I have the inside scoop on a Triangle Townhouse that is going to be coming up for rent in Downtown Tacoma’s St Helens Neighborhood!

I don’t talk about rentals on the blog very much because I don’t provide property management services. That said, at least half of my friends are renters and I find myself combing the rental ads with them trying to find them awesome places to rent on the regular.

As I outline in my Tacoma Homes for Rent page (which is still under construction) it’s kind of the wild west out there for people trying to find rentals in Tacoma. We all just do the best we can.

So this townhouse is currently being rented by a friend of a friend who is moving into a bigger place. Here are the specs:

• 1500 square feet
• 2 BDR
• 2.5  BA
• Gas fireplace
• Office/pantry space
• Private roof top deck <—————— !!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Heated 2 car garage with lots of storage shelving
• No pets

The rent is $1,800 month, which I think is pretty competitive considering what rentals are going for downtown in buildings with fewer amenities and no private rooftop deck!

The Triangle Townhomes are probably my dream place to live in Tacoma. They are townhomes, no condos (to understand the importance of knowing the difference check out my video on the topic here) and are located across from Corina Bakery and Tacoma’s Grand Cinema. Primo location for those requiring a constant stream of baked goods and art house movies.  In addition they’re just completely unique for this part of the city- there are no other townhomes in this side of Downtown Tacoma- everything else is condos. They are really special.

If you want an introduction to the lady renting this place out, contact me.

Making a video on Youtube about what I charge could be seen by other agents, and could be interpreted as collusion. So the the lawyerly types at Windermere were like, “Go ahead, make a video, but don’t use any numbers or percentages” which is harder than it sounds. Here’s me trying:

How did I do? It’s kind of hard to explain it without breaking the law!

As a rule, real estate agents and homebuyers (in Tacoma and elsewhere) tend to use the generic term “Condo” when describing a home that is not a detached single family dwelling.  That’s fine, but the differences are actually HUGE for buyers and owners. I touched on this briefly during my video about how to keep your condos value from going down- but there’s a bit more to it. The differences between condos and townhouses affect your insurance, their rentability, their finceability, and of course their future value- so make sure you educate yourself and choose the right kind of place for you!

Really in the end there are a lot of factors that go into choosing between a condo and a townhouse. If you’re an investor (or maybe in the Military or another job that could relocate you within a couple of years and you might need to rent it) it might be to your benefit to choose a townhouse. If you’re like me, and you plan to stay in Tacoma for a while and you just want to move somewhere where everything’s taken care of (so you can hire a cat sitter and run off to Bora Bora!?) a condo is probably a better bet.

If you’re interested in buying a townhouse or condo in Downtown Tacoma and want to know more about how all this works, contact me!

The Perkins Lofts are NICE. Located just down A Street from Cliff Street lofts, they boast similar views of the mountain, Foss Waterway, or city skyline- but with a different twist. The Perkins Lofts have all the wonderful lofty things- high ceilings (some units have SUPER high ceilings allowing for loft bedrooms/offices) big windows that frame the views, and lots of original brick and cement.

When the building was first turned into condos I think the developers had a better idea of what was coming with Downtown’s revival and they put a little more money into putting nicer finishes into these units (wood floors and granite and such). They also have a BAD ASS rooftop deck with views for days!

When the downturn happened, (I mostly block it out now but I remember horrors including FOUR YEARS OF CONDO INVENTORY flooding the market in Downtown Tacoma) The Perkins Lofts did better than most of the other buildings around. They held it together with their HOA and their maintenance- and the values in the building reflect that.

1101 A St Unit #702 is listed for sale. This 824 square foot 1 bedroom loft with a view of the city and the Foss Waterway is listed with Margo Hass Klein for $194,000. The unit is very lofty and open with big cement beams and even a walk in closet. Like all units in Perkins you get access to the rooftop deck, fitness room, and Atrium/Library area. Dues are about $260/month. Probably the biggest downside of this unit is that it doesn’t come with a parking space- but you can lease a spot long term kitty corner from the Perkins (or try to get a neighbor to lease one to you!)

Let me know if you want to check it out! 

Special thank you to Margo Hass Klein for being so classy as to let me blog about her listing.

In conclusion, the best thing you can do to prevent making big mistakes when you buy your first house is to find a Realtor and a Lender that you can trust. Good places to investigate Realtors are Yelp, Zillow, and Google Reviews. Or you know, you can just contact me.

Lofts in general seem to be in high demand among the buyers I work with, so that’s why I’m blogging about them twice in one day.  I hope it’s not too much loft talk. (As if!)

Awesome T-Town Realtors Anne Jones  (and my Realtor BFF, full disclosure) and Sloan Hunter just listed this Cliff Street Loft (really, her timing is excellent) which is unit #408. It’s a completely open loft with southern exposure, big windows, and an open kitchen. You can see her listing here or see this awesome video she made of the unit:

Just to reiterate some of my favorite things about Cliff Street Lofts:

• Financeable (FHA- which means 3.5% downpayments are possible if you qualify!)
• Rooftop Deck with views of the city, mountain, and water (helps you to make and keep friends)
• High High ceilings and tall windows (Light! Openness)
• You can easily walk to the Grocery Store, Pacific Avenue Bars, Link Light Rail, and of course, Pacific Grill

The only downside I see to this loft is that it doesn’t have a separate bedroom (but if you’re looking for a loft you probably want openness to begin with) and it doesn’t have an assigned parking space. You can solve the parking space issue by leasing a space in the lot next door.

If you want to see this loft or any of the other cool lofts that have come on the market recently - contact me!

