Welcome To The 500 Realty Blog!

500 Realty has entered into an agreement with Clearwire to appear together at the Seattle Home Show Feb 16-24.  Mention any of our blogs and receive a FREE T Shirt!  We will be located on the Main Arena Floor with many Agents and Mtg reps to answer ALL of your real estate questions.  We look forward to bringing our message to Seattle!  Questions please call us 888 500 RLTY.    

We are pleased to announce that our Dec 8, 2007 hiring of New Agents resulted in the addition of 5 New Agents and 4 currently in school.   We welcome each of you to 500 Realty.  Please look for all our Agents on the About Us page of our website.

All new Agents will be professionally trained to our model of 500 Realty.   They will be held to the highest possible standards of Professional Real Estate conduct and courtesy.   Our team continues to grow rapidly due to the need to service our increasing data base of customers. 

We at 500 Realty are very excited to enter 2008 and be able to service each and every customer with the best in service and professionalism.  In addition providing the client with the BEST DEAL IN THE NATION!  

Another great story about $500 Realty!  Ray Pepper and $500 Realty were nominated and selected to receive the Humanitarian Award given out by Dr. Sawraj Singh, M.D., a vascular surgeon in Ellensburg.  Dr. Singh is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. 

Some quick facts about the award: 

It is presented on Humanity Day and is awarded to those who give service to man-kind in the spirit of a Great Humanitarian. Dr. Singh has been handing out the awards for a decade and it is a celebration of the Birth Day of the Sikh Religion Founder and Teacher Guru Nanak. More about Guru Nanak can be found at: http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/gurus/nanak1.html .     The Washington State Network for Human Rights understands and acknowledges that we are in a difficult time now for many involved in real estate and they believe the $500 Realty business model is helping many prospective home buyers, who were unable to purchase before, now realize the dream of home ownership.  $500 Realty returns thousands of dollars back to the home buyer on each and every transaction.  This has now been recognized by the Human Rights Council and they believe the efforts of $500 Realty, built for the consumer, is in the spirit of Guru Nanak.  Ray Pepper will be accepting this award on behalf of $500 Realty on Sunday November 25, 2007.  Last year, over 300 people attended the ceremony and both the Seattle Times and KIRO covered this story. 

Location & Time: Gurudwara Sacha Marag, 12431 SE 286th Pl., Kent, WA. November 25, 12:00 PM (Noon).  Phone number for Gurudwara is (253) 638-1000.  (Please note that Gurudwara Sacha Marag is not affiliated with the Washington State Network for Human Rights.  These are two different and independent organizations.)

Ray Pepper, Broker/Owner of $500 Realty can be reached at the following:
Email: Ray@500Realty.net 

URL: www.500Realty.net 

Office: (253) 301 3074 & (253) 752 0443
Toll Free: (888) 500 RLTY
Fax: 253-301-2151 

It is truly amazing that after only a few months since starting $500 Realty that we are receiving an award like this.  $500 Realty is truly about helping the consumer (home buyers and home sellers) in both a challenging market and a strong market.   

This award, expected to be the first of many, reinforces what many of us already believe – it’s time for a change and $500 Realty is ready to lead the way! 

Please contact us with any questions about this award or anything else we are doing at $500 Realty.

Whew $500 Realty has just completed both the Puyallup Fair and the Tacoma Home Show.  We are taking a few months off to continue the hiring and training of new Agents.  We encourage all Agents interested in working for an Industry Leader to contact our office 888 500 RLTY to schedule an appointment.  $500 Realty is very excited about New Partnerships we are forming weekly and the applause we hear daily from the public.  We Thank You All.

By January 1,  2008 we expect to have triple the amount of agents to serve our beautiful state of Washington.  Our ads on CNBC and MSNBC will continue through the holidays and 2008.  If you have NOT seen our commercial please review the bottom right corner of the Home Page and click on link.

 2008 will be very exciting for us so continue to check our website for up-to-date announcements. 

    

$500 Realty is at it again! You can find us at the Tacoma Fall Home and Garden Show in mid-October. We’d love to talk with you and explain how we can save you THOUSANDS of dollars working with us. And…tell them you read about us on our blog and get a FREE T-SHIRT!

Find out more at: http://www.oloughlintradeshows.com/TFHS/tfhs.htm

People always ask, are you a discount broker? Full service broker? Something in between?  The answer is YES, YES, and YES!  We offer discount fees, we always always give our customers excellent service, and we will do whatever is needed to help you buy or sell your home. 

 An example…we are working with clients in the $600,000 to $700,000 price range (buyers) and they are going to earn $13K to $15K!!!  That’s not a typo!  When the commission on a $600,000 home is 3%, then $500 Realty gets $18,000.  We give you back 75% of that!  In this case, the buyers are going to get just over $13,000 towards their closing costs!

 There’s no catch!  It’s that simple!  Why use anyone else?!

Our mortgage partners (Washington Financial Group, National City Mortgage, Greenlake Mortgage, Tamaela Mortgage) and $500 Realty have been actively working the Puyallup Fair spreading our message to the public each day. To say the least, we have had a huge response. The Puyallup Fair is so much fun! Get a scone, elephant ear, or krusty pup! Please stop by and visit us in the Centennial Building. The fair runs through September 23.

We have also entered into an agreement to attend the Tacoma Home Show coming up in October.

Ray Pepper

Broker

500 Realty would like to announce the merger of Washington Financial Group into our Tacoma office at 8225 South Park.  This will add 6 Mortgage professionals to our booming south end location.  It is our goal to have a mortgage company in each of our upcoming locations in both Renton and Kent as well.  They will be actively in the office beginning Oct 1.

We are asked this question over and over again.  It IS confusing!  Let us try to clear up some of this confusion around buying a home and selling a home and who pays the commission.  First, only licensed real estate agents earn buying or selling commissions (at least in WA State that is). 

 Ok, so how does it work?

Selling Office Commission AKA the commission the agent earns by showing you a few homes is paid for by the SELLER.

Listing Office Commission AKA the commission the agent earns by listing the home on the MLS and this real estate commission is paid for by the SELLER.

If you are a buyer then it does NOT cost you to work with an agent to find you a new home or condo.  If you sign a Buyer’s Agency Agreement then you could be contracted to pay a commission - ASK YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT ABOUT THIS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS!!!

$500 Realty earns the Selling Office Commission and returns 75% of this commission TO THE BUYER on or after closing!

Of course there’s always more details around this but these are the basics.  Contact us or ask your local real estate agent about the buying commission or selling commission.  It can be confusing!

Selling your home can be stressful, but very rewarding.  $500 Realty is here to help!  We will market your home using the most effective Internet marketing strategies as well as use old-fashioned time-tested real estate experience to get your home sold!  A few simple tips:

REMOVE THE CLUTTER!  Take the time to box up things, clean up the garage, and remove anything that makes it hard to walk around your home.

SPRUCE UP YOUR “OUTSIDE”!  Trim bushes, plant flowers, and use touch up paint.  First impressions do matter.

 What have you done to sell your home quickly?

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