Fireworks by Local 1520 Roy and Peter

Happy 2012 Diva Dwellers and Divotees. It was an amazing year in the world and for Team Diva. The makeup of our clients in 2011 was an amazing, eclectic group containing urbanites, younger folks buying their first homes who were super savers, older single Diva Dwellers who found their “forever in Seattle” home and lots of sellers who were relocating to San Francisco. All of them were inspiring and super interesting, but the best part is that we were with them during a very important time in their lives.

Divas Kim, Chavi and Kaz cannot be the hard working Divas we are without the amazing support of our team. There is a myth in Real Estate land that one broker has the ability to make it happen for their clients. In Diva land, it’s a family of people who come together and get the work done regardless of the time of day, location, economic means or whatever else life throws at us. We really want to give extra big thanks to our marketing coordinator Chris Clem, Ricardo Ibarra for his design work and party planning, Craig Labenz for web magic, Miss DonnaTella, Rocky Flowers for constant support, our Team Diva Partners and the entire Saturday Night Club who come to every event, open house and all of you who promote the heck out of Team Diva. Below is a quick run down of what we were up to in 2011!

Top Agent Ohio: The truly inspiring and energetic Sean Carpenter asked Team Diva to participate in Top Agent Ohio based on the recommendation of the #SwaggurGurlz, Debra Trappen and Linda Aaron. At the conference, Divas Kim and Chavi presented on how Team Diva integrates community relationships with small businesses and non-profits into the Diva business model.  It was great to get the recognition on how Team Diva is taking real estate in a new and inspiring direction.

Divas Take the Hill: Launched an amazing event with our dearest pals at Retail Therapy to celebrate Gay Pride on Capitol Hill. Two of our stars from the event, Jinkx Monsoon and DonnaTella Howe, have gone on to receive huge praise and awards in the local community. The event also helped to inspire the creation of CHEW: Capitol Hill Entrepreneurial Woman.

The HimTern Enters our Lives: Good old Chris Clem spent the summer interning with our team, turned 21 and was given many Diva style words of wisdom. Later in the fall, we hired Chris as our Marketing Coordinator. He was the force behind the Donate Like a Diva Campaign. Chris leaves in January for another exciting adventure in his study abroad program.

Diva Dweller Soiree at Chez Diva: Every year we throw a client party for our Diva Dwellers. This past summer we hosted the event at the house – Chez Diva. Our very own Creative Director, Ricardo Ibarra, completely transformed Chez Diva into a magical Luau themed paradise. It was down right the best Diva Dweller Soiree on record. We had close to 60 people join us, meet each other and become lifelong Diva Divotees!

Zoe|Juniper Premiered in Seattle at On the Boards: Team Diva joined the board of Zoe|Juniper this past spring. We worked with the creative team throughout the year on their audience development and fundraising. A few of the dancers stayed at Chez Diva and with Diva Dwellers Deb and Dean. In December they premiered their work in Seattle at On the Boards to rave reviews. It renewed our commitment to local arts and helping our community to develop new works that are inspiring and keep the genre moving forward.

Union on Union: It was a true honor to be part of Capitol Hill’s launch party of the Oola Distillery and 10 degrees on 14th and Union this past holiday season. The event was attended by well over 200 people. It included previews of KT Niehoff’s Lingo Dance, aerliests, fabulous local booze and so much more. Best holiday party Capitol Hill has ever seen! Check out the photos on Team Diva’s Facebook page»

Nominated for Best of Capitol Hill by Umpqua Bank: Our good pals at the Broadway branch of Umpqua Bank nominated Team Diva for Best of Capitol Hill. On January 4th we find out the results of the campaign. Regardless of who wins we want to thank all of you who voted, voted some more and, as usual, rocked our world with your support!

One of the Top Teams at Coldwell Banker Bain: Team Diva is dedicated to being actively involved in Seattle and ensuring it’s one of the best places to live. Thanks to you and our involvement in the community of small businesses and local non-profits, Team Diva earned our way into the top ranks of teams at Coldwell Banker Bain for 2011!

