<br><br>Seattle Real Estate: Seattle Neighborhoods

<br><br>Seattle Real Estate: Seattle Neighborhoodshttp://cooperjacobs.com/Seattle Real Estate Blog: Need Info On Buying or Selling in Seattle? <div style="padding: 0; width:160px; height:155px; text-align:center; font-family:verdana,arial, sans-serif; border:1px solid #adcfff; background: url(http://www.zillow.com/static/images/zmm_widget_logos.gif) 0 -474px;"> <a href="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage/Mortgage.htm?scid=mor-wid-sthd&scrnnm=CourtneyCooper" style="display: block; margin: 6px 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 1.1em; color: #36b; text-decoration: none; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: bold;">Latest Mortgage Rates</a> <span style="display: block; background: #fff; height: 60px; margin: 0 2px 0 2px; border: 1px solid #adcfff; text-align: left; font-size: 8pt;"> <span style="display: block; width: 98px; float: left;"> <span style="display: block; height: 20px; padding: 0 0 0 4px; background-color: #fff;"> <a href="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage-rate-explorer/United-States_30-Yr-Fixed-Mortgage_High-Credit_High-Down_1Mo-Span?scid=mor-wid-stt1&scrnnm=CourtneyCooper" style="display: block; padding: 3px 0 0 0; text-decoration: underline; color: #36b;">30 Year Fixed</a> </span> <span style="display: block; height: 20px; padding: 0 0 0 4px; background-color: #eff7ff;"> <a href="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage-rate-explorer/United-States_15-Yr-Fixed-Mortgage_High-Credit_High-Down_1Mo-Span?scid=mor-wid-stt2&scrnnm=CourtneyCooper" style="display: block; padding: 3px 0 0 0; text-decoration: underline; color: #36b;">15 Year Fixed</a> </span> <span style="display: block; height: 20px; padding: 0 0 0 4px; background-color: #fff;"> <a href="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage-rate-explorer/United-States_5-1-ARM-Mortgage_High-Credit_High-Down_1Mo-Span?scid=mor-wid-stt3&scrnnm=CourtneyCooper" style="display: block; padding: 3px 0 0 0; text-decoration: underline; color: #36b;">5/1 ARM</a> </span> </span> <iframe width="54" frameborder="0" height="60" align="middle" style="float: left; width: 54px;" src="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage/MortgageRateTableWidget.htm?cobrand=CourtneyCooper" scrolling="no" longdesc="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage/Mortgage.htm?scrnnmCourtneyCooper"> Your browser doesn't support frames. Visit <a href="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage/Mortgage.htm?scrnnm=CourtneyCooper" style="text-decoration: none; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: bold;">Zillow Mortgage Marketplace</a> to see this content. </iframe> </span> <a href="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage-rate-explorer/United-States_30-Yr-Fixed-Mortgage_High-Credit_High-Down_1Mo-Span?scid=mor-wid-stbt&scrnnm=CourtneyCooper" style="display: block; background: url(http://www.zillow.com/static/images/zmm_widget_logos.gif) 0 -54px no-repeat; height: 22px; width: 111px; margin: 6px auto 3px auto; padding: 3px 0 0 0; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; color: #fff; text-decoration: none">See local rates</a> <a href="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage/Mortgage.htm?scid=mor-wid-stgr&scrnnm=CourtneyCooper" style="display: block; background: url(http://www.zillow.com/static/images/zmm_widget_logos.gif) 0 -28px no-repeat; display: block; height: 15px; width: 145px; margin: 1px auto;"><span style="display: none;">Zillow Mortgage Marketplace</span></a> <a href="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage/widgets" style="margin: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center; font-size: 7pt; color: gray; text-decoration: none;">Get this widget</a> </div> <a href="http://twitter.com/CourtneyCooper"><img src="http://twitterbuttons.com/images/ex/tw2_gif.gif" title="By: TwitterButtons.com" width="149" height="53" /></a><br /> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pub.mybloglog.com/comm2.php?mblID=2007112612362176&c_width=180&c_sn_opt=y&c_rows=5&c_img_size=f&c_heading_text=Recent+Readers&c_color_heading_bg=005A94&c_color_heading=ffffff&c_color_link_bg=E3E3E3&c_color_link=005A94&c_color_bottom_bg=005A94"></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.activeraincustomizer.com/a.php?id=174'></script> <a href="http://www.blogged.com"> <img src="http://www.blogged.com/icons/vn_courtneyc_992258.gif" border="0" alt="Blog Directory - Blogged" title="Blog Directory - Blogged" /></a>en-usSat, 06 Mar 2010 08:34:00 GMT10GDRSSFeeds v1.0Land's End Magnolia Neighborhood in Seattle Offers Great Seattle Waterfront Optionshttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/03/06/lands-end-magnolia-neighborhood-in-seattle-offers-great-seattle-waterfront-options<div><strong style="font-size: 12pt;">Land's End Magnolia Neighborhood in Seattle:  This one is pretty different from the rest of Seattle - Lands End in Magnolia:</strong></div> <div> </div> <div><img alt="" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/landsendmap.jpg" align="left" height="231" hspace="12" vspace="12" width="309" />In the upper most corner of Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood and nestled above the quiet inlet of water coming to the Ballard Locks is the tiny Sea Captain's hide away mini neighborhood of Land's End.  Land's End is a small sub section of Magnolia in Seattle with far less than 100 homes, but big water views and lots of waterfront homes here! It is East of Discovery Park and Lawton Wood and looks across to Ballard's Sunset Hill.  Seagulls soar overhead and sea lions come to chase the salmon that migrate through these beautiful waters.  <br /> </div> <div> </div> <div>Land's End is just up the street from Commodore Park on Magnolia's side of the Locks and a great place to launch a canoe or kayak to paddle around in the waters.   Wonderful views and summer exposure and great schools are just one more feature of this vacation hideaway right in Seattle!  Currently, there are even a few<a style="color: #800000;" title="Land's End real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/78862/Lands_End_Homes.html"> Land's End homes for sale</a>, so let us know if you want to discover Land's End!</div> <div><strong></strong></div> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <div><strong> </strong></div> <div><strong>Additional info: </strong></div> </span> <div><strong></strong></div> <div> </div> <div><a style="color: #800000;" title="Land's End Real Estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/78862/Lands_End_Homes.html">Land's End Real Estate</a> <br /> </div> <div><a style="color: #800000;" title="Magnolia Real Estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/52844/parent/38108/Magnolia_Real_Estate.html">Magnolia Real Estate</a><br /> </div> <div><a title="Seattle real estate" style="color: #800000;" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate </a><br /> </div> <div><em> </em></div> <div><em>photo courtesy of Google Maps</em><br /> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/03/06/lands-end-magnolia-neighborhood-in-seattle-offers-great-seattle-waterfront-options" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/03/06/lands-end-magnolia-neighborhood-in-seattle-offers-great-seattle-waterfront-options#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/03/06/lands-end-magnolia-neighborhood-in-seattle-offers-great-seattle-waterfront-optionsSat, 06 Mar 2010 08:34:00 GMTIRS Allows For Non Signed HUD-1 Statements When Claiming Homebuyer Tax Credithttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/28/irs-allows-for-non-signed-hud-1-statements-when-claiming-homebuyer-tax-credit<div style="font-weight: bold;">Seattle Real Estate Tax Credit Guidelines:  The IRS does allow for non signed HUD-1 statements to be attached to your tax return when claiming the home buyer tax credit if......  </div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes, there is an if.   - If it is customary in your locale for them not to be signed.</span>   In Seattle, buyers and sellers sign the estimated HUD at escrow with all other loan docs for purchasing the home, but the final HUD statements are mailed out to everyone after closing of the real estate purchase. These statements are stamped with the official escrow signature to indicate that they are indeed the final HUD-1 statement, <span style="font-weight: bold;">but no other signatures from buyer or seller are on the final HUD in our jurisdiction.  </span><br /> </div> <div><br /> </div> <div><span style="font-weight: bold;">The question does keep coming up: </span> I got this call all last week from <a style="color: #800000;" title="Seattle real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate</a> clients who did take advantage of the tax credit opportunity out there when buying their home.   It was very frustrating for them because <span style="font-weight: bold;">IRS form 5405 so clearly indicates that a signed final HUD-1 is required</span>.  I wanted to put some IRS info up to help clarify the process.  Obviously, I am not a tax accountant, and you should seek your tax professional's advice, but here are the exact recommendations from the IRS ( I have highlighted a few choice sections):<br /> </div> <div> </div> <div style="direction: ltr;"> <p style="direction: ltr; margin-left: 40px; font-style: italic;"><strong>"Q. What do I have to attach to my 2009 or 2010 return to prove that I bought a new home in order to claim the credit?</strong></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px; font-style: italic;">A. If you claim the credit on a 2009 (or later) return, you must attach a copy of your settlement statement. For most homebuyers, this will be a properly executed Form HUD-1, Settlement Statement (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) that includes:</p> <ul style="margin-left: 40px; font-style: italic;" type="disc"> <li style="background-color: yellow;">Names and signatures (if available) of all parties involved,</li> <li>Property address,</li> <li>Purchase price, and </li> <li>Date of purchase."</li> </ul> Notice the "if available" part of that highlighted sentence...  Here they go on to further clarify:<br /> <p style="margin-left: 40px; font-style: italic;"><strong>"Q. What do I do if my settlement sheet does not have any signatures?</strong></p> <div style="margin-left: 40px; font-style: italic;">A. The IRS encourages buyers seeking the homebuyer credit to <span style="background-color: yellow;">sign the settlement statement when they file their tax return -- even in cases where the settlement form does not include a signature line.</span> The IRS recognizes that elements of the settlement document, often a Form HUD-1, may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and may not reflect the signatures of both the buyer and seller. <span style="background-color: yellow;">While the Form 5405 instructions indicate that a properly executed settlement statement should show the signatures of all parties, the IRS has clarified that it will accept a settlement statement if it is complete and valid according to local law.</span> In areas where signatures are not required on the settlement document, the <span style="background-color: yellow;">IRS encourages the buyer to sign the settlement statement prior to attaching it to the tax return</span>. In situations where the signature of the seller is not on the settlement document, the IRS advises the buyer to still sign the document."</div> <div style="margin-left: 40px; font-style: italic;"> </div> <div>So <a style="color: #800000;" href="http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=218698,00.html">according to the IRS</a> in regards to claiming your homebuyer credit, <span style="font-weight: bold;">they would like you to go ahead and sign your HUD-1 when you attach it, but they don't require you to do so as their form 5405 so clearly asks you to do.  Hope that helps!</span><br /> </div> <div> </div> <div>Seattle, there is still time to take advantage of the homebuyer credit - let us know if you need help finding a home or want more details on the program or others out there:  realestate@cooperjacobs.com <br /> </div>  </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/28/irs-allows-for-non-signed-hud-1-statements-when-claiming-homebuyer-tax-credit" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/28/irs-allows-for-non-signed-hud-1-statements-when-claiming-homebuyer-tax-credit#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/28/irs-allows-for-non-signed-hud-1-statements-when-claiming-homebuyer-tax-creditSun, 28 Feb 2010 08:02:00 GMTQueen Anne Real Estate Residential Homes Market Updatehttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/25/queen-anne-real-estate-residential-homes-market-update<div><strong>Queen Anne Real Estate Residential Homes Market Update:  What is available in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood right now?