Debra Sinick

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Have You Sent Thank You Notes to Your Buyers and Sellers This Week?

In real estate opinion on February 5, 2010 at 5:30 pm

I’ve received about half a dozen thank you notes from stores and services in the two dozen years I’ve been in Seattle.  I can tell you who sent me each note.  Because there have been so few, I remember who sent them.  I got to thinking about personal notes, and the lack thereof,  because I just received a hand written note from a Bellevue patio furniture store, Summer House.  Not only does the store have great products to sell,  they have great customer service with a nice personal touch.

The note reminded me that people, businesses, and the service industry need to combine the personal touch with the online world.  When business people, including Realtors,  jump on the blogging/Facebook/Twitter/Linked In train, they need to take the traditional marketing tools, the traditional ways to communicate, on board with them.

When was the last time you received a personal note from a business?  I bet you remember, simply because they are so few and far between. More importantly for growing your business, when was the last time you sent a personal note to a past, present or future client?

Home buyers and sellers are having a difficult time right now, even though the Seattle area real estate market is so much better than 2009.  It’s still a lot of work in today’s market.  It can be fun, wonderful, and scary to be either a buyer or seller.  So thank your buyers and your sellers for making a move and making that move with you.

I’m giving a talk about blogging at my Windermere office meeting this Monday and I just found one of my key points here.  To be a successful business person/Realtor it takes a combination of traditional marketing with its personal handwritten notes, mailings,  client parties, or whatever works for you, with an online marketing strategy.  Marketing and communication should combine the best of the traditional means with the best of the online avenues to work successfully in today’s real estate market.

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Should Cul-De-Sacs Be Banned From Future Development In Washington?

In Built Green and Sustainable Living, For Homeowners, real estate, real estate opinion on February 2, 2010 at 1:24 pm
cul-de-sac living

Neighborhood cul-de-sac

There aren’t going to be any more cul-de-sacs in new developments in the State of Virginia. Yes, Virginia will have no more cul-de-sacs.  Cul-de-sacs have been banned from new neighborhood developments.    Cul-de-sacs are the quintessential icon of the 1980’s-2000’s American suburb.

Here on Seattle’s eastside, new neighborhoods were generally built all over with cul-de-sacs sprinkled throughout. If the neighborhood was a new pocket neighborhood on infill lots in an older part of Kirkland or Redmond, as an example, there might not be room for cul-de-sacs, but if you look everywhere else on the eastside, cul-de-sac neighborhoods were the standard.   Woodinville, Sammamish, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Redmond, and Kirkland all have neighborhoods where cul-de-sacs prevail.  Streets with cul-de-sacs were the prized streets to live on, the premium lots, the more expensive lots. Realtors and builders would tout the benefits of living in a cul-de-sac:

  • No through traffic
  • A place to play
  • A place for neighbors to congregate, meet and greet each other at the mailbox.

So why did Viriginia ban cul-de-sacs in future development?

Cul-de-sacs unite the people who live in the cul-de-sac, but separate  them from other streets by foot and by car.  It’s harder for fire and emergency vehicles to respond quickly when a neighborhood doesn’t consist of through streets.  Road maintenance is more expensive with cul-de-sacs instead of through streets.

The New York Times magazine finishes each year with an issue highlighting the great ideas from the past year.  The most recent great ideas issue had an article about the cul-de-sac ban in Viriginia.   The concept fits with the new sensibility rising in many places as highlighted by the popularity of sites such as walkscore.   Walkability and connectivity are this decade’s buzz words for living. Planners are looking more for connectivity, walkability, and better traffic flow for neighborhoods.  People are now looking for easy commuting, more connectivity, and more places to walk.

The Sustainable Cities blog highlighted the NYT article and wondered whether the ban on cu-de-sacs is the wave of the future for neighborhoods.

What do you think?  Should cul-de-sacs be banned from future neighborhoods?  What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages?

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Top Ten Structural Items to Check When Preparing Your Home For Sale

In For Buyers, For Sellers, Home maintenance tips, Real Estate Tips, real estate on January 29, 2010 at 11:05 am

Since I’ve been busy telling people now is the time to sell a home if planning to sell in 2010, I thought I’d bring up a friendly reminder about some of the top things to do around your home before you go on the market.  This is by no means a complete list, but it focuses on some of the most obvious structural items both buyers and building inspectors will notice about a home.  This list also is separate from a list of strictly cosmetic suggestions such as updating carpet and flooring or painting walls.  Many blog posts could be written about the items you should check when preparing your home for sale, but this list is a good start.

Here’s my top ten list, with an added #11 thrown in because I’m dealing with it right now:

1. The Condition of roof – Does it need to be cleaned?  Repaired?  Replaced?


2. Earth/wood contact – Be sure all soil is 4 – 6 inches away from siding, planter boxes, decks, skirting, posts, etc.

Check any earth to wood contact on the side of a house

Pull any dirt or bark away from the siding so you can see the foundation wall

3. Deck material rotted?  Railings, steps, deck boards, joists, beams, etc.?

This is not a deck that makes you feel warm and fuzzy. Check all deck boards and supports

4. Electrical – Non professional work?  Panel breakers match wire size?   Non grounded outlets?
5. Handrails  Are they secured to wall?  Are they installed where they should be?

Make sure there's s a sturdy railing so no one goes sailing down the stairs

6. Shower tile grout and sealant conditions?

Does the grout look clean and fresh?

7.  Condition of the bathroom floors at tub/shower and toilet?

check out the bath and tub grout

Check the floor for soft spots, clean, regrout, and reseal

8. Smoke detectors?  Are they working?  Do they need batteries?

9. Furnace     Has the furnace been serviced recently?  Does the filter need cleaning or replacement?

Your furnace must be a clean machine

10.   Crawl space?   Is there moisture in crawl space? Is a vapor barrier installed?  Ventilation adequate?  Wood scraps or debris which needs to be removed?

11.  My new personal favorite is to check your chimney and fireplace.    Hire a professional if you have not had your chimney checked or serviced.  Make sure  it is safe to use.  (I’m having some fun doing this now and will fill you in at a later date as to what is involved.)

If you want to get more into it, check the home builder’s inspection checklist or the list from the American Home Inspectors Directory

What other things should be checked out before a home goes on the market?

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