-
Jesse Moore & Lisa Bender: 5-Star Real Estate Agents indeed!
December 10, 2008 /We think a lot of ourselves here at Pickett Street, but it's always nice when others validate it in the form of an award or designation! It's with great pleasure that I announce that two members of the Pickett Street team have been selected by Seattle Magazine as 5-Star Real Estate Agents, Best in Client Satisfaction for 2008. My business partner, Jesse D. Moore, and our fellow associate, Lisa Bender, have both been selected among this year's honorees. What exactly does this mean? Seattle Magazine says it best: Experts say that at least 90 percent of homebuyers rely on real estate agents for advice and guidance. But with more than 14,000 Seattle residents holding real estate licenses, how do you find someone who knows the market, represents your interests and operates with an emphasis on integrity and service? Seattle magazine can help. For the fifth year, the magazine has formed a partnership with Crescendo Business Services, an independent research firm, to find out which real estate agents have most consistently wowed their clients. This past May, Crescendo surveyed by mail and phone, 29,000 Seattle area residents who had recently purchased homes. An additional 250 surveys were sent to mortgage and…Read more
-
Fear and Trembling; Madison Ave vs. Wall St./Main Street
October 21, 2008 /Are we living in unprecedented times of unsettling uncertainty? How have you been sleeping? How are your nerves? How's your portfolio? Talked to your broker lately? Are you too busy running for cover to worry about the future? In times like we've been told these are, it's far too easy to get caught up in the 'lemming tide', and allow emotions to rule the day. And, truth be told, as a member of an industry that is on the front page of multiple publications on a daily basis, and on the tongues of every breathing adult, it would be easy to succumb. There are days when I shake my head after a look at my latest 401k statement, and think it might be time to start investing in a bunker somewhere in Idaho. However, one small detail seems to get lost in all this: Fear is an emotion. It's not a reflection of reality, it has no place in financial decision making, but is simply a conditioned response to input. In caveman days, fear was the appropriate response to the toothy feline crouched on your path. With a few minor exceptions, we have evolved. Or at least we like to think we have.…Read more
-
A Stake in the Game
October 14, 2008 /Speculation. It makes the world go 'round. The financial world, in particular. It's the bedrock of gambling, the essence of markets, and a human trait we just can't seem to shake. If the possibility of multiple outcomes exists, for any given activity, there will be at least two people willing to stake odds. An industry unto itself, gambling is the life's blood of many municipalities who rely on the ironically predictable nature of people to take a chance. 'Win some, lose some' is the fatalistic mantra of the veteran. Recent weeks have seen more of the downside of this reality than most are comfortable with. Especially those who had become accustomed to winning. Receiving the latest Mutual Fund statement is a painful reminder that stocks are, in fact, institutionalized gambling. When it's your retirement, it really hurts. When it's your home, well, that's personal. In reality, it's called 'investing' specifically because there's 'Risk'. If there wasn't risk, it would be a sure thing, and everybody knows there's no percentage in that. No percentage, no return. We all have to develop a personal comfort level with risk; Some climb mountains, others daytrade, and still others buy homes. Some do all three.…Read more
-
The Silver Lining
September 17, 2008 /Every job has its challenges. In the last few weeks, for many, remaining employed is becoming a primary challenge. That, of course, is one of the many reasons I pursued self-employment; I may not have control of many external things, but at least I'm in good with the boss, and I know what I've got to do to keep food on the table. Another of my key reasons for being a Realtor is the knowledge that I am in a position to help good people who are frequently making decisions that will have a huge impact on the futures of themselves and their families. It's a weighty responsibility that I take very seriously, and that incurs some sleepless nights, frequently long hours, and a challenging schedule, but the satisfaction that I get from being a part of their lives at this vital juncture keeps me striving to be at the top of my game. A prime example of this is the young couple I'm currently working with on their first home purchase. I'm going to call them Ted and Jennifer, for the sake of privacy. Ted is a graduate of West Point and has spent the last 9 years in…Read more
-
Stop Making Sense
September 10, 2008 /Regardless of whether your glass tends toward half empty, or half full, the last week has provided plenty to talk about. Starting with the announcement Sunday that Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson was busy cleaning house at the 2 GSE's, and then Monday's market rally, along with the dramatic 1/2 point mortgage rate drop, it was one for the history books, as they say. And this all follows a bold prediction by CNBC's Jim Cramer, of Mad Money fame, stating unequivocally that the third quarter of 2009 will see the housing bottom. Whew- Now that's a lotta meatballs! Whatever your perspective, there's more than enough to chew on for a while. So, while you're digesting, I'm going to review where we are: Rates have dipped to the mid 5% range, as a direct result of news that Fannie and Freddie are now property of the taxpayers, stocks jumped over 300 points as Wall Street's Monday juices got flowing, and we've had a prediction from one talking head that housing will reach its nadir in a year. And no, I didn't make any of this up. What does it mean? If I knew the answer to that.... My short answer goes like…Read more
-
Architecture: Inhabited Sculpture
