Hellooo...Can you hear me?

There are certain pockets of our community that are obviously hard of hearing. "Haven't you heard...the market is slowing down!" Aaaay. Truth be known...the incline is slowing down.

While showing clients some potential income properties in the north end of Tacoma, I realized that these properties mean little to them unless they understand how the value aspect is applied. Simplistically, a house is only worth what someone will pay for it, right? But a four bedroom, 2.75 bath fixer, priced at 200k that sits in the middle of an area like....lets say right off of 6th Ave, or in the North Slope Historic District, is going to draw way more attention and more likely a bidding war, than if the exact same house sat in South Tacoma or even in north Tacoma off of, say, Pearl Street. Ok...calm down, I'm not saying that either of those areas are bad or anything of the sort. (That's my disclaimer.) Where the house sits makes a huge difference in what it can sell for, as does the motivation of the buyer. I can't tell you how many homes I took clients to searching for something for them to "Flip." At least three of the properties we looked at were great opportunities. I knew it. I shared it. They didn't listen. Within days these houses sold to others who then "Flipped them" and I am showing them again now three months later to potential buyers all fixed up and for about 100k - 200k more. Hellooo...that could have been you! I now take my clients who are looking for a "flipper" to see other homes in the area that have been "flipped" so that they can see what they sold for previously and what they are listing for now after rejuvination. They can also see and compare the quality of the remodels to get an education about what sells and what doesn't.

So for our hard of hearing pockets in the community like, North Slope Historic District and North & South of 6th Ave, keep up the good work. Did you hear me?! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!

ENOUGH WITH THE BEIGE ALREADY!!!!!!

Ok...I truly am about to implode should I see one more house painted TAN inside. "That's not really tan, it's more like beige or buff or even suade." WHATEVER!!! Really, it needs to stop. Being a real estate professional, I have to preview a huge number of homes every week. I am beiged out, people! I feel like I'm anticipating at the front door of every house I go in to lately that they just might have chosen some other color to grace their walls but NO! I am blah-d to death by "Camel, desert sand, buff." Who are we kidding?...It's beige. Help.

WALLPAPER APPRECIATION IN HISTORIC VICTORIAN

It's really amazing to witness the differences in people who are "in to" historic homes and preservation and people who are just looking for a 4 bedroom/2 bath house. I recently sold this fabulous, little peice of history in Tacoma and I had the opportunity to experience both kinds of home shoppers.

Upon entering this house, you find yourself at the beginning of a hallway and staircase that has been brought back to period with beautiful "Bradbury & Bradbury" period wall papers, recreated specifically for this type of home and the era in which it was built. These papers are recreated and the patterns layed out by professional historians that research the home. For example, this particular home's papers have a heavy asian influence in them, as this area of the country, being considered the "Gateway to Asia," most likely had an abundance of asian influence in the decor of the homes at that time. "Bradbury & Bradbury" paper is about $200 a role (and that was when last I checked in to it 10 years ago).

Ok...back to my point. When I would show this house, about 50% of the people that walked in would make comments like, "Oh my god! I'd have to tear all this busy wall paper off the walls and paint!" and "This is kind of gaudy!" You probably guessed that these were the folks looking for a 4BR/2BA. The other 50% would drop their jaw and stand in that entry way looking up at the papered ceiling and admiring the beautiful detail of the era. They had full appreciation for the restoration to period that surrounded them, gold leaf mouldings included.

This home will be great again, as the new buyer is one of the 50% mentioned above who appreciate the historic value of this 1893 victorian, and plans to bring the whole house back to period. Bravo!

RESTORATION! It's about Time!

Seriously now...How long has Tacoma waited for someone to step up and take on the humongus task of restoring the Elks Building? Oh my gosh! Every single time I get off on the Stadium Way exit I have to cringe and make a comment (possibly an expletive) about the fact that the (at the time) owner of the building was being so pig headed (that means stubborn) about allowing it to be saved, all because of some old feud with the city over a "hand slapping." Now...That beautiful piece of architecture has a chance to be refurbished. It will have life breathed in to it again and it WILL come alive. Yea! Hmmm, what will I complain about:-) The Winthrop Hotel will hopefully be getting the opportunity also.

An article in the Tacoma News Tribune, (Sunday, October 1, 2006) titled "The Winthrop" a return to glory," Tells us a little bit about two men who have stepped up to bring the Winthrop back to it's hey day status.

Tim Quigg of Aberdeen and Chester Trabucco, Tim's partner in restoration. These two guys are responsible for the restoration of the historic Morck Hotel in Aberdeen. Their vision is to restore the Winthrop and turn it in to a four star hotel. It's been done in Portland with the Benson and the Paramount Hotels, the Paramount in Seattle and many others in other cities.

An Oakland, California company holds an option to purchase the Winthrop for $5.2 million and plans are to turn it in to low income housing. HELLOOOO...just what Tacoma needs in the middle of the downtown area that has struggled to come back from blight! Just my opinion, mind you. Anyway, the Oakland company's option to buy expires on October 28 and if that happens, because of a conditional agreement, the Quigg group could then purchase it for $6.1 million.

So, not only would Quigg and Trabucco revive this grand piece of Tacoma's history but they have offered to build 250 units of subsidized housing to replace the 170 units that would be lost because of their purchasing the Winthrop. Geez! That's what I call a good sport!

Now let's take care of the "Ford" Building's Crystal Ballroom!