Pioneer Square is hands down one of my favorite neighborhoods in Seattle. Downtown Seattle’s skyscrapers are a back drop to this brick vintage slightly seedy hood that is bursting with creativity. Many start-ups and non-profits have their offices in Pioneer Square. And more importantly to us Divas it is the home of rock solid artist studios and galleries.

Several years ago we hosted Switch/Seattle in Pioneer Square’s Artemide’s retail space. The event was geared to bringing together architects, urban planners, business owners and neighborhood residents together for a conversation about the future of Pioneer Square. At the time Team Diva felt strongly that you cannot have a prosperous city while you allow your oldest neighborhood to be swallowed up by the recession. Last week I stopped by Lighting Universe in Pioneer Square for a new dinning room light fixture at Chez Diva. It was nice to see the neighborhood thriving despite people’s expectations. More specifically it is always nice to see an area swarming with well established art galleries and our pals The New P2 doing their thing to keep folks engaged in this neighborhood. As an ode to this neighborhood here are the top ten spots we like to go to while spending time in Pioneer Square

1. First Thursday Art Walk: Hands down one of the best ways to spend a day in Seattle. The Art Walk is one of our favorite ways to see established artists and up and coming creators in one of the more established art communities in the northwest.
2. Delicatus: Perhaps it is the large pictures of vintage butcher diagrams of the various farm animals on the walls that makes me love this place. Or perhaps its the exceptional service one receives. Or more importantly, it is the food. Frankly, Delicatus is the best place in this freakin’ city to get hand cured cuts of meat in a sandwich.
3. Salumi: Let’s be honest. Seattle’s love affair with cured meats came about after Salumi opened in a store front of my old building on Second avenue.
4. Caffe Umbria: The Caffe sits perfectly on Occidental Square with year round outdoor tables. The espresso is perfect and geared towards the over caffeinated diva.
5. Original Artist Loft Condo Living: In the mid-1990 we had several artist friends who were relocated out of their buildings as developers started this new thing called a “condo” conversion. Now we covet the rare unit that comes on the market with its exposed brick and urban goodness.
6. Lawrimore Project: A fine place for contemporary art in Seattle.
7. 619 Western: It is a little sad and totally f-ed up how the city handled the relocation of working artists in the 619 Western building last summer. The building had been on the list of building greatly needing rehabbing and earthquake retrofitting. Originally they were given six months to vacate the building but out of the blue they were given only two months. That is no time for barely making it artists to suddenly relocate their businesses. Regardless the building is still one of our favorite spots due to the many memories we have of touring great art with our friends.
8. James Harris Gallery: Diva Pal and Local 1520 artist Roy Powell says that the James Harris gallery has some of the best work in the city.
9. Boozing it Up at the Elysian Before a Sounders Game: Many of you know that Diva Kaz is a HUGE fan of the Sounders FC team. Before she heads out to a game she likes to hit up the Elysian with friends to get pre-game brew.
10. Spooked in Seattle’s Ghost Walk: Nothing gets you going like being spooked by the old buildings around Pioneer Square. Take your out of town guests to this fun and totally out of the ordinary tour. You will not be disappointed!

Thanks for taking a tour with us through Pioneer Square. Check out all of our neighborhoods on the Diva site>

Last fall, Diva Kaz had the pleasure of helping Seattle newbies and first time home buyers, Aaron and Elena find a new home. The kids were looking for a home and neighborhood that fit their active lifestyle and could store their collection of bikes and outdoor gear. Aaron and Elena contacted the Divas after researching real estate agents online and reading comments from all of our happy Diva Dwellers on Yelp.

After a couple of home tours, Elena and Aaron found a mid-century loft style condo on the north side of Queen Anne. Knowing that they would be competing against another offer, Diva Kaz suggested that they write a personal letter to the seller, expressing their attachment to the home and their desire to maintain its many unique features. The letter worked, and even though the competing offer was higher, the seller chose Elena and Aaron’s offer, knowing that they would love and take care of her home.

