ELWC Sold
Fifteen days from list to close.
My real estate agent Jim Pettigrew was outstanding. He arranged the repairs, painting, cleaning, staging, photography, and coordinated the bid review process so that I had every possible advantage that a seller can have.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Rewind.
When I moved away from Seattle in 2013, the real estate market was improving, but still hadn't recovered to it's pre-recession values. Zillow valued my condo (purchased in 2006 for $185k) for around $170k. So, I'd have needed to take out a sizable personal loan for the privilege of no longer owning a condo. Not wise. Instead, I hired a rental management company and let someone else pay the mortgage for five years. It sounds more malicious than it really was... I kept the rent low (by Seattle standards), so it was just enough to break even on the mortgage, HOA dues, property taxes, and management fee. My taxes got more complicated, but otherwise, it was money for nothing.
Now with the market in full rebound mode, it looked like a good time to stop the business of being a cross-country landlord. I gave notice to my tenant in November, and he moved out at the end of January. (I didn't want to kick him out on New Year's Eve... that's just mean.) Then we started to evaluate the damage. I was dismayed to learn that his cat had used my closet as a litter box and marking ground... so I had to have flooring and drywall replaced to get rid of the stench. I had to get the drywall and trim behind the toilet ripped out and replaced. I shudder to think how the behind-the-toilet wall got so nasty.
Jim's crew painted every square inch of the place. Replaced light switches and smoke detecters. Polished the floor to hide scratches. Cleaned, and cleaned again. Oxygen filters freshened the air, and the place miraculously turned shiny new again.
Listing Photos
A simple and straight-forward plan, we the listing the condo for $240k on Thursday March 15th. I had ordered the condo disclosure documents in advance, so they were available for potential buyers to review before making an offer. Open house on both Saturday and Sunday. Offers due by noon on Wednesday, March 21st. I'm not used to a real estate market this hot, so I nervously awaited to see if I got any bites.
Well, that was energy wasted on worry. Not just bites... it was a feeding frenzy. Jim and I culled through dozens of offers that night, and carefully selected one that would give us the best chance of a quick successful sale. We chose (well, I did the choosing, but he was happy about it) an all-cash offer with no contingencies... no appraisal, no inspection, no HOA review period... nada. At $45k over asking, and with just 15 days to close. Sight-unseen.
They are a couple from 6 hrs down the Oregon coast who had been looking a long time in this competitive market. I later learned that their realtor is a family member who had seen the condo prior to putting the offer in. They did drive up on Thursday to see it in person, and I think it's safe to say they were not disappointed. (I think WA has a 24-hr "cooling-off" period, so they could have walked away and forfeited their earnest deposit.) They wanted a place to stay when they drive north to visit their Seattle-based children.
In the end, we closed a week early... on March 23rd. It's amazing what you can make happen when you don't need a bank involved. My amazement continues... listed to closed in just 15 days.
Apps
For all of you who've polled me on my favorite apps for iOS devices, here ya go.
Air Table
Design your own data tables, including a variety of data data types, images, and lookups to other tables. For example, check out my Garden base.
AllTrails
Many layers of trail maps, plan routes, and track trails.
Any.Do
Tasks grouped as we think: today, tomorrow, upcoming, and someday.
Aurora Forecast
Tools for determining when and where to see the Northern Lights.
Credit Karma
Monitor your credit and learn what factors are impacting your score.
DayOne
Simple, elegant journal app lets you capture photos, locations, tags, weather, and more. Sync between iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Integrated with FourSquare, Facebook, and Twitter.
Duolingo
Interactive language learning.
MyFitnessPal
Track calories and exercise with thousands of foods in the database, and integration with fitness trackers.
MyMeasures
Annotate photos with dimensions, and save for when you find yourself in the home decor aisle.
MyTrips
Plot waypoints and find the optimal route for your journey.
Next Episode
Whether you're binge watching or waiting from week to week, this app will keep track of watched episodes for your favorite shows and let you know when to be on the lookout for new content.
Office Lens
Create scan-quality pictures of documents, business cards, whiteboards, etc. Trim, de-skew, enhance, and make images readable before exporting to Word or PowerPoint.
Paprika
Recipe manager with web importing, grocery lists and meal planning.
Plates
The quickest, easiest way to split the check at a restaurant. Add items and drag them right on to people's plates, and watch the totals update in real time.
Ring Neighbors
Regardless of if you gear up your home with Ring doorbells, alarms, and cameras, this app creates a virtual neighborhood watch. With real-time crime and safety alerts from your neighbors, law enforcement and the Ring team, the Neighbors App proactively keeps you in the know.
SkyGuide
Point your phone skyward to identify constellations, planets, and other night sky objects. Use auto mode to view the sky at your time and location, or find the view at another place and time.
Soulver
A notepad calculator allows you to write formulas alongside descriptive text.
StoCard
Scan bar codes and snap images (front and back) of all the loyalty and membership cards you no longer want to pack into your wallet. Send to Wallet app, when available.
Sygic Travel
Plan your itinerary with a dynamic guidebook and navigator.
TripList
Pack for upcoming travel and events, base selections on a customizable catalog of items and tasks.
Vivino
Snap a picture of the label and let the app identify and log the wine. Share ratings with friends, and track purchases in your cellar.
Waze
Traffic and navigation with crowd-sourced real-time traffic & road info allow you to save time, gas money, and improve daily commuting for all.
