Seward Park Condo- Under Stairs Drawers

Special features of 7322 Rainier Ave South #103, Seattle, WA

 Have you always wished that the space under your stairs was not wasted?  Often needed a place to keep bulky but often used kitchen appliances?  Your home has the perfect solution-

Under your stairs, close to your kitchen counter area are drawers that are large enough to store your kitchen appliances and bulk food items.  This will keep your kitchen neater & keep all the things you need when you cook for yourself or when you entertain close at hand but out of site when you don't need them.

Staying safe while selling your home

Our Team Members Are Experts at Keeping You Safe When You Sell Your Home or Property

Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels

If you’re on the fence about whether or not you want to sell your house this year, there’s good news. For nearly two years, the Realtors(r) with Team Momentum have worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of buyers and sellers during the pandemic.

Today, real estate agents are seasoned experts, not just in the art of buying and selling homes, but also in how to keep you safe throughout the process. Real estate professionals have learned new technologies plus safety and sanitation measures. As new variants emerge, those lessons continue to be an important way we add value when you sell your home.

As Your Real Estate Advisors, We Stay Current on Guidance for In-Person Showings

We don’t leave your health up to chance. WE follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to ensure in-person showings are safe. NAR maintains industry-specific resources to ensure agents are informed on the latest recommendations and best practices.

Guidance from the CDC also equips us as real estate professionals with the know-how to employ sanitization and disinfectant measures during the health crisis, so they’re safe for you and your potential buyers.

Our Digital Tools and Website Can Enhance Your Home Sale

In addition, agents are also well versed in using technology and digital tools to sell your home efficiently. In their guidance for realtors, NAR says:

“The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting members in unprecedented ways and raises numerous unique and novel issues for the real estate industry.”

As your Real estate advisors, we've responded by reimagining the tech and tools we use. For instance, serving clients at a distance and limiting exposure to others is more important now than ever. That’s because restricting the number of people you need to interact with during the sales process is one of the best ways to keep everyone safe.

To accomplish this, we offer a variety of options to serve their you, including:

• Virtual Open Houses, Tours, and Listing Appointments
• In person open houses with touchless sign ins
• High-Quality Professional Photography for Websites and Social Media
• eSignature so you can do all your signings except for your final documents at escrow
• Options for courtesy signings without having to go to an escrow office.
• Video Conferencing
• And more....

Bottom Line

The health challenges we face today have fundamentally changed the way we as real estate professionals conduct business for the better, we've found that not only does it help keep our clients safer, in most cases it's also more convenient for them as well. Let’s connect to schedule your free consultation (and yes it can be online if you prefer) today so you have the latest tools on your side to feel safe and confident when you sell your house this year.

Shared with you by- Anna Matsunaga, Keller Williams Realty

253 212 1252

A week off to boost productivity?

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Tacoma 253 212 1252
www.teammomentumre.com

So, I am taking a week off of my normal work at the advice of my Real Estate coach this week.

What am I doing with the time?  I am purging and cleaning my home.  See I have worked in real estate and raised kids at the same time for 17 years.  I've literally never had a full week just to get my household in order including when we moved.....I feel torn and overwhelmed with my home and it causes all kinds of issues.

So....last coaching session my coach suggested that I take a week and work on it with help of my family and maybe even hired help and treat it the same as my training weeks.

I'm doing that now, will keep you posted on what happens.

You might also want to follow my blog or face book page Simplify, Give, Shine to follow my simplifying journey and to see if you need or want anything I am giving away that no longer serves me and my family.

Broker's edition- classes in Pierce County area to enhance your business.

Here is a market update for the NWMLS area.  Real Estate activity for Nov 2019. 

Want to see it larger? 
Click Here

Curious what your home may be worth in today's market?  

Click Here

Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Tacoma

www.teammomentumre.com

I'm Buying a Home....who pays the agent I hire?

How to win as a Home Buyer in a Seller's Market

2020 Buyer’s Edition

Find out if you qualify for our zero lending fee + $1000 closing costs lending

In case your dog needs a new home at the same time as you.

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum Keller Williams Tacoma

Firstly, I want you to know, I am a complete animal lover and we have LOTS of dogs and cats & have been blessed to be able to give forever homes to all but one pet we've had.  ( had to place her because no matter what we did she did not get along with the other pets, so we found a home with lots of love and no other pets for her)

With that said, not everyone is able to provide a forever home no matter how much they want to.  Sometimes monetary and health reasons get in the way.  Sometimes they rescued the pet from someone else, but never intended to have a pet in the first place.  There are many reasons why responsible pet owners might need to find a new home for their furry friends and often I find in my practice this coincides with a move they are making themselves as moves often mean big changes in their lives.

