By Molly Cartwright, Realtor, Cooper Jacobs Real Estate, Molly@CooperJacobs.com, 206-841-6800, on October 27th, 2011%
Run a Background Check on the next home you’re contemplating buying.
There’s this great house for sale on my street with a sign advertising “Remodeled”. Unfortunately I’m not the listing agent. But lucky for me I know (somewhat) the history of this house. For the flock of buyers and buyer’s agents touring it over the last four days, they do not.
Rewind. Not more than 3 weeks ago, the house was hidden by overgrown trees, a peeling paint job, and rotating cars parking in front of the house. And I hate to say it but garbage bags littered the driveway. The house had been a rental for as long as I can remember.
It goes up for sale, a Realtor and Investor buy it at auction for around $325,000 and the transformation begins. Over the course of 3 weeks I see the Big Monster Trucks and their trailors hauling away debrie, old appliances, and yes those overgrown trees and rubbage in the driveway. Next a new refrigerator appears on the sidewalk, waiting to be installed, the painters are frantically painting the exterior an attractive shade of blue and finally the stager comes in dressing up the place with lamp shades and fake fruit. Viola! Back on the market with ABC Realty and advertised as “Remodeled” for an asking price of $425,000. This is a case of flipping a property in action! I have to admit it was fun to watch and believe me I’m thankful it got the facelist it needed.
It’s a good idea to run a background check on a property in any case. Are there liens? Were their past claims? How’s the sewer line (this is a huge one!). Are their shabby patch jobs? Of course hiring an inspector can eliminate much of the structural questions a new buyer would have … but what about the paper trail?
Run a background check. Your Realtor can help with this but there are also some good websites out there to help you like Buildfax. Whether it’s a condominium (CC&R’s, minutes of meetings, financial reports) or a single family home, running a background check is definitely in your favor. For more real estate answers, give us a call!
By Molly Cartwright, Realtor, Cooper Jacobs Real Estate, Molly@CooperJacobs.com, 206-841-6800, on October 21st, 2011%
Last Chance For Free Trees!
 There is no denying curb appeal brings in the buyers when you’re selling a house. Beautiful lush trees, interesting curvy branches, vibrant colors spots sprinkled into your landscape is just what can bring more foot traffic, web hits, and buyers to take notice of your home for sale.
Here’s your chance to get Free Trees!
Seattle reLeaf and Cascade Land Conservancy is offering a chance for you to grab not one but 4 free trees by Monday October 24th! Don’t wait another second – you would be crazy to pass up this opportunity.
Thanks to Andrea Mojzak, a Green Cities Project Associate, for getting in touch with Green Lake Loop and wanting to spread the news about this amazing project.
You can select from four different varieties of trees available, while supplies last of course. And I quote from Andrea:
1) Lewis and Clark thought that Western red cedars were amazing enough to be called the “trees of life” -arbor vitae. Plant one in your backyard and you’ll be on your way to helping our cities be full of life.
2) The gorgeous Deodar cedar is native to the Himalayan region, but grows wonderfully in the Pacific Northwest. It has a long history in India, where its Hindu name means “revered tree.”
3) The tupelo tree is a great medium-sized tree for a yard that is looking for some brilliant leaf coloring. Tupelo leaves are a dark glossy green in the spring and summer and turn bright colors- mostly red, but some yellow just as the gray skies come rolling in. Tupelo is used in the south to make the famous “Tupelo honey.”
4) Shore pines are quite the opposite of the straight and orderly pine you might imagine. As its scientific name, Pinus contorta ssp. Contorta, suggests, it can grow crooked branches – an attractive addition to your backyard.
 Want more information? http://seattle.gov/trees/treesforneighborhoods.htm
Or contact Andrea directly at 206-905-6920 directandream@cascadeland.org
Thanks for keeping Seattle clean and green!
By Molly Cartwright, Realtor, Cooper Jacobs Real Estate, Molly@CooperJacobs.com, 206-841-6800, on October 9th, 2011%
As a full time Realtor, I have plenty of access to active homes on the market each day. And as a full time Realtor, I have many buyers and sellers I’m working together with on a daily basis. So what happens when I AM the client?
Tonight I’m sifting through the inventory with my own interests in mind this time. It’s put me in an entirely different mind set. First I type in my criteria and eagerly press the “search” button as if it’s going to magically present my dream house.
