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Buying Off-Market Homes: A Conversation with Nicole Leong
April 10, 2018 /It can feel frustrating to dream about your ideal home and then struggle to actually find this home. This frustration is especially real in places like the Seattle area, where the highly competitive real estate market takes some patience (and amazing real estate agents!) to navigate. Because they understand that, for some individuals, dream homes aren’t always where they expect, Pickett Street is able to help their clients purchase off-market homes. While you might be thinking that an “off-market” home involves chatting with a trench-coated individual in some dark alley, the actual process is much more straightforward. I was recently able to chat about buying an off-market home with Pickett Street’s wonderful buyers agent Nicole Leong. Here’s what she had to say. (For more about finding your own off-market home, get in touch with Pickett Street at (425) 502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com.) What exactly is an “off-market” home? An off-market home is a property that has not been listed anywhere. In an off-market real estate transaction, the seller might consider selling their home if presented with an acceptable offer. Nicole points out that an off-market home is different from a “for sale by owner,” or FSBO, home, which is a property…Read more
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Kenmore’s Moorlands Neighborhood: Country Living With Modern Conveniences
March 9, 2018 /This week, I get to talk about one of my favorite things to write about for Pickett Street: listings for new homes. I love interior design, and I find it very exciting to imagine the family or individual who gets to call each new listing their home. And this newly listed 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath, 2,200-square-foot Moorlands home is particularly lovely. With hardwood floors, an open floor plan, a spacious kitchen, a gas fireplace, and a master bedroom with a big walk-in closet, double sinks, and a soaking tub, the home’s features radiate comfort and peaceful living. Other perks include a large deck, a fully fenced backyard, and a highly convenient location. Kenmore’s Moorlands neighborhood sits between Inglemoor and Inglewood. Tucked away in the northeastern corner of Lake Washington, Kenmore was founded in 1901 by Scottish settlers, which perhaps explains the origins of the neighborhood name. While it doesn’t exactly have foggy moors or Scottish castles, the city is home to excellent schools in the Northshore school district, beautiful parks, and a generally safe, peaceful atmosphere. Here’s some more information about the listing and the area. (Make sure to also check out our neighborhood profile on Kenmore.) Neighborhood Vibe In 2018, Kenmore…Read more
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Three Reasons To Fall in Love with Real Estate
February 15, 2018 /While we’re celebrating love this week–whether that’s enjoying a candlelit dinner with your partner, grabbing pizza with friends, or snuggling up on the couch with Netflix and takeout–let’s talk about other forms of love. Namely, let’s discuss love for investing in real estate. In my time working as a writer for Pickett Street, I’ve witnessed and felt inspired by how much everyone on their team truly loves working in the real estate world. I’ve also learned that there is something magical about investing in real estate. This is not to say that this investment doesn’t have its challenges–like all things worth loving, it does–but to say that it’s an incredibly rewarding lifelong practice. If you’re already thinking, “Yes! I’m in love! Sign me up!”, then get in touch with Pickett Street ((425) 502-5397) or info@pickettstreet.com) to buy or sell a home in the Seattle area. If you need more convincing, here are three reasons to love real estate. 1. Owning property generates income. Forbes notes that one of real estate’s main benefits is that it allows you to generate significant income without having to sell your investment. While stocks and bonds both yield about 2%, real estate allows you to…Read more
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What to Know About the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
February 9, 2018 /Recent changes stemming from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act may feel, as taxes sometimes do, a bit confusing. Luckily, Pickett Street and their preferred mortgage lender Cody Touchette of Caliber Home Loans are here with the breakdown of how recent tax changes will affect you. Keep in mind that most of these changes will not affect you until it's time to file 2018 taxes (the taxes you will file in 2019). For more information about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Cody recommends this helpful link. 1. Standard deduction. According to the Washington Post, the new tax law increases the standard deduction to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for joint filers. This means that, for many homeowners, it will no longer make sense to itemize deductions. Zillow broke it down for the Washington D.C. area: under the old tax law, it made sense for 98 percent of homeowners to itemize, while under the new law, it only makes sense for 64 percent of homeowners to itemize. 2. Mortgage interest deductions. If you bought your home on or after December 15th, 2017, then you can claim a maximum interest of $750,000 for each secured primary residence. If you bought your home before December 15th,…Read more
