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By Courtney Cooper, October 19, 2008 10:58 am

Seattle real estate has definitely slowed down this year although I am still pretty busy, but I like to read all of the local posts and articles on what is going on out there. The title of this one from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer was pretty negative, but really is a good argument on why we should be out there investing in our local housing in the next year. Okay, yes, I am a Seattle Realtor so I am biased, right, but I am also a person who is deeply involved with my clients and their well being – always trying to look out for what is around the corner. To me, this looks like an opportunity. Read it for yourself and let me know what you think:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/383884_housing18.html

Buying up some of these new construction houses in the coming months might be a great way to get ahead when 2012 rolls around…. Plus the builders are thinking more short term and trying to off load these properties with many perks alongside them.

Check out some of the newer developments in South Everett, Bothell or Lynnwood for easy examples of what is out there: Seattle Suburbs Listings

If you are interested in Seattle real estate, please feel free to get a hold of me: Courtney@CooperJacobs.com

©Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services, Seattle Realtor serving Seattle neighborhoods & Seattle suburbs, e-PRO, member Built Green

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By Courtney Cooper, May 27, 2008 3:43 pm

Selling Seattle real estate and being the best Seattle real estate agent that I can be involves using the best tools I can find. Finding the tools that help me be more efficient with my clients is in everyone’s best interest: So in that spirit, here are a few of my favorite things! These are things that I would ask any new or seasoned agent wanting join my brokerage to look at to help them serve their Seattle clients. Gadgets and tools that make my job as a Seattle real estate agent easier and more efficient:

1. Smart Phone: I use a Palm Treo 700 WX – I love it and it makes getting my email on the go very easy. I also have the MLS software for opening houses loaded right onto my phone so there is less to carry around. Let’s face it, Email is better answered more promptly!
2. eFax: Faxes to and from my computer – faxes on the go means that I can get you the info quicker.
3. Docusign: No more late night run out to get a signature – just send it over with email and the clients love it.
4. Active Rain: Blogging on AR has been a huge change to the way I do business, but I have actually met a lot of nice clients on the site and love the interaction and networking that goes on with other agents around the country. If you have a relocation need, I now have easy access to agents in every state.
5. GPS: Doesn’t work well with new construction, but a must just the same.
6. Vflyer: A great easy way to present listings – great for showing off some of those houses and their attributes.

My latest favorite toy? My Flip Video Camcorder – very easy to use – I like to put together walking tours of houses for my out of town RELO clients. It makes it really easy for them to visualize driving up the street to the house because they can see it.

Being a real estate agent is a lot more than selling houses – having some of the right tools makes the job a lot more efficient and easier for the clients.

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 (Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Green Lake (Greenlake), Greenwood, Northgate, Lake City,University, Sand Point, Laurelhurst, Windermere, Fremont, Wallingford, Queen Anne, Westlake, Eastlake, Lake Union, Downtown, Madison Park), Shoreline, Edmonds, Redmond, Kirkland, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

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By Courtney Cooper, April 29, 2008 5:57 am

I

I haven’t always been one of those Realtors who is hot on new construction. The plain truth is that in a stronger Seattle real estate market new construction wasn’t always the best deal. In fact, Seattle buyers who insisted on new construction usually paid a premium for it. There simply was not much in the way of negotiation.

Good things about new construction:

1. Wonderful big open floor plans
2. New Everything – nothing to fix
3. Maintenance up front is usually cheaper because all systems are new
4. Wonderful features designed for how we live now – bigger bathrooms, etc.
5. Builders are definitely starting to lean towards energy efficiency and Built Green aspects

Less Desirable points of new construction to some buyers:

1. Bigger price tag (negotiable!!!!)
2. Small Yard or no yard in most cases
3. Inconsistent architecture when new construction is plopped down in the middle of somewhere
4. Those funny retaining ponds
5. Some cookie cutter designs at times – definitely not custom in most cases

There is a very different story in Seattle new construction and Seattle suburb new construction now. If you are a non contingent buyer (meaning the sale doesn’t depend on you selling your current home) then you are in a window of golden opportunity right now! You can negotiate on price, perks, upgrades, and bonuses – plus get your closing costs paid in most cases. In addition, I like to make sure my buyers get a refrigerator and sometimes a washer and dryer of their choice!

Seattle suburbs new construction areas that have some nice developments right now:

Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish, Mountlake Terrace, Brier, Bothell, Redmond, Mill Creek Marysville, Lake Stevens, and Lake Forest Park

These are all in different price points – there are townhomes, too, but also larger homes. The developments I am touring have some nice features and are definitely worth a look if you are interested in Seattle suburbs new construction.

