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

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

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.

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

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

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…

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

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!

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

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).

Seattle Suburbs Real Estate $300k and under by city – look at these homes!

Edmonds WA homes under $300k: 32 of them ranging in price from $182,900 for a bank owned home to $285,000 – with most under $250k!!! That is a lot of houses in that range for a Seattle suburb like Edmonds!

Shoreline, WA homes under $300k: 43 of them listed right now! These Shoreline homes range in price from $192,900 for a bank owned foreclosure home to $300,000 and you can even find some of them in Richmond Beach!

Lynnwood WA homes: 102! These are the residential only listings – no condos here, but you can find those, too! These Lynnwood homes start at $184,900!

Mountlake Terrace real estate: 25 homes here for under $300k! $171,884 for a bank owned home is the lowest and there are several that hover just above that low range as well – on up to $300k. Surprisingly, Mountlake Terrace has very few, but that is most likely due to the fact that people are seriously starting to see the value of this Seattle suburb that has long been ignored. Revitalization, new transit improvements, and quality businesses moving in can surely account for the improvement here.

Brier real estate There are only five homes in Brier WA for under $300,000. These Brier homes start at $219,000 and go up to $299,950 for a newly reduced 3 bedroom 1.5 bath rambler with 3 out of 5 of the houses under $250,000.

Lake Forest Park Real Estate: Lake Forest Park has some great places, but nothing under $300k! I did bump it up to $350,000 and got 6 listings there – $324,950 to $349,500. There are some pretty nice choices in these.

Kenmore WA homes: Kenmore real estate has gotten hot again probably due to its recent mention as one of the best places to live in several media venues. There are 10 houses for sale in Kenmore WA that are under $300,000 so why not come find out what everyone is talking about here? In fact, you can get a home here for as low as $255,000 on Finn Hill! There is also a house in Juanita for $284,000 – it is bank owned and waiting for some love!

So there you go! 217 Seattle Suburbs homes under $300,000 and in close in suburbs to Seattle. If you are looking to take advantage of the first time homebuyer $8000 tax credit, then this is a great starting point for you! We can also help get your closing costs paid by the seller in most cases. If you want more info about using this credit, short sales, foreclosures, or more: realestate@cooperjacobs.com or call 425-502-5431

Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services: Serving Seattle neighborhoods and Seattle Suburbs with care.

Nestled on the banks of Lake Union, Eastlake offers some of the best Seattle floating homes with gorgeous Western views and easy waterfront living. If houseboats are not your thing, though, Eastlake has a great combination of affordable view condos, older charming homes, cute duplexes, and new townhomes – some with cool Green home features like solar. Living on the West side of Eastlake Ave seems to be the most popular choice – anywhere on the West side provides you east access through a series of mini parks at the end of the streets – Roanoke& Lynn Street are great places to throw a kayak in and go, but there is also a little known tiny public dock for boats to launch and run into Pete’s Market where you will find one of the best selections of wine in the city.

Eastlake Real Estate is a great Seattle waterfront choice that is close to it all! Interested in anything Downtown Seattle related? Well Eastlake is probably the best place to live for a combination of smaller neighborhood living and urban amenities. The streetcar can take you into Downtown Seattle and South Lake Union is still developing, but has some of the attractive Seattle suburban perks like Whole Foods! Want to go to a Sounders or Mariners game? It is all at your doorstep while still being close to I-5 for easy commuting if you need to head out of town.

Looking for easy living and low maintenance out of the suburbs? Eastlake is my number one recommendation and Eastlake homes have a lot to choose from! You can find easy no maintenance homes and wonderful spaces – some great townhomes, too. If you want more maintenance and closer waterfront living, then go for a houseboat – they are relatively affordable compared to other real estate today and what better way to enjoy Seattle’s waterfront living?

©Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services: Seattle Real Estate, Courtney Cooper is the Designated Broker, Seattle Realtor, EcoBroker, and member Built Green 206-251-5948

You might already know that I have a thing for Seattle historic homes, but there are many Seattle suburbs that offer some amazing beauties as well. Sometimes the price tag is a bit more appealing, too! Snohomish, WA is one town that comes to mind, but also take a drive through old Everett if you ever get a chance! Everett has a rich history and there are quite a bit of stately homes to prove it. I took a few shots on my last little tour there and wanted to share some of my favorite neighborhood houses.

Labor of Love….

