Posts Categorized: Downsize

Transitioning to Memory Care in Washington

By Rosie Rourke, posted Feb 14, 2023
selling a house and moving to memory care in renton, kent, fairwood

Helping Seniors Transition to Their Next Chapter Including Memory Care! 

We work with a lot of clients and their families in the Renton, Fairwood, Kent, Maple Valley and Auburn areas (also greater King County) who need to sell their homes and transition to their next chapter. Sometimes its downsizing to a smaller single home, a condo, a retirement community or memory care. We have great relationships with highly accredited memory care communities and can recommend the right place for you or your loved one. Our goal with our 55+ Concierge Listing Services is to achieve a stress-free home selling experience for our client and their families. Learn more about this at www.rosierourke.com/nextchapter.

Do you have questions about memory care? Here is a list of free resources to learn more about memory care in Washington: 

www.memorycare.com/memory-care-in-washington

www.memorycare.com/what-is-a-memory-care-facility

www.memorycare.com/when-to-consider-memory-care

www.memorycare.com/what-to-expect-in-memory-care/

sellnow

By Rosie Rourke, posted Mar 03, 2020
best real estate agent near me to sell my home

 

The real estate market in the Renton, Fairwood, Kent, Maple Valley, Seattle and South King County as a whole has been going through an unprecedented sellers market so far in 2020. With low interest rates and a booming local economy buyers are qualified, eager and ready to make offers... but there are NO HOUSES! Ok yes, there are houses for sale, but we are trending about 38% less inventory (homes for sale) than we did this time last year. Less houses means more competition for buyers, which in turn is GREAT for YOU the seller!

We usually don't see a market frenzy like this until the warmer Spring months, it came early this year. But will it last until Spring? What about the election and now the threat of Coronavirus, how will this affect the house market if you are thinking of selling? Nobody has a crystal ball, but my team does have 40+ years of local real estate experience, and this experience is telling us to react to what is in front you RIGHT NOW! 

Before we get to the 5 reasons why you should list your home NOW and not wait until Spring, I want you to watch the short video below. My clients the Kirks were just like you, their timeline was to list in the Spring but the market dictated otherwise! We guided them through the expedited process of getting their home ready to list, listing it, and selling it literally before the sign even hit the ground! Because they decided to take action now they are currently laying poolside in Palm Springs enjoying their retirement! 

 

  1. Interest Rates – Interest rates at historic lows, which means more buying power for people house hunting right now! This is one of the reasons why there are so many buyers right now! Will these interest rates last? No one has a crystal ball, but if you wait and the rates go up, it could cool off the sellers’ market we are in!
  2. You Will Stand Out – With less homes going on the market right now, your home will stand out from the crowd! If you wait a couple of months you run the risk of a massive flood of listings like yours. With more competition the likelihood of a bidding wars diminishes. Once again, we don’t have a crystal ball but historically later in the Spring we see a surge in listings. Right now, inventory is low, it is a great time to take advantage of this!
  3. You Are in Control – In a sellers’ market like this, you have the upper hand when it comes to negotiating terms. With multiple buyers bidding for your home you will have more options. Waved inspections, over asking offers waving 22AD, etc. For more information about this talk with our team leader and expert listing negotiator Rosie directly!
  4. Off Market – Many homeowners love the idea of selling their home, but don’t want to do the extra work to get it show ready! Or maybe the thought of having people walking through your home is causing you anxiety. Our team has buyers agents with clients looking for a home like yours and we also have a network of top agents we work with buyers too. There is a chance that we could sell your home without all the hassle of listing it in a market like this. Once again, please talk to Rosie about this option!
  5. This is an Election Year – Historically the market slows down the closer we get to a major election. We don’t have a crystal ball, but we can see what is right in front of us. We are telling all our clients to get their home on the market earlier just in case!

Check out this cool tool that we have that can show you how many REAL buyers are looking for a home that matches yours! It’s cool, just enter your email below, then your address on the next screen, and get yourself prepared to be amazed!

Happy New Year!

By Rosie Rourke, posted Jan 06, 2020

Happy New Year!

As we enter into a new decade we are coming off of an historic serge in our Renton, Fairwood, Kent, Maple Valley, and Seattle real estate markets! The past few years we have seen prices rise and interest rates fall, but what does 2020 have in store for us? It's also an election, what does that do for first time home buyers, home sellers, second time buyers, and is it a good time to buy or sell a home? Let's ask Rosie Rourke, once of King County's best real estate agents what she things, watch the video below!

