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  • Why You Should Always Hire a Real Estate Agent

    June 24, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Many years ago, I lived and worked in France. I met my husband there, and we love French culture. However, in general, France does not offer the most, ahem, robust customer service. For example, while on our honeymoon, my husband and I arrived in Paris to discover that the airlines had accidentally rerouted our luggage, and our bags were now soaring off across the European continent. “So,” an airport employee explained, “you will definitely receive your bags in 1 to 12 business days.” We stared at him incredulously. “We’re only going to be staying at our hotel for four days...” “Oui, madame. So, you might receive zee bags in time, or you might not.” “We don’t have any other clothes or underwear.” The airport staff gave the infamous Gallic shrug, expressing the fact that—well—all life is suffering, and so what did we expect? I bring up this story to say two things: first, it can be incredibly frustrating to navigate weird bureaucratic systems. And second, I love working with professionals in their element. I love it when someone is so skilled in their field that, unlike during my honeymoon luggage experience, I can leave my worries behind and enjoy the…Read more

  • How to Build a Real Estate Empire By Age 30: A Conversation With Jon Linders

    June 17, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    As a writer, one of my favorite things is to listen to someone else’s story. Pickett Street also shares a love for people and their stories, which is what makes them such a great team. Real estate, after all, comes down to individual stories and relationships, rather than big faceless companies and automated transactions. This past week, I had the opportunity to listen to Jon Linders’ story. In 2012, Jon decided to take advantage of the buyers market and reached out Pickett Street’s lead buyers agent Jillian Farrar. He bought a new three-bedroom townhouse for $230,000 with a 10% down payment. Jon lived there with two friends in order to more quickly pay down his mortgage. After a year, Jon had saved enough to buy a $120,000 condo. In order to save money on property management fees, he managed the property himself. In 2016, he moved out into a 400-square-foot apartment so he could rent both the townhouse and the condo. Finally, in 2018, he used the cash flow from this rental income to buy a two-story, single-family home for $500,000, where he now lives happily with his dog. Here’s what Jon had to say about his experiences. You’re my…Read more

  • Community Highlights: Mackenzie Banta

    June 12, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Pickett Street Properties is dedicated to serving the community and is highlighting businesses and community members that are dedicated to doing the same. In this highlight we are excited to share about Mackenzie Banta, Owner of Well With Mac. Here is her story: I became a certified health coach after teaching yoga and instructing fitness for a few years because I noticed so many of my clients struggle to reach their health goals with exercise alone. I knew from my independent health studies and my own weight loss journey that exercise is only part of the healthy lifestyle equation, so I went for the extra training to coach behavior change encompassing nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle factors.  My business is a health coaching business created to facilitate my work helping people transform their lives through nutrition and exercise to create an overall healthier life. My mission is to empower millennial women to heal their bodies from the inside out with balanced and personalized nutrition, functional and fun movement, and transformative coaching. What I love most about what I do is watching people start to love and respect their bodies again. It's not just their bodies that change, it's their mind, their outlook and their expressions. I find…Read more

  • Guide to Farmers Markets

    June 7, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    What’s on your menu this weekend? Hopefully your meals involve asparagus, raspberries, blueberries, apricots, greens, or any of Washington’s other June produce. I’m currently drooling over this braised pork belly, these short ribs, and these scallops and snap pea risotto. Also, how refreshing does this sparkling summer beverage look? If you don’t have cooking plans yet, you might want to explore one of the Puget Sound area’s many farmers markets. Whether you just moved to your neighborhood, or whether you have been a local for years, perusing farmers markets is one of the best ways to get to know your community. To celebrate the first week of June, here’s Pickett Street’s favorite local farmers markets. Check out the complete list of Washington markets here.   Ballard Farmers Market When: Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., year round Where: Ballard Avenue NW between Vernon Place and 22nd Avenue What makes it special: Ballard was Seattle’s first year-round neighborhood farmers market. In addition to produce, this market offers fresh donuts, flowers, as well as eateries such as Tandoori Naan.   Capitol Hill Farmers Market When: Sundays, year round Where: Broadway Ave E and E Pine Str What makes it special: This market…Read more

