Category Archives: Green Homes

Seattle’s ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE SURVIVAL HOUSE is open Sunday 12:30-3:30 pm

The only thing missing from this house is bars on the windows (and sans apocalypse, that is a good thing).

On the surface it looks like a cute 1918 Craftsman in West Seattle. But peek below the surface and you will be impressed by the uniqueness of this property. It’s not for everyone – this is an eclectic and fun 1918 Arts and Crafts Movement home that has stood the test of time and offers forward-thinking “green” upgrades. 2+ bedrooms (used to be three, can be returned to three) and large studio space (in former garage) allow the occupants to live large with a very small carbon foot print. It has something for everyone – for the green at heart and also the traditionalist. New 200 amp electrical service for quick charging the electric vehicle or powering other hobbies (kiln?) The Master Suite addition offers luxury, comfort, and a unique place to relax. People just drool over the images of this bathroom! Let them be envious for a reason.

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES
New 40 year roof
New Mitsubishi ductless heating and cooling system with remotes
Prewired for use with backup generator (comes with sale)
Two EPA certified wood burning stoves with cook tops
European Master Suite -Sun-Mar composting toilet (and a regular bathroom too)
Graywater system with 300 gallon cistern serves master bath
Energy Star appliances (all appliances stay)
Property backs to the West Seattle Golf Course and sits above Longfellow Creek

Featured in Curbed Seattle with this recommendation: “Consider this 2-BR home a $285K investment in your future, post-apocalyptic or otherwise.”
(http://seattle.curbed.com/archives/2012/11/bring-on-zombie-apocalypse-this-west-seattle-house-can-take-it.php)

Online video tour
Online flyer

Come look at this property up close, admire the Master Suite and the gigantic hammered copper soaking tub, and meet me, Wendy Hughes-Jelen, Green Real Estate Specialist, EcoBroker, and Realtor. Let’s talk green homes!

Seattle’s Zombie Apocalypse Survival house (VIDEO)

I like to have fun with my marketing. I just launched a new listing over the weekend, and this house is so very cool in its self-sustain-ability that naturally survival in the face of The Walking Dead (I am a recent fan of the show) came to mind.

This home is “green” although it is not an Environmentally Certified home from a local or regional green building program. However, the laundry list of upgrades and additions made to the property by the current owner of 22 years is extensive and noteworthy. See below the embedded video for more information.

4825 26th Avenue SW | Seattle, WA 98106
NWMLS #424753
2+ bedrooms, 1.75 bathroom, plus finished studio in converted garage
House is 1,360 square feet per King County Records, and the lot is 5,480 per the same source.

Offered by 22 year owner at $285,000

Eclectic and fun 1918 Arts and Crafts Movement home is located adjacent to the West Seattle golf course along the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail and
has a permanent greenbelt behind the property. It has stood the test of time and offers forward-thinking “green” upgrades.

What’s below the surface of chic and charm:
* New 40 year roof with warranty
* 200 amp electrical service (perfect for charging your electric car)
* Mitsubishi ductless heat pump for heating AND cooling, with remotes
* Pre-wired for backup generator, which is included
* Two newer EPA certified wood burning stoves with cooktops, clean and efficient burning
* Energy Star appliances, all appliances stay
* Two hot water heaters – a regular tank and also a point-of-use on demand hot water heater for the “off grid” spa master suite bathroom
* 300 gallon cistern as part of the gray water system for spa bath, use the water for the garden
* Sun-Mar composting toilet, top of the line (plus one regular toilet, too)
* Pesticide free property

The European-style master suite features a spa bath with gorgeous hammered copper soaking tub and sink from Mexico, Brazilian walnut flooring, exposed
beams, and romantic lighting, with a view of the garden. Totally private.

Floors are a mix of oak, cork, ceramic tile, white oak, and Brazilian walnut. Single slab granite hearts under both wood stoves.

Bring on the zombie apocalypse, survive in style here!

