Tag Archives: military

Amazing Views of Hales Passage from Ready-to-Build Fox Island Lot!

Have you been thinking of view property on beautiful Puget Sound in Washington State? Look no further than this: the development has already been done . . . so bring your plans and get going on the water-view house you’ve been dreaming of!

From your vista on desirable Bella Bella Drive on Fox Island, you’ll enjoy unobstructed views of Hales Passage and the Fox Island Bridge. The over 1/4-acre lot is level and has been fully cleared; a three-bedroom septic has been installed and water and electricity are already to the property.

$299,950

Offered by Doug Lawrence and Keller Williams West Sound
MLS#1358855
224 B Bella Bella Dr, Fox Island 98333.

Call for showing; listing agent must be present at initial viewing to highlight all the incredible amenities of this exclusive property. 253.341.5287
dlawrence@kw.com
www.douglawrencerealestate.com

Offers: Seller intends to review offers upon receipt.

Doug Lawrence is a Fox Island resident whose motto is “Love Where You Live!” He especially enjoys the opportunity to offer others a chance at the “island living” enjoyed by residents on Fox Island. You can find out more about Doug and Fox Island living at www.foxisland.net and www.visitgigharbor.com.

(Close) Quarters for the Holidays

As much as I love summer and sunshine, winter—and the holiday and festive occasions it presents—is by far my favorite time of year. I am a sucker for the lights and music and the food (and did I mention the food?)! But for me, the “the most wonderful time of the year” is all about family and friends.

My wife and I have a large family and we love to hang out together. We also like to maintain an open-door policy with that rather large family and any of their friends. This offer of hospitality will often include an overnight stay or two at Stone’s Throw, our home.

If the holidays will be bringing overnight guests to your house too, you may be looking for some ideas about how to accommodate them. With that in mind, here are some helpful ideas to provide the warmest and most inviting guest spaces for the holidays. (Guest room not required.)

  1. Create a warm welcome and environment. Fresh towels, chocolates on the pillow, and a bottle of water or two close by, and do not forget an extra amazing cozy blanket.
  2. If your living room doubles as your spare room, be creative by creating an area that lends itself to sleeping. Add a screen for privacy and invest in a good quality airbed. Add as many bedroom-type touches as is practical. Create a little nightstand and a place to charge a cell phone.
  3. Also remember: when your living space doubles as a sleeping space, be sensitive to your guests’ need for rest. When we have a houseful, we often will give our master bedroom to guests and we will use the airbed in the living room. This especially helpful if your guests have a little one. Plus, it allows us to move about late at night or early in the morning and not disturb our guests.
  4. Make an effort to provide a space for luggage and personal belongings. No one wants to have to keep moving their stuff every morning and back again in the evening. A luggage rack or closet, or even a private corner of the room, are some ideas.
  5. Be sure to help your guests feel at home. Share house rules if any and direct them to all provisions and amenities (food, drink, hot tub, Wi-Fi password, TV remote instructions, etc.)
  6. Keep yourself sane. Go for your walk or run in the morning and drink your glass of wine in the evening. Be flexible with everything else.
  7. Not everyone loves your furry friends as much as you do. If you are a little tight on space this holiday, consider boarding your pets to allow for less congestion. We will be boarding our two dogs for a few strategic days this month.

I love this time of year and I look forward to sharing it with family and friends both near and far. I hope you, too, are able to take the most of this amazing opportunity to enjoy this time of year—along with all who will gather in your home.

Doug Lawrence is a licensed broker with Keller Williams West Sound in Gig Harbor, Washington, serving Pierce and Kitsap Counties and referring across the United States and around the world.  Whatever your real estate needs may be, now or in the New Year, you can find him at www.douglawrencerealestate.com.

(c) 2017 Doug Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.

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Think You Can’t Afford It? Think Again.

September means back to school, back to routine, and back to . . . home shopping?  Yes, for many folks!

Although, as I mentioned last month, this has been a challenging market lately, affording the mortgage payment for the house they want IS possible for many prospective homeowners. Why then, by all accounts, is a sense of “unaffordability” plaguing the market?

Researchers at Freddie Mac offered several answers to that question in its latest Insight, the first one being perception. Homebuyers struggling to find reasonably-priced listings perceive the housing market in general as unaffordable — a reasonable conclusion, if their only options to date have been out-of-reach stock.

Secondly, the high likelihood these days for competition (i.e., “bidding wars”) is off-putting, both for first-time homebuyers and for sellers re-entering the market. The hesitation of these would-be sellers is notably tamping down already tight inventory.