</strong>  There are 106 Queen Anne homes for sale right now - these are all the residential listings in the MLS that are listed for sale and in active status as of right now.  <br /> </div> <div>Quick stats reveals average list price of $969,269, average square footage of 2746 and average dollar per square foot at $346.  Average days on market for these is 132. <img height="260" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/QAsmall_01.jpg" width="388" align="left" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="Queen Anne homes on South West slope" /> If I exclude Queen Anne short sales from the list which tend to skew the numbers, I am left with 101 active <strong>Queen Anne homes for sale right now - this is a small percentage of short sales compared to other neighborhoods and a real testament to the neighborhood.</strong> Quick stats with these changes reveal averages at $996,985 for listing price, 2801 for square footage, $349 for dollar per square foot, and a longer days on market at 134.  </div> <div> </div> <div>There are 27 pending <strong>Queen Anne properties in the MLS excluding short sales.  The days on market is pretty remarkable </strong>- the range is from 1 to 138 days, but the average is 30 days and the median is 14 days.  If you have a well priced and presented Queen Anne home, it sells and quickly.  List price on these pending sales ranges from $138,000 to $1,965,000, but the real meat of the homes with offers on them in this great neighborhood is an average price range of $626,465 and median of $567,000.  Three bedrooms.2 baths is the median for what is selling the most of these. <strong>Pulling up Queen Anne short sales only, there are six that are pending in the MLS as of today on top of the 27 pending Queen Anne homes.</strong>  The days on market for these range from 5 to 158 days with an average of 53 and a median of 40 days. The median price range for these is $506,250 and I would expect the days on market to increase significantly before they close - if they close at all.</div> <div> </div> <div><strong><img height="308" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/chblacksmall.jpg" width="384" align="right" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="CH Black Mansion on Southwest Slope of Queen Anne Seattle" />Queen Anne is already off to a great start for homes</strong> sold this year. So far in 2010, 21 homes have sold (no short sales have closed this year in Queen Anne).  These closed sales range in price from $350,000 to $1,700,000 with an average of $726,874 and a median of $665,000.  The average days on market for these was 105, but that was seriously skewed by one house that was on the market for 328 days.  The median days on market for these sold homes was 82.  The shortest time on market for these sold Queen Anne homes?  12 days.  The average sales price to listing price ranged from 90.57% to 94.92% depending on days on the <a title="Queen Anne Real Estate" style="color: #800000" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/48584/parent/38108/Queen_Anne_Real_Estate.html">Queen Anne real estate</a> market.  </div> <div> </div> <div>Last year, 2009, for the same period, there were 19 sales on Queen Anne with average sales price of $757,562 and in 2008 for the same period there were also 19 sales with an average sales price of $806,079.  Going back to 2007 for this period paints the bigger picture.  There were 26 Queen Anne homes that sold during this time - the average sales price was $689,967.  This tells me that <strong>Queen Anne homes sales are definitely improving</strong>, although the last two years have not been highly depressed regardless of overall <a title="Seattle real estate" style="color: #800000" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate </a>market slow down.  </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Queen Anne Real Estate Conclusions?</strong> If you want to sell your Queen Anne home, then go forward without fear.  There are buyers out there wanting to move here!  If you want to buy a Queen Anne home then go ahead - take advantage of the low interest rates that will be heading up inevitably as they always do.  Take advantage of the tax credit if you qualify (that window is closing soon unless they extend).  </div> <div> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/25/queen-anne-real-estate-residential-homes-market-update" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/25/queen-anne-real-estate-residential-homes-market-update#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/25/queen-anne-real-estate-residential-homes-market-updateThu, 25 Feb 2010 10:08:00 GMTSeattle Floating Homes Market Opening Up A Little For 2010http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/22/seattle-floating-homes-market-opening-up-a-little-for-2010<div><strong><img height="200" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/miniwestlake_from_eastlake.jpg" width="300" align="left" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="Seattle floating homes for sale" />Seattle Floating Homes Market Opening Up A Little For 2010:  Seattle houseboats for sale are increasing.</strong>  The floating home inventory has been extremely low and continues to be so with only a few home son the market right now, but that is better than a little over a week ago when there was only one <strong>floating home for sale in Lake Union</strong>!</div> <div> </div> <div>Right now you have a few choices in all price ranges and I know of at least two more <strong>Seattle floating homes coming on the real estate market</strong> in the next week or so.  You can get into a Seattle floating home at $365,500 for a great <a title="lake union floating homes for sale" style="color: #800000" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/18075">Lake Union Floating home</a> with a sleeping loft and room to go up a level.  This one has been on the market for just 20 days and has a lot to offer - it is located in North Westlake in Westlake Cove.  <strong>Westlake Cove is a well maintained co-op dock with great views of the city and Gas Works Park. </strong> <div> </div> <div><strong>More Seattle floating homes for sale:  Another floating home in Westlake Cove</strong> is also available for sale right now at a price point of $575,000  - you can find more details on our <a title="Seattle houseboats for sale" style="color: #800000" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/51511/parent/38108/Seattle_Houseboats.html">Seattle houseboats for sale</a> page of this site.  Just a few minutes ago an <strong>Eastlake Floating Home came on the market</strong> - a wonderful 2 bedroom on Fairview and a great example of <a title="Eastlake houseboats" style="color: #800000" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/27774">Eastlake houseboats</a> - it came on at $769,000 and has a dedicated parking spot.  <strong>We have seen Mallard Cove floating homes sell in the last year as well as Roanoke Reef - there is a Roanoke Reef floating home pending right now</strong> - I will update you if anything changes on that one because it was a very cool place as far as Seattle houseboats go!</div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Seattle floating home real estate choices are opening up a bit</strong> - let us know if you want to see anything  - the sun is out and it is a great time to go tour the docks right now!  We can show you all of our favorite waterfront spots along Lake Union and Portage Bay, too!</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/22/seattle-floating-homes-market-opening-up-a-little-for-2010" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/22/seattle-floating-homes-market-opening-up-a-little-for-2010#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/22/seattle-floating-homes-market-opening-up-a-little-for-2010Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:26:00 GMTSeattle Real Estate: Seller Tip #1http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/19/seattle-real-estate-seller-tip-1<strong>Selling your home in the Seattle real estate market right now can be challenging.  Here's a Few Seller Tips:</strong>     You want to make sure to try and price your home right and obviously present it well, but right now the <strong>biggest problem we are having with selling homes to our buyers is the sellers themselves</strong>.  <div> </div> <div><strong>Make your home easy to show.</strong>  Unless there is a tenant in it, 24 hours showing notice to show a home in the current Seattle market is unreasonable.  I completely understand how hard it is to have your home on the market - I had mine on a few years ago and it drove me crazy.  It is especially difficult to try and keep you home clean with kids in the picture.  My kids never picked up anything and it was always me running around like a crazy woman to clean up before a showing. It is unfortunately just part of the deal when you go to list your home for sale. </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Seattle Buyers Out There:</strong>  There is another side of it, you know.  We get calls from buyers with almost no notice and they are hot to see a great Seattle house.  We try everything we can to make accommodations and give sellers as much notice as possible, but sometimes it just isn't doable.   Yesterday I tried to put together just a preview tour and was hit with five houses out of the seven I needed to see that I could not get into on the same day.  None had tenants. <strong>Do you want to sell your home?</strong> </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Seattle real estate is challenging in 2010</strong>, but if we all work together and try to be as courteous as possible, both for showings and notices, then we should be able to see these homes in a timely fashion. </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Oh!  One last tip - When you have a buyer coming to see your home, do the dishes and vacate the premises so their agent can show them around.</strong>  The biggest misconception is that you know your house the best and can therefore show it to them in the best light.  They really do not want to be shown the hosue by the seller.  It makes every single buyer I have ever had this happen to extremely uncomfortable. <strong> Instead of enjoying your home and trying to picture themselves in it, they instead are trying to get out ASAP. </strong></div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/19/seattle-real-estate-seller-tip-1" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/19/seattle-real-estate-seller-tip-1#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/19/seattle-real-estate-seller-tip-1Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:26:00 GMTSeattle Real Estate: Laurelhurst Buyers Beware: You Can't Walk All Over Seattle Sellers Anymore!http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/17/seattle-real-estate-laurelhurst-buyers-beware-you-cant-walk-all-over-seattle-sellers-anymore<div><span style="font-weight: bold">Seattle real estate is changing....again.</span>  For the last couple of years, buyers have been having their way with sellers in all kinds of sweetheart deals when it comes to "negotiating".  Times are changing and those list prices are not so squishy anymore - no matter how good your agent is at negotiating.  The fact of the matter is that Seattle suburbs are still declining or struggling to stabilize, but Seattle in city is picking up steam and certain Seattle neighborhoods are going STRONG.   </div> <div> </div> <div><img hspace="12" alt="" vspace="12" align="left" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/2008_1590.JPG" width="250" height="177" />Seattle Neighborhoods like Queen Anne and Laurelhurst in particular are MOVING and prices are not being tampered with in large part. <span style="font-weight: bold">Let's look at Seattle's Laurelhurst Neighborhood:</span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-weight: bold">Laurelhurst has 33 closed residential sales of homes in the last six months</span> - they ranged from a list price of $399,000 to $12,800,000 (with neither of those properties representing the majority of Laurelhurst homes for sale by the way). The average listing price of these 33 <a style="color: #0000ff" title="Laurelhurst Seattle real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46810/parent/38108/Laurelhurst_Real_Estate.html" target="_blank">Laurelhurst homes for sale</a> was $1,200,676 with an average selling price of $1,134,926.  The average price per square foot for listings on these was $339/square foot and the dollar per square foot average for the selling prices was $326/ square foot. For properties that stayed on the market for only 30 days or less of which there were 15, the sales price to listing price average was over 97.5%.   