All Forum Posts by: Monica S.

Hi Aaron,

Your numbers sound spot on and with the Roosevelt Light Rail Station opening in 2021, house values around it could likely go up. I used to work in Ravenna for many years, love that neighborhood. 

@Megan Shay has good points about Kitsap, your money would definitely go a lot further if you don't mind a ferry commute. The views from the ferries are stunning, it's my favorite way to travel. It does have its downsides at times (mostly scheduling). I live in Bremerton currently and my other half regularly takes the fast ferry (and so do all of our neighbors) and it's only 30 minutes to Seattle. The housing stock in Bremerton is older and many houses are in need of some repair, but a lot of them are also charming (wood floors, leaded glass windows etc). You can get a place for around 1/2 to even 1/3 the price of Seattle housing. We bought a SFH with a separate detached cottage and rented the cottage out to someone in healthcare. We've really appreciated being able to house hack in this way while also having privacy. I've seen quite a few of these types of houses on the market over the last year too, just something to consider.

Good luck in your search! 

The house has nice architectural elements and your updates are lovely. The price also seems right for that area. 

My initial thoughts would be to update the exterior photos now that the deciduous trees have some leaves. Are there any flowering plants currently? If not, could you add some? A couple large pots with some colorful flowers would make the front entry very inviting and be relatively low cost. Adding little pops of color would cause the eye to stop and study the photos, flowers that smell great would be a bonus for showings.

I don't see any pictures of the back yard and you mentioned it was small, but maybe that could be used as a selling point? Less yard to maintain? A family with middle school/high school aged children might not need or care to have a large back yard, but instead a fun place to hang out outdoors could make your place stand out. I would add some lounge chairs and a fire pit to the staging and some cafe lights. Show that the yard might be small but the possibilities for entertainment are not limited. 

I've noticed a few properties in the area are using Matterport 3D walkthroughs. I know I personally love them for getting a better idea of a house before making the trip out to see it. Perhaps that is something to consider? 

I can see what you mean by updating the brick fireplace, but I actually think it's pretty cool, especially with the gray shelves next to it (good color choice!)