Wow! This is the school district everyone wants. A  Bellevue home  in the Somerset neighborhood you can remodel to your own life style and tastes. You already start with a generously proportioned home with a deck and view looking west to the sunsets, city and mountains. You also have a usable yard that still hasn’t risen to it’s full potential. What can you bring to this home as it’s third owner?

So much potential for this one

This home already has 2 remodeled bathroom tastefully designed with penny tile floors and glass tile enclosures. Use your own vision to open up the floor plan for today’s living.

Master Bath with beautiful choices in tile

If this is too much to tackle, you can also live here, while you do any remodeling, it’s livable as it is.

Investors are bound to check out the possibilities, knowing a few cosmetic fixes might be all that’s needed to make this home sparkle.

So much to work with, in such a great neighborhood close to nationally ranked schools, parks and hiking, convenient commutes and great shopping. Come and check out one of the lowest priced homes in this desirable area.

A Ballard Seattle Real Estate search would pull up this amazing hip and comfortable townhome.  5 star Built Green, LEED Platinum, NW Energy Star, Third-party certified townhome boasts and promises benefits others can’t. Why? It’s because the advanced features in this home needs to be part of the planning even before the contractors break ground. Results like these can’t be achieved on the fly, a home like this is an integrated puzzle of many building systems done right.

606 NW Market Street 98117 Open Saturday March 30 & Sunday March 31 from 1-3.

Like modern design?  Thinking about living in Ballard?  Want to see what smart green design looks like?  Want to see a great view on a beautiful day? These are all valid reasons to mark you calender and save a little time to stop by and be inspired.

Classic Contemporary Styling

Here’s a brief list of some of the features in this special Ballard Seattle Real Estate:

• Mini Split Heat Pump offers heating and air conditioning/ERV offers additional comfort
• Modern and functional LED lights throughout the home
• Electric Induction Stovetop (Look it up, it’s like magic!)
• Low VOCs throughout the whole construction phase
• Dual Flush Toilets/Other water-saving devices
• Stormwater Management, including an established Green Roof
• Solar Ready/ Net Zero possibility?
• Walkable, busable, bikable
• Fun and functional design

Smart Design Throughout Home and Site

Lets face it, green IS cool, and it’s where construction code is going much sooner than most people realize.  However is only marketable if the space “feels” right, including proportion, appearance, and functionality. This house has it all!  You can expect small utility bills, increased comfort–including those folks with indoor air quality issues, decreased maintenance and a better return on your investment dollar.

Simple Modern Design That Doesn't Feel Cold or Harsh

Do you know that local studies proved years ago that green homes are worth more per square foot, sit on the market for less time and will hold up for a better dollar value? When houses get a “miles per gallon” sticker on them like our vehicles (yes this regulation is in the works) all of a sudden old drafty homes won’t be looked upon as being as charming. In short the small amount extra you pay today,  is a great investment and a money maker in the long run. This is an efficient and healty home where you can “Go Green AND Go Home!

It’s official! The date has been set, the sites have signed up and there are many additional sponsors including one of the favorites, Natural Awakenings! Here is what the magazine looks like that contains the official tour brochure inside:

If you haven’t gone on tour over the last two years there are some things you should know:

• It’s all free!
• Some of the homes on the tour are for sale, but most of them are owner occupied and the residents love them so much they aren’t going anywhere!
• Because they are someone’s current home, they ask that you be courteous of the interiors and the exteriors during your visit.
• You should wear slip on/off shoes. Hundreds of people will be walking through each home, for that reason, please remove your shoes and wear socks. It’s less wear and tear on the often new floors and helps to keep the indoor air quality at a healthy level. It’s not easy to get a homeowner to open their doors and disrupt their lives to so many curious strangers, please keep this in mind and be respectful of their personal spaces.
• Often the architects, builders, and suppliers will be at the homes. They are there to answer questions and explain the features of each home. The purpose of the tour is for education and awareness. There are no dumb questions. Be fore-warned, they are passionate folks and believe in what they do, if you get one going, you might learn more than you bargained for!

