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  • New Listing Service: Keller Offers Ready to Sell

    August 6, 2021 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    We are pleased to present our newest listing service: Keller Offers Ready to Sell As a certified agent with Keller Offers, Jesse can give his listing clients access to up to $75,000 to take care of pre-listing repairs and updates that can be paid off after the successful closing, usually for 0% interest! Here are some frequently asked questions about our new program: 1. Why Ready to Sell? Homes are rarely ready to be put on the market as-is. Sometimes it's just a little TLC that can help buyers visualize themselves in the home. This could be fresh, neutral paint to replace outdated wallpaper or updated flooring that sets the house apart from the one down the street. Perhaps you have done a pre-listing home inspection and need to take care of those items to position the home better against the competition. One of the greatest benefits of this new service is that you are not responsible for finding any contractors or vendors, they are all vetted and supplied by Keller Offers. We can do it all! 2. What homes qualify? The Ready to Sell program is a great fit for most homes! There are only a couple disqualifiers: complete…Read more

  • Neighborhood Profile: Waterfront Living in Lake Stevens

    January 31, 2020 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Neighborhood Profile: Waterfront Living in Lake Stevens For those who wish to live in the greater Seattle area but want to avoid city prices, Lake Stevens is a lovely, growing lakeside community between Snohomish and Marysville, just east of Everett. The town offers both convenience, with a fairly central location and plenty of amenities, as well as mountain views and easy opportunities to get out on the water. As part of its downtown development plan, Lake Stevens recently completed major renovations on its North Cove Park to increase lake access and visibility. The city is also developing an extensive trail network to connect local and regional spots for bikers, joggers, and hikers. If you’re interested in real estate in Lake Stevens, or elsewhere in the greater Puget Sound area, call or email Pickett Street at info@pickettstreet.com or (425) 502-5397. In the meantime, here’s our quick guide to life in this town. Neighborhood Vibe Lake Stevens is currently home to around 33,000 residents, and as the 23rd best school district in Washington, it’s known for excellent schools. The town centers around the beautiful Lake Stevens, which, from the 1920s to 1950s, made this town a resort community with beach hotels scattered…Read more

  • Seattle Real Estate News: What To Expect for 2020

    December 13, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Seattle Real Estate News: What To Expect for 2020 What’s on your gift list this year? If this list includes a new home, it’s not too late to reach out to Pickett Street (info@pickettstreet.com or (425) 502-5397). To help you get started, here’s a quick real estate news update for the Seattle area. It’s a seller’s market. Just when it seemed that the wildly hot, competitive Seattle market had cooled, November brought a few real estate surprises. According to the Seattle Times, “the number of closed home sales in King County rose by nearly 12% compared to the same time last year.” These sales mostly include higher-priced homes, although the general real estate market seems to be tipping toward sellers as well. Additionally, with a small new tax cut for home sellers in 2020, it might be wise to remodel, sit on your home for a bit longer, and sell in the new year. On January 1st, the state’s excise tax will change. Washington currently applies a flat 1.28% excise tax is applied to all home sales. This means that home buyers pay 1.28% of their home’s total closing price. However, due to the recent state excise bill, this rate…Read more

  • The Most Effective Ways to Winterize Your Northwest Home

    November 15, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    The Most Effective Ways to Winterize Your Northwest Home Nearly every winter without fail, my parents lose power for an unpredictable length of time, from a few hours to several days. They live in a lovely home in the woods in Gig Harbor, and their house is surrounded by tall evergreens, which, though beautiful, tend to topple over or drop large branches onto the power lines whenever it’s windy or snowing. Also every year without fail, my siblings and I gently suggest that they invest in a generator. (One year my brother even bought them this baby for Christmas.) My parents always reply that generators use too much power, are noisy, etc., and insist that they like living Little-House-on-the-Prairie-style every winter, with candles and canned soup and coffee on the wood-burning stove. To each their own. It is true, however, that you don’t have to go to the extremes of buying a generator to winterize. Here are the most effective ways to prepare your Pacific Northwest home this winter. Gutters, downspouts, sprinklers, and hoses Clear your gutters of any debris that has collected throughout the fall. This is especially important for Northwest homes, which experience large volumes of rain throughout…Read more

  • Find Your Close Community in Pickett Street’s Hometown Bothell

    October 25, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    I’m in love with the latest listing from Pickett Street—a colonial-style, 3-bedroom, 2.25 bath home in Bothell. The home includes a living room with a wood fireplace, a rec room with a wet bar and skylights, a kitchen with a breakfast nook and cedar-lined ceiling, and a fenced backyard with a firepit. This space looks like it would make for the coziest fall and winter parties.  The home’s surrounding area of Bothell isn’t too shabby, either, and it also happens to be Pickett Street’s hometown. First, before someone else snatches it up, get in touch with Jesse Moore at Pickett Street (425.502.5397) for more information about this listing. Then, see below for more details about the neighborhood. The Listing This property is incredibly centrally-located. It’s easy walk away from several schools, including Bothell High School and Red Door Montessori. Not only that, but the property is walking distance from the Bothell library, Sammamish River Park, and the highly-rated tiki bar McMenamins North Shore Lagoon at the Anderson School Hotel.  Area Vibes With the Northshore District’s stellar schools (ranked eleventh in the state) and a welcoming, safe community, Niche rates Bothell as one of the best Seattle suburbs. One resident notes…Read more

