As spring finds its way to the PNW in the form of blossoming trees and sunshine, I think back to this time last year. Our family found ourselves in the midst of making a huge life change and taking a leap of faith to sell our home. If you’ve read my previous posts, I have shared a bit about selling with the goal of purchasing land to build our next home. That’s what we are smack dab in the middle of now. But, as I reflect, it got me thinking…Perhaps sharing some of the process we went through in prepping to sell our home would be helpful information as spring arrives and many others also find themselves in the midst of considering making a move when school ends.

I am no professional in this area but I can share from our real-life experience. We haven’t personally purchased in this crazy market either and so it also gives me a chance to team up with my next Female Illuminator, Rachael Wilson - my dear friend and our out-of-this-world-outstanding Realtor - to actually give you real education. While I can share some insight from a seller’s perspective, Rachael is hopping on board with us to help create a guide to planning for your next home in this insane market. Rachael, and her partner Laura Rehberger, who is her Buyers Broker, are the dynamic duo behind RE/MAX Whatcom County. She and her team helped us navigate selling our home and I am eternally impressed and grateful to them. They made the process easy and seamless, in spite of the multiple challenges faced. I know they focus on helping their clients develop a strategy to achieve their dreams. I see them put client relationships and education front and center alongside hard work and quality and it really does set them apart as leaders in the industry.

What I’ve come to know about Rachael is that she pours her heart and soul into everything she does. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen anyone work as hard as her, in any field. I honestly find so much inspiration in the care that she puts into the relationships she builds with her clients and the fact that she’s never afraid to lend a helping hand, in any way, if it ensures an outstanding experience for you. I don’t know how many times I’ve wondered what I can do in my own personal life to be a little more like Rachael. I have seen firsthand that she is never one to take the easy route, but always the route that will be in your best interest. And the route she has taken with our family… well, let’s just say I owe her indefinitely. Seriously. I think at this point, we are winning the award for the longest time ever taken to purchase a piece of land.

I love asking my guests to share the heart behind what they do and Rachael shared this, “I was born into real estate and it is in my blood. Being raised as a contractor's daughter and living the life, moving every 2-3 years growing up, building a home or buying a piece of land every year of my life, this has built a knowledge foundation for real estate that just felt natural to me. I love helping people find a home, identify potential structural or mechanical issues before they get into contract, help them have financial security and educating them about homeownership so they can build a solid foundation to grow with. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of this process for my clients.” She’s pretty much just the best ever.

Somehow, Rachael still finds time to spend being truly present with her sweet family and giving back to her community. If they aren’t on the road for soccer games for her son or daughter, you can find them on the slopes, traveling, enjoying gatherings with their extended family (hopefully soon!) and gardening. I’ve seen her company spearhead multiple projects that support causes they believe in and pour back goodness into our local community. I can proudly say that my relationship with Rachael began as a professional that I truly enjoyed working with and she is now an extremely dear friend. Life’s just beautiful that way.

In my observation, the market is absolutely crazy. Home prices are sky rocketing and the competition to purchase a home is mad. It is a seller’s market, that’s for sure, but in order to get top dollar for your home, so that you can, in fact, actually purchase something else, a solid game plan is imperative.

Rachael’s professional insight on the current market trends are this, “ We currently have a less than one month supply of inventory in Whatcom County and at this rate National Association of Realtors data shows that nationally it will take over 100 months for the market to change directions. If you are standing on the sidelines and thinking that this can’t continue to go this direction, all signs point to appreciation in the housing market and no real solution to the crisis. Our area in particular doesn’t have enough new construction to help ease the shortage and with the desirability of our location to so many outsiders, the influx is only adding to the shortage. It has never been more important to align yourself with a professional who has a good pulse on the market. If you want to buy or sell hold on tight, it is a bumpy road right now.”

So, if you are on the hunt for your first or next home, buckle up and take notes! They just might come in handy!

Our Experience Selling Our Home

Rewind back to a year ago…COVID reared it’s ugly head and through all of the unsure details of life, the real estate market didn’t waiver. As we pondered the idea of listing our home, we knew that having a trusted professional by our side was the first step. Just as I’ve spent the past decade guiding couples through planning a successful wedding, We knew we needed someone at the help to guide us through this. (I’ve actually found quite a few parallels in wedding planning and real estate!) It was then that a good friend of mine introduced us to Rachael. It was the best recommendation we could have ever received.

We spent our first meeting with Rachael explaining our goals and vision for our future and she helped us come up with a solid plan. She offered genuine, honest insight and literally put together a list of steps to take prior to listing. Bless her!

We used Zoom (These were the early days of COVID and in person meetings weren’t allowed.) to familiarize Rachael with our house. She used this information to present us with comparable homes near by and to give us an estimate of what she thought we could sell for. This estimate was full of strategy, in depth knowledge of the local market and real estate trends. Sometimes it is really hard to hear a professional put a dollar amount on your home, because it is such a personal thing. We trusted Rachael’s knowledge and though the number was perhaps a little lower than we hoped to start, it turns out, she sure as heck knew what she was doing.