Thanks to Anne & Sloan for being a classy awesome forward thinking Realtors and letting me blog about their listing!

It could use a good scrubbing- but this place is way cooler than the pictures suggest.

It must be loft week. Hot on the heels of Unit #501 at Cliff Street coming on the market (multiple offers this weekend, I’m curious to see how much it goes for) this awesome 1 bedroom loft at The Bridge just came on the market for only $118,900. This is government owned so it will probably need a good scrubbing and some foofing up- but use your imagination- it’s awesome.

This building does not normally qualify for traditional financing (if you don’t know what I’m talking when I talk about condo financing check out my video here) but in this case the owner is Fannie Mae. The cool thing about Fannie Mae is that when they sell their foreclosed units they provide financing for them with only a 3% down payment. Which brings us to the pros and cons:

Pros

• 

  Gas stove, cool island.

  If you qualify for Fannie Mae Homepath Financing you can buy this bad boy for only $3,540 down

• No Mortgage Insurance (that’s normally present when you put down such a small downpayment)
• It’s a GREAT location right next to City Hall and only a minutes stumble to The Mix, The Silverstone, Stink, and Puget Sound Pizza
• The HOA recently started making some changes to help the building qualify for financing in the future (capping rentals)
• Awesome neighbors. I know lots of peeps who live in this building and they’re all cool. I can’t vouch for every single person, but I know lots of cool people who call The Bridge Lofts home.
• Private Deck. VERY FEW condo buildings in Tacoma have private decks, and NONE of the loft buildings that I can think of do- besides a few of the units at The Bridge. If you want a loft and you require private outdoor space- this is pretty much your only option.

Cons

• 

  This is a really big private deck.

  Even though YOU can finance it no one else can, so between when you buy it and when you sell it you better participate in the HOA and work to help the building become eligible for financing so prices can go up (if you’re still confused about this financing talk- seriously, watch my video)

• No Parking. There IS a lot next door and you can have a space there- but it’s not quite the same as having a deeded space. That said, that’s why it’s only 118k!
• Coffee Shop Downstairs. Coffee shops sell muffins and scones. Muffins and scones can make you tubby. That said, there’s also coffee- and coffee is WONDERFUL.

This unit is a big open space with a huge wall of windows overlooking your private deck, a nice big kitchen with a gas stove, and room for a full size set washer and dryer.  Also, it’s in the St Helens Neighborhoods, which is one of my favorite places to live. This unit is half a block from Opera Alley, home of the Downtown Tacoma Block Party, Tacoma’s Gay Pride Celebration, The Grand Cinema, and The Pantages. In other words, right in the middle of awesometown.

If you want to see it Contact Me. It’s a good deal with easy financing for the right person.

Special shout out and thank you to Pamela Vanderlinda & Libbie Lozier at Parkside Realty for being the classy kinda Realtors who give me permission to blog about their listings. Thanks ladies!

When is the “Right Time to Buy”?

 What are your values?

Find a REALTOR who gets you.

I’ve heard about this program before, but was kind of confused about exactly how it worked and what the incentives were- so I went down to Downtown Tacoma’s Roberson Condos and spoke with Downtown On the Go executive director Kristina Walker to get the skinny on how the program works, and how Tacomans can take advantage of it!

So to summerize:

- Participating in the Live Downtown Program is free for Employers and Employees

- Employers can offer incentives to encourage employees to participate

- Live Downtown is for RENTERS as well as HOMEOWNERS

If you have any other questions about buying a place in Downtown Tacoma and participating in the Live Downtown program contact me. I love helping people live the dream and move to Downtown Tacoma. If you’re interested in renting in Downtown Tacoma check out my Downtown Tacoma for Rent page here.

Views of the Thea Foss Waterway and Mount Rainier? Don’t mind if I do…

Do you want to be more popular? If you had this rooftop deck you would probably have more friends. Just saying.

High ceilings, big windows, kitchen with a view…

Many of the buyers I meet are looking for a loft in the city. Maybe it’s because we all watched too much Friends growing up- or maybe it’s just the romantic idea of exposed brick, high ceilings, and lots of windows in a building with some history… whatever the reason, people LOVE lofts, and in Tacoma, there are only a few buildings that provide a true loft living experience. Cliff Street Lofts are one of those buildings. Cliff is also a really AFFORDABLE option right now.

My favorite units at Cliff (and I reserve my right to change my mind in the future) are the 01′s. On the corner with views of the water, Murray Morgan, and Mount Rainier. So basically you’re in a hip corner loft in Downtown Tacoma with views of all the hip Tacoma things.

So the great news is that Jane Josephsen just listed #501 over at Cliff Street Lofts for $124,900! 

This loft is super cool, with a built in loft bed for guests as well as a real bedroom on the Mount Rainier/City side of the building. The high industrial style windows in the living room face the water and the port- and they are big! So lots of light. One of the coolest things about being on the 5th floor is that you’re only one flight of stairs from the Cliff Street Loft’s rooftop deck and barbecues, which are your key to social popularity in the summers!

The nice thing about Cliff Street Lofts is it appears they finally have their FHA certification, which means if you qualify you can buy unit #501 for only 3.5% down. THAT IS CRAY, PEOPLE! That’s like a $4,400 downpayment. You’d have to check out the loan calculator for your own situation (or better yet, talk to a lender) but this is more than likely a Buying is Cheaper than Renting type situation.

Anyways. I love this. I would love to be the agent who finds a buyer for it, so contact me if you want it or tell your friends because omg someone cool needs to live there! If you’re already out looking with another agent ask them to show it to you because it’s a total hottie.