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By Courtney Cooper, June 2, 2008 8:22 am

Seattle real estate: Going green in Seattle has a lot of different angles, but replacing all of our energy guzzling regular old light bulbs is a very basic part! I was thrilled when I spotted a cool deal at Bartell’s over the weekend – hubby looked at me and said, “Is that for real?” The sign said: 4/$1.00 on energy saving florescent bulbs for our lamps. These are normally about $2.50 on a good day, but the lovely people at Bartell’s in Mountlake Terrace had marked them down to $1.25 and had coupons from SNO PUD for $1 off each one at the registers – no limits! I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a run on them. We were tame and only bought a dozen, but I did send my teenager back later to buy a couple more bags!

Seattle real estate and light bulbs? I have noticed that while showing homes, my Seattle buyers are pretty impressed with the houses that do take the time to be as green as possible. Little things like changing over to these energy saving light bulbs can go a long way in the buyer’s eyes – believe it or not!

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By Courtney Cooper, May 5, 2008 8:28 pm

I love the green building going on around Seattle – I actually am working on my ECO Broker designation and love looking around at all of the different variations of “building green” going on in houses, townhomes, and condos. Most of the builders who claim to be green builders are completely legitimate with well thought out plans for green homes that not only are better for the environment, but also have thoughtful design. I have however come across some that just seem to be trying to ride the coat tails of the green trend. Luckily, they are the minority in Seattle!

I haven’t gotten all the way through my studies, but I checked out a development yesterday that has been sitting for a while. Suddenly, the entry sales sign changed and it was claiming to be “Built Green”. This bugged me because except for the really energy efficient siding on the houses, they really don’t seem to be very green. In fact, I know for a fact that the builder got into trouble by knocking over a bunch of trees without getting proper permits. I got inside and almost all of the floor was marble and the off gassing from the MDF made my eyes water.

I need to find the Built Green police and report this one! In the mean time, it is a good lesson to Seattle buyers who are looking to buy green. Buying green should not be about getting more customers in for a few buzz words, but rather changing the way people are living. Selling something that couldn’t possibly be that green in spirit really seems like bad business to me. Just my two cents.

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By Courtney Cooper, February 11, 2008 12:42 pm

Built Green in Seattle neighborhoods and Seattle suburbs?

In Seattle real estate, I have written about all the great Built Green properties in Seattle neighborhoods & Seattle suburbs before, but I thought it was pretty cool that the Master Builders Association in partnership with both King and Snohomish Counties also offer a Built Green Self Certification checklist for Seattle area remodelers, too!!! This is huge since I put all new energy efficient appliances in my house and also had Bamboo flooring installed throughout, but I also think it is so wonderful that Seattle buyers looking for a built green house can now look to existing properties for a Built Green rating!

Return on Your Investment?

Yes! Green for green! Seattle Built Green properties are popping up all over the place in the new construction arena. I think a great way to add value to your house before you decide to sell is to make sure that any remodels done are certified by this program as being green and better for the environment! It will add to your ability to market your home to all the savvy buyers out there looking for these types of properties, and it will be contributing to making Seattle real estate more green!

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County.  Seattle Real Estate and Seattle Suburbs!  Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services:   Experienced REALTOR with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them! Please call me if you are looking for a home or investment property (including short sales, preforeclosures, foreclosures, and REO properties) in Seattle neighborhoods(Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Greenlake, Greenwood, Northgate, Lake City,University, Sand Point, Laurelhurst, Windermere, Fremont, Wallingford, Queen Anne, Westlake, Eastlake, Lake Union, Downtown, Madison Park), Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

 If you are thinking of relocating to Seattle, I am an expert at Seattle Relocation services and can help you find the perfect home while making sure it is a solid financial investment!