The road is in and the well has been drilled! Bring your plans, dreams, and ideas to this conveniently located parcel. Perched above Rocky Bay, this parcel is the perfect opportunity to build your dream home. Potential views with thinning and clearing. Private road, next to brand new construction.
11415 189th Ave. CT KPN, Gig Harbor, Washington 98329
MLS#: 1151682
Offered by Doug Lawrence and Keller Williams West Sound
http://www.douglawrencerealestate.com
253.341.5287
The last few months have been a bit frustrating for a number of my clients as it took longer than anticipated for them to secure contracts on new homes. Finding suitable and available houses, and then securing the winning bid among competitors, has been a challenge!
My clients are not alone when you look at what’s going on around us: low inventory is the foremost issue in the housing market right now. Buyers in today’s market in our area face relentless demand for a scarce supply of reasonably priced homes. In fact, in a recent survey by the National Association of Mortgage Professionals (NAMB), fifty-eight percent of mortgage professionals cited low inventory as the biggest hurdle for homebuyers today.
The inventory dilemma has even overshadowed concerns about mortgage lending standards. These standards, which some still view as too strict, have relaxed since the early, strong-armed days post-recession. In fact, according to a recent survey by Fannie Mae, more lenders have taken steps to open up access to credit since the start of 2017, and more plan to continue to do so in the future. This is good news! And coming up with enough money for a down payment has also become less of a factor, according to the same NAMB survey.
I was glad to be alongside my clients, helping them navigate this challenge, and ultimately helping them find and secure their homes. At the same time, my clients who are sellers have also appreciated the professional assistance to deal with multiple offer situations. Face value is not always an accurate representation of reality. That’s why having an experienced real estate agent is more important than ever to help both buyers and sellers navigate this intensely competitive market.
Undeniably, there are fewer homes on the market—but there are also many opportunities. How will you use today’s environment to your advantage?
Doug Lawrence is an agent with Kellers Williams WestSound in Gig Harbor, Washington. You can reach him at dlawrence@kw.com for advice or assistance on your upcoming home sale or purchase.
In other posts, I’ve written about the joy of loving where you live, and I certainly do! (When I say “love where you live,” I’m not just talking about the space you occupy, your home, or the town you live in, but also the region you inhabit.)
Loving the region where you live can take a bit more work than simply loving the house you live in, making an effort to get out and discover it to appreciate it. I thought about that recently when I had the privilege of accompanying one of my sons-in-laws on an overnight backpacking trip to one of his favorite places: La Push, Washington.
Not all destinations are easy to get to and this was one of them. La Push is a wild place where land meets water and jagged rock formations make stunning silhouettes against the brilliant red sun when it sets over the Pacific Ocean off Washington’s west coast. First, Second, Third, and Rialto Beaches are highly recommended there; we chose Second Beach, a mile-long stretch with several freshwater streams that meander from sand to sea. It’s one of the few places I’ve encountered where you’re still free to help yourself to driftwood for a fire.
You can’t see Second Beach by just pulling off the freeway at one of those visitor viewpoints and jumping out of your car for a quick look. No, this is one of those places that requires some planning and attention to detail to get there. So, we diligently packed our backpacks, grabbed our bedrolls and—oh, did I mention our bear cans?—and set out.
Once on the beach, we found a place to make camp: close to fresh water but far enough away from other campers to make us feel like we were miles away from anywhere and anyone. The continuous sound of the waves was both our lullaby and our alarm clock. No cell phones, no computers. It is some of the best of the wild that Washington has to offer.
This kind of adventure reminds me that many times, the best things in life take work to experience and appreciate. Loving where you live can require planning and preparation, not at all unlike buying and selling real estate. Buying a home—or selling one—is admittedly a lot of effort. But it also can afford you that sweet spot of being in a place that’s perfect at just the right time in your life.
My ocean adventure was worth every bit of effort it took to prepare for it and get there. It reinforced my conviction that the best things in life require effort—and reminded me how much I love where I live!
(c) 2017 Doug Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.
Doug Lawrence is a licensed broker with Keller Williams West Sound in Gig Harbor, Washington. He loves the opportunities the real estate profession gives him to help people love where they live! If you’d like to buy, sell, or invest in real estate in the Pierce or Kitsap County area, give him a shout (or a call, or an email): dlawrence@kw.com or 253.341.5287.
