Category Archives: News

2023 Round Up & Happy Holidays!

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Yes, Cally & JR are living in Scotland right now! They hoped to spend 6 months here each year but bringing their dogs back and forth turned out to be near impossible (the UK is really strict!). Cally is still overseeing ADDO Real Estate as the Designated Broker, and making sure our work is tip top.

Meanwhile Danielle (co-owner & daughter) is running the day-to-day business in Seattle, and Teresa Hess is working her broker magic out on Whidbey Island. We miss Cally, JR & the pups, but they are enjoying the beauty of Scotland, as well as the work they are doing at the Findhorn Foundation.

Findhorn Beach
Findhorn Wind Park

With interest rates bouncing up, homes prices not budging, and inventory still tight, it’s been a tough year for those wanting to buy or sell. Many buyers are sitting tight to ride this out (however long that takes!), potential sellers are experiencing what’s been dubbed the Golden Handcuff Phenomenon, and still others are having to move away or find more creative living and/or financing options. Rates may come down a bit in 2024, but prices in and around Seattle could stay stubbornly high due to lack of inventory!

Despite this (and everything else going on in the world!) we can’t help but feel thankful for what we have and the community that surrounds us. Most of our business is referrals from friends, so we have history together, which makes the work all the more rewarding. Just as you have been there for us, we want to make sure you know we are also here for you. Whether you want to chat about current market conditions in your neighborhood, need referrals for home professionals, or just want to grab a coffee, don’t hesitate to call!

Sending you a little magic, a lot of love, and a holiday season filled with warmth & peace!

Homeowner Resources – During the Covid-19 Outbreak

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Mortgage help is available

Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are implementing a number of relief strategies to help borrowers during this critical time. Here’s what they are doing.

If coronavirus has caused job loss, income reduction, sickness, or other issues that impact your ability to make your monthly mortgage payment, relief options are available.

  • Homeowners impacted by this national emergency are eligible for a forbearance plan to reduce or suspend their mortgage payments for up to 12 months
  • Homeowners in a forbearance plan will not incur late fees
  • Credit bureau reporting of past due payments of borrowers in a forbearance plan as a result of hardships attributable to this national emergency is suspended
  • After forbearance, a servicer must work with the borrower on a permanent workout option to help maintain or reduce monthly payment amounts as necessary, including a loan modification
  • Foreclosure sales and evictions of borrowers are suspended for 60 days

These generally apply to anyone who owns a home, whether it’s your primary residence, a second home or a rental. For more info visit Fannie Mae – Know Your Options or Freddie Mac – Mortgage Help.

More resources for Seattle Homeowners and Renters

Don’t just stop paying your mortgage

Please, please don’t just stop paying your mortgage though! If you are currently in, or expect to be in, financial distress in the coming weeks or months, CALL YOUR LENDER! This is the company you pay your monthly mortgage to. They will work with you to figure if your mortgage is backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and help you navigate the necessary steps for getting relief! Without entering into an official agreement with your lender first, late and missed payments will be reported to credit bureaus. NOT A GOOD THING!

It’s also important to understand the difference between a mortgage forbearance plan (usually comes with a balloon payment at end) and a mortgage deferment plan (no balloon payment, just resume paying regular monthly amount). Learn more…

Mortgage relief offered for workers who lost jobs due to coronavirus closures

Utility companies are also stepping up

Puget Sound Energy has announced that they “Will not be disconnecting customers for non-payment during this time”, and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has suspended shut-offs for customers of Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities. Ok phew! But again, it’s critical that you call them to work out a plan, before you just stop sending them a check.

Puget Sound Energy – Covid-19 Response
Seattle Public Utilities – Contact
Seattle City Light – Contact

There is a moratorium on evictions in Seattle right now

If you are a landlord, it’s also important to know that as of March 14th, residential evictions for non-payment of rent are prohibited for 30 days.

FAQs Covid-19 Eviction Moratorium

Seattle’s New Backyard Cottage Rules

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A Backyard Cottage, also known as a DADU or “detached accessory dwelling unit”, is a small, standalone house or carriage house (above a garage), located on your property but separate from your main home.

Contemporary Cottage in Greenwood Designed by Live Work Play

Backyard cottages have been increasing in popularity in urban areas like Seattle because of their many benefits, including:

  • Providing a sensible density increase in existing single-family neighborhoods;
  • Empowering homeowners (versus only developers) to create new and more affordable housing options;
  • Creating space for extended family, friends or guests, while also maintaining privacy.

