It Pick: April 2019

2018 was a fascinating year for real estate. Click below for a recap and a look at what to expect for 2019. Read the Report >       Completed in 2017, this dramatic home fuses a modern, contemporary aesthetic with a thoughtful use of materials and design. From steel beams, reclaimed barnwood from a Lopez Island farm, and artistic light fixtures, to 10-foot ceilings on the main floor—and an 8 to 14-foot slope upstairs—this home delights at every turn! Sited on the sought-after Useless Bay, take in endless views of Mount Rainier, a sugar sand beach to wiggle your toes in, and a constant parade of eagles soaring overhead. View Property >       Buyers who are tired of the cost of living in NYC are turning to Seattle as an alternative. Learn More >       This month's auction highlight features an amazing collection of jewels from the world's most famous jewelry houses. View Auction >       The fire at Notre Dame was heartbreaking to see. Thankfully, efforts are already being made to rebuild this unbelievable piece or architectural history.   Learn More >       The weather is warming up and so is the real estate market! Learn More >       April's wine to watch is a collection of limited edition Chateau Mouton Rothschild Versailles Celebration Cases. Proceeds of this auction will go to the rebuilding efforts of Notre Dame. Check Them Out >       "Laura represented me recently in both the listing & sale of my home, as well as the acquisition of a condo in the same area. Laura has a unique skill set including: market knowledge & evaluation, professional & fair negotiation advice, and excellent customer service standards. She is a true pro. Anyone who has the opportunity to work with her should consider themselves most fortunate” Read Testimonials >     Luxury is an experience, not a price point.   Visit LauraHalliday.com

It Pick: March 2019

This month's auction highlights one-of-a-kind original movie posters. These would be great for someone's home theater!    Learn More >       Happy Birthday, Sotheby's! 275 years of unparalleled service in the auction industry is truly something to celebrate. Click below to learn more about the history and landmark achievements of this great company. Read More >       Price reduced by $300,000! Prominently sited on sought-after Capitol Hill (walk score of 89!), this historical treasure combines a pedigreed history and classical details with a home that exudes comfort and warmth. Multiple rooms invite living and entertaining, (both casually and formally) for all ages. Enjoy 5 bedrooms, 6+ baths, 7 fireplaces, billiards room, media room, sunroom, wine cellar, and nanny’s quarters with a separate entrance all embraced by luscious, mature gardens. At $431/sf, this is an incredible opportunity for a savvy buyer! View Property >       This month's version of The PULSE features the latest on art, travel, design and local events that are not to be missed! View the Pulse >       Timeless elegance meets a floor plan that really works for the way we live today. Gracious formal rooms flow into the spacious kitchen/family room complete with stainless appliances and granite counters. French doors open to the outdoor entertaining space including a fireplace, covered patio and a sunny, private backyard. Dark hardwoods, vaulted ceilings, skylights, bay windows, 3 fireplaces, custom built-ins and an elevator! View Property >       Is the real estate market in Seattle mirroring the weather and heating up?  Find Out >       2018 proved to be an unbelievable year for Sotheby's International Realty and its affiliates. Here's to breaking more records in 2019! Learn More >       March's wines to watch feature two delectable reds, Amarone and Valpolicella. Both wines offer bold flavors and pair well with rich pastas, duck and osso buco. Learn More >       A First Hill treasure! Sought after Sutton Place is one of Seattle's landmark mid-century steel and concrete buildings. Enjoy large picture windows that bring in light and offer lovely views of the historical Stimson Green Mansion and First Hill Park. Handsome parquet floors, an updated kitchen and bathroom, and an easy-living floor plan combine to create a home that is both sophisticated and welcoming. Outdoor pool, laundry facility and storage unit. Meticulously managed building with a walk score of 98! View Property >       "Laura Halliday is a visionary. When other realtors saw much less value in the property, she recognized its uniqueness, understood the benefit to buyers, and knew how to show case and market the property so that potential buyers could picture themselves living, relaxing, and entertaining in this  beautiful waterfront condominium. Not only did she have vision, but she also had a professional network that included an excellent cleaning company, a top quality stager, a brilliant photographer, expert marketers and a great estate sale company. She understood the value of breathtaking pictures on the internet, as well as stunning postcards to homeowners in Madison Park who do not use the internet to search for properties. Laura listed the property at what others thought was a ridiculously high price and in six days, had two bids above asking, setting a new benchmark for dollars per square foot in the area. She accomplished this during the months when the Seattle Times reported a slowing in local real estate sales. I have no doubt that the new owners will thoroughly enjoy living their dream here, just as my parents did for many years. Laura is both professional and real, having great integrity and a sense of humor. She is simply a pleasure to work with. My only regret in selling the condominium is that I will miss working with Laura" Read Testimonials >     Luxury is an experience, not a price point.   Visit LauraHalliday.com

