Friday, December 3, 2010

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Coeur d' Alene Place introduces new gated maintenance-free neighborhood



Give Kevin a call today at 818.4050 for available floor plans, pricing, and neighborhood information.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Foreclosure Freeze 101: Why banks are halting foreclosures and what impact it will have

Erroneous documents. A freeze on foreclosures. Charges of fraud.

A flurry of developments have sketched an alarming scenario: that major U.S. banks rammed through foreclosure after foreclosure without giving many borrowers a fair shot at keeping their homes.

Questions have arisen about the scope of the problem, the effect on the nation's foreclosure epidemic and the likelihood that some people could regain their foreclosed homes.

Here's what you need to know about the unfolding foreclosure mess:

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Greenstone Homes in Builder Magazine


Cozy Cottages

Empty nesters have especially loved the master-down cottage plans in the Rocky Hill community (one even features two master suites on the ground floor), and the fact that yard work, mowing, and snow removal are handled by the HOA.

“We have been seeing a combination of young professionals and move-down buyers as the demographic,” says Jayson Hunnel, sales and marketing director for Greenstone. “We just did eight of these in a block at our Ponderosa Ridge community and they were all purchased by empty nesters and sold before the first building was framed.”

Project: Rocky Hill
Location: Liberty Lake, Wash.
Builder: Greenstone Homes

Friday, August 20, 2010

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Pricing to sell in today's market

Putting yourself in the right mindset to sell is essential. It's the most difficult aspect of selling for most sellers. Your home is worth what a buyer is willing to pay, which may not be what you think it is worth.

Detaching yourself emotionally from your home is difficult. Clearing out years of clutter, depersonalizing your home by removing personal memorabilia, and staging your home for sale can help you step back and view the home as a commodity that needs to be sold rather than as your personal sanctuary.

Putting your home on the market at a price that reflects what you want and not what the market will bear can cost you time and money as it sits on the market unsold.

The home-sale market is a localized phenomenon. The only way to get a clear picture of what your home is likely to sell for is to find out which listings are selling in your neighborhood and for how much.

The most recent sales -- those that closed within the last three months -- will be the most informative. Be sure to take a hard look at the list prices of homes that are new on the market.

If the list prices are lower than they were two or three months ago, this indicates that prices are declining. This needs to be taken into account when you select a list price.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Pay close attention to your competition. Don't fall into the trap of pricing your home higher than your neighbor's home because yours is better. If your neighbor's price is too high for the market, neither of your homes will sell.

Ask your listing agent to call the listing agents of properties similar to yours to find out what kind of showing activity they are receiving. Have they had offers? If so, why weren't they accepted? Was the price too low? If so, you should set your sights lower.

Some listing agents recommend that you list considerably under market value in order to stimulate multiple offers. In some cases, this can be an effective strategy.

For example, in the low-end foreclosure market, this was common practice at the end of last year. Some listings priced way below market value received more than a dozen offers.

However, it can be risky to price significantly lower than market value on a more expensive property for which the demand is lower. You could end up with more than one offer, but you could also receive under-market price offers.

Your home needs to be perceived as a good value to a buyer to sell in this market. However, you could shortchange yourself by discounting the price too much.

Your home is most marketable when it is new on the market. Buyers wait anxiously for the new crop of listings. Listings that don't sell relatively quickly often languish on the market.

Price reductions often follow as the sellers try to find market value. A listing that has been on the market for months is likely to receive a low offer -- if a buyer makes any offer.

A listing that receives a lot of showing activity when it first hits the market but gets no offers is probably overpriced for the market. In this case, it's best to lower the price to market value as soon as possible while the listing is still fresh in agents' and buyers' minds, even if this is within two to four weeks of the listing date.

THE CLOSING: Listings in neighborhoods where sales activity is slim require a longer marketing period. Even so, pricing right for the market is imperative.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Silver lining in the Dow's drop: record low mortgage rates

The Dow average is down 438 points over two days as investors move from stocks to Treasuries. That's pushing mortgage rates to 50-year lows!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE!

Unbelievable, cutting edge technology provides you the best search tool in the real estate industry. Search Interactive Map with road, aerial, 3D, bird's eye views of all listings in North Idaho!

Also, from any mobile device search http://www.KevinCranston.com for information and photos on all North Idaho Real Estate Listings! Simply type in address of listing and click Go or click property search, region, property type, etc. for all listings meeting your criteria.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Factors That Make Greenstone Different








Building Quality
We have a commitment to building quality into our homes and communities in terms of design, materials and workmanship. We build each new home to last for 100 years or more and contribute our best effort in design, energy efficiency, healthy living, and environmental sustainability.

Trees
We have a commitment to tree planting on every street in every community that we develop. No single factor contributes to the value of a community more than street trees.

Neighborhood Parks and Open Space
Parks and open space within walking distance of homes are crucial for livable neighborhoods. Our commitment is to provide a park or open space within walking access (1/4 mile) from every home that we build.

Walkable Communities
At Greenstone we strive to create mixed use developments linked together by dedicated pedestrian trail systems. Mixed use communities that accommodate employment, services and transit access within waking distance of homes are an essential element of sustainable development.

Neighborhood Schools
Greenstone is committed to neighborhood schools within our communities. Walking access to schools adds to the vitality and livability of a community and the sense of social connection.

Economic Diversity
Greenstone is committed to a wide range of home prices and products within our communities. This promotes an economically and socially diverse community.

Sense of Community
Greenstone works hard to foster a sense of community in each project by sponsoring neighborhood events and activities. This includes support for outdoor cinema, concerts, community block parties and farmers markets.

Greenstone Foundation
The Greenstone Foundation was established as a way for our organization to give back to the communities we serve. “Our mission is to serve the community we work in by supporting educational programs, health and nutrition programs and affordable housing.”