Our January realtor of the month is Kimberly McLaughlin, broker and real estate specialist of KM Luxury and our Real Estate Market Expert for Bainbridge Island, WA.

Kimberly has worked in the Real Estate field for over 20 years as a full-time broker. She is a member of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service as well as the National Association of Realtors. Kimberly previously held a position as a Corporate Relocation Manager for Coldwell Banker-Bain and has closed millions in residential sales.

Kimberly McLaughlin has always put her client’s needs first and uses her experience to communicate, educate, and translate the steps needed in order to buy and sell a home. She has gained trust with her clients through her transparency with her own experiences as both a broker and a homeowner. The best brokers are the ones who’ve walked a mile in your shoes.

If you’ve been on the lookout for a new home in Seattle, look no further. Contact Kim McLaughlin for all of your buying and selling needs.

Our November realtor of the month is Fylicia Waugh, Broker for Gateway Real Estate and our Real Estate Market Expert for Puyallup, WA.

Fylicia is a full time licensed REALTOR born and raised in the lovely city of Puyallup, Washington. Throughout her entire life, Fylicia’s family has been in both the real estate and residential construction business. It was only right that the torch was passed on to Fylicia as she found interest in real estate and eventually head her own brokerage. Prior to fully immersing in real estate, Fylicia also worked in banking and lending for eight years with experience as a commercial loan documentation specialist. This gives her the upper hand in understanding the legal paperwork needed to buy and sell real estate. 

If you are in the market to buy a new Seattle home or sell your old home, contact Fylicia Waugh with Gateway Real Estate. Fylicia loves helping people and has several years of experience in both buying and selling real estate in and around the Puyallup area. Along with her extensive experience, Fylicia provides excellent communication and an amazing smile!

If you haven’t heard already, Lennar has partnered with Amazon to make Alexa standard in every new home. Each Lennar home will include built-in Wi-Fi, smart locks, doorbells, thermostats and lights – all controlled by the voice-activated assistant. This roll out comes shortly after the merge of Lennar and CalAtlantic, now making Lennar the largest homebuilder in the nation and more accessible to millions of homebuyers. Customers currently have the opportunity to experience the Alexa smart home environment with Amazon Experience Centers at select Lennar communities in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC with more markets to come.

While experiencing Alexa in a real home environment, you’ll have the opportunity to discover the benefits of using the digital assistant first hand. Features of Alexa include putting your home on auto-pilot with “good morning” and “good night” routines, ordering household essentials, scheduling home services, notifications for doorbells, entries, exits and more. Included in the flagship Amazon Experience Centers are the latest smart home products for lighting, locks, entertainment, sprinklers, shades, car chargers and so much more.

With Lennar being the first home builder to implement Amazon Alexa as a standard feature, it seems like a safe assumption that we’ll see a rise in demand for Alexa smart home solutions in new home communities across the country.  This may open a larger door for Amazon to dominate the market for digital voice-activated assistants and custom solutions for each market, in house training, education, marketing and installation make this partnership all the more appealing for home builders.

To experience an Amazon Experience Center, tour a Lennar home near you.

CNN Money had recently listed the 8 cities they are predicting to post housing gains by September 2011 and Tacoma, Washington made the list. CNN Money forecast a 4% gain in Tacoma home prices, which is a huge increase from the 22% lost since 2006. With medium price of a Tacoma home for sale at $239,000, it’s no wonder why homebuyers are taking this great opportunity for an investment.

Tacoma's downtown has gone through a restoration over the past few decades, with new museums, galleries, restaurants and even a branch of the University of Washington. Homebuyers are enjoying Tacoma’s new homes easy access to city sophistication and fine dining one day and hiking, skiing or kayaking the next.

The homes for sale in Tacoma provide locations near history sites and the wonders of Seattle’s wilderness.  Explore everything from salt-water beaches and waterfalls, to Museums and the glass art of Dale Chihuly. Tacoma’s homes are located near family friendly attractions like the Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum and Washington State History Museum and even the Chihuly Bridge of Glass. For outdoor adventures take your family to visit the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Seymour Botanical Conservatory and Lakewold Gardens.

Tacoma homes for sale have something for everyone. With builders like Polygon Northwest and Quadrant Homes you are sure to find a great deal on a single family home within an amazing community. Polygon Northwest had recently released, with overwhelming number of interested, The Estates at Lakeland Hills. The Estates at Lakeland Hills offers 3 - 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms new homes within a 2,113 - 2,953 sq. ft. These Tacoma homes for sale are starting from the high $200,000's. Quadrant Homes is offering Tacoma’s number one selling green home at Northwest Landing. Northwest Landing provides new green homes with 3 bedrooms, 1 - 3.5 bathrooms and 1,263 - 3,861 sq. ft. homes with prices starting from the mid $200,000's.