It Pick: February 2019

This month's auction features beautiful watches from all over the world both new and vintage. Some of the finer brands are represented including; Rolex, Patek Philippe and IWC.   Learn More >       There is a powerful presence to this special home - a tribute to good taste and classical design never goes out of style! The flawlessly executed interior is a marriage of exquisite form and function. Beautifully appointed kitchen/family room/breakfast rooms are the "heart of this home" with easy access from the oversized 2-car garage/mud-room and out to the charming patio. A 1500+ bottle wine cellar, media/billiards rooms and a fantastic master suite complete with fireplace, vaulted ceilings and more! View Property >       This month's version of The Pulse features the latest on art, travel, design and local events that are note to be missed! View the Pulse >       Be sure to read the Forbes article below which explains what one can expect as it relates to interest rates, housing costs and everything else about the housing market for 2019. Learn More >        Available for the first time in 27 years, this 1926 Mediterranean home is proudly sited on the sunny 6th green of the Broadmoor Golf Club. Beautiful details include hardwood floors, wrought iron railings and balconies, three fireplaces and French doors that open to both the side and west facing patios. Fantastic bones and a one-of-a-kind location make this home a unique opportunity for a buyer looking to secure a special home in this sought-after community with tons of upside potential. Sublime! View Property >       The wines to watch for February are bordeauxs from 2012 and 2014. Sotheby's wine expert Graham Tucker lays out why you should be drinking them and offers a selection to choose from at varying price points. Find Out More >        Timeless elegance meets a floor plan that really works for the way we live today with gracious formal rooms flowing into the spacious kitchen/family room complete with stainless appliances and granite counters. French doors open to the outdoor entertaining space including a fireplace, covered patio and a sunny, private backyard. Dark hardwoods, vaulted ceilings, skylights, bay windows, 3 fireplaces, custom built-ins and an elevator! Daylight basement with rec-room and bath. Abundant storage throughout. View Property >       "Walking away from Laura feeling like I’d just been schooled by my mother was a surreal and humbling experience. We’d met socially once before. Now we were negotiating the sale of our home to one of Laura’s clients and she took me to the woodshed over price. I was mad. We didn’t list our home,  but we were willing to sell it. Laura finds unlisted opportunities like ours for her clients. She’s really good at it.    Here I experienced how she represented her clients. She’s brilliant at that. I wasn’t happy, but I had to respect Laura’s approach because nobody will beat her encyclopedic knowledge of arcane residential detail…like whether one comparative sale had copper plumbing and new wiring versus another that only received paint and cabinets. Laura’s house-by-house knowledge and deal volume speak for themselves. She knows her markets. She leverages deal creativity on behalf of her clients, but you can only learn what that is if you face her or retain her. I can’t share what I learned in writing!   We sold our home to Laura’s clients, but didn’t retain an agent to represent us in buying a new home in the same neighborhood because our family background is in real estate. And here, we met Laura again, along with every other agent of note in the area as we toured homes for sale. There is no comparison. Laura’s driven to be the best agent in the area, and by that I mean the best agent for her clients. She’s terrific. Laura must create 25 hours in a day because her follow-up on behalf of her clients is unmatched: Notes, phone calls - she knows when to press and when to just say hello.    You want to believe most agents operating in higher end markets have the same skill level. They don’t. There are agents promising their clients pie-in-the-sky to get a listing and then the home sits for months or years. There are agents who push their client to the floor on a home sale just to get the commission. What became clear in our tour was that Laura had the most fact-based approach to pricing and ultimately she achieved higher sale prices for her listings. All you have to do is look at her transaction record and compare it to other agents. Laura’s commission pays for itself for her clients. Laura will either get a higher sale price for a client listing than another agent, or she’ll navigate a lower offer on a client’s behalf and still win the deal. In listing or buying, clients are better with Laura than another agent.   Laura Halliday is a special agent. Since meeting her, negotiating with her, and seeing her work, we refer anyone who asks to Laura alone and know she will exceed their expectations. Laura Halliday has my great respect and admiration." Read Testimonials >     Luxury is an experience, not a price point.   Visit LauraHalliday.com

It List: January 2019

Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR) has rolled out a campaign for 2019 that makes the ultimate statement about who we are: Only With Us®.  Discover the Difference > Watch the Video >         Prominently sited on sought-after Capitol Hill (walk -score @ 89!), this historical treasure combines a pedigreed history & classical details with a home that exudes comfort & warmth. Multiple rooms invite living & entertaining, (both casually and formally!) for all ages...5 bedrooms, 6+ baths, 7 fireplaces, billiards room, media room, sunroom, wine cellar, nanny’s quarters with separate entrance all embraced by luscious, mature gardens. At $460/sf, this is an incredible opportunity for a savvy buyer!   View Property >         Be sure to take a look at this upcoming auction that features works from important American private collections and institutions. The items include fine furniture, decorative arts, folk art, silver, Chinese export ceramics, prints, historic maps, books, and manuscripts. Read More >         Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty presents a look at the housing market trends for the fourth quarter of 2018, from the shores of Bainbridge Island’s waterfront homes and in-city living opportunities to the Eastside’s most distinguished residences. View the Report >         Sometimes considered an afterthought with regards to the well known red wine-producing regions of France, the wines from Chateauneuf-du-Pape prove to be a wine connoisseur's dream. Expect tasting notes featuring  smoky and herbal aromas and flavors. This wine proves to be a perfect compliment to all things winter.    Find Out More >         Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty and three network affiliates in Amazon’s HQ2 cities to collaborate on MyHQHome.com; a collective offering relocation and referral services. Learn More >         “For about a year and a half, Laura patiently and diligently worked with us on our new home search and in the end the hard work paid off. Through her industry contacts, Laura found us a needle in a haystack private listing that was far and above everything we had previously considered. She helped us navigate the offer and negotiation and guided the process along through closing. We are thankful for her expertise, candor, and willingness to see our lengthy home search through to the joyous end"  Read Testimonials >     Luxury is an experience, not a price point.   Visit LauraHalliday.com

