Seattle Real Estate Professional
My Posts/Listings
Government Housing Stimulus Ends November 30, 2009
Buyers If you’re a first time home buyer and want to buy a home, hurry before it’s too late. Right now, the $8000 tax credit has not been extended yet, so lock that in if you plan to buy in the near term. For a home that costs $300k, an $8k credit represents 2.7% of the cost of the home. That’s more than people’s down payment during the real estate heyday! Sellers If you’re... [Read more]
AMAZING lodge for sale in Chilliwack, BC
I was up in the Vancouver BC area last week and my friend Laura Howren took me with her to see a property she just listed in Chilliwack. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the area, it’s a city in the Fraser Valley region in BC about an hour and a half away from Vancouver (home to the 2010 Winter Olympics!!) with an abundance of recreational activities…hiking, fishing, golfing,... [Read more]
Are you thinking about selling in Green Lake or Phinney Ridge?
Attention Homeowners in Green Lake and Phinney Ridge! I have long-term buyers who have been looking for the perfect home to come up in either of these neighborhoods. They’re looking for at least a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom (4 bd 3 bth would be perfect), 3000 sqft min home and perferably with a view of the lake. In the past they’ve been attracted to Craftsmen-style homes with white moldings,... [Read more]
The Best Advice Ever. Don’t Move.
The market goes up, the market goes down. What does the volatile market conditions mean for you in the long run? The bull market will end with a bear, and then the bull rise again. 8.5% Transaction Fees It costs on average 8.5% for a seller in transactions costs, realtor fees, etc to dispose of a property. If you buy and sell a home every year, 8.5% of the profits (if any) will go to transactions... [Read more]
Terms Every Buyer Needs to Know
Short sale? Bank owned? Two terms you need to know. In today’s market you cannot go to a city, or neighborhood for that matter, without hearing about short sales or bank owned properties. Before 2009, you could find pockets of communities with little or no distressed properties, such as Issaquah or Kirkland. Look around today, and practically ever neighborhood has these properties in distress. Short... [Read more]
Queen Anne Housing Stats for July 2009-Current
Being one of Seattle’s most desirable neighborhoods, of course you’re wondering how real estate in Queen Anne is doing. Here are some current stats for what sold in July and what is currently available! Residential: 1 bedroom: 2 on market: $59,000-$75,000 (both are houseboats) 2 bedroom: 24 on market: $299,000-$1,075,000 3 bedroom: 60 on market: $379,500-$2,185,000 4 bedroom: ... [Read more]
Graffiti Art and Tagging all over Town
Look around many streets in the city and you will see random letter and illustration spray painted in tunnels. Some are vulgar, tagging as in marking walls with gang signs. Others are a beautful expression of communication that is calm and inviting. Near Greenlake and in many neighborhoods, you will see this. It is almost as if the vibrant rainbow of colors is telling a poetic story for all... [Read more]
Specialty Shops and the Majestic in Ballard
Ballard, one of Seattle’s most historic neighborhoods once known to be the center of the Scandinavian seafaring community, is still filled with a blend of the old with the new and everywhere in between. The city of Ballard was founded by European settlers way back in 1853 and before that, inhabited by the Shilshole Tribe that lived off of the abundant salmon and clam supply. Today, the Skandinavian... [Read more]
Schools, Soccer and Synagogues in Wedgwood
Wonderful Wedgwood. The community just north of Ravenna, View Ridge and the UW was named by Al Balch, the founder of Wedgwood. His wife loved the English inspired “Wedgwood” China and they developed the community just after the great depression in 1929 when much of the area was used for Ginseng farming. Now, on any given morning you will see children walking to schools of which there... [Read more]
Lovely Tudors in Maple Leaf Neighborhood
What comes to mind when I think of the Maple Leaf neighborhood is a Tudor or Victorian style house on a small lot near a reservoir on one of the highest hills in Seattle. Centrally positioned just north of Greenlake and Ravenna and south of Northgate, it is a popular area for home buyers because of it’s very convenient location and easy access close to Greenlake, the highway, University,... [Read more]
