When I came home from working over seas, I had a really good chunk of change saved up. With that, I decided to rent a beautiful and peaceful, 1000 square foot, one bedroom apartment on Alki Beach, costing me at the end of the month (with utilities/rent/cable/etc.) roughly $1300. After a year, I had blown all of my savings, and had to move out of the favorite place I had ever lived. I now am in a 225 square foot studio apartment on 14th and John in Seattle’s bustling Capitol Hill neighborhood (or, the “Manhattan of Seattle”, as I like to call it). I pay $735/month for a glorified (but adorable!) dorm room, where I can hear everyone and everything around me. I’m close to my friends and social scene, and living in the best part of the city for a 20-something chick is invaluable…right?

Until I started working at Team Diva Real Estate, and starting seeing listings for condos and apartments around the city, and realizing something: Right now, it seriously IS cheaper to buy than to rent. I know, I know, buying is a huge commitment, and being young you want to have your options open, and we can’t afford to buy anything, which is why we rent, right? If I had come home from Hong Kong with the money I had saved and bought an apartment instead of renting it, I would still be living in it, and as the ever adventurer that I am, I could rent it out while I go live in a far away country again (whenever that may be), giving me MORE income while away, and then having a for sure place to live when I get home that is all mine.It seems to me (and confirmed by the brokers and real estate agents I work with here) you need about $5000 saved up for your down payment (if you moved to Capitol Hill, you could sell your car, which is what I want to do to get that money), and make enough for having your rent (including utilities) be about $900/month.

How doable is that! Your living costs for rent are supposed to be 1/3 of what you make a month. After a 3.5% down payment, factor in insurance and home owner’s dues (most even include utilities!) and a mortgage at 4% APR, you are looking at owning a new home with monthly dues of $900-$1200. If you make $32,000/year (and yes have a little saved up), you could seriously be living in a place you OWN right now. Not wondering if you can paint that wall an accent color, not worrying if you’re being too loud after 10 p.m., not wondering if you can get that dog you saw online or not, and not wondering when your new dog pees on the carpet if you’re going to have money deducted from a deposit.

You can hang shelves to your heart’s desire, have a pet or two or maybe even three, throw parties, paint it and decorate it and refurbish it as much as you want-BECAUSE YOU OWN IT! I had ZERO idea how feasible it is for a single twenty-something (or thirty-something) to own her own place, and have it be so much more rewarding than renting, on so many levels.

For example, for those of us make about $42,000/year, check out this adorable studio that lives as a one bedroom condo in Portage Bay. I fell in LOVE with this place, with it’s Carrie Bradshaw style closet, gorgeous views that surround the entire condo through huge windows, amazing location, original built ins and pane glass, rustically old fashioned kitchen, hard wood floors and romantic layout. I could totally see myself living there, hosting parties, having guests over, waking up from the sun rising in my windows and walking sleepily to my amazing kitchen and drinking coffee from like a percolator or something. I want it.

But for the more realistic 20-something, a yearly income of roughly $32,000 can still buy you a fantastic studio that is cheaper to buy than rent in popular Seattle neighborhoods.  I’m transitioning from remedial jobs to support my artistic endeavors and going back to school, but I mean come on-I know most of you make more than $32,000 a year. That is so doable. College degree or not, corporate life or hipster barista, you’re going to make that if you’re working full time.

Dudes. You could be living in a place more amazing than where you’re renting at the same price and OWNING it. It won’t tie you down, because it’s just an investment that you can live-in or not-live-in-and-rent-to-your-content. Instead of the dream of owning my own place, it’s a goal. A goal that can be easily achieved by all of us well before the age of 30.

Call/text/email the Divas here at Team Diva Real Estate if you, too, want to start your new life in your very own home.

Pin a Little Diva on Your Pinterest

You know how a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, knowing the importance of using images to communicate, the Divas have become obsessed with a social media tool that uses pictures to share a variety of information – Pinterest. Pinterest is a virtual pinboard that enables users to organize all of the things they love on the internet by “pinning” photos with links to the website onto different boards. These “pins” are made available to the entire Pinterest community and can be repinned by anyone who feels the information is valuable.