Luckily, many of these architectural beauties are on the historic register so that we can enjoy them for generations to come. Many were not so lucky and are at the mercy of future buyers who want to embark on a labor of love. Restoring one of these homes can be quite time and money intensive and the movie Money Pit comes to mind instantly! If you have the stamina, pocketbook, and desire, though, you would be leaving a legacy behind for future generations, and I would also love to hear your story!

If you are interested in Everett homes, please let us know – I would love to show you some of the gorgeous places out there!

Here are some of the great places to shop, eat, or go to in or very close to Lynnwood:

Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, Sears, Target, Olive Garden, The Rock, Pottery Barn, REI, Macy’s, Nordstrom, PF Chang, Williams-Sonoma (my mother has always said that if you are going to look for a great place to live in or around a new city then you should just look for a Pottery Barn, Starbuck’s, or William-Sonoma because they have already done the research for you!). Barnes & Noble, Nordstrom Rack, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Michael’s, Dania, Wight’s, more!

Looking for Lynnwood real estate? We can help! This city is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary all year long!

Highlighted Seattle Suburbs:

Shoreline, WA: Shoreline is really close in to Seattle and a great place for schools, parks, and more! Shoreline real estate

Lynnwood, WA: Properly priced Lynnwood real estate is really moving right now! This city is also celebrating its 50^th birthday with lots of events all year long.

Mountlake Terrace, WA: Mountlake Terrace is having major changes right now, from the solar Transit Center to major rezoning to give the downtown core a facelift, this Seattle Suburb is a great place to look for close in Seattle commuting and affordability. Highlights: Amorn Thai on 56^th is the best Thai I have ever tasted and Cinebarre is moving into the old Mountlake 9! Look for great things to come for Mountlake Terrace! Mountlake Terrace real estate

Lake Forest Park, WA: Lake Forest Park is a treed paradise right next to the city and on the banks of Lake Washington. This is a great city for nature loving tree enthusiasts. Lake Forest Park real estate  or make sure and check out Seattle homes, too!

Coming Soon: A new map based search to find all homes listed in the MLS right on this site!

The Seattle suburb of Lynnwood, Washington is turning 50 years old and kicking off a year-long celebration with 50 events! This is going to be a wonderful year of fun events! Lynnwood is already such a great place to call home – easy commuting in all directions, close to the Puget Sound and Lake Washington for fun, tons of shopping and restaurants, more movie theatres than you can count, new amazing transit centers, Interurban Trail connecting it to Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline, and Seattle plus North to Everett, brand new high school about to open, and more! In addition it is one of the closer in Seattle Suburbs that also just happens to be affordable! Lynnwood offers housing in every range and is a very easy choice if you are looking for a combination of just about everything you want.

Some Lynnwood, Washington Home Stats (Residential not Lynnwood Condos):

There are currently 348 Lynnwood homes for sale in the residential category of the NWMLS. They range in price from $120,000 to $965,000. These houses for sale start with two bedrooms and go all the way up to a seven bedroom home. The median listing price for a Lynnwood house right now is $364,944 and the average price is $395,578. Right now there are 135 Lynnwood houses under contract and pending in the MLS in some way shape or form. They range in price from $165,000 to $599,950. Closed sales is a great way to see how busy Lynnwood real estate really is. In the last six months, the Lynnwood real estate market has had 225 closed residential home sales! Could that have anything to do with first time home buyer tax credits? Closed sold Lynnwood homes range in listing price from $150,000 to $750,000 with final sales prices that range from $157,000 to $623,000. That sentence alone should give you an idea that sellers are willing to pay your closing costs (look at that first number in both listing price and selling price), and they are willing to negotiate on price.

Let’s look at Lynnwood Condos, too:

There are currently 203 Lynnwood condominiums on the market right now. They range in price from a very affordable $107,900 to $435,000 and in square footage from 590 to a very roomy 2678 square feet and one to four bedrooms. There are 64 Lynnwood condos on the market that are pending in some way and range from price of $97,900 to $409,950. The closed numbers on condos here are also good. In the last six months there have been 101 closed Lynnwood condo properties in the MLS. They range from list price of $124,000 to $395,950 and final sales price of $115,000 to $390,000.

The numbers don’t lie: Lynnwood Washington is obviously moving real estate.

©Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services:
Interested in other suburbs? Here is a link for other Seattle suburbs, too: Seattle Suburbs

www.CooperJacobs.com

It sweeps the multiple listing service for changes and all listings form all companies are included. This is a great one stop shopping place if you are curious about any Seattle area real estate prices or conditions. There are neighborhood pages and suburb pages to give you info about each market.

Other info?

$8000 tax credit for first time homebuyers – for more than first timers so get all the details to see if you qualify.

