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By Courtney Cooper, June 7, 2010 8:46 pm

Seattle is all about the waterfront properties, waterfront beaches, and waterfront parks. We love our waterfront and we have a lot of it!

We have lakes, creeks, rivers, and the Puget Sound (which by the way is not the ocean as many people think). We are three hours away from the Pacific Ocean if you want a beach property or just an hour or so from the mountains. We have it all here. We really do. Even though our weather has been super sporadic this year and it doesn’t seem like we will ever get a consistent string of sunny days, we have our waterfront! To me, the ultimate in waterfront is to live on a Seattle houseboat – either in Lake Union or Portage Bay.

What could be better than waterfront with no grass to mow? I will tell you! Seattle houseboats on owned docks have lower taxes than traditional land homes and definitely lower than waterfront homes. The dues are low and include moorage for your floating home in most cases.

Here are my picks for Seattle houseboats on the market right now:

2321 Fairview Ave E, Houseboat 3 – An Eastlake houseboat built in 1930 and absolutely charming with beautiful interior spaces, vaulted ceilings, and windows to capture all the light. 2 bedrooms, remodeled slate bathroom with modern fixtures and radiant heated floors, spacious utility room, hardwoods, sleeping loft and moorage for multiple boats! $625,000 (Dues are $307/mo and cover water, sewer, garbage, and taxes on the dock. Taxes on the floating home itself are only $1167 a year.

Compare that to a waterfront property on land with taxes at well over $15,000 a year and up depending on the area and that is a smart decision. Square footage is usually less in a floating home, but the benefits are clear if you can live simply.

2764 Westlake Ave N, Houseboat D – This has to be the best deal on the lake – nestled in Westlake Cove on Lake Union just North of the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat, this 1910 historical Westlake floating home has a lot to offer – large kitchen and living space, office, sleeping loft, bathroom with claw foot tub, and relaxing deck, plus room to go up a level to capture gorgeous lake and city views. Dues are only $300/month and taxes are only $584 a year. $349,990

2764 Westlake Ave N, Houseboat C – According to the owner, it is often mistaken for the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat by tourists because of its similar lines, this particular Westlake floating home has 2 bedrooms, a bathroom which sports a porthole window, and a sauna. It also has one of the largest decks I have seen and a giant storage closet on the exterior. The dues are only $350/ month and the taxes are $1053 a year. You also have the exclusive option of purchasing the adjoining moorage for a boat up to 20 feet.

You can get more info here if you are interested in Seattle houseboats for sale:

Seattle Houseboats Blog

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By Courtney Cooper, May 13, 2010 12:00 pm

The Seattle real estate market has been pretty interesting for the last few years – I guess it is always interesting, but this last year has been a ride! I spent a lot of time – more than usual – previewing Seattle homes over the last few days and although some sellers were gracious about letting me preview their beautiful Seattle homes, I ran into a whole host of third degree questions or showing constraints from listing agents or sellers that didn’t seem so interested in selling their homes….

One Seattle home had in it showing instructions to please give the seller and hour and a half notice. No problem – I made the phone call like a good girl and left a message with the time I wanted to preview. As I read further on, the agent only notes instructed me not to go show unless I got a call back. At appointment time I had not gotten a call back yet so I called the listing agent and asked if I could go take a peek. He told me no and that I needed to wait until she called me back. Guess what. I am still waiting. My buyers will pass on this one most likely since they can’t buy a home they can’t see.

One seller hesitated and said to call his agent. I thought okay – maybe with the strange Matrix software conversion in the MLS their house might be sold, but he could have told me that himself. I went ahead and called his agent as instructed to find out about previewing the home. Instead of telling me whether or not it was available to preview she began to interview me about who my perspective client is and how qualified they are. WOW.

Client info is privileged. My client confides in me and their information is PRIVATE. Your job is to tell me:

1. Is the home available or not?

2. Does the seller want to sell it or not?

Listing agents, it is none of your business who my client is or what their qualifications are. That is MY job. I don’t waste my time with nonqualified buyers or I would not be in business. You should be able to reasonably rely on my abilities and qualifications as a Realtor to screen my client. Maybe instead, you should focus on helping your seller make sure that their home is readily available for a buyer who is ready willing and able to buy their home. This is why sharing listing data (when it works) is so successful and is why we all share information in the NWMLS.

These are just a couple examples. Overall, I think there are two problems clogging up real estate in Seattle this Spring. The lending environment has opened up so I won’t blame lending on this issue. Brokers need to train their agents to make showing easier – greasy wheel and such, and those listing agents need to make sure that the sellers are allowing buyers and buyers agents to show these homes.