We Team Diva gals have created our own Pinterest board where we can share the things we love. We post striking images of things that inspire us with new ideas, knowing that images make it easier to remember these ideas down the road. We Divas love posting our favorite homes, local shops and restaurants, DIY ideas, tech tools, recipes, and more. I, Diva Kaz, have my own Pinterest site where I am organizing ideas for redecorating my home. Diva Chavi’s board  is all about gardening ideas, and Diva Kim’s board is all about Seattle’s arts events.

If you haven’t done so already, check out Pinterest and find out how online pinboards can work for you. Also, check out Team Diva’s board and follow us for great home and gardening ideas, recipes, and Seattle happenings. Let’s share our ideas with each other.

A night on the town? Stand out with a unique and fetching Vixen or Narwhal tee-shirt. A touch of glitter makes the outfit.

Witty tees with beautiful prints are always well-loved.

How are you going to dress up the bare walls of your new Diva Dwelling? Don’t panic. A screen-printed poster will look fantastic.

Where are you going to turn for all these special and amazing items? Cellar Door Mercantile, of course!

Cellar Door Cards

Diva Dwellers and partners Justin Allan and Adam Spencer started Cellar Door Mercantile in 2011. With over twenty years design and art experience between them, they figured it was time to put their skills to work and go into business for themselves.

Justin and Adam decided to focus on their passions and skills; design and printing. Cellar Door Mercantile is a short-run screen-printing and design studio specializing in environmentally friendly printing techniques and materials.

Screen Printed Goods

Cellar Door Mercantile is a true partnership, driven by Adam’s ingenious and keen artistic eye and Justin’s quirky design sensibility. Justin can be found at the sewing machine while Adam is hard at work printing the latest design.

Thanks to a little ingenuity and creative organizing, the business HQ is located in their 650 square foot condo. An open and versatile layout allows them to print tee-shirts in the morning and host a smashing party in the evening. Guests are surprised to learn that the dinner table serves double duty as the main cutting table.

Cellar Door Mercantile Hand Pressed Cards

Look for Cellar Door Mercantile goods online at www.cellardoormercantile.com and at local flea and farmers markets. For the latest, follow the boys on twitter (@CellarDoorMerc) or www.facebook.com/cellardoormercantile.

Interested in small-scale custom design? The boys are happy to meet with you and discuss your project! Contact them at human@cellardoormercantile.com or 206-324-4790.

“Humanities Washington is the state’s flagship non-profit for promoting and providing programs based in the humanities. Since 1973, Humanities Washington has provided a rich array of programs, exhibits, and experiences to hundreds of thousands of people across the state.

Humanities Washington mission is to spark conversation and critical thinking using story as a catalyst, nurturing thoughtful and engaged communities across our state.  It does this be partnering with a wide network of communities, organizations, and individuals to offer a variety of programs and events. Its core work includes:

• Speakers Bureau: Feeding inquiring minds through engaging discussions.
• Traveling Exhibits: Touring exhibits to Washington communities.
• Family Reading: Building literacy and cultural understanding using the power of stories.
• Grants: Fostering the humanities with grants to projects and organizations.
• Bedtime Stories: Celebrating great Northwest writers and the art of the short story.
• Washington State Poet Laureate: Promoting poetry across the state.
• Think & Drink: Hosted conversations on provocative topics and new ideas to pubs and tasting rooms around the state.

I was introduced to Humanities Washington when a friend invited me to their 2011 Bedtime Stories literary gala and fundraiser. During the event, five local authors revealed new work based on the theme, “12:01 a.m.” Authors such as Jamie Ford (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet) and Stephanie Kallos (Sing Them Home) read short stories written specifically for the Bedtime Stories event. Always a fan of a good book, I fell in love with the organization and wanted to support their mission.

Through this community partnership, every time a Humanities Washington member or friend/family/donor referral buys or sells a home with me, Coldwell Banker Bain will donate an amount equal to 10% of Coldwell Banker Bain’s commission to Humanities Washington. That means if a Humanities Washington member or referral bought a home for $350k, Humanities Washington would receive a donation in the amount of $1,050.00. Team Diva strongly believes in giving back to our local community and we Divas adore Humanities Washington’s work to foster community, culture, arts, and literacy.