These were well-priced homes that took an average of less than 2.5% in negotiated sales price to list price. The number varied depending on days on market, but Laurelhurst held strong for the most part. </div> <div> </div> <div>One could argue that you should take out those two non typical Laurelhurst sales.  I agree as they do skew the number significantly.  Taking out the high and the low sold homes, The dollar per square foot changes to $306/ square foot for listing prices and $296/ square foot for selling prices.  This is significant in my opinion. The average listing price then drops to $852,365 and the average sales price drops to $824,598. </div> <div> </div> <span style="font-weight: bold">Laurelhurst is an interesting Seattle neighborhood because you do have to look at comps street by street and sometimes house by house.</span> Many different neighborhood factors weigh in on current market value as well of these homes.  Is the property in the boundaries for the Laurelhurst Beach Club?  Does it have a view of Lake Washington?  Is it waterfront Laurelhurst property? Is the home well maintained and maybe near a great Laurelhurst feature like the Laurelhurst Community Club?  The list goes on.<br /> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-weight: bold">Laurelhurst Real Estate right now: </span> If you want look at Laurelhurst homes for sale right now, you will see some beautiful inventory, but not a lot of it. Currently there are 13 homes available in Laurelhurst  - they range from $499,950 for a 2 bedroom 1 bath home to $4,500,000 for a 3 bedroom 1952 home on the Laurelhurst Waterfront.  The average list price of these is $1,466,915 and the average dollar per square foot is up to $421/square foot.  There is also one contingent property in the Beach Club boundaries for $350/square foot with a list price of $969,900. Laurelhurst is clearly holding its own in value this year!</div> <div> </div> <div>Want to see all the available Seattle homes for sale in Laurelhurst right now?</div> <div><a style="color: #0000ff" title="Laurelhurst Real Estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46810/parent/38108/Laurelhurst_Real_Estate.html">Laurelhurst Real Estate</a><br /> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/17/seattle-real-estate-laurelhurst-buyers-beware-you-cant-walk-all-over-seattle-sellers-anymore" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/17/seattle-real-estate-laurelhurst-buyers-beware-you-cant-walk-all-over-seattle-sellers-anymore#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/02/17/seattle-real-estate-laurelhurst-buyers-beware-you-cant-walk-all-over-seattle-sellers-anymoreWed, 17 Feb 2010 13:38:00 GMTSeattle WA Neighborhoods: What Are The Best Seattle Neighborhoods To Move To?http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/01/28/seattle-wa-neighborhoods-what-are-the-best-seattle-neighborhoods-to-move-to<div><strong>Seattle WA Neighborhoods:  What Are The Best Seattle Neighborhoods To Move To</strong> - whether you are relocating to Seattle or just trying to figure out where in the city you might want to live.</div> <div> </div> <div><strong><img style="border-left-color: #800000; border-bottom-color: #800000; border-top-color: #800000; border-right-color: #800000" height="268" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/DSC_0036.jpg" width="400" align="left" vspace="12" border="5" longdesc="Seattle real estate: Best Seattle Neighborhoods" />Seattle has wonderful neighborhoods to choose from, but what makes them the best for you?</strong>  This is the real question to consider.  It is good to go ahead and look at crime rates, school performance, and other relocation stats that are the norm, but in order to really determine what <strong>Seattle neighborhood is the best for you</strong>, you have to go further. </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Looking at Best Seattle neighborhoods and what makes them best for you and your particular relocation situation:</strong>  I always start out by asking people what they like to do for hobbies, where are they going to work, etc., but also what kind of commute they would prefer... If a short commute is important, then that is a big factor.  Most of Seattle is surrounded by water and there are a lot of bridges here to cross. Knowing which ones are a complete nightmare and when is an important aspect of deciding if a particular Seattle neighborhood is the best one for you.  </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Best Seattle Neighborhood Amenities offered that you want</strong>:  Everyone has different needs when they go to choose the best Seattle neighborhood possible.  Do you want to be able to walk to the grocery? A particular kind of grocery store maybe?  Bike to yoga, have a particular restaurant in delivery distance?  Want to be near a park or public pool?  The library? These are all of what goes into making a Seattle neighborhood be the very best for your situation - whatever that is.  Checking out a site like WalkScore.com is always good, too, because it will give you amenities surrounding addresses and for particular neighborhoods including restaurants, grocery, pubs, yoga studios, and more.</div> <div><img style="border-left-color: #800000; border-bottom-color: #800000; border-top-color: #800000; border-right-color: #800000" height="166" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/Front1.jpg" width="250" align="right" vspace="12" border="5" longdesc="Wallingford real estate" /> </div> <div><strong>My Personal Favorite Seattle Neighborhoods:</strong>  These are based on my personal choices and wants and needs in regards to what I consider great amenities, but you might find that you like these, too.  In no particular order, BTW:</div> <div> </div> <div><strong><a title="Green Lake Seattle" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46780/parent/38108/Green_Lake_Real_Estate.html"><strong>Green Lake</strong></a></strong> - love the loop around the lake with no cars to interrupt a walk or ride, love the shops, love Zeek's pizza, love the close proximity to I-5 for commuting</div> <div><strong><a title="Queen Anne Seattle" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/48584/parent/38108/Queen_Anne_Real_Estate.html"><strong>Queen Anne</strong> </a></strong>- over a hundred years of family history here, love pretty much everything about it and consider it to be the very perfect Seattle neighborhood if you can afford it.</div> <div><strong><a title="Sunset Hill Seattle" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46781/parent/38108/Sunset_Hill_Real_Estate.html"><strong>Sunset Hill</strong> </a></strong>- Edge of Ballard overlooking Puget Sound with all that Ballard has to offer, which BTW s everything....</div> <div><strong><a title="Eastlake Seattle" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46799/parent/38108/Eastlake_Real_Estate.html"><strong>Eastlake</strong></a> -</strong> love <a title="Seattle floating homes" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/51511/parent/38108/Seattle_Houseboats.html">Seattle floating homes</a> and cute little shops along Eastlake Ave. Close in to South Lake Union, Downtown Seattle, with tons of little parks and the Lake Union Loop.</div> <div><strong><a title="Wallingford Seattle" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46800/parent/38108/Wallingford_Real_Estate.html"><strong>Wallingford</strong></a> -</strong> Wallingford is a perfect location, too, right in the city - a little city in itself and on the North banks of Lake Union which is nice.<img style="border-left-color: #800000; border-bottom-color: #800000; border-top-color: #800000; border-right-color: #800000" height="267" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/wendy6_01.jpg" width="400" align="right" vspace="12" border="5" longdesc="Seattle real estate" /></div> <div> </div> <div>*All my favorite <a title="Seattle Neighborhoods" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38108/Seattle_Neighborhoods.html">Seattle neighborhoods</a> have good shops, grocery, restaurants, parks, and great walkability because I like to walk and prefer to not have to do it through a lot of traffic.  I also like the water a lot.  </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>My husband's:</strong></div> <div> </div> <div>Sunset Hill</div> <div>Wallingford</div> <div><a title="Capitol Hill Seattle" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/47152/parent/38108/Capitol_Hill_Real_Estate.html">Capitol Hill</a></div> <div>Queen Anne</div> <div><a title="West Seattle " style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/59232/parent/38108/West_Seattle_Real_Estate.html">West Seattle - Alki</a></div> <div>Green Lake</div> <div><a title="Maple Leaf Seattle" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46802/parent/38108/Maple_Leaf_Real_Estate.html"> <div>Maple Leaf</div> </a> </div> <div>Looks like we are pretty well matched in some of our choices, so that is a good thing...</div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Molly's favorite Seattle Neighborhoods:</strong> <div> </div> <div><em>Molly Cartwright is a Realtor in our office who lives in Green Lake and likes to run around the roughly 3 mile loop for fun...</em> </div> </div> <div> </div> <div>Green Lake</div> <div>Capitol Hill</div> <div><a title="Ballard Seattle" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/51337/parent/38108/Ballard_Real_Estate.html"> <div>Ballard</div> </a><a title="Fremont Seattle" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46801/parent/38108/Fremont_Real_Estate.html">Fremont</a></div> <div>Wallingford</div> <div><a title="University District" style="color: #0000ff" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/59233/parent/38108/University_District_Real_Estate.html">University District </a>-( if you are relocating to Seattle from California, then this is your closest thing to Berkeley FYI)</div> <div>West Seattle - Alki, Fauntleroy</div> <div> </div> <div><strong>The common favorites among us?</strong></div> <div>Green Lake, Wallingford, and Ballard (Sunset Hill is in Ballard)</div> <div> </div> <div><strong>I would love to hear about your favorite Seattle neighborhoods and why you think they are the best!</strong>  Email me if you get a chance or post them here! <a href="mailto:courtney@cooperjacobs.com">courtney@cooperjacobs.com</a><br /> </div> <div> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/01/28/seattle-wa-neighborhoods-what-are-the-best-seattle-neighborhoods-to-move-to" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/01/28/seattle-wa-neighborhoods-what-are-the-best-seattle-neighborhoods-to-move-to#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2010/01/28/seattle-wa-neighborhoods-what-are-the-best-seattle-neighborhoods-to-move-toThu, 28 Jan 2010 10:19:00 GMTSeattle Real Estate Market Highlightshttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/12/23/seattle-real-estate-market-highlights<div><strong>Looking ahead at Seattle in 2010:</strong>  <img style="width: 365px; height: 245px;" alt="" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/DSC_0040.jpg" align="right" hspace="12" vspace="12" /></div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Seattle Real Estate 2009 Highlights </strong>- Last year was a pretty wild ride for us all (whether you are in real estate or not) - low interest rates, tax credit changes, high unemployment, price reductions, more.  Cooper Jacobs is fortunate to have wonderful associates in all areas of Puget Sound and a great network of real estate friends and clients nationwide.  Although listings are definitely taking longer to sell, our sellers are enjoying the very best in marketing exposure - both online and off.  Some of my personal favorites for the 2009 Seattle real estate market:</div> <div> </div> <div>1.<strong> Vision Impaired Seattle real estate experience: </strong> I was lucky enough to have a  blind client who completely inspired my entire life.  This was by far the most amazing human being I have worked with ever and maybe even known.  She taught me the ins and outs of really living car free and how important sites like <a href="http://www.walkscore.com">http://www.walkscore.com</a> are.  In addition, I will finally be working on becoming a notary so that I can do mobile notary services for the blind and vision impaired.  As an extra bonus, I can tell you two of the<strong> best Seattle neighborhoods to live in if you are blind</strong>! </div> <div> </div> <div>2. Getting to better know my local bloggers - real estate and otherwise.  Going to coffee with Amy and Madi of <a href="http://www.mygreenlake.com">MyGreenLake</a> was so great!  </div> <div> </div> <div>3. Gallery Auction:  It was wonderful seeing this occur before my eyes.  I sat there with clients and my jaw literally dropped at the bid amounts.  