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Name: Courtney Cooper
Nickname: courtneycooper
Member since: 2009-01-30 15:47:21
Website URL: http://www.cooperjacobs.com/
About me: Courtney Cooper is a Seattle Realtor with a background in accounting. She has worked for Windermere Real Estate Company as an Associate Broker and is currently an EcoBroker and also the Designated Broker for Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services. She enjoys helping her clients in all aspects of Seattle real estate . Courtney started a popular Seattle Houseboats blog as well as several neighborhood blogs about her favorite Seattle places. She loves Seattle neighborhoods and their wonderful histories! You can follow her on twitter: @CourtneyCooper or become a fan on Facebook: Courtney Cooper

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User comments

Seattle's Queen Anne Neighborhood Is Amazing

December 31st, 2009 at 5:22 pm

That is AWESOME!!!! Went right in and ordered it – thanks for the recommendation! I heard the earth pedestals referred to as “spite hills” some where, too. We always hear the term Denny regrade around town, but I think very few people actually realize the extent of what happened there! Wild! Do you have any pictures laying around? I would love sit and pick your brain sometime. Happy New Year!

Seattle's Queen Anne Neighborhood Is Amazing

December 31st, 2009 at 4:47 pm

Hi Drew! How are you? Queen Anne is so great – I have always enjoyed writing about it, too. What are your favorite parts about living there? Hope you have a great New Year!

Seattle's Queen Anne Neighborhood Is Amazing

December 31st, 2009 at 9:06 am

Hi Jerry – I wrote a post about the Denny Hill Regrade. Seattle indeed would have been a very different city. Denny Park in particular must have been a thing of beauty before it was slashed down. My husband’s family is from Queen Anne going back over a hundred years (a couple family homes on the historic registry actually) – it must have been a very different place on Queen Anne as they watched the hotel and the rest of Denny Hill come down in front of them. The city made some odd choices a hundred years ago to defy nature – the Underground Tour in Pioneer Square is living proof.

Mid-Century Modern Gingerbread House

December 27th, 2009 at 6:35 pm

ARDELL – this is so cute – I love it! Just tossed the collapsing traditional gingerbread homes by the kids…

Buy Now or be Priced Out Forever!

December 7th, 2009 at 5:49 am

I have been out of it for the last couple of months so I think I better put that on my calendar. I have a prelisting appointment at 10 and it is my little one’s b day. Rhonda keeps planning these things on my kids birthdays!!! :) What time? I will check facebook – I am sure it is on there – I do recall an invite…

Buy Now or be Priced Out Forever!

December 6th, 2009 at 9:02 pm

Hi ARDELL – my comment disappeared…. waaa But I like this story and I had a few similar ones this year. These would be buyers are extremely appreciative! I agree with you – I wish my husband’s family in particular had held on to any of their family mansions on Queen Anne!!!!!

Starter homes you can STAY in

August 6th, 2009 at 11:23 am

Hi ARDELL – I am trying to get this message across as well to buyers in every range. Great post and a good reminder:)

Go Ahead, Make My Day

August 5th, 2009 at 8:32 am

Hi Robbie – your understanding was actually unfortunately correct. The MLS employee’s supervisor called me back after that and gave me the bad news. This site was on and off all day yesterday and I had appointments so sorry for getting back to you so late on it.

Go Ahead, Make My Day

August 4th, 2009 at 2:13 pm

Robbie – I just called the MLS and the tech dept told me that the first three feeds will still be FREE – absolutely free, but anything over 3 feeds will be charged to the vendor. Do you have something in writing that is contrary to that?

RCG: Now with Seattle listing goodness

August 4th, 2009 at 12:19 pm

I think the M Realty thing really should go at the bottom and small – it doesn’t need to be so prominant if it is just a legal requirement. The map crashed my computer a couple times from IE. I like the site design, but I really liked the Magazine layout quite a bit!

Gone Facebooking... Be back soon

July 9th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

I think this is a great idea – I keep trying to play around with those fan boxes, but haven’t figured them out quite yet. I am ever impressed with FB’s evolvement and appreciate you sharing all of it with us!

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 16th, 2009 at 4:59 pm

I am referring to when they are calling the brokerage on a sign from one of the office’s listings for a floor call, Craig. No steering involved in that – they just want the office agents to know what listings the office has so that when they call if the listing agent is not available for some reason another office agent can at least say they have been in the house.

Now where it would pay off for the company: The office tour has the extra added benefit that another office agent on tour might think, “hmmm I have someone for this”, and then sell it in house. But again, why not let the seller have another avenue for exposure.

Why do you think the slant has to be so agent centric? All exposure is good for sellers.

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 16th, 2009 at 4:52 pm

Good luck with that, Craig:) I like alternative business models. I used the term “sold” because that is the status of the listings in the MLS. They are “sold” and the “selling brokerage” identified in the MLS is indeed Redfin, but I will agree that they also represented them if that would help clarify. It is just a term.

