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Colorado, Ho! (Part 1)
July 8, 2016 /Way out in the wilds of Oregon, an overstuffed hatchback is laboring up the side of a tiny mountain at about eight o’clock in the morning. Though the recommended speed limit is a brisk 70 miles per hour, the wee beleaguered hatchback is huffing and puffing along at a sluggish 35, due to its general and aforementioned overstuffed-ness. Now (if you’ll humor me), let’s peek in the window of this particular hatchback and take a closer look at the driver: keeping his grumbles and complaints to a bare minimum, the driver (who, it’s worth mentioning, is a devilishly handsome fellow) stoically switches on the emergency blinkers and guides his vehicle gamely up the giddy steepness of the mountain slopes while, in the passenger seat beside him, the driver’s patient and long-suffering girlfriend encourages him with well-chosen words bursting with good-natured positivity. There’s a light drizzle pattering over the windshield, and everyone involved is suffering from a more-or-less dramatic lack of caffeine. I mention this seemingly random scenario because it’s exactly the situation I found myself in a few days ago as I set off on yet another move to yet another state. As you probably guessed, I was the driver,…Read more
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The Art of Seattle Architecture
July 5, 2016 /Seattle is famous for many things - coffee, music, natural beauty - but, strangely enough, few people are familiar with the architecture of the Emerald City. Or, if they are familiar with it, their knowledge is probably limited to the Space Needle. This gap might not seem significant for most folks, but to a Seattle native like me, it’s nothing short of a travesty. Seattle is home to some quietly majestic architecture, and the residential construction of Seattle houses is particularly striking. In that case, it’s time that it was recognized. Below, you’ll find some classic styles for Seattle houses. The Seattle Box A quintessential style for Seattle houses, the Seattle Box offers a simple but highly customizable aesthetic. Sometimes called the Four Square, these Seattle houses are primarily characterized by their boxy style, hip roofs, modest dormers, and generously proportioned porches with columns. While the overarching characteristic of the Seattle Box is elegant simplicity, the model is also something of a blank slate and looks great when elements from other styles, such as Craftsman architecture, are added onto it. The Bungalow These Seattle houses exploded onto the scene during the first third of the twentieth century, remaining wildly popular…Read more
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Seattle Real Estate Is King
June 24, 2016 /Longtime residents of Seattle are surely amazed these days. They’ve seen the city transform from the Capital of Grunge to a sleek and bustling hub of industry. By the same token, they've also seen the cost of living soar along with the business boom. While these added expenses might be a deterrent for some homebuyers, there are actually many compelling reasons to buy Seattle real estate as soon as possible. At the forefront is Seattle’s muscular job market. Currently, Seattle is experiencing a massive influx of industry, as multiple prominent companies are increasing their presence here. Leading the industrious charge are some of the most important tech companies in existence. Over the last few years, Seattle has welcomed the presence and expansion of companies like Uber, Facebook, Google, and Twitter. And then, of course, there’s Amazon: a venerable giant in the tech industry, Amazon has always been a Seattle mainstay, and it’s only becoming more important with the passage of time. Overseeing several construction expansion projects, Amazon’s office space is soon expected to include over 10 million square feet. That’s a hefty sum of Seattle real estate. What this expansion of industry means for Seattle is, of…Read more
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Living in Washington State: The Sea
June 20, 2016 /Each summer, my family gathered at a local beach, known locally as the Spit, to dig for “gooey-ducks,” a particularly hideous species of mollusk that burrows beneath the sand and belches fountains of salt water. On these occasions, a gaggle of relatives and family friends trudged down to the tidal flats with shovels, buckets, galoshes, metal cans or tubes, and snack-filled coolers to search for our quarry. Finding the plumed spurts of water announcing the presence of a clam, the digging would begin, and it wouldn’t stop until some poor schmuck found himself lying with one of his arms wholly submerged beneath the sand, scrabbling for the fleeing neck of the ‘duck while everyone hollered words of encouragement. Though I personally never dug for a clam (usually, I elected to perform some passive and useless task, such as alphabetically organizing our cooler of snacks, while the prone digger gasped and sputtered in a puddle of goop), I relished these occasions. They were, after all, some of my earliest trips to the Puget Sound, and that has to count for something. The Sound is unlike any other maritime environment on earth: sandwiched between the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, the Sound…Read more
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Do you know what a 1031 Exchange is?