Belltown real estate is alive and well! <br /> </div> <div> </div> <div><img alt="" style="width: 360px; height: 240px;" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/miniwestlake_from_eastlake.jpg" align="left" hspace="12" vspace="12" />4.  SeattleAfloat.com  Finally launched the hyperlocal <a title="Seattle houseboats" href="http://www.seattleafloat.com">Seattle houseboats</a> blog we had been working on! This is a great place to stop and look at <strong>Seattle floating homes for sale and learn about life on Lake Union!</strong><br /> </div> <div> </div> <div>5.  Had the opportunity to make a difference in many people's lives - It takes experience to navigate a challenging real estate market like the one Seattle is going through, but we have had some great jobs this last year! <br /> </div> <div> </div> <div>I think we all can agree that we worked harder in 2009, but really, I think that is part of what you should be doing to best serve your client anyway.   <br /> </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Looking ahead to Seattle real estate 2010 market:</strong></div> <div> </div> <div>So what is ahead for 2010 in the <a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate</a> market? <br /> </div> <div> </div> <div>We are in the process of moving our offices to Wallingford just a couple blocks North of the banks of Lake Union! Very excited about the move and hope to be able to expand even further this year!   We are very excited about the buyers coming out of the woodwork and have already had a couple great transactions come together in the new year! Let us know if you need help this year! <br /> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/12/23/seattle-real-estate-market-highlights" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/12/23/seattle-real-estate-market-highlights#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/12/23/seattle-real-estate-market-highlightsFri, 08 Jan 2010 12:05:00 GMTRichmond Beach Shoreline Wa Community Relocation Guidehttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/17/richmond-beach-shoreline-wa-community-relocation-guide<div><strong>Richmond Beach is in Shoreline WA on the shores of Puget Sound.</strong> </div> <div> </div> <div>Richmond Beach is a great waterfront neighborhood in the Seattle Suburb of Shoreline in King County.  This thriving historical neighborhood is a perfect spot if you are considering living in a fun small town beach community with good schools, parks, shopping, and transit.  </div> <div> </div> <div><strong><img height="157" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/2008_1507.JPG" width="400" align="left" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="Richmond Beach Real Estate" />Richmond Beach Real Estate:</strong>  Look for Richmond Beach homes to have wonderful Sound views with good bang for the buck.  Waterfront homes are also available here, but at a premium. Waterfront and View Parks, though, are easily accessible for all.  Even Richmond Beach Library is on an amazing piece of land with an adjoining park (has a toddler rock climbing wall!!) and huge views of the Sound and passing ferry boats.  Fresh salty sea air is abundant and life is good. </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Richmond Beach Homes Search:</strong></div> <div> </div> <div><a title="Richmond Beach Real Estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46782/parent/38108/Richmond_Beach_Real_Estate.html">Richmond Beach Real Estate</a></div> <div><a title="Shoreline Real Estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/49802/parent/49800/Shoreline_Real_Estate.html">Shoreline Real Estate</a></div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Richmond Beach Schools:</strong></div> <div> </div> <div><a href="http://www.shorelineschools.org/">http://www.shorelineschools.org</a></div> <div><strong><br /> Richmond Beach Highlights & Resources:</strong></div> <div> <div> </div> <div>Richmond Beach Community Association:  <a href="http://www.richmondbeachwa.org/">http://www.richmondbeachwa.org/</a></div> </div> <div> </div> <div>Richmond Beach Library:  <a href="http://www.kcls.org/richmondbeach/">http://www.kcls.org/richmondbeach/</a></div> <div> </div> <div> <div>The Cabin:   - historic waterside neighborhood pub</div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Richmond Beach Saltwater Park</strong> on Yelp:  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/richmond-beach-saltwater-park-seattle">http://www.yelp.com/biz/richmond-beach-saltwater-park-seattle</a>  and on the King County site: <a href="http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/waterandland/puget-sound-marine/beaches/richmond.aspx">http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/waterandland/puget-sound-marine/beaches/richmond.aspx</a> </div> <div> </div> <div>Richmond Beach on Localism: <a href="http://localism.com/wa/shoreline/richmond_beach">http://localism.com/wa/shoreline/richmond_beach</a> </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Nearby communities to check out?</strong>  <a title="Woodway" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/49805/parent/49800/Woodway_Real_Estate.html">Woodway</a> & <a title="Edmonds WA" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/49803/parent/49800/Edmonds_Real_Estate.html">Edmonds</a></div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/17/richmond-beach-shoreline-wa-community-relocation-guide" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/17/richmond-beach-shoreline-wa-community-relocation-guide#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/17/richmond-beach-shoreline-wa-community-relocation-guideTue, 17 Nov 2009 13:32:00 GMTLake Forest Park WA Community Relocation Guidehttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/17/lake-forest-park-wa-community-relocation-guide<div><strong>Lake Forest Park, WA Living:</strong> </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Lake Forest Park, Wa is in the North section of King County on the banks of Lake Washington.</strong>  This Seattle Suburb is just North of Seattle and ideal for anyone looking for a smaller community feel, but still close in to the city.  Lake Forest Park is well treed and has an incredible Towne Centre which is the focal point of much of life here.</div> <div> </div> <div><strong><img style="width: 446px; height: 299px" height="299" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/DSC_0020.jpg" width="446" align="left" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="Lake forest park real estate" />Lake Forest Park WA real estate</strong>:</div> <div> </div> <div><a title="Lake Forest Park real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/49804/parent/49800/Lake_Forest_Park_Real_Estate.html">Lake Forest Park real estate </a>is divided into neighborhoods all of which are centered around the Lake Forest Park Towne Centre and oriented towards Lake Washington.  <strong>There are several amazing neighborhoods and areas of Lake Forest Park including Horizon View, Sheridan Heights, and Sheridan Beach</strong>.  Homes range from wooded larger lots to newer platted lots, Lake Washington view homes, and Lake Washington waterfront homes.</div> <div> </div> <div><a title="Sheridan Beach Real Estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/65000/WA-Lake_Forest_Park-Sheridan_Beach.html">Sheridan Beach Real Estate </a>  </div> <div><a title="Horizon View Real Estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/64999/WA-Lake_Forest_Park-Horizon_View.html">Horizon View Real Estate</a></div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Lake Forest Park Schools:</strong> <div> </div> </div> <div><a title="Shoreline Schools" href="http://www.shorelineschools.org">Shoreline School District</a></div> <div><a title="Lake forest park preschool" href="http://www.lfpmontessori.com">Lake Forest Park Montessori</a></div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Lake Forest Park Trivia & Perks:</strong>  </div> <ul> <li>Speeding STRONGLY discouraged with many speed traps and camera tickets especially around schools. </li> <li>Hybrid drivers welcome! </li> <li>Lots of trees!</li> <li>Farmers Market</li> <li>Beach Access even if not deeded through one of the private clubs through public park </li> </ul> <div><strong>Other Lake Forest Park Resources:</strong></div> <div> </div> <div> <div><a href="http://www.kcls.org/lakeforestpark/"><u>Lake Forest Park Library</u></a></div> <div> </div> <div><a href="http://www.thirdplacecommons.org/"><u>Third Place Commons</u></a>  </div> <div> </div> <div><a href="http://www.cityoflfp.com/"><u>City of Lake Forest Park</u></a></div> <div><strong style="font-size: 10pt"></strong> </div> <div> <div><a title="sheridan beach" href="http://www.sheridanbeach.org/"><u>Sheridan Beach Community Club</u></a></div> </div> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/17/lake-forest-park-wa-community-relocation-guide" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/17/lake-forest-park-wa-community-relocation-guide#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/17/lake-forest-park-wa-community-relocation-guideTue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 GMTThe NEW NEW Tax Credithttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/07/the-new-new-tax-credit<div><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt"><strong>The new tax credit to stimulate housing - take three.</strong> </span></strong></div> <div> </div> <div>Housing Credit:  There has been lots of speculation, but Obama signed the newest housing credit into law so it is official now:</div> <div> </div> <div><img style="border-left-color: #000000; border-bottom-color: #000000; width: 278px; border-top-color: #000000; height: 187px; border-right-color: #000000" height="187" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/DSC_0036.jpg" width="278" align="left" vspace="12" border="4" longdesc="Seattle real estate" />The <strong>current first time home buyer $8000 tax credit is extended</strong> to April 30, 2010 and you have on top of that an additional 2 months to close on the property after that (close by July 1st, 2010).  Income levels have been raised to modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of $125,000 for singles (up from $75,000) and $225,000 for married (up from $150,000). An <strong>additional credit has also been approved for purchasers of new homes regardless of first time home buyer status</strong> as long as they have lived in their current primary residence five of the last eight years.  <strong>This credit is for $6500 and seems to have the same deadlines/MAGI requirements. </strong></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>You can find the official bill here - it was written into an unemployment bill so scroll down a bit:  <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:5:./temp/~c111dG8SpH">http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:5:./temp/~c111dG8SpH</a>::</div> <div> </div> <div>Email me if you want more info or are interested in <a title="Seattle real estate" style="font-weight: bold; color: #000080; text-decoration: underline" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate</a>:  <a href="mailto:courtney@cooperjacobs.com">courtney@cooperjacobs.com</a></div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/07/the-new-new-tax-credit" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/07/the-new-new-tax-credit#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/07/the-new-new-tax-creditSat, 07 Nov 2009 11:48:00 GMTSeattle Real Estate: Is Now A Good Time To Buy?http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/09/09/seattle-real-estate-is-now-a-good-time-to-buy<div><strong>Seattle real estate 2009:  Is now a good time to buy?</strong>  <img style="width: 185px; height: 124px" height="124" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/Front1.jpg" width="185" align="right" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="Wallingford real estate" /></div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Is now a good time to buy a Seattle home?</strong> This is probably the number one question I get  - both while doing my job and also just out in public.  My grocery store checker asks me this, my mechanic asks me this, etc.  You get the idea.  I get this question A LOT.  <strong>I think the standard answer for most in my field is "YES", but my answer is <em>maybe..for some</em>.  </strong></div> <div><strong></strong> </div> <div><strong> A good time to buy if... Now, I assure you that I am indeed a Realtor.  Surprise you that I wouldn't chime in and dance and cheer and say, "yes, buy now!!!"?