If your listing agent is doing some screening with prospective buyers as they try to make appointments to see your home, then you need another listing agent. There are of course rare circumstances – maybe you are Brad Pitt or in one case I represented an NFL star and all their expensive and sentimental football memorabilia was around the house. Those are outstanding cases, but overall your listing agent should not make it more difficult for a buyer’s agent to show your home!

Seller Tips for showing: If you as a seller are going to put your home on the market, then do everything in your power to make sure that every buyer interested in it can see it. You do not want them to go on to the next house and put an offer in that one because you wouldn’t let them see yours…I know putting your home on the market is stressful and difficult. I personally was a crazy woman the last time I had to go through it, but it is just part of the process and will pass eventually. There are some things you can do to make it easier – especially if you have kids or pets (I have both). I am happy to email you a set of tips I wrote up if you think it might help (courtney@cooperjacobs.com), but just hang in there! Your new house will be great and you have to get through this! You want every buyer possible to see your home in the best light!

End RantJ

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By Courtney Cooper, April 24, 2010 7:46 am

Want to learn more about the tax credit and how it is impacting Seattle Suburbs? There were interesting stats over on LakeForestParkView.com about how the tax credit incentive might be affecting pending sales for Lake Forest Park homes for sale. We all expected that the tax credit would impact sales, but as the deadline approaches it is particularly interesting to watch the pending sales jump up.

Seller Tactics on The Tax Credit Getting “Out There” I also have been somewhat flabbergasted by some of the different approaches agents are taking on the tax credit for their listings. There is a tactic going around in the listing remarks where it says “all offers to be reviewed on” x date. And then that date happens to be right before the deadline. To me, this seems stupid because buyers scrambling around last minute to try and get something locked down under contract are going to seriously consider skipping the property and moving on to something they have the opportunity of locking down NOW.

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By Courtney Cooper, April 23, 2010 11:53 am

“How much down payment is needed for a condo in Seattle?”

This was one of the questions I saw typed into Google recently. Your down payment required for buying a house or a condo is extremely dependent on your credit score according to most lenders I speak with. Jon Carpenter is a Seattle Mortgage Broker who works with borrowers closely to figure out what their best option is. He helps borrowers decide if they are going to purchase a home via a FHA loan or a conventional loan.

According to Jon the minimum credit score for purchasing a home or condo right now is 620. There are some nearly impossible loans out there for a 580 credit score, but down payments skyrocket to 45% at that point. FHA officially says that your credit score needs to be a minimum of 580 for their 3.5% down payment program, but unfortunately there are not investors that are willing to take on that credit risk. The result is that a minimum of 620 for a 3.5% FHA loan is more realistic.

For a conventional loan, you can still get a loan requiring as low as 5% down as long as your credit score is a minimum of 720 to 740. Your credit score impacts everything! So, how much down payment is needed for purchasing property? It depends on your credit score!

Other Seattle home buying resources –

Seattle real estate

Seattle mortgages

Seattle neighborhoods

Seattle suburbs

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By Courtney Cooper, April 2, 2010 9:00 am

Looking for Mill Creek Country Club Golf Course homes? How about this one – it is pretty cool and would be perfect for a number of home occupations, too. Artist? Race Car Driver? Dancer? Ballroom Dancing?

You need to see this one – this is the most unique and amazing house in all of Mill Creek and it is right on the Mill Creek Golf Course in the Mill Creek Country Club! Want to see it? courtney@cooperjacobs.com – this is truly the nicest house in all of Mill Creek and definitely the best Mill Creek Golf Course home I have seen in years!  These Mill Creek Country Club homes don’t come up that often, so make sure and check this one out!

Some of the stats on this Mill Creek, WA home: 4 bedrooms/3.25 baths, 3 car garage, 5021 square feet, on over a third of an acre, no expenses spared on a top of the line remodel! Mill Creek Golf Course Homes:  There are not that many homes on the Mill Creek Golf Course and this one is nicely situated with wonderful territorial views!  Take in views of the Mill Creek Golf Course and fountains from multiple view points in this gorgeous home.  From every angle you will be pleasantly surprised! Gorgeous!  Not often do you see a Mill Creek Golf Course home with so much to offer!

Mill Creek Details That Count: The details are phenomenal including a movie theater, and massive secret playroom hidden behind a secret bookcase entry….  You will not be disappointed! Giant playspaces everywhere plus approximately 1000 square feet in giant multi use room – perfect for: recording studio, pilates studio, dance studio, ballroom dance studio, shop, craft room, artist studio, more!

$950,000, In the Mill Creek Country Club!

