Pullman Washington Real Estate -- Lori Cofer's Blog

The Internet Footprint of Your Pullman Home For Sale

Lori Cofer — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:39:13 +0000

How big is your footprint on the Internet Mr. & Mrs Pullman Washington Seller? In other words, how easily can your new buyer find your home? And what will be their impression of your home? These are hard questions you should be asking.

It is true, a large portion of the home buyers considering the purchase of a home to buy will in fact begin on the Internet According to the 2010 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 89% of all home buyers used the Internet as an information source. And I would wager to say this continues to increase with the increased sales of smart phones and tablets, pads etc.

The Internet is king today. Gone are the days when the buyer asks the Realtor® to pick out some houses for them to see. The buyers come to us after they have found a house that has peaked their interest with a list of homes they want to see.

If you are selling your home in Pullman, or anywhere for that matter, you want to be on that list. Here are a few things for you to consider.

How will my home look on the Internet? Pictures are worth a 1000 words. Are yours?

How many places will my home be found on the Internet? Don’t be content to have it “on the Internet” You want it to be all over the Internet with the largest footprint possible.

Hopefully I have given you some food for thought about listing your home, whether your home for sale is in Pullman, Washington, or anywhere for that matter. If you are thinking of listing your home in Pullman, I would be happy to meet with you and discuss my marketing plan with you.

Looking For Your New Home in Pullman?

Lori Cofer — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:30:20 +0000

Five Tips for Buying your Pullman Washington Home

1. Begin your search on line. You have probably already started that as you most likely found this article on line. Looking on line does give you a feel for different styles available of homes in our area, and the prices you might need to expect given a certain neighborhood or the amenities. As I work with a lot of clients who are relocating, it is a great place to start.

2. Find an agent you are comfortable working with. Interview several agents. Don’t be shy here. Does the agent return your calls promptly? Are they knowledgeable about the market? Are they a full time agent whose priority is finding you a home? What kind of on-line marketing presence do they have? You can learn a lot about agents by their line marketing such as websites, blogs and facebook. In fact, the majority of my clients come to me just that way.

3. Pick out a few homes that you would like to see and talk to your agent about them. Let them know what you do and don’t like about them. Now granted, homes on line and homes in person can be very different indeed. But just talking to

you on the phone, I can begin to get a sense of what you are looking for. And I might have a few suggestions of homes you might want to see.

4. Get Pre-Approved. This really isn’t as painful as some people fear. It only takes a few minutes and will give you an idea of what price point we need to zero in on. It is also best for you once we actually find a home and write the offer. An offer with a pre-approval letter takes on extra weight with the seller.

5. On the day we go looking wear comfortable clothes and easy on and off shoes. We might be asked to remove our shoes.

Pullman Washington Real Estate Market – 2011

Lori Cofer — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:13:45 +0000

As we close the Pullman Real Estate Market for the end of December 2011 I thought it might be helpful to look at the year in review. It is also a great way to begin to prep for our upcoming market in 2012 as well as it gives a look at where we have been and a better feeling for where we might be in the upcoming real estate market in Pullman.

I have included Pullman Washington single family homes, condos and townhouses for the purposes of this market report.

As of December 31, 2011 we have Sold 173 Homes, with 14 still Pending and 90 Active Homes.

The pending sales at this time are all single family homes with an average days on market of 152. Homes that have gone pending have been in listing price range from 100,000 – 439,000 range.

With Sold homes, we do have the feel for the selling price. Of course, this varies greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, and home to home depending on location, amenities, square footage, bedrooms, baths and the list goes on. But it does give you a general feel to see the breakdown on the sales price on Single Family Homes.

Here is Condos and Townhouses Sold Figures.

Of course, I would be happy to discuss these statistics in more detail with you whether you are thinking of buying or selling your home. Feel free to calll me at 509-330-0086.

This information is gathered from the Whitman County Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service and is deemed reliable but is not guarenteed.

Pullman WA Selling Tip – Engage Your Buyer’s Senses!