</strong>  Now is not a good time to buy if you are unemployed, unsteady with your job, finances, credit, etc. or only looking for a one to three year commitment. Now is not a good time to buy if you are wanting to make a quick buck and flip when the market turns around, etc. (Even Jeff Lewis from <a title="Flipping out" href="http://www.bravotv.com/flipping-out">Flipping Out</a> <strong>(<em>jeff lewis, call me</em>)</strong> is not buying property right now to flip!).</div> <div> </div> <div><strong><img style="width: 125px; height: 84px" height="84" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/house_millcr.jpg" width="125" align="left" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="Seattle real estate" />Now is a great time to buy if...</strong> you have good credit, a good stable job, a nice chunk of money in reserves, and a conservative approach to investing for the long term return.  Now is a good time to buy Seattle real estate if you have a trustworthy Realtor who can <strong>honestly evaluate what a property</strong> is worth.  They need to not only tell you what it is worth now, but also <strong>protect you from any potential future equity loss</strong> by helping you to make an offer that will force the seller to take on some of your risk.  Is your Realtor willing to make an offer on your behalf that might be so low that it is not socially acceptable? They need to be if that is the realistic number.<img style="width: 331px; height: 223px" height="223" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/DSC_0020.jpg" width="331" align="right" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="sheridan beach lake forest park" /></div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Is now a good time to buy Seattle real estate?</strong> Interest rates are low - they still are.  There's also the extra $8000 tax incentive for some (deadline quickly approaching), Seattle housing prices are at an all time low.  Sales volume is still much decreased from recent years - making lower offers more attractive to sellers looking for a way out.</div> <div> </div> <div><strong>So is now the right time for you? Maybe.</strong>  We are happy to help evaluate your situation.  Sometimes renting is the better choice. There certainly are a greater number of rentals right now! <strong> It just depends.</strong></div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/09/09/seattle-real-estate-is-now-a-good-time-to-buy" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/09/09/seattle-real-estate-is-now-a-good-time-to-buy#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/09/09/seattle-real-estate-is-now-a-good-time-to-buyWed, 09 Sep 2009 13:53:00 GMTSeattle Floating Homes: Recent Houseboat Showingshttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/09/02/seattle-floating-homes-recent-houseboat-showings<div><strong><img style="width: 352px; height: 236px" height="236" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/DSC_0036.jpg" width="352" align="left" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="Seattle houseboats for sale" />Seattle Floating Homes:  Looking at more houseboats for sale</strong><br /> </div> <div>Seattle real estate recent showings went great with some of the best floating homes I have seen in a while - still haven't gotten into the $3M dollar floating Mediterranean Villa, but the pictures are pretty amazing. Here are some great shots I took just the other day...</div> <div> </div> <div>I got the airplane coming in which was cool - a pretty common occurrence down there, but I still stop and watch almost every time. </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Seattle Houseboat tip help:</strong> So here is my question for houseboat people out there:  do any of you have a baby grand piano in your floating home? Just curious - my client asked.  I have never seen a piano in a houseboat and was wondering if it was a space or noise conservation issue? Tight and close quarters could have something to do with it, but I would love to hear form anyone with one - send us a picture!</div> <div> </div> <div>Here is a fun shot I got of the skyline of our wonderful city - check out more <a title="Seattle floating homes" style="color: #003300" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/51511/parent/38108/Seattle_Houseboats.html">Seattle floating homes</a> as well if you get a chance!</div> <div> </div> <div><img src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/DSC_0015.jpg" width="500" align="left" alt="" /></div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/09/02/seattle-floating-homes-recent-houseboat-showings" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/09/02/seattle-floating-homes-recent-houseboat-showings#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/09/02/seattle-floating-homes-recent-houseboat-showingsWed, 02 Sep 2009 12:52:00 GMTSeattle Real Estate: August 2009 Seattle Floating Homes: Current Houseboat Markethttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/08/27/seattle-real-estate-august-2009-seattle-floating-homes-current-houseboat-market<div><strong>Seattle Real Estate:  August 2009 Seattle houseboats market:  Seattle floating homes on the market now and recent activity.</strong>  The floating homes market hasn't been touched as much by the lending market because floating homes always required 20-30% down minimum for a purchase.  Still, there have been some recent offerings on the Seattle real estate market that have made living in a floating home more affordable. </div> <div> </div> <div><strong><img style="width: 280px; height: 188px" height="188" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/miniwestlake_from_eastlake.jpg" width="280" align="left" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="Eastlake housebats Seattle" />Seattle houseboats:  Floating homes vs. other houseboats...not all Seattle real estate</strong></div> <div> </div> <div>The first distinction is the difference between a vessel and a floating home.  Although we only have one category in the MLS  (24-Houseboat), these are two very different things. I would even go as far as to argue that a vessel should not be in the MLS because it is a live aboard boat and not part of <a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate</a> at all.  There are house barges, too, to complicate it even further, but the overall best investment in my opinion is a true floating home - preferably with a condo ownership dock.  </div> <div> </div> <div>Important distinctions: House barges and vessels are both designed to actually navigate the water - one with self propulsion and the other with out, while a floating home is a single family dwelling built on a float.  There are other differences, too - water and sewer for example.  A floating home has a direct connection to the public water and sewer while a vessel and barge only have a water hose for water and a holding tank for sewer.  There is excise tax on a house barge and a floating home, but the buyer of a vessel pays sales tax and an annual registration fee (like your car).  The list goes on.....  My point?  All houseboats are not created equal. </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Seattle floating homes:  Seattle waterfront real estate at its best:<img style="width: 374px; height: 251px" height="251" alt="" hspace="12" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/minieastlake_smaller_2.jpg" width="374" align="right" vspace="12" border="0" longdesc="Seattle eastlake real estate" /></strong></div> <div> </div> <div>While there are 33 <a title="Seattle houseboats" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/51511/parent/38108/Seattle_Houseboats.html">Seattle houseboats</a> that are active, pending or recently closed in the MLS today, I am going to only focus on floating homes here.  There is a wonderful estate 1 bedroom /1 bath floating home in Eastlake listed for $475,000 right now.  It needs some work, but would be a great first step.  There are four major areas where you can find floating homes - Eastlake, Westlake, Portage Bay on the Capitol Hill side, and Portage Bay on Boat Street in the U-District.  Choosing which neighborhood suits you best is all about what you like in regards to light and nearby amenities.  Eastlake has arguably one of the best wine shops in Seattle right down by the floating homes on Fairview while Westlake floating homes are near one of the very best sandwich makers around Seattle.  It is all about personal choice here.</div> <div> </div> <div>There are some wonderful Eastlake and Portage Bay options in the $700,000 to $900,000 range and right now there is also a rare opportunity with a front row Roanoke Reef floating home for $2,250,000.  Recent sales include one home pending at $635,000 and several sales ranging from $486,500 (listed at $500,000) for a 1 bedroom in Eastlake to $1,200,000 for a spacious Eastlake floating home which was listed for $1,300,000.  </div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Seattle real estate at its best:  floating homes...</strong>  let us know if you want to see one or have more questions.  206-251-5948 <a href="mailto:realestate@cooperjacobs.com">realestate@cooperjacobs.com</a></div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/08/27/seattle-real-estate-august-2009-seattle-floating-homes-current-houseboat-market" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/08/27/seattle-real-estate-august-2009-seattle-floating-homes-current-houseboat-market#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/08/27/seattle-real-estate-august-2009-seattle-floating-homes-current-houseboat-marketThu, 27 Aug 2009 11:10:00 GMT4333 Wallingford Ave N, Seattle WAhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/08/11/4333-wallingford-ave-n-seattle-wa<div><strong>4333 Wallingford Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103:</strong>  <br /> </div> <div>What an Amazing house in Seattle's <a title="Wallingford real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46800/parent/38108/Wallingford_Real_Estate.html">Wallingford neighborhood</a>!</div> <p>This house was reportedly built by the developer who did all the houses on the street, but he made this Wallingford jewel to be his own!  You will easily see this in the details!</p> <p>Right next door to Julia's and in the heart of Wallingford - literally a block from the Wallingford QFC and across the street from the Wallingford Center, this house is perfection!</p> <p>Enter into this 1924 Wallingford dream home with an open floor plan of today's homes - perfectly laid out to make the best of modern living and set high up off the street. There is a lovely entry and to the right a grand living room for big gatherings.  To the left is a large scale dining room and in from of you is what use to be the old music room - perfectly set up with a closet and nice spaces, it can be a main floor bedroom or office.  Through the dining room is a breakfast room, updated kitchen and further down the hall is a newer bath, large pantry with closet organizers, and a sun porch which leads out to the huge back deck - perfect for outdoor gatherings or play time. <img title="Wallingford homes" style="float: right; margin: 10px" height="182" alt="4333 wallingford ave n, Seattle WA 98103" src="http://estatesnorthwest.com/image_store/uploads/9/4/8/1/0/ar12499230301849.JPG" width="265" /></p> <p><a title="4333 Wallingford Ave N" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/29114443" target="_blank"><strong><u>4333 Wallingford Ave N</u></strong></a> is a special home - supposedly created by the builder himself and this is believable based on the details:  This has got to be one of the few if not the only Wallingford historic home in this part of town to have an attached garage with automatic opener that you can pull into and walk directly into the house.  Not only that, but the master suite upstairs is so large that it could really have two or three bedrooms in it.</p> <p><img title="Wallingford homes" style="float: left; margin: 12px" height="299" alt="4333 wallingford ave n, Seattle WA 98103" src="http://estatesnorthwest.com/image_store/uploads/2/3/2/2/5/ar124992292552232.JPG" width="200" />The entire upstairs is amazing in itself.  The hardwood stairs gleam as they lead you to a nice open hallway with large master suite including attached bath, mountain & city views, double closets, and large sitting room.  There is a full hall bath and another bedroom big enough to be a master in most houses.  It has a nice sleeping nook and views over the city plus a walk in closet.  The third room upstairs has a large window seat and is one of my favorite rooms in the house - no closet, but most people would use it as a bedroom anyway.  I know it would be my first pick if I were moving in!<img title="Wallingford homes" style="float: right; margin: 12px" height="299" alt="4333 wallingford ave n, Seattle WA 98103" src="http://estatesnorthwest.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/2/6/1/ar12499231116284.JPG" width="200" /></p> <p>The basement has a seperate entrance if you wanted to rent it out, but it also has a nice interior staircase and large spaces.  