August 7, 2007

Searching for a “Green” home?

Built Green GIF Built Green GIF
Searching for a Green Home Now Available on the NWMLS!

Northwest Multiple Listing Service, the largest full-service MLS in the Northwest, is enhancing its listing forms and database so properties with certain environmental certifications, energy efficient features and sustainable materials may be readily identified. The changes culminate months of research, discussion and programming modifications, according to Jack Johnson, president and CEO of Northwest MLS.

“Green homes are increasingly sought after in the Northwest, and the addition of environmental categories to the NWMLS listings will significantly help homeowners’ ability to find homes with green features,” said Kaufman (owner of Greenworks Rlty).  With the new green checkboxes, consumers can easily identify homes that meet specific criteria”, Kaufman noted, adding, “This is an excellent example of how real estate agents lead the way to building better communities one house at a time.”Effective immediately, listing agents can use checkboxes for highlighting a home’s green and resource-efficient features.  Among the new fields are designations for homes that meet third-party certifications for Built Green®, Energy Star® and LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.Additionally, NWMLS created checkboxes for identifying various energy-efficient heating and cooling systems (with “solar” being a new field), and for renewable floor coverings such as bamboo, cork or other sustainable materials.  In details about a property’s lot, the listing agent may now check a box denoting drought resistant landscaping. “These new categories in the Northwest MLS database offer benefits to buyers, sellers, home builders, remodelers and MLS members,” said Meribeth Hutchings, a member of the NWMLS board of directors.Hutchings, who served on the MLS ad hoc group to identify environmental categories, cited research from a survey conducted for a home builders’ trade group that showed growing consumer demand for energy-efficient products and services.  The survey, conducted by the Shelton Group, found that 78 percent of respondents would chose one home over another based on its energy efficiency and the majority would pay more for energy saving features.“The addition of green fields to the Northwest MLS database follows a similar undertaking by Oregon’s Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS), making this region one of the few areas in the nation where it is possible to pinpoint homes with resource-efficient features.Hutchings said the changes apply to newly built homes as well as existing homes that have been upgraded with energy efficient amenities. MLS members may search the database of single family homes and condominiums to find listings with green features that meet the desires of prospective homebuyers.
About Built Green®
Built Green is an environmentally-friendly, non-profit, residential building program of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, developed in partnership with King County, Snohomish County, and other agencies in Washington State. Built Green homes are designed to provide homeowners with comfortable, durable, environmentally friendly homes that are cost-effective to own and operate. These resource-efficient homes are crafted to exceed building codes and provide homeowners with years of healthy, quality living, while protecting the precious Northwest environment.  http://www.builtgreen.net/
About ENERGY STAR®
Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy designed to save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.  Introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products as well as new homes.  Products that have earned the Energy Star designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government.  In 2006 alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved about $14 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 25 million vehicles. www.energystar.gov
About LEED®
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:  sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.LEED for Homes is a voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high performance “green” homes.  A green home uses less energy, water, and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants.  Benefits of a LEED home include lower energy and water bills; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and less exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins. The net cost of owning a LEED home is comparable to that of owning a conventional home.  www.usgbc.org/LEED

If you’re serious, ready to make a change and want a home that’s been built “Green“, contact the team ready to present those residences for your personal review!  206.818.8008 or 1.888.589.6283

(Photo used above is directly from the Master Builders Association.  For more information about Green Built homes, go to: http://www.builtgreen.net/ )

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July 18, 2007

The State of Puget Sound Market

mike-grady-2007-cropped.jpg

My company’s “big boss” Mike Grady, the President of Coldwell Banker Bain, was a guest speaker at a meeting I attended the other day. He shared some interesting statistics I’d like to share with you. In part, it explains why our real estate market is the way it is today. Here in compacted form, is the presentation of facts he presented

  • Interest Rates: 30-year fixed is in the low 6’s. This is the lowest it’s been since before last July.

  • Employment Rate: 96.5% That means about 3% of those wanting jobs haven’t found one - yet.

  • Consumer Confidence: This is at the highest rate since mid-2005.

  • Boeing: Employment up 12,000 people since last year (What he actually said was that he’d been in conversation with someone from Boeing and was told that the company would be hiring in the neighborhood of 20,000 more people, JUST to work on the new 787. This did not include the attrition from the other models where the company would still have to hire to fill those positions for planes they continue to produce. Cool, huh?),the 787 is the largest launch in history with the first jet out in 2008.

