Eastside

Residential Housing Statistics in King County December 2009

I was just asked this week how is the Real Estate Market in King County since I mentioned earlier about Snohomish County. Well here is information which was requested about King County. Northwest Multiple Listing Service (MLS) reported as following statistics for Dec 2009. Jan 2010 stats will be published in the coming weeks. We still got 21 months of inventory in King County while Snohomish County got 19 months of inventory of homes for sale. UNITS ACTIVE PENDING SOLD DEC 09 UNITS 6,918 1,413 1462 DEC 08 UNITS 8,707 911 929 Total Unit +/- -1789 502 533 Difference DEC % -20.55% 55.10% 57.37% YTD 09 UNITS 33,744 23,019 16,022 YTD 08 UNITS 38,889 18,895 15,991 Total Unit +/- -5145 4124 31 Difference YTD % -13.23% 21.83% 0.19% As seen above chart, Residential active listings units dropped 20.55% from 8707 units in 2008 to 6918 units in December 2009 while Pending Residential units increased 55.10%, as Dec 09 pending listings were 1413 units compare to 911 units in December 2008.  There is a huge increase in sold units at 57.37%, 1462 units closed in 2009 vs 929 units in 2008.  Snohomish County Sold... 

Tie The Knot on Valentine’s Day 2010 in Kirkland, WA

How about a romantic Valentine’s Day wedding in Kirkland, WA? Valentine’s Day inspires many couples to say “I do”. Red, white and pink are the colors of the day!  Red or white wedding dress, fresh flowers in pink, red and white, bridesmaids in varying shades of pink and red dresses and the groomsmen’s tuxedos with red accents…. Romance is in the air! Downtown Kirkland opens its doors to romantic couples, their friends and family for a very special event on Valentine’s Day 2010.  Special Celebration will be held on Valentine’s Day February 14th 2010 in Historic Hall in the heart of Kirkland, WA Couples will hold their wedding, renewal of vows or commitment ceremonies. The event is held by www.KirklandWeddings.com is a membership organization of Kirkland based business’ collaboration. Kirkland based companies provide product and services to support weddings so couples may save money for Honeymoon and Reception. Local Kirkland Restaurants are available for Reception celebrations. Make sure to book in advance! All participants must register before Feb 1st, 2010 and are offered $350 package. Ceremonies will be held on Sunday, February 14th 2010 for 24 hours on each... 

Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah great kids’ activity

There may be more variety at the Seattle Zoo but certainly there is a lot to do at the smaller Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah.  For kids who love to see unusual animals, explore wildlife facts, and especially see their favorite tiger or reindeer, it’s a winner.  The  location is good too, even though it’s admittedly out from the city of Seattle a half hour or more.  For families coming from Seattle a trip could be coordinated with going to a honey shop or farm stand to get fresh produce and see a farm atmosphere (I’ll blog about local farms that invite visitors later this week). For kids living more locally, this is a great resource as, if you get a family membership, you have a park with animals and other fun elements that you can visit again and again.  As the novelty of running around looking at the animals wears off a bit the animal track library, the mini lectures, and the “Cougar Encounter” “Lemur Encounter” “The World of Wallabies” and “Tiger Encounter” start to draw attention.  The “Fountain of Tomorrow” will be a must-stop every time, and can become a wonderful tradition (take a moment and... 

Heating Bills a Thing of the Past?

I’m pretty sure if the power company offered you a month off from paying your bill, you’d say yes. It might not happen tomorrow, but according to an article I just read in a Sierra Club magazine, in a few decades looks like large power bills will be a thing of the past. As we all know, it’s possible to build homes and offices that will not only be energy self-sufficient, but will produce zero carbon emmissions. In the short run this might be more costly to build (which is why some elements of the building industry look on the movement to increase energy efficiency requirements in building standards with dismay) but in the long run it will more than pay you back for the investment… in other words, save you money. So where a Green-Built house might cost you however thousand dollars more now, it will more than pay you back over time in utility bill savings. So how do we make it practical and attractive not only to spend the $ up front for long term savings, but to include the more than 100 million homes and offices we already have in the new technologies that result in these long-term savings? Looks like the plan is in place. Economically it makes sense to retrofit.... 

What is a Buyer’s Agent and Why Do I Need One?

WHAT IS A BUYER’S AGENT AND WHY DO I NEED ONE?   Q:  How do Buyers’ Agents Get Paid?   A:  Their services are free to the Buyer.   Q:  How does that work?   A:  When the Seller’s Agent signs a listing agreement with the Seller, they negotiate a commission.  They then offer a part of that commission, usually half, but it varies, to the Buyer’s Agent.  This is listed in the Agent part of the MLS.  So when a Buyer chooses a home and purchases it, the total commission is subtracted from the Seller’s side of the totals, and is paid out to the Seller’s Agent and the Buyer’s Agent.   Q:  But if the Buyer’s Agent gets paid by the Seller, do they really work for me?    A:  Good question!  Actually the Washington State laws have changed.  It used to be that both parties worked for the Seller!  Even though you might pick out your own agent to tour and help you, they would still be obligated to guard the best interest of the Seller of any property you saw.  That was deemed unfair to the Buyer and the law has been changed.  The Buyer’s Agent by law owes the Buyer confidentiality and fiduciary loyalty… i.e. has a responsiblity... 

