WolfTeam News

March 9, 2010

New Home Builders Say “Less is More”

Filed under: General Real Estate Industry News, Price & Value, Property Values, Saving Money — Tags: , , , , — Dan @ 12:44 pm

Think of it as “The Shrinking American Home Dream!”

This past month the International Home Builders met in Los Vegas to share ideas about home building, learn about new trends and view a huge trade and craft show for home product vendors to showcase their new home products to the builders.  The housing trends were highlighted by separate surveys conducted by the Washington based Home Trade Association and Better Homes and Gardens real estate company.  The surveys were released at the trade show on January 20.

A simple yet stylish kitchen with granite countertop

The average size of an American house shrank about 100 square feet last year to an average size of new homes of 2,400 square feet. 

What’s on the way out:  Outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, two-story foyers and some expensive deluxe bathroom features like multiple shower-heads in the master bathroom.  Builders say they are less likely to build homes with media rooms and sun rooms.

What’s becoming popular right now?  Smaller homes with lots of natural light, storage and energy efficiency features that save money – but don’t cost too much! Buyers are favoring energy efficient triple pane – argon gas filled windows, energy efficient lighting and appliances that save money on energy.

Noteable trends in housing somewhat follow the overall general conservative trend of the economy.  The mantra for many home buyers reflects a desire to keep the cost down.  Home buyers want energy efficient homes and are moving away from wasted spaces like high ceilings that are expensive and inefficient to heat.  Current buyers are favoring features like smart appliances that help cut household energy costs. 

 

March 5, 2010

Market Recovering in Goldenview Sub

Filed under: General Real Estate Industry News, Life in Anchorage, Price & Value, Property Values, Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — Dan @ 4:46 pm

Goldenview Subdivision is one of the more popular subdivisions in southeast Anchorage. The neighborhood is bounded by Rabbit Creek Rd on the north side, Goldenview Drive on the east side and 164th on the south border. Goldenview Middle School is adjacent to some of the homes on the easterly border.

View Larger Map
This is one of the few subdivisions on the Anchorage hillside which is serviced by city water and city sewer. These amenities are in place because of the middle school which was built about the same time as the subdivision began in 1998. Most of the construction in this neighborhood took place between 1998 and 2004, although there are a few homes slightly older and newer.

Many “oil and gas” families bought in the neighborhood when the homes were brand new. For a while homes were snapped up even before the homes were completed. Our team had several people during this hot market time that were standing by waiting for homes to get listed and come to the market.

Then, in 2007 and 2008, the market in Goldenview softened. The number of available home grew. There were months where there where as many as 20 homes on the market.

The Goldenview home we sold in February 2010

My team and I recently listed and sold a home in Goldviewview. The home had sold during the “hot market” times. This is pretty interesting, the home sold for $458,000 in March of 2007. We sold and closed the home for $445,000 in February 2010, which was a drop in price of 2.8%. The seller and we agreed we had sold the home at “market” price and not at a discount or fire-sale.

Right now, there are only 6 homes on the market listed for sale, and there are 6 homes pending in Goldenview! Take it as a good sign! Homes for sale are selling, inventory is declining!

March 1, 2010

Search for Property…Easily!

Filed under: Just for fun, Marketing, Price & Value, Property Values — Tags: , , — Dan @ 7:38 pm

A small cow moose munches on willow branches

Have you check out the search engine on this website for searching for property?  Not to brag, but it really is about the best search engine out there! 

Click here to see it.  You get a map of southeast Alaska.  Then you take your mouse, click the right button and draw a box around the geographic area you want.  As the area expands, you can zoom right down to neighborhoods if you want to.

At the bottom of the map, you select the parameters you want such as single family home or town-home and what price range and other details.  You can save your search and go back to it at any time. 

If it looks like a home you want to view, you can click on “set an appointment” to ask for a time to see the property!  Can it get any easier?

And the cool thing is this data is straight from the Alaska Multiple Listing Service (AK MLS).  It’s not old data, either.  It’s possible there is a 24 hour delay from the time agents input their new listings into the MLS, but that’s about it.

February 25, 2010

Staging Your Home – Sell Faster and for More $$

Filed under: General Real Estate Industry News, Marketing, Preparing Your Home, Price & Value, Property Values — Tags: , , — Dan @ 4:28 pm

When you are selling your home, second only to pricing your home correctly, staging your home to sell, is one of the biggest things a person can do to sell not only quicker, but studies indicate homes even sell for a higher price! 

Here is a good video from Susan Botticelli, a real estate and home staging expert in San Diego.  If you can see past the obvious geographic and construction differences between San Diego homes and Anchorage homes, you’ll pick up some great points.

February 24, 2010

Life = Risk

Filed under: Just for fun, Life in Anchorage, Uncategorized — Tags: , , — Dan @ 7:53 am

This youTube video is a real inspiration.  If you never fail, you never live.

February 19, 2010

What is a CRS ~ Certified Residential Specialist?

Filed under: Alaska, General Real Estate Industry News, Marketing — Tags: , , , , , , — Dan @ 2:41 pm

Similar to many other professional groups, real estate agents commonly have some “alphabets” behind their name.  Assuming the agent values advanced education, the longer they are in business, the more alphabets they might acquire.  Some of the common initials behind a real estate agents name are CRS (Certified Residential Specialist), GRI (Graduate of the Real Estate Institute), and AHS, Accredited Home Staging Specialist.