Okay, 33 search results. Like a good book, I click “next” to see what the next page brings. NUMERO UNO – pictures. I look at the photographs. If they, um suck, then I basically move on. I’m looking for a feeling the pictures make me feel like if I can invision myself and my family in the home. If not, click next. If yes, then I look deeper – pull up the map, look at the type of energy source, lot size, any updates done. Do you do this too?
It’s quite addictive. Will I miss the one I’m suppose to buy? How much work/$$ do I really want to put into it if I like it? Probably none – as this is one of my criterias. So I guess I’m like most of the population – my price, my floorplan, my first pick neighborhood, turn key. Wow - I do this every day for alot of clients…I guess I should take my own advice. Listen to your gut and never turn down an opportunity to preview a house on the market. You’ll never be able to see the details (slopped floors), the smells (mold in the basement), or witness the proximity to that convenient store until you’re physically present in the house. Sometimes ya never know!
By Molly Cartwright, Realtor, Cooper Jacobs Real Estate, Molly@CooperJacobs.com, 206-841-6800, on October 8th, 2011%
Coined “Cargotecture“, this 24-foot-long shipping cargo container has been making a lot of heads turn in Seattle.
 The architectural firm behind it all, HyBrid Architecture, entered a city sponsored competition in 2003 to create sustainable ideas for Terminal 46, a piece of Seattle waterfront property. And although they didn’t past the mustard at this particular competition, it did resonate with the architectures Joel Egan and Robert Humble and they continued on with their efforts.
Now the King County Parks and Rec are exploring the idea of using these cargo living structures at campgrounds. HyBrid Architecture beat out some fierce competition to win first prize for this honor. Called REtain, this highly sustainable cargo structure won for best sustainability, usability, and utility as well as the easiest to construct. Parks and Recreation use them for storage already on some campgrounds, so testing it out as a way to get more people to enjoy the outdoors is experimental and attractive. Think of it has an industrial yurt! It’s slated for next summer’s camping season.
Egan and Humble aren’t new to building these pint size properties. They’ve designed and fabricated cargo buildings all over the world like Europe, Africa and Sri Lanka. They also hold the designation of Sunset magazine’s Idea House of the Year award.
Besides selling Green Lake real estate, I also enjoy selling floating homes and houseboats around Lake Union in Seattle. A 24-foot cargo container could be the size of a houseboat. So if living with rhythmics waves isn’t for you but the small space is – think Cargotecture!
Could it be the way of the future?
By Molly Cartwright, Realtor, Cooper Jacobs Real Estate, Molly@CooperJacobs.com, 206-841-6800, on October 6th, 2011%
Did you know there are 85 P-Patches in the City Of Seattle? P-Patches have been around for 20+ years in Seattle’s urban areas. They reach far north as Bitter Lake and as far south as Leo Farm. These last two p-patches are still in construction but it’s a great time to get in on the action! Like everything else that’s good (like Molly Moon’s Ice Cream), P-Patches have waiting lists too! Count on two years in some cases. And no, you cannot give your plot away. You have to notify the P-Patch staff.
One P-Patch me and my dog Zeus walk to alot is the Good Shepard P-Patch in Wallingford. It’s nestled in the same place as Seattle Tilth and Wednesday’s Farmer Market. I love seeing the homemade signs that “onions” grow here or the smell of fresh soil as a patron is digging a hole for her lavendar plant. Seattle Tilth’s innovative urban sustainable gardening classes are perfect for adults and kids.
Another quite random P-Patch is the University District Pea Patch. It’s just one street east of I-5 and the Express lanes and it’s been loving cared for by her community for over 25 years. It has 48 plots and 97 people on the wait list. So yeah, another waitlist.
How do these sustainable and extremely gratifying p-patches work? The city’s Department of Neighborhoods combined with the P-Patch Trust (and some other authorities) get together to support, develop and manage community p-patches. The community gardeners volunteer to coordinate the patches and loving grow and maintain the plots. Oh, and there’s some paperwork to fill out.
If you’re interested in finding the nearest p-patch in your neighborhood or if you’re interested in getting on a wait list you can sign up here.
Oh and if you’re interested in finding a home within a p-patch radius, contact me!
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