Seattle Realtor Courtney Cooper Seattle Real Estate, Seattle Washington

Some builders in the Seattle Suburbs are putting developments up so fast that they are way off of my GPS! Most of the time the site agents are pretty good about giving out decent directions, but I like to drive around and check out the new construction sites in the different suburbs to see what is going on! For me, the best end product is all about granite slab and FRANKE sinks, but I love to see the humble beginnings!

I was so happy when the NWMLS implemented an aerial view (bird's eye) version of the maps for our listings! Even if your new construction is not an address that can be recognized by normal mapping software, the listing agent can still pinpoint the location on a map and the MLS will go off of the pin point. It is interesting to me to look at the aerial views of the various new construction sites going in. I like to see how big the project is, but also to see the architectural consistency (or lack there of) of the surrounding neighboring properties.

I recently took a lovely couple out to look at new construction in some of the Northern Seattle suburbs. They are relocating to Seattle and interested in the Seattle suburb new construction. They were not happy with many of the developments that are going in because they seem to be randomly plopped in to a location where they seem odd for one reason or another. The consistency in architecture really is an issue! Luckily I was able to show them a couple of the new construction sites that really are wonderful and have a lot to offer on top of it as far as finish work and buyer bonus options.

Courtney Cooper ....For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County. Seattle Real Estate and Seattle Suburbs! Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services: Experienced REALTOR with a background in accounting - I love my clients and work hard for them! Please call me if you are looking for a home or investment property (including short sales, preforeclosures, foreclosures, and REO properties) in Seattle (Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Greenlake, Greenwood, Northgate, Lake City,University, Sand Point, Laurelhurst, Windermere, Fremont, Wallingford, Queen Anne, Westlake, Eastlake, Lake Union, Downtown, Madison Park), Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

If you are thinking of relocating to Seattle, I am an expert at Seattle Relocation services and can help you find the perfect home while making sure it is a solid financial investment!

Seattle foreclosures are out there and there are certain issues associated with buying REO properties that need to be addressed from time to time. Make sure to hire a Seattle REALTOR who knows REO - it is NOT a "do it yourself" process! A few years ago, I brought my client by a Mountlake Terrace foreclosure property which was listed on the NWMLS. My client decided that they loved it and we put in an offer. After a lot of negotiating back and forth, our offer got accepted and my client got a great deal!

Happy ending? No!

One week before closing we were notified of a problem. Even though the property seemed to have a clean title, when the lien holder had foreclosed on the property originally, they had not foreclosed on it properly and inadvertently left a junior lien holder out there attached to the property. This little cloud on title that popped up was a third mortgage from a private party. The only way the bank could sell us the house was to pay this particular lien holder off. They decided instead to go back and foreclose all over again and knock this little lien holder out. In the process, they also knocked us out. Even though my buyer loved the house, the bank said it could take many months to go through this process, so we found another house.

The lesson...

This little hidden "cloud on title" cost us a lot of time and effort and I ended up helping my buyer with some temporary housing at the local Extended Stay. Don't assume that a normal title insurance policy will uncover some of these hidden junior loans. They should, but in hind site I wish the listing agent had ordered a more thorough policy up front so that we had not gone through the roller coaster of this particular house. With REO properties, the bank directs title and escrow so the ball is in their court unfortunately.

Catching up...

As a side note I will add that it took a year before that house came back on the market and it suffered a lot of deferred maintenance while it was off the market. I think that the bank looking back at the numbers might have done better to have paid off the junior lien holder and sell the poor house when they had the offer.

Courtney Cooper ....For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County. Seattle Real Estate and Seattle Suburbs! Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services: Experienced REALTOR with a background in accounting - I love my clients and work hard for them! Please call me if you are looking for a home or investment property (including short sales, preforeclosures, foreclosures, and REO properties) in Seattle (Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Greenlake, Greenwood, Northgate, Lake City,University, Sand Point, Laurelhurst, Windermere, Fremont, Wallingford, Queen Anne, Westlake, Eastlake, Lake Union, Downtown, Madison Park), Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

If you are thinking of relocating to Seattle, I am an expert at Seattle Relocation services and can help you find the perfect home while making sure it is a solid financial investment!

