Douglas Lovitt

The best off leash dog park in Snohomish County is in Mill Creek's back yard!

Willis D. Tucker Community Park is home to one of Snohomish County's most popular off-leash dog parks. Nearly 11 acres, the park is located approximately 2.5 miles East of Mill Creek. The Dog Park is park is the result of joint efforts between Snohomish County and the Sno-DOG organization. The off leash dog park relies heavily on the support and efforts of volunteers.

Forested Trail Off Leash Dog Area

There are several off-leash areas for you and your family member to enjoy. The first is the Forested Trail Off Leash Dog Area. Once inside the gate, let your friend off the leash! You'll both enjoy taking a nice walk through the woods without the fear that your dog will take off.

Shy or Senior Off-Leash Dog Area

If your pet is shy or easily intimidated by larger dogs, there is a smaller enclosed off leash area designated just for them. The area is also perfect for senior dogs that may not be as active as their younger counter-parts. This is a great place to socialize your new puppy without the fear of an older larger dog trying to assert its dominance.

Meadow Off-Leash Dog Area

Finally, the ultimate play area at the park is the Meadow Off Leash Dog Area. Consisting of roughly 4.5 acres of completely fenced and pet friendly fields - there are rolling grassy hills, open meadows and treed areas for your dog to run, play and sniff to their delight!

Our dogs Calli & Buster love to run, play and chase tennis balls in the meadow area. They are constantly meeting new friends and chasing one another until their tongues drag on the ground.

The Off Leash Dog Park is a great place to socialize both you and your pet! We always meet new friends every time we go to the park.

Just one of several open field areas for the dogs to run and play. WARNING - pace your tennis ball throwing! It is easy to completely over-work your arm when your best friend is full of enthusiasm!

After A Day at the dog park!

Our dogs love going to the Willis D. Tucker Off-Leash Dog Park! They will run and play until they are exhausted. Having the park so close is just one more thing we love about living in Mill Creek, WA! (left - Buster is an Australian Cattle Dog. right - Calli is an Australian Shepherd. We affectionately call them our "Thunder from down under!")

Willis D. Tucker Community Park is located at 6705 Puget Park Drive, Snohomish, WA. 98296 Park hours are from 7:00am to Dusk 425-388-6600 Off Leash Dog Park Rules

Why didn't my home sell? is usually one of the first questions an unsuccessful seller asks me. For the past 19 years, almost by accident, I have become a specialist in helping people that couldn't get their home sold with their first, second, or even third listing agent. At the risk of losing my competitive advantage, here is probably your biggest problem.

It's all about quality vs price. Your home's condition must justify the price you are asking in a BUYER"S MIND - NOT YOURS! If your home didn't sell, I suspect that either your last agent was too afraid of offending you to tell you what repairs you needed to do, or they simply don't understand this correctly themselves. Most agents tell sellers that don't want to do repairs to lower the price. THIS IS WRONG! Lowering the price will certainly make your property more appealing, but you usually have to reduce your price drastically more than the repairs cost.

Selling a home that needs repairs is a bit tricky. One of the toughest things for most sellers to understand is that they need to invest some of their money up-front on a home they are selling, especially if they want to get top dollar out of it! Most sellers subconsciously think just the opposite; "I'm not spending another dime on this place if I am selling it." "Why should I sink any more money in it?" or "I'll just give the buyer a credit to do the repairs, that way they can pick out their own colors!" Unfortunately most buyers don't have that good of an imagination. Buyers also don't see eye to eye with sellers when it comes to how much it will cost to complete repairs.

Here's a simple example:

Let's say that you painted your child's bedroom lime green and purple because these were your child's favorite colors. Now you put the home on the market, several buyers look at the home, but no one makes an offer. Finally, a buyer comes along, likes the home, but can't stand the color of the room. Their offer comes in significantly below your asking price based on the bedroon needing new paint. Here's how each party adds up the cost of painting the room.

Seller's Estimate 1 Gallon of paint $19.95

Painting supplies $20.00

Total cost to repaint $39.95

Buyer's Estimate 1 Gallon of primer $22.95

2 gallons of paint $57.90

Painting supplies $85.00

Labor $200.00

Total cost to repaint $365.85

The seller never wants to include the true cost of paint supplies, usually because they already have some materials in the garage that they can use. They simply don't think about the fact that a buyer may not own any supplies and will have to go buy everything. Sellers almost never want to include labor in their calculation either, because if the buyer paints the room themselves, it doesn't cost them anything.

Buyers almost always lean towards picking out higher grades of paint (carpet, roofing, appliances etc.) than a seller does. After all, they want their new home to be the best, while the seller is trying to limit their expenses because they are selling. Buyer's also over-estimate how much their time is worth in calculating the cost of repairs.

It really is not that uncommon for a buyer's estimate to be ten times a seller's estimate. And this is only one small example. What if the home has half a dozen projects that need to be done? Say... the whole interior needs paint, the main living area and bedrooms need carpet, the roof only has a few years of life left, the bathroom and kitchen are getting dated, and the deck needs to be replaced. It doesn't take much for a seller and buyer perception to be tens of thousands of dollars apart on a home's value. Now can you see why some sellers never even get an offer? The buyer simply thinks the home needs too much work at the listed price. It's much easier for the buyer to go find a home that doesn't need all the work and buy it at a higher price.

Bottom Line - if you're trying or going to try to sell a home that needs repairs, get the work done now! You'll get more money when your buyer's offer comes in higher, and your home will probably sell much quicker. Remember, you're making mortgage payments, so the longer you take to sell, the more money you're flushing away in interest.