  • Three Creative Strategies to Afford a Down Payment

    June 4, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    We’ve discussed before how today many home buyers are skipping the 20 percent down payment. Even so, with prime buying and selling season upon us once again, let’s revisit this critical information. Helping potential home buyers realize they need less than they think to invest in a home might just be one of our favorite topics.  While making a larger down payment certainly offers benefits—namely, a lower monthly mortgage bill—2019’s reality can make this financial feat difficult. According to the Seattle Times, “In the seven years since the housing crash ended, home values in more than three-quarters of U.S. metro areas have climbed faster than incomes.” A recent survey from Country Financial shows that 40 percent of buyers say the greatest financial barrier to owning a home is affording the down payment.  Nerdwallet recommends not emptying your savings to find money for the down payment and closing costs. This will only leave you on financially shaky ground after you buy the home. What to do, then, if investing in real estate is one of the best ways to earn passive income, but you don’t have the cash to get started? Even if the 20 percent down payment seems impossible, you…Read more

  • 3 Design Trends to Rejuvenate Your Home This Spring

    May 24, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    According to author Leo Tolstoy, “spring is the time of plans and projects.” And so, every spring, I fight the urge to Marie-Kondo my entire home to the extreme—giving away all furniture, books, clothes, and knick-knacks in exchange for a more spacious fresh start. My husband usually quietly follows my tornado path around the house, taking rather critical things like our TV out of my give-away boxes and placing them back where they belong. Luckily, there are many easier and less extreme ways to breathe fresh air into your home. Rather than getting rid of everything, for example, you might paint your kitchen walls a splashy color, or indulge in some new houseplants. Below is our guide to the hottest 2019 home design trends to help you revive your home this spring. 1. Living coral and other bold colors The color and design firm Pantone declared “living coral” to be the official color for 2019. This is good news, because this color is absolutely joyful. The Spruce offers some pretty options for incorporating this rosy shade into your home, from painting the walls to including a few simple pops of color with accent pillows. Pantone’s spring/summer 2019 color trends are…Read more

  • Get Outside: Pickett Street’s Outdoor Entertainment Guide for Summer 2019

    May 20, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Who needs to travel when your home state was recently ranked the best state in the country? According to US News and World Report, Washington’s position as a “tech powerhouse,” the fact that it has the fastest growing economy, and its commitment to clean energy make this the best spot to call home.  As such, let’s celebrate the Puget Sound area’s excellence with a guide to outdoor events. This summer, the Pickett Street team encourages you to get outside, kick off your shoes, and enjoy the salty sunshine as much as possible. Also—if you need a hand buying or selling a home in the Puget Sound area this summer, get in touch with the team by phone 425-502-5397 or by email at info@pickettstreet.com.  Outdoor Theater Nerd that I am, every summer I try to find a discounted Shakespeare performance at an outdoor theater. There’s nothing quite like sitting in the still, cool summer dusk to watch the stars come out as a story unfolds on stage. Here’s the complete guide to outdoor theater in Seattle this summer. A few of highlights include: 1. Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Romeo and Juliet Cost: FREE When: July 11th-August 11th Where: various parks around the…Read more

  • Cat’s Out Of The Bag: Everett Is Growing And Very Cool

    May 17, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Just in time for spring gardens and lawns, one of Pickett Street’s latest listings features a cozy Riverside Everett home with an outdoor space full of potential. This cash-only, two-bedroom, one-bath listing also has a wood stove to warm the main living space, the sweetest loft, and hardwood floors. About a 45 minute drive from downtown Seattle, Everett sits on the Puget Sound in Snohomish County. The city is currently experiencing exciting renovations—Everett recently approved a development plan for a mixed-use waterfront on the site of a former landfill. This waterfront will include a specialty grocery store, a movie theater, and condo and multi-family home units, as well as a large park, trails, and a wetland restoration. As one resident commented, “It has been a bit of a secret that the city has been improving and getting way cooler and part of me wishes it had stayed that way to keep it from getting crowded but the cat is out of the bag.” Get in touch with Pickett Street if you’re interested in this new listing, or in buying or selling other properties in Everett (425-502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com). In the meantime, here’s more about the surrounding area.  What to Do…Read more