Lori Cofer — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:30:33 +0000

Five Senses To Appeal To Your Buyers

You are wanting to sell your Pullman Washington Home on the Real Estate Market. Here is a new twist on reaching your buyers. Try to engage as many sense as possible for your buyers. We all know there are five senses which include the following: touching, tasting, hearing, smelling and seeing.

There are a lot of ways we can bring our buyers senses to a heightened awareness of what your home has to offer, but here are just a few ideas to help you kick start your showings!

1. Touch – There is more to this aspect than you might first think. From the opening of the door knob, to the feeling of the carpet under our feet, and even to the feel of that smooth granite counter top we are engaging our buyers sense of touch. If you have a heated floor, leave it on so your buyer feels the warmth of the tiles under foot. On a cold winter’s day it will be appreciated.

2. Taste – You might be surprised how easy this one is to accomplish. I can’t begin to tell you how appreciated a small token left out on the counter just for your buyers can do. This can be really very easy from a few bottles of water or maybe a plate of cookies left for your buyers to enjoy. Again your buyers will be lingering just a bit longer, and regardless if this the house for them or not, they will remember your home with good vibes.

3. Hear - This is where some nice soft music is appreciated. It feels the house with energy and life. And if you have a wired sound system, turn it on in every room you have it so the buyers can’t miss this great feature of your home.

4. Smell – This one is pretty obvious but often misunderstood. A fresh, clean smell is what we are going for here. Like a clean fresh breeze after a rain. Don’t overload with strong smells or hard chemicals as many people are very sensitive to smell. And by all means, make sure there are no pet smells.

5. Seeing – This is the major sense that your buyers are going to be using once they walk into your home. You want your home to be pleasing to the eye. So keep it spacious and try to provide a nice and peaceful flow to the eye, yet still highlight the features that make your home special.

With bringing your buyers senses to the surface, you really can provide a full and engaging showing for your home. Remember, a lot of people buy the home that not only has the features they are looking for but the feel that they are looking for. Make sure your home is one that gives those Pullman buyers that great feeling, the feeling that says you are home!

5 Pullman WA Homeowner Tips For Fall/Winter by Lori Cofer – Realtor®

Lori Cofer — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:28:58 +0000

In Pullman we are about to experience our first taste of winter for the end of this year in our great state of Washington. Many of our leaves are still on the trees, but I suspect that won’t last much longer as we have a wind advisory this afternoon followed by colder temperatures bringing snow.

I thought I would take a moment today to provide my clients, both new homeowners and sellers, with a 5 tips today.

1. If you haven’t done so, make sure your hoses are disconnected and put away.

2. Clean your gutters. It is important to have clean gutters for water to move down your gutter system and away from the house. Overflowing gutters leads to lots of problems from water in your basement to ice dams during freezing temperatures. So although you might have done this you might need to double check them again after leaves are down to be sure water is moving as it should.

3. Think twice before grabbing that ice melt product. It absolutely ruins concrete. Really the best bet is to get that snow shoveled and let it melt naturally. If you need something for traction, try sand or gravel.

4. You might want to get your furnace serviced now. And don’t forget to change your filter regularly! With the temperatures dropping, you want your furnace working effectively and efficiently.

5. If you have a wood burning fireplace, consider getting in a chimney sweep to get it cleaned. And make sure you have the damper closed off when not in use so your heat doesn’t go straight out the chimney.

And of course, last but not least, enjoy the change of seasons that make living in Pullman Washington such a great place to live!

Fall Showing Tips For Pullman Sellers

Lori Cofer — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:47:05 +0000

With the temperatures dropping in Pullman, I thought I would provide a few cold weather showing tips for sellers. Showings will most likely decrease as the the temperatures decrease and we get closer to Thanksgiving as well.

1. Leave your porch light on. It is about 4:00 right now and with the recent time change, we are getting darker and darker earlier and earlier. Agents and your buyers might view your home late in the afternoon. A front porch light says “welcome and spend some time in the home!”