Mill Creek Golf Course Home: More info – You can see more of the photography shoot for this home here:

2220 143rd PL SE

Additional Mill Creek Country Club Home Features – a great place to see other Mill Creek Homes

Mill Creek Real Estate

Thinking about moving to the Seattle suburb of Mill Creek? Mill Creek, WA is a  great place to live and all of it is centered around the Mill Creek Golf Course and the Mill Creek Country Club.  There is wonderful shopping and restaurants in Mill Creek and the schools are also highly regarded. Mill Creek is not too far from Seattle for a fair commute and offers a good home base with the combination of amenities it boasts.  Let us know if you want a private tour of this spectacular Mill Creek home or others in and around the Mill Creek Golf Course and Country Club.

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©Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services, RainCityHouses.com

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By Courtney Cooper, March 28, 2010 3:19 pm

Lake Forest Park WA Northwest Contemporary Home With Beach Rights: Looking for a great private retreat that happens to be in the Lake Forest Park Civic Club Boundaries? This is a great option! Great Lake Forest Park Beach Rights home listing – first time on the market ever – complete with fresh carpet and gorgeous updates!

Come see what having a vacation at home really is like!

Five bedrooms including a main floor master plus a giant 700 square foot third floor bonus loft, over the garage area perfect for workshop or artist studio, and private wrap around decks up in the trees. Expansive 3620 square feet of living space plus a two car garage and the studio above it – privacy & seclusion in the trees with full Lake Forest Park Civic Club Beach Rights. All this on a 19,990 square foot lot – almost half an acre of gorgeous woodlands and scenery next to acclaimed Horizon View Park…

What are the Lake Forest Park beach rights? In this case – partial deeded interest in Lake Forest Park’s waterfront Civic Club – enjoy life along the shores of Lake Washington! $599,000 Let us know if you would like a private showing with one of our buyer’s agents lfp@cooperjacobs.com

You can find more Lake Forest Park Real Estate on the Cooper Jacobs website: Lake Forest Park Homes For Sale: Waterfront, view homes, more…

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By Courtney Cooper, February 18, 2010 1:41 pm

Seattle Suburbs Real Estate: Brier Homes For Sale: We have some great Brier homes for sale right now, but Brier in general has some cool properties at very good prices. Brier is a Seattle suburb which happens to be quite convenient to all directions of commuting. On top of that all the best shopping and restaurants are all in close proximity. Schools are good and homes are well priced – especially now.

The transit system all around Brier is quite advanced with newer transit stations in all directions..Canyon Park, Lynnwood, and Mountlake Terrace are all newer transit stations (MLT even has solar) for quick commutes to Eastside (Bellevue and Kirkland or Redmond0, North (Everett) or South to Shoreline and Seattle. Even in heavy traffic, Downtown Seattle is a half hour bus ride tops form the Mountlake Terrace Transit Station.

Brier homes for sale right now:

2931 224^th PL SW: This is a 3 bedroom spacious home right in the heart of Brier – close proximity to all city offerings and good floor plan – large lot – ask about Bonuses. 3 bedrooms/2.25 baths 1812 sq ft Built in 1984 on a large lot – 12632 sq ft! 2 car attached garage, large rec room, more – private quiet road $309,950

19207 Locust Way – not quite in Brier city limits, but close to Brier and enjoys all great Brier amenities. 3 bedroom/1.75 home on 2.42 acres!!!! This home is in a great location in Lynnwood and has wonderful park like spaces – Big bonus on this one, too… $887,400 or Best Offer

22424 Old Poplar Way – practically a stone’s throw from Brier City Hall – giant horse or farm property with AMAZING spaces – this one even has a giant 5 car garage with RV parking and a shop. Expansive 1933 home with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths – 2558 sq feet – It is like Sunset Boulevard in Brier – horse facilities already in place and only a quick jaunt to Brier’s own Equestrian Arena! Looking for a Seattle Equestrian Property???? THIS IS IT!

Want to see these and other Brier Real Estate? We are happy to show you anything in this nice Seattle Suburb. Brier has a lot to offer! realestate@cooperjacobs.com

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By Courtney Cooper, February 11, 2010 10:31 am

Bellevue Neighborhoods: Relocating for Microsoft?

The three areas I really like in Bellevue for the close proximity to Microsoft are Overlake, Lake Hills, and what we also just call Microsoft because it is so close – Microsoft is a huge part of the local economy and there are always people relocating to be here because of it. Redmond and Sammamish are typically first on the list for Microsoft people moving in from out of state, but Bellevue neighborhoods are a great option and these three MLS areas are quite affordable when looking at a good combination of schools, walk ability, and amenities.

Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services has a great house listed right now in the Overlake/Microsoft area of Bellevue – near Crossroads Mall and all the other great shopping centers right there. It has easy access to both 520 and I-90 and is on a private cul de sac with a great walking trail to the major drag for easy transit or cycling access. You can check it out here:

15002 NE 9^th PL

Bellevue homes in this neighborhood don’t come up for sale very often and this one has some great spaces. If you are looking at moving to Seattle and want a Seattle suburbs map or some direction on where you might start looking for your particular situation, please feel free to give us a call or drop an email. We have successfully helped many clients with their relocations to the Greater Puget Sound area!

Bellevue real estate:

You can find more great Bellevue Real Estate on our site! We have all listings by all companies and it sweeps the MLS every 15 to 20 minutes for changes. Search for free with no obligation to sign up, but you can sign up and save your searches, save your favorites, or set up custom email alerts so you are always notified when a new Bellevue home comes on the market that meets your needs!

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By Courtney Cooper, November 7, 2009 12:05 pm

New Tax Credit Take Three!

The newest version of the Housing Credit is finally finalized!  There has been lots of speculation, but Obama signed the newest housing credit into law so it is official now. There are some surprising changes that open up the world of credits in 2009 for buying a house to many more people. Here is what you need to know:

The current first time home buyer $8000 tax credit is extended to April 30, 2010 and you have on top of that an additional 2 months to close on the property after that (close by July 1st, 2010).  Income levels have been raised to modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of $125,000 for singles (up from $75,000) and $225,000 for married (up from $150,000). An additional credit has also been approved for purchasers of new homes regardless of first time home buyer status as long as they have lived in their current primary residence five of the last eight years.  This credit is for $6500 and seems to have the same deadlines/MAGI requirements. 

The $6500 credit for “move up” buyers does seem to be retroactive for all year, but I have not found a specific sentence on either the government page or the IRS page to tell me whether or not this is true.  The IRS tax form has not been updated online yet so I can’t go to the form and see there yet, but I will update this once I verify that if you bought your home in 2009 and other wise qualify it is retroactive regardless of when this bill went into effect.  (Stay tuned)

You can find the official bill here – it was written into an unemployment bill so scroll down a bit:  http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:5:./temp/~c111dG8SpH::

Please do email me if you want more info or are interested in Seattle real estate. We have agents that specialize in every area of Seattle neighborhoods and suburbs and would love to help!  courtney@cooperjacobs.com

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By Courtney Cooper, September 21, 2009 5:05 pm

If you are in the market for Mill Creek real estate right now, I can tell you that I spent a major portion of the last few days touring what is available in the $500,000 to $600,000 range. I have sold and listed Mill Creek homes quite a bit, but I am always delighted to go on a great tour a really compare apples to apples for a particular buyer. As a result of the tours and showings, I have found myself bombarded by listing agents asking me for feedback.

Most of the Mill Creek homes have just been very nicely presented and all together great choices. I can tell you that there were a few comments from my buyers that Mill Creek sellers should think about – not because I am the expert or my buyers are the only buyers around, but just because it is the general consensus really.

Wall paper. I only saw one room that was pretty neutral, but overall buyers do not want wallpaper. It does not matter how designer or how pretty it is (or how awful), they just DO NOT WANT wallpaper. I always recommend to my sellers that they removed wallpaper prior to putting their home on the market. It is pretty general knowledge and so I was surprised to still see so much of it. I personally liked most of it, but most buyers do not and as easy as it is to take off (it really is most of the time, I swear!), it is a big factor when it comes to how a buyer feels about a home.

Landscaping – well thankfully I was within the Country Club boundaries most of the time and Mill Creek is known for its rigorous CC&R’s and landscaping so the yards were nice although I will say that I would highly recommend that you FULLY fence your back yard. Let’s face it – the majority of Mill Creek prospective buyers will most likely have children, but at the very least they will have a pet if not kids. Again, I know – small thing, but having big gaping holes in your fence line not only takes away from the privacy of the backyard, but overall just doesn’t quite feel homey to most buyers.

Updated kitchen – this was the biggest complaint. For half a million and up a buyer should expect to have at least granite tile in the kitchen and not the original cabinetry.

There are some impressive Mill Creek homes in the $500k to $600k range – if you might be even thinking about living in this highly organized community, then I would recommend looking now. Sellers, if you are thinking of moving out, there are some great buyers looking for quality homes. They like clean lines and updated kitchens. Updated baths are a bonus (please take the carpet out of the bathroom when you update it – no one likes that anymore).