$1000 in closing costs

Mountlake Terrace:

Mountlake Terrace real estate has always been a nice cheaper Seattle suburb option, and it is so close to Downtown Seattle! Mountlake Terrace already had some great perks: It is served by the quality Edmonds School District, and its Community Center s phenomenal with an amazing swimming facility. There is a huge gymnastics facility right in town, and the retail tax base is larger than many nearby suburbs.

The difference now is that the infrastructure and amenities have caught up and even exceeded what one might expect with the lower priced Seattle suburb housing. The new Park and Ride is set to open up this Spring at the I-5 236^th St SW exit and with that comes even more possibilities further down the road with the rail system. The Downtown area of Mountlake Terrace has undergone some recent rezoning and is all set for a huge revitalization project which will make it a truly modern and inspiring place to live. In speaking with one of the city council members, I learned that there are more permits in for building and redeveloping the downtown area than ever before.

Two and Three bedroom Mountlake Terrace houses start in the low $200,000 range and offer larger yards than some may expect. I recently found a Mountlake Terrace house with 4 bedrooms and two baths for just under $300,000! My buyers are thrilled! You can search Mountlake Terrace real estate by clicking the link.

Lynnwood Real Estate:

Lynnwood Real Estate is pretty much a virtual bargain right now. New construction in particular is overabundant and builders are looking to move inventory. There are many buyer perks for taking one of these houses off their hands in the form of upgrades and seller paid closing costs, plus Lynnwood basically has almost anything anyone would need in the way of amenities. This city is filled with restaurants, movie theatres, and the amazingly redone Alderwood Mall – home of Macys, Nordstrom, Sears, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, J Jill, REI, and more.

Lynnwood already has amazing Park and Rides and the proposed lite rail system was voted to come up to the 164^th Street Exit o I-5. The other great thing about Lynnwood WA is the fact that I-405 and I-5 meet right here making this an ideal spot to live whether you work in Everett, Seattle, or even the Eastside – Kirkland and Bothell are just a few exits away using I-405 with no bridges to cross.

Three bedroom homes in Lynnwood, Washington start in the mid-$250,000 range. Click here if you are interested in searching the MLS listings for Lynnwood real estate.

If you are interested in learning more about either of these Seattle suburbs, please feel free to drop me a line! realestate@cooperjacobs.com

So thrilled to find these Seattle neighborhood posters from Ork Posters (thanks to my Twitter buddy @20_Something ) The posters are all printed on recycled paper with soy inks and a perfect gift for anyone on your list! Here is a link to the Seattle version: http://orkposters.com/seattle.html This is a great gift idea for Seattle RealtorsJ, but also for any Seattle lover! Thanks to Ork Posters for including Seattle!

In addition, Jenny the designer has also created Ork posters for other cities as well including Chicago, NY& SF, and more – check it out!

Need help with Seattle real estate? realestate@cooperjacobs.com Happy Holidays!!!!

PS – Thank you Designer Jenny Beorkrem for letting me use one of these great images!!!!

As a result of the uncertainty being pumped into our environment, many sellers decide to throw in the towel and rent out their house or just wait for a better time. That time really is now. There are buyers out there and they want to see your house. The interest rates are just a tiny bit over 5% right now and expected to drop even further in the next week or so. These buyers need choices!!!!

No, your house won’t sell if you want to just hire a limited service agency or discount broker or let’s be honest, even a full service broker who just sticks a sign in the ground and waits for the buyers to come to them. Your Seattle Realtors need to go out and get those buyers for you by getting your house marketed in the way it needs to be for today’s market: all over the web. The new stat is that over 84% of buyers start on the web on a huge variety of sites. Simply getting your house on the NWMLS will not do it. Simply getting your house on your agent’s company website won’t do it either. Your house needs to be blogged about and listed on all of the major places that the consumer looking for a Seattle house will look for to find you. When I list a home, after I have made sure that it is presented in the best possible way through professional quality Staging and photography, I spend an unthinkable amount of time getting the house actually seen by the buyers who are out there looking. And when I ask how they found that house, the answer is 90% of the time “on the internet”. Is your agent a techie? You need a techie agent!

Are you interested in Seattle real estate? Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services is a full service real estate company. Member Built Green, e-PRO, working on ECOBroker certification. If you need your house sold or you are frightened by what you are hearing or seeing, please feel free to drop me a line – I am happy to let you pick my brain. I am the designated broker for Cooper Jacobs – serving Seattle & Seattle suburbs. Courtney@cooperjacobs.com