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Hello, we are Mark and B.J. Mors, and we are proud to be a part of the
Spokane Real Estate market. Mark was born and raised on the South Hill, and B.J. became a Spokanite when we married and graduated from Eastern Washington University. In our 39 years of marriage, we have primarily lived in Spokane and the Tri-Cities area, and permanently returned to the Spokane area in 1997. Currently we own a home in Greenacres.
We both love the outdoors, and, when possible, enjoy camping at one of the many beautiful areas of the Northwest. A favorite is Beverly Beach State Park on the Oregon Coast. In fact, this love of camping led us both to begin our professional sales careers in the Recreational Vehicle industry. During our years in the RV industry, we were fortunate to have worked with the 3 largest dealerships in Washington where we received exceptional sales training and experience, and learned that success comes from taking exceptional care of each and every client.
In addition to our mutual love of camping, Marks interests include golfing and computers. B.J. is more into gardening, sewing and needlework; in fact, she hand made all of the formal dresses for our two lovely daughters as they went through school. We are both very proud of our 3 young Grandsons, Logan, Natanial and Riley, and our newest arrival, Granddaughter Melissa, born September 1st of 2005.
Our Real Estate Business has evolved from a true enjoyment of helping clients fulfill their dreams, coupled with a love of homes. In over 43 years of combined selling experience, we have each become skilled at determining clients true wants and desires, identifying properties that fit these wants and desires, and professionally negotiating the purchase transaction. With over $47 million in combined sales, a true measure of our success is the high number of purchasers who have bought 2, 3 or even 4 times from us. Please note what our clients have to say about us.
For Property Sellers, which is approximately 50% of our business, we are true Marketing Professionals, providing quality guidance and support, greater internet presence, and higher quality professional materials to facilitate a timely sale at maximum return. Our historic average market time for sales is approximately 1/2 the average shown in the local MLS.
It is this professionalism, knowledge, and care which we both personally offer to you. Whatever your needs, our company, and especially each of us, will go to great lengths to make sure you are completely satisfied. Please call on us for all of your Real Estate needs, whether you want to sell or purchase, or both. We are just a phone call or e-mail away from you fulfilling another of your dreams.
""Our sale was a small one, but Mark & BJ spent more time and energy than a large sale to get the job done. We were impressed with the speed of the sale and their know how.""
Bob and Pat, Property Sellers Wed Apr 23
""Mark & BJ gave excellent service and were attentive to all my requests and inquiries. I was very satisfied.""
Lois M., Home Seller and Buyer Wed Apr 23
""They were always available, and willing to answer any and all questions. They do a Great job!.""
Scott and Sheila B, Homes Sellers and Buyers Wed Apr 23
""Mark & BJ were professional, pleasant and willing to help with extra services. Thanks for going the extra mile in dealing with a 'long distance' seller""
Marilyn, Home Seller Wed Apr 23
""BJ and Mark were great agents to work with. From the first conversation with them we could tell they would seek to find not necessarily the most expensive home but the one that was right for us. We felt confident with their professionalism, personal attention and attention to detail. They were more than available and kept us well updated every step of the way, returning phone calls and emails promptly. You can't go wrong with BJ and Mark representing you,""
Jim and Debbie S., Home Buyers Wed Apr 23
""Mark and BJ Mors were exceptional agents for us when we bought our new Inverness home. They gave us personal attention and went out of their way to make sure we were satisfied. They are people we trust wholeheartedly. We were confident in their knowledge and they gave us sound advice, as well. ""
Jim and helen S., Home Buyers Wed Apr 23
""BJ and Mark were phenomenal agents to have represent our home when we were selling in the Spokane area. From the intial time we sat down with them right through the final closing procedures, we felt confident with their professionalism, reassurance, and technical savy that we were receiving the personal attention to feel well represented and appreciated in this process. They were more than available and kept us well updated on every step of the way. You can't go wrong with BJ and Mark representing you. Their experiences alone put them a mark above the rest! You will learn of their personal touch and rest assured that you are their number one priority!""
Bill and Kelly S, Home Sellers Wed Apr 23
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Trulia Voices!