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, water sports, you name it. This log home is currently a short term executive rental, rented out on a nightly or weekly basis, and is in a perfect location as it’s only 35 minutes to Harrison Hot Springs and 25 minutes to Cultus Lake, a popular camping destination. Think 26′ ceilings with ceiling-to-floor windows that take advantage of light, beautiful Hans Rhodes natural rock fire place, large recreation room in the daylight basement and a private master suite on the upper level…it’s literally the perfect Getaway! With the exchange rates today at $1.08, with US dollars it’s like getting an 8% discount right off the top of the purchase price. The listed price is $969,000 and the home has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, about 2600 sqft and is just shy of 2.5 acres,... 

Seafair is Back!

Seafair in Seattle is Roaring to Life! Yes, it’s that time again Seattle, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are back in town.  And, if you haven’t heard already, the Fun in the Sun at Seattle Seafair thunderboats are back on Lake Washington.  It is truly a spectacular time of year.  Seafair is a celebration in Seattle that is truly the highlight of the year.  The City is shown off like no other time and it is family oriented to boot.  The torchlight parade is always a kid favorite as floats are all lit up and really are amazing.  If you’re a runner, there’s the seafair triathalon or the torchlight run.  Or if you’re into speed…try watching the Blue Angels and the Seafair Hydroplanes, which are my personal favorite.  There’s also a concert and fireworks Saturday Night. Hydros jet around Lake Washington during the Seattle Seafair. Last year, I made the trek down to south Lake Washington to see first hand what goes on at the hydroplane pits and see the Blue Angels up close.  Well as close as you can from the shore with them overhead.  They really try to make it Flying Blue Angels delight crowds at the Seattle Seafair. easy to get there with shuttles... 

Washington High Schools Rank Top in US Best Lists

An important factor for many families relocating to the Seattle area are proximity to great public schools.  For the year 2009, and consistently year after year, Bellevue high schools have a total of five high schools ranked in the top 100 in the nation and Washington has 31 ranked top 1500 according to Newsweek Magazine scores. These studies, judged on students graduated, grades, honors classes taken,  general academic record and other critera.  Ranked in the top 100 were Bellevue’s  International School as number 11 nationwide , followed by Inglewood at 18, Newport Hills at 35, Sammamish at 48,  and Bellevue at 79.  Following those Eastside schools were Edmonds-Woodway High,  Garfield and Ingraham in Seattle, Redmond, Mercer Island, Issaquah, and Inglemoor in Kenmore.  So what does this mean?  Seattle and the surrounding schools, especially Bellevue, Kenmore and Northshore schools consistently rank as the top schools in the nation.  For most of us that cannot afford to enroll our kids in privately schools, this is of great comfort knowing that our students will be getting a good education from our local school districts.  Sports and music, which also carry weight,... 

Looking to Board Your Horse…for Trainers… Lessons…A Show Outlet? Check out Gold Creek Equestrian in Woodinville!

Christine showing her rehabilitated Arabian mare Crystal for the first time. The last weekend in June was the second time I’ve shown at Gold Creek Equestrian Center and I have to say it is a great facility and the feel of the atmosphere is warm. Two of the barns shown in the distance Whether one is an equestrian enthusiasts who is new to the area and wondering where to connect with others who share a passion for horses… or perhaps there are those considering relocating to the area and have yet to find the right home….Gold Creek Equestrian would be a great place to keep the horses in the interim. BOARD runs $638 and includes three feedings per day. Turnout is included Mon-Fri. Stalls are cleaned 7 days per week.  At the end of June 2009, 10 stalls were available. Stalls and cross ties are matted... it was the weekend and the day of the show.. Gold Creek Equestrian Center has four arena’s and a trail system which can be accessed right from the property without hauling out. The night before the show I participated in, I witnessed lessons being held in the 120 x 220 indoor arena (and it has a heated viewing area …nice for the winter months!). The second... 

Dairygold Dairy in Issaquah an Interesting Stop

Issaquah is one of the treasures of the Eastside for a lot of reasons.  Small town friendly but with an air of sophistication and a lot of lifestyle amenities, it attracts families for it’s atmosphere and good schools.  There are a One of the familiar sights on Main Street in Issaquah lot of things of interest, including the recently built library and the salmon hatchery.  There are lots of culinary choices, Jak’s Grill is wonderful cuisine and delightful atmosphere (however they don’t accept reservations) and another great choice is the Issaquah Fish House.  Both are on Front Street very close to the Train Park.   There is also a Chocolate Facotry, Zoological Park, and operating trollys!  One of my favorite spots along Main Steet is the Dairygold Dairy which has wonderful huge murals and those sparkling white milk towers.  I know my son is always facinated when I point it out as we go by.  

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