This property is listed by Mountain To Sound Realty and marketed by Wendy Hughes-Jelen, Green Real Estate Specialist, EcoBroker, and Realtor.
For more information, or to schedule a tour, contact wendyhj@greenspacesrealestate.com or call/text 206.686.HOME (4663)

Video copyright 2012 by Wendy Hughes-Jelen
Music: Dead Island Theme by Thematic Pianos from Dead Walking: The Greatest Zombie Themes Ever

Online:
GreenSpacesRealEstate.com
Westside Green Living with Wendy on Facebook
@GreenSpacesRE
MountainToSoundRealty.com

Why it is crucial your Listing Agent understands and specializes in the TYPE of property you are trying to sell

I have a stark example today, and a story with a positive ending and a very happy client, about why it is CRUCIAL that home sellers hire the right agent for the job.

Any real estate agent can sell what I call a “conventional” property. But if you are going to be short selling your house, you should seek out a short sale expert. If you are selling a condo, or vacant land, again you should seek out an expert in these niches. Vacation property or secondary home? Same thing. Professional agents who have been in the business a long time have developed their skill sets over the course of their careers and have narrowed down their business to what they are most passionate and knowledgeable about.

I chose to specialize in green homes over five years ago. In the Seattle area, served by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, they are referred to as “Environmentally Certified” homes. First I bought a Built Green Certified Home. And then I earned four different specialty designations all requiring education and testing in this area of expertise over the next five years. It is important that the agent you choose to hire shows they are staying up with technology, products, and laws pertaining to their area of expertise. If someone is an expert in something, they can really “sell” it.

I am an expert in green homes, and I can really sell High Point because I live here, and literally walk the streets here 365 days a year with my dog. I know the good and the bad. And I am an honest agent, I will share what’s important with anyone considering moving here whether the law requires me to or not.

The marketing photo for the condominium discussed in this blog post. Redwood High Point in West Seattle.
In July I was contacted by a neighbor who I had never even met. They had purchased their Redwood High Point condominium in March of 2011 as a short sale. They unexpectedly found themselves needing to move out of state for employment. I advised them how to best prepare the home for market, which began with packing as much out of the closet contents as possible. I helped them find off-site storage so the home would look as big as it was (almost 1,000 sq ft). And I had trouble convincing them to list it for over $30,000 more than the agent who represented them as a buyer the year before told them to list it for.

The selling price in March 2011 as a short sale was $194,950. When it was new construction in 2007 the selling price was $306,000. I get sick to my stomach whenever I talk about prices in High Point because I too bought then, in July 2007, literally at the height of the market. (For an example, I paid $395 for my townhome, a year ago it was valued at $260k by the lender. A neighbor with the same floor plan has a pending short sale that went down to $209k before it got an offer. Final sales price we don’t know yet.)

When this neighbor contacted the agent who represented them when they bought it last year, the agent did a CMA (comparative market analysis) and recommended they list the property for $185,000. Yes, values are dragged down by all the bank owned and short sales around them. But it is not a distress sale. And maybe if this was just any old condo in West Seattle it would sell for $185k – but it’s not. This is an Environmentally Certified condo – and the entire neighborhood is also certified as Built Green. There are people who are looking for properties like this. If you market it right, it will sell for its true value.

I finally convinced them and we priced the property at $219,950 and received a full price offer within 24 hours. We went off market and went through the entire inspection process and were proceeding to closing when the buyer got cold feet and walked. The buyer gave up $3k earnest money to the seller. The seller loaded up their moving truck and drove away, trusting me that I would be able to do it again.

Two months went by. We finally started talking about a price reduction. Rather than a $5k drop, I suggested splitting it between the buyer and the buyer’s agent. We did a $3k price drop and a $2k commission bonus to the buyer’s agent if we received “an acceptable offer” (seller determines what is acceptable) within about 5 weeks.

Less than two weeks later we received another full price offer – at $216,950. And what was really hilarious about this was that the buyer was the same person who went to buy it in July. So three months later, tomorrow we close this sale. And I have a very happy client. And the buyer really did pay full price of $219,950, because she paid $3k of it two months ago when the first sale was closed.

In his own words, my client explained the financial side of this in a recent email.

“I went through our old docs from the purchase – I think once everything is included, we’ll end up $1,261.87 up from the money we put in 19 months ago. We got lucky! If we would have listened to our old Realtor and listed it at $185,000, we’d be down like $30,000!”

