Posts Categorized: Upsize

Home Office/Homeschooling Spaces

By Rosie Rourke, posted Sep 15, 2020
homeschooling workspace ideas

Need a Home Office/School Space?

Ideas for Work From Home Spaces, Homeschooling Areas & Maybe It's Time For More Space!

One trend we are seeing right now in real estate is clients wanting a home office or homeschooling space. Like it or not, working from home and distance learning for the kids are both here to stay. After months of being at home, do you still love your house? Does it suit you current family needs? Here are some cool ideas for converting areas of your home into homeschooling spaces or a home office for those ZOOM calls!

https://www.pinterest.com/rosierourke/

Many of our clients are also finding out that being home for so long has shown them some of the limitations of their space. Remember when you bought your house and you said,

“What do I need that extra bedroom for? Why do I need a home office, I work in a building downtown? That bonus room is a waste of space?”

Open concept homes are great until you need a quite space for a ZOOM call or an area for the kids to set up their “classrooms.” You have options, maybe it’s time to upsize? Odds are you have some great equity in your home!

“But Rosie, if I sell my house how can I afford a larger home, home prices are up all over?”

This is where the low interest rates come in. Lower rates mean more buying power for you. So yes, home prices are up, but with your equity in your current home + low rates, it might be more obtainable than you think! All it takes is a simple phone call, text or email to our team and we can give you a better idea of what your home is worth and what is available in the market for you. Just reach out, let’s chat!

It is a great time to sell, buyers are circling and looking for a home like yours, trust us! Everyone is climbing the real estate ladder right now. Renters are buying condos, condos are upsizing to starter homes, starter homes are upsizing to forever homes, forever homes are downsizing to ramblers, and everything in-between! Our team has helped over 100+ clients already this year go from one end to the other, we have this dialed in.

“But Rosie, the thought of packing up and moving is scary and overwhelming, where do I start?”

RELAX, this is what we do! We don’t just throw a sign in the ground and leave you to do it all, we take care of everything! The moment you decide to let us guide you on your home sales journey we lean in to make sure you have a stress free experience! From scheduling contractors, movers, people to help you de-clutter, we’ll even be the ones to meet with the vendors for you so you don’t have to miss work! We are full service!

“Ok, but what about selling then trying to buy something, I don’t want to be displaced!”

Another great question, we have solutions for that as well! Using the equity in your home to buy a new one all while trying to sell it is both an art and a science. We work with some of the top lenders in the area who specialize in just that. We have several outside the box options to ensure you get top dollar for your current home and find you your new home. We can make it a seamless process, but you need to reach out to us to discuss these options because every situation is unique. There is also a possibility of an off market solution! Being the top team in the area we are connected to active buyers as well as other agents. In some cases selling your home without listing it is a great way to help you achieve your real estate goal without the anxiety of putting your home on the market. Once again, contact us and let’s chat about your options!

In closing I just want to say… HANG IN THERE, YOU CAN DO THIS! We hope this post was helpful and let us know if we can do anything for you! – The Rosie Rourke Team

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