East Seattle’s Vista Park Audubon, by D.R. Horton provides single family new homes for sale in Issaquah Highlands' premiere community of Vista Park. With Vista Park Audubon new home planes selling now with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 - 3.5 Baths and a 2-car garage, now is the time to buy a new home in east Seattle.
 
Vista Park Audubon homes for sale features covered porches, decks and exciting basement designs, with homes ranging from 1,898 to 2,371 sq. ft. Each new Vista Park Audubon home is economically built to fit a green lifestyle. With energy efficient windows with “Milgard” vinyl and a lifetime warranty against defects in material and workmanship insure for easy maintenance. A 90% energy efficient gas furnace provides comfort while preserving energy.

Impressive exterior detailing including stone mixed with board and batten siding, columns, porches and distinctive trim, make for a formal and elegantly Washington eastern Seattle new home. Within Vista Park Audubon new homes for sale you will find stainless steel GE appliance including 36" gas cook top and self-cleaning wall oven with built in microwave and dishwasher. Raised panel Maple cabinets feature 36" upper cabinets with crown molding. Plus your kitchen will be complete with beautiful ceramic tile countertops and granite backsplash.

At these Issaquah Highlands new homes you’ll discover over 1,500 acres parks and open space. Vista Park Audubon residents will have access to the trail systems within Issaquah Highlands that links within networks of trails to Squak, Tiger and Cougar mountains. You will be glad to know that these eastern Seattle new homes for sale at Vista Park Audubon in Issaquah Highland Alps. are certified  with the “4-Star Built Green” and “Energy Star”, which are the highest environmental rating awarded by the Master Builder Association of King and Snohomish Counties.

Snoqualmie Ridge by Quadrant Homes is not only the Seattle area's best-selling green home community, but its top-selling master planned community overall! Located a mere 30 minutes from culturally hip and vibrant downtown Seattle, these luxurious but affordable new green homes for sale are the perfect place to live for those who want to be close to both urban excitement as well as the beautifully lush natural landscapes that only the Pacific Northwest can offer, all while living in an environmentally conscious new home.

At Snoqualmie Ridge you’re close to everything you could ever want out of a living community, like numerous hiking trails (25 miles of trails), 34 parks, 540 acres of open space, tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields, mountain and road biking, fishing, kayaking and top-quality golf. If you're interested in doing some downhill skiing, then Snoqualmie Pass is only 25 miles to the east. Major retail shopping is close by along major highway I-90, and the city of Snoqualmie itself has a wide array of local shops, galleries, and restaurants.

The city of Snoqualmie is a friendly community that is best known as the home of the Snoqualmie Falls, where water cascades 270 feet over granite cliffs, 100 feet higher than Niagara falls, and which attracts visitors from all over the world. You can also find the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, as well as antique train cars that feature on the 5 mile stretch of historic railway.

New green homes at Snoqualmie Ridge are currently available in floorplans that range from 1,504 to 3,869 square feet, have 2-3 bedrooms, 2-3.5 baths, and are starting in the high $300,000's. Quadrant Homes believes in flexibility, and they're committed to doing what it takes to design the perfect new green home that fits around your personal lifestyle. For more information about these perfect new green homes for sale in this Quadrant community please call 425-396-5000.

Brought to you by the respected name of Quadrant Homes, these new green homes for sale near Seattle, Washington offer exorbitant value without the exorbitant price. Sitting across from a gentle park on a quiet street, Skagit Highlands give you all the benefits of living near a culturally hip major metropolis like Seattle, while at the same time providing a lifestyle that is bot comfortable, as well as a safe place to play for your kids.

Located halfway between Seattle and Vancouver, nestled in the gorgeously verdant Skagit Valley, and frequently cited as one of the most livable places in the United States, Mt. Vernon embodies both an uncomplicated rural heritage, as well as a strong sense of community. But just because Mt. Vernon has these things, that doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice any modern conveniences, and you won't at Skagit Highlands since there are plenty of shopping and dining options in Mt. Vernon.