2. Make sure your thermostat is turned up to a comfortable temperature. Cold homes feel…well…just that cold. That warm inviting feeling is absent.

3. Leave interior lights going. It will add to that warm inviting feeling. Let your buyer envision themselves coming home to a cozy, well lit home.

4. If you have a gas fireplace, invite the agent to turn it on and off again before they leave.

5. If your have surround sound or heated floors, make sure you turn these features on for a buyer to appreciate.

6. With Thanksgiving around the corner, why not put out a nice note to the buyer thanking him for coming to look at your home.

You may have fewer showings, but remember those buyers that are out looking are serious…so treat them like GOLD!

Moving to Pullman WA?

Lori Cofer — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:16:29 +0000

As a Realtor who has lived in Pullman Washington for many years now, I often get calls from clients moving to Pullman. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and Decagon are bringing new folks in for jobs. Many of course, have questions about our housing market here in Pullman compared to other parts of our country. And I am always happy not only to answer their questions, but also to provide a tour of our town.

I also find myself getting calls about the City of Pullman in general. And I enjoy being that first connection to our great community. I liken myself to the Internet version of the old fashioned welcoming wagon. I enjoy helping folks find places to eat, places to play, and even buy a new pair of shoes in a hurry when necessary.

I know if I had to relocate from Pullman to a new town, it would be simply overwhelming. Especially if I only a had a few days to decide during a job interview if we were going to move to Pullman. And, like many of those who call me, I would be on the Internet researching in an attempt to acquire as much of a feel as I possibly could.

And make no mistake, the Internet is certainly a great tool, in fact an invaluable tool. And as consumers we are we are all using it more than ever before. It is true that most folks buying a home begin on the Internet. And so it stands to reason that sellers want a great presence on the Internet for their homes. And that, of course, happens to be where I put my marketing power to work.

But lest we forget, the bottom line is always people. People who need homes. People who need to sell their homes. And for me, that is my favorite part. The people. The people who weave their lives into their homes, and entrust me to be a part of that process, whether it is buying a new home or selling their homes. And as I gazed on facebook last night at many of my clients pictures of their little ones on Halloween, I often saw them standing on the front porch of their homes, or by the fire place of their homes, or by the front door of their homes. Homes that they entrusted me to help them purchase or sell. And that, my friend, was a very warm feeling indeed.

New Pullman WA Homeowners…Get Your Sprinkler System Winterized

Lori Cofer — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 04:01:05 +0000

Fall is here and beautiful in Pullman Washington. The leaves are putting on their spectacular final show before dropping. And temperatures are dropping as well. By Monday the weather forecast predicts that we might drop down to a chilly 33 degrees.

So, I wanted to remind my buyers who are now new homeowners, if you haven’t yet had your sprinkler system blown out and winterized, now is the time to get it scheduled! And if you are one of sellers who have your home on the market, it is a great idea not only to get the sprinkler system winterized, but keep your receipt handy so your new buyer knows you took care of it.

And just a quick reminder, don’t back up those moving vans on the lawn. It may make loading your truck easier, but it sure can cause a lot of expensive damage to the sprinkler system.

If you,like myself, aren’t as lucky to have a sprinkler system, don’t forget to disconnect those outside hoses. Freezing water in a hose expands, often into the interior pipes, causing a lot of damage.

It is also a good time to coil up those hoses, and put those sprinklers away waiting for warmer spring days to return.

Discover…Pullman Washington!

Lori Cofer — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:52:25 +0000

Pullman Washington is located in the rolling hills of a unique part of the country called the Palouse. Our fertile farmland grows wheat, barley, peas and lentils. In fact, each year Pullman hosts the Annual Lentil Festival to celebrate this legume, including a downtown celebration that includes a giant chili pot of Lentil Chili for the great folks in Pullman.

Our community is approximately 27,000 strong with many local resident and students, as Pullman is also home to Washington State University. GO COUGS!

