CoBuy November 9, 2020

CoBuying a Home: How Does it Work?

From CoBuy:

The first thing most people want to know about co-buying a home is, “how does co-buying work?” It’s a great question. Teaming up to buy a home is a big decision. There’s a lot of money involved, and it’s not your typical home purchase. Let’s first look at the big picture and then break it down.

Folks often focus on the purchase. But the transaction is just the start. Buying a home is not the end goal: the real objective is successful co-ownership. Success involves some combination of financial and social return on investment with minimal stress.

Read more at CoBuy.

For more on the CoBuy journey, check out these recent case studies:

 

Financial November 5, 2020

What is Wire Fraud and How to Avoid It

Uncategorized November 2, 2020

Don Selected as 2020 Seattle Five Star Real Estate Agent Award Winner

I’m honored and humbled to be among and exclusive group of professionals in my field–the 2020 Seattle Five Star Real Estate Agents. This distinguished designation is awarded to less than 7% of professionals in the market after a rigorous selection process, including eligibility criteria, consumer evaluations, an evaluation score based on a proprietary algorithm and finally, a review from a Blue Ribbon industry panel.

Real Estate News & Information October 27, 2020

Western Washington Real Estate Market Update

The following analysis of the Western Washington real estate market is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. We hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact your Windermere agent.

 

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Restaurant Reviews October 20, 2020

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Smarty Pants in Georgetown

Alan and I have been going to Smarty Pants in Georgetown for years, and it always seems to be a favorite for out of town guests. For many of our friends, a trip to Smarty Pants is a must-see on their Seattle agenda.

Smarty Pants has the classic biker bar atmosphere, which, in my opinion isn’t a bad thing, considering how much character Seattle has lost due to gentrification. It’s fun and relaxed, and they have a large patio with a cool back yard feel. Part of it is covered, which makes it a great place to eat during the COVID era.

They also have limited indoor seating as well as takeout, and are open for lunch and dinner, and brunch on weekends.

Smarty Pants has a fairly large menu of mostly sandwiches and salads, with more breakfast-y entrees for brunch. They also have a full bar along with beer, wine, and ciders.

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BuyersCoBuy October 16, 2020

COBUY SUCCESS STORE: Mom & Daughters Buy Home Together

I became a CoBuy certified agent so that I could help buyers that may have been priced out of our housing market.  As a CoBuy partner, I’m able to focus on my client’s home search and offer process, while leaving the very important details of co-ownership to the experts in that area.

Once I learned about this mom and her two daughters, I was eager to help them find a home. They all work in healthcare, which I have a ton of respect for, especially now.

I arranged a Zoom meeting to meet with them and learn about their criteria for a home. Once I knew what they were looking for, I set up a unique MLS search and began sending listings. They would also find interesting properties and let me know which ones they wanted to tour, so I set up several tours and we saw lots of homes.

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Sellers October 13, 2020

Dangers of an Overpriced Home

When it comes time to sell your home, determining its exact value can be a challenge. Naturally, homeowners want to get the most value for their home. However, if it hits the market at too high a price, it could cause serious complications in the selling process.

Attracting the wrong buyers

An overpriced home creates a kind of seller’s limbo that draws the attention of the wrong buyers, which is a surefire way to start your selling process off on the wrong foot.

A vast majority of homebuyers begin their home search online, especially during these days of social distancing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. If your home is overpriced in comparison to other listings in your area, it won’t appear in their search results. In this way, an overpriced home is blind to its intended buyers and actually drives traffic to nearby listings that are more accurately priced.

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Real Estate Listings October 12, 2020

NEW LISTING: Modernized Queen Anne Condo

1312 6th Ave. North
Seattle, WA 98109
Listed at $324,000

  • SQFT: 450
  • Bed: 1
  • Bathroom: 1
  • MLS #: 1665854
  • Taxes: $2,884 (2020)
  • Year Built: 1986
  • Style: 30 – Condo (1 Level)
  • Views: Territorial

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From Don October 6, 2020

How to Have Loads of Halloween Fun without Trick-or-Treating

With new Halloween guidelines just issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that door-to-door trick-or-treating, indoor haunted houses, costume parties and “trunk or treating,” where children go from car to car to receive treats, are considered “higher risk activities” that should be avoided this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, here are 7 ways to have loads of Halloween fun without risking exposure.

  1. pumpkin carving
  2. decorating your house
  3. hosting a virtual costume contest
  4. having an outdoors Halloween scavenger hunt and having a “scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search” indoors with members of your household
  5. small, outdoor costume parades
  6. outdoor Halloween movie nights where attendees are spaced at least six feet apart
  7. participating in one-way trick-or-treating that includes individually wrapped treats and social distancing

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Events September 29, 2020

RESCHEDULED: FREE Recycling & Paper Shredding Event