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No More Meter Readings, No More Surprises

Posted by Johnine Larsen on July 28, 2017
| General Interest, Home Maintenance Tips
| 0

Energy meters are changing across Seattle, and it’s for the best. Starting yesterday, new, advanced meters will end manual meter readings, and you will be able to check your energy usage online. Regardless of whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, this is good news!

 

The Old Method

Since the 1950s, Seattle City Light has checked your home’s energy use by sending employees to manually read your meter. This led to some problems last winter—very expensive problems for some homes. Those bills came as a surprise, and put some families in financial trouble.

 

The New Method

The new meters will be equipped with radio transmitters, eliminating the need for meter-reading visits from city employees. The city will replace about 420,000 meters in the next year and a half, with a target end-date of December 2018. The program will cost the city $84 million, and another $10 million will connect those new meters to the city’s network. That second feature will let Seattleites check their energy usage online, any time they want. No more surprise bills. You’ll also be able to see how much energy you used on certain days, and even times of day.  Talk about improvement.

 

If anyone doesn’t want the new meters, though, you can opt-out and keep your old meter.

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    Michael Ryan
    Michael Ryan
    19:04 10 Oct 22
    We had a fantastic experience working with the Real Estate Gals to buy our first home in Seattle! Johnine and Tonya met with us before the pandemic and remained super patient and helpful with us as we went hot/cold on whether or not to buy *several times* over the past few years. When we finally... found the home we eventually bought, Tonya's help, advice, and feedback were all invaluable to us. She was also super responsive to calls and texts, and was just great to work with in general! Hopefully we won't be looking for a new house again soon, but we will absolutely go back to the Real Estate Gals when we do!read more
    Kathy Sullivan
    Kathy Sullivan
    19:03 27 Sep 22
    Johnine, Tonya and Scott have seen us through 4 houses and were with us every step of the way. I can't say enough about their professionalism, expertise and kindness in dealing with us for the last 27 years!
    Simon Ninon
    Simon Ninon
    03:23 23 Sep 22
    Unfortunately, my wife and I had a bad experience with Johnine.We were FTHB in WS. Our search was fast (under contract within 2 weeks, involving only 2 visits with Johnine, and 4 with Tonya as we did a lot of open-houses on our own). We were on top of everything and had an excellent lender (Ryan... Maxwell from Homestreet) allowing us to close 3 weeks later.We reached out to this agency after having a mediocre experience with Redfin. Given their stellar rating, we were expecting to be more lucky with Johnine and her team.After an initial meeting with Johnine, we had some trial visits with Tonya over one evening, and it was excellent. Tonya was scouting the different homes, taking the time to discuss with us, and sounded very knowledgeable. We really enjoyed our experience and were looking forward to keep working with her.After these visits, we only got to interact with Johnine.To say that Johnine lacked professionalism or represents too many people is an understatement.We only had 2 visits scheduled with her, and she had been significantly late for both (15-30 minutes), even though she is the one that set the time. Both time was because she was touring homes with another customer on the other side of Seattle and couldn’t make it on time for our visits.This was mildly annoying, but the second property was one we wanted to put an offer on, so we stayed put.Then, things turned chaotic. As we signified interest in putting an offer on that second property, it was a nightmare to schedule a time to meet with Johnine. The offer deadline was on a Monday, but Johnine could only meet us on the Sunday before. She had to reschedule that meeting 3 times, even though she was the one setting the time every single time.During that meeting, Johnine did not remember the offer Deadline correctly and thought it was on Tuesday. If I didn’t bring it up, Johnine was only planning to work on drafting the offer the following day and might have missed the offer.After our offer was accepted, communication became really abysmal. As a FTHB, I do not expect to be baby-sitted, but I was hopping that Johnine would at least detail us what to expect and when. However, she took the fact that we were on top of things as an excuse to not do anything than the bare minimum. This caused unnecessary stress on our end as we were trying to figure out stuff completely on our own. All we had from Johnine for the following 3 weeks was a brief “next step” email with poorly worded shallow details on what to expect, and barely understandable instructions regarding utilities. That’s it. Even at open-houses, listing agents distribute printed PDF with more useful information than what Johnine provided us.At no point did Johnine mention anything regarding a final walkthrough that we had to schedule ourselves and that we didn’t even do with her.The ice on the cake was closing day, where we had literally no idea what to expect the day of.Johnine was out of town and couldn’t