The Divas were super excited to learn that Elena works for Second Use, an organization that reclaims building materials and hardware and makes it available to people looking for unique and eco-friendly features for their homes. Many of our Diva Dwellers already know of and use Second Use as a resource when remodeling their homes, or just looking for that one decorative piece that you can’t find anywhere else. For those of you who haven’t explored using reclaimed materials, we highly recommend you stop by Second Use and discover the amazing things you can do with recycled decor.

Here is Aaron and Elena’s Diva Dweller Story:

• How did you meet the Divas? We found them on Yelp. We were impressed by the glowing reviews and happy to learn their office was only a few blocks from our old Capitol Hill apartment.
• What type of home did you purchase? We bought a small two bedroom and 1.5 bath condo. It’s in a 1960s building with five other units. The unit needs some work, but it has a lot of wonderful existing features.
• What was your first “OMG” house moment? Hands down, replacing the broken angle stops in our bathrooms! We were cursing everyone who told us it was a great time to buy.
• What is your greatest home extravagance? Ha! I can’t say we have any real extravagances in our home, yet!  Ask us again in five years, when we’re not poor, first-time homeowners.
• What is in your junk drawer? Tape measure, pens and bike lights.
• Would you rather
  1. Mow lawn/paint the fence: Mow the lawn
  2. Untangle computer cords/sort socks: Untangle computer cords
  3. Test the smoke detectors/fix squeaky doors: Fix squeaky doors
  4. Plunge the toilet/clean out the refrigerator: Clean out the fridge
  5. Clean the gutters/take down holiday decorations: Clean the gutter
• What is your favorite Hood hangout spot? One of the closest businesses to our condo is the Book Bindery. It’s a little restaurant and wine tasting room that is tucked away off of Nickerson Street. We drove by it several times without even seeing it but were glad when we finally did! It’s a nice spot for a special occasion.
• What is your favorite local organization/nonprofit? I work for a community business called Second Use Building Materials. When someone is, for example, remodeling his/her kitchen, Second Use goes in and takes the cabinets, sinks, countertops, etc., to prevent them from going in the landfill. Then, we sell the materials in our store at a discount. We also put our inventory online and update it daily http://www.seconduse.com/catalog. The whole concept is a great win-win because it reduces waste, but it also helps people save money.
• What do you love the most about your house? Easily our favorite things about our condo are the vaulted ceilings, the two balconies, our view of Ballard, the mid-century fireplace and our reading loft. Those things make it feel like a unique, special space.

The Divas want to give a special congratulations to Elena and Aaron, who got engaged during a recent trip to the Caribbean. A new house and a new stage in your life together – what an amazing way to start off 2012! We look forward to following the kids as they redo their home (using materials from Second Use, of course!), get married, and build their life in the city we love so much.

Video streaming by Ustream

Little Miss Diva Kim was asked to speak on a panel discussion about Growing and Expanding Your Real Estate Business. Team Diva has been focused on innovating our team and the means of connecting with our Diva Dwellers and Divotees throughout the economic downturn. Kim spoke to the point that we work in a community sphere by connecting with small businesses and non-profit community partners, and by using social media as a fun way to spread the Diva joy. Yes, to many of you this is not a new concept, but in the real estate world, it is radical turn in how one is suppose to go out and “get” business. In Diva land, we are all about creating community and being adaptable. Kim does an excellent job capturing the Diva Concept and sharing it with our Coldwell Banker Bain peeps.

Team Diva is passionate about modern and contemporary dance here in Seattle. Much of this love is due to our friends Josh Windsor and Jenny Haight. Very few people may know this but we were first introduced to the intricate world of dance through this dynamic arts duo. Josh and Jenny invited us to once Pacific Northwest Ballet’s New Works performances. We were blown away and quickly became obsessed with every dance company here in Seattle. Josh now serves as the President of the Board at Capitol Hill’s own Velocity Dance Center. Velocity was one of our Donate Like a Diva organizations this last December. We are huge supporters of Velocity because they give physical space to well known and up and coming dancers to create new work, teach classes and perform those pieces to a very supportive audience. Without Velocity in Seattle we would not be not be on the  map for world class dance. This year we are proud to sit at Jenny and Josh’s table  for Velocity’s Annual Bash. Hope to see you there!