You've got a lot going on in your life now & your dog is trusting you to find the best home for them as well.  We have resources......

Are you in this situation?

If you are, here are some resources for you to check in to in Western Washington-

Sunny Sky's Animal Rescue-  This is a no kill shelter located in Puyallup WA.  I first had contact with them when we found a stray and after 6 weeks were still unable to locate her owner despite using every possible avenue to do so.  They did a temperament assessment before taking on the pup and in the end she found a new home.-- The place is run by a vet and volunteers....so if you are looking for a vet in Puyallup, I'd suggest them for that too.  You can reach Sunny Sky's at  253 845 8866

Another option for your Pooch, especially if he or she is older is Old Dog Haven of Western WA

They specialize in finding homes for older dogs and provide them a lifetime home if they do not find a placement for them.  You can email them as well.

Is your dog a senior?

Is your dog a senior and gentle enough they'd be a wonderful companion for a senior owner as well?
If so check out Seniors for Seniors. They are in Lynwood, so a bit of a very worthwhile drive for those in Pierce and Thurston counties.  Their phone is 425-787-2500 x 801

And finally if your dog is a Dalmatian a good contact is Puget Sound Dalmatian Rescue.

Wishing you and your pet a smooth transition to new homes. If you'd like help with that move for yourself, our team are experts in helping with your transition in a caring and skilled manner.
Contact us

If you are somewhere other than Pierce or Thurston counties, we can help as well.  We have a nationwide net work designed to help you find the perfect real estate professional to help you no matter where you live in the US.

Give us a call

Team Momentum

253-212-1252

Anna Matsunaga, CNE
Team Momentum
Keller Williams Tacoma

Japanese food in New Orleans

From Anna and Karl Matsunaga Team Momentum, Keller Williams Tacoma

253 212 1252

Want a break from Creole food for a moment in New Orleans?

I love every kind of food and when we arrived I had not had Sashimi recently.  ( Sashimi is raw fish) and I was craving it.  So....we went to find Japanese food for lunch.  We found Geisha Sushi Bistro.

We had great service and the restaurant was clean and neat and the sashimi was fresh.  I had the sashimi platter ( lunch sized) and hot green tea along with the spicy tuna rolls ( I know the spicy tuna rolls are really more American than Japanese and I still love them)  

Karl had the Tempura- it was fairly standard for Japanese food we are used to from a decent mid priced Japanese restaurant.  The atmosphere was pleasant, the restaurant well lit.  If I lived in the area we would definitely go back.

Looking for real estate help, either selling or buying a property anywhere in the US?  Great, let's talk, we have an amazing network of agents all over the US, let us get you connected with the best broker for you!

Team Momentum Real Estate-

If you are attending Keller Williams Family Reunion 2019, a good plus is this is very close to the convention center.

Music History Lesson and Laundry all in one? In New Orleans yes at Hula Mae's Tropical Wash

From Anna and Karl Matsunaga Team Momentum Keller Williams Tacoma

253 212 1252

If you are in town and live there or if you are staying in a hotel that does not have a laundry facility, check out Hula Mae's Tropic Wash

This laundry mat was built in an old recording studio.  Check out the walls for pictures of people who've recorded there.  

Enter and do you own laundry while listening Junk Box music of your choice.

In a hurry? Don't want to spend time watching your laundry wash?  Don't worry they'll wash it for you, they charge by the pound and it's reasonable.

Want help with real estate anywhere in the US?  Call us, we have an amazing network or realtors and we can connect you with the best where you are or where ever you are going.

www.teammomentumrealestate.com

253 212 1252

Contemporary Creole Cuisine in New Orleans- The Gumbo Shop

From Anna and Karl Matsunaga- Team Momentum, Keller Williams Tacoma
253-212-1252-

Want to try genuine  Creole cuisine?  If you are in New Orleans you likely should check out
The Gumbo Shop.

We headed there after checking out the French Market.


The ambiance is great and feels authentic, the courtyard area with out door dining shows the kind of ingenuity we've seen with use of space since we arrived here.  The service was great.

Karl had the exact SAME dish (only this time with Crawfish)  Crawfish Etouffee .We had at LUKE restaurant ( there he had it with shrimp) since he had loved it so much. He was not disappointed.

 I ordered a shrimp salad, I was a bit disappointed, but mostly because I should have asked more questions, I am not big on anything with lots of mayo and the shrimp was smothered in a seasoned mayo sauce...I did not know that till it came.


I AM very excited about the cook book I got to take home which has the menu items and more on it.....going to make them at home gluten free ( of course don't know that I can find alligator sausage at home)

What WAS amazing was the Alligator Sausage with mustard/marmalade sauce.  (You should try it too!)

