I headed up to the Eastlake neighborhood in Seattle the evening of July 4th to watch the fireworks on Lake Union. We have an escrow branch there with a fabulous view of the Seattle Skyline (from the north), the Space Needle, and look west over Lake Union at Queen Anne Hill, the Aurora Bridge, and on clear days we enjoy views of the magnificent Olympic Mountains on the peninsula.The sky was overcast, but fortunately the cloud cover was high. For me, the weather was perfect, just a gentle breeze from the west and a comfortable cool. This is just a share, no big production. I shot it with my iPhone 6 Plus and was surprised how well it did at night with bright rockets a glare. Night is usually a good recipe for fuzzy. Also, no additional apps or fancy editing. I just put a couple of clips t... 07/07/2016

The Seasons in Your Business The calendar turned to a new season week, it had me thinking about how there are different seasons in a business as well. These don't necessary follow a calendar or the Earth's rotation. Instead, they tend to follow what is happening for you personally or for others in your personal life. For example let's take look an agent with a steady home life. There are no kids at home or aging parents with special needs. There are no demands on the on this agents time from anyone. Furthermore, this agent has time to exercise daily and is in good health. This moment in time - this season - seems like the perfect time to grow his or her real estate business and perhaps implement a new lead generation system or a website complete with thought-out content. This is the se... 07/01/2016

Story of a Seattle, WA Junk Remover  Being a garbage remover for in Seattle, WA is a remunerating employment and one that requires interminable tolerance and a serious hard working attitude. We should separate what a Seattle, WA  garbage remover does every day while working his/her day of work. 1) Setup And Decide PickupsThe initial step starts with the affirmation procedure. Where will the garbage be grabbed from? Is it from a private or open customer? Where is it in Seattle? These determinations are made at an early stage in the day preceding advancing forward. 2) Routine ChecksThe vehicle and gear used to finish the procedure are presently evaluated. This is to guarantee the wellbeing of both the garbage remover and the devices being utilized. It will be assessed taking into account ... 06/25/2016

On Your Bus and In Your Business Whether you run your own real estate business, work for a company, or are part of a real estate team, there are people who you rely on day to day to help the business run smoothly. These are the people I call "on your bus". In an ideal world, the bus runs smoothly. This means that the right people are on board, in the right seats, and the bus continues to move forward towards its destination. But what happens when you have the wrong people on the bus? Have you ever worked somewhere and there was that person who was obviously not good for the team? Perhaps that person oozed negativity, gossiped, never took responsibility, didn't get tasks finished, didn't communicate well, or just did not produce? When the wrong person is on the bus, the bus cannot move ... 06/24/2016

Three Important Words in Real Estate Marketing I know you've already heard that old saying that in real estate, the three most important words are, "Location! Location! Location!" Today though, the three most important words that you the real estate agent need to know are, "Database! Database! Database!" The quality of your database and how you use it directly affects your success. I've said it many times before - your database is your personal goldmine. Did you know that the average real estate agent meets over five-hundred new people per month? That's friends of friends, social media acquaintances, parents at events your children attend, your mechanic and people at the grocery, at your church and at your athletic club. The longer you think about it, the more people you will identify.... 06/16/2016

Seattle Waterfront Living - One thing is for sure:  There is a lot of waterfront property in Seattle.  Greater Seattle and all of Puget Sound for that matter offer an abundance of waterfront living opportunities for all of you water babies. Greater Seattle is blessed with an abundance of both freshwater and saltwater waterfront property options. There are lakes - in all sizes, rivers, streams, and the lovely Puget Sound.   There are interesting Seattle waterfront living options including Seattle floating homes. The More Affordable Seattle Waterfront HomesMore affordable freshwater options in the immediate vicinity of the City of Seattle are to the North of the city in Seattle suburbs like Lake Stevens or Lynnwood where you can find cool places like Martha Lake Waterfront Homes or other ... 06/15/2016

This picture goes back to my childhood, processed in May of 1969.  My family gathered for every holiday.  We’d eat, laugh, joke and play cards.  We had multiple generations gather, my great grandfather at times, Great Aunts, Uncles first, second & third cousins. We didn’t always know how we were related, just that we were.This picture was taken at a house on 9th Ave N on Queen Anne Hill.  That home saw countless family gatherings and memories burned into my soul.  When I help someone buy or sell a house, I pay attention to the value and quality of the home, but I know that what will be invested will be quality memories, just like we had in this house. 06/15/2016

6732 41st Ave SW, Seattle 98136 This is the West Seattle custom built home you've been waiting for! From the Saudi Arabian custom tile work, to the grand spiral staircase, every inch of this home was thoughtfully designed. Tranquil views of the sound and Olympic Mountains can be found from most of the rooms in this Gatewood home. High end stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, a Jacuzzi master bath and french doors are just a few of the many perks this luxury home has to offer. Alicia Shope(206) 939-3623Keller Williams Western Realty 06/15/2016

Tucked back from the hustle and bustle! This modern townhome has it all from lower level office to secure garage parking plus an add. parking space deeded to the unit. Well designed layout with main level great room & bedrooms each with private baths & laundry on upper level. High end finishes throughout including: granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, new carpet & dark hardwoods. Enjoy lower utilities with gas on demand hot water, fireplace & range. 1 Year Home Warranty Included!Click Here For Listing. Click Here For 3D Virtual Tour. 06/11/2016

Alki living at its best! This contemporary townhome is only 2 blocks from the water and right in the middle of Alki's tasty restaurants.Click Here for the 3D Virtual Tour. UPDATE - Pending! 06/11/2016