It’s not cheap to sell real estate. There are thousands upon thousands of dollars paid towards commissions, excise tax, and other closing costs, including title insurance and more. How would you feel if you got to live someplace FOR FREE for a year and a half?? If you bought low, it is possible to sell high – or at least today’s market rate adjusted “high”. But only if you hire the right real estate agent.

How often does this happen?

Weeks, nay months, of work are culminating in TWO closings tomorrow – one a few days early and the other a few days late. Both bring me new neighbors in my Built Green Certified condominium in High Point (the big tan section to the right of B on this map, which is Viewpoint Park). Like, I can shout at them down the driveway close. I don’t think ever in my life will I have two sales close on the same day again. I think I really need to celebrate!!

2840 SW Raymond #102 as seen from High Point Drive.
I represented the seller.
2830 SW Raymond #202, as seen from my home office.
I represented the buyer.

Live…from the Built Green Conference 2012: Keynote Speaker Denis Hayes, President/CEO of Bullitt Foundation

Wow what a great lunch

King County Green Tools staff Patti Southard and Kinney (missed the other name) made introductory remarks for Mr. Hayes. First they gave us some statistics and diversion rates for construction materials. Newest edition of the Construction Recycling Directory just came out. He suggests that builders use 2 bins on sites so the sorting is done immediately because it is very time consuming to sort it later. He also mentioned the 20/20 Refit Challenge. Rehabilitating older homes to become healthy, comfortable, energy efficient homes is a lot more sustainable than deconstructing a structure and building something new It’s all about keeping materials out of the waste stream.

Patti thanks the staff at Built Green for creating such a great model that others in the country look to. Collaboration is key. She says every day we are working on making this a beter planet it is like writing a love letter to the Earth. She says we are lucky to have the kind of leadership we have in our area – with Denis Hayes, the founder of Earth Day, having joined our community. She shared her own memories of how Earth Day is a holiday not for religion or anything else, but for doing something for others and the plant.

Denis Hayes
Funny guy! Seems to be speaking extemporaneously. He said normally he gives a rousing motivational speech about becoming more green. But he doesn’t have to do that here, since everyone in the room is involved in the green building industry. He talked about how the Bullitt Foundation stat=started out in a hayloft, and since joining the organization the Board agreed to the construction of a green building. The piece of property the foundation owned called for something larger than an office for seven people, and now they have a 52,000 sq ft mixed use building. Billed as “The Greenest Building in the World” He said there are 26 geothermal wells that are 400 feet deep. ALL of the energy that will be used in this building will be generated by the building. Net Zero is not accomplished very often. Hayes talked about trying to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge. He spoke about sourcing materials for the building, finding contractors who would

Bullitt Center – Hard costs up through TI: 17% more expensive than regular Class A office space and found they can’t rent it for any more than regular Class A office space. If you are a tenant in their building and meet ll of your energy goals, you have no energy costs, it’s free. Society needs to start placing real value on things that endure. These major investments count for something. He talked a lot oabout the features that went into this new building. I missed the last tour a couple weeks ago! So I sent an email to find out when the next tour will be. Defnitely have to get it on it.

If I had to do it gain knwoing what I know now and this will sound ridiculous – this is the first time I have worked on a building, but it has given me a lot of humility. So he deerred t a lot of te experts, vendors, and contractors, for elements and aesthetics that if he woudl have won on if he had stuck to his guns. And he would hold out to have it his way next time.

Live…from the Built Green Conference 2012. Session 1

Coming to you live this morning from the Built Green Conference in gorgeous Mukilteo. We are at the Rosehill Community Center above the ferry terminal.

The structure this year is breakout sessions bookending a keynote speech at lunch. There also is an expo where we can meet vendors and other stakeholder sin energy efficiency and green homes. It is hard to decide which session to go to. I picked the one that best matches my personal interests and professional role as a real estate broker.

So I am in the Fowler Room in “Transforming Markets: Community Power Works, 20/20 Home Refit Challenge, and Community Energy Efficiency Programs.”
This is a panel of multiple perspectives, including building science, outreach, marketing, and workforce development.
Jason Lear (Batt+Lear)
Andrea Petzel (City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development)
Ruth Bell (Community Power Works)
Dan Wildenhaus (Senior Building Science Specialist for Fluid Market Strategies)

Topics this session
Community Energy Efficiency Program
Do Energy Efficiency Programs transform markets?
Have local programs transformed our market?
How do we know?
What’s next?