Seattle has allowed backyard cottages since 2009, but with many caveats that worked to restrict rather then encourage their numbers. Fast forward to 2019 and we finally have the code changes we need to really start seeing progress.

Here’s a brief breakdown of the major changes to backyard cottage rules, which took effect in August 2019:

  • Lot size requirement now 3,200sf (was 4,000sf);
  • Maximum size now 1,000sf (was 800sf);
  • The owner-occupancy requirement was removed (both the main house and cottage can be rented);
  • The off-street parking requirement was removed;
  • Two ADUs now allowed*, in addition to the main house.

*Two ADUs (accessory dwelling units) are allowed if one is attached to the house (like a basement MIL) and the other is detached (a backyard cottage). Two backyard cottages are also allowed, but only if they are built green.

One question we know people will be asking is whether this means Tiny Houses are now allowed. Unfortunately a Tiny House on wheels is still considered a recreational vehicle, and by King County zoning code definition, a recreational vehicle or park model RV is not a dwelling unit and may not be used as a full-time residence. Although whether Seattle is enforcing that these days, seems up for debate! A Tiny House with a foundation, on other hand, has to be permitted as a backyard cottage.

Like any other major remodel or addition, creating an in-home apartment or building a backyard cottage means permits and building codes must be met. Seattle is working to expedite that process as well, but it’s always a good idea to consult with a professional or attend a workshop first. If you need referrals for either, drop us a line!

Helpful Links

Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections: Accessory Dwelling Unit (Mother-in-Law Apartment) – Seattle.gov

Accessory Dwelling Units – Seattle.gov

It’s about to get easier to build a backyard cottage in Seattle – Phinneywood.com

New Backyard Cottage Rules Allow More Density in Seattle’s Single-Family Neighborhoods – Crosscut.com

Seattle Says Yes to the Best Rules in America for Backyard Cottages – Sightline.org

Fall 2018 Seattle Market Update

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In the news…

“Seattle’s housing market has cooled more in recent months than any other metro area in the country, according to Zillow. Just recently, prices were rising faster here than anywhere else; now, Seattle is 12th on a list of the biggest 35 metro areas.”
– Mike Rosenberg, Seattle Times

Is Amazon responsible for Seattle’s housing cooldown?
– GeekWire, 9/8/18

Improving supply helps slow escalating home prices in Western Washington
– Kirkland Reporter/Northwest MLS, 9/7/18

Price cuts increasingly common in Seattle home listings
– Curbed Seattle, 8/27/18

Is Seattle’s housing market taking a turn? 
– Seattle PI, 8/24/18

Buyers see some hope in cooling Seattle real estate market
– King5 News, 8/23/18

We’re here to answer your questions about Seattle’s cooling market and what it means for buyers and sellers alike, so drop us a line any time!

Housing Makes Headlines, Again!

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Thanks to our friends at Sound Community Bank for sharing the buzz! Seattle’s housing market is already getting off to a strong start in 2015, and these factors are no doubt contributing.

In early January a sharp decline in interest rates, coupled with buzzing announcements to reductions onsidebar_835 popular federally-insured home loans, resulted in both purchase and refinance volume at their highest in six years, according to a CNBC report.

After rates dropped in the first full week of the year, total home loan applications almost doubled in the week following. By mid-month, purchase applications were two percent higher than the same time last year, and demand for refinances was at its highest in eight months. According to a Wall Street Journal report, rates on the popular 30 year fixed home loan were at their lowest since May 2013.

Big Housing Announcements
The housing industry was already the talk of the town after President Barack Obama announced cuts to mortgage insurance premiums on new government-insured Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. The reductions will result in more affordable monthly housing payments and provide new opportunities for as many as 2 million borrowers over the next three years. In other mortgage insurance news, legislation was again passed which makes any payments on mortgage insurance premiums in 2014 tax deductible.

It may be too soon to tell whether the housing market will continue on its strong start to 2015, or slow down. “We have to see strong and sustained income growth before we’re going to see housing make a significant move upward,” said Doug Duncan, the Chief Economist at Fannie Mae, in a recent Wall Street Journal report. A December Fannie Mae survey also revealed that only 64 percent of consumers said it was a good time to buy a home.