Pullman was founded in the late 1800’s and was so named after the railroad magnet George Pullman, famous for the Pullman railroad car. With the award of location of the land grant college now known as Washington State University, our town forever changed. Pullman benefits greatly with lots of sporting events, cultural events and the academic excellence that it brings to our great community!

We are also home to Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, our number two employer after WSU. SEL designs and manufactures to provide safe, reliable and economical delivery of electric power ranging from generator and transmission protection to automation and control systems.

Pullman is divided into four major hills or neighborhoods – College Hill, Pioneer Hill, Sunnyside Hill and Military Hill.

College Hill, in the northeast part of town, is of course home to Washington State University. It is home to both businesses and investment properties to cater to our student population. We also have single family homes that are popular among the professors who desire to walk to work.

The southeast part of town is aptly called Pioneer Hill. Homes here vary from lovely vintage homes to homes built in the 70’s through to the 90’s. Pioneer Hill is also home to lovely Kruegel Park that is a favorite among children, and a formal garden called Lawson Gardens. Pioneer Hill is also home to Franklin Elementary and our only Middle School.

Southwest is home to Sunnyside Hill. It’s home also range from vintage to new homes. In fact, most of the new construction is found on Sunnyside Hill due to it’s central location, lovely neighborhoods and it’s proximity to Sunnyside Park and Sunnyside Elementary.

Military Hill is found in the northwest section of Pullman and was so named after Military Academy, the prep school in 1891. Military Hill is home to Military Park, Jefferson Elementary, Pullman High School and our indoor aquatics center. It’s homes vary from homes in the 50’s to new as well as homes.

For those who love the outdoors as their playground, we have lots to offer! We are only 45 minutes away from the Snake River & Clearwater River with lots of fishing, rafting and boating adventures!.

Hiking our nearby trails are also a favorite activity in Pullman. One of my personal favorites is right outside of town on Kamiak Butte where the view of Pullman and the rolling hills of the Palouse is absolutely breathtaking as it rises 3641 feet. It is a favorite spot for photography with its sweeping view, abundant plant and animal life.

Sporting events are always popular here in Pullman with football taking center stage in fall and Basketball in the early part of the second semester. But we also have many other wonderful sporting activities from soccer to field events as well!

Bike riding is also a popular form of entertainment for folks in and around Pullman. The very popular Bill Chipman Palouse Trail provides 7 miles of paved access for biking, skating, walking. This is a great trail that connects with our sister city Moscow Idaho and continues to Troy Idaho providing another 11 miles of trail fun!

If shopping is more your type of recreation, we have lots of wonderful little shops downtown. We also have a nice mall in nearby Moscow Idaho which is only 15 minutes away and home to the University of Idaho with all it’s cultural benefits that Moscow enjoys as well.

I would love to help you discover our little piece of paradise on the Palouse!

Real Estate Report For Pullman Washington

Lori Cofer — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:03:54 +0000

As we draw near an end to the 3rd Quarter of Pullman Real Estate Sales, I thought it would be a great time to look at some statistics on our Real Estate Market here in Pullman Washington.

As of September 16, 2011 we have 130 Active Homes on the Market, which includes single family homes, condos, townhouses and manufactured homes. We have 26 Homes Pending Closing. And we have Sold 161 Homes this year. Interestingly, this compares very closely with the same time in both 2010 and 2009.

Of those homes Sold, 88 of those are in the up to 200,000 price point. 67 Homes have Sold in the 200,000 to 400,000 Range, and only 6 in the above 400,000 range.

I have chosen to break down the days on market as well but by neighborhood, or in our case by hills. College Hill has an average 127 days on market. Military Hill 191 days. Pioneer Hill 136 Days on Market. Sunnyside Hill 155 days. And surrounding Pullman, 94 days on market.

It will be interesting to once again look at this as our market winds down into the end of the year. I suspect, of course, things will be slower, but I know I personally still have some pending sales that will impact the figures. And listings that are priced to sell for those who are looking for great deals with these incredible interest rates!