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 (Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Green Lake (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!

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By Courtney Cooper, April 9, 2008 11:21 am

Short sales are popping up more and more across the Seattle area. Buyers need to be aware of whether not a potential property is a short sale because the offer process is quite different.

Here is the NWMLS definition of a short sale:

“A “Short Sale” is a sale that does not produce sufficient funds to cover the existing monetary encumbrances against the Property, closing costs, real estate commissions, and other financial requirements of closing. Seller’s creditor(s) are those third parties who have an interest in the Property in the form of a deed of trust, some other security, or a lien (e.g. tax lien).”

See my problem with a short sale listing is that buyers go into the process without the full knowledge of how different it is from a “normal” transaction. The NWMLS has come up with a form to help, but making sure to use a short sale agent in the process is the best plan of attack. Short sales can be great deals, but knowing what is involved is key.

Knowing that a listing is a short sale is also key since there are no guarantees as to price or commission in a short sale. The offer is (or should be) always signed subject to lien holder approval. The lien holder almost always inevitably comes back with a higher price even if you offer the list price and they also usually come back with a lower commission amount for the two agents involved. False advertising all around in my opinion. The MLS is now stating that a short sale listing must be disclosed. This is a step in the right direction in my opinion.

Another really needed change: Short sale properties typically stay marked as “active” in the MLS while the approval from the lien holder is being obtained. This is frustrating for buyers out there and also bad for the MLS stats. I think the short sale numbers are actually seriously dragging down the area stats overall and the new rule is a helpful one in that. The properties with offers which are waiting for approval will be marked “pending – BU” until they go to “pending” and then “sold”. I am extremely pleased with this development which will be good for everybody. Other sellers in the neighborhood who may be waiting for a distressed property to come off the market before they put theirs on can now have an easier time without false lower priced competition.

Introducing Form 22SS:

The MLS’s short sale addendum for Washington state (Hallelujah!). It isn’t perfect, but it is going to help clarify a lot of the process and steps that have been unclear in the past. First of all the from states that the property is a short sale and that the lien holder has to approve the offer. The form then gives the seller so many days (default is 30 days) to get that approval. Mutual acceptance is explained as when the lien holder approval is delivered. 22SS Gives the buyer the option of checking a box to either say that the seller can accept other offers for lien holder approval while they wait for their answer or not. My advise on that to buyers is check the box that allows your deal to be the only deal in town. Of course, my advise for a seller is usually the opposite depending on the situation. Lastly, the new from gives the buyer the right to back out of the deal at any time prior to lien holder approval.

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By Courtney Cooper, March 20, 2008 4:01 pm

Seattle real estate has softened, but we certainly are not “in the tank” as I read another broker put it.

Instead, the 2008 market is very different, and those who are used to the easy flow of the past few years need to step up to a different ball field. This includes all parties to the transaction!

Buyers
need to understand that there are some incredible deals out there right now! Prices are generally very good as sellers try to compete with short sales and foreclosures that are sneaking on to the market. Seattle buyers have been complaining about a seller’s market for years and now find themselves in a buyer’s market finally! Even with this combined with the lower interest rates, there is still some reluctance to pull the trigger! I personally think there could be a few reasons for this hesitation which include uncertainty based on our political climate, uncertainty in the economy, and also a general lack of confidence in the strength of the housing market. Well, I have no idea who will end up in office, but I can tell you that our Puget Sound Economy is generally very good and jobs were up the last time I checked. People are also still buying and selling real estate even if prices have come down in some areas. Seattle is still one of the most undervalued West Coast cities and we are a major metro. If you are on the fence, get off.

Sellers
– Price your home reasonably and please be open to a negotiation. It isn’t personal –it’s just business. The buyers in 2008 like your house a lot, but they have a lot to choose from and they want to negotiate. De-clutter it, have it professionally Staged by an accredited Stager, and make it easy to show. Don’t skimp on commissions either – this is not the time to be choosing any other REALTOR except for a FULL service REALTOR – oh and make sure they in fact are an actual REALTOR. Did you know that not all real estate agents and brokers are REALTORS? The term is REALTOR, not realtor – it is a proper noun – and REALTORS actually abide by a higher standard of practice including a code of ethics. You need someone with a high level of expertise in marketing your home. This is also not the time to try a FSBO – stick with a market expert to guide you through 2008!

Agents & Brokers:
Be free with your information – that is what 2008 and beyond is about. There is value in sharing information rather than guarding it. In the past, we have tended to keep our knowledge close to the vest and in this changing market the consumer is looking for answers well before they make a purchasing decision. Open, honest, and down to earth advice and guidance is a must for a new market.

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 (Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Green Lake (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!