93 million dollars!

A jaw dropping 2.8 times the current value . . . → Read More: Seattle Real Estate: Too much money, Good investment, Progress, Poor Planning]]> So I just read in the Seattle PI about Children’s Hospital looking at buying out an entire condo complex for possible future expansion. According to the PI, Laurelon Terrace condominiums is a six acre complex with 136 units. Children’s reported price according to this article?

93 million dollars!

A jaw dropping 2.8 times the current value according to the PI! It isn’t a surprise that the majority of residents in the condo complex are willing to sell, but what does surprise me? There are some that don’t! I wish I had bought a couple of those condos a few years back – don’t you?

So how does this happen? In 1990 the state of Washington passed a measure which allows a condo to sell itself if at least 80% of the owners approve. That was not put in place for complexes built prior to that time, which are still under the 100% approval rule. So the neighbors at Laurelon who don’t want to sell still have a fighting chance of keeping their homes for now, but it seems according to the article that the condo board is looking at legal ways around that, too.

I understand someone not wanting to leave their home – take Edith Macefield for instance – the lovely woman in Ballard that refused to sell her home when she was offered something like a million dollars. I adore this woman, but driving by now and seeing her house swallowed up by giant concrete walls make me extremely sad. My favorite book as a child was The Little House and Ms. Macefield is the little house in real life. I wish the developer could have convinced her to let him move her house out to the country or somewhere with a lovely little view instead of the giant dark walls outside her kitchen window now. I lived in Ballard for a long time and I remember seeing her house in the middle of a parking lot for years and thinking how she must have lived there forever, but never did I think that Seattle would allow an older lady to have to finish out her long life in a house smothered by construction. I truly fault the city for what happened to Edith Macefield – I have no idea how it happened, but that building should have never gone up around her house.

So, progress happens in Seattle and although I love old Seattle and one of my favorite sites is www.VintageSeattle.org, I would much rather sell my home to an organization such as Children’s Hospital than a developer putting in a Trader Joe’s or whatever else is going in there.  But then, we do love our Trader Joe’s too….hmmmm.

Being more green can save you money on top of being good for Seattle! I have a lot of good ideas about living green in the Puget Sound, but I know . . . → Read More: Seattle Real Estate Going Green – Green Guide For Seattle Neighborhoods & Seattle Suburbs]]> Whether you are in city in a Seattle neighborhood, or in the Seattle suburbs, here is your guide to all things about being green in Seattle!

Being more green can save you money on top of being good for Seattle! I have a lot of good ideas about living green in the Puget Sound, but I know that I got many of them from my friends, family, and clients. I can recall on many occasions exactly where some of these ideas were stolen from. For instance, I know for a fact that I should be bringing my own take out containers to restaurants that I frequent thanks to S&E.

?????S&E’s take out container idea: One day we went to lunch with S&E and after the meal they whipped old containers straight out of their canvas bag and started passing them around the table for us to scrape our left overs into. At first I honestly thought that they were crazy, but I complied and took my left over Phad Thai home in an old washed up cream cheese tub. I started thinking about the Styrofoam take out containers from most of the Thai places that I have been to and realized that S&E had it right, although they looked a bit hippy doing it. We can have a big impact on the environment by following their lead. So five stars to S&E for this one – it can really add up! (BTW, S&E also drive a hybrid car, use florescent lighting, and walk to the local farmer’s market to buy their organic groceries. They are a very good example for me to aspire to.)

I sent out the following email to many friends and clients:

I am doing a series on Going Green in Seattle online – I would love your tips and advice to include if you have time.  My clients and friends have always been so “in the know” about these things and I strive to put that good advice to use!  If you get a minute, I would love your top five ways to go green so that I can include them in the series?

Here are some of the basics in my own home that we strive for:

• Recycle like crazy and reuse as much as possible (instead of recycling cardboard box use it to send something out). I honestly believe that recycling is the very basic thing that all earthlings should do. I was surprised to find while visiting another state that there are places that actually do not recycle their cans, bottles, paper, etc. To me this is such a foreign concept. Every household should recycle at the very least. Even hazardous waste should be disposed of properly and there are places that do this. Recently our yard waste containers are now able to have food scraps in them and that has seriously cut down on our garbage output – things like pizza boxes and paper napkins can go in there, but I also like the idea of composting in Seattle!Seattle recycling info, Seattle hazardous waste disposal info, King County Hazardous Waste info, Snohomish County Hazardous Waste info, Snohomish County recycling info
• Less usage
  Turn the lights off if you aren’t using them and don’t use them as often as you think you might need to. Purchase the more efficient florescent bulbs for all your lighting fixtures – these come in an array of forms now and they actually look good now. We have been replacing all of our canned lights with the canned version of fluorescence over the last year. It is making a difference already in our bill and energy use. The only thing with these is to make sure proper disposal occurs because of mercury content. The hazardous waste sites take them and properly dispose of them.
  Lower the thermostat a degree or two in the winter for increased savings. Raise it a few degrees in summer if you need to use an air conditioner. I also use my curtains to help control the temperature in the house. Shorter showers (showers instead of baths), rain water to water plants outside – Less toilet flushes, never leave faucet running, Energy efficient appliances, hanging clothing out to dry in summer and washing clothing less (wear it a couple times at least if it is still clean…)
• Less driving/more efficient cars I have a large family and need a bigger car, but I was still able to find a Flex Fuel version of the car. Driving a Hybrid makes a difference and I plan on purchasing a Hybrid car in the next year. In the mean time, I try to drive less and do more work over the computer. I am able to sign my clients electronically to save energy and also add convenience to them. I use the fax and internet more and more to save gas! I also clump my trips together so that I am doing a big circle errand and hitting all my stops at once rather than driving to each one individually. A little extra planning really helps cut down on wasteful driving time.
  
• No Toxins in the house!!!
  Toxins in the house eventually reach our groundwater and streams….
  No chemicals in the lawn: We used to have a lawns service keep our lawn nice and green and it occurred to me one day that they were saturating my property with poisons that my children walk on and my dogs play in. I now have a patchy at best lawn full of moss here and there and bits of clover, but it is not leaching toxins into the groundwater. I occasionally will go outside with a tip from my hubby’s grandmother. She said to spray the dandelions at the base of the plant with a bit of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. It actually works like magic! They brown up in a couple days and go away for a while before I am out there with another spray bottle.No toxic cleaners…
  OK, I still have a few, but I am down to mostly Mrs. Meyers products and Method products. They work great, smell great, are better for the environment, and keep things tidy.

  No parabens – This one will probably make me look like a complete nut, but I do not allow products with parabens in my home AT ALL. No exceptions. Parabens are known to be endocrine disrupters and are found in just about everything – shampoos, lotions, make up, etc. – even found some in Huggie’s baby wipes! There have even been studies to suggest that they can cause breast cancer and low sperm count in men – just saying… So you rub the Body Shoppe Body Butter on your skin and shower it off into our water supply. Do some more research if you think I am off my rocker on this one, but I personally think parabens have a huge impact on our environmental health as well as our personal health. Products that I have found to be safe and paraben free: Oil Of Olay beauty fluid (just the basic stuff – I have seen parabens in their other products), Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo, Burts Bees – all products I have seen so far!

• Eat local and organic food! If it is local then it didn’t cost a lot of energy to get here. If it is organic then less impact on the earth went into producing it – no pesticides! S (of the S&E take out idea above) recently sent me info on a pesticide study done on Mercer Island children… The study showed that the pesticides are definitely getting into our kids’ bodies, but that they quickly were rid of pesticides once they began eating organic foods only.
  

OK – On to some of the ideas from you guys so far (keep them coming by the way):

• Jen says her cloth baby diaper service is awesome and she also uses canvas grocery bags. Here is a link to a Seattle cloth baby diaper service. There are pros and cons, but each site is very informative.
• I noticed that Animal Care Center (one of the best vets in Seattle is Tracy Tomlinson) in Mountlake Terrace has some interesting posters up about Dog waste pollution and its impact on the environment. My friend recently mentioned buying or making a dog waste solution for her back yard.
• I got flush the toilet less from both Rob & M – I would also add that buying a low flow toilet or dual flush model could go a long way. I personally have to recommend the Toto brand
• Rob says cloth diapers, solar panels, fluorescent light bulbs and less toilet flushing. I also saw recently that REI among others are selling cool solar chargers for cell phones, etc.
• Kathi likes rain barrels and I have to get at least two! Here is some info on attaching a rain barrel to your gutter system in Seattle. There are tons of Seattle rain barrel sources!

Look for more in upcoming segments – and please comment! Let me know what your amazing eco-ideas are for Seattle!