September 5, 2008 /Art is where you find it, and Architecture provides unique opportunities to unite form and function. As Realtors, we have occasion to experience a wide swath of the offerings made available to the buying public. I feel a deep sense of accomplishment when I walk into a space with a client and see the serenity that envelops their being as they recognize 'home'. This is a very personal business. Few things in the material world are more sacred than the space we inhabit and call Home. It's a blissful combination of quality (both in materials and execution), location, size, amenities, lighting, openness, and of course, price, but most critically, the thoughtful, even artistic arrangement of all of these elements in a given space. However, in the mass-produced world of P & L statements, and the ubiquitous drive to 'maximize', 'home' often gets lost in the 'house'. For that reason, I feel compelled to open a new category on this blog- a Showcase of Homes, in all the various permutations that represent the best expressions of the unique, the unusual, the classic, and the new. This category will openly request your entries, and the only guideline is that the homes must…Read more
-
Do the Fair Thing
August 20, 2008 /If school is around the corner, we're on the cusp of Fall. Which means it's County Fair Season! First to kick off is Snohomish County's Evergreen Fair, in Monroe. Click HERE to download your copy of the printable schedule.Read more
-
Cramer vs. Cramer
July 31, 2008 /Every once in a while (about twice a day, or so) someone asks for my thoughts on the current housing market. I'm in the industry, I read everything I can get my hands on, and those who know me generally consider that I'll give them the straight scoop, to the best of my abilities. It's that little caveat 'to the best of my abilities' that keeps me up at night. I was reminded of this conundrum last week, as I happened to catch a snippet of 'Mad Money', the CNBC financial show hosted by loudmouth Wall Street pundit and market observer, Jim Cramer. As he blathered about WAMU, Wachovia, the general financial picture, and whom to buy, hold, and sell, it became apparent once again that even his views are in a constant state of flux. As we all have seen, the economy is an unfolding story- one that even a guy like Cramer, with all his access to the inside can't keep up with. However, Cramer's on the same page with guys like Warren Buffet's housing expert, Ronald J. Peltier, when he said in last week's show, "Buy a home in the next 6 months!" This is the bookend…Read more
-
Summer Secrets
July 23, 2008 /We all know the old saying, "All work and no play... " in which Jack becomes a dull boy for keeping his nose to the grindstone. Well, Jack and I have had too much in common lately, and it has prompted me to reminisce on summers past, when I've had the luxury of exploring some of our areas scenic escapes. As I've spent a little time reviewing, I've realized with some surprise, that I've amassed a pretty fair travelogue, and since I'm not likely to get back to many of them any time soon, the decent thing to do would be to spread the wealth to those enterprising folks with a little more time on their hands. Most of my favorite trips have involved a few days in the woods with a backpack, and a flyrod, so that's going to be the slant of this post. The majority of my travels have been in the North and Central Cascades- starting in college with short weekend trips around the Bellingham area to Pine & Cedar Lakes- small, twin lakes packed with brown and rainbow trout, and populated by clouds of voracious mosquitoes. The hike in is, while not overly long at…Read more
-
Give Me Liberty!
July 7, 2008 /When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary to take up arms, then someday a government official will declare a holiday... and we will blow up stuff to celebrate! So, this is how we spent our 4th of July, 2008 holiday- with a few friends from college, celebrating in a tradition that is now 20 years old; to eat until we explode, and then piece together sufficient gunpowder to make the biggest blast in the neighborhood. If that's not the American Way, I don't know what is! The piece you're about to see includes a 16' tall steel sculpture, dubbed 'Lady Liberty'. She was constructed several years ago for the express purpose of serving as an explosives scaffold. She is demurely wrapped in 70,000 or so firecrackers, with spinners placed strategically at her breasts and navel, and holds a mortar box of another dozen rounds. Beside her, at stage right, is a dizzying testament to the wonders of gunpowder & saltpeter, including mortars, Saturn Missiles, and who knows what. This link will take you to the video- it's about 12 minutes long, and needs a minute or so to load, so you've been warned! independence-day-2008-web. Kick back, crank…Read more
-
The Value of Taking the Long View
July 2, 2008 /If you pay attention to any real estate related news headlines these days, it certainly sounds like THE SKY IS FALLING!. It seems the safest option would be to sit on your predictably rising average rent payment of $1350/mo., and wait for interest rates, the cost of living, gas, and housing to drop back to where they should be. That's what I would have done- 14 years ago. Or at least that was my plan. My wife had other ideas. We'd been paying $690/mo for an 1100sf 2 bedroom, 1-3/4 bath Wedgwood apartment. It was a block from the local Safeway, the bus stopped at the front door, and was within easy reach of downtown Seattle. We were comfortable, and after 3 years there, I saw no sense in nearly doubling our housing allotment to over $1200/mo. (We didn't have much of a down payment) to move 12 miles away, into the 'burbs', or as our Ballard friends called it, "Canada". We saw about 35 homes before our agent, Linda, called one evening to say, "this is it, it's just come on the market, and you'd better run up here to see it, now!" We'd familiarized ourselves with the area…Read more
-
Free Diamonds!
June 23, 2008 /Have you got a dream? I mean a gnaw-at-your-brain, tried-to-forget-it, leave-me-alone kind of wishful fantasy that fires your imagination some days, and tantalizes you with its out-of-reach nature on others. Many of us here in the Northwest, in spite of having seen our share of liquid sunshine, are still drawn to the many lakes, streams, rivers, and salt water frontages that abound in our glorious corner of the world. There is something primal about the urge to live near water- it's truly a gut level need for many. I count myself among those who dream of waking to the sight of a sailboat bobbing at anchor outside my own front door, or stepping off the deck of my small fishing cabin, fly rod in hand, for a day on the stream. I alternate between these twin romances and honestly couldn't choose between them if my life depended on it. A former client of mine had a term for the dancing flickers of light refracted off water that define the essence of the waterfront experience: He called those flashes and sparkles "free diamonds". I love the evocative image of that phrase, as it encapsulates for me the dream of finding a…Read more