I became a Certified Residential Specialist in 1987 after taking the CRS courses for several years, which really helped me focus on the different facets of the real estate business.  You might ask, first what is a CRS? Why would you want to be one?

Basically the National Association of Realtors sponsored the “CRS Chapter” to begin developing real estate training that helps REALTORS® achieve a higher level of success than they normally achieve on their own, without structured education. CRS classes provide systems and strategies that can boost your productivity so you can be more effective for your clients.  The subjects include listing and servicing listings, selling property and caring for buyers, better pricing, advanced technology, focused marketing, referral generation and more.

Here’s the deal.  There are over one million real estate agents  in business today. If you want to find that “one-in-a-million” Realtor, you can narrow your search by looking at the 34,000 who hold the Certified Residential Specialist Designation. Because the training is consistent around the country, you tend to find a higher standard of agent when you find a CRS member.  CRS is the symbol of excellence in residential real estate. Our members have proven they have the experience, training and commitment to be among the best in their profession.

When you see CRS behind a name now, you’ll realize this person has invested time and money into becoming more professional in their chosen field of real estate and is trying to set themselves apart from the average.

The YouTube video below was made to be directed to real estate agents. Watch it and you’ll get the idea of the designation.

February 17, 2010

Anchorage Schools – Good To Know!

Filed under: Alaska, General Real Estate Industry News, Life in Anchorage — Tags: , , , — Dan @ 11:52 am
The Anchorage School District span’s an immense geographic area from Birchwood on the north parameter to Girdwood at the southern boundary.

Fresh Snow Blankets Country Field

There are 60 elementary schools in the Anchorage school district alone! There are ten middle schools and eight high schools! In addition there are 10 charter schools under ASD’s covering.

There are approximately 50,000 students enrolled in Anchorage School District in the 2010 school year, or roughly 20% of the area population! 

Click here to access the 2008-2009 Profile of Performance (the district’s report card). On the Anchorage School Districts website you can read each schools’ performance records and student test scores.

In addition, there are at least a dozen private and Christian Schools in the Anchorage area. 

A handy detail to bookmark on your home computer is the school district calendar as well as the main page.  When particularly bad weather occurs such as deep snow or a winter ice storm, it is good to check here for school closures.

February 15, 2010

How Do I Buy a Bank Owned Property?

Filed under: Financing, General Real Estate Industry News, Price & Value, Property Values — Tags: , , — Dan @ 8:17 am

This video is hilarious! Maybe you have to be in real estate, or be a Realtor, to appreciate the attitude of the big-shot lenders agent in the video. I’ve seen a few of these sort of agents in my day and it’s really sad. When they have a ton a business happening, they quickly forget their customer skills.

Check it out and get a laugh!

February 13, 2010

Alaska’s Economy – A 3 legged stool

Filed under: Alaska, General Real Estate Industry News, Internet Web Sites, Life in Anchorage, Property Values, Uncategorized, investment — Tags: , , — Dan @ 9:02 am

Have you seen the website www.Alaskaseconomy.org?  The site has been advertised in the newspaper and I recently saw the site published in the First National Bank of Alaskas’ newsletter. 

Are we standing at the Crossroad?

 The front page of the site, called the “index” page,  appropriately says:

 ”Alaska’s businesses and households are only as strong as the economy that supports them. Like the three-legged stool, it takes all three legs to support and sustain our economy. For 20 years now, Alaska’s prosperous and growing economy has enabled us to successfully operate private businesses. In today’s uncertain times, it is essential that each Alaskan learn, understand and actively support our economy—the “three-legged stool”—and what it will take to keep it strong.”

In “The Alaska Journal of Commerce“,  February 3 editorial, “Oil Industry is changing, but it may not be for the better,” the Journal notes that Alaska “now has fewer standing rigs than any other oil producing state, that we now produce less oil than any other oil producing state, and that exploration in Alaska is coming to a halt.

Tellingly, in a recent survey of international oil executives, Alaska ranked close to the bottom of states to invest in, surpassed only by California and Colorado as least-desirable.


In short, the Journal sees a change taking place in the Alaska oil industry, but it’s the change of decline. And while global demand is down in these recessionary times, other oil producing states and nations are taking advantage of the shake-up to reposition themselves. According to the Journal editorial staff, our state leadership seems to lack a sense of urgency, however, which puts Alaska’s future at stake.”

We need to get some of things fixed!  Feel free to share these comments, website and the Journal links to everyone you know!

February 9, 2010

Fun Area Demographics Website

Filed under: General Real Estate Industry News, Just for fun, Life in Anchorage — Tags: , , — Dan @ 5:29 pm

I found a demographics site that is pretty interesting. It’s called www.ZIPskinny.com, as in “what’s the skinny on the people living ?”  After you log on the site, go to the top right corner and put in any zip code you are interested in. Then click on “Get It!”   

A Quaint Orthodox Country Church

 in this area

You will see a column for social and economic indicators such as education, marital status, family income and occupation as well as race, age and sex of the people in that zip code.

The information on the website comes from the U.S. Census.  I’m sure it’s accuracy is “relative“, the last census was in 2000, but it’s still pretty interesting and fun. 

I got a kick out of comparing the stats in my zip code to places I wouldn’t mind living.  It’s interesting to make the comparison.

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