Velocity presents: Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory
It’s glamorous, it’s decadent, it’s the biggest party of the year! Join us in Pop Art style for the Velocity Annual Bash. An extravagant party with bohemian glamour, superstars, special performances + happenings, and more!

Sunday, March 25 @ 5:30pm
Channel your inner Candy Darling (or Andy Warhol) as we celebrate Velocity and pay homage to the stylings and history of Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory. Hosted by the terrific Nancy Guppy and auctioneer Matt Smith, the evening will feature unique performances by the likes of Raja Kelly, and live music by EMP Sound Off winner Tomten. This year, our guest of honor is the amazing Wade Madsen. This honor will be highlighted by special performances.

Catered by Skillet and specialty cocktails by Mustard & Turquoise.

RESERVE BY March 1ST AND SAVE $10 ON GENERAL ADMISSION OR $100 ON YOUR TABLE.

Special location!
Mount Baker Community Club
2811 Mt. Rainier Drive
Seattle, WA 98144

The inspection is completed and now it’s time for the hard work: Reviewing the resale certificate of the condo building. The resale certificate is part of a larger package of information that is produced by the property management company or the board of the condo association as part of your purchase into the community. Most buyers receive this package and are overwhelmed by the mountain of information that is being tossed at them with only five days to review and approve. We are going to break down the critical items that you as a condo Diva Dweller/buyer need to know to ensure you are buying into a community that is in tip top financial and physical shape.

The Resale Certificate + Condo Package
The resale cert is a summary of everything that is contained in the condo package. It indicates what your unit dues are going to run you monthly, any pending assessments/work coming up in the near future, etc. Read the entire resale cert. The critical items that we review are as follows:

• Unpaid Dues in the Building: Given our current climate there are often unpaid dues in a condo building. It is the first sign of a foreclosure. These things happen but if it is happening at such a rate that the condo building is suffering economically than this should be a red flag to talk about with your Real Restate Diva.
• Amount in Reserves Compared to the Reserve Study: Some smaller newer buildings probably will not have conducted a reserve study.  More than likely everything is fresh and new that there is no need to think about work ten years down the road. It is our recommendation that every condo building conduct a reserve study and start actively working to building up their financial reserve fund. A reserve study looks at the replacement and/or repair costs for major work in the building. This would include siding, roofs, plumbing, etc.  The recommendation is that an association should be contributing about 20% of their yearly dues to building up the reserve fund. Yikes – that could mean a hike in dues, but that is always better than unexpected work resulting in an assessment.
• Pending Work: Review the type of work is planned and the funds to cover the work.
• Owner/Renter Ratio: As a homeowner/Diva Dweller one should always be looking down the road to ensuring the ability of the home to be sold. A high renter ratio indicates that you mostly have investors in the building. Investors are way more likely to default on their loans then a homeowner. Look for at least 55% owner occupied buildings. Preferably a rental cap of 30% renters is the best in our book. But your needs may be different.
• Lawsuits: Believe it or not there are actually law firms out there that do nothing but prey on small condo buildings to go into litigation over nonsense issues. Very few lenders will fund a building where there is an active lawsuit. Once a lawsuit is in the works that condo building could be locked up for years without the ability for owners to sell their homes. As a result you will see a spike in foreclosures in these types of situations. Sometimes it is critical that the association go after the original developer for legitimate issues so the building does not have to pay for someone else’s mistakes. Review each situation and judge for yourself.
• Fee Schedule: The fee schedule details out the move in/out fees, recording fees and other little nuances when a change in a unit’s ownership occurs. Some of this is included as part of your loans costs that will be detailed on your HUD statement. Call your escrow person to get a clear idea of the exact amounts, as every building is different in what they require.