get the key for us, so Tonya was scheduled to do it for us and meet with us the following day.But the day of, Tonya informed us BY EMAIL that she couldn’t make it, and that the seller’s agent left our home key under a rock in the garden for us to pick up anytime.Neither Johnine nor Tonya tried to arrange for another agent/staff to pick up the key for us to make sure that we were able to enter our property. They did not even bother calling us to check what was the best option for us or apologize for the inconvenience.I had to interrupt my work day in panic to go figure out what rock was the correct one and pick up the key.Johnine received a $27,000 commission out of that purchase where I felt she did not represent us better than a Redfin agent and put no effort to represent us at any step of the process. Beware.read more
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    Louisa Helms
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    Kyle McDermott
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    Lil Be
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    We worked with Johnine and Tonya to sell our home, and that’s 15 years after working with Johnine to buy our home. It’s something to have a no-nonsense and savvy realtor to rely on, and The Real Estate Gals provide that savvy. We closed in June and are now pending closing on a new property. I can... recommend Johnine and Tonya and the whole gang at The Real Estate Gals.read more
    Karen Lindenberg
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    13:42 08 Jun 21
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    Shannon Deasy
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    Danielle Thirumalai
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    Marian DiPerna, LMP
    Marian DiPerna, LMP
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    Johannes James
    Johannes James
    21:23 24 Jun 20
    The Real Estate Gals were a great team to have on our [buyers'] side when we purchased a home last year. I have read and strongly disagree with the negative review left below. We worked with both Johnine and Scott, who both expended a lot of effort and time to understand what we were looking for... in a home - which was a challenge due to our multi-family needs with preferences for large scale project space, but close to work in Seattle and in a tight budget. They quickly and accurately gauged what would work for us and helped us sift through the options with frank and straightforward feedback. When the perfect house finally turned up at the end of a long day touring around King County with us, they then burned some serious midnight oil slamming together the aggressive and fast-tracked offer that turned out to be critical for us securing our home. From my perspective, I cannot overstate the value of having a buyer's agent actually care enough to go these extra miles. I wouldn't be writing this from such a perfect home if it weren't for this team. I can only imagine these qualities have made them even better as agents during the pandemic. The Real Estate Gals will always have our gratitude - thanks especially to Johnine and Scott!read more
    Susan Waller
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    20:34 24 Jun 20
    I bought my first house with the Real Estate Gals many years ago. As a first time buyer, I was anxious and unfamiliar with the process. They walked me through it, and were there every step of the way. I have since bought (and sold) three more houses with the Gals, and it was a great experience... every time. They are highly respected throughout the industry, and know how to put together a winning offer. I wouldn't work with anyone else!read more
    Shannon McFarlin
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    18:56 24 Jun 20
    Hands down, Johnine Larsen and team are the best realtors I've ever worked with. I've never met a realtor so knowledgeable about the process, the market, and skilled at helping clients manage the stressful feelings that come up during such an important life event. We have worked with Johnine... through several transactions and felt she was an excellent advocate for us, extremely responsive and supportive, steered us in the right direction (including away from houses that weren't right for us!), helped us understand so many important things to be aware of when buying a home, and negotiated the best deal for us every time. On top of that, she's very real and authentic - we always knew she was telling us her true opinion and thoughts, and is an amazing, warm and caring person, which is all so important when you are spending so much time together!read more
    Virginia Bunker
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    14:08 14 Feb 20
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    linda wright
    linda wright
    00:45 04 Dec 19
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    Paddy Lazar
    Paddy Lazar
    23:42 03 Dec 19
