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Community Highlights: Cody Touchette
October 8, 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 from our very own preferred lender, Cody Touchette! My story really starts before I became a mortgage professional. I graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in finance and put that to use by managing a jewelry store for a large national company. I enjoyed that position for a few years, was awarded a few promotions, but eventually found myself bored. Two things happened that drove me to begin my mortgage career. First, I bought my first house and thought the mortgage process could have been way easier and smoother than what I had experienced. Second, I saw a friend over the holidays who was a mortgage broker and he gave me the encouragement I needed to try it out. The rest is history! I currently run a team of nine amazing and talented mortgage professionals, The Touchette Team, at Caliber Home Loans, Inc. We work in mortgage lending, purchase, refinancing and investment strategies. Our team’s mission is two-part: help people attain the dream of homeownership and then change their financial…Read more
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Fall Reflection and the Luxurious Cameo Heights Mansion
October 2, 2018 /Autumn often feels like a period that calls for deep inner reflection. This week, I’ve found myself daydreaming about future travels and thinking about how I want my daily routines to look. Pickett Street's Sarah Troske and her bodybuilding journey inspired me to think about how these small, daily details add up to the big things. As Sarah says, “our daily decisions are either taking us closer or further away from our goals.” How are you doing this fall? Do your daily routines feel fulfilling? Are your daily decisions bringing you closer to your dreams? Perhaps, as summer’s adventures end and fall’s chill settles, you’ve realized you need a change of scenery, work, or lifestyle. If this is the case, Pickett Street can help you think about your options for buying or selling your home (info@pickettstreet.com or 425-502-5397). While you’re thinking about your options, check out this newest listing, a breathtaking 11,000 square foot bed and breakfast retreat in southeastern Washington. The Listing Nestled in the heart of Washington’s wine country, Cameo Heights Mansion overlooks 300 acres of vineyards, orchards, and the Walla Walla river. Pickett Street says that “this stunning and unique location, removed from city noise and bright…Read more
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Local Business Highlight: Beardslee Public House
September 24, 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 from Jed La Prade, the Executive Chef at Beardslee Public House. Tell us about your journey/story - When/why/how you got started: Always have loved food and cooking. When I was younger I would work all week then head up to the cabin with groceries and spend all weekend cooking for friends. The thought occurred to me that instead of working all week just to get to the weekend, I could turn something I loved in to a career. I enrolled in culinary school and began my journey. After 10 years of fine dining, the opportunity came up to open a completely new concept where I would be able to invent food that would pair with great beer. What could be more fun! Why you do what you do / What is your mission/vision statement? Our mission is to become the best brew pub in the Northwest. We do this with good food, great beer and awesome people. We make food that is fun and have service that is warm and welcoming. What do you love…Read more
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Pickett Street’s Bodybuilding Queen
September 21, 2018 /The Pickett Street Team includes some highly passionate, motivated individuals. This week, I was able to chat with Sarah Troske, the team’s Transaction Coordinator and resident kick-ass, glam hero. On Saturday, October 6, Sarah will participate in the Washington IronMan Natural Bodybuilding Championships, which sounds, as I sit here in my sweatpants eating cereal, nothing short of amazing. According to Sarah (Pickett Street's Bodybuilding Queen), the show is “all tan, glam, and muscles—where the body becomes art, and the competitors show off their masterpieces.” Sarah says that the show is pure entertainment: each competitor performs their posing routine in front of a panel of judges as the crowds ooh, ahh, and cheer. Here’s what Sarah had to say about her inspiring bodybuilding journey and how this journey carries over into her work for Pickett Street Properties. How did you first become interested in bodybuilding? In May 2017, I was four months sober and I woke up one morning with a feeling and a vision. I wanted to be strong, I wanted to be ripped, I wanted to be shredded, I wanted to look like I could kick ass. I not only wanted to be physically strong, but I also wanted…Read more
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Neighborhood Profile: South Lake Union, Seattle’s Fastest Growing Neighborhood
September 14, 2018 /Do you need more reasons to move to the Puget Sound area? Besides the obvious highlights –lush forests, mild weather, mouth-watering seafood and produce, and the best coffee in the world, plenty of statistics support the area’s awesomeness. Seattle ranks as the second fastest growing city in America, according to Forbes’ 2018 report. At 7.52%, Seattle’s wages grew faster at than any other city in the country. At 4.65%, the city’s GMP–gross metropolitan product–was the third fastest growing GMP in the country, right behind Dallas and Austin; this rate makes Seattle the fastest growing economy in the country right now. As an important sidenote, Washington ranks third on CNBC’s list of the best states to find a job. In 2017, Washington added around 96,000 new jobs, most of which were in the retail industry. This job growth is largely due to Amazon, Boeing, and Microsoft. As Seattle steps into its role as a cosmopolitan, economically thriving city, its fastest growing neighborhood continues to be South Lake Union, home to the retail giant Amazon. Read on for more information about this neighborhood. Or, reach out to Pickett Street to talk to them about buying or selling a house in this exciting…Read more
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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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Football, Floating Homes, and A Fall Real Estate Update
August 31, 2018 /What do you love most about fall? I love wearing absurdly enormous scarves, enjoying the scents of crisp woodsmoke and apples, and watching the Seahawks beat my husband’s favorite team, the Broncos. [Insert gleeful snickering here.] In other Seattle football news, however, some sports enthusiasts predict that the University of Washington’s Huskies will outshine the Seahawks this season. The Huskies’ competitive edge is partly due to what one columnist calls “a slew of the most talented players to ever come through the program.” No matter who you’re rooting for this season, the recent autumn chill in the air brings promises of Sunday afternoons watching the games with friends, cooler, cozier nights, and back-to-school excitement. Fall also brings a few changes in real estate. Let’s take a look at the most recent news in the Puget Sound-area market. 1. Real Estate Update: After two years on top, Seattle is no longer the country’s hottest housing market. Since August 2016, Seattle has ranked as the hottest housing market in the country. However, according to the Case-Shiller home price index, Las Vegas has taken over the top spot with a 13% increase in home prices. With a 12.8% increase in single-family home prices…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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Blueberries for Sal and Slower Living: Pickett Street’s #LiveLaughLoveFarm
August 24, 2018 /Last week, while discussing their exciting new blueberry farm for sale, the Pickett Street Team and I found ourselves reminiscing about the book Blueberries for Sal. Have you read it? It’s a completely charming children’s book by Robert McCloskey, a writer and illustrator who also wrote the classic Make Way For Ducklings. The book features a mother and daughter wandering the wild fields and beaches on an island in northern Maine. They spend the entire summer day picking blueberries. Though the story is simple, it brings to mind a question that is quite complex: what do we want our lives to look like? And, which moments matter the most? As I reflect on my week, which was filled with long commutes, city traffic, air pollution from nearby wildfires, and–I admit–way too much screen time, the thought of an island’s cool salty air, wild blueberries, and quieter life makes my heart ache with longing just a little bit. Most of us long for more time outside, less time sitting in traffic. Several studies show that nature and country living carry powerful health benefits. Stanford researchers found that 90 minutes walking through country fields, as opposed to walking in urban settings, actually decreased the brain activity associated with depression.…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