I recently contributed several hours to the Keller Wiliams booth at the Gig Harbor Maritime Festival, our town’s annual kick off to the summer season. Somehow the first weekend in June always turns out to be gloriously sunny, and a significant portion of the town’s population turns out for the parade, live music, street vendors, and the “blessing of the fleet,” harkening back to our fishing village roots.
At our booth, in addition to offering kids’ activities and a raffle for a wine basket, my colleagues and I endeavored to engage festival-goers with the teaser, “Would you like to find out how much your house is worth?” I was surprised by the number of people who were confident they already knew.
Do you know what your home is worth? I mean, do you really know its accurate value in today’s market?
With the advent of real estate search engines like Zillow and Red Fin, and our increasing reliance on technology, there is a general assumption that the app on your phone is accurate. Not necessarily.
House values can be determined in several ways. There is the tax assessed value, which is the formula your local government entity uses to determine the taxation value of your house and land. Then there is the market value determined via a professional consultation with a licensed real estate professional, which factors in square footage, amenities, location, and, most importantly, what similar houses have sold for within a reasonable distance from your home.
I used my own house as a test case and was surprised, although not really, to find a more than $100,000 spread between four different real estate apps. Most apps rely on algorhythms and public records to determine house values. Depending on their public record source, the information will vary based on the accuracy of the record. I’m sure this contributed to the erroneous values assessed to my own house, considering that, between the various reports, there was up to a 1000-square foot difference in the stated size of my house! (This is probably one reason why one of the best-known real estate search engines is currently being sued for inaccurate valuations.)
It’s important to remember that these discrepancies exist. If I were a seller, I would obviously want to sell my house for the highest price possible. And if I were a buyer, I would want to purchase for the lowest price. In the case of my home’s online assessed value, that could be a $100,000 discrepancy! That’s why, when it comes to determining your house’s value, it’s imperative that you enlist the help of a real estate professional to be your expert advisor.
In the current frenzied market (at least, in our area), it’s easy to become emotional and get caught in the trap of overpaying for a home just to have the winning bid. It’s not uncommon these days to see a house deliberately listed below market value, in anticipation of a bidding war between prospective buyers that can actually take the price far over market value. Don’t get sucked into this trap!
What I do for both my sellers and my buyers is to systematically assess a home’s true value. This takes into consideration:
All of these factors and more go into a systematic process of determining the value of the home you want to sell or purchase.
So back to my original question: Do you know what your home is worth? Perhaps you are pausing now before answering, because you realize the answer isn’t necessarily found in an app or an assumption. That’s where your local real estate professional can be an invaluable asset. Call for an APP-ointment today; it’s the most accurate real estate “app” at your disposal!
Doug Lawrence is a licensed real estate broker with Keller Williams West Sound in Gig Harbor, Washington. His mantra, both personally and professionally, is “love where you live!” He is an avid fan of the beautiful Pacific Northwest and enjoys helping people find their perfect fit. You can find him at www.douglawrencerealestate.com.
May is often a month of transitions. As I write this, we are in the process of collecting our youngest daughter from her university, packing up her apartment, and moving her belongings into storage for the summer. Next year, she’ll be in a new apartment, bigger, better, with more amenities and opportunities. Out with the old, in with the new.
This is but one of many transitions she will encounter throughout her adult life. According to the US Census Bureau (2007), the average American moves around 12 times in his or her lifetime. That’s a lot of packing and unpacking!
Moving to a new home can be overwhelming and sometimes downright daunting, whether we’re transitioning from one college apartment to another, or downsizing from a family home to an empty nest condo. Maybe it’s moving up from a starter home to a second home, or the consideration of a rental or vacation property. How we approach these moves makes all the difference in the world.
Here are some pointers for helping you approach your transition with confidence and enthusiasm:
Doug Lawrence is a real estate broker with Keller Williams West Sound in Gig Harbor, Washington. He and his wife have already beat the national average, having moved 13 times in their 34 years of marriage! Every single move has been an adventure in and of itself. Doug’s motto is “Love where you live!” If you’re ready for a transition of your own, he’d be delighted to help make your dream a reality. You can find him at www.douglawrencerealestate.com or dlawrence@kw.com
If you’re a person who wants to get the house you want for the price you can afford—without getting into a bidding war for that move-in ready one—you might want to consider a rehab loan. Known in the industry as a 203K, this is a great option for getting a nearly custom home for a steal.