 

 

Home Inventory Is Up… Where Are You Buyers???

By Rosie Rourke, posted Oct 29, 2018

how do i buy a house

Finally… home inventory is up! I just read a report that more homes went for sale in September then they did last year at this time. In fact, this is the most home inventory for sale during the Fall in 3 years! This is GREAT news for buyers… so where are they?

I think the crazy market during the beginning of 2018 has scared a lot of them away. Their loss is YOUR GAIN! Homes are not selling as fast and there is room for negotiation now. And my preferred lenders have told me that there is a possible mortgage rate increase looming in 2019. If rates go up 1 point that could mean 10-15% less in buying power for you! You can’t afford to wait, check out my quick video about today’s buyers market, 3 reasons why you NEED to by now, and check out my team of expert buyers agents who are eager to help you buy a home before the holidays…. CLICK HERE!

Are We In Another Real Estate Bubble?

By Rosie Rourke, posted Apr 30, 2018

Hi everyone!!!

I’ve been hearing the same thing at a lot of my listing appointments from my clients, “Are we in another real estate bubble?” My buyers agents are hearing this too from people looking to purchase their first home or sell and buy a house, or second time buyers as we call them. I decided to roll up my sleeves and put my 20+ years of real estate knowledge to the test… I decided to write an article about it!

Here is the post card I just sent out to all my friends and clients:

To read my article check it out right here on my website, go to www.rosierourke.com/bubble

 

Real Estate Market Update – April 2018

By Rosie Rourke, posted Apr 18, 2018

Hi everyone, Rosie here! My team and I are rocking right now, and it seems like I am getting a lot of the same questions during my listing appointments. My buyer agents are hearing the same thing from their real estate clients looking to buy a home too. “is is a good time to sell a home? What is the real estate market like?” So I thought I would share some exciting Fairwood real estate market stats with you!

For real estate transactions (both homes for same in 98058 zip code and buying a home in 98058 zip code) here are the numbers for residential homes:

Homes For Sale in March 2018: 24 units.
• Up 41.2% compared to last month

Homes Placed Under Contract in March 2018: 62 units.
• Up 121.4% compared to last month

 

 

In Fairwood Greens specifically, here are the numbers just for the neighborhood. If you are thinking of selling a home in Fairwood Greens or thinking of buying a home in Fairwood Greens these numbers are important:

9 homes Sold/Pending within last 30 days

Average home is 2,030 square feet, that’s $263.33 per square foot!

Average days on market is 7

Average home value in Fairwood Greens and sold price: $521,667 (104.8% above list price).

WOW!!! Fairwood real estate is sizzling right now! Let me know how the Rosie Rourke Team can help you get top dollar with our proven success strategies in a seller’s market.

AND, my team doesn’t just buy and sell homes in 98058 or Fairwood Greens… we have clients all over the King and Pierce County areas! We did over 130 transactions last year ALONE, making us one of the top real estate agent and teams in King County! 

“It SOLD for HOW MUCH?”

By Rosie Rourke, posted Apr 15, 2018

Seattle housing market bubble

This home in Fairwood Greens just sold for $60k above asking price! Our sellers are so happy and so are the new owners! Prices are climbing because there are more people moving to our area than there are homes available. This is not a bubble, it’s the new normal for our market in Western Washington!

Thinking of selling and cashing in? Give Rosie a call and have a casual conversation about it! She will give you a home evaluation and talk about your options, especially if you need to sell and then buy something else!
The Rosie Rourke Team is here to help!

Why Are We Different From Other Real Estate Agents?

By Rosie Rourke, posted Feb 24, 2018

Hi everyone!!! Can you believe that February is almost over? Spring will be here before you know it, which is historically a busy time in the real estate market. But for the Rosie Rourke Team… we stay busy all year long! While other agents are taking time off … we are closing deals! A LOT OF DEALS!

best real estate agent near me

Just look at this… we closed 133 deals last year and helped over a hundred families in the Fairwood, Renton, Kent, Maple Valley, Covington, Auburn areas and beyond! We listed homes, helped our clients buy new houses and helped some first time home buyers navigate the real estate process. The Rosie Rourke team has yet again been named in the TOP 1% of all real estate teams in the area!

Yes, the numbers are nice, right? But what does that mean for YOU, the seller or buyer? It would take the average, stand alone agent over 13 years to gain the experience and knowledge of just ONE YEAR of the Rosie Rourke Team servicing our clients. Now multiple that by the 20+ years of experience that Rosie Rourke has by herself selling and buying real estate. Now add in a 7 person team behind that… can you see what I am getting at?

