Tracy Krueger | RE/MAX All City
February 2010

Newsletter for December 2009

February 18, 2010 by tkrueger · Leave a Comment 

Happy Holidays!
December, 2009

 

It’s hard to believe another year has come and almost gone!  Real estate has been volatile, interesting, scary, exciting….some of those words come to mind when I think back on this year in real estate!  Lots of change in the market; interest rates have stayed at record lows, the first time homebuyer credit and it’s extension along with the the new “move-up” credit incentive, plus lots of inventory on the market are spurring home sales and we are definitely still in a buyer’s market.  The rate watch indicates rates will start inching up and putting a little pressure there as we end this year and move into 2010 - if you have questions or just want to talk real estate, give me a call!
 
On a personal note…our family has made some changes too…Owen started a new job with a great company (Washington Air Reps, Inc.) this past May.  I made a move from a Seattle RE/MAX office to my local RE/MAX office….so I’m now literally about 5 minutes from my office!  I work with a fabulous group of agents in a great new office space so am loving my commute and my “new home” there.
 
On the Krueger home front, we have finally located that illusive leak in our pool and it has been repaired so we can plan our next summer BBQ – watch for more details on that to come!  Our single-pane (or should I say “pained”) windows are soon to be replaced with new double-paned — we’ve waited more than 5 years for them, so we’re pretty excited!  For those of you who have worked with me, you know good windows are a big deal to me ;)   Our precious yellow lab, Sierra, is still hobbling around with us and occasionally still bounces around if offered the right treats!
 
Our son Billy bought his first home this summer and shares it with his beautiful girlfriend, Cris, and their two pups, “Tater-Tot” and “JoJo”.  Our daughters, Kyle and Kelsy, are both happy, healthy and living with the wonderful men in their lives, Matt & Mike; Kyle and Matt are much too far away in San Diego (and Christmasing in Florida…so sad for them!); Kelsy and Mike are close by and Kelsy has adorned our home once again with her beautiful homemade wreath (I’m spoiled…she does this every year :)   Owen and I will be able to spend Christmas with four of the six of the “kids”, so we feel very blessed!  Together, the kids have made us happy “ani-grannies” (that’s animal grandma & grandpa ;) collectively with their 2 cats, 4 dogs, 2 rabbits, (I think that’s it…) so lots of furry four legged love to go around!
 
As we end this year, my hope for you and your families is that you are together, happy, healthy and looking forward to being surrounded by lots of love and laughter during this Holiday Season!
 
Blessings to you and yours…..and to all….a good night ;)
 
~Tracy 

Newsletter for November 2009

February 18, 2010 by tkrueger · Leave a Comment 

Happy Thanksgiving!
November, 2009

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is here again! As we approach Thanksgiving Day, I started thinking about the many things there are to be thankful for.  For me, these include: my health, my family, my friends, and the many people in my business network.

Showing thanks to the people in our lives isn’t a simple task…so I’ll simply say thank you…for your friendship and support; for your trust and confidence; and for the opportunity to help you, and your friends and family, whenever you have real estate needs to be met.

As a special thank you to everyone who either did business with, or referred business to me in 2009, I am holding a drawing for 2 winners to receive a $100 Gift Certificate to Salish Lodge.  I’ll have a colleague at my office pull the names on Friday, December 11th and and I’ll deliver the certificates to my winners before Christmas.  I’ll post the names of the winners in the January Client Corner of my Newsletter – so be on the lookout!  (It’s not too late to get your name put into the hat! Just let me know if someone you know needs my help :)

 
Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!
 
~Tracy 




 

Here’s a fun idea for you and the kids this year for Thanksgiving:
  
If you need a snack to tide the kids over until the big Thanksgiving feast – try this healthy option they can have fun making themselves.
 
Ingredients: 
Apple
Clementine or navel orange
Pear
Dried apricot
Peanut butter or cream cheese
Mini chocolate chips
Nut (we used a cashew)
Dried cranberry
 
Instructions: 
Arrange apple and clementine or navel orange slices on a plate as shown, and lay a cored pear half on top.
 
Use scissors to halve a dried apricot, then snip small triangles from each half and tuck them under the pear to form the feet.
 
Finally, use peanut butter or softened cream cheese to attach mini chocolate chip eyes, a nut beak, and a dried cranberry “snood”.
 
Gobble….Gobble!
 
~Tracy


 
It’s A “Gobble” Me Up Snack!




Newsletter for February 2010

February 18, 2010 by tkrueger · Leave a Comment 

February 2010

Happy Valentines Day,
 
This is a sweet time of year to consider buying or selling a home. Some things to consider:
  • Rates are historically low, however, they are edging up ever so slightly so timing is great for buyers!
  • Buyers are in a great position to take advantage of the $8,000 First Time Homebuyer’s Credit.
  • Some move-up buyers/sellers may be able to take advantage of the expanded $6,500 Credit available to them through April, 2010 as well (Contact me and I can let you know if you qualify).   

Real Estate Update  
Tracy Krueger December Home Statistics (in King Co)

 
  • # of new listings Dec 2009 = 1,456
  • # of new listings Dec 2008 = 1,456


  • # of closed sales Dec 2009 = 1,462
  • # of closed sales Dec 2008 = 929
    Good News: Low prices and high demand, result in the higher number of closed sales. We assume the First Time Homebuyer Credit is making a huge difference here!
  • Average Sale Price in Dec 2009 = $380,000
  • Average Sale Price in Dec 2008 = $403,500
    The average sale price is down by $23,500/-5.82%. Good News: The national median home price for single-family homes was $177,500 in Dec 2009.
 
 
Are you looking for more home stats? Contact me and I am happy to provide you with more specifics on your area.


Recipe Corner   
Oat Pancakes Oat Pancakes 

Ingredients

 

- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp caster sugar
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
 
Directions  


  1. Sift flours together into a large bowl. Stir in oats and sugar. Make a well in the center. 
  2. In a jug, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Gradually pour into well, blending to a smooth batter. Cover and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
  3. Spray a non-stick frying pan with olive oil and heat on medium. 
  4. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter into pan for each pancake. Cook, in 6 batches, for 1-2 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and begin to break. Turn over and cook the other side for 1 minute until golden.
  5. Serve pancakes with bacon and rasberries, drizzled with maple syrup.


 



 

Happy Valentine's DayValentine’s Day is a very special day for Owen and I… it is our wedding anniversary!  I thought it would be fun to share with you the history of Saint Valentine’s Day ~

Saint Valentine’s Day (commonly shortened to Valentine’s Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Sincerely,
 
Tracy Krueger
SeattleHomeComfort.com

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Tracy Krueger | RE/MAX All City