If you own your home in the development, you would be best off if the builder does not lower his prices, as it will tend to negatively affect your home's value. Builders are often willing to wait out a slower market, as their margins are much lower than most people think. Spokane's new home inventory below $250,000 is starting to run low, with fewer new starts over the last year, so we should see sales, at least in that catagory, start to pick up in the near future. If you are in a higher $ development, it looks like it will be a soft market for a fair while, yet. - Sat Jul 26 2008, 15:40
I believe we do have more condo's in Spokane then we need right now; but that will change. I represented a buyer for a downtown condo for $205,000 last summer. They originally wanted to buy a different one after they did their own research. I gave them the facts about that location and development not being a very good idea and then I researched the available ones and they paid less for the one I found them and are extremely happy. I just sold a condo in the valley for $63,000 that my seller bought 7 years ago for $32,500. The buyer is going to use it for a rental and will have a great cap rate (return on investment). So, yes, it is a good time to buy anything in Spokane with our average home price representing less then 25% of the medium household income. - Tue May 6 2008, 16:35
I would refer you to USA TODAY April 22, 2008 for information on our market. Sales are down from last year to a healthy level of several years ago--we had two years that had high sales volume and now are back to normal. Also visit Forbs.com The reason we are in these publications is because we ARE one of the best places to live with jobs and affordable housng. - Tue May 6 2008, 16:21
A quick response to Cindy Vedder, sorry Cindy I am partly wrong, however the client is asking for Market Time and Pricing History on specific homes, which is not available through any site as our MLS does not publish that data publicly. That info is also not available in the auto e-mail formats that Chris mentioned. - Thu May 1 2008, 18:10
Yes we would. And those questions are how we learn what is most important to you and your family!
Please note that with a lot of your questions have come many "answers" from people not in this market. i.e. answers below giving you dataquick and ziprealty. If they had been familiar with our market, they would have known that neither has any information on the Spokane market. Get an agent, get the facts, and let us find that house that will be "HOME". Mark - Thu May 1 2008, 16:24
Tobias, I wish there was, but even if it existed it would not give an accurate count for you. Unfortunately many agents tend to continually re-list property every month or two, which keeps their “statistics” looking “better than the market average”. The only way to get the true numbers is for your agent to do a history search, which is not available, as far as I know, to the public. Actually, with your obvious interest in Spokane, and the fact you are coming this way, I suggest it is now the best time to get someone working for you, and learning what it is going to take to make your relocation a successful one. That is what we are here for, and a good agent helps you evaluate properties, their desirability, their value, and especially their suitability to your needs and desires. The bottom line is not how long it has been listed, nor what previous prices were, it is what the property is worth comparably in the market today, and does it fit what you want and need. Market time may stigmatize a property, but it really isn’t even “on the market” until it is priced competitively. Statistics may well be your enemy in buying a home. They confuse and mislead as much as they inform. Trying to evaluate a market, and individual homes, from afar, without the specific aid of an advocate on the other end, is, as you are finding, a futile effort. I suggest putting your efforts toward evaluating the professionals at that destination, as to who will best help you. Contact Mover’s Advantage at USAA and ask their advice, assuming you are a member.
Mark Mors, Coldwell Banker NW Group, Spokane - Thu May 1 2008, 14:54
A title company may charge as much as an attorney--at least in my state of Washington. The point is you need the cooperation of the person you are removing. If he is fully cooperative, a quit claim deed would suffice where he quit claims his interest to you and the others on the deed--it would be best to record this document. If he is not cooperative, you may have a really big problem that needs to be settled by the divorice decree. - Thu May 1 2008, 12:24
You need the advice of an attorney. In most states, the person needs to remove themselves through a quit claim and that would be part of the divorice agreement. - Thu May 1 2008, 12:09
Tobias, you are correct that we have been affected by record winter weather, it snowed again last week (briefly), and temps have been below average. Talk about “cabin fever”! As the summer approaches (we may bypass Spring this year) our buyers will probably hit us ‘en-mass”. Our slow start to this year appears to be mostly a short term hiccup. Yes we are also affected by the “national” news media, but the forces we previously mentioned (population growth, job growth, vacancy rates, new housing starts…) will shortly put a crunch on what is currently an inventory glut. It has happened before, like in 2002/2003 as we mentioned earlier. Last year, the MLS reported 1,574 sales over $300K, up from 1498 in 2006 and 1164 in 2005. Using an average of these numbers, our current inventory of about 1420 is more like a 12 month supply. Even if the values stall at current levels, or even go down some over the short term, the long term advantages of taxes, appreciation, pride of ownership, and etc bodes well for a decision to purchase now. Most experts feel interest rates will begin to rise above the current “buyer friendly” rates, rental rates are also increasing, selection and negotiating power appears to be at, or at least near, its apex, making a decision to purchase now a smarter move. Don’t forget, if you rent, you are just making the mortgage payment for someone else, and he gets the above mentioned benefits. Start building wealth for yourself rather than your landlord. Hope this helps, and we know you will love our wonderful city. - Mon Apr 28 2008, 13:47
I too, have noticed the high inventory in the $300 to 500 price range. We had this scenerio in 2002 and 2003.--when we had a 30 year supply of homes over $300,000; but they were absorbed with very modest price increases during those years and then double digit increases the following years. (No decreases)
I personally sold a home in Feb for $156,00 where the seller paid my buyer's closing costs and the buyer got a 100% loan and he was not the strongest buyer. It was a conventional loan with a modest pmi (mortage insurance) and a good FIXED rate--about 1/4% penalty over a 20% down. I sold a home in Jan 2007 for $535,000 and my buyer had their costs paid for by the seller and got a 100% loan--they had great credit and assets (other homes). This was not one of the designer loans that flooded the market elsewhere in 2005 and 2006. FHA offers loans with 3% down and up to a little over $271,000. And, of course as a former or current military person, you can use your VA benefits and have the seller pay your closing costs, if they are willing, and get in with no money out of pocket. If you stay in the home 3 years, the funding fee versus the FHA mortage insuance is lower.