Here are some other reasons why we are different from other real estate agents:

  • Members of 2 local Chamber of Commerce organizations
  • We host community events – Recycle Event, Girl Friends Event, Turkey Trot 5k
  • All of our team members are active in local school PTA
  • We live and work in the same communities we serve – Shop local!
  • Close connections with local charities and service organizations
  • We have a dedicated marketing staff
  • 24/7 concierge service for our clients

Because of the amount of clients we help we have the knowledge and the experience to out preform other agents… Your home buying process will be smooth and supported by our dedicated and expert buyer agents Melissa Hudson and Colleen Linder. Your selling process will be seamless and the offers will come rolling in with the know how from listing agent and team Leader Rosie Rourke and listing manager Liz DeSmith. And supporting our producers is an amazing team of Sandie, Jill and Carey!

Most agents are one man or one woman shows… they have to wear many hats on a daily basis! Details can fall through the cracks and quite frankly, they are overwhelmed… especially in this market! This is why a TEAM will always out preform an individual!

I need a real estate agent

Next Step…

Contact us today if you are thinking of SELLING your home or BUYING a home! We are excited to show you personally why we are the TOP TEAM in the area and why over a hundred clients trusted us with their real estate dreams last year!

PS. We also specialize in helping our clients UPSIZE! With home prices going up, it’s a great time to SELL, cash in on the equity, and BUY a larger home! And no… you won’t have to be displaced either! 

January is the time to sell and buy!

By Rosie Rourke, posted Jan 23, 2018

best real estate agent near me

Don’t wait until Spring… NOW is the time to list your home!

 

Believe it or not, now is actually the best time to list your home! Competition is lower on the selling side and that means more qualified buyers are ready and waiting for your home to show up on the market!
Whether you are looking to upsize and cash in your home’s equity to get a larger one or you are ready to downsize for the next chapter, the Rosie Rourke Team has both selling and buying solutions for you.
And if you need to sell your home in order to buy another one you don’t need to worry about being displaced, we have creative loan solutions from the areas top lenders to help with a seamless transition!

Bottom-line…

why wait until Spring when my team has buyers ready and waiting NOW!
Contact me personally for an in person home valuation and check out what our clients are saying about the home selling and buying process with my team… it is possible to SELL AND UPSIZE in this market!

 

What our clients are saying about selling and buying…

 

“Rosie and her staff were amazing to work with. My wife and I were in the market to sell our home while buying a new one. Rosie came to our home, explained the process of buying and selling at the same time in the most simplistic way that both my wife and I could understand. Because of the amazing work by Rosie and her team, our house was able to sell in just 6 days. When looking for a new home with more space, Melissa did her research and presented us with homes that were in our price range and in the area we wanted were looking in. In fact, we were able to find a home with minutes walking from our old place. Because of Melissa’s amazing work, my kids are able to stay within walking distance of their friends. Thank you to Rosie, Melissa, and the rest of her team for the hard work and dedication to helping families find the perfect home!”
-The Nicholson Family sold and bought a home in 2017 in Bonney Lake, WA.
“Rosie is the consummate professional. She was kind, caring, patient and knew exactly what I needed. She is responsive and I felt confident at all times that she would make sure everything was in place with my transaction. I can’t recommend her highly enough!! “
– Sundiemarie bought and sold a Condo home in 2016 in Park Orchard and Renton, WA.
“My partner and I are well into our 70’s. We decided to sell the home and 14 acres where I have lived for 48 years. We chose to work with the Rosie Rourke team of John L. Scott in Kent, WA. Colleen helped us find a house to buy before we put our house on the market. We were impressed by Colleen’s energy, competency and honesty. She carted us around a radius of about 20 miles and found for us many places that might fill our needs. After we chose a house to buy, Colleen competently walked us through the stacks of paperwork that accompanies purchasing a house. We enjoyed her so much that we began to refer to her as our handler. Just yesterday she met us at our newly built house to hand over our keys and sip wine (our idea) and meander the lovely new abode that filled my desires for light, a walkable neighborhood with grocery store, restaurants, nature trails and a city bus. Well done, Colleen, our dear handler.”

-Liz Mathewson and Marsh Pancheau bought and sold a home in 2017 in Maple Valley, WA

So… what is the next step?Rosie Rourke, Managing Broker, 206.719.5870

That’s the easy part, contact Rosie directly for a casual, one on one chat about your home… now really is the best time to get started! (Be sure to mention you received the post card too!)
206.719.5870