Join Us: Join me, Diva Kaz, at 7pm on Wednesday, May 9th for the next Seattle Think & Drink event: Harlots & Heroines: Images of Women in Media and Pop Culture, at Naked City Brewery & Taphouse.

Welcome to the Diva Community, Humanities Washington!

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I had the pleasure of meeting with Kim V. Colaprete and Chavi M. Hohm, two of the three members of Team Diva Real Estate, before Seattle Agent Reboot.They were recommended to me by Coldwell Banker Bain as a team that is doing a great job online building relationships and generating business.

After chatting with both of them it is clear to me why they are successful: They are outgoing, hard-working and aren’t afraid to do what needs to get done to make things happen. They work very hard to build relationships offline and online through their blog and social media profiles, and have done a fantastic job of building an extremely strong presence on Yelp.

We selected Team Diva to be part of our “Anatomy of an Agent” panel at Reboot where we showcased their site live onstage, and they were able to share some of their success with the audience and get feedback from our panel of experts.

Here is an interview I did with Kim and Chavi about their business and their Reboot experience.

Q: How long have you been in real estate?

A: Kim has been in real estate since 1999, and I joined her right before the crash in 2008. Since that time our team has expanded to include Kaz in 2010.

Q: How many transactions did you do last year?

A: 28.

Q: How many are you on track for this year?

A: We have closed 16 total with a small number of those being renters. The plan is to close around 40 transactions.

Q: What area do you work in?

A: City of Seattle. Rarely do we leave the 206 area code.

Q: How much of your business comes from online (i.e., social media, Yelp, blog, etc.)?

A: About 32 percent of 2011 business was a result of our online presence. But social media and our blog keep us in touch with our existing clients. Their referrals were 30 percent of our business.

Q: If you could offer one piece of advice for someone trying to build their online leads/online presence, what would it be?

A: Identify the people who you are going to work well with; keep the conversation going; be yourself; and the most important is to keep at it. It took us close to nine months before we found our voice on our blog and now you cannot stop us!

Q: You were asked to be a part of the Anatomy of an Agent panel at Seattle Reboot. What were the top takeaways from that experience?

A: Team Diva is closely looking at what it would look like for us to specialize more in a specific neighborhood per the advice given from Zillow’s Nick Taylor. It is a new concept for our team since we are more focused on the type of people we work well with versus their actual neighborhood.

Q: Is there any advice you received that you did not agree with?

A: It felt a little odd to receive advice from some of the panel members about using an SEO pack when we had one already. Team Diva has an SEO pack in our WordPress blog that we use regularly. Our business model is highly focused on the demographic that is going to most relate to Team Diva. Hence, the usage of that SEO pack is more on people versus locations.

Q: What was the best piece of advice you received?

A: Up our video presence. It is an area that needs more focus from Team Diva to make happen in the same way we have focused on our blog.

Q: What is the No. 1 thing you plan to implement into your business after this experience (and after coming to Reboot)?

A: The discussion on handling negative social media was an amazing topic. We received one negative review on Yelp! recently. It was so odd for us to receive a negative comment that we did not know what to do. But Agent Reboot really taught us how to handle the situation. Team Diva has also launched a Pinterest site. And now we have a plan for video!

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

A: Agent Reboot was filled with hard-working and super-exciting brokers from all over the Northwest. It was inspiring to connect with these great people and learn how we can constantly improve Team Diva!

To connect with Team Diva find them on Facebook or Twitter!

Next stop for Agent Reboot is in Denver on Wednesday, April 25! If you are in the Denver area, there are still tickets available. We’d love to see you there — click here to view the program and to get registered online. Only $49 to register online, or $99 the day of the event. Hope to see you there!

The Diva Team + Matt

This last week I ran into my dear friend Matt Miner at the local coffee shop. Matt is an amazing agent and works with a lot of home sellers who are in difficult situations. We had a funny exchange about our perspectives on the market. The Diva perspective is that the market is improving because almost every deal we have mutual acceptance on has been a multiple offer situation. From Matt’s perspective the market is still going down because the bulk of his market are short sales. Both of us felt we were right. Well the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. This weeks news round up is a good look at what is going on in today’s Seattle real estate market (from an objective standpoint).

