Posts Categorized: Buying a Home

Weā€™re #66! Renton Ranks in Top 100 Best Places to Live

Youā€™ve heard the ā€œWeā€™re #1ā€ chant at high school football games. I personally believe Renton is #1 when it comes to great places to live and work. According to Livability.com, Renton is the 66th best place to live in the U.S. Okay, so it ainā€™t #1, but close enough!

So, howā€™d Renton make #66? Livability ranked more than 2,000 cities with populations between 20,000 and 350,000. They ranked the cities in areas such as amenities, demographics, economy, education, health care, housing, social and civic capital, transportation and infrastructure.

Of Renton, Livability said:

Population: 93,601

Median Household Income: $64,141

Median Home Price: $285,800

Residents Who Own Their Homes: 20,148

Median Monthly Mortgage: $2,024

ā€œLocated just southeast of downtown Seattle, lining the shore of Lake Washington, is Renton, a city with magnificent views of the Cascades and Mount Rainier. Adding to the beauty is Cedar River that runs through the downtown district.

The city is best known for assembling Boeing 737 commercial airplanes, while other key industries are information technology and service companies.

The NFLā€™s Seattle Seahawks have a training facility in Renton, and residents have access to quality of life conveniences like Valley Medical Center and an acclaimed Renton School District No. 403.ā€

Hot Place to Live

The Renton real estate market is still extremely healthy. Weā€™re seeing low inventory, low interest rates, and money to lend. We just sold a home in Fairwood Greens in a bidding war and it went for above asking price.

5-Bedroom Stunner in Renton

Hereā€™s one of our current listings in The Parks neighborhood of Renton:

Renton home for sale in The Parks neighborhood - Rosie Rourke

Built in 2000, this beautifully appointed 5-bedroom home has nearly 3,800 square feet of stylish elegance, with a soaring entry and 9-foot ceilings on both floors.

The home is situated on a quiet cul-de-sac in The Parks, a sought-after community with miles of King County trails steps from the back door. Thereā€™s easy access to freeways and public transportation, and the neighborhood is close to major shopping amenities such as Renton Landing.

The home features many designer touches. The elegant formal living room has coffered ceilings, crown molding and custom blinds; a marble surround gas fireplace and gorgeous mantel piece.

Thereā€™s also a formal dining room; a family room bathed in natural light; a dream kitchen with granite counters, custom raised panel maple cabinets, custom knobs and stainless steel appliances, a commercial grade gas stove and walk-in pantry, double oven, planning desk, breakfast bar, and more.

A guest bedroom and bath on the main floor is a rare feature. Don’t miss the 4-car tandem style garage, air conditioning, stand by generator and air purifier. The fully fenced, private yard with patio has been professionally landscaped for low-maintenance outdoor enjoyment.

If youā€™re looking to buy a home, this one is definitely a ā€œkeeper.ā€ Join us for an open house Saturday, September 26, from 1-4 p.m., or contact me at 206.719.5870; [email protected], to schedule a walk-through. Ask for listing #843473.

Tip for New Construction Visit

tipforconstructionAfter running into this challenging situation several times throughout my career, I thought you might benefit from this tip during your home search.

When you visit a new construction neighborhood, the site agent may ask you to sign a registration card. If you mark the box that you do not have an agent, the site agent will assume you will be using them to represent you.

In most cases, the site agent represents the seller.

Who represents you? That’s the rub!

Then I get the call from a buyer who wants me to represent them, but if the buyer already marked the box “no agent” then my fee to represent them gets discounted by the builder by a whopping 70%!

It is not fair that a buyer cannot freely choose who they want to represent them without ramifications.

Tip:

When you visit new construction and are asked if you have an agent, say, “Yes…Rosie Rourke, John L. Scott, 206.719.5870.”