What might be your biggest takeaway? The concept is there is no one “green” there are many different green certifications and each one focuses on a different aspect of health and well being for the natural environment and the individual. Green is what is important to you. Yes, greening your home can even green your pocketbook in the long run as well. Need convincing? Get out there on the tour next month!

Look for me, I’ll be out at the sites, likely in North Seattle. I’ve been a member of the organizing committee since the beginning and I have noticed an increased awareness of green concepts. I’m always happy to answer any questions, or send you to the right person who can get you the right answers!

You can follow me and my green interests on Twitter: @VerdantKim

Or on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/SustainableSeattleRealEstate

“Go Green AND Go Home”

We are so luck in the Northwest to enjoy our wonderful older homes. Such variety, Craftsman, Mid Century Classic, and NW Contemporary styles of architecture just to name a few.  Along with the solidly built homes full of historic charm so carefully decorated and loved lies the evil money pit (cue the daunting music in minor chords). It actually resembles more of a sieve.  Small and sometimes larger cracks, holes and circuitous routes so small the eye doesn’t even see the stealthy thieves.  When the pressure from our forced air furnaces or the heat stack effect takes over during our cold winter nights, physics charms all the heat that good money and fossil fuels create as a by-product of combustion. It coaxes heat to find a way to escape our carefully locked-down fenestrations and into the wilds of the the outdoors.

In plainer language, the heat we pay so much to create leaves our homes too quickly around unintentional gaps in the inner walls of our homes and businesses. I recently was lucky to have Steve Hoffman, a contractor with Community Power Works, to my Phinney Ridge home to perform what is the state of the art energy audit.  This involves a large red piece of nylon fabric, some Velcro, an aluminum stretcher frame, a large box fan and a couple fancy electronics. In some ways the test is deceptively simple.

Community Power Works Makes This Easy

My part of the work ended at cleaning the ashes out of my fireplace. I also locked up my indoor dog and cat for a couple of hours just so they wouldn’t escape during the test as there are times the front door is open.

As I suspected, indeed my chimney flue leaked, but I also learned the double pane windows I installed to save energy were a large source of heat loss around the factory assembled mullions and transoms. No surprise of course the 10 year old can lights in the kitchen were also a source of money escaping through the ceiling and into the attic. I learned of some cold spots in the walls I need to investigate more thoroughly and a few other surprises.

To top off the deal of the decade, the auditor went through the house and provided me with replacement low wattage compact fluorescent lights to replace the soon to be outlawed incandescent bulbs. I plan to see how far I can go with this program, so far I have $95 out of pocket expenses for a $400-600 assessment, and about $50 or more value in light bulbs.

Steve and his super power - a thermal imaging camera

Community Power Works is funded by a federal stimulus bill and won’t be around for much longer.  I highly recommend seizing the moment. This deal is too good to be true! My plan is to install a mini-split heat pump with two heads, one for each floor of my home. Not only will it provide me an inexpensive source of electric heat, but will also provide me with something I haven’t experienced in the 25 years that I have lived in this home. . . . air conditioning! Of course Community Power Works will be there to help me with the rebates and incentives I can collect while saving myself money in the long run and increasing the value and comfort of my home. Stay tuned to this channel for the ongoing greening of a 65 year old home. I will continue to blog about the process, the good, the bad and the ugly. So far we’re off to a great start!

Part 1

Please join me as I follow the progress of this project from the start all the way to it’s completion for the NW Green Home Tour. Detached Accessory Dwelling Units are also known as an DADUs in the City of Seattle. One can go to the Department of Planning and Development’s website and find the CAM 116B or “Client Assistant Memo” regarding the separate living structures Seattle homeowners may build on their single family property.  Much depends on the the size of the lot as well as available setbacks etc., but this is a great solution for increasing density without disturbing the feel and the lines of the neighborhood. If there is room on your lot this might be a great option to investigate, perhaps above an existing garage or the space at the back of the lot by the alley. Many Seattle neighborhoods are no longer car dependent and have readily available public transportation and such is the case of the build we will be following. The owner of this build could easily rent it out to a young professional who buses or bikes to South Lake Union or a student who attends the University of Washington. These projects can easily be built without having much long term impact on the neighbors or affect on-street parking.