Interestingly enough, I was an early participant in the Community Power Works program, before it reached its current iteration of providing a $95 energy assessment. A volunteer came to my home and talked about energy efficiency and how to cut your personal energy use. Low hanging fruit (one of the easy. low cost things you can do) included replacing all of our existing light bulbs with CFL bulbs. This was about two years ago. I had not changed out the light bulbs from when we bought the townhome as new construction in 2007. It is a 3-Star Built Green Certified home in the Built Green Certified Community of High Point in West Seattle. Besides energy efficiency, changing to a lower usage bulb makes your home more comfortable. All of those incandescent bulbs put out a lot of heat.

There are a number of measuring tools that are being utilized to show the results of the Community Power Works retrofits. Over 500 homes have been completed, with over 240 in the pipeline now. The gal si to reduce energy use by at least 15%. Only one home has not met that goa, anf there are some “audacious” homes that are saving 50-60% in energy use on their utility bills.

Building science
Rather than write all new specs, they use Department of Commerce specifications for building performance.
Reducing air leakage in a home (insulation)- leaky recessed lighting fixtures increases heat loss/gain, and can cause ice dam problems.
Most often performed corrective action taken in homes in the program:
Air sealing
Attic insulation
Wall insulation
Floor insulation
uct sealing
Duct insulation

Measurement used to be in carbon savings. Most people couldn’t understand it so it was changed to energy savings. Quality assurance has to be evaluate frequently so course corrections can be made. Programs like this leverage current training to bolster both new and existing workers and create not just jobs but quality companies.

Who are the customers/
Income between $50-$150k. There is a significant drop off in the higher income brackets, perhaps these flks don’t consider government programs for tem. There also is a low number of households with people of color. Perhaps there is a language barrier or translation problem that needs to be increased. More outreach to lower income communities. There are cultural liasons speaking about 12 languages
33% of households have children in the home
Most homes were built before 1959.

Average cost of upgrade $14,500
Average CPW rebate: $2,600. (18%)
Average utility rebates: $700 (5%)
Customers with CPW loans: 25%

Washigton State University (WSU) is a big participant in the program, helping with surveys of homeowners after they have participated in the program.

Now what? (Jason Lear)
20/20 Home Refit Challenge: 20,000 ohomes with 20% energy savings
Program participants get: Special financing and the market value of a Buitl Green Certification + Energy Score
Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union (PSCCU) has developed a special home equity loan for homeowners who participate in the program.
“Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union understands the challenge in affording energy-efficient alternatives for your home. We’re here to help with our Energy Smart Loans. Our loan products cover everything from heating and cooling, hot water tanks, gas conversions, windows and even renewable energy like SOLAR! Need to do some prescriptive measures before you can make your home more efficient? We can usually help with that as well.”

What is the future of Community Power Works?
Under negotiations now withs stakeholders trying to get interest gauged from utilities and assessing market need. By Jan or Feb 2013 there may be an extension to the program (but no new money coming in).

This is a working blog post and will be updated as more information becomes available to flesh out the details of this session.

Two Built Green condos going “pending” today; I am blogging LIVE from the Built Green Conference tomorrow; OOPS…biking in the woods in the dark

Big news today – two Built Green condominiums in Redwood High Point (where I actually live) are going “Pending” today. I represent one buyer, and a seller, in two different transactions. It’s a good week!

Also I will be blogging live from the Built Green Conference tomorrow. I have gone every year for the past 4 years on a press pass so I can share what I learn and also keep fresh with the most up-to-date information when it comes to green homes. You can tune in tomorrow right here for updates and information on the latest trends.