  • What Empty Nester Investors Should Know About House Hacks

    October 14, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    One of Pickett Street’s many specialties is helping buyers find “house hacks” to significantly increase the return on real estate investments. "House hacks" include single-family residential homes with in-law or mother-in-law apartments (MIL) or other additional dwelling units, either attached to or detached from the house (ADU or DADU). For example, a split-level home with a separate entrance and kitchen in the basement allows homeowners to rent this space for extra income. Or, a buyer might invest in a duplex so that they can live in one of the units and rent out the other unit to cover their mortgage. According to Pickett Street’s Jesse Moore, house hacks are one of the smartest investments for empty nesters who are moving toward retirement. Empty nesters who are considering downsizing can buy "house hacks" to earn passive income through their extra space. Then, this extra income can go toward dreamy post-retirement activities like finally making that Hawaii trip happen. Pickett Street recently helped Director of Operations Margaret Smith’s parents find the right empty nester investment house hack—a rambler without stairs, which is a smart buy for empty nesters, and with a detached ADU. Margaret’s parents currently rent out this ADU. Not only…Read more

  • Seattle Real Estate Update: Fall 2019

    September 27, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Seattle Real Estate Update: Fall 2019 As drizzly days and cooler temperatures arrive, I have to admit that fall is my favorite season in Washington. I love falling asleep to the rain, I love the silvery mist in the mornings, I love sipping on big steaming cups of coffee all day, and I love cozy fall layers (as the Swedish say, “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothes.”)  And while it’s always important to inhabit a home you love, the fall’s insistence on coziness makes a solid real estate investment even more necessary to one’s wellbeing. If you’re looking to buy or sell this fall, or if you have general real estate questions, Pickett Street Properties can help—reach out to them at info@pickettstreet.com or (425) 502-5397.  Also, to keep you informed, here is a fall real estate update for the Seattle area. 1. Long-term mortgage rates decrease. According to Freddie Mac, the average rate on the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 3.64% from 3.73% this past week. A year ago, this rate held at 4.72%. Additionally, the average rate for 15-year, fixed-rate home loans dropped this week to 3.16% from 3.21% last week. These declining rates are good news for…Read more

  • Living Mortgage Free!

    August 23, 2019 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    How Almost 40% of Americans Live Mortgage Free Imagine removing one thing from your mental list of things to worry about (don’t we all have a list like this? hoping it’s not just me). Now imagine that this one thing is your mortgage. What would you do with this extra mental space? Plan a long dreamed-about vacation? Spend more quality time being truly present with your loved ones? Learn a new language? The possibilities are endless. According to The Seattle Times, about 37% of American homeowners have paid off their mortgages, a 5.5% rise over the past ten years. Javier Vivas, economic director at Realtor.com, notes that this rise “is in line with brighter economic conditions, which is why we’ve seen the free-and-clear share increase over the last decade.”  These higher rates of mortgage-free homeowners also align with changes in homeownership demographics. Due to rising living costs and student debt, younger Americans are waiting longer to buy a home. As a result, the majority of homeowners today are older Americans who have had longer to build wealth and pay off their mortgages. However, no matter your age as a homeowner, you can take control of your mortgage with a few…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

  • Short Sales

    October 23, 2015 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    Facing a foreclosure can be scary, and it’s easy to feel trapped and helpless if you’re in danger of losing your home. Even worse, you’ll feel like you’re losing your dignity as a self-sufficient adult. However, while things may seem hopeless, it’s important to recognize that there are alternatives to foreclosures. A short sale is one of the best of these alternatives. What is a Short Sale? A short sale refers to the process of selling your home for less than the balance of your mortgage. Short sales require the approval of your mortgage company, but, if you are approved, you’ll be able to sell your home and pay off either part or all of your mortgage, depending on the results of your particular situation. What are the Benefits of a Short Sale? It goes without saying that applying for a short sale is not an ideal situation. No one wants to face foreclosure, and no one wants to part with his or her home for less than is needed to pay off a mortgage. That said, there are many benefits to short sales, and they can help you escape and recover from stressful situations. The most obvious benefit of…Read more

  • Preparing Your Home For Sale

    October 2, 2015 /
    Pickett Street Properties Team /

    So: you’re preparing to sell your home, and you’re unsure how to start getting everything ready. Even if you’ve taken good care of your home, preparing for a sale can be daunting. That said, a few small, simple improvements will go a long way toward preparing your home for the market, so don’t feel like the prep process is some kind of Goliath you have to slay. Instead, take a look at some of these tips and get rid of all your pre-sale worries... Perfect the Art of Pricing While you may be tempted to launch yourself into physically sprucing up your home, it’s also important to price it properly. A lead listing agent at Pickett Street only works with sellers, so working with Pickett Street will ensure that you receive individualized attention — and therefore better service than you would working with a conventional agent. Since about 90% of homebuyers search for homes via online real estate engines. Pickett Street uses this statistic to help you strategically list your home online using increments of $25,000 in order to maximize the potential buyers reached. Here’s how it works: if your home is worth roughly $500,000, most conventional agents would list…Read more

  • Paying the Governor’s Share: Excise Tax & Short Sales

    December 23, 2009 /
    admin /

    Here in Washington state, we are accustomed to paying an excise/state sales tax when we purchase goods. Interestingly enough, when it comes to the most significant acquisition most of us will make, the seller, rather than the purchaser, covers the taxes. Currently, the base Washington state excise tax rate is 1.28%, with each county adding on their own percentage for a total that fluctuates somewhat by area. Snohomish and King County excise taxes (in most areas) are at a .50 rate,  bringing the grand total to 1.78% of the purchase price. An obvious question if you're a distressed home seller would be, "who exactly pays this tax in the event of a short sale?"  In most cases, the burden falls to the bank that is carrying the mortgage to ‘eat’ that cost, along with the other costs associated with selling a home. For a brief time at the beginning of 2009, some sellers were required to pay excise tax on the amount of the shortage (the difference between what they owed, and what they were able to sell their property for in a declining market). Sellers in this category may now be eligible for a refund of excise taxes. Use…Read more