Remodeling House

Virtual tours have become one of the most important tools for selling a house. 92% of home buyers consider the addition of property photos to an online listing to be very important. (NDP Group, Sept 2000) The average online listing with a virtual tour receives 38% more views than listings without tours. (REALTOR.com® internal logs. July 2001)

Virtual tours are like having a 24x7 open house – available online without agents or the home seller having to show the property. It's a tool to help you and consumers pre-qualify properties, saving everyone time.

The average virtual tour on REALTOR.com® receives an average of 13 hits per day and each scene gets four views per day. (Summary Tour Traffic Report, Internal logs. Nov 2001)

More than 2 million people per month are using REALTOR.com®, the official site of the NAR. (Jupiter Media Metrix, Dec. 2001)

Real Tour Vision™ is a PicturePath™ Partner with homestore.com™ which allows virtual tours powered by Real Tour Vision™ to be posted to the #1 real estate Web site – REALTOR.com® with more than 1.7 million listings. (Net Ratings, Sept 2001)

In December 2001 the Homestore™ Network attracted 8.01 million unique users. Users spent 125.08 million total minutes and approximately 9.1 minutes spent per individual visit on Homestore ™ sites in December. (Jupiter Media Metrix. Dec. 2001)

Roughly 50% of Homestore™ visitors are "actively shopping". Of those actively shipping, 94% say they have found a home/homes that they are interested in on REALTOR.com®. (this means that, of our total visitors, just under 50% say they have found a home they are interested in.) (REALTOR.com® Web Site Visitor Survey, November 2001)

Internal survey data shows that users are more satisfied with their experience on REALTOR.com® than HomeAdvisor. (REALTOR.com-Homeadvisor Usability Comparison Test, October 2001)

Homes/properties are viewed over 400 million times per month on REALTOR.com®. (Jupiter Media Metrix, Dec. 2001)

Homebuyers are becoming much more Web savvy. 60% of homebuyers are using the Internet to get home buying information. By 2005, Jupiter Research predicts that number will be as high as 80%. (NAR Jupiter Research Oct 23, 2001 Realty Times)

Internet homebuyers are more educated and invest significant time investigating the housing market and financing options before contacting a Realtor. Internet buyers spend nearly three times as much time investigating real estate markets before contacting a Realtor than traditional homebuyers. By the time Internet buyers contact an agent, they have a good understanding of what they want, where they want to live and what they can afford. (2001 CAR study)

Internet buyers spend 4.6 weeks investigating homes and neighborhoods before contacting a Realtor as opposed to 1.9 weeks for traditional homebuyers. (2001 CAR Study)

Most Internet homebuyers (89%) use the Internet in the home buying process before they start to look for a specific home.
Internet homebuyers start using the Internet very early in the home buying process and before selecting a real estate agent.
Since Internet buyers typically have a good understanding of what they want, where they want to live, and what they can afford, they tend to look at fewer homes and buy faster.

Traditional homebuyers spent over three times as much time looking for a home with a real estate agent than Internet buyers do (6.44 weeks versus 2.10 weeks)

Traditional homebuyers look at nearly twice (15.08) as many homes with a real estate agent prior to purchase as Internet buyers (7.93). (2001 CAR Study)

By the time Internet buyers contact a real estate agent they have often:
* Chosen the neighborhood they want to evaluate
* Narrowed their choice of homes
* Come up with a list of homes they want to see
* Understood what they can afford and what their mortgage options are

78% of Internet homebuyers found their Realtor on the Internet. By the contrast, most traditional buyers find their real estate agent as a result of farming, referrals, advertising or sign calls and 23% of Internet homebuyers found the type of house they wanted on the Internet. (2001 CAR study)

Additionally, Internet homebuyers act quickly and purchase a home in less time than do traditional buyer. (2001 CAR Study)

Nearly all Internet homebuyers (96%) are very likely to use the Internet the next time they purchase a home. (2001 CAR Study)

Internet homebuyers on average purchased a more expensive home than traditional homebuyers ($403,752 versus $321,950). (2001 CAR Study)

How A Virtual Tour Benefits Home Sellers:
* Selling your property can be costly and time consuming. Traditional advertising such as newspaper ads, brochures, and open houses have a limited reach. These traditional forms of marketing don’t give buyers a feel for what your property actually looks like.
* The Internet is now being used to extend the marketing of your property. As of recent, realtors in the U.S. are now commonly using virtual tours. This now provides sellers with an enormous additional audience. Now buyer’s from all areas of the U.S. and beyond can view the property.
* This online service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
* This means you sell your property faster and will also save you time and money!
* Reach more buyers with our Virtual Tours than with any other comparable product or service on the Internet.
* With our Virtual Tour, you can avoid the hassles of having strangers visit your property unless they have seen your virtual tour and know they are qualified.
* You can also advertise your property through the real estate sections of leading Internet sites in addition to the links we provide.
* Email your property tour to prospects anywhere around the country.
* Offer people the chance to take a virtual tour from anywhere with Internet access—their home, office or from any remote location.