There is a hotel like bedroom downstairs with an attached bath and cedar lined closet, plus a huge rec room which to me screams movie theatre.  The utlity room is big enough to spread out and there is even a nice storage area currently being used as a wine cellar.</p> <h3>The stats:</h3> <div><strong>4333 Wallingford Ave N</strong> <br /> </div> <div>Stats: 4 bedrooms officially, but lives like 5, 4 separate bathrooms (official count is 3.25), full basement and full second story with views, 2550 sq feet but feels like over 3000 easily, attached one car garage, all updated systems including electrical and plumbing!  <strong>Brand new listing:   $895,000</strong>  <strong>Need help with closing costs?  Ask how from our buyer agents!</strong></div> <p><strong>This historic Wallingford home is perfect in every way!  Call, text, or email for a private showing!  206-251-5948 or </strong><a href="mailto:realestate@cooperjacobs.com"><u><strong>realestate@cooperjacobs.com</strong></u></a><strong>   Need more info? </strong><a title="Wallingford real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46800/parent/38108/Wallingford_Real_Estate.html" target="_blank"><u><strong>Wallingford real estate</strong></u></a><strong> or </strong><a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/" target="_blank"><strong><u>Seattle real estate</u></strong></a></p><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/08/11/4333-wallingford-ave-n-seattle-wa" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/08/11/4333-wallingford-ave-n-seattle-wa#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/08/11/4333-wallingford-ave-n-seattle-waTue, 11 Aug 2009 14:18:00 GMTSeattle Real Estate: Lake Union Neighborhoodshttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/06/22/seattle-real-estate-lake-union-neighborhoods<div>Here are some more great shots from Lake Union Neighborhoods Eastlake and Westlake - </div> <div> </div> <div><img alt="" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/minieastlake_smaller_2.jpg" width="484" align="left" /></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>And I love the creativity that the residents of Seattle houseboats have!  Look at the mailboxes!</div> <div><img alt="" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/mini_mailboxes.jpg" width="484" align="left" /></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>Here is a peek at Westlake from Eastlake:</div> <div><img alt="" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/miniwestlake_from_eastlake.jpg" width="484" align="left" /></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div style="color: #003300"><strong>Are you interested in </strong><a title="Seattle floating homes" style="color: #000080" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/51511/parent/38108/Seattle_Houseboats.html"><font color="#cccccc"><strong>Seattle floating homes</strong></font></a><strong>?  </strong><a title="Eastlake real estate" style="color: #000080" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46799/parent/38108/Eastlake_Real_Estate.html"><font color="#cccccc"><strong>Eastlake real estate</strong></font></a><strong>?  </strong><a title="Westlake homes" style="color: #333399" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/59231/parent/38108/Westlake_Real_Estate.html"><font color="#cccccc"><strong>Westlake real estate</strong></font></a><strong>?  or other </strong><a title="Seattle real estate" style="color: #000080" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/"><font color="#cccccc"><strong>Seattle real estate</strong></font></a><strong>?</strong></div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/06/22/seattle-real-estate-lake-union-neighborhoods" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/06/22/seattle-real-estate-lake-union-neighborhoods#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/06/22/seattle-real-estate-lake-union-neighborhoodsMon, 22 Jun 2009 13:48:00 GMTRecent Seattle Houseboat Showingshttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/06/06/recent-seattle-houseboat-showings<div>Seattle's floating homes are a great place to look if you want to be right in the middle of everything with easy access to all that is around you and the extra added bonus of being able to drop a kayak right into your front yard!  The lifestyle sounds appealing to many and especially this time of year we get a lot of requests to view houseboats for clients.  <br /> </div> <div>While this can be the very best living, it is important to know that the financing is usually different along with insurance, and more.  Each dock is a little different and finding one that is a good fit is a vital component.  There are some docks that consider themselves "cat docks" while others are "dog docks" or a mix.  Gardening is almost always amazing and creative here as well as living quarters in general.  My favorite Floating Home Neighborhood is in the heart of Eastlake on the Eastern banks of Lake Union, but Westlake and Portage Bay take a close second and third in my heart. </div> <div> </div> <div>Are you interested in <a title="Seattle floating homes" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/51511/parent/38108/Seattle_Houseboats.html">Seattle floating homes</a>?  <a title="Eastlake real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/46799/parent/38108/Eastlake_Real_Estate.html">Eastlake real estate</a>?  <a title="Westlake homes" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/59231/parent/38108/Westlake_Real_Estate.html">Westlake real estate</a>?  or other <a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate</a>?</div> <div> </div> <div><img style="width: 540px; height: 405px" height="405" alt="" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/Eastlake_Houseboats.jpg" width="540" align="left" /></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/06/06/recent-seattle-houseboat-showings" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/06/06/recent-seattle-houseboat-showings#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/06/06/recent-seattle-houseboat-showingsSat, 06 Jun 2009 16:16:00 GMTSeattle Real Estate Office Opens Busy Todayhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/05/17/seattle-real-estate-office-opens-busy-today<div><img style="width: 518px; height: 68px" height="68" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/Ferry_small_950.jpg" width="518" align="left" alt="" /></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>Green Lake Open Houses were quite hopping today according to our office agents - I thought it felt like a lull last week, but I am wondering if that had anything to do with the $8k tax credit back and forth.  The credit is still there tax wise, but approval was signed in regards to being able to use it as a down payment on a purchase rather than getting it back as a credit from the IRS.  Shortly after that happened I heard FHA came out and said, no not on our loans.  In addition,  the process on how that money would get to the closing table seems pretty convoluted according to the info sheet I received from my local Realtor Association so I am still waiting to see how this irons itself out. </div> <div> </div> <div>In the mean time, Seattle has had some record breaking gorgeous weather - almost made me go hit the boat store for a look around, but a ferry ride from Edmonds to Kingston and back again cured me again for a while.  I can see judging by the reports out there from our office associates and other friends in the Seattle real estate industry, though, that open houses were very full today!  Buyers are definitely hitting the pavements looking for some nicely priced Seattle homes.  </div> <div> </div> <div>Maintenance and how well a home has been cared for seems to be a real theme with many of the home buyers we are talking to.   Many are renters and don't want to have to do a lot of upgrading on an older home and are looking for low maintenance or newer.  The compromise there, though, is you might not get some of the great charm of an older Seattle home or the larger room sizes compared to a newer town home or condo.   Pretty interesting choices in either case are out there and I am really enjoying seeing some of the houses that haven't been on the market in the last ten or twenty years.</div> <div> </div> <div>Let us know if you need help looking for <a style="color: #000080"><a title="Seattle homes" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/56591/Seattle_Homes.html">Seattle homes</a> </a>or other <a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate</a>!</div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/05/17/seattle-real-estate-office-opens-busy-today" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/05/17/seattle-real-estate-office-opens-busy-today#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/05/17/seattle-real-estate-office-opens-busy-todaySun, 17 May 2009 21:13:00 GMTSocial Media & Real Estate: Making it Work To Sell Your Homehttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/04/25/social-media-real-estate-making-it-work-to-sell-your-home<div><span style="font-size: 12pt"><img style="width: 148px; height: 99px" height="99" alt="" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/house_millcr.jpg" width="148" align="left" /><strong style="font-size: 14pt">Socially Networked Homes Get More Exposure</strong> <div> </div> The Seattle housing market didn't get as bad as the rest of the country, although there is still some softening that needs to happen before we are out of the woods here. Selling Seattle homes involves a lot more than just plopping a sign in the ground and watching as they line up with multiple offers. <strong>That was so 2005</strong>.  In the 2009 <span style="font-size: 18pt"><a title="Seattle real estate" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 12pt; color: #333333; text-decoration: underline" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate</a> </span>market, there is a very big factor:  the Internet.  Next to price and condition, Internet presence is the single biggest factor which determines whether or not your home will sell. </span></div> <div><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt"> </span></strong></div> <div><span style="font-size: 12pt"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">The Internet is nothing new in real estate, so please don't misunderstand me.  <br /> </span></strong><br /> All listings in the NWMLS are on the Internet because various company websites sweep the MLS for changes at least once a day and more often in most cases.  This has been happening for the better part of the last decade so most companies will make an Internet claim when making a listing presentation.  <strong>This is NOT ENOUGH</strong>.  Find out if your agent can get your home on over forty places on the Internet besides their company site and Craigslist, but also make sure that your agent is an active social networker.  </span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size: 12pt"><img style="width: 205px; height: 54px" height="54" alt="" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/twitter_rider.jpg" width="205" align="left" />Social networking is the best way to get traffic and people to the places where your home is on the Internet.  There are endless places to socially network, but the big three that come to mind instantly are </span><a title="real estate social networking" style="font-weight: bold; color: #333333; text-decoration: underline" href="http://www.activerain.com"><span style="font-size: 12pt">ActiveRain</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt">, </span><a title="facebook" style="font-weight: bold; color: #333333; text-decoration: underline" href="http://www.facebook.com"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt">, and </span><a title="twitter" style="font-weight: bold; color: #333333; text-decoration: underline" href="http://www.twitter.com"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt">.</span>  </div> <div> </div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"><strong>Active Rain</strong> is a network for real estate agents and other real estate professionals, so not only does it have social networking nailed perfectly, but it is a great place to sharpen agent skills or get lots of information out there.  I would argue that it is actually <strong>more important for your real estate agent to be on ActiveRain.com</strong> than the other two because it is a great blogging platform to get your listings exposed.  Active Rain is hovering around 150,000 members and counting at the moment - with those numbers there is a huge volume of constantly changing content driving their power over the Internet through the roof.  