I recently worked with a young couple to buy their dream home, sort of. In that, I mean, it their dream home. But when they bought it, it wasn’t even close. Here’s how it worked:
These were the kinds of repairs they made for this project:
Essentially, they will have a move-in ready, custom home, purchased for well within their budget, and with instant equity. What’s not to love about that? Although a 203K might not be for everyone, it’s a great way to end up with the house you want, for the price you want, if you’re willing to invest a little extra time and effort.
DOUG LAWRENCE is a licensed real estate broker with Keller Williams West Sound in Gig Harbor, Washington. If you are looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate (203K’s or otherwise) in the Pierce or Kitsap County areas in Washington State, he’d be happy to lend a hand! You can find him at www.douglawrencerealestate.com.
The value of a (person) resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.
~Albert Einstein
As much as I enjoy receiving Christmas gifts, I think my favorite part of Christmas has always been watching my family unwrap and enjoy the gifts I have chosen for them. I really do find it more fun to give than receive (not that I don’t like receiving!).
The quality of “living to give” is something I admire in others. People who live generously—not just with their money, but who give generously of themselves—really make the world go around. Many times, they are nameless and faceless, so to speak—not motivated by recognition or financial return on their investment, but rather by the intrinsic joy that comes with generosity.
This runs counter cultural to the messages we receive around us in our culture most of the time and especially over the holiday season. Buy, buy, buy. Accumulate. Indulge. You deserve it. At the same time, there is a whole population, a whole world, that is desperately in need—and not just materially. Sometimes the greatest needs are needs of the heart, for things like compassion, friendship, and assistance.
Generosity is that quality that empowers us to be the answer to another person’s need, whether that need is financial, emotional, practical, or spiritual. A friend of mine pointed out, “We win by losing. We gain by giving away. And, our greatest memories are of the gifts we gave rather than the ones we received.” I couldn’t agree more.
I hope you enjoy the best gift of all this holiday season – the gift of giving!
Best wishes, Doug
Doug Lawrence is a certified real estate broker with Keller Williams Realty in Gig Harbor, WA.
Someone once told me that the “biggest room in the house is the room for improvement.” This is a pretty profound statement if you pause long enough to consider it. It can certainly be humorous when applied in the right situations but, at the same time, it can have a profound impact on a given situation or even on a life when applied with careful thought and consideration.
In light of our current climate, immediately following the presidential election, I am reminded of this little phrase and the potential it holds. How have we become a nation of finger pointers and name callers, all the way to rioters and looters? Have we lost sight of who we are, what we were, and how far we have come? And, where we have the potential to go?
(You may be thinking, Isn’t this supposed to be a real estate blog? Well, yes it is, and if you have a need to buy, sell, or invest in real estate—or know someone that does—then I am your guy. There, I got that out of the way.)
That little phrase about the biggest room in the house being the room for improvement is a philosophy I have tried to make a part of my everyday life. It’s a principle I always want to consider again and again in a pursuit to be the best me, in a pursuit to be the best dad, the best husband, the best citizen, and so on. Whoever you are and whatever you do, I think we all have this inherent responsibility to be the best us—the best teacher, actor, delivery driver, parent, or leader, etc. we can be.
I was struck this week by the story of a young lady (and first-time voter) who was very emotionally affected by the outcome of the election. She ranted at first, maybe even shed a tear. But then she allowed herself to be challenged. How could she improve herself? How could she make her room, her campus, her world better? She took action; she volunteered for an overnight immersion program sponsored by her university where students spend time with the homeless in their community, serving, eating and talking with them, and experiencing the same living conditions they experience. This young lady is endeavoring to make her “room for improvement” a reality. She is, in her way, making a difference.
What is your room for improvement? Do you need an attitude adjustment? How can you start or continue to make a difference in your corner of the world? We may not be able to change the nation all by ourselves, but we can affect our small portion of it. What this nation needs now more than ever is unity. It needs understanding and true tolerance and peacemaking. We need to challenge ourselves as neighbors, as citizens, as parents and friends and employers and employees. Change a perspective, change a tire for a stranger. Listen instead of being the first one to speak. Volunteer or support those that do.
