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Local Business Highlight: Scout 829
September 11, 2018 /Pickett Street Properties is dedicated to serving the community and is highlighting businesses and community members that are dedicated to doing the same. This week we are excited to share with you about the Scout 829 shop in Bothell, WA. Hi, we're Andrew & Jasmine! We own Scout 829, a handmade gift shop in Country Village Bothell. We carry original paintings, ceramics, jewelry, stationery and home decor. We opened our shop in June 2017 in hopes of creating a "gateway gallery" - a space where people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds could be introduced to the arts in a friendly, non-intimidating environment. We work with talented artisans all over the United States to curate playful pieces that are accessible in both price and approach. We aim to find utilitarian handmade goods that can be used in our visitors' daily lives. Whether it’s a handcrafted leather wallet, a hand-printed printed tote or a hand spun mug, we think each piece in our shop carries a story and adds something special to the recipients’ lives. We think having an appreciation for the arts and craft is such a gift. Jasmine found her love and passion for the arts when she wrote Arts and…Read more
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Three Green Home Movements around the Puget Sound
September 7, 2018 /The Pacific Northwest has a bit of a reputation for its residents’ birkenstock-wearing, granola-crunching, earth-loving ways. In 2018, WalletHub ranked Washington one of the top states for green living. In this eco-conscious region of the country, most residents are eager to protect their natural surroundings--the dense forests, the Puget Sound’s rich waters, and the wildlife that calls these places home. What’s more, increasing numbers of home buyers all over the country are choosing to go green. According to the National Association of Realtors, around 71% of the real estate agents polled said energy efficiency promotion in listings was very or somewhat valuable; 61% said that their clients were at least somewhat interested in sustainability. Perhaps you’re thinking, Yes, that’s great, but what exactly are green homes? Environmentally friendly and sustainable, green homes have energy-efficient designs, materials, and features. Not only can investing in these homes help the environment, it can also help you significantly reduce energy bills and save money. Talk to Pickett Street about your options for buying or selling a green home (info@pickettstreet.com or 425-502-5397). Below you can find details about green homes in the Puget Sound area. 1. Gorgeous and sustainable prefab homes. The Seattle-based company Node…Read more
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Community Highlights: Mark Mount
August 27, 2018 /Pickett Street Properties is dedicated to serving the community and is highlighting businesses and community members that are dedicated to doing the same. This week we are excited to share with you about one of our favorite people at the Keller Williams Bothell office, Lieutenant Mark Mount. “I was born in Port Townsend, Washington because that was the nearest military hospital to Port Angeles where my Dad was stationed in the United States Coast Guard. We moved to the Shoreline area soon thereafter when he enlisted in the United States Navy. When I was 3 years old he left the family and soon after my mother remarried. At 5 years old I was nailing down roofs and decks because my step-father was a general contractor. When I started first grade and from then on during school breaks and summers I worked construction on homes, apartments, and commercial buildings doing framing, sheathing, roofing, cement flatwork and foundation work, oiling forms, and site clean- up until graduation from high school in 1969. My neighbor was a physician and because neither of his sons wanted to become doctors, he offered to send me to medical school as I had the grades and aptitude. I had…Read more
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Find Your Calm with a West Seattle Waterfront Home
August 22, 2018 /Many of you have probably experienced it--that feeling of calm that arrives while near the water. Whether it’s a rushing creek, the Puget Sound, or just a neighborhood pool, water has long been associated with a zen-like peace. Staring at the ocean or a large body of water has a meditative effect on the mind and boosts your mood. According to psychologists, the sounds of water “activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for slowing us down and allowing us to relax and feel more engaged.” Breathing in salt air is also good for you; in places like waterfalls and the ocean, the air contains negative ions. Many health experts believe that negative ions have healing properties, especially for people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder. Because water is so calming and powerful, waterfront homes are special spaces. Pickett Street’s latest listing, a gorgeous West Seattle waterfront home, features enormous windows to let you take in the views and fresh salt air. Read on for the details about this home. Or, feel free to get in touch with Pickett Street’s Jesse Moore at 425-502-5397. The Home: This stunning, custom-built modern home is a paragon of West Seattle waterfront living.…Read more
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Local Business Highlight: Hillcrest Bakery
August 13, 2018 /Pickett Street Properties is dedicated to serving the community and is highlighting businesses and community members that are dedicated to doing the same. This week we are excited to share with you about the Hillcrest Bakery in Bothell and the Kaskes’ family. Hillcrest Bakery has been part of the Bothell community since 1934. The Kaskes family started their traditions in Wormer, The Netherlands back in 1838 where Peter Kaskes learned baking from his father. Peter met his love, Leida, at a Carnival Festival performing a folk dance routine. Afterwards, Peter offered to walk Leida home and that was it, they were together from that moment forward. Peter and Leida married just after WWII, had their six children and moved to Bothell, WA after Peter heard that a bakery called “Hillcrest” was looking for a skilled baker. Peter Kaskes purchased Hillcrest Bakery in 1965 and the Kaskes’ have been proudly serving Bothell ever since. Today, there are three generations working at Hillcrest Bakery: Leida, her sons Peter and Bob, her daughter Barbara and her grandchildren Neal and Chazz. Hillcrest Bakery specializes in Dutch pastries, breads, cakes and cookies! Our home is right on Main Street in Downtown Bothell under the blue awning. The…Read more
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Three Tips to Escape Summer Heat in Seattle
August 10, 2018 /The Puget Sound area has shifted into full summer mode, and it feels (and tastes!) glorious. The blueberries are fat and sweet, and on the Kitsap Peninsula, Local Boys’ special orange creamsicle melon tastes exactly like an orange creamsicle, except better. Plus, taking a dip in the Sound feels a bit less bone-shatteringly glacial than usual. However, it’s no news that Washingtonians aren’t exactly accustomed to heat, and that they tend to wilt when temperatures rise above a mild 70 degrees. In fact, since it only gets this hot for about a month or so each year, only one third of Seattle homes have air conditioning. According to the Weather Channel, this is lowest percentage of households with air conditioning of the 41 metros included in a United States census survey. Even so–who needs air conditioning when you have an entire state full of beaches, rivers, and other shady spots? To help you both escape the heat and make the most of these gorgeous and fleeting summer days, the list below offers a few cool tips. To talk to Pickett Street about real estate in this Puget Sound paradise, get in touch with them at info@pickettstreet.com or 425-502-5397. 1. Get…Read more
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It’s About You: You’re the Hero in this Story
August 3, 2018 /You may have noticed that Pickett Street does things a little differently. They are both technologically-savvy and experienced. They prioritize creative, innovative thinking. And they encourage bold ideas and love helping their clients pursue their dreams, no matter how big. For evidence of this, check out their most recent listing, which is an actual blueberry farm. I’m not sure real estate can get much more more charming or dreamier than that. If you’re ready to talk to the team about your unique real estate goals, give them a call at (425) 502-5397 or shoot them an email at info@pickettstreet.com. In the meantime, I recently chatted with Director of Operations Margaret Smith to find out exactly what makes them so special. 1. How is Pickett Street different than other real estate companies? Pickett Street Properties is a team of experts committed to revolutionizing real estate. “We believe that the single real estate model is broken; there are too many details to be entrusted to any one singular person during the course of a transaction. We believe that the team model is better equipped to represent buyers and sellers in this marketplace.” Margaret explained that the average real estate agent closes 4-8…Read more
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Local Business Highlight: Wildwood Spirits Co.