“Thanks to very low mortgage rates, monthly mortgage payments are affordable for the average household despite currently high house prices,” says Sean Becketti, chief economist at Freddie Mac. “Nevertheless, hurdles to homeownership arise from the difficulty of finding a house. The supply of homes for sale is very tight, especially starter homes, and underwriting requirements are more rigorous than they were in the past.”

Would-be homeowners are also not confident about their prospects because their incomes have stayed relatively flat compared to home prices. Incomes have grown by an average 2.4 percent annually since 2012; home prices, however, have grown an average 6 percent.

“Many potential first-time borrowers are stymied by variable employment and income histories and the challenge of accruing a down payment while simultaneously paying down their student loans,” Becketti says. “In fact, a high level of household debt, particularly student debt, poses perhaps the largest obstacle to first-time homebuyers.”

Homeownership — stripped down to just the mortgage payment — is affordable, the researchers concluded, but challenged by barriers that play a hefty role in the home-buying process. Perception, after all, is reality.

Are any of these factors playing into your decision to buy or not buy, to sell or not sell?  I’d be happy to talk through with you how these issues might affect you (or not), and help you find workable solutions for your unique home-buying or home-selling situation. After all, I’m here to help you “love where you live!” ~Doug

Doug Lawrence is a licensed broker with Keller Williams West Sound in Gig Harbor, Washington. You can find him at http://www.douglawrencerealestate.com, or by email at dlawrence@kw.com, or by phone at 253.341.5287

Source: Freddie Mac , Photo by 2.0 Generic

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Approach Your Move with Confidence

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:

  1. Prepare. I learned early in my life that “prior proper planning prevents poor performance.” Don’t be that person who starts packing the night before the movers arrive. Start early. Make to-do lists. Delegate jobs for friends and family members. Schedule help and/or the moving company well in advance. If you have small children, arrange for away-from-the-house childcare; animals can go to the kennel for the day.
  2. Purge. Take this opportunity to get rid of excess possessions you can live without. Decluttering is cathartic—not to mention it makes moving a whole lot easier on your back (and on the friends who help you move!). As soon as you know your move is imminent, start packing away (or giving away) anything you know you won’t be using between now and your move. A great rule of thumb is: if you haven’t used it in a year, it can go. If you have adult children who have moved away, now is the time for them to claim their stuff—or lose it!
  3. Be Proactive. Where are you headed? Research your new community ahead of time. Have an idea of schools, restaurants, places of worship, community organizations, recreation activities, etc. that appeal to you so you can jump in right away and feel connected as soon as possible. This will help build anticipation toward your new destination, and help alleviate the feelings of loss about your old one.

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 

Photo Credit: Nicholas Huk

Military Relocation? You Need a VAMRES!

movingtruck

If you’re a member of the military, you know the importance of making a move quickly, efficiently, and with as little fuss necessary for you and your family. Getting settled comfortably and quickly into a new community is a frequent and important part of the military lifestyle.

As a former Marine and one who has experienced military moves in the past, I was excited for the opportunity of earning a VAMRES certification to my real estate broker’s license, to enable me to be a resource to relocating military personnel. It’s a great opportunity to serve those who serve!

A VAMRES-certified broker (VA Military Relocation Specialist) has the expertise and experience necessary to help you navigate some of the more finer-tuned components of a military move, and the ability to refer you to VAMRES-recommended Loan Expert.

Interested? Here are 5 steps to buying your new home with a VA Military Relocation Specialist team (VAMRES Realtor and Home Loan Expert):

  1. Determining eligibility – connect with your VAMRES Agent and Home Loan expert to get your eligibility quickly and identify the kinds of loans for which you qualify. Many times you can use your VA loan eligibility to purchase your home with no money down (and you can use your entitlement more than once).
  2. Viewing, selecting, and inspecting the home – locate an experienced VAMRES Realtor who is well-connected the local real estate market and can help you find the best neighborhood and home for you. With VetMove.com,  you may also quality for a free home inspection!
  3. Requesting the loan – work closely with your Loan Expert to get pre-approval before submitting an offer. In a hot market, this is a big advantage!
  4. Appraising the property – Once your offer is accepted, your VAMRES Home Loan Expert will order the appraisal and start the full loan process.
  5. Closing the sale – Your VAMRES Home Loan Expert and Realtor will help you navigate the process and confirm the closing transaction once your loan has been approved.

The Puget Sound area is home to a number of military bases, including the Bremerton Naval Shipyard and Joint Base Lewis McChord, covering the span of Pierce, Thurston, and Kitsap Counties. There are many fine communities and neighborhoods in these counties, and I’d be happy to show you around!

Doug Lawrence is a certified broker with Keller Williams Realty in Gig Harbor, WA.

Photo credit: Stuart Miles and freedigitalphotos.com