How A Virtual Tour Benefits Homebuyers:
* Searching for the right property can be time consuming and costly. Countless hours can be spent looking at properties and driving around to open houses. Virtual Tours can now eliminate hours of driving and viewing by optimizing time for both the buyer and their agent.
* The Internet is becoming a major factor in searching the majority of properties listed for sale. * Rather than merely viewing a small exterior photo and a plain text description, we allow you to see full color 360º views of properties, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
* Our Virtual Tours enables out-of-town buyers to make qualified decisions efficiently and conveniently because now they now have the ability to visually walk through the property without having to be there.
* Our Tour’s are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Virtual tours can be taken and viewed from anywhere with Internet access. And all of our tours can be quickly downloaded and burned to a CD to be viewed offline.
* Navigate through the tour images without installing software, plug-ins or any long downloads.
* Buyers can literally show the property that they are thinking of buying, to family and friends before they make a buying decision.
* Use a Virtual Tour to look inside your future property when access to the property is limited -- visualize room sizes and decorating schemes before you move in!

If you're trying to sell your property and it doesn't have a virtual tour, give me a call at 360.581.9020 or email me at jeffgdaniel@hotmail.com and I'll set you up. Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties offers virtual tours to all of our sellers for their properties.

Meanwhile, feel free to check out some of the virtual tours:
http://tours.justsnooping.com/2241579/
http://tours.justsnooping.com/2289421/
http://tours.justsnooping.com/2246256/
http://tours.justsnooping.com/2244387/

Each time I do a walk-a-bout the gardens I discover new plants. I'm excited even though I am sorely missing my main vegetable garden this year. Plans are underway for a late season garden as soon as it cools a bit more at night. I'm hoping to plant towards the third week of August for our zone. In the meantime I've been starting herbs and discovering what is already growing

Not much has been happening in the gardens other than clearing brush and over growth. We decided to remove all of the remaining bits of garden decorations left by the previous owner to create a more uniform theme. The focus has been on preparing the greenspace areas for our upcoming anniversary party. The unseasonably dry weather combined with higher temperatures are working against us. I've

Clematis(Clematis viticella)In a previous post I spoke of Clematis, a beautiful flowering vine. This is one vine my husband will let climb on the side of the house. It does not damage the siding or motar like English Ivy or Trumpet vine. Clematis does need to be supported usually by some type of trellising system. I had two clematis growing at our old house. One was transplanted from the

English Boxwoods(Buxus sempervirens)English Boxwoods (Buxus sempervirens) are broad leaf evergreens. These are wonderful, easy to maintain shrubs that add a sense of formality to gardens. They line our laneway creating a welcoming entrance. These shrubs have densely packed light green leaves with a rounded, compact growth habit. They reach about 3 feet high at maturity. We have a lot of

The weather in the past few weeks has been gorgeous out here on the beach. Numerous days saw some beachgoers in bikinis, folks lying around enjoying the sun, people and dogs playing in the surf and dozens of surfers out enjoying the waves. It truly has been a nice summer so far.

Real Estate Update
* 2nd Quarter Stats for Ocean Shores (Source: NWMLS)
Real Estate Sales in Ocean Shores for second quarter are holding steady. In short terms, the number of sales or transactions is about the same, but the average sold prices are up. Here are some comparisons for 2nd quarter '07 vs. second quarter '06:

* 72 Houses Sold 2nd quarter '06 at an average sales price of $206,665 vs. 69 Houses sold in '07 at an average sales price of $211,986.
* 9 Condos Sold 2nd quarter '06 at an average sales price of $150,187 vs. 15 Condos sold in '07 at an average sales price of $214,160.
* 106 Vacant Lots Sold 2nd quarter '06 at an average sales price of $56,196 vs. 101 Lots sold in '07 at an average sales price of $51,817.* Currently there are 747 Vacant Lots on the market ranging from $19,900 to $1,300,000. The median listing price is $49,000.
* Currently, there are 287 Homes on the market ranging from $44,900 to $1,800,000. The median listing price is $239,900.
* There are 71 Condos on the market ranging from $8,000 (timeshare) to $499,000. The median listing price is $274,900.

