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Where to Spend Your Fourth of July Around the Puget Sound
June 28, 2018 /One year my brothers and I took the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle, then trekked over to Gas Works Park to watch the fireworks over Lake Union. We sat on a blanket in the grass for several hours waiting for it to get dark, which meant we had ample time for people watching. Families, couples, and friends kicked off their shoes, drank beer, ate plates of fried fish from Ivar’s, and sunbathed like bats emerging from a dark cave. A shirtless man did yoga in the grass. I watched as–I kid you not–a woman fed bits of crab meat to her cat on a leash (the woman and cat left before the fireworks). To summarize, everyone was just doing what Washingtonians do best–enjoying the fleeting sunshine and being weird and merry. The Puget Sound is one of the best places to spend the Fourth of July. The weather is usually mild. You can watch fireworks over the Sound or over one of the area’s many lakes. Also, the streets flow with delicious seafood, produce, wine, and beer. Here’s a list of Fourth of July events around the Puget Sound to help you make the most of this holiday. Seafair Summer…Read more
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The Highlights: A Local Business or Community Member
June 25, 2018 /Pickett Street Properties is dedicated to serving the community and would like to highlight businesses and community members that are dedicated to doing the same. Our first highlight is very special as he is the husband of our Lead Buyers Agent, Jillian Farrar. Mark Farrar became a firefighter/EMT about 3 years ago with the Everett Fire Department. He is one of the kindest, most genuine people we know. Read on below for Mark's story on how he decided to become a firefighter: "My name is Mark Farrar and I have been a firefighter/EMT with the Everett Fire Department for about 3 years. My journey to this line of work started about 15 years ago after my father and I were involved in a high speed roll over on the I-90 in rural Montana. Both of us received only minor injuries but this was the first time I was put in a situation to help someone else in a real crisis moment. I have always had an interest in helping people but in that moment, I knew I had a higher calling. With strong encouragement from a friend I joined a local volunteer fire department, became certified as an EMT-Basic and starting…Read more
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Private Stanwood Home
June 22, 2018 /Drive down onto your private parklike setting, just shy of an acre. Bring your imagination and build the home of your dreams or spruce up the existing home with your own personal touches. The kitchen is lit up by a skylight overhead and features stainless steel appliances. The bedrooms are large and the master bath features a soak tub. The property is surrounded by trees and has the feeling you are living away from the hustle and bustle. Close to the highway, Kayak Point, Warm Beach and beautiful lakes. This property could be your own little utopia. Check out this Stanwood home. Call Jesse Moore at 425.502.5397 for more information.Read more
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Why Buying a Home Is Easier Than You Think: A Conversation with Margaret Smith
June 21, 2018 /You may have heard of Margaret Smith. She’s the Director of Operations for Pickett Street and social-media-extraordinaire. She’s also an incredibly inspiring woman who knows how to focus and go after what she wants. This week I was able to chat with Margaret about her experiences buying and renovating her duplexes and about her home-buying hacks. Margaret says that you shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to her with questions at margaret@pickettstreet.com. To get in touch with the Pickett Street team, contact them at info@pickettstreet.com or (425) 502-5397. In the meantime, here’s what Margaret had to say. On her secret to making money and paying off her mortgage: I got this idea from Cody Touchette with Caliber Home Loans. I started with Pickett Street in November 2012. I walked into a rambler Pickett Street was selling that Winter, and I started to cry. I realized that I might not ever buy a home with a partner (hardly anything to cry about, and yet I did!). I cried because I wanted to own a home, and I literally had no idea how to make it happen on my own salary. So one day before a class we were holding, Cody told me if he could…Read more
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Elegantly Updated Everett Home
June 20, 2018 /This elegantly upgraded 4 bedroom, 2.25 bath home is close to the Sound, Boeing, parks and I5. Step in to the sun drenched formal living room with vaulted ceilings, showcasing an oversized window. Gorgeous hardwoods guide you throughout the entire lower level. The beautiful kitchen features granite countertops, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances — including a double oven. The kitchen provides access to the formal dining room and the spacious family room anchored by a gas fireplace. The upper level hosts all 4 bedrooms and beautiful upgrades. The master bedroom has an updated bathroom with double sinks and a large walk-in closet. Sit under the covered deck while admiring the secluded, fully fenced & nicely landscaped yard that boasts artificial turf. If you are looking for a move-in ready home, this is your opportunity! Call Jesse Moore at 425.502.5397 for more information. To download the property flyer as a PDF, click on the link: Elegantly Updated Everett HomeRead more