 Some of the wonderful things that await residents of the new green homes at Skagit Highlands are the many trails and parks in and around Mt. Baker and the Puget Sound area, the year-round community festivals and events, including The Highland Games & Scottish Faire, The Bald Eagle Festival, The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, and the Oyster Run. You're also close to the I-5, as well as convenient shopping with a Haggen supermarket nearby. Skagit Highlands also benefits from being close to Mount Vernon Community College, as well as Skagit Valley College, which was recently voted as one of the best community college's in the country; and for those who like to keep a close counsel over what they eat and where it comes from, you'll love being near the Skagit Valley Food Co-Op.

These new green homes for sale are currently available in several masterful floorplans that contain 3-4 bedrooms, 1-2.5 baths, range from 1,263-3,963 square feet, and are starting in the high $100,000's. For more information and on how you can benefit from green homes, please call 360-542-8355.

Two years after the close of the housing boom, people continue to talk about making a move to Seattle. And why not? Seattle real estate market conditions in August 2009 show circumstances to be clearly in the buyer’s favor. As we addressed in a report on Seattle market conditions July 2009, inventory is high and prices are lowering. It doesn’t get much better than that! Here are the numbers:

Inventory
Homes for Sale: 3,305
New Homes: 3
Foreclosures: 1,374

Median Price
Homes for Sale: $429,000
New Homes: $224,950
Foreclosures: $300,289

Month-Over-Month Change
Homes for Sale: -1.4%
New Homes: n/a
Foreclosures: -1.7%

A little thrown off by the higher price of overall homes, when compared with the new homes? Keep in mind that Seattle is full of historic older homes and upscale high rises, some of which may drive up the overall price. Other than that, homes for sale in Seattle are nothing to be afraid of; if you are one of its countless interested buyers, the time to contact an agent is now.

Snoqualmie Ridge, Seattle’s number one selling master planned community, offers incredible amenities with panoramic views, restaurants, retail shops, parks, and trails. The reasonably priced lavish new Seattle homes for sale at Snoqualmie Ridge are located in the charming city of Snoqualmie. Snoqualmie Ridge secluded location will leave you felling miles away from the big city, and allow you to come home to the awe-inspiring wonder of Snoqualmie Falls and Mount Si.

At Snoqualmie Ridge you just have to step out your front door for  hiking trails, parks, playgrounds, basketball, soccer and tennis courts, mountain biking, fishing, kayaking and world-class golf! Wow that’s what I call amazing amenities. Not to mention that major retail shopping are close by with Snoqualmie rewording local shops, boutiques, galleries, spas and restaurants.

Perhaps though what is the most impressive about these Seattle homes for sale, is that each new home is green. Snoqualmie Ridge by Quadrant Homes, is administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency and is Energy Star® qualified. By choosing “Energy Sound” your new home will be more energy efficient than what is recommended by the national code. The benefits of owning a home that is ENERGY STAR qualified is the positive effect it has on the environment and your wallet. Through Quadrant Homes material selection and design innovations, your new home will reduced greenhouse emissions and significantly reduced your monthly utility bills. The benefits of a green home are endless, with aiding in the preservation of your surrounding environment and saving money by owing less on your utility bills to qualifying for an energy tax credit.

Snoqualmie Ridge by Quadrant Homes is located at 6608 Salmon Berry Court SE Snoqualmie, WA 98065. For more information on these Seattle new homes for sale with 2 - 3 Bedrooms, 2 - 3.5 Bathrooms, and ranging from 1,504 - 3,869 sq. ft. that start in the $300,000's, call at: 425-396-5000.

Another category of honors recognized by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) 10th annual National Green Building Conference on May 11 was Best Custom Home. What company built custom green homes with outstanding adherence to NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines in 2008? Chaffey Homes, located in Kirkland, Washington.

Chaffey Homes believes that selecting a custom built home begins with finding the best combination of perfected craftsmanship and outstanding value. Therefore, it’s only natural that they embrace this belief by offering an array of home buying and design choices. Additionally, they understand that your home is where your investment - and your memories - will grow. Fortunately, they don’t use those principles as an excuse to limit themselves when it comes to sustainable building. Chaffey Homes has evidently mastered the art of creating the whole package – an environmentally friendly home with a family’s needs at heart.

It started when growing national awareness of the need for a greener world first surfaced. Chaffey Homes took an active role by starting to enhance their building practices to comply with the regulations for Energy Star and Built Green. The result was added confidence and lower ownership costs for Chaffey Home’s owners; and, better performance of the homes’ energy functions. When owners are experiencing lower utility bills and increased protection from the elements, pollution, and noise, their overall quality of living is improved significantly – all because of the construction and craftsmanship of their home! Congratulations to Chaffey Homes on this accomplishment!