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Five Reasons You Should List Your Home Today
August 10, 2017 /You may have heard that it’s a seller’s market right now. However,you may also be wondering what exactly that means for you, the potential seller. Here's the rundown of the current seller's market and a few reasons why you shouldn't wait to sell your home. 1. Seattle is one of the hottest housing markets in the country. According to several different reports, Seattle’s real estate market is one of the hottest in the country for 2017. And the city of Seattle isn’t the only area that’s hot: King, Snohomish, and Kitsap Counties are all experiencing competitive real estate markets right now. 2. Inventory is low. There are currently more people looking to buy homes than there are people listing their homes in the Seattle area. According to the Seattle Times, inventory is down by 27 percent when compared to last year's numbers. This means that competition among potential buyers is high. Plus, this competition often results in bidding wars, which means that sellers are likely to receive more than the original listing price. About 75 percent of listed homes have received multiple offers this year, and 56 percent of homes are selling for more than the asking price. In several city neighborhoods, and…Read more
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Neighborhood Profile: Gold Creek
August 1, 2017 /If you’re like me, you might have trouble deciding where you want to settle in the Seattle area. With the city, the mountains, the Puget Sound and its islands, and the countryside full of farms and wineries, I am always wishing I could have five or six houses scattered around Washington. Luckily, however, there are places to live like Gold Creek. Gold Creek is a quiet neighborhood between Mill Creek and Snohomish, Washington. Nestled among the Cascade mountains and the Puget Sound, in one of the true centers of activity in Washington, this area is one of the most gorgeous and convenient places to live in the state. Vancouver, Canada is a little under 100 miles north, Seattle is 20 miles south, and the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Peninsula are just short ferry rides away. Neighborhood Stats As of 2010, Gold Creek had about 2,300 residents. While this neighborhood is small, it’s close to several exciting hubs, including Seattle ( about a 30-minute drive) and Everett (about a 20-minute drive). Because of its convenient location, Gold Creek is popular among families, couples, and single individuals who work in the nearby cities and want to enjoy a relatively short…Read more
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Seattle Neighborhood Profile: Laurelhurst
July 24, 2017 /Just south of Windermere and east of the University District, Laurelhurst is situated on the shores of Lake Washington. The Duwamish tribe used this area as a seasonal campground called “Sahlouwil.” The neighborhood was first developed around the turn of the century, when a community of about fifty people built the Seattle Golf Club there; today, the club is a beautiful private residence. Here are a few reasons why living in Laurelhurst might be just what you need. 1. It Has Something For Everyone Niche.com ranked Laurelhurst as the best neighborhood in Seattle for families. This status is largely due to the neighborhood's excellent schools, quiet residential streets, and proximity to the University of Washington. The area’s best schools include the private Villa Academy and Laurelhurst Elementary, which offers the popular Laurelhurst After School Enrichment Rooms (LASER). Laurelhurst isn’t just for families, however; it’s also home to many singles and couples, both professionals working in the city and retired individuals. Because Laurelhurst is 52% less populated than the rest of Seattle, it’s the perfect home for anyone looking for a tiny oasis of quiet in an otherwise bustling city. Check out this sweet and private mid-century modern home in Laurelhurst.…Read more
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Common Architectural Styles for Seattle Homes
July 21, 2017 /When I was younger, my mother and I used to spend Sunday afternoons driving around looking at houses in pretty neighborhoods. At the time, we lived in a small home in the Des Moines/SeaTac area. Today, my mother has worked her way up to a beautiful rustic cabin-style home in Gig Harbor. However, when we get together, we still love to admire the gorgeous houses in Seattle and the way they look in the Northwest’s unique silvery light. If you’re interested in buying a home in the Seattle area, here’s a quick guide to some of the common architectural styles that you’ll see around the city. Be sure to contact Pickett Street at at (425) 502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com to get started finding your home. 1. Victorian Often found around the Queen Anne neighborhood and mostly built during the 1880s and 1890s, these elegant homes are among the oldest in Seattle. Common features of this style include a gabled roof, scalloped shingle siding on the upper level, covered porches with round columns, and a round or octagonal turret. Check out this gorgeous, romantic, and renovated Victorian in Capitol Hill. 2. Tudor Built in Seattle through the 1930s, Tudor homes are known for…Read more
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It’s a Christmas Miracle!
December 16, 2016 /Each holiday season, I like to kick back and remember the time my family banded together to roll a derelict hot tub down the road on Christmas Eve. The particular Christmas I’m about to describe would have been strange enough without the aforementioned tub. For one thing, it snowed about a foot that year, a curious and sensational occurrence in the Puget Sound, one liable to cause widespread panic in the streets (curiously, us Northwesterners can endure years of nonstop rain with stoic indifference, but the lightest dusting of snow results in pandemonium and chaos). Additionally, we lost electricity for the week leading up to Christmas Eve morning, meaning my poor mother’s preparations for our annual holiday party (normally a three week affair, if you don’t count the additional six months of initial planning) were squeezed into a mere six hours. To top things off, I had pretty extensive oral surgery just a few days before the festivities, so I spent much of the holiday sitting in a corner in a peaceful, painkiller-induced haze. As I said, all of this would have been enough strangeness for one Christmas, even without the hot tub. The tub in question appeared as if…Read more
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Has Anyone Heard of King Olaf?
September 22, 2016 /Until recently, neither had I. Here’s some context for you: a few weeks ago, while wandering the stately avenues of downtown Poulsbo, I suddenly found myself on an unfamiliar lane leading off Front Street. This was weird. Having grown up in Poulsbo, I was pretty sure I knew all there was to know about the place (after all, how hard should it be to get to know a small, Viking-themed town?), but there I was, standing between a kayak store and the Sons of Norway headquarters, lost in suddenly unfamiliar territory. According to the street sign, the little lane was called King Olaf Way. How hadn’t I noticed it before? Being a curious person (and apparently having nothing better to do) I decided to do some detective work. I walked home, cracked open the Encyclopedia Britannica, and searched for evidence of King Olaf. There was quite a lot to read. Born in the 960s, Olaf was a celebrated Viking king of Norway. In his youth, Olaf was forced to flee Norway after the nefarious Harald Graycloak murdered his father. Living in exile in Russia, Olaf trained as a Viking warrior, a process I assume was similar to the training montages…Read more