Our next meeting was to do a thorough, in-person/masked/socially distant, walkthrough of the house with Rachael to talk about things that needed attention to ensure it would sell quickly, without any inspection issues and for top dollar. Even-though the market favors sellers right now, it is still crucial to make a plan to ensure you get the most out of your house possible, because you will quickly be in the buyers seat on your next home and want to have as much leverage (in the form of profit from the sale of your home) to help you make a strong offer. After our walk through, she followed up with a list of to-do’s in order of importance from imperative to optional. She also provided recommendations for any professionals we needed. It is so helpful to have an agent who is incredibly plugged into the community and can give you a name for literally anything you need.

We spent a couple of months tackling our list and finally were ready for photo day. I know that having good photos and staging things well is crucial. Buyers are often not visual people and sometimes can’t see the potential in a home full of stuff. So, we cleared alllll of the clutter. How I wish my home still looked that clean! Rachael has a professional photographer who she works with and also does a virtual tour of the house. I would recommend you request this of anyone you work with.

After all of the planning, hard work and packing was done, our listing went live and our house sold in three days with multiple offers and for $30k over asking. All this to say, it was a whirlwind that I’m so glad we had a fabulous Realtor guiding us through. If you are looking at selling, my biggest advice is to find an agent you trust and that knows the local market well and to come up with a solid game plan. If they aren’t willing to help create this with you, they likely aren’t a good fit. I truly credit the success and ease (on our end) of our home sale to Rachael’s guidance, expertise, hard work and plan mapping.

Navigating The Buying Process

Just as Rachael mapped out a successful game plan through the selling process for our family, she is so gracious to help our Haven Illume community understand the buying process in the midst of this crazy market.

[From Rachael] I want to help buyer's position themselves to buy a first home or transition to their next home. whether this is downsizing or up sizing for growth. Our current market is so challenging right now and I think there are a number of people who want to make this happen but don't know where to start.

So, let’s dig in…

1, Set up a consultation with a trusted broker to develop a strategy and identify all of the possibilities and tools available to make it happen.

Above all, you’ve got to know you are in good hands. This is one of the biggest decisions and investments of your life and having the right person guide you is so important. Sitting down together to discuss your vision, how the market looks, the possibilities specific to your desires/budget and more are the first step. A seasoned Broker will have the knowledge and tools to bring it all together and map out a plan.

2. Next, Account for your funds and determine how you will pay for the home.

If you are working with a bank for this, you will want to align yourself with a lender who has a strong reputation of getting the job done successfully and smoothly. Sometimes people will choose to borrow funds from their retirement for the down payment. If you choose to do this, you need to know what that looks like. If you are obtaining a loan you will want to work with a bank that can fully underwrite. This gives you a better shot at competing with cash buyers and quick closing timeframes, which is imperative right now. Your broker should formulate your personalized plan by asking questions such as: Do you need to sell a home before you can buy? Can we give you options without selling first?

3. Identify the ideal property you are looking for.

Make a list of “must-haves” and a list of things that would be “nice to have” in your next home. Make a note on the places you are willing to compromise. Are you willing to commute a little farther in order to have a large yard? Would you rather compromise on the size of your home to be closer to work? Maybe get rid of a kid in order to snag that charming craftsman that is one bedroom too small? (Totally kidding! For the record…Rachael did not write that!) What options or areas/neighborhoods might you see homes that meet these needs? Your Broker will guide you through this process and introduce you to homes, in true matchmaker fashion, that are a good fit!

Like Rachael mentioned, she loves to use her knowledge to help buyers identify potential mechanical or structural issues prior to being under contract. It is so worthwhile to have a trained eye guide you through a house you are viewing in order to bring up anything you may not know to look for.

4. Be ready to move quickly!

There’s no time to waste in this market. A knowledgeable Broker will have a number of ways to help set your offer apart from others, giving you the best shot at a successful purchase. Sometimes being proactive and doing things like a pre-inspection can be helpful. They will also be timely and diligent at getting all forms completed and information sent back to the seller promptly to ensure nothing falls through the cracks and that the sale goes through smoothly.

I am so grateful to Rachael for taking time to lay out the foundational building blocks to home buying success for our community. It is certainly a daunting process and understanding where to start is extremely helpful. I am eternally grateful to Rachael and her team for their hard work, diligence, patience and knowledge she has given our family in guiding us through the selling process and now the process of buying land and building. Purchasing land and building is a whole different box of rocks and has proven to be a very steep learning curve and one requiring the utmost patience. Nevertheless, Rachael knows exactly what to do and I’m so happy to be in such caring hands.

I hope this was helpful to those of you who are contemplating the next steps in your home ownership experience! If you have any questions, Rachael is happy to answer them so feel free to reach out! Wishing you all the best Haven Fam!

Connect with Rachael:

Website: https://www.rachaelwilson.com/

Social: @rachaellwilson

Email: rachael@rachaelwilson.com