Check out Gumbo Shop online

Want help finding or selling a property anywhere in the US?  We will help you find you a great match through our amazing nation wide network.  Just give us a call or text.

www.teammomentumrealestate.com

253 212 1252

Hungry in New Orleans? Daisy Duke's for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 24 hours a day!

From Anna and Karl Matsunaga, Team Momentum Keller Williams Tacoma
Team Momentum Keller Williams Tacoma
253 212 1252

Visiting New Orleans?  We came to visit for KW family reunion 2019 and since we came early, we got to check out lots of the city and their restaurants before classes started.

For inexpensive eats ( we got 2 full meals under $30 Plus drinks) Daisy Dukes is a great spot.  It's a true American Style diner.  The food was tasty and fast.  We got breakfast and were happy to find out we could order breakfast 24 hours a day.  Getting into town late?  Hungry?  Head to Daisy Dukes.

Get up late and still want breakfast?  They can fix you up.  The service was fast and happy and the food was really good.

I had the Greek omelet.  (which you can order with fruit instead of hash browns and so on) I had them add tomatoes and they added them with out complaint.

Karl had eggs "his way" and toast and pancakes & sausage.  The pancakes were extra good and fluffy.

So check it out and you'll be glad....other fun fact...they have several locations, so no matter where you are staying in New Orleans....they could be an option.

Need a realtor in any part of the country?  We've got a wonderful network of wonderful people, let us help you get connected.

253 212 1252
www.teammomentumrealestate.com

Great eats in New Orleans- Lukes

From Anna & Karl Matsunaga, Team Momentum Keller Williams Realty Tacoma- Areas serviced Pierce and Thurston Counties including Tacoma, Lakewood, University Place, Dupont, Olympia, and more.

253-212-1252

If you are attending Family reunion and just arrived or if it's years later and you're visiting New Orleans for the first time, we decided to help since we got here early and have had time to explore and play before work.....

So on our first night here ( actually our 2nd, we had a canceled flight that lost us a day here and got us in close to midnight) we had dinner at a great restaurant called Luke's

We did have a reservation, and we'd suggest one for you too.  Here is their menu

Karl had the Shrimp "Etouffee"  It's made with heirloom tomatoes and garlic and is amazing and wonderful.


I ordered the Salad Luke.  It was very fresh and made with a medley of wonderful and colorful ingredients all of which I liked except for the beets. ( no one can make those so I like them so I will not hold it against them)

The service was great & the restaurant was great for conversation, not too quiet or too loud.

Added bonus, they have amazing honey that tastes like berry honey to me and it was not delivered in packets, it was delivered in a little pouring pot  and I added it to my hot tea which was a real treat as well.

Karl was partial to the bread and I will have to take his word for it because I don't do gluten.....oh, and they have a nice selection of gluten free items too, which we've found harder to find here in New Orleans than we do at home in Tacoma.

Here is a link to their website


Have fun in New Orleans-  I hope we get to see you!

From Anna Matsunaga, Realtor, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Tacoma
253 212 1252

How to pay off your home early

So, you are a home owner and you are enjoying the tax write offs, the gaining equity and the freedom to do what you like with your house.  What's next?  Are there ways you can make owning a home even more valuable?





Firstly, if you are looking at long term stability and looking to the day where you no longer have a payment on your home it is important to do your best not only to maintain a good credit score.  ( in case lower rates make it make sense to refinance for a lower rate) Want to at some point be mortgage free?  Think twice about taking out home equity loans.  There are times where doing so is a sound investment strategy, but if it is just to buy depreciating items ( car, etc) or to take a vacation or to pay off debt only to wrack up more....stop and think first. 




Better yet, instead of just not adding to your debt, what if you could save tens of thousands of dollars in interest and be able to stop paying a mortgage completely years if not even a decade or more earlier?  How can you do this?  Well.....it's as simple as making extra payments to principle.  The earlier in your loan the better.  Not sure how it will impact your interest paid out or how long you pay on it?






Here is a link to a mortgage calculator to help you figure out what extra payments would do for you.
Use it to figure out how much extra to principle you'd need to add to meet your goals for when your home will be paid off.



What will extra mortgage payments do for me? 

If you budget won't allow you to pay the same extra every month or sometimes it won't allow any extra, don't despair, any extra does make a difference  and the sooner you start, the bigger difference it makes. Even if you only do extra when you have extra that will help too.  Maybe make a goal of always paying some extra.  During some very hard times economically when our family struggled to even pay our mortgage putting an extra $5 a month made me feel better.  Did it make a big difference?  No, but it kept me in the habit of always paying more than needed. 

How soon do you want your mortgage paid off?  Make a plan and stick with it.

Thinking you want the equity you have to help you get into a different home?  Call me for help planning your  transition and I can also help you find a lender with pay off options other than just a standard 30 year mortgage.