Thinking of buying a townhouse or condo in Mountlake Terrace, WA because you don't think you can afford a house? You might be surprised to know that for the same price or less in some cases you can own a home in Mountlake Terrace!

Check out this Adorable Mountlake Terrace Home - a cute updated rambler with 2 bedrooms and a bath, tons of parking, and a yard bigger than 6000 square feet! It even has room to expand if you want to add on down the road! The roof is only a couple years old and the inside is updated and ready for move in!

Rates are down! Looking for a home under $300,000 in the Seattle Suburbs? Check out Mountlake Terrace!

Courtney Cooper ....For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County. Seattle Real Estate and Seattle Suburbs! Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services: Experienced REALTOR with a background in accounting - I love my clients and work hard for them! Please call me if you are looking for a home or investment property (including short sales, preforeclosures, foreclosures, and REO properties) in Seattle (Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Greenlake, Greenwood, Northgate, Lake City,University, Sand Point, Laurelhurst, Windermere, Fremont, Wallingford, Queen Anne, Westlake, Eastlake, Lake Union, Downtown, Madison Park), Shoreline, Edmonds, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!

If you are thinking of relocating to Seattle, I am an expert at Seattle Relocation services and can help you find the perfect home while making sure it is a solid financial investment!

Seattle: If you love your dog, then you have to subscribe to CityDog Magazine! This is THE very best thing you can have as a Seattle dog owner to keep you updated on what the local happenings are in Seattle! The latest issue is at pet stores now, and CityDog is putting on the CityDog Puppy Love MuttMixer for all dog lovers in Seattle!

CityDog throws some swanky events for you and your dog - I highly recommend not only emailing in your RSVP ASAP, but also ordering your subscription today! I like to give them out as gifts to my fellow dog lover friends and clients!

Courtney Cooper ....For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Broker and Realtor specializing in Seattle Real Estate (Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Greenlake, Greenwood, Northgate, Lake City,University, Sand Point, Laurelhurst, Windermere, Fremont, Wallingford, Queen Anne, Westlake, Eastlake, Lake Union, Downtown, Madison Park) and Seattle Suburbs! Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services: Experienced and with a background in accounting - I love my clients and work hard for them!

I was amazed to read on Rain City Guide this morning about the Realtor in Florida who is being sued for $25 MILLION dollars based on his blog! Tim Kane wrote the informative post about whether or not we really have free speech when it comes to blogging. A developer didn't appreciate the Realtor's blog and is filing suit as a result!

I read the article in the Miami Herald and also the agent in question's blog posts. I did find the style harsh in my own opinion, but I can't see how a lawsuit could possibly be founded by the developer. Of course, I should disclose that I am not an attorney if I am going to be offering up my own opinion on the subject.

What surprised me the most was that the Realtor's broker fired him and also plans on telling their roughly 800 agents what they can and can not blog about. Wow! Won't that just be great for the customer? Instead of getting the truth about the local market, they will be getting a management approved sugar coated version of the truth. Ouch!

So, two issues:

1. Should we offer a disclaimer when we blog that it is only our opinion even though most people know that a blog is an online diary of opinions?**
2. Is sugar coating your blog really in the best interest for a consumer? How do we protect ourselves while getting the information out there?

You decide! I want to get the info out there to the Seattle real estate customer to try and help them make an informed decision for the Puget Sound market. That is the basis of why I blog. I don't expect everyone to agree with me - nor should they. That is the beauty of the medium of blogging to me.

**Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion and I am not an attorney:)

Courtney Cooper ....For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Broker and Realtor specializing in Seattle Real Estate (Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Greenlake, Greenwood, Northgate, Lake City,University, Sand Point, Laurelhurst, Windermere, Fremont, Wallingford, Queen Anne, Westlake, Eastlake, Lake Union, Downtown, Madison Park) and Seattle Suburbs! Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services: Experienced and with a background in accounting - I love my clients and work hard for them!