Site of DADU before contractors break ground

Seattle DADUs can be a great option as extra guest space, as an income producing unit or as a home office or studio. Quite often these are designed as an “aging in place” solution using universal design techniques. The old wonderful homes we have here quite often have the kitchen and bedrooms on different levels. Accessory Dwelling Units can be a great solution for downsizing when the time comes to transition into an ADA compliant structure right in ones own back yard. The main house can become the younger generation’s family home or as a rental when social security may not be enough to cover the bills.

Garden plot, shed and catch all area where cottage will sit

I will be following this project through completion  with thanks to the generosity of the General Contractor Wayne Apostolik, and the patient homeowner.

Stay tuned as this project progresses over the next 3 months.

Open House Tuesday November 13,2012

Magnolia Open House Tuesday Near The Village

***Update*** Thank you for all your interest in this home.  It has now moved to “Pending Status”

Come join me Tuesday afternoon November 13th Noon-4:00  for an open house. The weather may not cooperate, but you can come back in the daylight and see the view from the front lawn in better weather if your can’t see the often sunny view from the graciously sized living room and the master bedroom of this wonderful home. From the street, one doesn’t appreciate the scale of rooms in this surprising home.

From the Magnolia Home for Sale

So it’s a house in Magnolia (sometimes that’s enough on it’s own) but it has the best of the new and the old. It boasts beautiful iron railings, original entryway terracotta tile, a floor plan that makes sense for different lifestyles, formal dining room,  sunken living room, tall ceilings, picture moulding and along with some tasteful updates. When you throw in the level back yard and street level garage, what’s not to like?

Beautiful Light and Views from the Corner Window

Classic Lines of Iron Railings Grace the Living Room

Live in contemporary plugged-in Seattle with a nod to the past: and a hop, skip, and a jump to Magnolia Village and Ella Bailey Park. Downtown and Belltown as well as the nightlife of Ballard and Queen Anne are really just minutes away. This is what one thinks of when they speak of  walkable neighborhoods.

Level Backyard With So Many Possibilities

Magnolia is the largest neighborhood in Seattle, and somehow it seems a  couple of beats behind the times, but in a good way. It’s home to some of the most incredible parks and vistas in the city of Seattle.  Come find out why some call Magnolia the “Mayberry” of Seattle. I’m happy to help you acquire this home. You’ll know your neighbors and like the slower pace of the neighborhod.  Opie will like the schools, but finding your own Aunt Bee, well good luck,  you’re on your own with that one.

It’s a rare listing on Phinney Ridge. Those in the know (or in the market) wait for a home like this to pop up on our radar. We also know it won’t last long! Offers are being accepted 4 days after it goes on the market. For some that may sound crazy, but this is a neighborhood that Realtors circle and pounce on with their ready buyers when something new comes on our MLS.

It's Phinney Ridge, welcome to the neighborhood!

Western sunset views from both the main floor living room and the master bedroom are just one feature of this classic Phinneywood home. Walk to the happening Stumbletown, or few blocks up the hill to the PNA for activities and get-togethers.

Phinney Ridge view home perched above the street for sunset vistas and loads of light any time of year

This home boasts a large master suite with two more bedrooms on the upper level. The main level  already has a remodeled open floor plan with the full-on formal living room that opens to a dining room and a kitchen with adjoining family/flex room.

Phinney Ridge home main level with classic details and disarming views

There’s a great space for your out-of-town visitors, with a bedroom and full bath on the main level.  The basement is unfinished for your storage and projects and awaits your vision. The street level garage attaches to the basement.

If you want to look “down” on Ballard, Bainbridge Island, the Puget Sound, and the Olympic Peninsula, now’s your chance. This Craftsman style home won’t last long. It’s not just real estate hype, it is the reality on Phinney Ridge and the word is out! We have the kind of neighborhood where people move, but often down the street or up the hill. If your want to know more about what makes this neighborhood special, as a long-time resident, I’m happy to share, give me a ring anytime.