Anna Matsunaga,
Team Momentum, Keller Williams Tacoma
253 212 1252

Having a hard time finding an affordable home with 5 bedrooms in a good neighborhood? Look no further!

Team Momentum Of Keller Williams Tacoma Presents 2407 North Orchard, Tacoma, WA 98407

MLS # 1153856

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an aerial view of this spacious home.  It has RV parking, fenced back yard and is located in close proximity to the desirable N.Proctor District in Tacoma WA

 Open living room concept

 Stairs to entry behind half wall

 Fireplace

 Living room opens into dining and kitchen areas

 Eat in kitchen

 Open kitchen perfect for cooking and entertaining

 Dining area is open to kitchen

 One of 3 bathrooms

 A large bedroom with shelving and large closet

 Master bedroom

 Master bath

 Another kitchen view with stainless steel appliances

 

Family room

 Down stairs hall way


this home also has a huge fenced back yard and deck as well as a total of 5 large bedrooms and a garage.  All close to schools, parks, waterfront, 6th Ave district and Proctor District as well as easy freeway access.


For your personal tour of this or any listed property call Anna Matsunaga, 253 212 1252
or 253 353 2662

Want to be there for the open house?  It's Sunday 7/9 from 1-3pm

Mid May Lakewood Real Estate Market update

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams 253-212-1252

Here is a quick report:

In the last 30 days in zip codes 98499 and 98498 there have been 49 homes sold. 

The real diversity of housing in Lakewood is demonstrated in the fact that these residences sold for between $70,000 and $1,800,000 in price.  Good news is if you'd like to live in Lakewood WA, you have choices from the ultra affordable that would give you a mortgage near $600 a month, on up the fabulous with beautiful garden like estates and waterfront also being on the menu.

The average sales price in the last 30 days was $278,156. 

See the charts below to give you an idea of the increases in price per square foot over the last few years in Lakewood WA.

As you can see, prices are on the rise per square foot, which is good news for sellers of any type of Lakewood home.

More good news for sellers?

See this chart, which shows months of inventory available now vs the other months so far in 2016, this chart too is for 98499 and 98498

Below is the actual volume for 98499 and 98498 in closed residential home sales January-so far in May this year.....these charts are current as of May 16th.

Good news is, for buyers, there is still affordable housing in Lakewood WA, for sellers?  It's a good time to sell, interest rates are still with in reach for most consumers, prices are rising, although not like the crazy bubbles of a few years ago and inventory is low, so demand for your home is high.

Want to get a report on stats in your own specific neighborhood?  Curious what it would take to sell your home and what it might be worth?  Considering up or downsizing?  Now is a good time. 

Contact me for a free consultation

I want to buy a home....but I don't have a down payment. Good news, you may not have to.

 For most, owning a home is far more desirable than being a renter.  However, there are obstacles that seem to make it either not a possibility for you, or keep the dream of your own home far in the future. 


One of the largest is a down payment.  Gone are the days of conventional loans with little documentation and no down payment.  ( and this might be a good thing)  However, for owner occupied homes, even FHA loans require about 3.5% down.  If you are buying a median priced home in our county ( Pierce County WA) you would be needing to come up with almost $8500.00, and that is if are not talking about covering your own closing costs, which could be close to the same amount.




S

Many would be home owners just don't know where they will come up with that much money.

If you would make a good home owner,  ( you want to live in one place for at least a few years, you are willing to maintain your home, you have the income to cover mortgage payments and a few unexpected expenses) and you would like to purchase, but your have not figured out how to overcome the down payment issue yet....there is hope!

Good news is, there are still ways to purchase with zero down.  One of these methods is to get a USDA loan.  Now I know you are likely used to seeing USDA in association with this......   But believe me, the USDA does much more than regulate meat.  USDA also has a loan program where you can qualify for zero down.  You do not have to be low income.  You do not have to have, worked for the USDA or any other organization.  The trick is you have to purchase as home that is located with in chosen areas that are approved for USDA loans.  Since USDA stands or United States Department of Agriculture, you may assume that this would be for the purchase of farm land....or at least a home in a very rural setting.  Actually however, this is not true.  I actually sold a condominium town home in downtown Gig Harbor under this loan program a while ago.  Currently I am helping clients find the home they want under the program as well, and let me assure you they are not shopping in rural areas.  

If you want to find out more about this program and be referred to a lender who can help you with a USDA loan, please call me and I will help you get started on finding a great lender who can help you get qualified for this type of loan.  If you want to know how to know if a property is eligible, I will be happy to help with that too.  If you know someone who would benefit from this information, again, please contact me or pass on my information and I will be glad to help.

Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma 253-212-1252