June 10, 2016 /Two things in life are unavoidable: death and taxes. However, while avoiding your personal taxes altogether isn’t possible, there are ways of avoiding them in the world of real estate. Particularly handy is the 1031 exchange, a transaction that allows you to defer capital gains taxes in the sale of certain kinds of property. Overall, the 1031 exchange is a great way to build wealth but, in order to do so, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the transaction’s basic rules. 1031 Exchange: The Basics Before we start discussing the benefits of the 1031 exchange, it’s necessary to understand exactly what this transaction entails. In simplest terms, a 1031 exchange applies to transactions in which you sell and then buy properties of like kind within a specified window of time. The term “properties of like kind” might seem formidably ambiguous, but it basically refers to real estate that is NOT your personal residence. Therefore, you could swap a parcel of undeveloped land for wealth-producing commercial real estate, or you could exchange business property for business property. Many different combinations exist, but the bottom line is that a 1031 exchange deals with investment or business property, and your personal residence can’t…Read more
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Have you ever wanted to live in Ballard?
June 3, 2016 /It’s common knowledge that Seattle has a long and proud maritime history. Whether you’re enjoying a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, visiting the aquarium on the pier, or simply renting a paddleboat out on Green Lake, you'll never be far from the water. In the midst of all this briny heritage is Ballard, a nook of northwest Seattle with especially strong ties to the sea. By coincidence, it’s also one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city. Ballard has a long, rich history that stretches back to the 1850s. Originally an independent town populated by fishermen of Scandinavian descent, Ballard has since been incorporated into Seattle and blossomed into a hotspot for culture, food, and drink. One of Ballard’s most popular attractions is the Nordic Heritage Museum, which specializes in preserving and celebrating Nordic culture through dance, film, music, and an extensive series of classes and lectures. On particularly sunny days, visitors can stroll down to Ballard’s popular Golden Gardens Park, a coastal recreation area with forest trails, sandy beaches, and ample views of the Puget Sound. If you’re going to visit Ballard, however, you’ve got to emphasize eating and drinking. In a city renowned for its culinary scene,…Read more
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Ten Reasons You Should Work With A Real Estate Expert
June 1, 2016 /Everything seems automated these days. Self-service stations are proliferating in grocery stores, cars are parallel parking themselves, and everyone seems to be jumping on the robotic bandwagon. The real estate world is not immune to this electronic trend; the vast number of online resources has lead some house hunters to believe that real estate agents have gone the way of the dodo. While searching for a house alone is an option, it’s important to understand that navigating the real estate world without an agent is difficult at best, and disastrous at worst. Below, you’ll find the top ten reasons why you should always work with a real estate expert. Access to Listings Yes, it’s true: the Internet is amazing, and it contains more information than any human could consume in a lifetime. That said, it’s guaranteed that any real estate agent will have access to more listings than the Average Joe surfing the web. For instance, many properties might be available but won’t be advertised publicly, and most websites are not as up to date as the multiple listing service (MLS). As such, agents can help you access more and better listings. However, while access to listings is great, it’s…Read more
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Pickett Street Properties: Named as One of the Best Places to Work in 2016!
