Seattle Neighborhood market data is unique to each...

As of April 25, 2010, the statistic is that a median single-family home in “The Seattle Market” is $392,731.00 and I can say confidently right now, there is no move-in ready 3-bedroom house on Montlake, Capitol Hill, Mount Baker or Queen Anne for this price.  But in Maple Leaf?  Yes this price point will buy a house and yard, maybe a nice 2-bedroom mid-century home.  In West Seattle?  Yes definitely in some micro-neighborhoods in West Seattle this is possible.  In Beacon Hill?  Yes again, a mid-century or Craftsman bungalow at $392,731.00 is definitely possible.  So for buyers, it quickly becomes clear what neighborhoods your price point allows and this makes your search constructive and efficient.  And for sellers, be the best option in a certain bracket within your neighborhood, because even in this economy, we still see multiple offer situations if you’re priced right.  Buyers know a good residence when they see it!

Marybeth Cicirello * 206.214.6556 * marybeth.cicirello@exprealty.com * Downtown Seattle Real Estate

The big news in the Madison Park real estate market last month was the report by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that the median price of Seattle homes sold in January was actually higher than in the same month a year earlier. For the city as a whole, this represented a 2.63% increase over the past year (houses and combos combined). It is the first time in almost two years that there has been a year-over-year increase in Seattle’s residential property values. The rest of King County did not fare as well, however, with home values continuing their downward trend.

But how did prices hold up in our neighborhood? Madison Park itself is a market that’s a bit too small for year-to-year median price comparisons to be meaningful (seven total home sales in January 2009 and only five this year). But for our general area of the City (MLS Area 390, which also includes Capitol Hill, Montlake, Madison Valley, Madrona, and Leschi), the news was pretty good. There was a modest 2.1% increase in value between January last year and this. This improvement, however, perhaps has more to do with a year over year change in the mix of sales (houses versus condos) than a real move up in home values.

Nevertheless, it’s a good start to 2010. Whether this welcome news means we’re on an upward trajectory will only become evident when we’ve got a few more months of sales data in hand. It’s just possible, however, that for our area of Seattle—like for the rest of the City—the downward slope of real estate values has been arrested. At minimum, the rate of decline seems to have abated.

Thanks to Bryan Tagas for providing this article. To read more, click here to see the full piece on his website.

For more information on Madison Park real estate, please contact Rob LeRoy at eXp Realty at 206.883.6668, or by e-mail at rob.leroy@exprealty.com

The Japanese Garden in the Arboretum is about to end its winter hiatus, reopening on Sunday, February 14, for its 50th Anniversary season. Rated by a garden journal as one of the ten favorite Japanese gardens in the country, Seattle’s Japanese Garden was inaugurated in July 1960, after only four months of construction. It’s now ready to celebrate a half century of giving pleasure to visitors seeking sanctuary and a connection to nature.

The concept of adding a Japanese Garden to the Arboretum goes back to 1937, but it took another twenty years for the idea to gain enough popular support to enable fundraising to begin for the project (a war against Japan had intervened). In 1959, with funds in hand and the design completed, Juki Iida and Nobumasa Kitamura were hired to build the garden, which originally was scheduled to take up to three years to complete. Using heavy construction equipment, a somewhat scaled-back design, and a capable crew of mostly Japanese-American gardeners, the builders transformed an Arboretum ravine into a colorful and tranquil garden, offset by boulders, water features and formal elements. And they did it all in record time. (That’s Juki Iida in the photo below, standing on the site during the construction). Click here to read more.

Thanks to Bryan Tagas at Madison Park Blogger for letting me re-post this great article!

Rob LeRoy is a Seattle real estate agent and social media marketing coach with eXp Realty.

Washington Park Arboretum Celebrates Mother's Day

least a quick visit for our family as the seasons bring ever changing beauty to this spectacular urban green space.  The Arboretum is located just east of downtown Seattle on the shores of Lake Washington (south of UW).  This lovely area is the home of an internationally recognized “woody plant collection” (trees and stuff like that) which includes maples, hollies, oaks, camellias, and of course the conifers.  (If your visiting friends are always pointing at a tree with needles and saying “what kind is that?” and you never know, here is where you can find out.)

What is happening here on Mother’s Day?  I wondered about it as we are still in the formulation stages of our plans (part of life as a real estate agent is that kids learn to fit into the schedule on weekends).  It seems there is an annual Mother’s Day tradition at the Arboretum, the Azalea Walk.  The walk winds along Azalea Way, with azaleas and cherry trees in full bloom.  A free family photo is offered.  And according to the Arboretum Website, “Kids can enjoy fun, plant-themed activities organized by staff from the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. Every mom gets a free, take-home gift. “  If you’d like more information, please try calling the Arboretum Foundation at 206-325-4510.

Happy Mother’s Day! (stand by for event photos later today!)

Edy Kizaki
Realtor, Team Leader
edy@seattlepowersearch.com
206-402-9155