Lessons Learned from Skee Ball Photo copyright Scott S. A group of kids playing tag the other day reminded me of the importance of having a strategy and sticking to it. As I watched, I realized that each kid who was it had his own strategy for tagging others. Some relied on the taunt and tag while others depended solely on their speed and agility. But then one of kids was it and it was evident that this kid had no plan at all. He made a feeble effort to run after anything that moved. He took a few steps this way and that, taunted a few kids, tried stalking kids around the safe area, but he was tired, not thinking straight, and had no plan. I finally couldn't take it anymore. I called his name from the sidelines and said, "Pick one kid and stay on him until you tag him. You need a strat... 06/10/2016

Speechless Sundays: Me myself and i... Phone.  06/05/2016

The Power of Gratitude Think about your last transaction. Was it a tough one? Were there moments when you didn't think it would close or was it smooth with barely any bumps along the way? Whichever path the transaction took, I bet there were some standout people involved that helped it across the finish line. Really think about this. Who stepped up and took care of your clients? Was it: The inspector who, despite being slammed, made time for a last minute inspection? The lender who worked with the underwriters to approve the buyers despite their qualifying with self-employment income? Your managing broker who gave you great advice on handling a low appraisal? The escrow company who worked with your out-of-area clients and coordinated their signing from afar? You know the saying, you ca... 06/03/2016

Mountain & Sound View Home for Sale in Olympic Manor  8733 21st Ave NWSeattle, WA 981174 Bedrooms, 1.75 Baths Call Jirius Isaac at 206-841-9976 to see if this property is still available and arrange a showing  This Spacious 4 bedroom View Home for Sale in Olympic Manor This is your extraordinary opportunity to own a home in the highly sought after Olympic Manor community, a wildly popular corner of northwest Seattle  Enjoy the Sound and Mountain View from the large patio or from inside the Wall of Glass in the Great Room.  This View in Olympic Manor is protected!  You and your guests’ will be thrilled being outdoors while you host a barbecue, or whatever you would like to imagine in this gorgeous setting.   The home itself has 4 bedrooms, a family room, a great room, a living room,a rec... 06/02/2016

History of Real Estate Crowdfunding Part II – The JOBS Act   If you haven’t read The History of Crowdfunding Part I, it is the early history of Crowdfunding. Pabst Blue Ribbon, believe it or not, was instrumental in paving the way for Crowdfunding to be legalized.   Ironic that a bunch of beer drinkers helped the American Public to invest but hasn’t beer always helped the American People?   Pabst Blue Ribbon brewing Corp was for sale and two marketing executives, Patrick and Brian, heard about Crowdfunding, and as a joke started a website called BuyABeerCompany.com and they collected $282M in pledges before the SEC shut them down.  U.S. Representative Patrick McHenry heard about this and realized that there was a new and different way to invest, or for business to raise money.  He thoug... 05/31/2016

   By Matt Stark Lead Broker | Search Homes NW GroupSearchHomesNW.com Bidding wars are very common in the current real estate market, most notably when it comes to higher-end properties that are in desirable locations. More recently, in the Seattle area aggressive bidding wars are more prevalent and can be very nerve-racking, even discouraging if you are on the losing end. Having watched hundreds of bidding wars over the past several years, there are a few results that are seen more often. The bidder coming in with the crazy offering price makes the decision simple – money almost always wins.It is not uncommon to have multiple winners. In a typical batch of offers, there are usually low, medium and aggressive bidders with the aggressive bids landing in an extremely similar price range. ... 05/28/2016

APRIL 2016 was another RECORD SETTING MONTH FOR SEATTLE REAL ESTATE!!!  The median price of a Seattle home is now $ 624,975.  This is a new record.    There were 495 PENDING sales in April | 680 transactions CLOSED | There were 298 ACTIVE listings in the Seattle real estate market.There is .6 of a month supply of inventory | The .6 ratio is a strong SELLER’S MARKET INDICATOR.Any ratio under 3.0 is a seller’s market indicator. Any ratio between 3.0 and 6.0 is a neutral market indicator. Any ratio over 6.0 is a buyer’s market indicator.   The story remains LACK OF INVENTORY. EPIC RECORD SETTING LOW INVENTORY!!!In the month of April, the AVERAGE list price vs sales price for Seattle was 106%. So the average home sold for 6% over the asking price.   The AVERAGE days on market for a Seattle ... 05/28/2016

Flying out of Seattle yesterday ...Robert Vegas Bob Swetz flew into Seattle Washington early Tuesday morning and spent the rest of the day playing around the city.And wow what a huge city Seattle is compared to little old Anchorage Alaska!Later that evening I flew to Las Vegas Nevada where I am now taking care of some business before I head out to California.Here is a photo of Seattle I took from the jet.  05/11/2016

2500 Western Ave #406, Seattle 98121 One bedroom condo near everything you need! Walk to the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Downtown Seattle or hit up any of the nearby restaurants. Washer and dryer in unit. Secured building with onsite manager, landscaped courtyard, gym and community room. Don’t forget about the rooftop with city and water views. NO RENTAL CAP and pets allowed. Zachary Allen(206) 457-7714Keller Williams Western Realty  05/09/2016

2721 NE 145th St, Seattle 98155 Here's the fixer upper you've been waiting for! Where else in Seattle proper can you find a 3 bed, 1.75 bath property for $300,000? Bring your contractors and your ideas. Original hardwoods through are just waiting to be brought back to life. A partially fenced yard, 2 car garage and deck are just a few of the nice features of this home. Alicia Shope(206) 939-3623Keller Williams Western Realty 04/22/2016