IT List: December 2018

On Friday, December 7th, Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty came together for Momentum, our annual real estate conference. Over 200 brokers and nine market leaders from around the Sotheby’s International Realty® network were inspired by the insights and expertise of industry leaders, guest speakers and panel experts. The day’s topics ranged from how to leverage the brand through innovation and the art of storytelling to building powerful relationships, personal style, investment strategy, market trends, and much more.By the end of the day, everyone in attendance felt prepared to “level up” as we move into 2019. Read More >         Would you like to spend a Sunday in Miami? Are you curious as to what real estate trends will be prevalent in 2019? Want some advice on curating and caring for an art collection? The Pulse December 2018 answers these questions and details local and national news concerning art, design and real estate.  View The Pulse >         WillowDon is an in-city-estate with resort-like amenities and private entertainment by the water’s edge simply minutes to downtown Seattle, SeaTac & private aviation. Sumptuous grounds, Olmstead gardens, yacht moorage (fresh water with access to sea), auto court and car museum, nostalgic architecture but studs out renovation with modern conveniences. Be still my beating heart!   View Property >         Change is on the horizon as we prepare to move through the holiday season and into 2019. As buyers and sellers prepare for the new year, let’s take a look at current trends and what’s ahead in the Seattle real estate market.  Read More >         The chart above illustrates just how powerful the Sotheby's brand really is! As you can see, our website outperformed our competitors by a wide margin. I am so lucky to have such brand identity and recognition at my disposal to utilize for my clients!         I had the pleasure of meeting with Sotheby's agent Jill Sassi when she visited our office to learn more about the Jackson Hole market. Did you know that there will be direct flights to JH beginning this Spring?! Great old west style community ( with lots of "bling")!  I love finding out about different destination communities from our fantastic Sotheby's colleagues. If you want further information on Jackson Hole reach out to me and I will introduce you to Jill!         I love books that are “flashlight under the covers good”…and this is one of them!  Based on the true story of Elizabeth Holmes the young, gifted, and blonde Stanford dropout who started Theranos.  The collection of names that Holmes collected as investors and board members is astonishing, though weirdly eclectic. Her board included Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State George Shultz, and a smattering of former senators and other political bigwigs. The leaders of both the drugstore chain Walgreen's, and Safeway saw in Theranos the opportunity to reinvent their businesses at a time when new directions were needed. Rupert Murdoch invested $125 million of his own money. The famed lawyer David Boies took payment in shares to represent the company in attacking critics. On YouTube you can see former president Bill Clinton's enchantment…This would be a great read over the holiday….  Purchase the Book >         “We first met Laura when we called her regarding one of her listings. We had decided we needed to move closer to our children's school and had started to look at houses using local search tools. When we called Laura, she answered the phone!  She was upbeat, professional and also made us feel comfortable in a very unclear situation. I got off the phone and thought, "this is exactly how I would want someone to represent me when selling my house". You bet she showed us that home! Six months later we decided to list our house and called Laura. Within 7 days, Laura had our home on the MLS. We listed April 2018 and Laura had talked about what was beginning to feel like a "changing market". The days were stressful as our house sat on the market but Laura remained incredibly responsive and continued to educate us about historical market trends, strengths and weaknesses. After 30 days we received an offer below list price that Laura negotiated on our behalf. Near the closing date of our primary residence we needed to sell a rental house. Laura had 6 days to get this house on the market. We all felt like we needed to list before the 4th of July. She worked with us day and night on paints, counters and appliances. This house received multiple offers in July 2018 and she negotiated on our behalf a sale price above list price. At this point we felt like we had seen so many sides of Laura and so many sides of her strengths. She guided us on when to list and what price to list at, but let us determine what was best for our personal investments. Laura is an incredible listener and is able to weave her expertise so that she is able to truly represent the needs of a seller. It was now time for us to shop for a home. Laura showed us so many homes on and off the market. She stayed positive and upbeat as we lived with our 3 kids and dog in a VRBO. We needed her support and she gave it 100%.  November 2018 Laura negotiated on our behalf the purchase of our new family home. We could not have done this without her. We are so grateful that Laura was on our team and miss our daily/weekly interactions.  We can't wait to work with her again in the future”  Read Testimonials >     Luxury is an experience, not a price point.   Visit LauraHalliday.com