Home Buyer Tax Credit 2009:  It passed the house and the senate and Obama has signed it into law.  The IRS site is updated except for the latest version of tax form to accommodate the newest change to the housing credit. 

The basics of the home buyer credit in this version?  In a nutshell, you can make more money to qualify, you have longer to find the qualifying home and even longer to close after that, and you don't have to be a first time home buyer to qualify for the reduced credit of $6500. 

The ceilings and deadlines have SERIOUSLY been moved with this version so please do read the details here:

http://cooperjacobs.com/blog/2009/11/07/the-new-new-tax-credit/

Looking for what's available in the busy Fremont neighborhood of Seattle? 

Here is a newly designed Seattle real estate search site has a great page on Fremont!  Check it out here:

Fremont Homes

I love Fremont and spend a ton of time there both personally and also showing property buyers interested in this wonderful neighborhood!  Fremont is just North of Queen Anne across the Fremont Bridge - this neighborhood offers an eclectic lifestyle and big views of the canal.  Fremont is the definition for urban living in Seattle if you ask me - restaurants and shops galore plus great walking and biking.

Are you interested in Fremont Real Estate? realestate@cooperjacobs.com

Nearby Seattle neighborhoods:

Wallingford

Green Lake

Ballard

Phinney Ridge

Queen Anne

You can find them all on the Seattle neighborhoods page!

Seattle still has an incredible real estate market in 2009, but....

 It is different than it has been in the last ten years or so. Many first time home buyers like to ask their friends and family a lot of questions along the way and tend to rely at times on these lifelines. 

Unfortunately, new Seattle buyers might find that asking all the questions in the world might not get them the right answers for this new Seattle market.  Buying a house any time is a huge task, but being a first time Seattle home buyer on top of that makes it ridiculously intimidating for many.

These are some of the things an A + First Time Home buyer has already done:

Do you need info on being a first time home buyer in Seattle?  Need a free home buying guide? Want info on the $8000 tax credit?  courtney@cooperjacobs.com  Cooper Jacobs Real Estate, Seattle real estate, @CourtneyCooper

I just got my EcoBroker Certification, so I wanted to touch on Sustainable Landscape Architecture:

Don't forget to check out my Green Seattle real estate info, too, if you get a chance!

Susan Black of Susan Black & Associates is a Seattle landscape architect that has been doing green landscaping for a long time!  Check out this article I found written about LEED and Seattle landscaping back in 2001:

http://www.djc.com/news/ae/11121028.html

Green landscaping is a huge movement in Seattle and the Puget Sound - Designing sustainable landscapes is vital to the environmental health of our great city!  I am happy to see that this is finally taking off, but I admire the early adapters of environmental causes! 

Here's some more about SBA and what Seattle landscape architect Susan Black can do for Seattle landscaping:

Seattle landscaping can be commercial or residential and SBA does it all.  Susan Black & Associates have been doing some of the very best landscaping projects in Seattle and are among the most respected firms in the city when it comes to Seattle landscape architecture.  They do some amazing projects and should be considered first when it comes to any project!

I have had the pleasure of knowing Susan Black for years and am constantly delighted to find the firm's work is everywhere!  Logan Park in Lynnwood, WA got a huge transformation by the firm and it is one of the best parks in Lynnwood now.   Powell Barnett Park in Seattle has become a neighborhood favorite after being in ruins for years.  Cities and Counties interested in project planning should consult this firm first for a quality job.  Residents interested in making their landscaping the best it can be should get a hold of SBA. 

Contact info:

Susan Black

206-789-2133

SBA is located in historic Ballard and has the capabilities of serving the greater Puget Sound.

 Courtney Cooper, Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services - Helping you with all your Seattle real estate and Green Seattle real estate, too!

So let's look at Seattle residential sales excluding townhomes for now. How about good old area 705 (technically called Ballard-Green Lake but also includes nearby neighborhoods like Phinney Ridge, Wallingford, and Fremont)

Seattle real estate: Area 705: 94 homes have closed in the MLS since the beginning of the year. That is 94 officially SOLD houses in Area 705 since January 1st.  These ranged in list price from $175,000 to $1,895,000 with an average of $532,985 and a median of $464,750.  The final sales prices on these ranged from $140,000 to $1,700,000 with an average of $511,494 and a median of $440,000.  You can really see the discount on the upper and lower end there, but they were obviously special properties. Average market time for these? 61 day with a median of 42 days and a high and low of 287 days and zero days. There are currently 348 Active listings in Area 705 and 91 houses marked as Pending because they have offers on them but have not closed yet. Two houses are marked Contingent because the purchasers need to sell their own home before they can close (usually).

When I looked specifically at Area 705 Townhomes 33 have closed and are officially sold since the new year began. They ranged in selling price from $232,000 to $465,000 with an average of $358,215 and a median of $364,000.  Average days on market for the townhomes in area 705 of Seattle was 61 days with a median of 38 days. There are currently 116 Active townhomes on the market in this area.  In addition to those there are 41 townhomes with offers for purchase - aka Pending and no Contingent town houses.

Conclusion?  Area 705 is moving!  Especially in the under $500,000 market.  This is a first time home buyer price range for Seattle and Area 705 is a great place to live! 

If you are interested in Green Lake real estate, Ballard Real Estate, Wallingford Real Estate, Phinney Ridge real estate, or other Seattle housing info, please feel free to get a hold of me - I would also love to tell you more about the $8000 tax credit for 2009 to see if you qualify. courtney@cooperjacobs.com

Looking for what's available in the busy Fremont neighborhood of Seattle? 

My Seattle real estate search site has a great page on Fremont!  Check it out here:

Fremont real estate listings

I love Fremont and spend a ton of time there both personally and also showing property buyers interested in this wonderful neighborhood!  Fremont is just North of Queen Anne across the Fremont Bridge - this neighborhood offers an eclectic lifestyle and big views of the canal.  Fremont is the definition for urban living in Seattle if you ask me - restaurants and shops galore plus great walking and biking.

Are you interested in Fremont Real Estate? realestate@cooperjacobs.com