As I provide my clients service, I am often asked questions about many things. I thought I would answer a few and give some research tools.

“How old are your kids?” “They're sixteen and eighteen. My youngest is a senior at Ferndale High School and my oldest is attending her first year at the Art Institute of Seattle.”

“Have you always lived in Washington?” “No, we moved here from Iowa. I born in and raised in Washington but my husband is from the Midwest. We met in Alaska and moved to Des Moines, IA. We came back for a family vacation one year and he decided we needed to move back. We researched different areas before moving and made our decision on different factors. We researched the schools online before we ever looked at houses (www.greatschools.net). We searched online for houses within our price range. My husband came out first while I stayed in Iowa and sold the house. Our new home here was contingent on the sale of our house there. It was one of the most stressful things I have ever done but I had great realtors in both locations that made all the difference in the world.”

“So what does your husband do?” “His name is Ken Wilson and he is a pawn broker as well as a local independent insurance agent with Kelley Insurance in Everson. Kelley Insurance has been serving the Pacific Northwest since 1946 (www.kelleyinsure.com) (220-6483). I would also recommend Billy Slesk at State Farm (www.billyslesk.com) (360-676-9161). Ken is a great guy and we both pride ourselves in serving our community.”

“Do you have any lender recommendations?” “I do. I know some great folks. David Vernon and Dean Hayes at Security First Financial Services Inc. in Burlington, WA (www.sfmtg.com) specialize in educating clients on the variety of loans available and finding the best suited for each client. Liz Standow at Wells Fargo in Bellingham, WA (www.wfhm.com/wfhm/liz-standow) (360) 739-0757) has excellent customer service that goes the extra mile above and beyond. She has an excellent level of professionalism that I respect and recommend to my clients. Both lenders are brokerages so they can help you find what will serve your purposes.

“Do you recommend any local home inspectors?” “I do. John Wagner with House to Home Inspections (www.housetohomeinspections.com) does a very thorough job with a very user friendly report for his clients. He invites his clients to attend a portion of the inspection towards the end so he can explain in detail his findings. He is located in Bellingham. Another local inspector is Robert Walsh with Preview Inspections LLC (previewinspections.com). He includes a 90 day Buyer's Limited Warranty and a 120 day Seller's Limited Warranty with his inspections.I also recommend Rick Bunzel with Pacific Crest Inspections (www.paccrestinspections.com). He and his wife Buni are located in Anacortes and are very knowledgeable and have many years experience.

If I wanted to add to or make changes to the house I buy or before I sell my home, do you recommend anyone? I recommend Carlton Construction (www.carltonsportfolio.com) (360-305-2996) which is owned by Carlton Burroughs. He has an eye for detail and it shows. If you need supplies or ideas for a remodel before you hire someone I suggest you reach Clark at Mount Vernon Building Center (clarkschacht1@verizon.net) 360-990-8386. He knows all the new products available on the market and offers them at great prices.

“Do a lot of people do For Sale By Owner now?” “There are a lot more For Sale By Owner properties these days. I think folks are able to obtain more information in the real estate field so they do sell their properties without an agent. The sad part is sometimes I don’t think they fully realize that with the knowledge a Realtor® brings to their transaction, their property will sell for much more than what they save in commission. According to Washington Realtor® News, “Homes sold by a real estate agent sell for 16 percent higher on average than those sold by an unrepresented seller, according to National Association of Realtors® 2005 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. The median selling price of FSBO homes was $198,200 compared with $230,000 for agent-assisted home sales. In Washington, the median selling price of FSBO homes was $200,000 and the agent-assisted was $250,000” (http://www.realtor.org/PublicAffairsWeb.nsf/Pages/Don'tTryThisatHome). There are many online resources that really mislead folks about the current market. I have used a few online favorites to see how well it would assess the current value of my house. It changed so drastically in such a short time, it really was'nt a valid comparable market analysis at all. A Realtor® brings current, local knowledge that you can’t find online. There is a level of professionalism, code of ethics and standard of practice that accompanies a Realtor® that equates monetarily for the client. We work for property owners in their best interest as well as the community and the economy as a whole. We bring honesty and utmost effort to each transaction.

"If I list my house with RE/MAX, why would that be advantageous verses some of the other local real estate offices?" When you enter into a listing agreement with RE/MAX you enter into a relationship with our whole international team. We will all be working toward the sale of your home. If I am out of town or have an emergency, you will be taken care of by another agent or my broker. We are very team oriented and work together. Depending on your property, we may advertise your property in both Skagit and Whatcom counties with local publications. We will list your property on North West Multiple Listing Service which gives other Realtors® in the state access to information about your home so they can bring their buyers. Since RE/MAX is a International company our fellow realtors will have access through our constantly updated weblinks to your properties information so they can match it with their buyers. RE/MAX is right across the border in Canada as well so we can reach out to more potential buyers. I want to make your dreams come true by doing what best supports the market to sell your home. I will listen to your needs, support you in your goals and bring the expertise to accomplish them with the least amount of stress or worry to you. I practice under the Code of Ethics:
(http://www.realtor.org/realtororg.nsf/pages/codeofethics-consumerquestions)
(http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/why_use.html)
and invite you to read the standards that I practice. I look forward to our future business.

"When I am out and about and see a home I like, do I go and see it without you?" “Please do go into any open house you may see. Let the agent hosting the open house know you are working with a Realtor® and keep the information you share with them very general. They represent the seller so they may ask you many questions to pass on to the seller which would benefit the seller in reviewing an offer on the home. If you see a For Sale By Owner, write down the address and phone number and I will contact them to ask a few general questions prior to making a viewing appointment. For example, many FSBOs don’t know square footage and title issues so I can do some preliminary questioning. I am an Accredited Buyers Representative so I have a great knowledge base in how to best represent you in all home buying scenarios.

I know I have answered only a few questions and that you may have many more so please contact me and I will be glad to answer them all. I look forward to working with you.