  • Mixing Friends and Business: Why It’s Actually a Good Idea

    May 6, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Contrary to what others may think, I’m a big fan of mixing friends and business. When I got married last year, one of my best friends, who is a professional wedding photographer, took our photos. The best part of this arrangement was how comfortable I felt with her as she snapped pictures all day. She also provided extra love and reassurance whenever the day became a tiny bit—or, let’s be honest, very—stressful. (And she still enjoyed dancing and champagne at the end of the night!)  In the real estate business, family and friends of real estate professionals often hire an outside realtor rather than their loved one. Essentially, they’re afraid that anything going wrong during the real estate transaction will damage their personal relationship.  Margaret Smith comments that this situation has happened several times for Pickett Street. “It’s so hard to watch,” she says, “because most of the time they end up picking some random person they met at an open house—and this agent doesn't have a great track record.”  These days, it’s easy for our lives to feel devoid of real connection—Amazon can deliver practically anything to your home in two days, and online communication replaces many face-to-face experiences. …Read more

  • Community Highlights: Kristina’s Bake Shop

    April 29, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Pickett Street Properties is dedicated to serving the community and is highlighting businesses and community members that are dedicated to doing the same.  In this highlight we are excited to share about Kristina’s Bake Shop out of Kirkland, WA. She is a wife, mommy, and lover of sweets. Here is Kristina’s story: Before I officially started baking, I was a first grade teacher for over seven years; but decided to take a break to raise our children.  During that time I began baking more and more for friends and family.  Every get together was a chance to whip up something yummy to share with the people I love.   I opened Kristina’s Bake Shop three years ago and have been loving every minute.  What started out as baking for friends, has turned into baking for friends of friends, referrals, and even for events at the Woodmark Hotel.   What I love about baking is that it lets my creative juices flow, and can feel very therapeutic.  As I child I always loved to bake with my Oma, she would drop everything to bake with me, and even as a college student I would go and spend time with her baking.  When…Read more

  • Letting Go Just Might Be the Secret

    April 26, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Okay, time for some life reflection. We recently visited a friend who moved to the mountains. Within a month, she had spontaneously discovered and moved to her new home: a mountain-ranch-style one-story with a huge wrap-around deck, two wood-burning stoves, and wood-paneling giving off cozy 1970s retro vibes. Located in a small rural town of under 7,000 people, her home sat at the end of a steep dirt road deep in the mountain forests. While we enjoyed the sharp piney air and the surrounding blue spruces, our friend served us freshly smoked river trout and cold beer. When the stars appeared, they looked like a movie-version of stars. “I am sooooo jealous of this spot!” I gushed again and again, starting to realize that I have actually been feeling rather unhappy with my own living situation—one half of a duplex in the city. Not a bad home, by any means, but also not a dream home. Our friend replied that, at first, she had a few panic attacks about the decision to leave her whole life behind and move to the mountains. One panic attack occurred while she was moving in during the snowiest month of January; the U-haul full…Read more

  • Are You Pickett Street’s Next Superhero Agent?

    April 22, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Pickett Street is growing! The team currently seeks sale agents who are highly driven, self-motivated, and committed to personal development, team players, self-managers, and who have a trajectory of success.  If you believe that you fit into this criteria, email your resume to info@pickettstreet.com. The group interview is May 1st, and there are still 10 spots available. After screening your resume, if accepted, you will receive a confirmation email with details on the group interview’s location and time  In the meantime, here are a few more reasons why Pickett Street is such a unique place to work. 1. They ooze creativity. Due to the team’s energy and innovation, Pickett Street stands out from other similar work environments. A few examples of this creativity: Margaret Smith and Jesse ’s podcast Finely Clicked, which discusses everything from real estate to healthy business practices to ASMR and whiskey (yes, this podcast is just as informative, silly, and awesome as it sounds). Pickett Street loves other forms of out-of-the-box thinking, too. From helping clients find off-market homes to providing free, monthly home buyers classes, the team loves anything that gets people excited about real estate and life.  Check out their latest event—a house hacking…Read more