Real Estate News

Housing Outlook Is More Upbeat By Julie Schmit, USA TODAY

Great article in USA Today Monday January 16th.

DOT Announces Tolling on 520 Bridge

 
 

Tolling will begin on the 520 Floating Bridge at 5 a.m. on Dec. 29.  Get your “Good To Go” pass or you will pay extra!!!

It will be interesting to see what effect this has on traffic.

Hey!  Maybe you should think about selling your home and moving across the bridge so you don’t have to commute and pay the toll. We can help with that!  Give us a call – we work both sides of the bridge.

 

Foreclosure Fairness Act

 
The new WA State Foreclosure Fairness Act gives new rights to distressed homeowners. Legal Hotline Attorney Annie Fitzsimmons walks you through the new law with guests:

• Rob McKenna, WA State Attorney General
• Marc Cote, a Certified HUD Housing Counselor
• Rob Dickson, Lawyer and Short Sale Negotiator

 
Part 1

 
Part 2

 
Part 3

Charming Seattle Houseboat

 

True Seattle Charm

True Seattle Charm

This beautiful Seattle Houseboat has been kissed with Charm and a touch of Whimsy. Experience the Seattle Houseboat lifestyle in this fantastic 2 bedroom updated houseboat. The spacious 2nd level deck is partially covered allowing you to maximize your outdoor living experience. Curl up next to the fireplace and actually enjoy a rainy day! The cute kitchen features a copper countertop and there is also a built in Dinnette Set. Call for private showing (206) 915-3766 or email Linda.

 

 

This is the Life!

 

 

Great Houseboat Article on EHow

 

Check out this great Houseboat Article on EHow. If you want to learn more about Houseboats, Living on Lake Union, Floating Homes, or Seattle Waterfront, we specialize in these and would love to hear from you. Give us a call at (206) 419-0065.

Speeding through an inspection

 
 
This video, taken during a home inspection, is an example of how NOT to do an inspection. Take your time,  follow along during the inspection and listen carefully to the verbal report given by the inspector. Do not be afraid to ask lots questions. Inspections are not only a negotiation tool, they are a road map to preparing your home for future sale.

Special thanks to Jim & Merlita Estrada with Property Inspector LLC.

We hope you enjoy the video!

 

HGTV – House Hunters Special “Houseboat Hunters”

HGTV Crew & Special Agents

Special Agents Realty is proud to be participating with HGTV (Home and Garden TV) shooting a special episode of House Hunters – appropriately named “Houseboat Hunters.”  Kevin & Linda Bagley, owners of Special Agents Realty appear here with the production crew on location. Filming is currently underway with scenes from our houseboat listings, aboard our home “The KevLin” and at our Special Agents Realty office on Lake Union in Seattle.

In this special episode our friend and buyer, Scott Dosset, goes through the process of selecting his houseboat from a selection of 3 great options. Each of the 3 houseboats has its own unique flavor and character, and all are great representations of the outstanding Seattle Lake Union houseboat lifestyle.

The Househunters “Houseboat Hunters” special episode is schedule to air sometime in December. In the meantime, stay tuned to Special Agents Realty for photos, updates, and teasers!

Special Agents on HGTV

Special Agents to be Featured on HGTV Househunter in Houseboat Hunters Episode

We are very excited that Special Agents Realty was asked to audition for a special episode of Househunters for HGTV that will focus on our search for a houseboat for our client Katy. Special thanks to Sam DeBord with Coldwell Banker Danforth for referring us and Katy for this opportunity.

Shooting will begin in August and may potentially include shots from our office on Lake Union, our houseboat “The KevLin” and from our runabout which we used to show Katy some of the other houseboats on Lake Union.  The show will present Katy’s search for the perfect houseboat and will like present some of the great lifestyle scenes on and around Lake Union. With filming occurring in August, we are hoping for great weather to show off the fantastic houseboat lifestyle.

Of course, this means lots of work to do before then – clean the boat, spit shine the KevLin, plant flowers and spruce up the office. We are confident that HGTV will find this lifestyle fun and unique and should make for a great episode.

Oh, yeah.  If you would like to learn about buying a houseboat or floating home on Lake Union, we are specialists in this field and can help you Float Your Boat! Give us a call at (206) 419-0065.

This is the life!

 

Houseboats as Investments?

Can a Houseboat be an Investment?

We at Special Agents Realty have been selling houseboats, floating homes, and housebarges, in the Lake Union area for the last 5 years. Additionally, we sell lots of waterfront property and land based homes as well (actually more of those than houseboats). We have been through the boom and the bust and have seen homes, condos, houseboats, floating homes all ride the market roller coaster. The financial crisis has hit all levels pretty much equally.

So, how do houseboats fare as an investment in comparison to more traditional homes?  Well, it depends greatly on the style, condition, and character of the houseboat. Houseboats will lose value greatly if they are in need of servicing and maintenance. A well kept, updated, clean houseboat will return a better price than one in need of maintenance or paint. Sound familiar?  Pretty much the same holds true for traditional homes as well. So what is the difference?  Well, houseboats are a much more limited commodity and are definitely more seasonal. When summer rolls around and peoples thoughts turn to the water, the houseboat market definitely increases. The majority of the houseboats we sell are sold between May and September. This should be a clue to those wanting to sell (list in the spring), and those wanting to buy (buy in the fall/winter).

It is our belief that houseboats are going to become more and more scarce. This should, according to supply and demand, increase their value. However, in today’s market, nothing is assured and predicting the market has always been difficult.

All in all, houseboats remain one of the most affordable ways to enjoy waterfront living. As people discover the fantastic lifestyle, amazing community, and uniqueness of houseboat life, they will become more desirable and less available. This could lead to increased demand and higher prices, making houseboats a reasonable investment as well as a fantastic lifestyle.

If you would learn more about owning a houseboat and houseboat living, give us a call. We sell more houseboats than anyone else on Lake Union. Additionally, we have 3 websites that can help you learn the details about houseboats and the buying process. Please take a look at our 3 websites: www.SpecialAgentsRealty.com, www.LakeUnionLiving.com, and www.AffordableHouseboats.com, and give us a call at (206) 419-0065, email us, or stop by our office on Lake Union at 2401 N. Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103 (about half way between Gasworks Park and Ivars Salmon House.)

 

Shoreline Master Plan Affects Liveaboards

Shoreline Master Plan Affects Liveaboards

NOTICE TO LIVEABOARDS

The City of Seattle has issued revisions to its Shoreline Management Plan. A meeting is to be held March 8, 2011 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (presentation starts at 6:00 p.m.) at:

Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes Room, 600 4th Avenue, 5th Avenue level.

Your Lake Union Liveaboard Association (LULA), in cooperation with the Washington Liveaboard Association and other affiliated chapters, will be in attendance at this meeting. We also recommend your attendance. We consider this a “fact-finding” meeting and prefer to make our position know via formal written comment and public comment opportunities.  Written comments may be presented at this meeting.

Potentially significant changes include:

• Prohibiting additional, new floating homes
• Continuing regulations that maintain existing float homes
• Regulating the number of liveaboards at marinas

The proposed regulations may be found at:

http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/ShorelineMasterProgramUpdate/ReportsMaterials/default.asp

Your written comments are welcome and we will submit these to the Department of Planning and Development per their written comment guidelines.

Please submit these to your Lake Union Liveaboard President at Kevin@TheKevLin.com

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