You don’t have to be buying or selling a house to take and interest in our Roost Sponsors and fellow co-op members, Jarrett Altman and Tracy Dau of Neighborhood Works Realty. Just like the rest of us that have joined the Swap Shop, they know that neighborhoods are at their best when everyone works together, sharing our skills and talents with each other for a better pace of life. In the spirit of sharing and caring they were very happy to sit down with me this week and talk about the things that real estate agents know that can help us all – including the market value report and tax credit info at the end of this email.
Their biggest message and most generous offer to all of us . . . call with your basic house questions. Even if you aren’t buying or selling a house, you can really help yourself (and indirectly Tracy, Jarrett and other agents too) by checking in with someone like them before tearing down a wall, responding to the city’s fix it letter, or slapping on a coat of paint.
Most of us have only the occasional brush with contractors and a few home decorating/home remodeling projects under our belts. As someone who just recently bought a house in the Sunnyside neighborhood with the expert help of Tracy Dau, it was a big relief to me that Tracy and Jarrett have already been selling houses here for many years (4 and 10 years respectively). I had only just arrived in the Sunnyside neighborhood when I started getting my feet wet in the market, but Jarrett and Tracy have each been living in Sunnyside for over 15 years. They’ve had their hands in the restoration of many older homes even before they were real estate agents. Between restorations, remodels, home inspections and navigating the variable opinions of appraisers, they know our old inner Southeast homes in a way that almost no one else does.
Wondering what contractors to turn to for a project? Looking for those elusive inner Southeast rentals that may or may not be on Craig’s list or, even trickier, places that you can rent just temporarily? Have only a certain amount of money to spend and want to have an impact on your home that will make a real difference in the long run? Just need a second set of eyes on a report from the city or contract to sign?
Obviously, with their own kids to raise and real estate careers to navigate in a challenging market, Tracy and Jarrett wouldn’t be able to drop everything to spend a big chunk of their day with you, but you’d be amazed the knowledge they can share in a 5-10 minute phone conversation or a quick stop by your house on their way to the next client.
So let’s share the wealth, take turns contacting Jarrett and Tracy. Be sure to tell them you are a co-op member too. They’ll be glad to hear that you are enjoying the Swap Shop and The Roost. As the years go on, sharing the kind of inner South east neighborhood knowledge they have worked so hard to build up is going to help all of us have more success with purchases, rentals, remodels and renovations. Now, that’s how Neighborhood Works!
