Tacoma has a variety of neighborhoods and they have different things going for them. Some have amazing views, others are close to the freeway and sport super low prices. Every type of neighborhood has its pluses and minuses. In some neighborhoods the plus might be the price and location and the minus might be the crime rate. In others the plus might be low crime and beautiful homes, but the minus is an oppressive HOA or a struggling middle school.

While we aren’t allowed to tell you one neighborhood is better for you than another (that’s called steering and it’s been illegal since the 1960’s) we can help point you towards resources where you can do your own research and draw your own conclusions.

1. Your Friends and Family

Talking to friends and family is probably the most old fashioned yet still completely useful way for investigating a neighborhood. Talking to people who currently live in a neighborhood is one of the best ways to find out the pros and cons of living there. Talking to people who have moved out of a neighborhood can be illuminating as well, but steer clear of people who have opinions about neighborhoods they’ve never lived in. Sometimes an areas reputation doesn’t tell the whole story.

2. City of Tacoma Crime Data Website

Crime happens everywhere, and the City of Tacoma Police Department tracks it all. This official site has information for you to research crime in neighborhoods in the city of Tacoma.

3. The Trulia Heat Map

This site helps you figure out what kind of crime is happening on the street the house you are interested in is. It’s very visual and easy to use. While it might not always have the most up to date information that the City of Tacoma site has, it really helps you get a feel for overall crime. It also allows you to sort by type of crime, so you can sort out arrests and focus on burglary and vandalism.

4. Great Schools

If you are a believer in standardized test scores, then this site, whose funders include Bill and Melinda Gates, can help you compare schools. If you are a parent who does not believe test scores are the way to evaluate schools, we can think of no short cut to asking around, talking to parents, talking to Principals when possible, and visiting schools that you think might be a good fit for you and your student.

5. Your Own Eyes and Ears

It’s easy to fall in love with a house and forget to take the neighborhood into account. Some good tricks for getting a feel for the neighborhood are to visit in the evening on a Friday or Saturday night. Is it noisy or peaceful? Would you feel comfortable living here? If the house is on an alley, take a walk down the alley and see what you see. If you bump into any neighbors, ask them what they think about living there.

Again, as Realtors we are your advocates. We want to be your trusted advisors as we help you search for the perfect home for you and your family. That said, there are limits to what we can tell you. We hope this article was useful to you. Let us know what you think!

The inventory in the traditionally popular areas of Proctor / UPS / North Slope is actually weak right now.

This is big news for North End sellers! The timing of this weak inventory is unfortunate because the buyers are really out! The phone is ringing again. If you have a great north end house that you know you want or need to sell soon, the competition isn't terribly fierce. Call us, please!

On to the homes. Here are five properties that I consider noteworthy for various reasons:

4818 North 14th - Why this house? Because it is a price point that didn't exist until now. The news here is that you really can get a cute north end pad that needs minimal work for $159k.

1226 North J St. This bank owned property needs work. It is probably NOT a great flip property unless the bank drops the price even lower. But for the right buyer, it will be great. It is the kind of home that offers a stellar location, a partial sound view, classic craftsman styling, great curb appeal, and lots of square footage for the money. I see the perfect buyer being handy, energetic and willing to put in sweat equity over time.

1112 North 5th St. This is a classic Four Square in an historic neighborhood. It is a very large, attractive home with lots of usable space and it is under the $300,000 mark. Basically, this one just seems like a solid value.

4819 North 33rd Street Okay, this one IS our listing, but I think I can be objective in saying it is a great north end home on an oversized corner lot with plenty of historic charm, a tastefully updated kitchen, detached garage and even storage and a third garage bay in the basement. I like the value at $325,000.

3807 N 39th St. This one is in that area that you've always liked, the northern tip of N. Proctor where it ends in a cul-de-sac along the cliff. The house doesn't have garage parking and it is dated inside, but the location is both charming and breathtaking. It's built right near the edge overlooking Commencement Bay. With a serious remodel, this could be a million dollar home. It is the kind of place that people hold onto for 50 years. This is the chance to buy the kind of home that doesn't hit the market often.

So these are the five I picked to talk about. If you think I missed one, leave it in the comments! And if you want to sell your north end home, contact us today. Now is the time.

From seasoned investors to parents looking to find a great place for their kids to live and make a great investment in the process, there is always a strong interest in the rentals around UPS. We regularly assist clients with purchasing and selling investment properties by UPS and around the rest of the county. We think that in the current climate of climbing rents, historic low prices, and rock bottom interest rates make this a great time to invest in a rental near UPS. Here are some answers to some commonly asked questions about buying rentals:

How much do I have to put down?

