The fair will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Not only is this a great time to get ideas for your home, but you . . . → Read More: Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Associations 14th Annual Home and Remodeling Fair-Sunday January 30th]]> If you are looking for ideas for your home and  are conveniently close by, say Phinney Ridge, Greenwood or Greenlake; Sunday January 30th is the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Associations 14th annual Home and Remodeling fair.

The fair will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Not only is this a great time to get ideas for your home, but you may meet some new or old neighbors as well. Supporting local can lead to opportunity in building your personal community; whether that be in Phinney Ridge or one of the many other awesome Seattle neighborhoods.

At this years fair there will be over 90 exhibitors, everything from designers, architects, green building experts, consultants, permit experts (that is always a good person  to know), home equity loan experts, as well as many others.  Door prizes too donated by the exhibitors.

Additional Information:
Complete List of Exhibitors
Presentation Schedule

Phinney Neighborhood Center
Blue Building
6532 Phinney Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103

Admission
$6 for PNA members
$9 for general public
Children 12 and under are admitted free

For more information about this event and the Phinney Association, please go to www.phinneycenter.org

Tangletown Home

Geographically, Tangletown is nestled between south Green Lake and north Wallingford.  Living here you can still take advantage of Green Lake’s paddle boats and basketball courts while walking to Wallingford for a glass of wine . . . → Read More: Tangletown Real Estate]]> Looking to buy some Tangletown Real Estate?  Is it a wise purchase?  What kind of neighborhood life is Tangletown?  What about the schools?

Tangletown Home

Geographically, Tangletown is nestled between south Green Lake and north Wallingford.  Living here you can still take advantage of Green Lake’s paddle boats and basketball courts while walking to Wallingford for a glass of wine and live music.  But Tangletown has its own main drag (North 56th Street) you don’t want to miss!  Get an updo at Beehive Salon then walk across the street to grab one of many hotdog selections at Diggity Dog Hot Dog & Sausage stand and wash it down with a brew at the local Elysian Brewing Company ~ just kiddy corner from Might O Donuts.

Tangletown is probably most proud of Zoka.  Zoka is a super cool cafe which roasts its own coffee beans, has delicious pastries and lot of seating for those important meetings with your wedding planner or hunkering down to write that mid term paper for school.

Because of the quaint parameters of Tangletown‘s borders, it has seen average solds for the last six months.  13 solds to be exact.   $214,000 buys you a 500 square foot studio or an expansive $1,280,000 beautiful home with over 3,000 square feet of living space.  So the average days on the market are only 24 days from these sold properties and the average price is around $564,000.  This is just under the FHA loan limit of $567,500.  Believe me, a minimum downpayment of 3.0% is worth buying a home in Tangletown.

The schools are amazing!  Let’s start with daycare and pre-kindergarden.  Green Lake Day Care and Preschool, managed by Anne Kelly, is a safe place you can trust.  Located at 63rd and Green Lake, it has three separate rooms for the Poohbears, Piglets, and Tiggers in a huge brick church.  My daugther went there from 1 year old as a Poohbear and graduated at age 5 as a Tigger.  She’s seven now and STILL talks about her teachers from Green Lake Day Care and Preschool.

The Elementary school will be McDonald in 2012 after a complete facelift but for now, it’s Lincoln Elementary.  Middle School is going to be Hamilton, and Roosevelt for high school.  I recommend going to the Seattle Public Schools Website for more detailed information.

Tangletown has some charming homes on the market right now!  There are 10 single family homes and 1 condo for sale in Tangletown.  Find more at Cooper Jacobs Real Estate.

Whether you are considering a Backyard Cottage on your at least 4,000 square foot lot as a rental property, for an elderly family member, or a grown child you need to know the max square . . . → Read More: Backyard Cottages in Seattle]]> I wrote a blog earlier about Backyard Cottages in Seattle or Detatched Dwelling Units.  Since then, I’ve had numerous questions about them. 

Whether you are considering a Backyard Cottage on your at least 4,000 square foot lot as a rental property, for an elderly family member, or a grown child you need to know the max square footage the structure can be is 800 sq ft.  This includes any carport, attached garage, or storage. 

You can decide to go through a contractor and architect or get a panelized or modular fabricated design.  Fabricated is the fastest, and designed much like building blocks.  Panelized takes a little more time and can be more customized.  

It’s no secret adding a Backyard Cottage on your property can add extra monthly income.  However there are some costs involved.  Here is a link to a handy worksheet that breaks down Hard Costs and Soft Costs.  Example of a Hard Cost is demolition or site preparation.  A Soft Cost is a mortgage, or fees for utility hookups.  Which aren’t cheap, by the way!  Seattle City Light  recommends separate electricity meters.  This will save you way more money in the long run.

Make sure you save room for a parking space for your Backyard Cottage – this is a requirement!

For more information regarding Backyard Cottages and self help steps to diagrams, permits, and more – this site wins, hands down.

Check back frequently to www.cooperjacobs.com for our Backyard Cottage listings in Seattle City Limits.

Susan Black of Susan Black & Associates is a Seattle landscape architect that has been doing green landscaping for a long time!  Check out this article . . . → Read More: Green Landscape Architecture In Seattle]]> I just got my EcoBroker Certification, so I wanted to touch on Sustainable Landscape Architecture:

Don’t forget to check out my Green Seattle real estate info, too, if you get a chance!

Susan Black of Susan Black & Associates is a Seattle landscape architect that has been doing green landscaping for a long time!  Check out this article I found written about LEED and Seattle landscaping back in 2001:

http://www.djc.com/news/ae/11121028.html

Green landscaping is a huge movement in Seattle and the Puget Sound – Designing sustainable landscapes is vital to the environmental health of our great city!  I am happy to see that this is finally taking off, but I admire the early adapters of environmental causes!

Here’s some more about SBA and what Seattle landscape architect Susan Black can do for Seattle landscaping:

Seattle landscaping can be commercial or residential and SBA does it all.  Susan Black & Associates have been doing some of the very best landscaping projects in Seattle and are among the most respected firms in the city when it comes to Seattle landscape architecture.  They do some amazing projects and should be considered first when it comes to any project!

I have had the pleasure of knowing Susan Black for years and am constantly delighted to find the firm’s work is everywhere!  Logan Park in Lynnwood, WA got a huge transformation by the firm and it is one of the best parks in Lynnwood now.   Powell Barnett Park in Seattle has become a neighborhood favorite after being in ruins for years.  Cities and Counties interested in project planning should consult this firm first for a quality job.  Residents interested in making their landscaping the best it can be should get a hold of SBA.

Contact info:

Susan Black

206-789-2133

SBA is located in nearby Wallingford and has the capabilities of serving the greater Puget Sound.

Courtney Cooper, Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services – Helping you with all your Seattle real estate and Green Seattle real estate, too!