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Keller Williams Ranks as the Happiest Company
February 2, 2018 /Like most people these days, I’ve worked in several different jobs. While all of these jobs were stepping stones, some were stranger than others. In high school, I was a cashier for a retail chain that shall remain unnamed, and I remember that they didn’t allow employees to keep a water bottle at the register with us. In college, I worked for a woman who ran her own business, which appeared to be some kind of pyramid scheme. She mostly wanted me to create a spreadsheet of her airline credit cards and frequent flyer miles. One summer I worked for my college’s environmental health and safety officer and spent long days in the basement researching conspiracy theories about disease on the internet at his request. That was a weird summer. Later in my twenties, I spent a lot of time thinking about happiness, and how this relates to my work. I personally derive satisfaction and happiness from working as a writer and as a teacher–perhaps because both of these jobs mean that I get to drink water at my desk whenever I want and that I don’t have to spend hours in windowless basements researching conspiracy theories or sorting through…Read more
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Hi, I’m Ansley, And I’m a First-Time Home Buyer
January 26, 2018 /I’ve been writing for the awesome Pickett Street Properties Team for nearly a year now, and it seems I’m overdue for a personal introduction. Hello! My name is Ansley. I’m a teacher and a writer. I'm also a first-time home buyer. I spent most of my life in the Seattle area before moving to Colorado for graduate school. While I fell hard for Colorado’s snowy mountains, sunshine, and blue skies (seriously--you haven’t seen the sky until you’ve experienced it out here!) it’s my dream to move back to the Seattle area. I’m good at drinking a lot of coffee while watching the Great British Baking Show and reading New York Times articles in bed. I’m also good at whining at my partner to bring me things like socks and chocolate and more coffee so that I don’t have to get out of bed. I’m lucky that I have the most patient partner in the world. I love running and hiking in the mountains with my deaf puppy. I love learning and writing about the world in all its complexities. And now, a personal anecdote. A few weeks ago, my partner and I received the catering contract for our upcoming June…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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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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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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New Listing Near the Arboretum Is a Seattle Dream
October 5, 2017 /Here’s a nerdy confession: one of my favorite ways to relax is to sit down with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and drool over home design makeovers. I love to read about how people buy homes and make them their own with just a bit of design smarts, such as this inspiring example on Cup of Jo. As such, I am thrilled to talk about Pickett Street’s newest listing today, and am both jealous of and excited for the lucky homebuyer who snags this property. The Listing While searching for your dream home can sometimes be discouraging, there also comes the time when, by some miracle, you find the perfect spot. Just four blocks from the Arboretum, this four-bedroom, three-bathroom historic home was built in 1904 and is oozing with charm. Highlights include a spiral staircase, a fully finished daylight basement with a cozy wood stove, crafted cabinetry, a jetted tub in the master bathroom, and the unbeatable location. The best part about this property is that, at a spacious 4,000 square feet, with two levels and the finished basement, the property is begging to be customized to fit your style and needs. The basement’s private…Read more
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Four Reasons Why It’s Good to Be a Home Seller Right Now
September 29, 2017 /My friends recently made a really smart real estate decision: four years after purchasing their lovely home in Boulder, Colorado, they sold it and moved to a cheaper spot in Nashville, and, as a result, made a boatload of money. I found myself both--let’s be honest--slightly envious, and inspired. Investing in real estate, and understanding when to sell, is one of the smartest ways to build wealth. You might be wondering what Boulder, Colorado has to do with Washington State, aside from the fact that both Seattle and Boulder are home to hippies and tech nerds with serious outdoors obsessions. Well, while Boulder’s real estate market is doing well right right now, Seattle’s real estate market is right up there with it as one of the most competitive markets in the country. In many ways, the Seattle market is even hotter than Boulder’s. If you’re considering listing your Seattle area home right now, here are a few reasons why it's good to be a home seller right now. For more information about selling your home and understanding its current value, contact Pickett Street at (425) 502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com. Also, be sure to check out this easy home value form. 1. The…Read more