Most lenders require between 20-25% down for non-owner occupied purchases of investment properties. There are lots of factors involved (mainly your income and credit history) but that’s about average. If you are considering an owner occupied rental (for example, buy a duplex and living in one unit while renting out the other) you can purchase the property for as little as 3.5% down using FHA financing.

How do I figure out how much the units can rent for?

The price per square foot of a rental varies by location, condition, and amenities. In the UPS area you can probably assume about $1 per square foot as a minimum and explore the rents of similar units on Craigslist, but nothing beats the expertise of a good local property manager. We can recommend some.

What are the tax advantages of having a rental?

This is easily one of the main advantages of owning a rental property. While income you make from your rental must be reported as income, many repairs and improvements you make to the property are tax deductable. Things like your mortgage interest, depreciation, property management fees, and insurance are also deductable. There are so many potential deductions it’s worth it to have an accountant go over your books.

While finding the right rental property at the right price can take some time, the combination of excellent interest rates, historically low prices, and our extensive knowledge could make this a golden moment for buying a UPS rental property. Contact us today to get started!

We won't ask you to go all HGTV here. You won't be remodeling. Remodeling is rarely money well invested. Instead, assemble a list of things around the house that need to be repaired or projects that need to be finished. From small things like replacing broken outlet covers to larger things like attaching a drooping gutter or repairing a broken window- there's no time like the present to get started.

Step 3: Financing and Clear Title

If you are also hoping to buy a house, this is a great time to get in touch with a lender to make sure you will qualify. It is also a good idea to pull a title report on your present property to see if there are vesting issues, or liens to clear up prior to a sale. We can order that for you. Better now than when you and your buyers have your entire lives in moving trucks waiting to close.


Step 4: Stand Outside and Start Thinking Like A Buyer

Research shows that buyers often make judgments in the blink of an eye, before they ever walk in the door. No matter what time of year you are selling your house, make sure your house looks great from the street. Trim bushes, clear walkways, mulch, put a fresh coat of paint on the front door and trim if necessary. The other day I was showing a Craftsman near 6th Ave and I noticed that they had done a sloppy job painting the front door and most of the sloppiness was right at eye-level. Don't get sloppy at the entrance! And if you must, do it somewhere less visible than eye-level.


Step 5: Purge and Stage

As your target listing date approaches, take a close look at your house. Very few of us live in a constant state of show-readiness. Having a lot of large furniture and stray items in a house (aka clutter) can make rooms seem smaller. Remember, you’re moving. Maybe now is the time to begin packing and purging your home of extra things, like the doll collection. Your collection, while lovely, not only occupies space that might otherwise feel ample to buyer, it also distracts them while they are trying to view the house! Your dolls are awesome, really, but pack them safely away for now. Thin your closets of off-season clothing. If you are not going to wear it for 6 months, box it. You want a buyer to open the closet door and see space. No one wants to buy a clutter problem. Donate or put what you can into storage before you put your home on the market and consider hiring a home stager or decorator to help you arrange your furniture to show off your homes best features.

After the holidays new buyers enter the market. The second or third week in January is historically a great time for selling. Late May there can be another influx of buyers and activity. Don't wait until the night before you'd like to sell to start the process. Plan ahead! We are happy to stop by for a consultation.

As mentioned above, thanks to a pile of new snow, Crystal Mountain is opening today. Snowqualmie opens tomorrow. White Pass is watching the sky to see what falls. As of this writing, they hadn't made any announcements. Some are predicting a great season at local ski resorts due to a second consecutive La Nina winter.

Our real estate market continues to see incremental improvement. I read today that Washington State's Chief Economist said our state is ranked 47th in the U.S. for 30 day mortgage delinquencies, which could bode well for early 2012 in that it suggests relatively fewer foreclosures here. The north Tacoma real estate market specifically is also seeing gradual improvement, especially homes priced below $350,000. Right now there are 100 pending sales in the north end and 89% of those are below $350,000. I can currently call the $150,000 to $200,000 price range a seller's market. There are more than half as many pending sales as active listings, which means the market is absorbing inventory well and there may be slight upward pressure on values in that small price band. We had one of our best months of the year in October, believe it or not, after a lackluster spring/summer.

Where ever you plan to spend Thanksgiving this year, we would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday!