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Why A Home Should Be On Your Shopping List
December 7, 2018 /Earlier this week I made a rare trip to the mall to drop off what I assumed would be a quick return. I have grown so accustomed to completing my shopping online, from the comfort of my own home, sipping my coffee and wearing sweatpants, that this trip felt like a real Event. While the return itself took approximately 30 seconds (customer service these days, am I right?), driving around the parking lot looking for a spot took approximately—and this is not even an exaggeration—30 minutes. All this occurred while the mall’s speakers blasted terrible Christmas music at an unnecessarily loud volume. By the end of my search, I was humming weirdly to myself, rocking back and forth in my seat, and—not sound too dramatic but—feeling like I was in trapped in one of Dante’s nine circles of hell. What I mean to say is, the holiday season’s hustle and bustle can quickly become overwhelming. However, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, because the market is calmer and less competitive, late fall and winter can be excellent times to buy a home. How to ease the stress of buying a home during the holiday season, then? First, as…Read more
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Community Highlights: Rob Renfro
November 26, 2018 /Pickett Street Properties is dedicated to serving the community and is highlighting businesses and community members that are dedicated to doing the same. Meet Rob Renfro, the owner of Coastline Home Inspections. He is our preferred home inspector and has helped many of our buyers with their home inspections. Here's his story. . . Having remodeled several homes in Southern California, I felt performing home inspections was something I would enjoy as a career. Upon adopting our first daughter, we made the decision to move to the NW and begin our journey here. (my wife is from Spokane so you can’t hold my So Cal roots against me). After a year of self-study and a lot of hard work to open the doors, I began inspecting homes in 2005. After nearly 600 inspections per year, I’m still passionately learning how our homes function as a system and how we can best maintain them. I have always had a keen eye and a desire to help others through their home buying experience. I enjoy helping buyers navigate the home inspection process - it is both fulfilling and challenging. I love to be part of their discovery and educating them on…Read more
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The Science Behind Gratitude
November 21, 2018 /As most of us in the 21st century know, life can be very stressful. Right now, you might feel anxious about the growing number of emails you need to respond to or the fact that you still haven’t booked those holiday flights. Or, perhaps you’re worried about longer-term issues, such as credit card debt or job security. As Thanksgiving and other holidays approach, it’s especially easy to get caught up in spending money and cramming as many social events into your schedule as possible. However, the answer to these stressors may be simpler than you think. According to a recent Quartz article by Bulletproof Coffee CEO Dave Asprey, “the real power of gratitude is turning off a very unproductive emotion: fear.” Countless studies have shown that gratitude works at the cellular level to significantly decrease stress. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here’s how gratitude can ease stress, boost your health, and increase joy. 1. Decreases fear. According to Quartz, “when you live in a state of fear—such as in the fight or flight mode—the brain secretes two steroid hormones: cortisol and adrenaline.” The National Institute of Health recently conducted a study in which MRIs showed that participants who focused…Read more
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Autonomy Leads to Ownership Thinking
November 21, 2018 /There is a clear correlation between autonomy and motivation. Autonomy leads to ownership thinking. 1. Dictionary Definition: Autonomy is the quality or state of being independent, free and self-directing. 2. My definition of autonomy in the context of a business partnership and company is the ability to carry out a vision however I determine, with the best interest of those it will impact in mind. What that actually looks like: -Weekly meetings with leadership to ensure we're on the same page. -I set my work hours. -I come and go as I determine from my office. -I set the meetings, prioritize my duties, plan and execute in the way I know is most efficient and best. -I create the environment which includes the physical office environment and the mental environment I want (camaraderie). -When given a project and a budget, once I understand the WHY- I execute that project how I determine is best, and however I want. What that doesn't look like: -Someone telling me when I should come and go. -Someone telling me how to organize myself. -Someone telling me how to execute on a project. -Someone telling me I need to check in with them before I execute on something. -Someone telling me how to…Read more
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5 Reasons to Buy Before the New Year
Seattle's forecast predicts crisp days over the weekend. Thanksgiving’s promise of warm food flickers like a light, just around the corner. The Seattle Times has released their holiday event guide. My partner, grumbling-ly, agreed to watch Love Actually with me for approximately the 300th time this weekend. I baked pumpkin bread! As the holiday season approaches, hygge seems to be everywhere. I’ve written about this word before but to recap, the Danish word hygge loosely translates as coziness, comfort, and feelings of wellbeing and contentment. Perhaps you’re still seeking a home with that essential feeling of hygge. Whatever the reason you're interested in buying a new home, you might consider hitting the market now, just in time to settle in before the new year. It’s not too late to buy a home this year! Get in touch with Pickett Street to consult with their experts about your best options (info@pickettstreet.com or 425-502-5397). In the meantime, here are 5 reasons why fall is secretly one of the best times to buy a home. 1. Less competition. Most buyers shop for homes in the spring, which tends to be both an exciting and wild time for the housing market. I don’t know…Read more
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Pickett Street’s Favorite Places to Dine and Unwind
November 9, 2018 /Seattle’s restaurant week, which celebrated the area’s incredible cuisine, ended yesterday. This event got me thinking about how food and local businesses are so inextricably connected to our sense of belonging and home. My husband and I agree that when we find our local bar, restaurant, and coffee shop, we have finally made the neighborhood our home. (Even better is when the owners of these neighborhood businesses start to recognize your dopey-badly-behaved-but cute puppy and give you free fries!) So, in the spirit of Seattle’s restaurant week and of home, I asked Pickett Street’s team to tell me about their favorite local restaurants and bars. Read on for their list of places to unwind and enjoy a homey vibe. Or, if you’re looking to sell or buy a home in this area, get in touch with the team at 425-502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com. Anderson School Hotel - McMenamins in Bothell With locations throughout the Pacific Northwest, McMenamins renovates historic buildings to create homey, quirky spaces to eat, drink, and socialize. Bothell’s Anderson School Hotel is located in the city’s first junior high school, built in 1931. The owners renovated this art-deco style building to preserve its school days vibe, with an adult…Read more
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Community Highlights: Revolve Food & Wine
November 5, 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 about Revolve True Food & Wine Bar located in downtown Bothell. Our team has frequented this restaurant a handful of times during lunch. This couldn’t come at a better time since Seattle Restaurant Week is in the midst! Revolve’s Owner, Dr. Dusty DuBois, shares her story with us: I’ve been a chiropractor in Bothell for 20 years and about 8 years ago I embarked on a weight loss journey called Ideal Protein at Bothell Ideal Weight-Loss. I lost 70 lbs in 7 months and I just craved more information about this process. I had previously dieted and exercised my way to 217 lbs, and just changing the way I ate is what caused the weight loss. I was shocked that it was that easy. So I researched everything I could about food and how it either contributes or degrades our health. Everything kept pointing me to a low carb, grain free lifestyle to support my health goals. After learning what I believe to be the truth, I found…Read more
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Five Ways to Buy a Home With Zero Down
November 2, 2018 /According to NerdWallet, “the 20% mortgage down payment is dead.” The National Association of Realtors reports that, as of 2016, the average down payment was just 11%. For buyers under 35, the average down payment was 8%. Another little-known fact: buyers who are not able to save enough to buy a home can apply for zero down loans. Besides the federal USDA and VA loans, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) offers several zero-down options. Before you do anything else, reach out to Pickett Street to discuss your options with a professional (info@pickettstreet.com or 425-502-53970). Pickett Street encourages those who are interested to stop waiting and buy now, before interest rates rise higher and before the market kicks into its much more competitive spring mode. Next, read on for five ways you can purchase a home with zero down. 1. Seattle Down Payment Assistance Loan Program This program provides up to $55,000 toward a down payment, with payments deferred for 30 years at 3% simple interest. First-time owners buying a home within Seattle city limits whose household income falls below a certain threshold may qualify. For two people, the household income must not exceed $64,200. For one person,…Read more
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In Memory of Paul Allen
October 19, 2018 /Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and owner of the Seattle Seahawks, passed away this past week. Allen battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma off and on for several years. Allen is best known for starting the personal computer revolution. That desktop computer or laptop you’re reading this blog on and can’t imagine life without? Yeah, Allen basically made these machines possible for us. Born in Seattle, Allen attended Lakeside School, where he met his friend and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. According to the school’s tribute, the two friends “got their start in computing while at Lakeside, working from a school teletype terminal and logging the 10,000 hours of practice that would lead to the personal computer revolution. Few on the faculty understood what they were doing, but all were quick to recognize the value of their work…” Allen lived with his mother (how sweet is that?) in a sprawling mansion complex on Mercer Island. However, despite his wealth, Allen was known around the Puget Sound as a generous man who donated to social services and loved sports and arts. After his passing, the tributes and stories have been rolling in. Here are a few of our favorite stories, large and small, about the…Read more
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Community Highlights: Buddha Bruddah
October 17, 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 about Buddha Bruddah. Drea Mizer, Owner, Operations and Catering Manager shares their story: My husband, Mark, and I started our business, Buddha Bruddah, back in December 2014. We started as a food truck. Originally, my husband and his mother were planning to open a food truck together. Unfortunately, she passed away before they could realize the dream together. Mark’s mother had one of the first Thai restaurants in Seattle back in 1982, Rama House on 2nd and Bell, and later also had Rama on Post in Post Alley. Mark grew up working in her restaurants and later took over as General Manager/Owner of the restaurant in Post Alley after his father passed away. I began working in restaurants when I was 15 years old and continued through high school, college and after college. In early 2014, Mark had purchased a food truck and was slowly working on remodeling it when I was unexpectedly laid off from my job as an Operations Manager for a local mortgage company. That is when…Read more
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Affordable and Community-Focused Living with Cohousing
October 12, 2018 /Human beings need each other to survive. However, recent research shows that 22% to 50% of Americans feel socially isolated. Psychologist John Cacioppo says, “We don’t talk about feeling lonely because it is stigmatized. We tend to celebrate individual achievement, with success marked by what we do and not how we live, or give to others.” Claude Fisher, sociologist at UC Berkeley, notes that this loneliness does not have to be a normal part of modern American life. According to Fisher, “Like the mistaken belief that Americans are increasingly rootless and mobile, [we tend to think that] modern life is about disintegration and alienation.” This is not, however, necessarily true. To combat loneliness and social isolation, cohousing communities are popping up all over the world. These communities are especially popular in Scandinavian countries like Denmark, where families and couples of all ages live together on multi-unit properties. Cohousing, however, comes in many forms. To talk to Pickett Street about creative home-buying options, call or email them at info@pickettstreet.com or 425-502-5397. Or, read on for more examples of communal living in the Seattle area. 1. Capital Hill Urban Cohousing Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing allows nine families to live together in eco-friendly…Read more
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Two Big Reasons Why You Should Quit Overthinking and Buy Now
October 8, 2018 /Last night, while chatting with friends over dinner in their lovely Colorado home, they told me something surprising. “We bought our house when we did because we were afraid we wouldn’t be able to afford it in two more years,” they confided. “We just didn’t think about it too much.” As a major over-thinker, this felt like a revelation. I labor over each decision, from purchasing a new brand of toothpaste on Amazon to choosing what to eat for lunch. I often feel anxious about larger decisions to the point of paralysis, failing to take any action at all. While I often think that overthinking protects me, it actually does more harm than good. According to scientific studies—and according to many people’s personal experiences—overthinking can disrupt your sleep and interfere with your problem-solving skills. Sound familiar? An important side note: I am by no means saying you should buy a house without careful thinking and planning. Buyers should absolutely chat with professionals like the Pickett Street team and their mortgage lenders about this major life decision. However, I would like to argue that, sometimes, our anxiety-prone brains get in the way and prevent us from accomplishing our goals. If you…Read more
