Selling a home in Tacoma will get a bit more involved starting October 1st. 2010. Homes within the city limits of Tacoma will have to have their side sewers inspected prior to sale of the home.
As the ordinance is currently structured the inspection is simply to inform the buyer of the condition of the sewer line. No repairs will be required by the City of Tacoma. The sewer inspection will need to be conducted by a licensed sewer contractor with a business license in the City of Tacoma. The cost of the sewer inspection will vary by vendor. The City of Tacoma will not charge for their review of the video inspection. The
Directly from the City of Tacoma’s website
As of Oct. 1, 2010, Tacoma property owners are required to have a certified inspection of their private side sewers and other sources of inflow and infiltration prior to the sale or transfer of a home or business, major remodeling or any construction over an existing side sewer. This requirement is detailed in Tacoma Municipal Code 12.08.720, titled “Inflow and Infiltration Removal from Private Side Sewers.”
The inspection requires a video camera inspection of the sewer line. The DVD of the inspection will be given to the City of Tacoma for review. The city will then allow the property to be sold.
Here are some observations about the side sewer inspection and how it will impact home sales in Tacoma.
Sellers will now have another inspection to handle during the sales process. The seller will be asked to cover the cost of the inspection.
While repairs are not required by the City of Tacoma lenders will most certainly require any known defects to be repaired. Buyers will also be asking for repairs. This will cost will impact the bottom line of the seller.
It will take longer for a transaction close. The additional inspection and potential repairs will take more time than the current home inspection.
If you will be selling your home in Tacoma I would advise you to work with a reputable sewer company and have your side sewer inspected and
Tacoma Home Owners Lets Hope Your Sewer Pipes Dont Look Like This
repaired before you put your home on the market. An inspection is good for 5 years so having an inspection conducted prior to putting your home on the market will make your home just a bit more of a known commodity. Nobody wants a surprise like a defective sewer to stop a home sale. By being prepared and organized you will be able to sell your home for more money, with less stress in a shorter period of time.
If you want more information on how to sell your home in Tacoma please use the contact form on the right of the screen. I will send you some additional information that will help you get your home ready for sale. When you are ready to discuss what your house is worth please call me directly at (253) 219–1194. Working together we will get your Tacoma area home sold!
It’s official…. the tax credit has been extended…..will this be the last time?…..Like a bad comedy skit we will not know until it’s over.
Update to the update… We are waiting on the Presidents signature to extend the closing date until September 30th. For more information.
Update- Went to press too soon…nothing has been decided for certain. In the meantime watch the video and get a laugh….
Like a bad TV skit the government simply cannot close the doors on the tax credit. If you were under contract prior to April 30th. 2010 you now have more time to close your transaction. Extended to September 30th. 2010. Or…… perhaps this video give you a better idea.
I hope you enjoyed the clip from Almost Live a comedy show from Seattle during the 1980’s…
Also, I wish I could take credit for finding the clip and using it in this context but my friend Don Reedy in San Diego posted this on Bloodhound Blog yesterday. I simply am copying Don. If you need a Realtor® in San Diego with a great sense of humor and some seriously sharp business skills give Don a shout!
Thinking of buying a home in Tacoma this year? The summer buying season is upon us and the inventory is beginning to drop a bit. I am not saying that we are having a full on buying spree. I am saying that homes that are ready to sell, priced to sell and have the features that people are looking for are selling.
Homeowners have an advantage over the short sale, bank owned, foreclosures if they will take the time to make their home presentable and desirable. I have shown so many short sales and bank owned properties in Tacoma in recent weeks and the quality of homes is terrible! Homeowners you need to realize that you can shine compared to the junk if you take the time to clean up your home prior to sale.
Potential homebuyers you can do a couple of things to set yourself apart. Get pre-approved before you go shopping! If I write an offer for a buyer that has the financing already in place you come to the offer with a big S on your chest and a red cape You will be Superman! Also, be organized have your home inspector ready to work for you. Know what you want and what you can afford. Then we can go out and find you a great deal on a home. We might find the owner occupied gem that you’ve been wanting. We might find the bank owned fixer that will give you equity when you finish the repairs. No matter what you decide the buying season is happening and I hope to see soon.
When you’re ready for a Realtor® who cares about the outcome of your transaction. Give a call. (253) 219-1194 we are looking forward to working together with you to buy or sell your next home in Tacoma.
The company you keep can speak volumes about you. I am so very happy that I made the move to Keller Williams in 2009. The people and systems are top shelf.
The people in this photo are the other Realtors® that I am lucky to share the office with.
When it comes to making your decision of who to work with when you are ready to buy your next home in Tacoma or sell your home in Tacoma there is a difference. J.D. Powers says it’s Keller Williams. Call us at (253) 219-1194 and we will get started working for you!
Many people are shouting that the tax credit has been extended…the tax credit has been extended!! this is not completely accurate.
The tax credit will only be extended for closing your transaction if you were already under contract by the April 30th. end of the tax credit.
To qualify for the tax credit you had to be under contract BY April 30th. 2010 and close the transaction BY June 30th. 2010. The only thing that will be extended is the date for you to close your purchase. Congress has not signed the extension into law as of today. We will update you when it is extended.
The extension does not help you if you are NOW looking for, or thinking of buying a home in Tacoma or anywhere else in the country. There still are many other programs to assist first time homebuyer’s purchase homes. Please look at our site and read our posts to learn more about the programs that are available.
