Seattle suburbs offering the most gas savings bang for your buck and also good schools, houses, neighborhoods? Lynnwood, WA houses, Mountlake Terrace houses, Brier houses – these are all conveniently located right in that intersection of I-5 and I-405 – perfect for transit commute to Everett, Seattle, or the Eastside – all have access to the large interconnecting trail system for biking across Puget Sound. The Park and Rides are fabulous, the shopping is amazing, and there are movies and restaurants galore…. Houses are available in all ranges and have not risen to the astronomical levels of other Seattle suburbs offering comparable properties. This is why these are my picks for gas saving suburbs…..

Interested in Brier real estate? Lynnwood WA real estate? Mountlake Terrace real estate?  realestate@cooperjacobs.com

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), Seattle Suburbs Homes in Shoreline, Edmonds, Redmond, Kirkland, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

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.

Seattle Suburbs offer more than giant shiny new houses and builder perks galore! Open spaces, trails, beaches, lakes, shopping, and more! But how do you get around the Seattle Suburbs?

Easy Transportation in and out of major cities like Seattle, Everett, and Bellevue -

Going green? Even if you aren’t, don’t forget about these local Seattle suburb Park and Rides!!! This transportation system is wonderful and already improving further in some Seattle suburbs (Look at the Seattle suburb Mountlake Terrace system for a prime example!)! We are lucky to have this transit system in Puget Sound! We complain about it, but the truth is it works very well! Our traffic is bad during peak hours, but grab a book or your iPod and let someone else do the driving for you! Be green and save on gas and take some “me” time!

If you think you might be interested in relocating to Seattle Suburb real estate, make sure and have a FULL SERVICE experienced Realtor help you find the community that is best for you!

Did you know there were skate parks in the Seattle burbs? The cities of Edmonds and Lynnwood WA got together in 1999 and created a 5000 square foot concrete skating structure at Lynndale Park for the local Seattle suburb skaters.

Lynndale Park: Lynndale Park is located at 7326 Olympic View Drive and has parking and bathrooms. It was built in 1999.

Features: 5000 sq ft surface, snake run, quarter pipe, six foot deep bowl, banks, ledges, hips, rails, curbs

Bothell Skatepark: Located at 9815 NE 188^th St in Bothell – this Seattle suburb skate park originally opened in 2000, but recently had a facelift – among other features, it has a six foot half pipe.

Other Seattle suburbs looking at putting in skateparks: Mountlake Terrace, Brier

Even Ocean Shores WA is looking at putting a skatepark in!!!! All parks seem to be skate at your own risk, but do have guidelines and rules from what I can see. Make sure to check out the rules and safety precautions.

Courtney Cooper ….Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services – For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Realtor serving Seattle and Seattle Suburbs! North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and 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, 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! Check out my Seattle real estate and Seattle suburb real estate blog at http://www.raincityhouses.com/!
 

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Check out these January 2008 Seattle Suburb Real Estate Market Reports:

Brier Wa 2008 Real Estate Market Report

Mountlake Terrace WA 2008 Real Estate Market Report

Woodway WA 2008 Real Estate Market Report

Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services  – for all your real estate needs in Seattle and Seattle suburbs! 

Courtney Cooper

Owner/Broker & Realtor, Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services

p 206-251-5948 

For more information:  courtney@cooperjacobs.com

No matter what aspect of buying and selling Seattle area real estate you need assistance with, Cooper Jacobs can help!  Areas of expertise:  greater Seattle and Seattle Suburbs including Lake Forest Park, Shoreline (including Richmond Beach), Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Bothell, Brier, Mill Creek, Kenmore, Snohomish, and South Everett.   Each of these Puget Sound Real Estate market areas have their own unique qualities and it is important to find a qualified Realtor to guide you. 

Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate and Seattle Suburbs Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them!

Seattle Suburbs: Thinking about Relocating to Edmonds, WA?

Seattle real estate is beautiful and the Seattle suburbs have much to offer! Edmonds WA is gorgeous, but besides the art and wonderful shops and eateries, there are also beautiful beaches!

