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Gerhard Ade covers Real Estate around Seattle and more.

For the past eleven years, Gerhard Ade has published the "View from the Street" a monthly newsletter he writes for his clients and friends. Appearing at the end of each month, Gerhard covers not only real estate but other topics that are close to his mind and heart. To reach a broader audience, Gerhard posts each newsletter on ReSeattle.com. Don't miss what Gerhard has to say and subscribe to his "View from the Street" right here!

Seller Disclosure: Buyer Beware

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Seller Disclosure
Real Estate around Seattle

Seller Disclosure: Buyer Beware

Seller Disclosure: 47 States require some sort of disclosure by the sellers of residential real estate and Washington is one of them. The disclosure, also known as Form 17, may well be the most complicated and controversial document in a residential real estate transaction.

Gerhard talks about his name, on growing up with the web, and what it takes to build trust in real estate. Don’t miss this video!

Seller DisclosureWhat’s wrong with the Washington Seller Disclosure Statement

  • Too much information crammed into five pages
  • The missing fourth choice (no longer missing!)
  • Too many variables of circumstance
  • Agents can’t help but are asked to enforce
  • Court rulings put burden on buyers

Too much information crammed into five pages

The Washington Seller Disclosure Statement may explain why filling out certain forms has the appeal of a colonoscopy. Tiny type, too much in all caps, numerous asterisks, indentations, a plethora of boxes and a total of 99 questions are downright intimidating. The form is provided as a courtesy of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service that takes its content from the Revised Code of Washington. [Read more…] about Seller Disclosure: Buyer Beware

Why are they selling?

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Why are They Selling
Real Estate around Seattle

Why are they selling?

“Why are they selling?” is one of the most frequent questions buyers ask me. Sometimes the answer is obvious. The listing or state records indicate an estate sale, a relocation or a recent divorce. Other times, we can’t be entirely sure.

Why are buyers interested in the sellers’ reason for selling? It could be because they are merely curious. A more likely reason is that they are suspicious. “If this is such a nice home why are they selling?”

Skepticism and even distrust are not limited to a buyer. A seller may be curious about a buyer’s circumstances that go beyond the buyer’s financial wherewithal. As a real estate agent, I need to navigate these channels of curiosity carefully. [Read more…] about Why are they selling?

Real Estate is Personal

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Real Estate is Personal
Real Estate around Seattle

Real Estate is Personal

It was nice to be voted again one of Seattle’s best real estate agents and have my name in the December 2014 issue of the Seattle Magazine. I share this honor with the top seven percent of Seattle area agents selected by their clients and real estate professionals.

Real Estate is PersonalPersonal Service

I’m sure that it wasn’t their Facebook posts or blogging skills that made these agents stand out. Computer literacy is expected and texting is only a means but not the meaning of client service. What these agents have in common is delivering the best of personal service. Real estate is personal.

[Read more…] about Real Estate is Personal

The Smells of Real Estate

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Smells of Real Estate
Real Estate around Seattle

The Smells of Real Estate

There are ways to combat the smells of real estate.

Smells of Real Estate

The expression “I can’t stand…” indicates an extreme dislike. “I can’t stand the smell of this house” is just about the most negative remark a buyer can make.  The equivalent German saying is “Ich kann ihn nicht riechen” which translates literally into “I can’t smell him.”

Smelling Memories

More than the other four senses, smell creates memories and brings them back, good and bad. Thanks to olfactory sensory neurons we recognize patterns of previous smells which we associate with the smell of the moment.  Thus, the open house smell of warm apple cider or baked cookies is meant to evoke those memories of Thanksgiving dinners and the presents of Christmas past. [Read more…] about The Smells of Real Estate

Your Next Home Is Just a Click or a Snap Away

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Your Next Home
Real Estate around Seattle

How to Find Your Next Home.

Could this be the place of your next home? On your drive to work you spotted a sign saying Vinterra – Coming Soon!  Only yesterday, this was one of the largest commercial nurseries on a main road connecting Kirkland and Woodinville. You make a mental note to search for Vinterra. As you type Vinterra, Google suggests Vinterra Woodinville. That must be it. You arrive at D R Horton’s Website with no more information than “Coming Soon.” At least, you can sign up for email updates.

Find Your Next Home With a ClickIf you want to know more and sooner where your next home may be you do not need to wait for the builder’s information. With only a city and street name you can find what’s developing at mybuildingpermit.com. Under Quick Links in the left column click on Check Status. Then under Permit enter the Jurisdiction (city), under Permit Number select SDL (Site Development) as the “type” and under Address enter the Street Name. Among the first results is Permit Number SDL14001. Clicking on that number a new window opens. You find out that 157 new homes are to be built on the 31 acre site. The site parcel number (tax id number) 1626059017 will lead you to a related website nwmaps.net where you find the map of the property and related development information.
[Read more…] about Your Next Home Is Just a Click or a Snap Away