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, 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

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 . . . → Read More: Seattle Real Estate: Green Remodeling in Seattle Neighborhoods & Seattle Suburbs to Attract Buyers]]> 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!

Here are the Seattle townhome market . . . → Read More: Seattle Real Estate: Neighborhoods: Ballard, Wallingford, Greenlake, Fremont Market Update 2008 – Townhomes]]> Seattle new construction neighborhood townhomes are a great way for a first time home buyer to get into the market with lower upkeep costs and usually no homeowner dues.  These townhomes usually have a cute little yard and lots of decks for increased living spaces and wonderful views of our gorgeous city! 

Here are the Seattle townhome market update figures for real estate in 2008 for the Ballard, Greenlake, Fremont, Crown Hill, Sunset Hill, and Wallingford neighborhoods in Seattle.  This is on townhomes priced $500,000 and less.

There are 64 Seattle townhome listings on the NWMLS right now with a status of ACTIVE.  These range from a 2 bedroom/1 bath to a 3 bedroom/3.5 bath with an average of a 3 bedroom/2.25 bath layout.  Square footage ranges from 818 square feet to a spacious 2219 square feet with an average of 1531 square feet.  They range in price from $309,950 to $499,999 with an average of $427,678.  The average days on market for these townhomes is 73 days. 

So what is happening in this Seattle townhome market?  Well, while there are 64 listings to choose from, there are not a lot of new townhome listings coming on to the market.  This is probably due to the recent media scare tactics which may make some sellers or builder hesitant to put their properties on the market right now.  I have buyers who are very well qualified in this market, but the current inventory does not suit their needs for one reason or another, so we are actively looking for new townhome listings in this particular area of Seattle! 

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 neighborhoods and Seattle Suburbs!  Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services:   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 neighborhoods, 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!

*Updated Feb 2009*

Seattle neighborhoods and Seattle suburbs have a ton to offer!  I love this question and thought maybe it deserved a post – I love Seattle real estate and the real estate in all of the . . . → Read More: Seattle Suburbs..What are the best Seattle Suburbs to move to and why?]]> I recently saw this question on the internet: “What is a nice area Suburb near Seattle WA to move to?”

*Updated Feb 2009*

Seattle neighborhoods and Seattle suburbs have a ton to offer!  I love this question and thought maybe it deserved a post – I love Seattle real estate and the real estate in all of the Seattle Suburbs, but I think that you really have to look at dividing the Seattle Suburbs up into different categories to try and get a grasp on them:

*********************************************************

1. North Seattle Suburbs
   
2. REALLY North Seattle Suburbs
   
3. The Eastside
   
4. Further expanding Eastside
   
5. Southend Seattle suburbs
   
6. Ferry Suburbs

North Seattle Suburbs include Lake Forest Park, Shoreline (including Richmond Beach), Kenmore, Brier, Mukilteo , Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Mill Creek, Lynnwood, Woodway (including new construction Woodway Highlands and older Olmstead Woodway) and South Everett (including Silver Lake). Lake Forest Park and Shoreline are the closest to Seattle and both boast natural scenes like trees and water views. From Richmond Beach in Shoreline, sweeping Sound Views and salty air are abundant. Lake Forest Park offers a ton of trees and Lake Washington views. The Seattle suburb of Kenmore is just north of Lake Forest Park and has its own seaplane airport! Just north of Richmond Beach is the tiny town of Woodway – It has amazing houses, but has opted out of the public library system so if library is important to you, then maybe go with Edmonds. Edmonds sits on top of the Puget Sound and is a wonderful Seattle Suburb with a ton of shops and wonderful restaurants. Just north of that is Mukilteo which also has a ton of Waterfront. Mountlake Terrace offers a huge range of housing – the schools are good and the parks are big – plus there is easy commuting access to downtown Seattle, Everett, or the Eastside! Brier Real Estate is good and this city also offers easy commuting to all of these areas! Brier has a nice range of housing and is known for its larger lots and also horse properties. Lynnwood has a nice downtown and also the Alderwood Mall. It also has a mixture of housing options from apartments to larger new construction. Mill Creek is a developed city on a golf course. The neighborhoods are nice and neat and the area is ever expanding as more and more people decide to move into Mill Creek. South Everett touches Mill Creek and more and more Seattle suburb buyers are deciding that South Everett is a more affordable option in some cases – plus the new construction is extremely attractive and especially so when mixed with a fairly smooth commute option to Seattle. 