Edmonds, Wa residents enjoy four parks in their city by the Sound plus numerous attractions:

Bracketts Landing is a marine sancuary right next to the ferry dock and surrounds the loading cars. The smell of salt and sand is a perfect way to sit down and have a snack or take a walk. At Railroad Avenue, you can find both beautiful Olympic Beach and also the fishing pier which is open all year – just make sure to get a license!

For active outdoor enthusiasts, check out the Union Oil Wildlife Trail with a ton of sights for birdwatching and marsh animal lovers.

The really cool park in Edmonds for divers is the 27 acre UNDERWATER park!!!! Edmonds Underwater Park is just north of the ferry dock and offers marine life views and passageways under the water. As you drive on to the ferry, look off to your right and take note of all of the buoys and diver markings and know there is a whole different world under there!

Come see this Seattle Suburb and all it has to offer!

Edmonds has a lot to offer and there are also some wonderful perks and bonuses on real estate in Edmonds! If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to email me for more info and also my list of top buys in the Edmonds, Wa real estate market! Want to know more about Seattle and its suburbs? courtney@courtneycooper.com

Courtney Cooper ….For all your FULL SERVICE and QUALITY Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them!

Call me if you are looking for a home or investment property (including short sales, preforeclosures, foreclosures, and REO properties) in Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

Some homeowners find themselves questioning whether or not they should remodel their Seattle house or just move. In some cases, remodeling is not the answer. You can remodel that little house on the busy street to your hearts content, but if it being on the busy street is still going to bother you in the end, then you should consider a different type of remodel. Instead of the extremely high end finish work you would prefer to live with, do some simple upgrades and cosmetics to help it sell faster and for more money. On the flip side, if you love your Seattle neighborhood, but your house is just too small, consider adding on.

I have one client who needs an extra bedroom in her Seattle suburb home. Her house is perfect except that it is missing a bedroom so she finds herself looking at bigger houses, but always coming back to the realization that she loves her house. She has gorgeous twenty foot vaulted ceilings just off the landing loft upstairs above her dining room so I suggested contacting one of my architects or contractors and looking at putting in that extra bedroom above the dining room. The high ceilings are nice, but the bedroom would not only make her house more valuable, but also make it more livable for her. . She wonders why I would tell her not to buy a house when I am a real estate agent, but the truth is that I want my clients to be happy and she would never be happy living in a different neighborhood – I know her this well after other investment property dealings I have gone through with her. Remodeling is the best choice for her.

Sometimes it takes an extra set of eyes to decide whether or not remodeling in Seattle is the right decision. There are a lot of factors that go into the choice of buying another house in Seattle and moving or hunkering down and coming up with a sound remodeling plan for your current home or real estate investment property. Seattle has a lot of fabulous contractors and many that specialize in specific areas of remodeling. Unfortunately, there are always bad with the good so make sure you get referrals from people who know and have worked with the contractor. Also, make sure you get at least three estimates or bids before choosing one.

If you need someone to come and take a peek at what your plans are and give you an honest opinion, please feel free to send me an email – I am happy to let you pick my brain on the decision to remodel or move in Seattle. I also might see an idea you hadn’t thought of before… courtney@courtneycooper.com

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and 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, 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!

Contact info: Courtney Cooper   phone (206)251-5948   email: courtney@courtneycooper.com

Broker Price Opinions in Seattle Washington can vary depending on what specific neighborhood or Seattle suburb you are in as well as other outside factors. It is important for an asset manager to hire an experienced agent and also one that is extremely detail oriented! A BPO (broker price opinion) should be completed with extremely accurate and up to the minute information in order for the asset manager to make an informed decision regarding an REO (real estate owned) property. A good BPO can make all the difference!

Agents interested in performing BPOs for asset managers: Sign up with third party websites and make sure to accept as many assignments as you can. If you consistently do good BPO reports, the various companies will continue to give you assignments. If you consistently do not accept assignments, they will stop pouring in. An agent can make a very decent living from performing BPO reports, but it is just as important to provide detailed reports with accurate information. In order to do a normal BPO report, you must visit the property and take pictures according to the instructions on the order.