Additional note: When making repairs, first consult with your real estate professional on which colors should be used. They will give you guidance towards neutral colors that will appeal to, or at least will not offend, potential buyers. Don't decide on your own! Get their advice! After all, you thought the lime green and purple room was ok.

Mill Creek Sports Park is located at 13903 North Creek Drive (NW corner of Bothell-Everett Highway and Trillium Blvd). The park has two main attractions, Freedom Field and the Skate Park.

Freedom Field - is the home for many softball and youth baseball leagues. Complete with a score board and official score keeping stand, the sports field has lighting and can be used from 8:00am - 10:00pm. The field is also used by youth soccer leagues as a modified soccer field. Concession stands and restrooms are available. Freedom Field is only available for use with an approved Field Use Application through the Mill Creek Parks and Recreation Division.

Skate Park - is a fenced concrete skating and skate boarding area. It is approximately 10,000 square feet. The Skate Park has lighting and is open to the public from 8:00am - 10:00pm.

A great way to experience the lifestyle of living in Mill Creek is by visiting Town Center. Mill Creek Town Center is more than just a collection of retail stores and restaurants. It was designed to have the look, feel, and charm of a small town's main street. You definitely can "feel" the lifestyle of living in Mill Creek simply by walking from shop to shop. Every shop is within easy walking distance, and there is a wide variety of restaurants, services, and boutique shops. But I think one of the most appealing aspects of Mill Creek Town Center is that most of the merchants are much smaller than the mega department stores inside other local shopping malls. They really make you feel appreciated when you visit their store, and it's also nice to have them personally remember you.

We have several favorites, and this is, by no means, all of them. We just want to give you a feel for Mill Creek Town Center and encourage you to come by and experience the lifestyle for yourself!

Central Marketis more than just a local grocery store. It is more like a grocery store on steroids! How many grocery stores do you know of that are actually tourist attractions? My real estate business takes me all over King and Snohomish Counties. When people discover that I am from Mill Creek, they usually mention Central Market! Why? You just have to see it for yourself. By today's standards, they have an enormous produce department - including a huge organic section! The seafood and meat departments are run by people that really enjoy giving you personal attention. Whether you are looking for a rare wine, your favorite ethnic food, or just something quick and easy from the deli or salad bar, stop by and check it out. I know you'll be impressed.

Starbuckshas long been one of our favorite meeting spots in Town Center. In fact, I probably meet more customers here than I do in my real estate office! It's a great place for Bonnie and I to sit down with new customers and discuss their real estate wants and needs.

On Friday nights, Central market has a big outdoor dinner/bar-b-que complete with a live band. So, if you are into people watching, summer evenings on Starbucks' outdoor patio is a very relaxing and entertaining place. Now, if I can just get that ordering lingo down completely!

The Saw Mill Cafeis another one of our favorite places to go for breakfast. They serve lunch and dinner too, but we love their breakfast. The restaurant is extremely convenient and orders are filled pretty quickly. We've always experienced great service and the food is terrific! In fact, it is one of the few restaurants Bonnie and I can get our 13 year old to try something new from the menu almost every time we go there. In my book, that says alot.

If you like Italian food, you simply need to try Capri Ristorante Italiano. They serve fantastic high quality Italian cusine and the service is outstanding. In fact, they should be very proud of their staff. They have some very wonderful signature dishes, but I won't spoil it for you. Capri also has a large selection of wines, so don't be afraid to have them suggest something! The atmosphere is casual & intimate. Bonnie says their desserts are to die for! Hint: during colder weather request to be seated away from the door!

The University Book Storehas a large selection of books, art supplies and merchandise. If you're looking for University of Washington or Washington State University clothing, novelties or gifts, this is the place to go! The store opened in late 2004, and just recently invited Top Pot Doughnuts to occupy a corner of the store.

Well these are just a few of the "Hot Spots" in Mill Creek Town Center. I could go on for days, but I have to go show a home to a new client. I'll highlight more great places in another post. If you enjoy the your visit to Mill Creek Town Center and are considering living in Mill Creek, give us a call. We would love to help you! Search homes for sale in Mill Creek.

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Over the last 20 years, Snohomish County has seen an enormous amount of residential real estate growth, especially East of Mill Creek. Construction of new houses exploded in that area, and people continue to move in everyday. But along with rapid growth, comes higher population densities, more commercial development, street traffic, pollution and crime. Fortunately, most of Mill Creek was a planned residential development. Today, it is that very structure that makes Mill Creek one of Washington State's most desirable places to live.

Unlike many of today's developers, United Development Corp. (UDC), had a lot of raw land available to them. This allowed them to plan and develop a huge area. With so much property at their disposal, UDC was able to accomplish two critical things.

First, they didn't the need to pack as many homes as possible into the area. They were able to avoid the urban postage stamp collection that makes up so many of today's newer developments. They clearly wanted each home to have a little elbow room and privacy. The majority of homes in Mill Creek sit on lots between .21 and half an acre in size.

Second, the UDC was able to focus on blending residential neighborhoods into an existing natural setting. They didn't just level everything and then set aside some protective native growth areas full of dead trees. The UDC wanted Mill Creek to be different from the neighboring towns of Lynnwood and Everett. It was this planning that now keeps Mill Creek's population density low and makes our natural environment so desirable.

In fact, the Mill Creek Community Association, founded by UDC in 1974, owns and maintains over 160 acres of common space, including more than 16 miles of walking trails, 11 neighborhood parks, and a huge 120+ acre nature preserve. The UDC did such a good job of preserving the natural environment, that most visitors that drive through Mill Creek never realize that they just went by an 18 hole championship golf course!

These are just a few of the reasons people buy homes in Mill Creek.