* Dreamscape Condos Almost Sold Out!
Located at the Southern tip of Ocean Shores, these units include two or three bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchens featuring maple cabinets, tile floors and granite counters, living rooms with a fireplace and separate dining area with private decks. Perfect for a company retreat or multi-family uses. Watch ships, whales, and fishing boats from the comforts of your own private getaway. All units have fantastic views! Seconds from pristine beaches and beach combing. Prices range from $259,000 to $399,000. Don't wait until they're all sold out! Dreamscape Condos are being offered at these low prices from the builder direct. More info HERE.

* Two New Condo Projects Underway!
Two different developers are investing tens of millions of dollars in Ocean Shores. The first development is located off of Marine View Drive in the southern end of town featuring 650 condos which are exclusive to individuals 55 years and older. This project will included a private clubhouse, retail store, swimming pools and a putting green. The buildings are four stories high and will feature elevators. The other new development being planned is a 190 unit development near the downtown core of Ocean Shores called "The Cottages at Ocean Shores" and will feature it's own clubhouse and swimming pool as well. Units start at $104,900 and they're being sold now before construction begins. Units can be reserved with a $500 refundable deposit. Click "HERE" for more info.

* Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties Top Office on the Beach! (Source: NWMLS)
Congratulations to all the agents, the owners and employees at Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties for moving into first position as the top office in Ocean Shores for 2nd quarter 2007. Coldwell Banker leads all brokerages in town with the most listings (359), the most office listings sold (53 - total sales was 102 sales for 2nd quarter compared to 50 for 1st quarter), the most current pending transaction (21) and the most agents (24). Happy me!

Upcoming Events
* Sun & Surf Run
July 27-29th
Over 2000 motorcycles gathering at the Convention Center. Enjoy bonfires, fireworks, live music, raffles, barbecues, motorcycle parades, stunt riders, vendors and more. This is a crazy weekend for Ocean Shores and a must see! http://sunandsurfevent.com/

News
* This past 4th of July on the beach was as exciting as ever. Some individuals lacking common sense launched some of their personal fireworks into the grass dunes setting off multiple fires burning nearly 20 acres. The Ocean Shores Fire Department responded in preventing any personal property loss or damage. They did a great job. Not to worry, the dune grass should be back to green within the year.

* If you haven't been down to the southern part of town near the Jetty, you need to visit soon and check out the new roads. It's a real treat to be able to drive down there without driving through multiple potholes, etc. On a quick note, it's my observation that vacant lot values in the jetty area are creeping up higher because of the new asphalt. When property buyers see the community reinvesting in its infrastructure, they know things are on the rise and the community is moving forward. New roads are great and worth every penny.

* The Ocean Shores Parks Board is currently developing a new master plan for the renovation of the North Bay Park to include changes to the baseball/soccer fields, a new restroom facility, relocating the playground area and the creation of a new skate park. The master plan should be completed by September.

Jeff Daniel

The majority of the work in our new gardens has been the removal of an over planting of shrubs and other plants. Most of these have been under large shade trees. Some like an overgrowth of low growing evergreens were removed not only to enlarge the usable greenspace but for mosquito control. Others like English Ivy and Trumpet Vine growing on the brick of the house were trimmed back and

Preapproved or Prequalified: What's the Difference?

Purple Martin HouseThe Purple Martin (Progne subis) is a member of the swallow family. It is a medium sized, migratory song bird much desired in gardens. The male is entirely a glossy dark, purplish black sheen while the female is purplish black with a duller sheen and lighter underpants. Several Purple Martins will nest in a multi-compartmented birdhouse much like a bird condo building. They

Last Thursday was moving day. It was an extremely long and tiring day yet I was up at the crack of dawn to explore our new surroundings. I did a walk about the gardens with the camera noting some of the plants that I haven't grown before or have very little experience with.GreenspaceOur property is on a deadend road. A greenspace dotted with a stand of trees separates our road from the main

Happy Canada DayHappy Gardening!Garden Gnome©2007