Thanks to all of you for an amazing 2011 and we are looking forward to seeing you in in 2012!

Seward Park Holiday House

Last night we had a lovely 40th Birthday dinner for our dear friend and Diva Dweller Jon. The room was filled with some of our favorite people and best Diva Dwellers. Simply a perfect way to spend a holiday evening. As we ate and drank a little more some of us were joking around about all of the work we have done on our houses. Including adding a wall to create a bedroom for an expanding family. Only to find that the neighbor had gone into foreclosure. Ugh – more work and dropping values. But in the end I stated “well where else can I walk out and have four bedrooms one one floor and know that is all mine.” Or where can one as a renter have two dogs and several urban chickens in the city? Only as a Diva Dweller!

Below is a poem from Ron Sparks (Mr. Sparky the Managing Vice President of Coldwell Banker Bain) that was sent out today that sums up a very cute take on the value of home ownership over renting in today’s market. Some modification was made in the Diva way!

It was just before Christmas, when 2 friends in high tech,
Were chatting in their cubicles, as conflicted as heck.
They argued back and forth “Should we buy, should we rent?”
Then one said “Where is the super fantastic Diva holiday card that Team Diva sent?”

There on the card was the home of their dreams,
And offered at a price not seen for years it would seem!
The postcard said “Rates are now low, and so are the prices”
“Of course” thought the workers, “The home market’s in crisis”.

Yet one called the broker, and purchased a home,
While the other decided to ‘think on it’ some.
He rationalized and rationalized–you know how it went,
“I’ll skip the big mortgage, and pay less in rent!”

So that worker became a renter, and with the money he saved,
bought a hybrid, iPad, and 3D TV, each one all the rage.
“My apartment’s just fine, no high property taxes for me”,
“I’m SMART to do this, my friends all agree”.

Meanwhile the homeowner’s mortgage was low and was fixed,
and with each check sent in, a small portion was nixed.
They also knew that someday, a big bonus existed…
“Appreciation, compounded!”…but the renter resisted.

As the years went by, rents kept going up.
The renter paid little attention, and kept buying more “stuff”.
Eventually, like most, both retired from work,
Now who was the sly one, and who was a jerk?

The homeowner retired well, with a house payment so low,
He could do as he pleased, as his cash had some flow.
The renter was buried, however, in the high cost of housing,
“My rent is TOO high!” he was constantly grousing.

Wishing all of you a very special and prosperous 2012. You make our Diva World go around and we cannot create fabulous events, find folks awesome homes, sell our Diva Dwellings without you!

Thank you!

What better organization to end our holiday campaign with than Three Dollar Bill Cinema?  The Divas have long supported this organization, even dedicating our Divas Take the Hill event in June to benefiting this awesome group.  Three Dollar Bill Cinema does so much for our community by providing space and access to relevant LGBTQ film and media.

This savvy organization sponsors so many ridiculously awesome programs in order to provide a forum for queer film to be shared with diverse communities across Seattle.  Pretty much every season is host to at least one of their wonderful programs.  In the spring, there is the Spring Film Series, which offers audiences with rare and hard-to-find vintage movies revolving around queer culture.  The summer is host to the Outdoor Cinema, where audiences get to enjoy the best of technology and the best of nature, enjoying classic films in Cal Anderson Park.  Fall brings what is arguably Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s largest undertaking: the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.  As if these huge programs were not enough, Three Dollar Cinema is always striving to provide more and more programs and events that go on throughout the year.

Overall, Three Dollar Bill Cinema works to embrace and connect diverse communities through dialogue, interconnection, and exposure inspired by queer film and media.  To help spread the love, you can volunteer your time, donate some $$$, or even simply become a member! Jump on it!

The first of our “Divotee’s Choice” spotlights Dress for Success, and as a women-owned business, Team Diva fully supported this nomination.  Dress for Success is an organization that strives to empower marginalized women by providing them with professional clothing and career development tools.  By providing women with these resources, it embraces their potential to thrive in the workplace, increasing their economic and personal independence.

