yards and filthy toilets than I ever care to see. Ah, you say, short sales. No. Maybe sellers haven’t been told that selling a house is like selling anything else. There’s a lot of competition–what are you going to offer that will inspire the buyer to think “wow, we had better grab this before someone else does”. Wake up America! (Always wanted to use that line…..after looking at houses on the market it seemed appropriate!)

While it is uncommon for me to quote statistics, this is the question I am continually asked; “how’s the market”. Here is a recent report from the National Association of REALTORS.

Sales of existing homes increased in many markets during the first quarter even as home prices continued to fall, according to the latest quarterly survey by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Existing-home sales rose 8.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.14 million in the first quarter from 4.75 million in the fourth quarter of 2010, and sales were just 0.8 percent below the year-ago level. Distressed sales accounted for 39 percent of all first-quarter sales, up from 36 percent a year ago.

But home prices have yet to stabilize, falling in 118 markets across the country in the first quarter and rising in just 34 areas. The national median sale price of a single-family home was $158,700 in the first quarter, down 4.6 percent from $166,400 in the first quarter of 2010.

This is the report for the western United States:

In the West, existing-home sales jumped 13.5 percent to 1.29 million in the first quarter and were 2.1 percent higher than a year ago. The median price of an existing single-family home in the West fell 4.7 percent to $197,400 from a year ago. Tue, May 10, 2011

Happenings in a real estate agents life can vary from hiking around vacant land, going in old or new houses, or sitting with clients as they sign documents to purchase their new home. Personal lives get set aside while focusing on the needs of the client. Everyday I do the same thing, but I add another dimension to my role as a REALTOR. My additional focus is to try and find areas where all real estate professionals can improve and then create educational material on that subject.

Last week, as I was finishing up a class on negotiating, it was very interesting to think about how we negotiate every day. Even with ourselves. The alarm clock goes off… do I have just five more minutes, or is there no room for negotiating? My belief is that the better we are at knowing (or recognizing) the goal, the easier it becomes to prioritize our actions. The subject has been studied from the beginning of time… human nature, how to succeed, motivation, etc.

In my office I have an old scale my Dad had cherished, and a hand wood planer he had so carefully refurbished. On the scale is this little note; “weigh everything”, and on the planer “shave everything down to the core principle”. Good advice Dad! And on Mother’s Day… advice from Dad!

All the statistics may tell a story, but what is really happening in the real estate marketplace? It was true that every person involved in real estate in 2006 knew the “upswing” couldn’t last (and yes, there were other obvious signs that the economy would topple). Now we look for the subtle signs that there could be more activity. Here’s what I know.

Yesterday I spoke with a person involved in advertising, in particular, “jobs”. She noted that there is some optimism as the requests for job ads have increased in Spokane. Several days ago I was speaking with the employee at the Spokane Association of REALTORS who is responsible for data input. She commented that March was much busier than the previous two months. Finally, I was listening to an instructor that had acquainted herself with our local data and her assessment was that we had ” bottomed out” and it appeared our market was moving in the right direction again.

Only time will tell, but I am optimistic. If you are going to buy, do it this spring. If you are selling, it might be the time to prepare your home to be the very best home, and presented at the most competitive price. Lenders are working through more and more changes, but I hear some optimism from them too! Let’s get on with new goals!

Today I received good news from a loan officer whom I have referred many clients to in the past. Julie Johnston (218-0919) at Cherry Creek Mortgage let me know that loans for investors have, in the past, been limited to four properties– but now has been extended to ten! Perhaps this is a sign of good things to come. The ability to get a loan plays a large part in our market recovery. What an opportunity for investors–it’s the right time to buy! Our statistics are not looking good yet, however the buzz among the Realtors is that they are experiencing a bit of spring activity. That’s good news.

As a side note, my picture blog is almost a reality……I’m taking pictures, transferring from camera to computer, to folders then organizing software….. and that’s where it has stopped. The web site is in its’ final design stages and soon I will be letting everyone know where to find daily pictures of our beautiful area.

Signing off…..with camera in hand.

There are always articles about what to do when selling a home, but I just read one that really made sense. Read on for some great information.

Ten ideas:

• neutralize to neither feminine or masculine (i.e., no fussy lace curtains with rose print pillows);
• paint surfaces in earth tones (i.e., putty, mushroom, taupe or dusty greens);
• paneling doesn’t need to be removed—use good neutral paint to give a homey feel;
• kitchen cabinets painted to match walls and use brushed metal hardware;
• lighting need not be hard-wired—just effective;
• curtains should match windows or simply use blinds for a simple and clean look;
• flooring and counters can be replaced inexpensively with new products that mimic the custom hardwoods, tiles and stone (i.e, stenciling on wood flooring can look like inlaid detailing and give a designer look);
• hang inexpensive art, such as framed calendar prints;
• replacing bathroom tile quickly updates but remember to keep all the tiles the same color—and don’t get too fussy with rope borders, etc.;

And finally;

• walk across the street and look at your front door. Curb appeal is still a primary reason why someone may appreciate your home. The yard should be landscaped, well maintained, and have good color. A few big pots of bright flowers are probably the least expensive way to say “welcome”!