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Pickett Street’s Favorite Holiday Memories
December 22, 2017 /My parents recently moved out of the house they lived in for many years. Though this change felt a bit sad, when I visited them this past week, I saw that they had worked hard to make this new space just as cozy as ever with candles, fuzzy blankets, board games, and tickets to see Star Wars (the family who nerds out together stays together!). With Hanukkah and the winter solstice this past week and Christmas next week, it’s the perfect time to relax and reflect. To get into the holiday spirit, I chatted with the Pickett Street Team about their favorite memories and strategies for making their homes feel festive. Sarah, Team Administrator Favorite holiday memories: Going on car rides to look at Christmas lights, getting all the Christmas decorations out, playing in the snow for hours on end with my sister, making quilts with my mom, watching Christmas movies with the family–mostly Christmas Vacation because my Grandpa John laughs so hard during the squirrel scene. Holiday rituals today: I am the person who busts out the Christmas decorations the day after Halloween because I want to enjoy it as long as possible. I have a collection of those…Read more
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Real Estate Inspiration: Seattle’s Unique Architecture
December 15, 2017 /Seattle’s silvery light and green landscapes have resulted in some unique architecture that integrate modern vibes and natural elements. For more about Seattle’s common architectural styles, check out this blog post, or for information about buying or selling a home in the Seattle area, contact Pickett Street at (425) 502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com. In the meantime, here are a few of western Washington’s gems to inspire you to find your own dream home. 1. A mid-century modern in Magnolia With stunning views of the Ballard locks, this Eichler-inspired home is a small piece of luxury and peace in the city. The space features floor-to-ceiling windows, a private courtyard, a large deck, and exposed ceiling beams. 2. A sustainable Key Peninsula retreat Located in Longbranch, this home follows net zero guidelines, which means that it is highly energy efficient, producing as much energy as it consumes and racking up a grand total of $0 in energy bills. The property features a solar panels, an air-to-water heat pump, an exterior made from reclaimed fir, extra-efficient insulation and appliances, LED lighting, triple-pane windows, and a green roof. In addition to being green, the home is also cozy and spacious inside with floor-to-ceiling windows and…Read more
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How to Take the Leap and Invest: A Conversation with Cody Touchette
December 7, 2017 /While investing in real estate is one of the best ways to build wealth, getting started can often feel intimidating. However, this exciting process is much more accessible than you think. In fact, one of my favorite parts about writing for Pickett Street has been learning from their wonderful team and realizing that investing in real estate is not just for experts in real estate and finance. I was recently able to talk with Cody Touchette, who is a mortgage planner with Caliber Home Loans and provides clients with expert guidance during their home financing processes. Here’s what he had to say. 1. Why is investing in real estate a worthwhile endeavor? According to Cody, there are four main benefits to real estate as an investment: cash flow, appreciation, leverage, and tax benefits. First, investing in real estate through buying your own home, purchasing a property to rent to others, or other options, is a great way to receive immediate cash flow that can help you purchase more property. Second, regarding appreciation, Cody reminded me that real estate has always increased in value over time, if you look at a long period or time. While the market experiences normal ups and downs, appreciation on real…Read more
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Free Holiday Events in Seattle and Beyond to Keep You Warm
December 1, 2017 /In the chaos of gift-buying, searching for the perfect party outfit, and organizing holiday travels, it’s easy to forget that some of the season’s most enjoyable events are free. In fact, there are so many free holiday events happening this month that it was impossible to fit them all into this list. Here’s a guide to just a few of the best free holiday events in Seattle and surrounding areas this December. Festivals and Other Events Reindeer Festival When: November 11th through December 24th Where: Swansons Nursery, 9701 15th Ave NW, Seattle What could be better than holiday shopping while strolling through fragrant pines and mingling with two real-life reindeer? This holiday festival includes a model train display, Christmas trees for sale, gifts and holiday decorations for sale, live music, and Santa Claus and holiday yurt photo ops. Gingerbread Village When: November 21st, 2017 - January 1st, 2018 Where: City Centre, 1420 Fifth Ave, Seattle The Sheraton’s Gingerbread Village has been a Seattle tradition for 25 years. Each year, architects from the city’s top firms, as well as master builders and the Sheraton’s culinary teams, design intricate and stunning gingerbread creations. The event is free and donations go to the…Read more
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Pickett Street Properties Gives Gratitude for 2017