Green Built Homes in Seattle

 Are you new to Seattle? Are you thinking about relocating here? Are you considering a remodel or perhaps building a green home from the ground up? Below are some ideas on how to start your research. When investigating you will find each organization takes you somewhere on another tangent. With Seattle homes and commercial properties, there’s an integrated web of people and organizations, with each one supporting the others. People aren’t involved in this movement because some might consider it trendy. The people at the core of these organizations are in it for the long term and are deeply committed while constantly sharing and supporting each other to advance the knowledge and options for the greater community. We are convinced it is the wave of the future, and it’s here now, and getting easier to find every year.

There is a large choice of Green Building in Seattle

So where to start? . . . . . Dip your toe in the water

 The Green Pages

Pick up a copy. It’s a local publication highlighting people active in Green Building.    This year it’s published by Natural Awakenings Magazine and available throughout the Greater Seattle area.

 Then it’s time to strike out into the Green Building community.

 Green Drinks

Start by attending a Green Drinks event. The Seattle Chapter is well established. The get-togethers are often held in local LEED rated buildings. The topics and locations vary every month and is a great way learn about general green building concepts. See if you can take a tour of the various host’s site. Many of the commercial concepts can be put into service in a residential application.  The quality of food and beverage and company of Green Drinkers is never to be under estimated.

The Eastside Green Drinks is starting up their own chapter. If you live closer to their location, stop by and give them some support.

 Green Home Tour

This self-guided tour will probably have more homes than you can possibly visit in a weekend.  You can meet the contractors and architects in the actual homes and see sustainable systems in place.  There are non-residential sites with additional classes and product displays where you can get more in depth information on particular products and concepts. Some of the education might even be a hands on experience. These often occur in the Spring, so keep an eye out for next tour, the date will probably be announced at the beginning of the year. The most common comment is people think they know what a green house looks like, and they learn what a huge variety there is. Be sure and wear slip-on shoes.

 Mother Earth News Fair

Held about an hours drive south of Seattle, any one of a certain age has certainly heard of this former “hippy” magazine now considered an “early adopter” in ways of living simply and off the grid. Much of the information has been tested for years, if not centuries. Combined with newer products and newer technology, much of what they encourage is long forgotten common sense of our ancestors.

 10x10x10 Building Slam

Is an annual September event where 10 people talk for 10 minutes and present 10 slides about their green projects. Not always on the subject of homes, but something to take away for everyone.  It can include innovations, lessons learned (often the hard way), and interesting anecdotes.

So you decided the water’s fine, you want to go in up to your waist. Still not fully committed but more than curious:

NW EcoBuilding Guild

This is the parent organization and participator of many of the local building events in the region. Membership is encouraged but not required. You can tour their website and just drop in on a monthly meeting that interests you. You will be asked to donate a modest amount at the door. There are many layers to this dedicated group.

Master Builders Association Built Green Program

The local industry standard for green certifications of homes is the Built Green Program.  3 stars is self-certifying by the builders and remodelers, 4 and 5 star requires 3rd party sign offs, also known as 3rd Party certification. This is part of the Master Builder’s Association of King and Snohomish Counties.  Many people believe there is an advantage to 3rd Party certification when you go to resell your home.

NW Energy Star

Our NW certification is more stringent than the national program. Due to our higher code for energy savings than other parts of the country, this is a rating based solely on energy use.  It also requires a 3rd Party certification.

West Seattle Tool Library and PNA Well Home Program

These organizations have home and garden tools to use for a modest fee to homeowners. They offer a wide choice of how-to-classes.  Gardening, tilesetting, drywall repair and rain water cisterns, etc.  If you don’t know where to find something, they most likely will have the answer.  Go here for more information: Well Home Program, West Seattle Tool Library.

OK, now you’ve drunk the Kool-Aid and are a little bit proud of yourself. You realize you have the foresight to increase the resale value of your home in addition to living a more comfortable and healthier life while you are in your house. You are fully immersed in the concepts of why these buildings make sense. You want to know how far other people are pushing traditional boundaries.

Passivhaus Model

Originally during the 1970′s energy crisis this concept was starting to take off in the US . Interest was lost when heating prices came down.  In Europe in the meantime, the movement took off and was perfected in places like Germany and Switzerland where there were much higher demands than ours at the time.  This matrix is back in North America and is a very intricate and carefully planned system of modeling where the heating and cooling load cannot exceed the energy required to operate a blow dryer. Passive Houses are being built again to much higher standards. To be certified one must go through the institute.

