Leavenworth Real Estate

Discounts on Leavenworth Homes

As a Leavenworth real estate agent one of the most common questions I hear is “How much should we offer on this house?”

The answer always depends on the motivation of the seller, time on market, and a dozen other factors.

While we do expect to see some low offers in a buyer’s market due to the oversupply of homes , buyers often ask “is there such a thing as too low an offer?”

I think so.

Recently, someone asked me if an offer of 50% of the list price was worth offering on a lot I have listed for sale. I asked the seller and he agreed. No thank you.

I had a hunch that offers for less than 20% below the listed price aren’t likely to go very far.

I checked the sales so far in 2009 and this is what I found:

What do we see:

• Half all homes sold for a discount of 5% or less.
• No homes sold for more than a 20% discount.

What does this mean?

These aren’t the discounts off the original list price. The small discounts mean that buyers need to follow the seller’s lead. Sellers who are ready to sell will lower their price to meet the market.  When a seller has a listing price that is 30-50% more than what you are willing to pay, it means they aren’t likely to accept your offer.

Sellers – if you aren’t seeing offers it means your home is listed too high. Americans aren’t used to doing a lot of haggling. “They can always offer lower” is a good sound byte, but it’s not likely to sell your home.

In an upcoming article I’ll take a look a condo prices in Leavenworth and Kahler Glen to see if they match this pattern.

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Required Disclaimer

NOTE: This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

Leavenworth Real Estate | Sold Homes August 2009

In August, 4 homes and 2 condos sold in the Leavenworth area.

 

7055 Icicle Island Drive, Leavenworth

List price: $319,000.  Sold price: $275,000.

Days on Market: 139

1 bedrooms | 1 bath | 672 sqft| .37 acres

In a small community just outside of Leavenworth, this small cabin is on Icicle Creek and in the flood zone.

 

 

19545 State Street, Leavenworth

List price: $314,900.  Sold price: $314,900.

Days on Market: 80

2 bedrooms | 1 bath | 1300 sqft| .35 acres.

Cute cabin in the Pine River Ranch neighborhood, this home sold for asking price.  One bedroom plus a loft, the lot backs to US Forest Service.

 

 

12272 Bretz Road, Leavenworth

List price: $899,250.  Sold price: $775,000.

Days on Market: 117

4 bedrooms | 3 bath | 2720 sqft| 1.28 acres.

Partial log cabin located just outside of Plain on the Wenatchee River.  The lot is high bank river front.

 

 

1521 Alpensee Strasse, Leavenworth

List price: $1,250,000.  Sold price: $835,000.

Days on Market: 228

3 bedrooms | 3 bath | 4663 sqft| .45 acres.

Large home on the Wentachee River within the city limits of Leavenworth.  The home was off the market for five months at the beginning of 2009.

 

 

Leavenworth Sold Condos:

 

525 Alpine Place F-1, Leavenworth

List price: $209,000.  Sold price: $180,000.

Days on Market: 207

2 bedrooms | 1.75 bath | 958 sqft

Just outside the city limits on Icicle Road, this condo is available for use as a nightly rental.

 

 

100 Ski Blick A-102, Leavenworth

List price: $435,000.  Sold price: $270,000.

Days on Market: 702

2 bedrooms | 2.50 bath | 1240 sqft

This is one of the few condos/townhomes that have sold in this project.  High days on market reflect construction time and the fact these units can not be used as nightly rentals.

 

More Leavenworth Real Estate Info

• Click Here to See Leavenworth Sold Homes for July 2009
• Click Here to See Cashmere Sold Homes for Aug 2009
• Click Here to Search for Leavenworth Homes for Sale

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Required Disclaimer

NOTE: This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

Asbestos in your Leavenworth home?