November 21, 2017 /My favorite part about Thanksgiving is the chaos: family members bickering while on hour three of Settlers of Catan, something burning in the oven, the dog stealing turkey off the counter, a holiday song sung terribly out-of-tune. These sweet, funny moments of imperfection are, I believe, life in its purest form. They remind me of all the people, relationships, and tiny moments for which I feel grateful. So, in the spirit of the season, let’s talk about gratitude. Multiple scientific studies have shown that gratitude improves sleep, psychological health, and physical health. Basically, gratitude is one of the keys to a happy life. I recently interviewed the Pickett Street team to find out what they’re grateful for this year. I’ll start. I’m grateful for my partner, who makes me coffee and brings it to me every single morning (seriously, what a hero!), for my healthy body that lets me do yoga and climb mountains, for my undergraduate students, who are funny and inspiring and give me hope in the world, for the great companies with which I work (such as Pickett Street!), and for my sweet dopey pitbull puppy. Here’s what the team at Pickett Street had to say. Christi Samaniego, Listing Coordinator…Read more
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Green Lake: Neighborhood Profile
November 16, 2017 /The Green Lake neighborhood is nestled in the heart of north Seattle, surrounded by the Fremont, Ballard, Wallingford, Ravenna, and Greenwood neighborhoods. I have fond memories of spending long afternoons at Green Lake as a child, feeding the ducks and playing in the mud with my brothers (i.e. throwing mud at my brothers). Afterward, we would always pop into one of the many nearby coffee shops where my parents would buy us flavored steamed milk so my brothers and I could pretend that we, too--even at the tender ages of ten, eight, and four--were sophisticated, coffee-guzzling Seattle-ites. That was back in the nineties, and today, Green Lake is more bustling and hip than ever before. Here are the details on one of Seattle’s most beloved neighborhoods. Real Estate Stats According to Niche, the median home value in Green Lake is $581,057, and the median rent is $1,418. This neighborhood is great for single individuals, couples, and families. Many homes in Green Lake fall under the architectural category of the classic Seattle Box or Four Square home, which features two stories, an inset front porch, and a simple yet chic geometric form. If you’re interested in buying or selling a home…Read more
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Millennials and Technology: How the Housing Market is Changing
November 16, 2017 /The other day I caught myself doing a very millennial thing: I needed new winter boots, and, not surprisingly, I quickly spiraled down an obsessive rabbit hole of internet research. Before I knew it, I had roughly fifty tabs open, two hours had passed, and I still hadn’t purchased any boots. True to my millennial nature, I am extremely careful with my money, and I don’t like to own a lot of stuff. Consequently, it’s important to me that my purchases last a long time. This millennial attitude, along with Americans’ contemporary reliance on technology, is changing many things, including the housing industry. Here’s more information about recent trends in buying homes. 1. Millennials have started to buy homes. You might have noticed a pattern in headlines over the past few years: “Why Millennials Aren’t Buying Diamonds,” “Why Millennials Aren’t Buying Homes,” or, my personal favorite, “Why Millennials Are Addicted to Avocado Toast” (spoiler: because it’s delicious!). One of the main reasons millennials have been slower to buy homes than previous generations is that life is more expensive than it used to be. College tuition costs are rising more quickly than financial aid, and 83% of millennials say that student…Read more
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An Interview with Margaret Smith on Confidence and the World of Real Estate
November 9, 2017 /This week marks the fifth anniversary of Pickett Street’s Margaret Smith. Though I’ve only been working with her for about six months, I’ve already come to know Margaret as a positive and hardworking force of nature. Margaret is the Director of Operations for Pickett Street Properties; she recruits, screens, and interviews candidates and manages social media, client events, system evaluation, branding/marketing, and overall growth and planning for Pickett Street. I was recently lucky to be able to chat with her about her experiences in the world of real estate. Hi Margaret! Congrats on five years of working with Pickett Street. Can you talk to us about how you started working for Pickett Street? Before Pickett Street I was the Docent Program Coordinator for the Seattle Art Museum. I NEVER thought I would work in sales or for a sales company--and now I can't imagine anything else in my future. This career gives me an opportunity to help and inspire people in a much bigger way and through a bigger platform than I ever imagined. I was ready to leave the museum because I wanted a career where I could support myself financially, and that's hard to do in the nonprofit…Read more
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Top 5 Things I’ve Learned From Margaret Smith in 5 Years
November 7, 2017 /I think that working anywhere for five years is admirable. Before I went to work for myself, I never worked anywhere for that length of time. The life span of most assistants to a driven, easily-distracted and highly impatient business owner is probably less than two years. So when someone like Margaret Smith works for someone like me for five years, it should be reflected on, heralded, and written down to share with others. Here are the top 5 things I’ve learned from Margaret in 5 years: Power of Positivity. Most people, when asked, probably think that they are positive people. I know a lot of negative people in a battle for their mind, so they find positive things others say and post them like temporary tattoos on their social media accounts. Raised by a wonderfully positive woman, Margaret has been steeped in the power of positivity, and it’s something that she lives and breathes daily. When I hired Margaret, I prepared her that she would be the energy battery of our team - the light and the sunshine - and that she would need to except this as her role from the start. The worlds of real estate is…Read more
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Buy now, my pretties!
