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  • Three Things That Make Living in Washington State so Special

    April 13, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    When my family moved to the Seattle area from the East Coast back in the early 90s, Starbucks was quickly becoming the new standard for coffee, though it had yet to take over the rest of the country (and world). For us east-coasters, cappuccinos, lattes, and americanos were the most exotic beverages. Also in the 90s, Washington companies Microsoft and Amazon were just starting to boom, and grunge music was at its peak. Washington was special back then, and continues to be special today. With all of the recent buzz about its hot and competitive real estate market, I thought it might be nice to clarify what exactly makes the Puget Sound and Seattle areas so great. 1. Mountains, water, and forever-green trees Almost everyone describes the gorgeous natural scenery as one of the biggest perks of living in the Seattle area. Third-generation Washingtonian Mary Smith notes that she loves “being able to see the mountains, listening to the train as it makes its way north on the tracks by the water, and watching the ferry boats on the Puget Sound.” She adds, “I love it when it rains–the air is clear and the trees are forever green.” With the…Read more

  • Seattle Real Estate Update: What to Expect in Spring 2018

    March 22, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    I took a walk around my Denver neighborhood last weekend and–in addition to Colorado’s usual bizarre spring weather of sunshine plus wind and snow–noticed several open houses and even more for-sale signs posted in front yards. The spring buying season is here. As we enter this season, here’s the latest Seattle real estate and mortgage news. 1. Mortgage rates decreased. After increasing throughout January and February, long-term mortgage rates recently slipped from 4.46 percent to 4.44 percent. (This time last year, the long-term mortgage rate was slightly lower at 4.3 percent.) Fixed-rate mortgages also recently decreased from 3.94 to 3.9 percent. These decreases are good news for those buying or selling homes right now; lower mortgage rates tend to motivate individuals who are on the fence to finally buy. 2. Interest on home loans is still partially deductible. Many homeowners have had questions about how the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would affect their ability to deduct interest from home equity loans and lines of credit. (Check out our blog post from earlier this year for more about how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will affect you). Responding to these questions from homeowners, the IRS recently issued a…Read more

  • Smart, Creative Ways to Use the Cash After Selling Your Home

    March 16, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Unsurprisingly, 2017’s hot real estate market has carried over to 2018, and while the market isn’t getting any hotter, it’s also not getting any cooler. For more information, check out our blogs on why it’s good to be a seller right now and on why you should sell your home early in 2018. While letting go of your property might be emotional and uncertain at first, this decision has several amazing perks. One particularly exciting perk: in today’s seller’s market, it’s likely that selling your home will lead to some extra cash. Here are a few creative suggestions concerning what to do with the cash and what you have to look forward to after selling your home. (If you are looking to sell, let Pickett Street help you with this process. Get in touch with them at (425) 502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com.) 1. Buy another home. The most common choice for home sellers is to put the cash they’ve earned through a home sale toward a down payment on a new home. While you should carefully consider what’s right for you and for your family, buying another property is usually a smart, sound way to invest your cash. 2. Pay off…Read more

  • Kenmore’s Moorlands Neighborhood: Country Living With Modern Conveniences

    March 9, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    This week, I get to talk about one of my favorite things to write about for Pickett Street: listings for new homes. I love interior design, and I find it very exciting to imagine the family or individual who gets to call each new listing their home. And this newly listed 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath, 2,200-square-foot Moorlands home is particularly lovely. With hardwood floors, an open floor plan, a spacious kitchen, a gas fireplace, and a master bedroom with a big walk-in closet, double sinks, and a soaking tub, the home’s features radiate comfort and peaceful living. Other perks include a large deck, a fully fenced backyard, and a highly convenient location. Kenmore’s Moorlands neighborhood sits between Inglemoor and Inglewood. Tucked away in the northeastern corner of Lake Washington, Kenmore was founded in 1901 by Scottish settlers, which perhaps explains the origins of the neighborhood name. While it doesn’t exactly have foggy moors or Scottish castles, the city is home to excellent schools in the Northshore school district, beautiful parks, and a generally safe, peaceful atmosphere. Here’s some more information about the listing and the area. (Make sure to also check out our neighborhood profile on Kenmore.) Neighborhood Vibe In 2018, Kenmore…Read more

  • How Technology is Changing Real Estate

    February 23, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    While writing this blog, I am listening to "productivity" music on Spotify. Earlier this morning, I drank my coffee while watching YouTube recaps of Olympic figure skating and texting my girlfriends about how much we love Adam Rippon. I also ordered household supplies to be delivered in two days through Amazon, budgeted with the app Mint, and communicated with clients via email. And yes, I did most of these things simultaneously. We truly live in the future. As technology quickly and dramatically changes how we navigate our daily lives, here are four ways it’s also changing the world of real estate. 1. Real estate agents as the critical human connection Many prospective buyers research and shop around for potential listings online. According to National Association of Realtors (NAR), 51 percent of home buyers in 2017 found their home through listings on the Internet. By the time buyers consult with an agent, they often already have an idea of the listings in which they are interested. However, this does not in any way diminish the critical role of real estate agents in the home buying process. In 2017, 88 percent of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or…Read more

  • Three Reasons To Fall in Love with Real Estate

    February 15, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    While we’re celebrating love this week–whether that’s enjoying a candlelit dinner with your partner, grabbing pizza with friends, or snuggling up on the couch with Netflix and takeout–let’s talk about other forms of love. Namely, let’s discuss love for investing in real estate. In my time working as a writer for Pickett Street, I’ve witnessed and felt inspired by how much everyone on their team truly loves working in the real estate world. I’ve also learned that there is something magical about investing in real estate. This is not to say that this investment doesn’t have its challenges–like all things worth loving, it does–but to say that it’s an incredibly rewarding lifelong practice. If you’re already thinking, “Yes! I’m in love! Sign me up!”, then get in touch with Pickett Street ((425) 502-5397) or info@pickettstreet.com) to buy or sell a home in the Seattle area. If you need more convincing, here are three reasons to love real estate. 1. Owning property generates income. Forbes notes that one of real estate’s main benefits is that it allows you to generate significant income without having to sell your investment. While stocks and bonds both yield about 2%, real estate allows you to…Read more

  • What to Know About the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

    February 9, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Recent changes stemming from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act may feel, as taxes sometimes do, a bit confusing. Luckily, Pickett Street and their preferred mortgage lender Cody Touchette of Caliber Home Loans are here with the breakdown of how recent tax changes will affect you. Keep in mind that most of these changes will not affect you until it's time to file 2018 taxes (the taxes you will file in 2019). For more information about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Cody recommends this helpful link. 1.  Standard deduction. According to the Washington Post, the new tax law increases the standard deduction to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for joint filers. This means that, for many homeowners, it will no longer make sense to itemize deductions. Zillow broke it down for the Washington D.C. area: under the old tax law, it made sense for 98 percent of homeowners to itemize, while under the new law, it only makes sense for 64 percent of homeowners to itemize. 2.  Mortgage interest deductions. If you bought your home on or after December 15th, 2017, then you can claim a maximum interest of $750,000 for each secured primary residence. If you bought your home before December 15th,…Read more

  • Keller Williams Ranks as the Happiest Company

    February 2, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Like most people these days, I’ve worked in several different jobs. While all of these jobs were stepping stones, some were stranger than others. In high school, I was a cashier for a retail chain that shall remain unnamed, and I remember that they didn’t allow employees to keep a water bottle at the register with us. In college, I worked for a woman who ran her own business, which appeared to be some kind of pyramid scheme. She mostly wanted me to create a spreadsheet of her airline credit cards and frequent flyer miles. One summer I worked for my college’s environmental health and safety officer and spent long days in the basement researching conspiracy theories about disease on the internet at his request. That was a weird summer. Later in my twenties, I spent a lot of time thinking about happiness, and how this relates to my work. I personally derive satisfaction and happiness from working as a writer and as a teacher–perhaps because both of these jobs mean that I get to drink water at my desk whenever I want and that I don’t have to spend hours in windowless basements researching conspiracy theories or sorting through…Read more

  • Hi, I’m Ansley, And I’m a First-Time Home Buyer

    January 26, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    I’ve been writing for the awesome Pickett Street Properties Team for nearly a year now, and it seems I’m overdue for a personal introduction. Hello! My name is Ansley. I’m a teacher and a writer. I'm also a first-time home buyer. I spent most of my life in the Seattle area before moving to Colorado for graduate school. While I fell hard for Colorado’s snowy mountains, sunshine, and blue skies (seriously--you haven’t seen the sky until you’ve experienced it out here!) it’s my dream to move back to the Seattle area. I’m good at drinking a lot of coffee while watching the Great British Baking Show and reading New York Times articles in bed. I’m also good at whining at my partner to bring me things like socks and chocolate and more coffee so that I don’t have to get out of bed. I’m lucky that I have the most patient partner in the world. I love running and hiking in the mountains with my deaf puppy. I love learning and writing about the world in all its complexities. And now, a personal anecdote. A few weeks ago, my partner and I received the catering contract for our upcoming June…Read more

  • Seattle Real Estate Update: What to Expect from 2018

    January 15, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    As you let go of 2017, look forward to 2018, and reassess your life and goals, you may wonder what’s in store for the Seattle real estate market over the next year. 2017 was an exciting and wild year; Seattle was named the hottest real estate market in the country and home prices rose 13.4 percent, which is more than twice the national average rate of 5.9% for home price growth. So, if you are looking to buy or sell a home in the greater Seattle area, what can you expect from the market over the next year? First, you should find a great agent who can help you. Second, check out these predictions for the coming year. 1. Lower mortgage rates will make it easier to buy a home. Long-term mortgage rates recently fell from 3.99% to 3.95% (a year ago the averages rates were 4.20%). The average rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages also recently fell from 3.44% to 3.38%. According to the Seattle times, these relatively low rates can help homebuyers offset the rising costs of real estate and make it easier to afford a home. 2. Seattle, in case you haven’t heard, is very cool. According to…Read more

  • Five New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home

    January 5, 2018 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    I love that each year New Year’s Day and the month of January bring transformation, renewal, and possibility. As everyone returns to work after the holiday bustle and the weather in Seattle remains chilly and gray, the world feels quiet and peaceful. While we tend to focus on New Year resolutions that have to do with career, health, happiness, etc, we often overlook resolutions for one of the most important spaces in our lives–our homes. Setting and achieving goals for your home can significantly improve your finances and your general wellbeing (for more about the connections between architectural spaces and mood, check out this fascinating article). Here are a few of our favorite New Year’s resolutions for your home in 2018. 1. Create a budget for home improvements. Because it’s easy to rack up credit card charges when working on home improvement projects, this is the best place to start. Create a list of projects in order of priority. Be sure to devise a home improvement budget each year–HouseLogic suggests that the owner of a $250,000 home set aside $2,500 to $7,500 per year for maintenance and repairs. 2. Cut your energy use. Energy Star has an informative guide to…Read more

  • Pickett Street’s Favorite Holiday Memories

    December 22, 2017 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    My parents recently moved out of the house they lived in for many years. Though this change felt a bit sad, when I visited them this past week, I saw that they had worked hard to make this new space just as cozy as ever with candles, fuzzy blankets, board games, and tickets to see Star Wars (the family who nerds out together stays together!). With Hanukkah and the winter solstice this past week and Christmas next week, it’s the perfect time to relax and reflect. To get into the holiday spirit, I chatted with the Pickett Street Team about their favorite memories and strategies for making their homes feel festive. Sarah, Team Administrator Favorite holiday memories: Going on car rides to look at Christmas lights, getting all the Christmas decorations out, playing in the snow for hours on end with my sister, making quilts with my mom, watching Christmas movies with the family–mostly Christmas Vacation because my Grandpa John laughs so hard during the squirrel scene. Holiday rituals today: I am the person who busts out the Christmas decorations the day after Halloween because I want to enjoy it as long as possible. I have a collection of those…Read more