Cheap Seattle BPO work: Bpo reports do not pay well individually, but if you do many of them, it is easy to schedule them between normal appointments and group your property visits into tours so that you are not out driving back and forth to the same areas. This not only saves gas, but also makes your BPO property visits more efficient. An asset manager will usually give you at least two days to get the report in unless it is a higher paid rush file, and some give you as long as a week. The pay range for a BPO can be as low as $35 and I have seen them go as high as $100 for a super rush file. This may seem pretty cheap, but if you group them together as I have suggested, you can punch them out pretty quickly. It takes an extreme amount of discipline to make sure to complete them on time and accurately, but it is worth it if you can get the orders to start coming in.

It took me a few months, but at the peak of my BPO work, I was making between $35,000 and $50,000 on BPO work alone. This was in a slower BPO market. Right now, there is opportunity out there and an agent could make a stand alone living performing BPOs for asset managers if they wanted to. Today, I do quality Seattle area BPOs and also take Seattle area foreclosure listings in addition to my regular clientele.

Accurate BPO reports: A broker price opinion has to be accurate! Make sure to find the best comps! In addition to lending integrity to your work, an impressed asset manager could end up placing a listing with you. The bottom line is: If you can’t fill out a simple BPO accurately, then why on earth would they ever place an asset with you?

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs!

I have an accounting degree and provide extremely accurate and detailed Broker Price Opinions! courtney@courtneycooper.com if you need a BPO done in King or Snohomish county. Asset Managers: I can help you with your Seattle foreclosure!

Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor with a BS in accounting serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them! Call me if you are looking for a home or investment property (including short sales, preforeclosures, foreclosures, and REO properties) in Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

 

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them!

Call me if you are looking for a home or investment property (including short sales, preforeclosures, foreclosures, and REO properties) in Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

I recently sold a gorgeous view home in Edmonds, WA..it was one of the most unique houses I had ever seen or had the pleasure to sell. In addition to being a view home, it had a really unique floor plan. The uniqueness probably caused it to be on the market just a tad longer than it normally would have been, but it was perfect for my buyers! The sellers were extremely kind and after close, brought something really cool to my buyers….a time capsule of sorts!!!

Apparently, during the major tear down and remodel job the seller did in the seventies on the original 1910 house, they found a bottle embedded in one of the walls. Upon opening it, they were treated to a letter from the long deceased original owner! It made the local papers and the seller was kind enough to give my buyers the press clipping as well as the letter.

I thought this was so cool! I had to share! What is in the walls of your old Seattle home? Love letters, trinkets, old stocks, perhaps?

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them!

Call me if you are looking for a home or investment property (including short sales, preforeclosures, foreclosures, and REO properties) in Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

Seattle Washington Real Estate is still an excellent market, but has changed from what it used to be and sellers need to take note!

Obviously the mortgage industry has played a major part in this new Seattle buyer’s market. Loan programs are stricter and as a result the pool of qualified buyers has dwindled down. Even though this means there are less buyers competing for your home, you can be sure that the buyers out there are stronger more qualified buyers! Now that Seattle has found itself in a buyer’s market, many home sellers are having to adapt. In order to be competitive in Seattle’s new buyer’s market, Puget Sound sellers should have every edge possible! Here are some of the things that could help your home get noticed!

1. Hire a full service
   Realtor!!!!! This is probably one of your biggest investments – not the time to cut corners! You need the superior quality help to have the edge in this market!
2. Staging – I have an accredited Stager help me with my listings to make sure they are stunning when any buyer walks in. I want them to walk in and fall in love! It is amazing how dressing your home up like a Pottery Barn catalog can help to emotionally sell it!
3. Housekeeping/Lawn Maintenance – Hire a housekeeper and a yard maintenance team! You want your home to shine! The extra money will most likely be worth the investment.
4. Process – This is something I have to go through weekly in my own house. I call it processing. It is simply going through clutter and sorting it into piles – charitable contributions, trash, give away to friends, recycling, keep. It is helpful to do this regularly, but taking the time to do a big process job on your garage and closets can really pay off!
5. Dress Your Cabinets and Closets – Your Stager might do this, but if not, you should. Take the merchandising approach and color code your closets – hang clothing by shades of color and really make your closet look like a rack at The Gap! The same thing can be done with your kitchen cabinets – turning all the labels on the cans outward and making sure the pantry is organized and not cramped is vital.
6. Storage – Make the investment to store extra furniture or clothes that clog up closets and garages. Clear your kitchen counters of appliances and clutter. Your home needs to scream spaciousness and plenty of storage.
7. Be gone – Leave your house well before showings! You want the buyers to be able to picture themselves in your home. They can’t do this with you in it. It is also uncomfortable for buyers to be in your home with you there.
8. Buyer Incentives…Offer to pay closing costs or some other from of bonus to “sweeten the pot” for a buyer when they are making a purchasing decision. They have lots to choose from right now!
   
