New evidence of a real estate market turnaround? 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 [...] Read more
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Seattle Japanese Gardens 50th Anniversary
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 [...] Read more
5 Reasons Buyers Fail With Fixers in Seattle
These days, it is all too easy for inexperienced buyers to become obsessed with getting the “best deal”. I’m talking about the “weekend warrior” buyer- the one who watches countless hours of HGTV shows that make it seem plausible that someone could seek out, purchase, remodel and flip a home for 25% profit in 30 [...] Read more
What is the $8000 Tax Credit?
The $8000 first time buyer tax credit has gotten a lot of attention in recent months. If you’re reading this, you probably already know that, I guess. You are obviously capable of operating a computer and navigating the internets… So, if you are curious about the $8000 tax credit, and like stick figures, have a [...] Read more
Rob LeRoy’s Guide to Ballard Bars
Recently, I was wandering the Ballard Sunday market with my friend Alan. We were taking pictures of Old Ballard and reminiscing about the many great times we’ d had there over the years. While wandering down Ballard Ave. ( which is blocked off during the market) we saw a pair of boots nailed to a [...] Read more
The Truth about Appraisals
Just about everybody has heard of an appraisal and knows what it is- an assessment of a home’s value based on empirical evidence like recent sales, replacement costs, and the subjective opinions of underpaid appraisers hurrying from one gig to the next. What many Buyers don’t know is that, even though they get to pay [...] Read more