The Bottom Line
Continued low rates and higher demand for popular first-timer home loans may drive up housing activity. If you have any questions regarding housing or know of friends, family or colleagues who wish to discuss buying or refinancing a home, please get in touch.

Sources: CNBC, Wall Street Journal

 

As always, feel free to contact us to discuss how this may affect your buying or selling plans in 2015!

Food For Thought 2014

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Happy New Year!

To start 2015 we thought it would be fun to pass along a handful of articles that caught our attention in 2014. This is not a list of the year’s top headlines or critical issues, but simply interesting food for thought to mull over as we start the new year. Enjoy!

What do you get if you map coming climate disasters? Hello Pacific Northwest! – LA Times Op-Ed
“The Northwest may well become a climate refuge during the upcoming century.”
Related…Climate refugees, DO NOT MOVE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST – Grist

Walking: The secret ingredient for health, wealth and more exciting neighborhoods. – Yes!
“Even the American dream is being remodeled to meet the public’s growing enthusiasm for walking.”

11 Tiny House Villages Redefining Home – Sharable
“But as the tiny house movement grows, so too does the desire to live a simple life in community.”
Related…Tiny Houses for the Homeless: An Affordable Solution Catches On – Yes!

If America cared about the planet as much as the NFL, this is what it would look like. – Grist
“What if people showed the same zeal toward environmentalism as they did sports?”

Most people say they could get rid of tons of stuff and still be happy. – Time
“For many consumers, it makes more sense to “share” (usually for a fee, of course) rather than buy…”
Related… How Cities Can Be Designed To Help – Or Hinder – Sharing – Yes!

Climate change: The hottest thing in Science Fiction – Grist
“Post-apocalyptic sci-fi isn’t new. But you may have noticed an uptick in books set in the wake of some kind of major climate disaster.”
Related…Cli-Fi is Real – Huff Post

No we’re not “environmentalists”. It’s more complicated then that. – Grist
“So go ahead, call us “environmentalists.” If we don’t answer, it’s because we’re too busy trying to make things better.”

More Listings Needed in Seattle!

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We had to laugh when we saw the recent Redfin post 2013: Calling All Sellers! (Where are you?!?), as this is our sentiment exactly. According to the NWMLS the number of active listings in January was up 1% from December, but down a stunning 44.7% from January 2012, leaving us with a meager 1.4 month supply of homes (a 6 month supply is a balanced market).

We’ve been experiencing this first-hand as we work with buyers who are well-qualified and raring to go, but have nothing new to see! Yes, the market typically slows during the holiday season, and takes a while to build itself back up, but 2012 was nothing like a typical market. The theme was a continually increasing demand combined with an ever dwindling supply, which of course drove home values up all the way through December.

TimetoSellJanuary’s stats compiled by local real estate appraisers Alan L Pope & Associates shows 72% of homes on the market in King County receiving an offer. That’s the highest absorption rate we’ve seen in almost a decade, the second highest being 66.4% in March 2005.

The message is seemingly clear! If you’re a homeowner thinking about selling, now is the time. Competition is slim, market times are short, and multiple offer scenarios are the norm. In other words, it’s most definitely a sellers’ market in Seattle right now. So, what’s the problem?

Well, it’s pretty simple really…

Many homeowners either need to wait, or just plain want to wait to sell their home!

Underwater Homeowners. Many who bought during the housing bubble don’t have the ‘wiggle room’ to sell yet, as they risk losing a chunk of their down payment or even walking away with negative equity.

The Waiting Game. If there is no pressure to sell (job change, growing family etc…) and the market is on a steady rise from the bottom, then many homeowners would rather wait to see if they can get a higher price for their home in a year or two.

Renting Instead. The rental market in Seattle remains strong, with no indication that rents will go down in the next few years, so some homeowners are opting to go ahead and buy now, but rent instead of sell their current home.

So, will 2013 be dubbed the year Seattleites waited to sell? Maybe, but we certainly hope not! These are all valid reasons not to sell right now, but there are also many advantages to jumping into the market, versus waiting until all your friends and neighbors do too!