9. Selling Office Commission: Don’t discount it – that agent is the hero who is bringing you a qualified buyer!!! I would even consider offering an agent bonus! It might encourage them to bring even more buyers back!
10. Price your home right! Doing all of the above won’t matter if you don’t price your home correctly. Again, your full service Realtor is qualified to do this! Also please keep in mind that starting a bit lower could not only get you multiple offers even in this market. More importantly, starting lower would save you thousands and thousands in carrying costs that your home would be incurring while it sits on the market at a higher price!
    

Use some or all of these and look for good results! Just because it is a buyer’s market out there doesn’t mean it is a bad time to sell. Houses are still selling and in some cases with multiple competing offers. The last three deals I have done involved multiple offers and back up buyers so I know it is happening! The important part is positioning your home correctly in this market!

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them! Call me if you are looking for a home or investment property in Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

Some Blue Sky Day Jobs to Check off your list:

• Gutters!!!

• Roof

• Siding

• Windows/Doors

• Vegetation control

Gutters: Please, please, please – have your gutters cleaned and checked twice a year – or at the very least once a year. I, too, thought that the cascading waterfall over my front porch was quite beautiful when it was overflowing from my gutters, but those gutter systems are put on there for a reason!!!! I have a wonderful client (who shall remain nameless) who has finally learned the importance of gutter maintenance after the first two homes had issues as a result of bad gutter attention. One house had the basement flood and the second house had water flow over the top of the gutters right on to the fireplace exhaust and then straight down to his newly refinished hardwood floors (He put a protective flap over his fireplace vents in his next house.). If you don’t want to go up there, hire someone, but gutters are almost as important as a roof in my opinion.

Roof: Of course monitor it – make sure and have a licensed roofer check it once in a while. Look for missing shingles and look for moss. Moss is quite common around here and it starts to grow up under the shingles and causes them to fail after a while. Moss should definitely be cleaned and again, there are professionals that can do this!

Siding:
Look for cracks in the siding or caulking spots that need re caulking. Make sure that the siding is properly stained or painted to avoid water exposure to untreated wood. If you are unsure, call in a professional contractor.

Windows/Doors: Obviously make sure they are properly functioning, but also check the water tight weather strip at the bottom and around the edges and make sure all the caulking around the exterior is intact or call a contractor in just to make sure if you aren’t.

Vegetation Control: Every single inspection I have been to calls out one thing: Make sure the plant life dirt are away from the house!!! Weed the perimeter and cut back the branches – it will cut back on water intrusion as well as have a positive effect on pest control.

Your home is your biggest investment! Seattle does get a lot of rain, but simple home checks once or twice a year can save you from costly deferred maintenance mistakes!!!

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them! Call me if you are looking for a home or investment property in Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

Easy Transportation in and out of major cities like Seattle, Everett, and Bellevue - don’t forget about the Park and Rides!!! They are everywhere and they are improving on top of that (Look at the Mountlake Terrace system for example!)! The transit system is wonderful in the Puget Sound! We complain about it and are constantly improving it, but the truth is it works very well! Our traffic is bad during peak hours, but grab a book or your iPod and let someone else do the driving for you! Save on gas and take some “me” time!

Large open spaces - Seattle offers some wonderful parks and places to play in city, but look at what the Seattle suburbs have to offer! Besides loads of parks to play in and enjoy, there’s more! Like horses, dogs? Brier, Washington has its own horse arena at City Hall. Woodinville is just one of the communities with horse trails. Check out the dog parks in the various towns and don’t miss the dog oriented events!