Pickett Street Properties is dedicated to serving the community and is highlighting businesses and community members that are dedicated to doing the same. This week we are excited to share with you about the Wildwood Spirits Company in Bothell, WA and the Co-Owner & Distiller, Erik Liedholm. From Erik: “I was always a spirits “enthusiast” and made odd spirits from an old Portuguese pot still. As the legislation on alcohol production changed for restaurant owners - my enthusiasm changed to passion and purpose. I wanted to learn all I could about spirit production. I learned from THE guru on craft distilling, Chris Burglund who, as it turned out, was a Bio-Chemist at my Alma Mater, Michigan State University. We did some initial beta tests on campus and eventually created our first batch of spirits from material sent from Washington to Michigan. I later enrolled and received my Master Distilling diploma from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling in London, UK. I also did some work at a couple of London distilleries. Our name Wildwood Spirits Co. is derived from the street I grew up on in East Lansing Michigan. In fact, the entire project is wrapped up in nostalgia from my…Read more
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Live Laugh Love Farm: On Big Dreams and Pickett Street’s Latest Listing
July 30, 2018 /I recently listened to a podcast about rulebreakers. According to social scientist Francesca Gino, "Rebels are people who break rules that should be broken. They break rules that hold them and others back, and their way of rule breaking is constructive rather than destructive. It creates positive change." I first started believing in constructive rule breaking and out-of-the-box thinking several years ago when one of my dear friends started her own small flower and veggie farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Starting a farm was my friend’s longtime dream. She worked hard and saved money for this goal, and then one day she found the right property and just went for it. During a period when many of our friends were going to graduate school, getting married, or working in more traditional jobs, she was, in a sense, a bit of a rule breaker. I say all of this to explain why Pickett Street’s latest listing is so exciting to me. The property is a blueberry farm north of Seattle. Below is more information about why it’s such a perfect spot for fulfilling big, perhaps slightly off-the-beaten path dreams. If you’re ready to find out more, reach out to Pickett Street…Read more
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Community Highlights
July 13, 2018 /Pickett Street Properties is dedicated to serving the community and is going highlight businesses and community members that are dedicated to doing the same. Our second highlight is a wonderful woman who spends her time spreading her positive energy and happiness. The Pickett Street team has the honor of seeing her everyday as she shares the same office building as us. Meet Julie: "Hi, my name is Julie Yost and I’ve been with “Curtis, Casteel & Palmer” about 16 months now. I am an “Escrow Assistant”, however, the skill set I’ve brought to this job have been sculpted by years of taking risks, trying new things, asking questions, meeting great people, and saying yes to new opportunities, which in turn has brought me to this place that I am loving right now. I have literally done so many different things in my life, but the one common denominator has always been people. The delight and joy I find in speaking with, supporting, walking side by side and encouraging or teaching people, is who I truly am. I started in this line of work about 6 years ago when my good friend started a mobile notary signing business, and she wanted me to walk with her…Read more
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The Pickett Street Team’s Guide to Seattle Summers
July 5, 2018 /Are you thinking about moving to the Seattle area this summer? (We say, go for it!) Or, did you recently move to the Seattle area? (Welcome!) Or, perhaps you’ve been here several years, but need to explore some new places. (The area is full of hidden gems.) Whatever your situation, Pickett Street has you covered this summer. We’ve put together a handy summer guide to eating, drinking, and getting outside in the Seattle area. Take a look at the team’s favorite summer spots below, then get out and explore some of these places this weekend. To buy a home in this clearly amazing area, and to chat with the Pickett Street team, get in touch with them today at info@pickettstreet.com or (425) 502-5397. Also, check out our list of farmers markets in the area and three things that make living in Washington so special. Jillian Farrar, Lead Buyers Agent Favorite spot for food and drinks: The Watershed Pub and Kitchen in the Northgate neighborhood. Favorite spot to get outside: Waverly Beach Park in Kirkland–there is a dock for easy kayak entry, a beach for digging, and a new play area. Favorite summer memory: Camping in the Mount Rainier National Park…Read more
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Where to Spend Your Fourth of July Around the Puget Sound
June 28, 2018 /One year my brothers and I took the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle, then trekked over to Gas Works Park to watch the fireworks over Lake Union. We sat on a blanket in the grass for several hours waiting for it to get dark, which meant we had ample time for people watching. Families, couples, and friends kicked off their shoes, drank beer, ate plates of fried fish from Ivar’s, and sunbathed like bats emerging from a dark cave. A shirtless man did yoga in the grass. I watched as–I kid you not–a woman fed bits of crab meat to her cat on a leash (the woman and cat left before the fireworks). To summarize, everyone was just doing what Washingtonians do best–enjoying the fleeting sunshine and being weird and merry. The Puget Sound is one of the best places to spend the Fourth of July. The weather is usually mild. You can watch fireworks over the Sound or over one of the area’s many lakes. Also, the streets flow with delicious seafood, produce, wine, and beer. Here’s a list of Fourth of July events around the Puget Sound to help you make the most of this holiday. Seafair Summer…Read more