Photo for today is a picture I took at Rattlesnake Lake Monday night after biking with my husband 22 miles down the Iron Horse Trail from Hyak in Snoqualmie Pass. The trail starts at the pass with the Snoqualmie Tunnel, 2.75 miles of pitch black and cold. The trail unexpectedly ended at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center and clearly our timing was off as by that time it was dark (see photo, haha). We expected it to connect to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, which we have biked sections of before. (We would have found the entrance to the trail just down the road if it had not been dark!!) We biked another 8 miles down very steep roads (Cedar Falls Road, then over I-90 and into town), annoying traffic, to reach North Bend and my real estate office where we left one car. Total trip was 29.76 miles. Average speed was 12.6 mph, fastest (on my bike) was 25.6 (Steve probably had faster). It was a little scary going down a steep hill in the dark. Later looking at a map we determined we had taken a MUCH more direct route than if we had been on the Valley Trail, which winds all over. We had to drive back up to the pass to get the other car. We walked into an Applebee’s in Factoria for dinner at a quarter to 10, and didn’t get home until 11. A ride to remember!!

I had no idea – paint made from plastic bottles

Something that came across my Facebook feed this weekend was a report from Earth911 about a paint made from PET bottles. I had no idea this existed, so of course I had to share it.

In 2011 Sherwin-Williams received an EPA green chemistry award for its paint formulation that contains recycled plastic bottles PET plastic bottles, in addition to acrylics and soybean oil. The paint combines the performance of alkyd, or oil-based, paints, with acrylic paint’s low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can cause respiratory irritation and damage to kidneys, lungs and nervous systems.

Look for ProClassic Waterbased Acrylic Alkyd, ProMar 200 Waterbased Acrylic Alkyd and ProIndustrial Waterborne Enamel.

Read the full story

Built Green barrier free view condo open in West Seattle this Sunday, 1-4 PM

This Sunday 1-4 PM I am hosting an open house in West Seattle, while my broker hosts an open in Snoqualmie Pass.
Please pass the word about this FAB property and good price. Click on the CONDO tab for details on this and other Mountain To Sound Realty properties.

Enjoy our YouTube video tours of these properties!


NWMLS #380491 2840 SW Raymond Street, #102 | Seattle, WA 98126
Offered at $219,950 | City and Mountain Views
High Point is a Built Green Certified Community and this is a 3-Star Built Green Certified Home. Experience this secluded ground floor location in this award-winning neighborhood with pocket parks on every block, community gardens, and other environmental features. Great views of downtown and the Cascade Mountains. Nine foot ceilings, granite slab breakfast bar, stainless steel appliances, raised panel doors, crown molding and designer colors upgrade. Luxury living in a secure building. Move right in and don’t lift a finger! Turnkey!


For sale – four 2 bedroom condominium units above Summit Market. Located off Exit 52 of I-90. Faces Summit West. Vacation All Year Round Up At Snoqualmie Pass! Large rooms throughout and views of Snoqualmie West and Alpental. Two bedroom condo featuring a sauna in the 2 premium units, and all units feature jetted tub, heated tile floors, all new appliances, and come furnished. View, view, view. Sofa that unfolds into a bed, large TV, sleigh beds, armoire, table and chairs. Close proximity to stores, coffee shops, gas station and of course – the ski area just across the street

Have you heard about the Drive-In Condo in West Seattle? | Built Green Certified (VIDEO)

My normal marketing process would have had this video out a lot sooner; however, this is the Built Green condominium that received an offer on its first day on market…so naturally the marketing process kind of stopped (except for all of the online marketing).

So this video features my community of High Point, then marketing the view ground floor condominium that sold on day one. Unfortunately the first buyer flaked and it went back on market last Saturday!

NWMLS #380491 2840 SW Raymond Street, #102 | Seattle, WA 98126

2 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms | 996 square foot home | Ground Floor | Barrier Free | City and Mountain Views | Attached one car garage | Covered patio

High Point is a Built Green Certified Community and this is a 3-Star Built Green Certified Home.

Experience this secluded ground floor location in this award-winning neighborhood with pocket parks on every block, community gardens, and other environmental features. Great views of downtown and the Cascade Mountains.

Nine foot ceilings, granite slab breakfast bar, stainless steel appliances, raised panel doors, crown molding and designer colors upgrade. Luxury living in a secure building. Move right in and don’t lift a finger! Turnkey!

Listed by Mountain To Sound Realty and marketed by Wendy Hughes-Jelen
Built Green Certified Professional, Realtor, and EcoBroker
In West Seattle since 1997 | Living Green and Wearing Pink!