Trails and more trails!!! Want to bike, run, walk, or hike in the Seattle Suburbs? Wanna hike? There are tons of neighboring trails and parks. Bike on the Burke Gilman trail through Lake Forest Park or Kenmore and all the way down to Wallingford and beyond if you feel like it. Mill Creek, Brier, and Mountlake Terrace are just a few Seattle suburbs that have interconnecting trails for their residents.

Beaches and Lakes???? Besides heading to the sandy beaches of Edmonds, Washington or the shores of Lake Washington, there are also many smaller lakes including Martha Lake in Lynnwood – or Silverlake in Everett. If you want a water event, just look around!

Shopping! When I lived in city, I had to drive forever to find anything – Luckily, Northgate Mall is being revamped, but try Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood if you want everything from Macy’s and Nordstrom’s to PF Chang’s, William-Sonoma, and J Jill. The shopping is good in the burbs!

If you think you might be interested in Seattle Suburb real estate, make sure and have a FULL SERVICE experienced Realtor help you find the community that is best for you!

Seattle is a beautiful place to live and work, but if you are craving the open floor plans and large spaces of new construction, then look no further than the many beautiful Seattle suburbs! In the south, wonderful developments are popping up in Kent, Renton, and Des Moines. If you go east, you can still find some wonderful new construction in Bellevue and Kirkland, but the trend is heading towards the mountains with more activity in Sammamish and Issaquah – and even Cle Elum, North Bend, and Roslyn. Real estate is going crazy in North Seattle with areas of Lynnwood Washington like Martha Lake and Mill Creek still growing considerably. Edmonds, Richmond Beach and Woodway have some good options – some of them complete with views of the sound! Lake Forest Park has some beautiful custom homes going in. Even Brier and Mountlake Terrace have new construction going in! South Everett and Snohomish just North of Mill Creek are probably the most active and the homes being put in are loaded with all the new features buyers are looking for today.

Granite?  Stainless? Seller Paid Closing Costs?  No Problem!!!

Granite and stainless steel seem to prevail as standard rather than being an option and builders are throwing in perks left and right – plasmas, gift cards, you name it! Seattle Suburb builders have finally realized that they are in a buyer’s market and as a result, Seattle buyers are getting some amazing deals! On top of that, the housing interest rates are low so Seattle buyers are getting the best of both worlds!!!! Buying in the Seattle suburbs is a good choice because the price is right – right now! Home maintenance costs are lower and you can actually sit back and watch your equity grow rather than have to dip into it to make costly improvements or repairs.

Get in there and Negotiate for you!!!! Your experienced full service Realtor can help you get the best investment possible! Take advantage of the buyer perks available right now! It doesn’t happen very often!!!!

Seattle is filled with glorious homes built during the last turn of the century. There are homes here dating back to the 1800′s, but most in the older neighborhoods of Queen Anne, Magnolia, Ballard, University District, Capital Hill, The Central District, Madison Park and Ravenna are from the early 1900′s. There are many different styles of homes depending on which decade they were built in, but none of them have the huge open floor plans of today’s new construction.

As a result, some of these older homes are being demolished to make way for larger suburban style homes. In some cases, the house was in such disrepair with mountains of deferred maintenance issues leading to bigger problems. In other cases, however, a remodel really could have done the job! Anytime you can leave the charm of the original construction intact while still making a house into a home that someone will love and really be able to live in, please do it! Seattle Architecture is a thing of beauty and what makes us so special!

There are lots of people you can call to give you some ideas. If you think the house really might be a scrape job, but you would rather try to save it, consult with a professional such as an engineer, architect, or inspector. It is important to find out whether or not you would be throwing away good money after bad on a house that is not sound. In most cases, you should be able to fix the house up with a remodel.

But What to Remodel? Where Do I Start?

An experienced Realtor can give you a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) for your house in its current state as well as an idea of what it might be worth based on any possible improvements. A full service Realtor can also give you an idea as to which projects might give you more bang for your buck. Every one knows that kitchens and bathrooms really pack a bunch when you are looking at equity builders, but your house might be completely different! You might have an extra large lot that could be subdivided or a view you could take advantage of with an addition. The Realtor is the one that can really help you create your own vision!