    I was lucky enough to work with Johnine and her very competent team to sell my home. I have to tell you how easy the entire process was. On her wise suggestion I had my home inspected, as there actually were a number of maintenance items that came up in that inspection and she even arranged to have... all of the repairs completed in a very short time. The only thing I had to do was to let the repair folks in. Then, to my surprise, Johnine , had all the windows and the whole house cleaned before listing it. She then had the house beautifully staged and had the yard cleaned up with even a little landscaping thrown in. The house sold within the week for OVER full price!Everyone I dealt with was always kind, helpful and professional, their communication was exemplary all through the process. I’ve decided to rent for a while but you can be assured that it will be Johnine and her team that I will go back to when ready to purchase a new house. I have sung her praises to all that I know.read more
    soumak ghosh
    soumak ghosh
    00:00 14 Nov 19
    They were representing the seller, and I was the buyer. Very limited communication from the agents. Waited days for a response for any email/text. I would eventually get an answer after multiple follow-ups. Almost cost us the deal.[Update]I have seen all the text/conversations of my agent with... your agency. Regarding the oil tank decommissioning, according to the contract, the tank was to be decommissioned 5 days before closing. When asked about so, 5 days before closing ( for which I have seen the text/email conversations of), you gave my agent very little to no information about it and even said it was on schedule. It was only after my agent called the oil tank decommissioning company herself that we got to know that it was not even scheduled 2 days before closing.Any buyer who was not as intended to buy the property as I was; could have walked away due to breach of contract. We got the final documentation 2 hours before the closing deadline. It was only after I wrote the review that your agents became responsive.read more
    Sarah Donaldson
    Sarah Donaldson
    18:44 18 Jul 19
    Darcie was such a joy to work with. She felt like family during the sale of our house and the search for our new home. We may have found our forever home, but if we ever need a Realtor in future, Darcie from Real Estate Gals will be our first call.
    Brian Heagler
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    16:55 02 Jun 19
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    Anne Slater
    Anne Slater
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    Johnine Larsen is fabulous! She listened and came up with ways we could get what we wanted in a house and stay within our limited budget. When we found the house we wanted, she moved super fast to get the house inspected and implemented creative ideas to make our offer appealing. And out of 13... offers, we were selected and got our house. I recommend her to anyone buying a home.read more
    Amy Burdick
    Amy Burdick
    19:13 24 May 19
    Real Estate Gals made sure we found our perfect house! Then, when we were up against other bidders, Johnine worked tirelessly to ensure we were tops! Her extensive real estate experience combined with exceptional character and integrity provided peace of mind throughout the process. She also made... sure we received the right value as a seller and got the transaction done quickly and efficiently. Simply stated: there is nobody better to help you find your dream home.read more
    Bill Hollman
    Bill Hollman
    22:21 19 May 19
    I'd give Real Estate Gals 6 stars if I could. We have used them multiple times, both in selling and buying homes in Seattle and the surrounding area. I can't say enough about the professionalism, knowledge, and patience they bring to the task of buying a new home, or selling your current... residence.And they know the Seattle area so well, they'll offer valuable insights into the pros and cons of any location you may be to considering.Look no further, call Johnine at Real Estate Gals. You will be glad you did!read more
    Beth Guerra
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    01:14 18 May 19
    Johnine was a breath of fresh air in the real estate market. She listened intently to our wishes and goals, and was tireless in her search for our perfect house. She is well versed in both Seattle and the surrounding areas. She made sure all the details were taken care of after the inspection, and... made the closing process seamless. She even gifted us with a housewarming present. Nearly 7 years later, we still receive holiday cards and well wishes. I highly recommend Real Estate Gals and will look no further in the future.read more
    Joni Cervenka
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    15:55 17 May 19
    Johnine has provided real estate expertise to me on several occasions and is very responsive and willing to give of her time and talent. I seem to always have questions about my rental property and she’s always happy to give advice. Although I haven’t bought or sold a house in over 20 years, I have... recommended her to many friends and they’ve all been pleased with her efforts and results on their behalf. She and her team truly care for their clients and they know their stuff!read more
    Aidan Key
    Aidan Key
    15:44 17 May 19
    Johnine and the Real Estate Gals brilliantly took us through the home buying process two different times. Their willingness to educate (I was new), hear our home hopes, and support us through the process are a few of the reasons that I highly recommend this team. Speaking of a team, I love their... collaborative business model - it meant that we--the home buyers--always had a returned phone call and an ability to look at a house on OUR schedule. Truly felt like they place the customer first!read more
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