Minutes
There are two types of minutes – Board and Association minutes. As part of the package you will receive six months of board minutes and two years of association minutes. The minutes are where one finds the juicy bits of how a condo building functions. Is anyone discussing future work? Is the roof leaking? Smaller buildings might only meet once a year and not hold regular meetings. Our stance is to get involved with your building and protect your investment. Improvements can always be made. See our get your condo in shape article for ideas>

Budget
Take a look at the budget and make sure you see line items for the reserve fund, repairs and other items. It’s always good to make sure the building is doing what they can do to keep the building in tiptop shape. You might own your home from the walls in but you and your neighbors are responsible for the entire building.

CC&Rs
The CC&Rs are the rules and regulations for your building. Here is where you will find out about the pet policy, usage of the common areas and other little bits about living in a larger community. The most accurate CC&Rs will be included in your title report.

Reserve Study (if available)
Take a look at the reserve study. The amounts estimated are always higher than the actual work. Assume that the association is not going to be able to fund the reserves overnight. Make sure they are making strides to fund the amounts stated in the reserve study.

Changes are always happening and our best advice is to get involved and stay involved with the association. As a homeowner in a condo building you are buying not just the unit but into the overall community. There are a bunch of items to review to make sure it is the right community for you. Thankfully most condo buildings are aware of the situation in today’s market and are actively working toward a better community. Back in the mid 2000s, homeowners treated their building like they were renters. Now we have way more involvement and people truly care about each other and their building. Check out our post about “Getting Your Condo Community Into Shape” as a point of reference once you become a homeowner/Diva Dweller.

Team Diva is a big believer that you, as the homeowner, should be empowered to make a good decision about the overall condition of the home. Our overall assumption is that most homeowners are unfamiliar on the inner workings of their home. You, as the buyer, should learn as much as you can about the home, how to maintain it for the long term, how to make improvements and, more importantly, know what is going on in the surrounding neighborhoods.

The number one way to find out if your new Diva Dwelling is ready for you is through the inspection process. Hire a licensed, bonded and experienced professional. We have a list of top tiered inspectors that we can recommend. The cost for an inspection can range from $450 all the way up to $1,000 depending on the size and age of the home. The buyer is responsible for paying for the inspection at the time that it occurs.

Many first time home buyer classes infuse buyers with horror stories about home inspections. We have had buyers come to us terrified about what might be found during the inspection. Our perspective is that you are here to learn and make a logical decision regarding the condition of your home. Trust that Team Diva is not going to sell you a hot mess, unless that is what you are looking for in a home. Team Diva have been in hundreds of homes during our lifetime. Instinctively, one gains a feel for a building and potential issues. But you are the one who is making the final decision on whether it is a home that you can handle. Team Diva and our team of inspectors and contractors are there to help in that process.

The inspection will cover the following items:

• Major Systems: Plumbing, sewer and electrical items.
• Structural Items: Foundation, walls, siding and any renovations that occurred on the home.
• Crawl Space: The inspector will suit up in a HAZMAT suit so you do not have to. The crawl space will show if you have some lovely vermin friends, excess building materials and other interesting things one can find down under.
• Attic Space: Any leaks showing? Any exposed electrical wiring?
• Roof: Overall condition and potential lifetime of the roof.
• Drainage: Rain is a big deal in the Northwest. Water has a way of getting into a ton of spaces. Just because a home has a new roof does not mean that it does not have water issues.
• Sewer Scoping: Team Diva requires all of our home buyers who are looking at an older home to hire a professional to scope the sewer line. An independent specialist is looking to see if there are any breaks, cracks, roots, blockages or other issues going from the home to where the sewer line connects to the city main. Our preference is to use an inspector that is not associated with a specific plumbing company. An independent inspector will review the line and let you know if you need additional bids for work.

Other Inspections to Do During the Inspection Timeline

• Neighborhood Review: Every person is different and has varying comfort levels for crime or other activity that you find in an urban area. Conduct a neighborhood review as part of your overall inspection. One can call the local police precinct. The other trick is to talk to neighbors. These folks are your new best buds. Get to know them.
• Pending Permits in the Surrounding Neighborhood that May Impact Your Home or the Property: One can only make a judgment based on the information that is at hand. City of Seattle’s Department of Planning has a handy little search tool that let’s you look at permits that are being requested within in your neighborhood. Look to see if your neighbor is going to build a home that will block your view. Perhaps that fancy new condo you want to buy is going to have a building go up right next to your only window. Yikes!

