Are those weirdos next door hurting your home’s value???

Ahhhh… the bad neighbor. How much can they affect a home’s value?  Good question.

The Seattle Times ran an article today that addresses that issue, citing some pretty outlandish behavior.  It’s a fun read.  It’s also somewhat timely.  I’ve had people broach this issue in somewhat different ways within the last 24 hours.  Let’s look at one of those experiences and play Good Neighbor, Bad Neighbor.

Yesterday I held open a fantastic modern, built green home in Seward Park. One of the neighbors came by while some other folks were in the house. We were all chatting when the neighbor offered up “I can tell you all about Bob if you’re curious…”

“Who’s Bob?” I replied.

The neighbor pointed at a house down on the corner that was in a state of disrepair and said “That’s Bob’s place.”

The neighbor was obviously concerned that Bob’s property was reflecting poorly on the neighborhood, particularly because Bob lives right next door to him!  Said neighbor, also clearly had a soft spot for Bob and didn’t want people’s imaginations running wild about what kind of “nut” he must be. So he carefully pointed out the “elephant in the room” that was Bob.  Here was a guy that cared about his neighborhood and his neighbor and I appreciate that.

Contrast that to an experience I had 3 years ago in Lynnwood. I was working with a lovely couple on a short sale up there. One day we were outside the house and bumped into the next door neighbor.  At first he seemed friendly and helpful. But each time we spoke with him he would become more mysterious:

“I would look underneath the house if I were you.”

“We know they replaced the floor and some rotton joists there…” we’d reply.

He’d continue, “I’m not saying anything… just look under the house.”

Seems harmless enough but being that we had already had full disclosure regarding rot that had been in the flooring/sturcture and how it had been remedied we didn’t need Captain Creepy stirring the bad feelings pot.  I don’t know if he thought Hoffa was buried there or what, but it was a bit much and were my clients not so well-informed they may have been spooked and the deal may have fallen apart.

Not helpful sir.

Thankfully my people were of sound mind and are enjoying their perfectly fine floor and the rest of the house to this date.

I could go on about vengeful neighbors blocking a potential buyer’s car in a driveway or go back into the story of a house I was watching last year that is sure to fall collapse soon (check out this post, you won’t believe the pictures).  Or how my neighbors (who are nice people by the way) have at least 7 vehicles and 2 yipey dogs.  Everyone has a story.

I’d love to hear some of yours.  If you have an interesting or funny story about a neighbor, let us know.  We’d all like to hear about it.

DON’T MAKE ME TOSS MY COOKIES!

an encore whattheted blog from 2007 who’s timeless cookie truth lives on today

I have often heard it said that when holding an open house you should bake cookies or pop popcorn. This will supposedly create an atmosphere that will stir would-be buyers into a frenzy! By all accounts, these spendid aromas should create such longing for the home in the buyers’ hearts that they have no other choice but to write an offer on your listing!

Recently I gave this a shot.

 

After a few attempts, not only did I find this “frenzy” legend to be utterly false, I also found that people didn’t want my cookies. This I took personally.

“I mean c’mon people… they’re cookies… WHO DOESN’T WANT A COOKIE?!” … I cried on the inside as I shook with anger and stuffed my face full of remnant cookies.

It wasn’t like I was serving some store bought, flavorless, rock hard, teeth shattering discs. These things were oven fresh, hot, gooey, stain your hands with chocolate goodness, COOKIES …and nobody wanted them.

Questions rushed through my mind…

“Am I pushing the cookies too hard?”

“Are they not large enough?”

“Should I serve milk too?”

No answers were found.

Then it occured to me ” Ted, these people aren’t rejecting you and your delicious cookies. They’re just being polite.”

That’s when it hit me “I should create signs that invite people to enjoy my cookies”.

So that’s what I did.

Interestingly enough, cookie consumption has risen dramtically at my open houses since the signs have been installed.

Hopefully I’ll realize the cookie’s “frenzied selling power” soon as well.

101 Things To Do in SE Seattle: #25 Watch a Parade, Play in the Street

It’s not too often you get to play in the street.  This Saturday, Aug 2o, is the exception.  Rainier Ave will be closed for most of the day for the Rainier Valley Heritage Parade followed by the Summer Streets Party – and boy will there be a lot to do!  According to the Rainier Valley Chamber of Commerce who sponsors the event there will be, in addition to the parade, two music stages, Art in the Alley, World Board Games, bike games, a kids bike parade.  Not to mention all the great stuff that is always in Columbia City – great restaurants and shops.  Did I mention I will be in the parade?  I didn’t?!  Well, allow me to do so now.  I will be in the parade with my office.  It will be spectacular, and I will wave at you.  What more reason do you need to come?    Parade starts at 11am, the street party will go until 3pm.  See you there!

101 Things To Do in SE Seattle: #63 Jazz in the Park

This Friday night the Valley Vibes Jazz Series will be al fresco.  Sponsored by SEEDArts, the concert will be held in the park behind the Columbia library.  Music will be provided by Tor Dietrichson’s Salsa/Afro-Cuban Jazz Band Mambo Cadillac and Jeff Busch’s Latin influenced Sambatuque.  Bring a picnic and a blanket, sit back and relax, let the kids roam free, and enjoy an evening outside.  This is what summer is all about.