Stunned Home Buyers Find the Bidding Wars Are Back: catching home buyers off guard as the spring sales season gets under way: Bidding wars are back. Sometimes winning means you get the home in the best neighborhood before prices are out of control again.

Some Housing Markets Are Rising; Others, Not So Much: A smattering of home-price indexes is painting a confusing picture of where housing markets are headed. The same is very true here in Seattle. Core neighborhoods are seeing an increase while spots like Rainier Beach and Delridge are facing a tougher market.

Fannie and Freddie Set Timeline Requirements for Short Sales: Beginning June 15, real estate agents working with distressed homeowners whose loans are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should expect to receive a decision on a short sale offer within 30-60 days.

Housing market no longer yours for a steal: In local markets where inventories are tight and competition for homes rising. #DivaTruth

Home in a home as families live together longer: revamping home designs to meet the needs of a growing number of Americans who are now living with extended family. The Divas have found this to be very true in suburban homes.

Lenders that Sell Short Sales Faster and for Less, According to RealtyTrac: not all lenders/servicers are the same when it comes to dealing with short sale. Us Divas have known this for awhile. But it is a great look at the inside workings of short sales.

Most Popular Cities: Detroit Nation’s Least Popular, Seattle Best-Liked: Seattle was ranked most popular, Portland came in a close second

Divas Kim and Chavi on the stage at Seattle's Agent Reboot

The entire Diva Team attended Agent Reboot here in Seattle (ok it was in Bellevue) hosted by the super Inman Team of Chris Smith and Katie Lance.  The format of Agent Reboot is exactly that. Power down and then power up with a fast paced day of hard hitting 20 minute real estate tech trainings.

The Divas have long been fans of Inman News and their push to have real estate professionals up their online game by showcasing tools to help us stay connected to our local peeps. Agent Reboot was filled with important information to keep savvy real estate professionals on top of their game. The main topics covered by Agent Reboot were How World Communicates Just Changed, Avoid Social Media Disaster, I Suck at Twitter (a very helpful session for Ms. Diva Kim), Videos 2.012, Google Tools, Top Five Zillow Tips, Best New Apps (Cinemagr.am Diva’s new fav fun app, Evernote Diva’s new fav biz app) and many more real estate topics for the modern power real estate broker.

The key point Team Diva came away with is that social media can be powerful tool for us to communicate the passion we have about houses, Seattle, Diva Dwellers and other Diva Fab items, but it is not just about communication – it is about connection. Specifically, Inman Next/Inman News‘ Chis Smith, Chief Evangelist & Contributing Editor and Katie Lance, Social Media Director & Contributing Editor, gave amazing presentations throughout the day. One of the key items that we really took to heart was “The Consumption of Information Has Changed. Improve the content of what you are communicating.”  Hence bombarding your peeps with not-stop info about your new listings or market stats is not going to get you followers or pique someone’s interests. It is just going to get you blocked! Communicate a story that will allow someone to emotionally connect to you, a house, a special project, or anything else that gets the you excited. Definitely something the Divas strive to do.

Divas Chavi and Kim were also the inaugural guests at Anatomy of An Agent, hosted by the very charming Katie Lance. The idea behind Anatomy of an Agent was for a panel of power real estate industry folks to review Team Diva’s online presence and recommend areas of improvement. Katie showcased our Yelp! Partnership, the Team Diva website, Facebook and Twitter community. The panel was made up of Nick Taylor of Zillow, Glen Sanford of eXp Realty, Michael Callaghan of Century 21, and a celebrity guest, Mauricio Umansky, of The Agency. Overall the panel was very complimentary of Team Diva and our connections to our community. Specifically they were impressed by our Yelp! profile and how we are using it to promote and generate business. The panel’s main recommendations were to specialize more in specific neighborhoods (Capitol Hill, Seward Park, Phinney Ridge, etc), fully launch our Diva TV concept, and to continue to expand the Team Diva message to a larger audience though improved SEO tools.