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Seattle Summer Real Estate Update
June 18, 2018 /What are you up to this summer? I sincerely hope that, whatever your plans are, they involve eating good fresh food, getting out on the water, slowing down, and doing a whole lot of nothing with your favorite people. Perhaps your summer plans also involving buying a home, selling a home, or engaging in some other part of the real estate world. So, while you’re enjoying a cool beverage, here is a Seattle area real estate update. Also keep in mind that the first thing you should do is contact Pickett Street at info@pickettstreet.com or (425) 502-5397. They have the know-how and the skills to help you navigate real estate with as little stress and as much enjoyment as possible. 1. Mortgage rates increased. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage recently rose to 4.62%. (One year ago, this rate was 3.92%.) The 15-year fixed rate mortgage rose to 4.07%. (One year ago this rate was 3.18%.) The plus side of this is that mortgage application activity has also declined, which may mean less competition if you are looking to buy a home this summer. However, according to economist Joel Kan, “government applications increased, driven largely by increases…Read more
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Delightful Mountlake Terrace
June 12, 2018 /Delightful rambler in Mountlake Terrace, convenient to schools, recreation and I5. This 3 bedroom, 1 bath home features a gas fireplace in the living room, metal roof with lifetime warranty, and an expansive covered patio for entertaining in any weather. The patio also has a removable wood pallet for you to place your hot tub and is wired accordingly. A fully fenced yard includes a shed, garden beds, raspberry and blueberry bushes. This home comes with a leased Fluent security system and will be taken over by the new owners. Don’t miss this great home! Call Jesse Moore at 425.502.5397 for more information.Read more
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Escape City Life with This Modern Country Dream Home
June 8, 2018 /When I checked out Pickett Street’s latest listing–a custom-built home located in Arlington–I actually gasped out loud. I beckoned my partner over to take a look. This is it, I thought. This is the country dream home. The property sits on a lush, canopied ten acres. I love the home’s rustic beauty, with those wooden beams and the enormous stone fireplace that speak of cozy mountain lodges and quiet country homes. I also love that the architecture pairs this rustic beauty with modern sleekness–luxurious bathrooms, immaculate appliances, and other shiny details. Below is more information about this listing, as well as the surrounding area. To take a look at the property, or for other real estate information, get in touch with Pickett Street at info@pickettstreet.com or (425) 502-5397. 1. The listing: This home has three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms–each bedroom has an en-suite bath. The master bathroom has two sinks and a gorgeous jetted tub. The first floor has hardwood floors, cathedral ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows. My favorite detail is the large gas fireplace framed by windows looking out onto the lawn. I’m imagining a snowy winter evening spent cooking and reading curled up around this fireplace.…Read more
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Attention All Foodies: It’s Farmers Market Season!
June 1, 2018 /Occasionally my partner sweetly suggests that we buy salmon to cook for dinner, and every time he does so my inner Pacific Northwest food snob kicks in. Because I spent most of my life in the Seattle area, and because I now live in Colorado, which–just to be clear–could not be more landlocked, I always turn up my nose at eating seafood. “Are you kidding me?” I always scoff at him, sounding like a real brat. “I’m from Seattle.” With the exception of river trout, eating fish in Colorado simply cannot compare to eating fish in Washington State. Eating good salmon or oysters in the Pacific Northwest is like eating mermaid ambrosia pulled straight from the sea and plopped directly onto your plate--so fresh, briny, and rich. My summers growing up in Washington revolved around food. My parents' yard overflowed with wild raspberries and blackberries. We spent many days on the Puget Sound digging for razor clams to fry or bake or add to linguine or chowder. On more ambitious days, we lay on our bellies during low tide and shove our hands deep into the mud to catch geoducks. One summer, I remember going to the Ballard farmers market…Read more
