RainCityHouses.com: Seattle Real Estate » Seattle Washington Real Estate

Seattle Real Estate: Primo buying window getting smaller…

Courtney Cooper — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:49:04 +0000

Seattle’s real estate market may be a bit soft right now, but the rates are incredibly low for qualified buyers and as a result the good Seattle lenders I have talked to recently are incredibly busy – and even backed up in some cases. Sure, there are going to be refinances in this mix of increased business, but the savvy Seattle buyers are out there in neighborhoods and suburbs right now trying to scoop up some deals before others realize that the market isn’t as bad as they thought! The truth is that Seattle has a booming real estate market in 2008 – it is just a very different market than we have seen in recent years. Seattle sellers, agents, and buyers need to adapt and stop looking to the media for “expert information” because the media seems to be gripping more of a doom and gloom Seattle bubble attitude. Instead, ask someone out there who is actually listing and selling houses in 2008! WAMU might be backed up because they cut their staff down to the bone, but other lenders are busy, too!

The weather is beginning to turn in Seattle – I always know when the woodpeckers start banging on my chimney to attract mates that spring is near! More and more buyers will be out as warmer days set in and with this will come some competition. Sellers should have their full service agents price their home competitively. They should pay the extra money and have an accredited Stager help them get their home ready for the market if their Realtor suggests it. Spring on its way doesn’t mean that Seattle sellers don’t need to put their best foot forward so that a buyer’s first impression is the best it can be. The 2008 Seattle market is still strong, but just trickier and it takes savvy on your agent’s part and on your part to sell your home.

Smart Seattle buyers who are out there right now: it is possible to get incredible prices, deals and bonuses from these sellers without completely low-balling them on your offer! Have your Realtor be aggressive, but write a strong offer and choose where you want to negotiate rather than beating down the offer from all directions. The window of primo opportunity is getting smaller as more buyers realize how enticing Seattle real estate is right now!

Courtney Cooper ….For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Broker and Realtor serving Seattle neighborhoods and Seattle suburbs in both 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) or Seattle suburbs (Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett) or other Seattle Suburbs!

Seattle renters: Take note – Renting vs. Buying

Courtney Cooper — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 06:26:02 +0000

Some benefits of renting:

Flexible – nothing to tie you down
Less out of pocket in the short term (although in some cases, a mortgage is the same or less than your rent)
No home maintenance to deal with

Seattle real estate and its surrounding suburbs are the best investments you can make! Despite a bit of a slow down due to the current lending environment, we are still one of the most undervalued real estate markets on the West Coast! Even in this cooler market, Seattle houses are appreciating! Seattle real estate is one of the best ways to build wealth today.

Not convinced? Let me give you just a few more good reasons why you need to buy Seattle real estate instead of renting!

Pay yourself instead of someone else by building equity each time you make a house payment
Tax benefits – The interest you pay on your home mortgage is tax deductible in most cases!
Freedom to decorate and make yourself really feel at home!

If you think you might want to look at buying a Seattle house or a house in the Seattle suburbs, now is the exact time to make that move! We are in a buyer’s market for the first time in a long time and there are some good buys out there! The inventory is plentiful so you can choose your very perfect house and the rates are low on top of it! Need help with your closing costs? I can help you get your closing costs paid for! In addition, there are buyer perks out there that make buying Seattle real estate too good to pass up!

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!

Flood Clean up in Seattle Suburbs….State of Emergency Declared

Courtney Cooper — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:12:22 +0000

Seattle Suburb Flood Aftermath : Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, and Brier Wa – Horses, roads, and clean up….

Seattle Real Estate Suburb: Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, and Brier Wa Flood Aftermath Update

Among others, 214th was flooded and horses were being brought in left and right. The hillsides were flowing, but luckily the water has receded. Unfortunately for some residents, though, there was damage as a result of the December 2007 storm in Washington state. The Cities of Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, and Brier all declared some type of state of emergency in order to clear the way for clean up funding. This means that affected residents might be eligible for some reimbursement from the federal government for flood damage caused by this latest storm.

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!

Seattle Real Estate: Remodeling: Remodel or Move?

Courtney Cooper — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:52:23 +0000

Seattle real estate is so much fun and nothing is more fun for me than walking into a house and seeing the remodeling that a client has done or is thinking of doing. I have a lot of clients who want me to come over and just take a peek at plans for a potential remodel. They know that I am the queen of knocking down walls, but still possess the sensibility to advise them of what will offer the best return on their real estate investment. Sometimes I can give them a few pointers to smooth out the rough edges of a potential remodel. I also have an army of remodeling contractors I can refer to them.

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

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

Seattle Suburb Real Estate Find: Time Capsule in Edmonds, Wa..

Courtney Cooper — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 22:18:12 +0000

Seattle Real Estate is so much fun, but it is really amazing when something cool happens along the way………………………………..

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?

Seattle Sellers: Is your home sitting on the market? My top ten tips for Seattle Sellers!

Courtney Cooper — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:43:46 +0000

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!

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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!

Seattle Soaked Houses….Where does all that water go?