Look soon for more enhancements to the Team Diva marketing machine, thanks in large part to the great interactions we had with the amazing people at Agent Reboot. We would also like to thank our #Swaggurlz, Debra Trappen and Linda Aaron, Diva Fab members of our Coldwell Banker Bain family, for being two of Team Diva‘s best supporters and, for introducing us to the gurus at Inman News!

Check out the amazing spotlight Inman Next posted about the Seattle Divas at Agent Reboot >

Diva Dwellers Michael + Karin

Karin & Michael are some of our favorite Diva Dwellers. Not just because we have been through 3 deals with them but because they are fearless home buyers. I (Diva Kim) loved working with Karin and was amazed when she decided to buy a cutie pie cottage in Rainier Beach that was in grave need need of  love and attention, which Karin gave it with much creativity and ingenuity. A few years later, Karin met Michael and it was time to make the their next move together. I knew these two would not shy away from work so we tackled the process of finding them a perfect but “not too perfect” home in Beacon Hill.

Here is Karin + Michael’s Story

View of the Actual Seward Park From a Recent Diva Dwelling

The Seward Park neighborhood is not only home to several Divas, but it is also a haven for custom built mid-century homes with stunning views of the Cascades and Lake Washington. Step out your door, take a walk through Seward Park and enjoy soaring eagles and old growth forests.  This neighborhood is known for its rich cultural diversity with people from all over the world. The little village of Seward Park has grown up in the past several years. Think of it as a sleepier version of Columbia City, hosting PCC Market, Caffè Vita and a couple other eateries. One of the best things is truly enjoying living someplace in the northwest where many different cultures live right next store to each other in harmony. The neighbors in Seward Park make you feel like you are living in a small town but obviously in a rich, culturally and economically diverse urban setting.

Here are the top ten things Team Diva likes to do in Seward Park:

1. Walking the hills of the neighborhood and checking out the custom-built, view, mid-century homes perched over Lake Washington.
2. Dining at Pizzutos with its family service, checkered table clothes and the most amazing Roquefort salad dressing.
3. Watching the eagles dive into Lake Washington and searching for the oldest living tree in Seattle in the heart of Seward Park.
4. Rocking out to the sounds of Caffè Vita while sipping whatever they are French pressing!
5. Nibbling tater tots while eating burgers at Bent Burgers.
6. Sneaking down to Martha Washington park during the summer to picnic and swim on those hot days.
7. Checking out the amazing homes on Pritchard Island and checking out the new urban garden managed by the City of Seattle.
8. Enjoying our neighbors walking the neighborhood on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings to Temple.
9. Sampling Flying Squirrel’s newest gourmet pizza creation.
10. Hanging out at Chez Diva in the south section of Seward Park.

This wonderful part of town is accessible, full of culture and top notch establishments, but thrusts you into nature and solitude when you need it. A little bit of everything, Divas Kim and Chavi love living in this diverse and beautiful part of town known as Seward Park, and know you will, too.

Newest Team Diva Member - Tessa Marie Archer

Today, April 24th at 1:00 PM (PDT) the Divas are excited to announce the start of our newest Team Diva member – Tessa Marie Archer. Tessa is our new Diva Coordinator/Wrangler and a damn good compliment to the Team Diva group. Look for many new exciting things from Tessa. The primary reason we decided to add Tessa to the team is that, on the fly, she took over coordinating the volunteers at the FIUTS’s Cultural Fest and still had time to charm our older gay gentleman Diva Dwellers. And to top it off, at a recent photo shoot she was able to get our littlest Diva Dweller to feel comfortable in front of the camera. What else does the Diva Team need? Zip! Below is a quick bio about our gal Tessa.

Why did you decide to join the Team?
I had been looking to switch up day jobs and definitely been looking to add more positive influences and community into my life. The Divas had become good friends of mine, and when I was telling them all about my plight of being an actress and needing a supporting gig, we sort of brainstormed that perhaps it would be a good fit to work for them, and to become part of their team. They are always so hard working and positive, I knew that it would be a step in the right direction and a good move on my part to get my foot in the door at Team Diva. Also, I fell in love with Rosie at first bark and now nothing can stand in our way.