Blogged listings on ActiveRain just show up in the search engines faster. </div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"> </div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"><strong>Facebook:</strong>  Facebook is more than just a glorified high school reunion.  I admit to never imagining being so close to so many people I have known throughout different phases of my life, but the power of Facebook is more than that.  In addition to a Facebook profile for active social networking, your agent should have a Facebook business page and also have their blogs networked on the Facebook Networked Blogs section. Links to listings get great attention on Facebook and local networked agents can get a better highlighted peek at your listings when they are posted here.</div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"> </div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"><strong>Twitter:</strong>  It took me a bit to "get it", but Twitter is kind of like a chat party and members can follow various other members without really even knowing them very well or at all. It is a great place to meet new people - both locally and globally, and a great place to post links to cool new listings.  Listings exposed on Twitter get more attention!</div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"> </div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"><strong style="font-size: 14pt">Basics...</strong></div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"> </div> <div style="font-size: 12pt">Those are literally just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to social networking sites and places where your real estate agent should be marketing your home.  Social networking is very big and really takes Internet marketing to the next level.</div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"> </div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"><strong> If you are interested in finding an agent in your local area that is utilizing the power of social networking, please feel free to email us for a recommendation: </strong><a href="mailto:realestate@cooperjacobs.com"><strong style="font-size: 12pt">realestate@cooperjacobs.com</strong></a></div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"><em><strong>©Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services, </strong></em><a title="Seattle real estate" style="font-weight: bold; color: #333333; text-decoration: underline" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/"><em style="font-size: 12pt">Seattle real estate </em></a><em><strong>- Need a Seattle Realtor with your best interest at heart?</strong></em></div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"> </div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"> </div> <div style="font-size: 12pt"> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/04/25/social-media-real-estate-making-it-work-to-sell-your-home" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/04/25/social-media-real-estate-making-it-work-to-sell-your-home#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/04/25/social-media-real-estate-making-it-work-to-sell-your-homeSat, 25 Apr 2009 15:38:00 GMTSunday, Sun, Real Estate, Seattlehttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/04/19/sunday-sun-real-estate-seattle<div>Heading out into the early brightness - hoping we do in fact get that beautiful sun we have been promised over the next week!  I have coffee to pick up, a Seattle buyer tour, listing paperwork to drop off, and then there will be an open house in Green Lake/ Phinney Ridge today:  <a title="Green Lake House" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/29038793">Green Lake House For sale</a></div> <div> </div> <div>Interesting topic this week:  the state is looking at giving the <a title="$8000 tax credit" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/03/seattle-home-buyers-how-to-get-your-8000/">$8000 tax credit </a>up front in a loan for new buyers to use as their down payment...  Hmm  sounds a little like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul...  interested in looking into the details of that one.</div> <div> </div> <div>Have a great day!</div> <div><a href="mailto:courtney@cooperjacobs.com">courtney@cooperjacobs.com</a></div> <div> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/04/19/sunday-sun-real-estate-seattle" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/04/19/sunday-sun-real-estate-seattle#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/04/19/sunday-sun-real-estate-seattleSun, 19 Apr 2009 08:13:00 GMTFREE First Time Home Buyer Bookhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/31/free-first-time-home-buyer-book<div><strong style="font-size: 10pt">Buying your first home can be extremely confusing -</strong></div> <div> </div> <div> <img style="width: 77px; height: 116px" height="116" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/Blue_Needle.jpg" width="77" align="left" alt="" />There are so many steps to the process and steps inside of each of those steps.  There are deadlines and escape hatches and pitfalls that are better left avoided.  I have always been a first time homebuyer advocate and happily hand out binders full of information for my clients so that they may feel better prepared for one of the biggest decisions in their lives. </div> <div> </div> <div>A first time home buyer book is a great way to feel more prepared for the process of purchasing your first home.  If you are interested in a first time home buyer book, please use the link below to request one.  Don't forget to request info on how to get $1000 in closing costs for your purchase, too!</div> <div> </div> <div><a title="Seattle first time homebuyer" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38154/Advanced_Seattle_Search_Options.html"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="text-decoration: underline">FREE First time home buyer book</span></span></a></div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services</strong></div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/31/free-first-time-home-buyer-book" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/31/free-first-time-home-buyer-book#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/31/free-first-time-home-buyer-bookTue, 31 Mar 2009 15:00:00 GMTSeattle Seller Tips - Seven More BONUS Tips To Help Sell Your Seattle Homehttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/12/seattle-seller-tips-seven-more-bonus-tips-to-help-sell-your-seattle-home<span lang="EN"> <p>Seattle Real Estate: Some More Seller Tips</p> <font size="2"> <p>Seattle real estate has obviously switched over to a buyer’s market so being on top of every detail is the best way to sell and get the most return on your house when you put it on the market. Here is the latest batch of Seattle seller tips for anyone interested. You can go back and look at the rest of them here: </font><font color="#ff0000" size="2"><font color="#ff0000" size="2"><a title="Seattle seller tips" href="http://raincityhouses.com/seattle-sellers-seller-tips-for-a-buyers-market/"><font color="#ff0000" size="2"><font color="#ff0000" size="2">Seattle seller tips</font></font><font size="2"> </font></a></font></font><font size="2">, but I wanted to go ahead and touch on a couple more in the meantime. </p> <p>1. <strong>Hire a housekeeper. </strong>I am actually revisiting this one because it is so important. I actually hire them my selves for my listings now just to make sure that this is done. Buyers love coming into a home that is clean and it screams to them that the house is well cared for and valuable. </p> <p>2. <strong>Have your furnace serviced</strong>. When representing buyers I can’t tell you how important it is to have that furnace serviced and in working order. We always ask for it to be serviced prior to close to ensure that it is a functioning furnace and when we see it hasn’t been serviced in many years it makes us think the house might have other deferred maintenance. Hiring a professional to service the furnace prior to putting it on the market can save a lot of money and potential problems down the road in a transaction. It also ensures that the furnace is working as efficiently as possible and that is good for you and the environment anyway. </p> <p>3. <strong>Clean the roof: </strong>Not sure if I have touched on this one before, but moss on roof equals deferred maintenance to the buyer. We get a lot of moss on our rooftops in Seattle, but staying on top of it is a great way to make that roof last longer and also let the buyer know you care. </p> <p>4. <strong>Have the windows professionally cleaned: </strong>The windows around here get filthy and I think the grey days in the winter sometimes prevent us from seeing just how thick that layer of dirt and dust is. I personally have my windows professionally cleaned on the outside twice a year and can tell you that each time it is like a curtain has been lifted. The interiors are brightened and my dog walks into the slider by accident. Clean windows make a house show better. </p> <p>5. <strong>Faucets & Fixtures: </strong>Besides paint, this is one of the single best things you can do to improve an interior. Going through and replacing dated faucets and light fixtures improves a home’s appeal considerably. If you are wondering what to replace them with then go look at model homes and see what is being used. Perusing a Pottery Barn magazine always seems to help as well. Remember that if the dated faucets and fixtures are in good working order they will be happily received at a number of reclaimed/recycled building supply stores throughout the Puget Sound. </p> <p>6. <strong>Carpet: </strong>OK listen up because this one is a biggie. If your light colored carpet has been cleaned and still has those horrible dark edges on it then it is shot and needs to be replaced. Carpet is cheap cheap cheap and putting in new carpet will be far more appealing than leaving those old dingy carpet for the buyer to deal with. I have seen so many carpets lately that just didn’t clean well. It is particularly noticeable on stairways and just needs to be replaced. Even though it is not easy replacing it prior to putting the home on the market is ideal for higher buyer appeal. Many agents will suggest a carpet credit, but in my experience it is better to choose a tasteful neutral carpet and put it in prior to listing your home. Again, this is where a trip to a few model homes might be helpful in determining what is in style. </p> <p>7. <strong>Get a storage unit!!! </strong>Please please please do not cram everything in the garage. It just communicates to the buyer that your house is not big enough and that you don’t want them to see that. Storage units aren’t expensive and it will pay off in the long run. </p> <p> Alright, well those are my new lucky seven extra tips for selling your house in the current Seattle real estate market for 2009!  Let me know if you have specific questions or need more clarification.  I am happy to help if you need it.  </p> </font><em><font face="Symbol" size="4"><font face="Symbol" size="4"> <p><font face="Symbol">Ó</font> </font></font><strong><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Courtney Cooper</font></strong></font><font size="2"><font face="Times New Roman">, Designated Broker, Realtor</font><font face="Symbol">â</font><font face="Times New Roman"> , EcoBroker</font><font face="Symbol">â</font><font face="Times New Roman"> <strong>Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services</strong>, </font></em></font></span><a href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/"><em><u><font color="#0000ff" size="2"><font color="#0000ff" size="2"><span lang="EN"><font face="Times New Roman">Seattle real estate</font></em></u></font></font></span></a><em><font size="2"><span lang="EN"><font face="Times New Roman">, Serving Seattle Neighborhoods & Seattle Suburbs. </font></em></font></span><a href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/"><em><u><font color="#0000ff" size="2"><font color="#0000ff" size="2"><span lang="EN"><font face="Times New Roman">www.CooperJacobs.com</font></em></u></font></font></span></a><em><font size="2"><span lang="EN"><font face="Times New Roman">  </font><strong>Follow me on Twitter: </strong></em></font></span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/courtneycooper"><em><u><font color="#0000ff"><span lang="EN"><font size="3">@CourtneyCooper</font></em></u></font></span></a><em><font size="2"><span lang="EN"> </em></font></span><a href="mailto:Courtney@cooperjacobs.com"><em><u><font color="#0000ff" size="2"><font color="#0000ff" size="2"><span lang="EN">Courtney@cooperjacobs.com</em></u></font></font></span></a><em><font size="2"><span lang="EN"> </font><strong><font size="3">206-251-5948</p> </strong></em></font></span><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/12/seattle-seller-tips-seven-more-bonus-tips-to-help-sell-your-seattle-home" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/12/seattle-seller-tips-seven-more-bonus-tips-to-help-sell-your-seattle-home#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/12/seattle-seller-tips-seven-more-bonus-tips-to-help-sell-your-seattle-homeThu, 12 Mar 2009 11:49:00 GMTSeattle Down Payment Woes? How About This Idea?http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/04/seattle-down-payment-woes-how-about-this-idea<h3>Getting creative in a tighter economy - why not try this cool idea:</h3> <div>I found a cool site that can help couple save for a down payment or a special home project - it is a perfect <a title="gift registry" href="http://www.mydreamhomeregistry.com/" target="_blank"><u>gift registry</u></a>, but not a traditional types:<br />  </div> <div>Anytime you have events, weddings and more - you can register to have people help with special home improvement projects or contribute towards a down payment for a house!!!  