Net Zero Homes

There is one in Ballard and some town homes in Issaquah that meet this challenge. These homes might use the same amount of electricity, but often less than they generate in a year. Usually accomplished by the use of solar panels, they also incorporate passive concepts for movement of air, day lighting and heat sinks.

So that should be a decent start!

Of course there are several other programs when one digs deeper. Curious if there is one you think I should also include on the list?

If you would like to see any Green Homes on the Market in the Greater Seattle Area, I’m here to help. Building lots are hard to come by, especially in the city limits. Several contractors specialize in deconstructing a “tear down” and reuse or recycle what they can. If you choose to go the reconstruction route, your building permit can be fast tracked and you can save money on your carrying costs.

More questions about green building? Feel free to contact me:

Kim Mulligan

Realtor Green, Built Green Professional, NW Energy Star Certified, Eco-Broker

Cooper Jacobs Real Estate,   206.579.9066, kim@cooperjacobs.com

Twitter:@verdantkim.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SustainableSeattleRealEstate?ref=hl

Are you new to the city and concerned about the safety of different neighborhoods? Think Ballard in North Seattle is safer than the Delridge Valley in West Seattle. I used to think so until I saw this map. Although I think there are great things about both neighborhoods, I used to assume Ballard has less crime. Of course Ballard is a larger area, but it seems towards the downtown core of this north area the crime increases perhaps more than the upwardly mobile Delridge.

This is a great city, now with increased visibility with crime rates

If you are uncertain of the safety of different areas this website might give you peace of mind, or reason to pause. Of course anything can happen anywhere, car prowls burglaries, noise complaints all go along with living in the city. One shouldn’t forget either that these are complaints. Depending who lives on your block can also numbers different directions.

On the whole, Seattle is a very peaceful city, with an attitude of live and let live. I see this as more of a curiosity, than anything else.  We also have some great neighborhood blogs that do a great job getting out the word if there have been a string of burglaries or other petty crimes.  Often as one would expect, these perps are high school-aged kids that break into unlocked homes during the day. Usually they steal electronics and are quickly caught. A recent crime spree in Magnolia and Queen Anne involved high school girls.

Here’s the link: http://web5.seattle.gov/mnm/incidentresponse.aspx

What is a large help is to have retired people surround the house you purchase. Yes, they might know more of your business than you care for them too, but they can often be alert to strange patterns during the day. It nice to know your neighbors!

If you would like to know more about what makes each Seattle neighborhood so special, I’m here to help.

13064 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98125

New to the market this weekend is a special house for the right owner.   It’s sited on a huge lot of 9,697 square feet  on a dead end street with a massive laurel hedge for privacy from the street. This parcel could very well be a candidate for the recently approved backyard cottage program (buyer to verify). It’s the kind of home, that although it’s easy to live in now, one likes to imagine the possibilities. . . . .

This mid century home was built in 1949, and along with it’s roman brick exterior, has some important updates, as well as room for more of your own touches to customize to your own tastes. Not only does it have 3 bedrooms on the main level, but a large downstairs daylight basement with a large bonus room and unfinished areas for copious amounts of storage and huge additional space for a shop or studio space. In addition it boasts an attached garage on the main level and lots of on and off-street parking.

Comfortable living and room for your own updates

This combination provides a lot of space, not only indoors, but in the yard with the mature magnolia trees and rhododendrons and the generous sized lawn. There is also lots of additional gardening space for your scrambling squash or and perhaps even room for your chickens and goats to free range from time to time!

Do you need or desire space in the City of Seattle? Are you handy or enjoy remodeling? Do you have a home-based business or hobby that takes up room? Do you aspire to be on the Seattle Urban Farm Tour? Do you want to build a Passivhaus cottage? This just might be what you are looking for. It’s rare to find a house like this with such a large and private lot in thecity limits. What is your vision?

All ready for the tiki bar!

Come see this home August 4 and 5th and let me know what you would do to call it “home”!