Here are good starting points for looking at these North Seattle suburbs:

Shoreline Real Estate    (Richmond Beach Real Estate), Edmonds Real Estate, Lake Forest Park Real Estate, Woodway Real Estate, Mountlake Terrace Real Estate, Brier Real Estate, Lynnwood Real Estate, Bothell Real Estate, Mukilteo Real Estate, Mill Creek Real Estate, Kenmore Real Estate, Everett Real Estate

***Also see my post on most bang for your buck in the Seattle Suburbs******

OK – moving further North……..

Really North End Seattle Suburbs include Everett, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Snohomish, Maltby and Arlington. These are still accessible to Seattle for commuting, but do take just a bit longer to get to. Prices in this area are usually considerably less and there are a ton of new construction perks and buyer bonuses right now if you are interested in checking out the deals available. Luckily, the transit system in the greater Seattle area is improving to the point that these suburbs are becoming more and more popular! Look at prices and search for homes in these Seattle suburbs.

Everett Real Estate

Eastside and more Eastside – The Eastside has a lot to offer – mountains and water – views and waterfront. Bellevue has a thriving downtown business center and a mix of shopping and restaurants with plenty of choices in housing. Right next door is gorgeous Kirkland. Kirkland is so quaint and defintiely my choice for Eastside communities. The waterfront is beautiful and the cute little downtown is just breathtaking. Sammamish and Redmond are Microsoft hot spots and offer a huge array of housing options – plus they are right next to the River Trail for easy bike commuting both local and Seattle commutes. You can choose large houses, large land plots or zero lot line townhomes – either way, you can still be in the heartland of these cities.

 Check out Sammamish Plateau for the best deals from builders and a very nice neighborhood. Woodinville, Issaquah and Maple Valley round out my Eastside picks. Woodinville has gorgeous horse properties and sweeping neighborhoods. Issaquah has a wonderful downtown area and wonderful parks and shopping centers. The Issaquah Highlands is a newer development in Issaquah with huge views and its own retail center. It is a planned community with everything residents need right there! Walking trails and coffee shops are right there with townhomes and houses. Mercer Island is off the SouthEast of Seattle and offers waterfront property and gorgeous scenery almost everywhere you look.  Look at prices and search for homes in these Seattle suburbs.

Woodinville Real Estate, Kirkland Real Estate, Redmond Real Estate, Bellevue Real Estate, Bothell Real Estate

The Southend – There are a ton of communities between Seattle and Tacoma and prices are usually more reasonable than those of the Eastside or Northern communities. New construction is abundant and builder perks are everywhere! Kent has some amazing new developments with beautiful houses and lush landscaping. I know of one builder that is throwing in so many buyer bonuses that it is worth a look! Renton is booming and has a huge commercial district and its own shopping and restaurants. Federal Way has changed more than any city recently with improvements going in left and right. Burien and Seatac have easy access to the freeway and airport. Des Moines has a nice waterfront and easy access to the freeway. Of all of these, Kent is my top pick for the amazing deals you can get right now!  Look at prices and search for homes in these Seattle suburbs.

Ferry Seattle Suburbs…You don’t have to live in a close by driving Seattle Suburb to work in downtown Seattle. Bremerton to the South and its surrounding cities are extremely reasonable and absolutely booming as far as development goes! Living in Gig Harbor or Purdy and working in Seattle is easy with the Bremerton Ferry! Bainbridge Island is just a half an hour ride across the Puget Sound to downtown Seattle. Kingston is a shorter ride from Edmonds, Wa and has gorgeous waterfront and treed lots.  Look at prices and search for homes in these Seattle suburbs.

Bainbridge Island Real Estate

Price, Schools, etc……………

Price is usually a factor when looking at Seattle suburbs real estate. Generally the Eastside suburbs of Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, and Sammamish tend to be on the pricier side. Some of the ferry suburbs (Bainbridge Island) should also be considered to be in the pricier category. Some of the immediate Northern Suburbs can have some more expensive neighborhoods (Lake Forest Park, Brier, Richmond Beach in Shoreline, Mill Creek) as well. Each of these Seattle suburbs also have some economical choices so they can also be a good choice in any price range.

Check out the Seattle suburb schools.

Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services realestate@cooperjacobs.com for more suburb info.

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 . . . → Read More: Seattle Suburb Relocation: Edmonds, WA]]> 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!