The site is set up beautifully and your guests can make contributions starting at as little as $10 each!  It all adds up, too and it is way better than some of the gifts you can have trouble returning (I got three bird feeders once - I like birds, but it was overkill).</div> <p><img title="seattle downpayments" style="float: left; margin: 8px; width: 110px; height: 111px" height="111" alt="seattle real estate" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/3/1/1/3/ar123611272931139.jpg" width="110" />Here is the <a title="wedding registry" href="http://www.mydreamhomeregistry.com/" target="_blank"><u>wedding registry</u></a> address if you want to check it out - it really is nicely done:</p> <p><a href="http://www.mydreamhomeregistry.com/index.aspx"><u>http://www.mydreamhomeregistry.com/index.aspx</u></a></p> <div><strong>My Dream Home Registry really sets the bar high and would be my choice for a <a title="Seattle wedding registry" href="http://www.mydreamhomeregistry.com">Seattle gift registry</a>, but if you need help with <a title="seattle real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate </a>give us a call:) 206-251-5948 or <a href="mailto:courtney@cooperjacobs.com">courtney@cooperjacobs.com</a></strong></div> <div> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/04/seattle-down-payment-woes-how-about-this-idea" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/04/seattle-down-payment-woes-how-about-this-idea#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/04/seattle-down-payment-woes-how-about-this-ideaWed, 04 Mar 2009 12:28:00 GMTSeattle Home Buyers: How To Get Your $8000http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/03/seattle-home-buyers-how-to-get-your-8000<div><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>Truly FREE Money here - no pay backs!  Here's how you can get yours:</strong> <div> </div> <div><strong>In addition to my recent <a title="Downpayment help" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/04/seattle-down-payment-woes-how-about-this-idea/">Creative Ways To Get A Downpayment Post</a>, I wanted to also write about the new $8000 tax credit for 2009 home buyers. </strong></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt"><strong>As part of the 2009 Stimulus package, there is a great incentive for home ownership available to some lucky home buyers.  I personally feel that this would have been better if given out across the board, but here is how to get the $8000 tax credit:</strong></span></strong></div> </div> <div> <hr /> </div> <div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px"><em>"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorizes a tax credit of up to $8,000 for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence on or after <strong>January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009</strong>."</em> <div style="font-size: 8pt"><em>-www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com</em></div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px"><span style="font-size: 12pt"> <hr /> </span></div> <div><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt">"Qualified first time home buyers "  What does this mean?</span></strong>  </div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size: 10pt">More than you think actually!  Upon reading further it is actually for anyone who has not owned in the last three years and meets other guidelines as well.  For example, your spouse also may not have owned a home in the last three years..  In addition there are income requirements: For singles:  Modified Adjusted Gross Income of $75,000 for the entire amount and up to $95,000 for a portion of it before the credit phases out.   For married couples, those numbers change to $150,000 and $170,000. </span></div> <div> </div> <div><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt"><strong>The credit is equal to 10% percent of the cost of the home up to $8000 - </strong></span><br /> <br /> </strong>This should not be an issue in the <a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com">Seattle real estate</a> market as far as taking advantage of the entire credit. </div> <div> </div> <div><strong><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 12pt"><strong>If you qualify for it you can take the credit on your 2008 tax return!  </strong>This is the cool part as taken from <a href="http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/">http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com</a> :</span></strong></strong> <div> <hr /> </div> </div> <div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px"><em>"If I'm qualified for the tax credit and buy a home in 2009, can I apply the tax credit against my 2008 tax return?<br /> </em><strong><em>Yes. The law allows taxpayers to choose ("elect") to treat qualified home purchases in 2009 as if the purchase occurred on December 31, 2008. This means that the 2008 income limit (MAGI) applies and the election accelerates when the credit can be claimed (tax filing for 2008 returns instead of for 2009 returns). A benefit of this election is that a home buyer in 2009 will know their 2008 MAGI with certainty, thereby helping the buyer know whether the income limit will reduce their credit amount."<br /> </em></div> <div><em> <hr /> </em></div> <div><br /> <br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 10pt"><strong>Looking for </strong><a title="search seattle homes" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38107/CLICK_HERE_TO_SEARCH.html"><strong>Seattle houses </strong></a><strong>to qualify?  Check them out here and feel free to send any questions my way: Courtney@cooperjacobs.com</strong></span></strong><strong><br /> </strong><em> <hr /> <br /> </em></strong><strong><em>©Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services, </em><a title="Seattle real estate" style="font-weight: bold" href="http://www.cooperjacobs.com"><em>Seattle real estate </em></a><em>- Need a Seattle Realtor with your best interest at heart?<br /> <br /> Disclaimer:  This information is provided for convenience.  You should consult with your tax professional/accountant for further details in determining whether or not you meet qualifications.</em></strong> </div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/03/seattle-home-buyers-how-to-get-your-8000" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/03/seattle-home-buyers-how-to-get-your-8000#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/03/03/seattle-home-buyers-how-to-get-your-8000Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:57:00 GMTMoving To Seattlehttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/02/26/moving-to-seattle<div><img style="width: 99px; height: 149px" height="149" alt="" src="http://cooperjacobs.com/images/Blue_Needle.jpg" width="99" align="left" /><span style="font-size: 14pt">Moving to Seattle can be one of the most exciting decisions to make!  This city has so many amazing opportunities (even in this economic climate) and living in Seattle or the Seattle suburbs can open up a whole new world.   Here are a couple basic misconceptions:</span> <div> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px"><span style="font-size: 10pt"><strong>Obviously it rains here all the time?</strong> NO!  It really doesn't  - we do have many types of rain in Seattle and it can actually rain sideways here, but we experience less rainfall than New York.  I recently earned my EcoBroker Certification and while looking at solar panels for Green homes, I was interested to read that Germany only gets 70% of the light we enjoy here yet they heavily utilize solar energy.  We do get rain and it can seem endless, but we also have some of the most amazing summers on earth.</span></div> <div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px"><span style="font-size: 10pt"><strong>Seattle is on the ocean.</strong> Seattle enjoys lots of waterfront - lakes, rivers, and more, but oceanfront is not among any of the waterfront in Seattle.  Seattle is perched on the Puget Sound which branches off of the Pacific Ocean.  The actual ocean is two to three hours away in places like Ocean Shores.  </span></div> <div style="margin-left: 40px"><strong><br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt">Seattle's traffic sucks</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt">.  Yes it does, but not anything compared to LA where it can take two hours to go a few miles.  Almost anywhere you need to go in Seattle always seems to take about half an hour and our transit systems are catching up!  We have a great interconnecting cycling trail and the lite rail lines are expanding.  There are street cars and the transit centers are being redesigned and improved.  It is getting better!</span></div> <div align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Living in Seattle is full of adventure and wonderful things to do - we have a great population and wonderful museums, restaurants, shopping plus tons of natural beauty.<br /> <br />  Our real estate has softened and decreased in the last few months, but overall housing is strong in most parts of Seattle and Seattle suburbs. Here are some places to go if you want to look at more info or listings:<br /> <span style="font-size: 12pt"><br /> <span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong><em><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38108/Seattle_Real_Estate:_Neighborhoods,_View_Homes_and_Waterfront_Properties.html"><strong><em>Seattle neighborhood real estate information</em></strong></a><a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38108/Seattle_Real_Estate:_Neighborhoods,_View_Homes_and_Waterfront_Properties.html"></span></span><span style="font-size: 36pt"><span style="font-size: 12pt"></a><a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38108/Seattle_Real_Estate:_Neighborhoods,_View_Homes_and_Waterfront_Properties.html"><br /> </a><span style="font-size: 14pt"><a title="Seattle suburbs real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/49800/Seattle_Suburbs.html"><strong><em>Seattle suburbs real estate</em></strong></a><a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38108/Seattle_Real_Estate:_Neighborhoods,_View_Homes_and_Waterfront_Properties.html"><br /> </a><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-size: 36pt"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38108/Seattle_Real_Estate:_Neighborhoods,_View_Homes_and_Waterfront_Properties.html">Or just search:</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></em></strong></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 36pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38108/Seattle_Real_Estate:_Neighborhoods,_View_Homes_and_Waterfront_Properties.html">  </a></span><span style="color: #3366ff"><a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38107/CLICK_HERE_TO_SEARCH.html"><strong><em>Seattle real estate</em></strong><br /> </a></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #3366ff"><a title="Seattle real estate" href="http://cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/38107/CLICK_HERE_TO_SEARCH.html"><br /> </span></a>Technology is booming here and although we can't seem to escape bad news on the media relating to lay offs and more, there are still jobs to be had.  </span></div> <div> </div> <div><strong><em>Courtney Cooper, Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services, Follow me on Twitter : </em></strong><a title="@CourtneyCooper" href="http://www.twitter.com/courtneycooper"><strong><em>@CourtneyCooper</em></strong></a></div><P><a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/02/26/moving-to-seattle" target="_blank">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/02/26/moving-to-seattle#comments" target="_blank">Comments</a></P>Seattle Real Estate Agent: Realtor Courtney Cooperhttp://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/02/26/moving-to-seattleThu, 26 Feb 2009 11:09:00 GMT