Responding to the Inspection
Team Diva and you have reviewed everything, we have bids for any repairs that may be needed and now we are set to go with a response to the seller. Here are the buyer’s options:

1. Approve the Inspection: Best Diva Dwelling ever!
2. Disapprove the Inspection and Cancel the Transaction: These pink boots were made for walking from that dump of a house. What were we thinking?
3. Request Additional Inspections: Wait – we found that the sewer line has a break and needs a repair. We need to take extra time to find out what is wrong with the home and come up with a solution.
4. Approve With Modifications: This is the more typical response. There are many different approaches to take but typically we request additional money towards your closing costs to do the repairs. Or if it is major issue like a roof or a foundation we ask for the seller to pay for the item before closing. Short Sales and Foreclosures are a different animal in getting resolution for these type of transactions.

The home inspection is our favorite part of the transaction process. It is where we see the biggest transition in our Diva Dwellers from going from a renter to becoming a full-fledged homeowner. It is always exciting!

Diva Kim and I met in 1997 while we were both activists at the Northwest AIDS Foundation (now Lifelong AIDS Alliance). Over a year later we slowly transitioned from friends to lovers and eventually home owners. At the time our friends and family thought we were crazy for buying a house so early in our relationship. But for us and many gays of our generation, Real Estate was the only legal way we could cement and legalize our relationship in society. Many of us bought houses and were on the forefront of changing Seattle’s neighborhoods. It was our way of making a stand as a family in society by beautifying our own homes and our surrounding communities. Not to mention it was the easiest and most effective way for us gays to merge our credit and resources because we could not legally marry. Fourteen years later Kim and I are still together, we own Chez Diva, have several pets, lots of nieces and nephew and our proudest creation as co-owners of Team Diva Partners, LLC. I would say we made the right decision!

Today Team Diva is overjoyed and very proud of Christine Gregoire for signing into Law the Gay Marriage Bill. Just think what this means for the next generation of the LGBTQ community. You meet, fall in love, get married and THEN decide you want to buy a house with YOUR legal husband or wife. No longer will this generation have to even think of their long term love as their gay “partner.” Instead, legally we are just like everyone else. Just married. Plain and simple.

Bring on the invitations to weddings. Bring on the wedding spectacular. Bring on the bubbles. Bring on the rings. Bring on the Flowers. Cause these gays are going to the chapel of LOVE. YEAH GAY MARRIAGE!

 

 

Spring is the best time for Diva Dwellers to put their house on the market. Consistently one sees higher number of sales and better prices fetched during the spring. Around this time of year we start to get a lot of calls from our Diva Dwellers who are ready to finally have a second bathroom, a garage, move out of their condo, or whatever the reason they want to sell their current dwelling for one up the street. The Divas walk in and, with a keen eye, look for how we can sell the home for top dollar, at minimal expense, and make it easy for our folks. Often we come across a kitchen that needs a Diva makeover.

The kitchen is the home’s center stage. It is where people congregate during parties, it is where we bake cute cupcakes and plan large dinner parties. It is also an area where buyers can easily identify issues. Buyers will quickly perceive value or discount on purchase price based on what they find in a kitchen. But more importantly the kitchen is where our home owning imaginations can really take flight.

Think about it from the buyer’s perspective. Many people are working well above forty hours a week and have super tight funding restrictions to buy a home. The idea of having to ALSO renovate a kitchen on top of coming up with their down payment is going to be the difference of selling your house or not selling it at all. Here are some hints to make that Kitchen fantastic for not a lot of money!

Let’s get your kitchen in Diva-riffic shape!

Step 1: Keep Original Cabinets if They are in Good Condition
Look at ways to repaint, re-stain and/or refresh the existing panels. You can also order new cabinet faces for way less money than having to replace all of the cabinets. Obviously if you are in a higher end market consider spending a little more in this area to get that stunning updated look and feel.