As far as your comment on the broker’s opens being better for the agent vs. the seller, I do agree that the agents visiting them probably do get a lot more out of them immediately, but the sellers benefit because those agents have or might have buyers for their house and any exposure is good exposure. It really isn’t a self centered thing for an agent to host a broker’s open and just one more faucet of exposure if they find that they are useful.

Top 3 Reason to Love Facebook Pages

June 16th, 2009 at 3:37 pm

I first learned about the page function from you and then I learned about being able to point a personalized domain (courtneycooper.com and dustinluther.com) to it from you and I am impressed! I hadn’t thought about the friends of fans part of it….But that is three great FB page ideas that came from YOU – plus I see my mug captured in your screen shot – LOL. Congrats on also being able to grab that elusive personalized FB page domain because of all your fans, too!

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 16th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

OH! And no – you are thinking of the office tours. When I was at Windermere, we toured all of our new office listings every Monday so we knew the inventory in the office in case we got a floor call. Brokers opens are different and they are for all agents and the public as well if they feel like dropping in. We use the same A-boards as we do for public opens so anyone can come in.

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 16th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

Hi Craig – Broker’s opens have been around for a long time – long before me and are a bit traditional – they are held on certain days and times depending on what area your listing is. They are a great way for a local agent to pull up inventory and run around during those hours seeing all of the properties without having to make appointments when occupied. We tend to serve up food and treats at these to try and whoo as many agents as we can to come see our broker open. We want them to remember our listing for a particular buyer or if they get a new one that might fit the bill.

It is also a great way for agents to pick up tons of Starbucks gift cards which are offered frequently at these things. I don’t do a lot of broker’s opens, but when I do, I advertise them publicly and hope to get buyers through as well.

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 16th, 2009 at 1:05 pm

Hey Craig – Most sellers do understand this concept believe it or not. I prefer to just make the brokers opens regular opens. Might as well get more foot traffic while I am there anyway.

Thoughts on a new theme for RCG?

June 16th, 2009 at 8:42 am

Well, I would say that is two days of good news then – it will be interesting to see how it progresses!

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 16th, 2009 at 8:38 am

I have never restricted that feed from others either. I didn’t know I could at the broker level until ARDELL pointed it out. Where do you find that data to show they were actually first?

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 16th, 2009 at 8:36 am

Hey Kevin – I don’t see how that would practically work. I would say half my opens are spur of the moment when the seller calls me up and says it is okay. In a more perfect world it would be easier to get all those in, but some sunny days I might feel like plopping down a few open house A-boards to see if I can get any traffic. I would hate to be in violation because I did something on the fly. I think the better solution might be not allowing for the blocking of the information.

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 15th, 2009 at 4:19 pm

Hey Matt – I did just go in and checkout your post on Active Rain – sorry I had missed that. Like ARDELL, I think all the info should be on all the sites. Hopefully other brokerages will wise up to what the consumer wants.

Thoughts on a new theme for RCG?

June 15th, 2009 at 12:10 pm

I have had 7 laptops in three years! I am finally keeping my main biz on a desk top – LOL

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 15th, 2009 at 12:07 pm

We just talk too much:)

I understand what you are referring to in regards to trying to cut out those alternative business models, but what about when you see really ridiculous substandard commissions being offerred in the SOC and your buyers have agreed to pay you more via the buyers agency agreement. I show everything as it is no matter what the commission being offered on it is – this is because I know what my pay will be based on what the buyer and I have agreed to in a buyers agency agreement. It is one of the up front discussions we have. The buyer will make up the difference to me at close when the seller only pays me part of that agreed upon fee. This hasn’t happened yet and I probably would just write off the difference in most cases, but I have seen some really screwball things on the multiple lately so I could see where it might happen down the road or at least has the potential to.

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 15th, 2009 at 10:52 am

I know, but I love looking at those little maps and printouts the really prepared buyers bring:) Glad you had good traffic. I need to see it (and you!).

Is Your Open House In The NWMLS For ALL To See?

June 15th, 2009 at 10:50 am

But what about taking it completely out of the seller’s hands and making it part of the buyer’s closing costs? It would not be part of the Seller’s side of the HUD at all. It is very common for buyers to ask for closing costs anyway and seller’s never seem to ask for a break down at offer time. I know they will get it later on the HUD, but they shouldn’t care in most cases as long as the SOC on their expense side is whatever commission they offered in the listing. Just trying to think outside of the box. Like I said before, though – I know it wouldn’t work for VA – not sure about FHA though. To me, it would be the same as if you sold your clients a FSBO not offering buyer agent payment at all and they still agreed to pay you at close per the terms of your buyer’s agency agreement.