The stats from April show a 1% increase in prices from last year which saw a 7.5% increase and the experts are still predicting a 4.5% increase by the end of the year. This coupled with low interest rates makes now a great time to buy in Spokane. The last time we had the scenerio of double digit inflation followed by a flat market in 1993 to 1996; rents increased dramatically and we are starting to see that again as last month reported a vacancy rate of 2%. The experts nationally, regionally, and locally expect that by October, we will start to have a shortage of homes for sale in Spokane. We cannot continue to absorb a 1.78% population infux. We are one of the top ten places in the nation for population growth through new jobs and people moving into our area. This happened in the late 80's which caused the price increases of the early 90's and again after 9/11 which contributed to the price increases during 2004-2006. - Mon Apr 28 2008, 11:07
Hi Tobias, an honest answer to your desire to buy a $500K Home for $300K is to purchase in California or Arizona or the few other markets that are currently taking a severe bath, which is the normal and expected result of runaway inflation that those markets have experienced. All that is really happening is that those markets are just adjusting out the unfounded inflation, which was for the most part due to banks making ridiculous loans to investors trying to make ridiculous profits by flipping. As pointed out by the other local agents below, Spokane has always had a more conservative approach, without the major tumble of those markets. In our history the greatest fall in values was less than 2%, even in the early 80’s (the last major national housing collapse). Spokane will hold its own, with little downward adjustment (if any). The major factors including population growth (abt 1.5%/yr), vacancy rates (less than 3%), employment (increasing), new home starts (down abt 50% this year) all means we will recover much quicker than other areas. Our foreclosure rate is currently about the long term average of the nation in normal times. If you are coming our way, buy now before those $300K homes jump up our average 5.3% every year. As you mentioned, there is a great selection right now, and our $300k home probably won’t be worth $200K next year – something that is still possible down there. Oh, and Spokane is a really great place to live. We are simply: Near Nature; Near Perfect. BJ and Mark Mors, Coldwell Banker NW Group - Sun Apr 27 2008, 17:01
Mark and BJ represent sellers and buyers for Residential Real Estate and Land. It is our goal to provide the highest quality of service to our buyers and sellers. With over 140 Real Estate Transactions, our clients have come to understand how well we take care of them.
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Realtors for
Coldwell Banker NW Group
BJ and Mark have been Realtors since 2001 with one of Spokane's premier Brokerages. They are now in the top 10% of agents in the Spokane Market, and are ready to help you fulfill your dreams, desires and needs in purchasing and/or selling.
February 2001—present
Previous:
Sales Professional for
Recreational Industry
BJ and Mark spent over 24 years helping clients fulfill their dreams in the Recreational Vehicle Industry. Continued client loyalty and repeat sales demonstrated their strong knowledge, ethics and professionalism.
January 1950—present
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) (BJ)
Realtor e-Pro (Mark)
Spokane MLS Silver Award 2003, 2004
Spokane MLS Gold Award - 2005, 2007
Coldwell Banker Diamond Society - 2004
(Top 16% of all Coldwell Banker Agents)
Coldwell Banker Sterling Society - 2005
Relocation Specialists
USAA Relocation Certified
CARTUS Relocation Certified
Certified Home Marketing Professional (Mark)
Certified New Home Marketing Specialist (BJ)
Certified Negotiation Specialist (Mark)
Certified e-Marketing Specialist (Mark)