For your additional reading pleasure, recent real estate headlines…

Brokers report brisk sales, but rising frustration for home buyers – NWMLS

City-by-city look at U.S. house prices – WSJ Marketwatch

Signs of a Housing Recovery Point to a Stronger Economy – NYTimes.com

The Year Everyone Was Wrong (Again) About Home Prices – WSJ

 

 

 

Seattle Green Builder Spotlight: Cascade Built

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Cascade Built has been constructing high performance custom homes in Seattle for some time now, and they have a particular knack for maximizing the potential of postage stamp-size infill lots in the Madison Valley area. While many green builders make their way from ‘light’ to ‘deep’ green slowly over time, founder Sloan Ritchie has jumped in with both feet, and is seemingly only content when he’s literally pushing the green building envelope.

This is particularly refreshing when you consider that a number of Cascade Built’s most successful projects have been spec-built. We’ve had the privilege of working with founder Sloan Ritchie to market and sell a few of the more recent projects, and they’ve been crowd-pleasers every time! Clean modern designs that are at the same time warm and inviting, fresh and sassy finishes with earthy undertones, uniquely appealing color combinations that are both bold and subtle, and a predilection for open, light-filled spaces that connect to the natural and urban environment alike.

AlleyHouseAlley House – 3BR | 2.5BA | 1,830sf | Off-Street Parking
As one of the first LEED Platinum certified single-family homes in Seattle, this stunning modern redefined urban infill development with it’s plethora of sustainable and energy efficient features and unique back alley location. Structural insulated panel (SIP) construction, cedar rain screen siding, concrete and recycled wood floors, custom Kirei doors, dual-flush toilets, pre-wiring for photovoltaics and solar hot water, drainwater heat recovery, Alley House Kitchenrain gardens, grasscrete parking, a green roof and so much more!

Every square inch of this 3-story home was maximized, yet it felt both open and inviting with its over-sized windows and glass doors connecting the main living space to a private bamboo courtyard. The home’s high performance design and construction also meant it was 50% more efficient than other similar code built homes, and roughly 70% more efficient than the average Seattle home.


Alley House 2 – 3BR | 2BA | 1,697sf | 1-Car Garage
ExteriorflyerDesigned by award-winning architect David Foster and certified LEED Platinum, Cascade Built’s second Alley House was prefabricated in modular components by Seattle-based, green prefab specialists Method Homes. Sloan chose a modular prefab build for this project because of the shorter building time-frame (approximately 2 months) and reduction in material waste (minimized to less than 5%). The prefab build also means the house was constructed in a closed environment where exposure to elements such as rain, do not exist. All the modules were craned into place in one day!

PrefabKitchenThis 3-story home featured hardi-panel rainscreen siding, bamboo floors, custom Squak Mountain countertops, Energy Star and Water Sense fixtures and appliances, an on-demand tankless hot water heater, ductless mini-split heat pumps, heat recovery ventilation, and a fully conditioned garage for future ADU conversion.

If you think living in an alley sounds unappealing, think again! Tree-top views of Madison Valley, over-sized east and south facing windows for ample natural daylight, two entertaining balconies, and a quick stroll to neighborhood amenities made this the perfect urban retreat.


Park Passive – 4BR | 3BA | 2,300sf | 1-Car Garage
Designed by NK Architects this ultra-modern home is now under construction in Madison Park and is targeting Passive House certification (the world’s leading standard in energy efficient construction). As a result of extreme attention to detail in air sealing, high levels of insulation, and high-performance windows, this home’s heating energy consumption will be reduced by nearly 90%.

This home will also feature a solar hot water system, site harvested woodwork, zero VOC finishes, heat recovery ventilation, pre-wiring for solar PV and more. True to Cascade Built style, the in-fill city lot this home occupies measures just about 2,000sf. This home is expected to be completed this spring, so stay tuned for our upcoming tour announcement!

Cascade Built also has a fantastic line-up of sustainably designed backyard dwellings – see Backyard Boxes to learn more!

What We’re Up To In 2013!

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We feel lucky! We launched ADDO Real Estate in a turn around year for the Seattle real estate market, which means we hit the ground running. Our website was barely launched when we listed and sold a beautiful Maple Leaf Tudor, co-listed a green remodel in Leschi targeting LEED Silver certification, and then worked straight through the holidays listing a townhome in Ballard and helping the sellers find a new home just around the corner.

For us being busy is the absolute best way to market ourselves and our new company. Our signs, our business cards and our marketing materials are out there getting noticed by our peers and potential clients alike, while we’re focusing on what matters – making our clients happy!