May 26, 2016 /Bothell, WA—May 26, 2016—The Business Intelligence Group today announced that it has awarded Pickett Street Properties a Best Places to Work in their inaugural business award contest. The organization sought to identify companies that are actively working to improve their own performance through efforts to challenge employees in environments that makes work fun and engaging. “We firmly believe in creating a work environment where team members have autonomy and are challenged to be experts in their area of real estate.” said Jesse D. Moore. “If we hire intelligent, self-motivated and driven individuals, why not create an environment where they never want or have to leave?” Researchers, including Gallup, have determined that employee satisfaction and engagement are key indicators for employee productivity and customer satisfaction, which ultimately results in improved profitability and growth. “Congratulations to the entire team for making employees satisfaction and performance a priority at Pickett Street Properties,” said Russ Fordyce, managing director of the Business Intelligence Group. “Employees have voted and provided clear evidence that this is a special company, one where executive leadership and management focuses on making work more than…just work!” Nominations for the Best Places to Work award were submitted to the Business Intelligence Group…Read more
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The Pros and Cons of a Pre-Inspection
May 20, 2016 /These days, Seattle’s real estate market is on a hot streak. A low inventory combined with a robust and growing job market is driving the region’s demand for real estate sky-high. With an outlook like this, it’s a phenomenal time to be a seller, but, if you’re a buyer, it’s easy to be tempted to rush through a sale and squeeze in an offer immediately. Of course the market demand necessitates a certain level of swiftness, but it’s worth considering the pros and cons of a pre-inspection to ensure you’re getting the right house for the right price. What is a pre-inspection? A pre-inspection is exactly what it sounds like: an inspection undertaken prior to making an offer that aims to uncover any potential defects. The process has the same scope of a standard home inspection, and buyers who move forward with a pre-inspection can choose to waive the inspection contingency, a negotiated agreement allowing the buyer to inspect the home shortly after closing a deal. Pros Obviously, the main benefit of completing a pre-inspection is that it uncovers any potential problems. In a worst-case scenario, you might discover a hidden catastrophe and avoid buying a house with significant defects.…Read more
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Top 3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Sell “For Sale By Owner”!
April 22, 2016 /Often, society encourages us to cut the “middleman” out of our numerous daily transactions. In some situations this plan makes sense, as it tends to make things more efficient. However, in the context of a real estate transaction, cutting out the middleman (aka, your real estate agent) could be downright disastrous. If you’re selling your home, you might be tempted to save money by attempting a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) transaction. A FSBO is a sale conducted solely by the owner of the home, and so he or she circumnavigates the commission fee and cost of hiring an agent. While this idea might seem attractive on paper (“No commission fee? Sounds great! What could possibly go wrong?”), it’s important to understand that, in most cases, a FSBO means big losses for the seller in more ways than one. Read on for an explanation detailing why every homeowner selling a house needs a real estate agent. Agents Are Professionals While sellers are obviously driven to sell their homes, this motivation does not make most of them experts in the varied minutia hidden in a real estate transaction. A real estate agent, however, is an expert, and this expertise is vital…Read more
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Neighborhood Profile: Madison Park
April 6, 2016 /Finding a cozy and historic atmosphere within a big city like Seattle can sometimes be tough, a fact that turns neighborhoods like Madison Park into true gems. Indeed, Madison Park maintains natural beauty and a cheery, “village” atmosphere within the Seattle city limits, making it one of the city’s most desirable places to call home. Madison Park is a small neighborhood at the northeast corner of Seattle named for the park at the base of Madison Street. It is circumscribed by Lake Washington to the east, 39th Avenue to the south, Lake Washington Blvd to the south and west, and Union Bay to the north. Madison Park is an upscale neighborhood with plenty of charm and a rich, diverse history. Before the arrival of white settlers, the area was widely used by the Duwamish tribe for fishing and hunting. In the 1850s, a newcomer by the name of John McGilvera bought over 400 acres in the Madison Park region and began development. In fact, it was the intrepid McGilvra who originally carved out space for the park that gives the neighborhood its name. Throughout the decades that followed, Madison Park would become a popular destination and home to many attractions,…Read more
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Neighborhood Profile: Mill Creek
March 8, 2016 /Imagine living in a planned community clustered around a golf course, interspersed with countless miles of hiking trails, and supported by a thriving commercial center. In Mill Creek, all of these characteristics come together to create a truly cozy community. Part of Snohomish County, Mill Creek is located east of Lynnwood, north of Bothell, and just 20 miles away from downtown Seattle. Originally a planned community built around the Mill Creek Country Club and Golf Course, Mill Creek has grown into a tidy and prosperous community stocked to the brim with handsome real estate. Mill Creek’s neighborhood plans make it particularly attractive to residents. Blessed with larger than average lot sizes, and plenty of green space and parks (including sports courts, ball fields, and nearly 25 miles of walking trails), Mill Creek’s neighborhoods are not just places to crash after a long day at work; instead, they’re carefully planned to be enjoyable living spaces that enrich the lives of both children and adults. Some of Mill Creek’s most popular parks include Cougar Park, Heron Park, Highlands Park, Mill Creek Sports Park, and Nickel Creek Park. Last but not least, there is, of course, the original golf course the community was…Read more