Dress for Success offers several programs for women at all stages of career development.  Their premier program is the “Suiting Program,” in which women are able to come in and obtain a work-appropriate outfit that is tailored specifically to their personality and their career field.  In addition to this, they also offer variations on this program that include mock interviews if on an active job search and two or more outfits once they have gained employment.  Their other program is the Professional Women’s Group, which is an international networking and career development group for Dress for Success Clients.

Dress for Success is constantly supplying women in need with career development tools and appropriate clothing for their jobs.  However, keeping this work going is sometimes a challenge, because they are in constant need of donations of time, finances, and clothing.  If you find Dress for Success particularly wonderful, as we do, take action by either Volunteering or making a Donation.

The Divas love, luv, and <3 animals of pretty much any shape and size. So what would be more fitting than to support an organization whose whole purpose of existence is to help animals in need?  Nothing, that’s what.  Just as PAWS is full of people who delight in the company of our animal counterparts, the Divas too love spending time with their animals.  Even as we speak (or write, for that matter), the two Diva pups Rosie and Lucy are sitting at our feet, delighting in the life of “office dogs.”

PAWS’ motto is “people helping animals,” and that is just what they have been carrying out for over 40 years.  They understand that animals cannot speak for themselves in this world dominated by humans, so they try to act as that voice on behalf of all animals, whether they be furry, feathery, or scale-y.

There are so many ways to support PAWS in their mission to provide quality care and a valid voice to animals across the area.  If you want to get involved, check out some of these ways:

1. Donate to the cause
2. Volunteer for PAWS
3. Foster an animal in need
4. Adopt a Pet

As one of the bare necessities, food is always a hot commodity.  However, as the winter brings chillier weather and the holiday season comes closer, food banks often scramble to keep their shelves stocked.  That is why the Divas are supporting Rainier Valley Food Bank, because this organization keeps its doors open all year long to make sure all who need it have access to food.  Given that this small bank is the only one on the Rainier Valley and it serves almost 11,000 people per month with only three full-time staff, this is no small task.

At this time of the year and especially during these not-so-cheery economic times, food banks are in need of donations, of all kinds! So we urge you to also help out Rainier Valley Food Bank in one of the following ways:

1. Donate your time and volunteer
2. Donate your $$$
3. Donate some of your food
4. Host a food drive at your work, school, or wherever else you may so please.

Considering that ACT stands for “A Contemporary Theater,” it requires no explanation to show that this organization focuses on providing the community with quality contemporary artistic productions.  Since 1965, ACT Theater has been dedicated to providing inquisitive (and sometimes brave) Seattle audiences with promising productions.

The Divas have long been supporters of ACT Theater.  We admire the organization’s commitment to constructive conversation through the exposure of contemporary concepts and contentions.  By providing this experience in the heart of downtown Seattle, all are invited to take part in deeper thought into the struggles of everyday existence in today’s increasingly complex world.  However, not only do the Divas appreciate this commitment to conversation, but the pure artistic savvy of these peeps really shines through in all of their works.

So if you enjoy the arts and the issues, just like the Divas do, you should most definitely support ACT Theater.  Go to a show. Grab a subscription. Or just donate some funds.  Let’s keep these contemporary artists confronting contemporary issues.

Diva Dwellers Chris + Amy

Good pals and would be Diva Dwellers of ours asked us for a recommendation for a fabulous Diva-licious real estate broker who works Manhattan. I made the call for an outgoing referral and promptly the next day I received two phone calls from obviously experienced but definitely not well-matched agents. They knew their market well. All answered my questions calmly and easily explained the process to me. Great, right? Then I asked them how they maintained long lasting contact with their clients if they were six to twelve months out from buying? I asked, “For instance do you have a newsletter or email system?” I also asked how they educated their clients on the first time buying process and what type of materials they used. Both agents responded that they did not see the value in a newsletter or in a “system” for keeping in touch with their clients and neither provided any information in writing for their clients to educate them on the process. Does this work for them? Probably. Would that work for us and our Diva Dwellers ? Definitely not!