The following is a GUEST POST by Paul James the National Awareness Coordinator for the Mesothelioma Cancer Center which can be found at  http://www.asbestos.com

When buying or selling a home, consumers frequently relay questions to their agents. Many old homes may need repairs or renovations, especially in locations that are susceptible to natural disasters. Many things may go unnoticed during the remodeling process, such as obsolete forms of construction that can be a cause for concern. Having the assistance of an honest and reliable real estate agent can make all the difference.

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral used as insulation for piping, roofing and flooring throughout the 20th century. Due to its flame resistant and highly durable qualities, asbestos became a mainstay in the construction industry. You should be aware that homes built prior to 1980 have the chance of containing asbestos. This should not make you too concerned, because asbestos exposure is easily avoidable by taking simple precautions.

Asbestos Tips & Prevention

It is not always an easy process to determine whether or not a particular insulation contains asbestos.

The best advice is to leave it un-disturbed and un-touched, as this will prevent its fibers from becoming airborne. Sometimes the best action in regards to asbestos is no action at all.

If you plan to remodel or conduct renovations, hire professionals to handle asbestos to safely remove the material. Removing asbestos by yourself can potentially spread fibers throughout your home and your family will be at risk of inhaling asbestos dust. Asbestos removal should be performed by a licensed abatement contractor who is trained and licensed in handling hazardous materials.

Anyone who is unsure about the insulation in their home should have the materials in question tested. To protect your investment, professional consultants can provide an evaluation of the home. Consultants will identify material defects structures and components of the home, in adherence to or exceeding national, state, and industry regulations and standards.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to the development of related illnesses such as mesothelioma and asbestosis, two rare but severe forms of asbestos lung cancer. Diagnosis of these diseases is a difficult task because mesothelioma symptoms are difficult to decipher due to a latency period lasting 20 to 50 years after exposure.

Go GREEN in the Home
While we all use energy to power our daily activities, many people take renewable and sustainable methods for granted. The implementation of Eco-construction and green energy home solutions will play an important role in the transformation to a healthier and sustainable world.

Eco-friendly methods of building and insulation can have many environmental, economic and health benefits, including enhancement of air quality, improvement of pulmonary health, increase property value and reduction of energy costs.

Currently, many cities in the U.S. have created lumberyards which re-store where you can purchase recycled building materials that are authentically strong and inexpensive. The implementation of green alternatives such as cotton fiber, lcynene foam and cellulose can reduce annual energy costs by 25 percent.

Cotton fiber is also becoming a favorite insulation method. Made from recycled batted material, it is then treated to be fireproof. Water based spray polyurethane foam, lcynene, is a healthy insulation which contains no toxic components.

Cashmere Real Estate | Sold Homes August 2009

In August only 1 home sold in Cashmere.

 

205 Chapel Street, Cashmere

List price: $337,000 .  Sold price: $299,000.

Days on Market: 313

4 bedrooms | 3 bath | 2840 sqft| .22 acres.

1940’s home on a nice tree lined street.  Home was listed with a limited service listing company which may explain the long time on market.

 

More Leavenworth and Cashmere Real Estate Info

• Click Here to See Cashmere Sold Homes for July 2009
• Click Here to See Leavenworth Sold Homes for August 2009
• Click Here to Search for Cashmere Homes for Sale

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Required Disclaimer

NOTE: This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the North Central Washington Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Association nor its MLS guarantees or are in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the Market.

First Time Homebuyers – New Online Guide

As many folks know, one of the important parts of the Federal government’s stimulus package is an $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers.

Washington REALTORS (formerly the Washington Association of Realtors) has put together a new website just for first time homebuyers to help answer most of the common questions that homebuyers might have.

WA Homeowners.com

This is one of the included videos from the site which I think explains the tax credit and who’s elgible in an easy and entertaining way.

Sometimes I think the REALTOR association pushes too hard from the sales angle – buy, buy, buy!!!  This time I think they did a good job.

What do you think? Is this new site helpful?

Do you think the first time homebuyer tax credit will make a difference in Leavenworth and Cashmere? Did you buy a house and get the credit?