November 3, 2017 /While Halloween and its festivities can be super fun, this holiday may have put you in a spooked mood. Am I the only one out there who regrets spending Halloween huddled on the couch, mindlessly eating Reese’s peanut butter cups and watching The Shining? While Jack Nicholson wielding an axe is certainly terrifying, most adults experience more anxiety over certain aspects of everyday life, including financial commitments like career decisions and buying a home. (Quick side note, another common fear is robots taking over the world.) If anxiety over buying a home sounds familiar, not to worry--this decision is not as scary as it seems. To soothe your fears and ease the process, get in touch with Pickett Street (425) 502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com. In the meantime, settle in with that leftover Halloween candy (unless you ate it all like me), and relax by reading about common home-buying fears and why they’re not actually that scary. 1. Buying a home costs too much money, and I can’t afford it. Finding enough cash to make a down payment on a home is one of home buyers’ biggest anxieties. The median home price in Seattle is $725,000, which means that a 20% down…Read more
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Embracing Hygge: The Benefits of Selling Your Home During the Fall
October 20, 2017 /Embracing Hygge: The Benefits of Selling Your Home During the Fall Many people claim that spring is the best time to sell your home. Summer’s just around the corner, giving potential buyers more time away from work to move, front yards are generally looking cheerful with fresh blossoms, and new beginnings are in the air. However, selling in the spring and summer just isn’t possible for every homeowner. What's more, there are several secret advantages to selling during the “off-seasons” of fall and winter. If you’re considering listing your home this fall, here are a few reasons why this might be an excellent idea. 1. Embrace hygge. One of my favorite words ever, hygge is Danish for all things cozy and content--relaxed gatherings for family and friends, candles and firelight, warm blankets, and more. While it is possible to find hygge year-round, there is no better time for this concept than during the fall and winter. Most buyers want a welcoming, comfortable space to call their own, and you can achieve the hygge feeling through embracing fall's natural emphasis on hearth and home. Be sure to highlight your interior’s natural light through opening curtains or shades. It’s also smart to…Read more
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Seattle Real Estate Update for Fall 2017
October 12, 2017 /With its misty mornings and mouthwatering apple harvests, fall in the Seattle area is in full swing. As the seasons change, let’s check in on how the Seattle real estate market is doing. The median price for Seattle home is $667,500, or $476 per square foot, which is an increase of 16% over last year. Whether you are buying or selling, or are somewhere in between, here’s the latest scoop on the local market. 1. Mortgage rates rose last week but remain low. In the beginning of October, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose ever so slightly, from 3.83 percent to 3.85 percent. According to Freddie Mac, the 15-year fixed-rate also rose from 3.13 percent to 3.15. Adjustable five-year mortgages rose from 3.17 percent to 3.20 percent. Despite these increases, mortgage rates remain very low, which is good news for home buyers. 2. Seattle real estate reporter talks about the bubble. Because Seattle is experiencing such a competitive, wild real estate market, the question on many people’s minds is whether or not the current situation is a bubble that will eventually burst. Seattle real estate reporter Mike Rosenberg discussed this question and more in his recent AMA interview on Reddit. According to…Read more