  • Microsoft: Employment increasing 4,000 per year. They are also leasing, leasing, leasing space for people.

  • Crane Index: Yes, there is an index that actually calculates the number of cranes that can reach over 6 stories high and in which cities these are located. Dubai has the highest number, followed next by Manhattan. Seattle ranked 3rd in the WORLD with 31 cranes in our region.

  • Car License Transfers: The Seattle area is at near record highs. When Mike was asked where most of the drivers originated, he said that typically it is California but that Oregon drivers moving to Washington are next in line.

  • SeaTac Traffic: Setting new records each quarter. Mike explained that the Port maintains records of how many landings and take-offs occur along with the number of passengers. The airport has had MORE LANDINGS than take-offs, leading us to believe more people are arriving to stay in our region.

  • Commercial Vacancy: Lowest level since 1999 - King County 8%, Snohomish 11%, Pierce County 17%. (This information was provided by Colliers.) Mike recounted from his own experience recently that downtown Bellevue has so many leases pending (under construction buildings) or filled up retail/office space, that very shortly, no businesses will be able to move “until someone leaves town or more buildings go up”.

  • Listing to Sale Pending Ratio: Currently at 4:1. We will continue to have a Seller’s Market until we reach 5:1 which would be a “balanced market”.

  • Housing Developments: No major subdivisions (500 units or more) have been applied for in over a decade.

More and more professionals are moving to metropolitan Seattle and they’re often coming with funds in hand from sale proceeds of homes in other states.
Even with Presidential elections coming up in ‘08, the real estate market will probably continue to be very strong in our area as the political parties attempt to make things rosey for us.

If you’ve been vascillating if this is ‘the right time’ to sell the property you currently own and step up into the home of your dreams, you can be assured you’d be making the right decision! You’re in the right place at the right time. Come on, put our knowledge to work for YOU….

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April 1, 2007

Most Expensive Home in the Seattle area…

Curious what a $40m property looks like in the Seattle area?  Have you been thinking that $1m will get you into some high-class digs?

It so happens that the $40m property is currently being represented by a top-flight team of Coldwell Banker Bain professionals and has gained quite a bit of notarity in the local press, along with some of the other luxury properties around the Sound. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2003457211&zsection_id=2002256360&slug=newluxury03&date=20061203

If you’d like to see the photos of this unique property, hop over to FinerSeattleHome.com’s website for a peek: http://www.finerseattlehomes.com/f-properties.html And least we leave out an inportant detail, yes, you CAN dock your 140′ yacht at home.

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April 1, 2007

And the survey says: “New Money” Driving Luxury Sales

COLDWELL BANKER PREVIEWS INTERNATIONAL® SURVEY OF PROPERTY SPECIALISTS REVEALS THAT “NEW MONEY” IS DRIVING LUXURY HOME SALES
PARSIPPANY, N.J., (Feb. 1, 2007) – Hard work does pay off, especially when it comes to homeownership.  According to a recent online survey of 683 Coldwell Banker Previews International® property specialists, 96 percent reported that their customers who buy multi-million dollar homes are “self-made” millionaires with “new money.”  When asked for the top professions of their customers, the respondents indicated that 88 percent are business or corporate executives; 37 percent are physicians;
31 percent are lawyers; 30 percent are in finance; and, 14 percent are entertainers, entertainment executives or professional athletes.“Much has been made about what can be found inside the extravagant luxury homes that we see in affluent communities across the nation,” says Charlie Young, senior vice president, marketing, Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. “But we wanted to learn more about exactly who buys and owns top-tier homes, and how they make those purchases.”The study also found that for 64 percent of Coldwell Banker Previews International® customers, the square footage of a house was more important to them than the size of the property. Fifty-eight (58) percent of sales associates polled indicated that the typical size of their Previews homes sold in the past year was between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet, while 27 percent of respondents said their typical sale was between 5,000 and 8,000 square feet.   Forty-two percent of the sales associates surveyed indicated that their luxury customers typically put a 20 to 30 percent down payment on a million dollar-plus home, with 25 percent of their clients putting down between 30 and 50 percent. “To put it in perspective, some of these buyers are putting down between $400,000 and $600,000 cash on a $2 million property,” Young continues.  “Clearly, these homebuyers have very worked hard to earn their money and are willing to spend it to live well.”When involved in financial transactions of this magnitude, these luxury homebuyers require their real estate professionals to be equipped with special skills. Seventy-eight (78) percent of respondents said the number one special need that their extremely affluent clients require is privacy and/or confidentiality.  Additionally, 44 percent of the sales associates polled said their customers require their real estate professional to be able to work well with their executive assistants, CPAs, attorneys and other representatives.When asked about “must have” amenities buyers require in their luxury homes, 60 percent of respondents answered that their customers want media rooms and 60 percent answered that their customers want “wired” homes.  On the flip side, the sales associates polled said that their clientele believe that gourmet kitchens, granite countertops and wet bars are no longer considered luxuries.Methodology
The study was conducted in November, 2006 through Zoomerang.com and distributed via e-mail to Coldwell Banker Previews International® property specialists.  The survey generated 683 complete responses.About Coldwell Banker Previews InternationalÒThe Coldwell Banker Previews InternationalÒ program has been marketing luxury homes since 1933.  This luxury home marketing program has been exclusive to Coldwell BankerÒ affiliates since 1980.  The exclusive group of certified Previews® Property Specialists make up only 8.7 percent of the more than 123,000 Coldwell Banker residential sales associates worldwide.  The Previews web site www.coldwellbankerpreviews.com features more than 10,000 luxury properties with an average listing price of over $1.7 Million.

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March 27, 2007

What IS “Concierge Service”?

web-hour-glass.jpg Save Time.  Save Effort.  Save Your Sanity…

As part of the Service Package designed for Finer Buyers and Finer Sellers, Finer Seattle Homes offers a complimentary new service designed to help you with the details of homeownership.

We can help schedule, order and manage many of the details that go along with buying, selling or owning your home.  For everything from minor home repairs to major remodels - start to finish - and you only need to make one call.  Need Movers? Painters? Temporary housing? Moving trucks? A home warranty? Landscaping? Nanny service while your packers are working in the house?

We’ll be there to answer questions and provide you assistance throughout the process - AND throughout the years.  It’s part of our high standard of service, provided at no-cost and offered exclusively to our customers.

As your agent, we are your Concierge connection.  Feel free to find out how our complimentary service can help you with today’s “to do” list…

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March 27, 2007

Representation of Exceptional Homes

web-10.jpg Finer Seattle Homes and Coldwell Banker Bain are leaders in representing luxury real estate…..
As specialists, we are uniquely qualified to represent the interests of Finer Buyers or Sellers.  Our commitment to you is to provide the unparalleled experience that you should expect, and to leverage that extensive knowledge of the luxury real estate market to sell your home. In part, we offer distinctive tools and resources, including:

  •  A national and international network of connections for marketing finer homes, with over 4,000 Coldwell Banker offices in 31 countries.
  • Our own international award-winning lucury marketing magazine Exceptional Properties.
  • Advertising placement in publications with the highest demographic
     readerships.
  • A presence on ColdwellBankerPreviews.com, a unique international residential real estate website dedicated soley to showcasing luxury homes worldwide.
  • FinerSeattleHomes offers a unique Service Package for Buyers and Sellers of Finer Homes, specifically tailored for your needs.

As specialists, we see to it that your Finer Home - and its sale - are handled with the greatest skill and care.

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February 13, 2007

FSH Announces New Site…

Welcome to the blog of FinerSeattleHomes.net.  If you haven’t heard of us before, let me take a moment to introduce us and explain our purpose.   

The team of FinerSeattleHomes.com is comprised of a group of professional real estate advocates dedicated to representing the needs of busy professionals and their families. 

Although we are based in Seattle, Washington (USA) and our emphasis is pertains to families and properties located here in the Northwest, the referral network of specialized real estate professionals extends across the United States as well as internationally.  Whether you are relocating to a new residence locally or internationally, FinerSeattleHomes offers a Service Package specifically designed for professionals who have time constraints, explicit requirements, familial needs or even requirements for various trades personnel. 

Lauri Huston, the lead professional real estate agent of the team, works with Coldwell Banker Bain and has 9 years of experience of real estate sales and marketing.  Her background includes 15 years in banking and mortgage lending as well.  Ms. Huston is articulate, well educated and highly sought-after by her clients which include doctors, lawyers, pilots, information technology specialists, and a number of entrepreneurs – just to name a few. 

This blog will be featuring timely information about real estate related issues and services, as well as conversation to help answer some of your questions directed to any part of the team.  If you’d like to see a particular topic covered, don’t hesitate to ask! 

Thank you for visiting FinerSeattleHomes.net!

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