I love remodeling! I have remodeled all of the houses I have owned or lived in and really enjoy being able to make something better than when I found it. It is sometimes stressful – especially if you are living in your home while you remodel it, but such a feeling of accomplishment at the end! On top of that , the money I have made from making simple changes is astounding. It doesn’t have to be huge. There are many levels of remodeling and one should start where they are comfortable starting!

Courtney Cooper – For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them!

 

It isn’t all for the lights – these beautiful people collect non perishable foods and cash for the Lynnwood Food Bank. According to their website, just in the last four years alone, they have collected over $100,000 in CASH and roughly 40,000 pounds of food!!!! They just opened up a couple of days ago and already have almost six hundred dollars as of yesterday. These guys are making a difference!

You can find Brier Lights at 3700 228th St SW, Brier, WA 98036….

If you are interested in other happenings in Brier Washington Real Estate, call Courtney Cooper….For all your Seattle Washington area Real Estate Needs!

Seattle Washington Real Estate Agent: Courtney Cooper  – Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them!

Seattle Washington  – A good investment!!!! 

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Despite, the huge rise in prices over the last few years in the Puget Sound area, Seattle real estate is still one of the most under priced markets on the West Coast.  Economic growth is at every turn and people are moving here!  Although the recent mortgage fall out did slow things down for a bit, the current market is like none we have seen in well over a decade:  a buyer’s market. 

Buyers interested in Seattle Washington real estate have the luxury of being able to cherry pick which home or investment they want because the inventory is high and choices in Seattle are vast.  In addition, the interest rates for real estate are low!!!  Whether you are interested in new construction real estate, investment property, or the Seattle resale home of your dreams, right now is the perfect time to be a real estate buyer in Seattle! 

Call me or email me if you want to be a Seattle area buyer in a rare primo buyer’s market  – my buyer’s agents fees are usually paid by the seller’s closing costs and I have the much needed experience to help you negotiate closing costs and get the best deal in this bonus buyer’s market!  I take care of coordinating and ordering all aspects of the sale from start to finish and look forward to showing you how fun and profitable Seattle real estate can be!

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them!

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them!

Brier, Washington…You haven’t heard of it? Check out this Seattle suburb!

Seattle Suburb: Discovering Brier, Washington and why you want to own real estate there….

You haven’t heard of Brier, WA?????  Brier, Washington is an amazing place to live and work..Check out some of the highlights of this Seattle suburb:

Where do you work?  It doesn’t matter!

Brier, Washington is nestled in Snohomish County just north of Seattle in a little elbow between both I-5 and I-405.  It is the very perfect commuter’s paradise with at least three major Transit Park and Rides close by in  Mountlake Terrace, Canyon Park in Bothell, and Lynnwood.  A homeowner in Brier can easily commute to Seattle, Everett, or the Eastside like Bellevue and Kirkland. 

Where do you shop or eat? It’s here, too!

Brier, Wa is right next to major shopping at Alderwood Mall, plus many other huge shopping centers on the way.  There are at least three movie theatres close by and tons of restaurants in nearby Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace. 

Where do you play?  Access is right around the corner!

Brier is at the North end of Lake Washington and there is at least one boat launch nearby in Kenmore.  The Cascades are just North via Highway 2 where you can snow ski or head over to Leavenworth or further east.  Canada is right up I-5 after you pass shopping outlets and casinos on the way.  Want to go to the beach?  It is close! Fishing?  Nearby, too!  Want to head to the Islands?  Head over to nearby Edmonds and jump on a ferry to Kingston and then keep driving…It’s all close by!

Or…stick around town and check out all of Brier’s awesome parks and facilities.  The streets are wide and there is room to play.

If you are interested in checking out some of the current Brier, Washington real estate, please feel free to search the MLS listings on my site or send me an email – I love talking about Brier, Wa and all it has to offer!

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them!

The best part is that you get a cheap deal on a house which can turn into a pretty good investment.  The neighbors like you, too because the sooner it closes and the builder is out of the neighborhood, the sooner their equity starts growing.  Yours grows, too, but more so because you started out lower than them in most cases.

If you are interested in new construction in and around Seattle, let me know if you need help weaving through just how many offers you can get. 

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Associate Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County – Experienced and with a background in accounting – I love my clients and work hard for them!