(Also, there is another Valley Vibes concert happening Sept 9 at 7pm, that one will be at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center.)

101 Things To Do in SE Seattle: #64 Pick Fruit

Every August and September fruit trees around Seattle ripen.  In our own yard we have an old plum tree that makes the best, biggest, fattest, juiciest plums around.  We eat them until we start to turn purple.  But it’s hard to keep up with all the fruit, even with giving bags of it away to friends and coworkers we are still left with plums rotting on the ground.  And our tree isn’t the only one.  An organization called City Fruit has a solution, they match people with too much fruit with people who need the fruit.  Here is what they have to say for themselves:

City-grown fruit is a resource for the entire community. Because most residential tree owners can’t—or don’t—use all the fruit produced on their properties, much of it falls to the ground and rots.In addition, much of the fruit grown in urban landscapes is infested with preventable pests.

City Fruit works neighborhood by neighborhood to help residential tree owners grow healthy fruit, to harvest and use what they can, and to share what they don’t need. City Fruit collaborates with others involved in local food production, climate protection, horticulture, food security and community-building to protect and optimize urban fruit trees.

If you have a fruit tree and you need help harvesting, or if you would like to help harvest other people’s trees so that the fruit can be put to good use, contact them.

Is your mortgage with Stupid?… a brief short sale rant

Over the past few years I’ve worked on a number of short sales.  These experiences have led me to a one general principle:  Banks are stupid.

For some of you this may be revelatory while others of you have unfortunately shared in the unpleasant experience of a short sale or foreclosure.

If you’re not familiar with short sales, a short sale is when a property owner sells a property for less than what is owed on it.  In order for the sale to close and ownership to be transferred, the bank must approve the sale since they hold the note on the property.

Working with banks through this process can be pretty maddening.  They are generally unresponsive, indecisive, and uneducated about the home and market. 

Just making contact and getting the bank to get back to you is usually the most frustrating part. 

Here’s what initiating a conversation with a bank on a short sale pretty much looks like:

Agent:  Hey Bank, remember those people you’ve been talking to that can’t make their payment and have to sell their house for less than what they owe?  Well, they found some people here that would like to give you a reasonable sum of money for the home. 

Bank:  …. (silence)…

Agent:  Baaank… we have some monnneyyy…

Bank: …(silence)…

Agent:  HEYYYYY BANNNNNNKKK!!!

Bank: … 2 months later … What?  Is someone talking to me???

Agent:  Yes. We have an offer on that property for $XXX.  Here are the statistics and comparable sales to show that this is a good price for the property.

Bank:  That makes too much sense… we want another agent who lives anywhere from 10-100 miles away to look at the property to tell us what it’s worth…

Agent:  Fine.                                             .

2 more months pass…

Agent:  Have you decided anything Bank?

Bank:  Yes.  The other agent that doesn’t live or work in your market says that the house is worth $50,000 more than this offer.  We are rejecting this offer unless the buyers come up $50,000.

Agent:  I’m going to the liquor store….

Narrator:  12-18 months later, after the foreclosure, the bank sells the home for %15-%30 less than what was offered them

… and scene!

The reality is that banks don’t operate in the real world.  When I explain this to people they adopt a confused looked and ask why banks do this. 

I wish I had an answer for them.

101 Things To Do in SE Seattle: #68 Beacon Hill’s Pinata Party

The Annual Beacon Hill Pinata Pary was originally scheduled for July 16, but due to the rain has been postponed to this Saturday (July 23) from 3-6pm.  According to the Beacon Hill Blog, this is a community party with food, music and, of course, pinatas.   The fun will take place at Stevens Park, or as otherwise known the Triangle Park, on Beacon Ave.

101 Things To Do in SE Seattle: #57 Karaoke

It’s a Wednesday night and you feel the need to let off some steam.  What better way than to go sing your heart out at the Bourbon Bar?  Each Wednesday at 9pm is Karaoke night.  Let it loose (or just enjoy watching other people let loose) and add some variety to Hump Day.  It’ll give you just the fuel you need to make it through the rest of the week.

101 Things To Do in SE Seattle: #62 Seward Park Centennial

Everybody loves a birthday party.  And when the guest of honor is turning a hundred, well, that’s extra special.  This weekend Seward Park is celebrating it’s centennial anniversary with a big party that will have something for everyone: art, classic cars, vintage fashion, gardens, vintage hydroplanes, pie, to name a few.  The schedule kicks off Saturday at 11am with a live music.  Food vendors will be there hawking their yummy treats – like Patty Pan Grill and Half-Pint Icecream.  Or if you are really hungry you could sign up for the pie eating contest for a chance to win the cash prize – plus you get to eat all the pie you can stuff in your mouth!   Sounds like a good time.

101 Things To Do in SE Seattle: #53 Go to the Beach

There are nine life-guarded beaches in the city of Seattle and SE Seattle is fortunate enough to have three of them.  An embarrasment of riches.  The three beaches are: Mt Baker, Seward Park, and Pritchard Beach.  Lifeguards are there noon to seven, weekdays; eleven to seven, weekends.  Swim, sunbathe, jump off the diving board, build a sandcastle, roast some hotdogs, read a good book – the fun at the beach is endless.  Plus they offer free swimming lessons throughout the summer – show up the first day of the session to sign up.