Step 2: Make Sure All of the Appliances Match
Yes – buyers will notice if you have a stainless steel stove, white dishwasher and a refrigerator that is getting ready to break down. Upgrade to stainless steel if it makes sense. But more importantly just make sure it all looks clean and simple.

Step 3: Smart Ways to Upgrade Your Counters
Do you still have the original builder grade tile counters? Or the sexy green tile from the former owner. Were you waiting for just the right counter to come around? Well now is the time. Here is our number one suggestion. Go to Stone World in the SoDo. Go to the back or into the yard. They sell slab counters that are remnants. Other recent favorites that we adore is a slab of marble found at Second Use on a kitchen island. The surrounding counters are butcher block from Ikea. Economical and so French countryside yummy.

Step 4: Flooring Can Finish the Look
Kitchen floors are a train wreck of food preparation, pets, kids and other disasters. It’s the most traveled and used space in your entire house. Wear and tear can easily come through and require a simple upgrade. People adore cork, marmoleum, and hardwoods over the peel and stick flooring of our youth. As usual, make sure your flooring integrates with the look of your kitchen. There are lots of great wood laminate flooring products that look more expansive than they are in reality.

Step 5: Paint to Impress / Please No Yellow
Lots of people think that yellow looks fun and festive. Seattle’s reflective light has lots of green and blue hues. As a result many yellow painted rooms photograph in a way that looks sickly. Stick with a theme and make sure it integrates with the counters, cabinets and flooring. Personally, I’m a big fan of latte, stark white, Tiffany blue, steel grey, and other colors that make the food you are preparing center stage.

Photos of Diva Dwellings Post Kitchen Refreshes

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some inspiration articles to get you going:

• LOVE THIS: A DYI Kitchen Reno that Keeps the Original Cabinets. So sexy»
• Diva Budget-daro: Love this cute montage of adorable renovated kitchens»
• 16 Small Kitchens: Lots of urbanites live in condos with mini kitchen»
• Kitchens Sell a House»
• Apartment Therapy: Refresh a Kitchen on a Very Small Budget»

Always feel free to check out our remodeling resources page or Swanking up for the Sale to get you started. Also – Team Diva love to catch up with our pals and see how your house is coming along. Give us a ring if you are thinking about updating, renovating, selling, just want to have coffee, etc. Let’s get that house sold with a new Diva Kitchen!

Team Diva is a proud member of Capitol Hill Entrepreneurial Women (CHEW). Some of the CHEW retail ladies are offering a 10% discount from now through February 14th. We strongly encourage folks to always buy local. Some of our favorite Capitol Hill spots for getting your loved one a great gift are Babeland, Retail Therapy, and Retro Fit Home. Go out and occupy your love locally!

Team Diva, as many of you know, are HUGE supporters of small businesses. We firmly believe that a good and healthy economy is based on the strength of local businesses and community organizations. The work that CHEW does to support these business owners is critical to our local Capitol Hill community.

Team Diva will be showing  our LOVE this Valentine’s season by supporting our Community Partnership FIUTS. This Friday we will be donating $500 to one of our Community Partners, FIUTS, in support of  CulturalFest, their annual fundraising and student leadership event. Tickets are still available to join Team Diva and our Divotees for a very special night. More info after the jump>

 

Super Bowl Sunday is a full on American holiday for all things that are glorious, booze, food and football. Super Bowl Sunday is also dead zone for real estate. Who knows why but let’s just say that on Super Bowl Sunday folks want football. The snow did not stop Team Diva and I doubt a holiday is going to keep us from our Diva Dwellings!

Team Diva is going to be hosting two homes open on Saturday, February 4th. Come join us at the following homes:

Carbon56 | Terry + Lenora
2015 Terry Ave Apt 402
Open: Saturday, February 4th
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
For Rent: $1,550
More info»

 

 

 

 

Seaview | 5th + Roy
519 West Roy Street, #215
Open: Saturday, February 4th
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 PM
For Sale: $139,950
More info»