When you’re ready to talk about buying a home we are ready to listen. Give us a call (253) 219-1194
Looking for a view home in Gig Harbor? We will be holding this home open Sunday June 20th. from 1pm to 4pm
Offered at $530,000 this 3 bedroom 2.25 bathroom home sits on a double sized city lot over 17,000 square feet. The home has amazing views of Gig Harbor Bay, Mt. Rainier, and the Puget Sound. Lots of windows, and skylights help maximize the natural light in the home. The daylight basement has potential for an in home office for someone who works from home and wants an office. The parking is abundant with room for an RV and guests.
Stop by on Sunday from 1pm to 4pm and take a look. If you would like to schedule a private showing or have any questions please call (253) 219-1194 Is it time to buy dad that home with a view of the water in Gig Harbor he has always wanted?
I have a question for the readers of this blog. What do you look for when you are thinking of buying a home?
I sell homes in and around Tacoma that much should be obvious if you are visiting my blog. I know what I do to find potential clients who can benefit from my services. I know what works and what does not work when it comes to finding clients. What I need to learn now is what do you look for when you are going to buy a house?
What is it that helps you to “know” when you’ve found a place you want to call home? When you are just looking do you search the Internet to look at homes for sale? Do you use a search engine and type in phrases like Buying a home in Tacoma or Homes for Sale in Tacoma. Feel free to insert the area that you are actually looking at for Tacoma in your responses. What is it that you are looking for from the big machine that sends your answers back to you?
One of the nagging questions I am looking for help with is when do you decide to work with a Realtor®? At what point during your search to you want professional assistance? What value to you expect your agent to bring to the table? You can go to dozens of websites and see every agent in Tacoma or any other city tell you that they are the best to help you buy or sell your home. What cuts through the white noise? What makes you pick up the phone, send email, or visit the office of the agent you decide you want to find out more about?
You can search here to see all of the homes for sale in Tacoma Washington. You can search a lot of places to find homes for sale. You can find out a lot about borrowing money to buy a home in Tacoma here. You can find a lot of information on just about everything related to buying home online. What I want to know is what do YOU want to help you look for a home? If you can clearly answer that question then you will find that when you’re ready to buy a home you will have a much easier time. By sharing your answers you can help me to be the best Realtor® I can be. Together we can help one another.
The USDA has announced some changes to the 2010 Washington State Income Levels to qualify for 100% zero down USDA financing.
Take a look at table below to see what the income levels for where you live have been adjusted to. Income levels inPierce County is now at $80,050 for a family up to 4 people. The income level is a very doable level for many of the homes located in Pierce County.
If you’re considering buying a home in Pierce County and you are not considering buying within the City Limits of Tacoma you might just find USDA financing a very valuable way to help your family get into a home this year.
When you are ready to talk about buying a home in Pierce County call (253) 219-1194 and we can setup a time to meet and discuss your options. As a Realtor® it is important that I keep up to date on both our local real estate market and on the various financing options. Just as no Realtor® is a perfect fit for every client; not every lender is a perfect fit. Working together we can find the best fit for you and your needs when it comes to buying a home in Pierce County using USDA financing or another type of financing.
Why am I posting this here on Classic Homes Northwest? A site that is about real estate, buying and selling homes in Tacoma Washington? Well, because the topic should matter to all of us. See Carolyn Capalbo has the same name as the mother of Ashley Dupre. By simply having the same name as Ms. Dupre’s mom Carolyn has felt the effects of search engines gone bad.
Who has the same name as you? Are they doing anything that you would be ashamed of? Are they doing anything that the search engines are picking up? When someone types your name in a search engine what are the results? While we cannot control the actions of others no matter if they have the same name as we do. We can and should be monitoring our reputations online. If you spend any amount of time online and if you are concerned about your reputation you need to be taking time out to make sure you’re being represented correctly online.
The purpose of this article is to help Carolyn Capalbo someone I have never met but who from what I have read about her seems like a nice person in Northern Virginia regain her reputation on the search engines. If you’re looking to buy or sell in Northern Virginia give Carolyn Capalbo a call. Tell her Classic Homes Northwest said she was ok. If you’re looking to buy or sell a home in Tacoma? Well you know what to do. If by chance you’re not sure what to, call Classic Homes Northwest today we will be happy to help you buy or sell a home in Tacoma!
Well it is raining in Tacoma so many of you may be hanging around town this weekend. If so we will be holding our listing at 1327 N. Fir St. Tacoma, WA 98406 Open 1pm to 4pm on Saturday.
Please feel free to come by and see all of the features of this great view home.
3 bedrooms 1.75 baths. hardwood floors, updated kitchen and baths. Detached converted garage that will make a great area to get away from everything. Large lot that has mature landscaping and easy to maintain. Covered 2 car car port and parking in front of home. Everything points towards a home that you can entertain in.
Great views of the Olympic Mountains, the Narrows Bridges, Puget Sound and of course wonderful sunsets. Located on a low traffic road yet just a minute away from highway 16.
Stop by and see for yourself this beautiful mid century home. If you’re ambitious you could look into adding a 2nd. story and have amazing views!
By 
Offered at $530,000 this 3 bedroom 2.25 bathroom home sits on a double sized city lot over 17,000 square feet. The home has amazing views of Gig Harbor Bay, Mt. Rainier, and the Puget Sound. Lots of windows, and skylights help maximize the natural light in the home. The daylight basement has potential for an in home office for someone who works from home and wants an office. The parking is abundant with room for an RV and guests.
I have a question for the readers of this blog. What do you look for when you are thinking of buying a home?