Courtney Cooper — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:45:18 +0000

It is important to make sure and take every precaution to keep your house water tight, but in Seattle we need to be especially mindful of some pretty important home maintenance! We get a lot of blue skies here along with our rain and it is important to take advantage of those lovely sunny days in order to keep our homes water tight!

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!!!

Seattle Suburbs: What’s in it for me? Builder perks, Parks, horses?

Courtney Cooper — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:54:38 +0000

Seattle Suburbs offer more than giant shiny new houses and builder perks galore!

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 Suburbs: Look no further for Great New Construction Deals!

Courtney Cooper — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:18:44 +0000

Check out the burbs!

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 Real Estate: Seattle Suburb Holiday Happenings… Some people in Brier, WA making a difference!

Courtney Cooper — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:37:49 +0000

Brier, Washington’s Timberline Park is in its 11th year of their lighting tradition. If you haven’t seen it, it is definitely one of Seattle’s must do activities for the holiday season! These Brier, Washington Residents go all out with gorgeous handcrafted painted figurines and beautiful lighting schemes.

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 WA Real Estate Buyers: Here’s a Buyer’s Bonus…From Courtney Cooper

Courtney Cooper — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:00:38 +0000

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!

Brier Washington City Hall Now an Official Passport Agency!

Courtney Cooper — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 07:41:04 +0000

I love that Brier is offering this service to everyone! With all of the passport requirements, it is nice to have them organized nicely. Here are the specifics I found on the city’s web site:

Certified Birth Certificate or previously issued U.S. Passport or Certificate of Naturalization. If Child under the age of 14 with a previously issued Passport, a Certified Birth Certificate is also required. Hospital Certificates of birth are NOT acceptable. The document you provide WILL BE MAILED with your application form to the U.S. Passport Office.
All applicants must be present. Applicants under age 14 must be accompanied by both parents. If one parent is unable to appear, DS-3053, Statement of Consent: Issuance of a Passport to a Minor under Age 14, may be used. This form must be completed by the non-appearing parent and notarized.
Two identical current passport photos – 2″x 2″ with white background. Photos must meet U.S. Passport standards. You may either bring acceptable photos or you may purchase photos here when you apply for your passport.
Proof of Identification (Valid Drivers License preferred).
Social Security Number for ALL applicants regardless of age.
Passport Fees: $67.00 Persons age 16 or older
$52.00 Persons under age 16 (must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian)
$30.00 Execution Fee
$60.00 Expedite Service Fee
$67.00 Renewal Fee (Adults-if passport has been expired less than five years)
$15.00 Passport Photos
$ 4.60 Postage Fee (for expedite service only)Two separate payments must always be made:1. Check or Money Order ONLY payable to U.S. Department of State. (Covers the Application Fee and Expedite Fee (if applicable).2. Cash, Check or Money Order made payable to City of Brier. (Consists of the Execution Fee, Photos and Postage Fee (for expedite service only).

Sunny Blue Sky in Seattle – all the way through the holiday weekend!

Courtney Cooper — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:44:58 +0000

It is gorgeous outside! Looking through the window, it looks like summer in Seattle! As soon as you step out the door, though, you know it is the day before Thanksgiving! In Seattle, our Thanksgivings are often rainy and quite dreary – a perfect time to snuggle up to a fire with family and good food. This weather is making me want to go take a long walk around Greenlake a few times!

So good weather and easy traveling for all the lucky ones celebrating Thanksgiving this year in Seattle. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! The rain looks like it won’t be back until Monday!

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***turkey image from http://clip-art.kaboose.com/holidays/thanksgiving/thanks-clipart.html****

Hot Seattle Suburb! Brier, Washington Real Estate is a Good Thing!

Courtney Cooper — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:11:54 +0000

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!

Is Your Pet Making You Move?

Courtney Cooper — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:30:29 +0000

We have a Newfie and found that in order to have a Newfie, we had to have a very BIG car…..it was that or a small horse trailer for our family beach trips to Ocean Shores, WA. Do you find that your pet is dictating what you buy and where you live?

I recently helped a client who wanted to move into a bigger home so that their doggie friend could have a little more space to run around in. I actually have run into this quite a bit!

Our latest Newfie is only a puppy so she is still in the running around very active phase, but we know from our previous Newfoundland experience that this will change a bit. The fact is that our last beloved Newfie Georgianna calmed down considerably as she got a bit older. I still remember how much she changed our life, though, and the things we had to do to “Georgie-proof” our living spaces.

Reinforced gates and extra fencing are a bare minimum, but then there is also the protection for the bamboo floors, etc., and don’t even get me started on my backyard landscaping!!!

Sometimes it really is easier just to buy a new house!!!

Seattle New Construction! Check out the deals!!!!

Courtney Cooper — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:44:34 +0000

I have seen so many amazing perks offered to buyers recently when it comes to new construction. In addition to drastic price drops in an attempt to remove inventory form their books, builders and their agents are seemingly willing to throw in a lot more! I have seen low low 30 yr financing plus closing costs completely paid. I have also seen homeowners dues prepaid by the builder for a year or two, and don’t get me started on the free plasma TVs!!!! It seems that anything is a go in an attempt to woo you.

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.