Team Diva absolutely appreciates the idea of being there personally for your clients in the delivery of information and education. We also understand that “email newsletters” do not replace the long term cultivation of personal relationships. But, the world is changing, buyers are changing and we as agents need to change with it! We felt that both the agents we interviewed had not transitioned to the new way of doing real estate, which for us means educating our buyers and utilizing all forms of media to help our Diva Dwellers be as engaged and empowered in the home buyer process.

This experience made me realize that there are still brokers out there who fear the “educated buyer.”  The concept is totally ridiculous to us. First off, lets think about the type of buyer we have in today’s market. Today’s buyers saved every damn penny for their 20% down payment. They are often purchasing below their financial power and are conservative with their hard earned money. They are smart, savvy and in touch with the news of the day. So – why do real estate brokers still want to treat these buyers like children?

Our Diva Dwellers are highly educated. Majority have their undergrad degrees and already have their masters or have it in the plan to do so.  Many of them work at companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks or have high level research jobs. What I like the most about our clients is that THEY ARE SMART! But more importantly, we trust them to make the right decision for themselves and have no fear of them becoming “over educated.” By the time we hand over the keys to their new home our Diva Dwellers know everything there is to know about the house, the neighborhood, possible long term value and how to create equity in the home. Plus, they can clearly communicate the experience of what it is like to be a  Diva Dweller.

Becoming a Diva Dweller is an involved process but it is also fun! Right from the very beginning we assume people come to us because they love the urban lifestyle and want to be involved in their communities. But we also know that its critical that our folks are informed on the process. The way we accomplish this that we start early by sitting down and going through our Diva Dweller home purchasing packet. From there we enroll them in the Diva Dweller newsletter where they are kept informed with fabulous information on local Seattle communities, best restaurants in town and honest discussions on where the market is going in Seattle. Sometimes it takes only a couple of months for folks to move from prospect to full fledge homewoner. But, we also have clients who are quietly and patiently saving up for their down payment. It might take some of our folks over a year or so to move into their first home.

Once we are actively in the home search process we educate our Diva Dwellers about every aspect of finding the right house and the right community. During the inspection we quickly pull in our team to ensure our clients do their due diligence about the home’s condition and to effectively negotiating a positive outcome on their behalf. After the transaction closes our relationship does not end with handing over the keys. We keep in touch with our Diva Dwellers, invite them to our yearly client party and various events, help them with referrals for everything from a yoga studio to a roofing contractor. The result being a mutual long term building of trust between us and our Diva Dweller. We have a high return rate of existing clients and our Diva Dwellers recommend us constantly to their friends, cohorts, family members and, sometimes even on YELP!

We love to meet other brokers who feel the same about real estate as we do.  I strongly believe that it takes all different types of brokers in the world to work with different communities. Where we meet is where one of us has a home to sell and one of us has a buyer for that home. But in order to accomplish this more effectively and move our industry forward we think it’s time to re-evaluate together how we work with our clients. It’s critical that together we strive to create an amazing experience for our clients to remember. Home buyers excpect this from our indsustry and we should bring it to our daily practice as real estate and community experts. After all – Tis the Rise of the Smart, Savvy, and Conservative Home Buyer!

Have you ever wanted to find a way to give back to the community through an organized network of local nonprofits that need helpful, awesome volunteers?  Well you are in luck because Seattle Works has been providing this service to aspiring givers for over 20 years!  As it says on their website, Seattle Works “connects volunteers, develops emerging leaders, and inspires dialogue” within the Seattle community, building longtime partnerships for future success, both for volunteers and organizations.

Seattle Works provides wonderful, active citizens, such as yourselves, with service opportunities of all types.  Whether it be a one time volunteer experience or an extended commitment to service and leadership development, this organization can help anyone out.  Primarily targeted at a “younger” audience, the organization is rooted in the idea that people are most likely to step up and give back to the community during the earlier stages of their life, and once they have started, are more likely to continue doing so.  However, although this may be the target, we Divas know that they welcome participants of all ages and backgrounds.

So whether you want to volunteer once at a pre-planned event or establish a longterm commitment with an organization that you think you would love, get to know Seattle Works.  You can find out more on their website or, if you you have no time but you have the moolah, you can donate to the cause.