Come on, people; let’s make a real difference. Let’s effect change for the positive. Let’s start a renovation in the biggest room in our house!
Doug Lawrence thinks a lot about houses, being a real estate broker with Keller Williams Realty. Doug lives on Fox Island and has been a Pierce County resident since 1990. He would be happy to help YOU find YOUR perfect house; you can contact him at dlawrence@kw.com or visit his website, http://www.douglawrencerealestate.com.
In my last post, I talked about how much I love the beautiful part of the country where I live. I enjoy it. I brag about it. And I miss it when I’m away.
Apparently, I’m suffering from a syndrome called “place attachment.”
Yes, it does exist (you can look it up). And it ‘s a good thing. “Place attachment” basically means exactly what it says: you are attached to the place you live. An article in Psychology Today explains it, “It’s a love for your city, a belief that this, right here, is your place. It’s a sense of local belonging. It’s an emotional bond based on mutual history, responsibility, and affection.” People who experience place attachment:
How do you know whether you’re truly attached to the place you live now? Start by answering these three basic questions:
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you’re likely place attached.
But what if you’re not attached to where you live, and you want to be? Well, you could move (and if that’s the case, please give me a call!). But that option aside, there are some things you can do to increase your sense of rootedness and grow more attached to the city where you live. My wife and I moved our family to Gig Harbor around seven years ago, so our place attachment has grown over time. Here are some ways we were intentional about getting to know our community:
With such potential for happiness, health, and longevity, I encourage everyone to aspire to love where they live. Truth be told, it has less to do the with the place than it does to do with us and the way we view it.
“To foster attachment, your town doesn’t need to be the platonic ideal of a city, just as you don’t have to be particularly gorgeous, clever, or wealthy to love and be loved by others. You can adore a town that everyone else hates and still accrue the physical, emotional, and social benefits of place attachment. Your town just has to make you happy. When it does, you want to stay.”
–Melanie Warnick, This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live
Do you love where you live? If not, what are you going to do about it?
Doug Lawrence loves living on Fox Island in Washington State. He has been a Pierce County resident (on both sides of the Narrows Bridge!) since 1990 and is a huge fan of the Pacific Northwest. He is a real estate broker with Keller Williams Realty and would be happy to help YOU find YOUR perfect place, too! Contact him at dlawrence@kw.com or visit his website, www.douglawrencerealestate.com.
I love where I live. I realize that’s not the case for everyone; in fact, on more than one occasion I’ve been accused of overselling my community. People will remark, “Your city can’t be THAT great,” or, “You make it sound like you live in Paradise!”
Truth be told, I DO think it’s a little bit of paradise.
I love where I live for many reasons: it’s beautiful. It’s what I consider to be convenient. It has a great sense of community.
“Where I live” happens to be Fox Island, Washington, a quaint bedroom community that’s part of the general Gig Harbor area. I often comment that when I cross the bridge to our island, it feels like I’m on vacation. Being on vacation every day—what’s not to love about that?
Another thing I appreciate about my community is how active people are around here. And it’s rubbed off on me! Gig Harbor just happens to be the “Gateway to the Olympic Peninsula,” a veritable smorgasbord of natural beauty and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. One opportunity my wife and I took advantage of this summer was to hike the Dungeness Spit up near Sequim.
Five miles in length, it is North America’s longest naturally-occurring spit. At its far tip is a charming, historic lighthouse. Once manned and operated by the US Coastguard, its light is maintained today by a corps of volunteers who join the lighthouse association and serve a week at a time as lighthouse keepers. Arlyn and I have put that on our bucket list! (In the meantime, the 11-mile round trip hike was challenge enough for us.)
That foray to the Peninsula also led us to Sol Duc Falls, up past Port Angeles and Crescent Lake in Olympic National Park. This comparatively short hike yields extremely high rewards as you walk through the lush, old growth forest and come out on the breathtaking Sol Duc River as it carves its way down the mountain. Yep, paradise.
Can you see why I love where I live? These are just a couple of examples of what I’ve got in my own back yard. What’s in yours?
Doug Lawrence is professional real estate broker who is delighted to earn a living helping people live where they love and love where they live. You can reach him at dlawrence@kw.com or at his website www.douglawrencerealestate.com.
Doug Lawrence Real Estate 