You will see a slight shift in how we present ourselves this time around though. In the past we’ve thrown everything into branding our company name (a natural inclination when you’re personally invested in it), but we actually believe it’s an agent’s name and reputation that attracts new clients, and we think it’s time people find out who Cally & Danielle are! This may sound self-indulgent to some, but if you think about your best real estate experience, we think you’ll agree it’s the agent (not the company) that you now refer to family and friends.

It's already here!

IT’S ALREADY HERE!!

We of course have a vision for ADDO Real Estate, which is that it always be a sound and sustainable platform from which to do our work. Low operating expenses, online and digital operations, simple yet effective marketing tools & techniques, a strong connection to local business groups making a difference, and a champion of sustainable community development. This is ADDO! We also know it needs to be highly adaptable, because the face of real estate (and our economy, our planet!) is rapidly changing.

The world didn’t end in 2012, a new era began! Green and healthy homes are as important to us as ever, but we believe we have to think beyond even those concepts now, and figure out how to incorporate resiliency into how we live. Eco-neighborhoods, urban farming, tool libraries, bike & car sharing,, community solar and similar ‘sharing economy’ concepts are happening now and here to stay. Will this affect what people look for in a home? We hope so! And, we are excited to be a part of that change.

So, that’s a little bit about what we’re up to this year. We are here living, learning and always moving forward, and we look forward to crossing paths with you soon!

Cally & Danielle

We Are ADDO Real Estate!

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We are Cally Fulton and Danielle Johnson, a mother/daughter real estate team, and we’ve been working together in Seattle since 2004. In September 2012 we launched our new Seattle-based brokerage ADDO Real Estate.

In the early years!

In the early years!

We started our real estate careers at John L Scott, a big name brokerage with an excellent training program, great tools, and a very experienced and very detail-oriented broker.

We couldn’t have asked for a better beginning, as the real estate market was booming and our broker taught us well how to navigate the very real liabilities we faced in each and every transaction we oversaw.

Sustainability, especially in the built environment, has been a part of our lives for a long time, and we decided early on that making this a central part of our real estate careers was essential. People needed to know they had an option for what had sadly become the ‘conventional’ home, so we focused our outreach on how to make homes healthier, more resource efficient and eco-friendly.

We soon learned that while there was a strong community of like-minded folks in Seattle, especially in the building industry, there was no one in the real estate industry able to represent them. There were buyers looking for green homes, and certainly plenty of builders building them, but there were no agents able to truly connect the two.

Thus began our search for others who might be interested in learning how to be a ‘green agent’, and what we found was GreenWorks Realty, which was the first brokerage in Seattle to focus almost exclusively on green homes. We transferred to GreenWorks in 2005 when they were just getting off the ground, which meant actively participating in helping to grow the company. Opening an office in Greenwood, creating green agent trainings, attracting other like-minded agents, building the tool base needed to market green homes and more. We dove right in and were rewarded by attracting the attention of green builders like Martha Rose Construction, who had homes that needed selling.

When the real estate boom in Seattle began ebbing in early 2008, it became apparent that big changes were around the corner and we were going to have to adapt or die. We joined forces with another GreenWorks co-founder and started Infiniti Real Estate & Development. We would continue to specialize in green homes, but also get our feet wet managing our own brokerage, with the goal of staying open to the demands of a quickly changing market.

In many ways this ended up being the reason we were able to sustain ourselves when the market eventually crashed. Low overhead, flexible commissions for those already losing so much, and the ability to adapt the company to what we and our clients needed. We knew this would only be a stepping stone, a time to hunker down and hone our ideas about how a brokerage should be run. So, when the market began to look up in 2012, we decided it was time to move on.

Thus ADDO Real Estate was born, and to be honest, we finally feel like we’re home! Addo is a latin verb (long ‘o’) meaning ‘to give, bring, place, / inspire, cause, / add, join’, which we felt resonated well with what we do in our work. We hope you agree!

It’s not our intention to become a big name brokerage with hundreds of agents and a fancy office. ADDO RE will instead be a boutique brokerage with a strong team of very knowledgeable folks (not just real estate agents), passionate about sustainability. We will focus on residential real estate, but provide a number of related services, including consulting on community development, healthy homes, aging in place, home design and more. And of course, we will continue to keep our overhead low, so that we can provide our great services at flexible rates.

We invite you to browse our new website at addoreseattle.com, and give us a call any time! We are excited about the launch of our new company, and we love to chat!