Eastside

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

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.

Tales from the trenches, a short story about short sales.

So far this year I have had three short sale listings, all 3 of which I sold.  Sounds great, doesn’t it?   However, of those three I was only able to close none of them…  that’s right, NONE OF THEM!  Why?  You ask?  Because the banks keep finding ways to get in the way…

My most recent deal collapse was just this Tuesday!  The bank representative (loss mitigation specialist) called me and told me that the bank had sold the property to HUD at a foreclosure auction 11 days prior!  This came as a shock to me, since I’d had multiple offers on this property since May, and had just received an “approval to participate in a shortsale” document package from the bank only 7 days before!  So, you can imagine my disbelief when I found out the bank had sold the property and THEN issued the approval to participate!!! 

It is important to note that the statistics are showing only 10% successful closing rates on short sale properties in general (of course it depends on whose stats you like).  So, I knew upfront that it was going to be a challenge. 

I don’t mind challenges, but I do expect organizations to apply logic to their problems when they are trying to solve them and I do expect that these organizations deal in honesty and good faith.  If you have no intention of honoring an offer then why put everybody through the wringer in the first place?  Is it a requirement of TARP money that you give the “appearance” of helping the consumer?  Also, who does it benefit to actually take the proerty back in house?  I know it doesn’t benefit the bank…

I had another fail when the second/third lien holder refused a payoff of about 23% of what they were owed.  Their reasoning was that their paperwork showed a 38% amount of equity available in the home!  So they actually bought the house at the foreclosure auction, paying the first lien their entire balance owing of 229K dollars!!!  Then they decided to sell the house themselves to get that other 15K they thought was in there…  long story short…  the house eventually sold for 236K!!!  So, not only were they out the settlement I offered them when I had it sold, but they were also out their costs of sale (approx another 20K) in addition to the absorbed internal costs of bringing in a house as REO, and holding it for months as a non-performing asset (which increases their reserve requirements with the FED)!

I am pretty confident that short sales can and do occur when they benefit everybody involved, it is just that recently I haven’t seen it happen (I successfully closed a couple last year).  If you plan on trying for a short sale property be sure to have an agent that has worked the system before, because this battlefield is tricky, full of mines and they keep changing the rules!

As always, I love hearing from you!  So drop me a note if you have any questions  bryan@seattlepowersearch.com.

Purple Cafe & Wine Bar in Woodinville

 Stop at this Woodinville Wine Cafe with a widespread reputation for a meal or a tasting experience!
Just 35 minutes East of Seattle, Woodinville is wine country.  It is also a great place to vacation or to live, near all

that is central to the Eastside and close enough to Microsoft’s campuses.  It’s natural that it would be in demand as a great place to raise kids.  But the wineries make it unique in the area and a wonderful afternoon or evening destination if you’re coming out from the City or surroundings.

Vinyard tasting rooms, summer concerts, and great restaurants offering a wide selection of local vintages.  One of our very favorites, and with a name that echos far beyond the borders of the Seattle Metro area, is Purple Cafe & Wine

Bar.  There are now three locations.  In 2001 the first Purple was opened in Woodinville by Larry and Tabitha Kurofsky.  The Kirkland location opened in July of 2003 in Kirkland, and July of 2006 in Seattle.  By the way,

check out their Purple website not only for addresses and information, but to read the great foodie blog as well.  June includes something about “sippers” with wonderful suggestions for tasty summer wine choices and sangrias.

When we stopped by the Woodinville Purple’s recently it was the top suggestion from the folks at a nearby tasting room.  No question, a wonderful choice.  The soups, salads, and entrees were seductively delicious and we vowed to be back soon.  We sat on the patio enjoying the sunshine and the side game of admiring the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cool sports cars in the parking lot.  This is a place to bring your friends, a real destination!  We also saw families dropping by to take a patio table and share a thin-crust pizza with Mom and Dad sipping a glass of local wine in the twilight.  Don’t you love waiters with sparkling eyes fussing

over you?  I do, and the parade of friendly and energetic waiters with a bounce in their step and a sharp interest in whether we had what we needed definitely added to the experience.

Inside a few early patrons sat at the bar which stretched the length of the restaurant, which was vaulted high and dim.  Soon the tables began to fill with crowds of friends out to enjoy what is definitely one of the highlights of the restaurant scene in a town very well endowed with great places.

If you’d like to go wine tasting or visit some of Woodinville’s finest, why not take a look at the Winery Map and get a sense of what’s available.  It would be impossible to cover everything in one day, but there’s a great Woodinville Wine Country website that will help you get started.

 

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

 

 

 

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kirkland-Seattle-Woodinville/Purple-Cafe-and-Wine-Bar/98942589187#/note.php?note_id=90909056595&comments&ref=mf

Nearly 10 Acres and a 1610 sq ft Cedar Home on Seattle’s Eastside

Unless one is an “urbanite,” I can almost guarantee, this property will make one say “aaahhhhhh….”  For those who like space, privacy, natural beauty, breathtaking views, sensational sunsets, and a comfortable home, this property delivers!

Such a fabulous place to come home to after a long, hard day of work.  From late spring though early fall, enjoy time on the patio or one of the three decks.  The property also has two ponds with one being a longer, more narrow waterway with a bridge that goes across. Relax in a lounge chair on that platform and observe the duck families swimming about.  Although this property has a couple ponds, the majority of the land is solid rather than marshy.  There are several cleared areas which would be suitable for a couple of horses.

This home has a spacious kitchen, several skylights,  gorgeous hardwood flooring, and during winter, cozy up by the fireplace; from the comfort of inside, through the big picture windows, watch the snow give everything in sight a clean, fresh, peaceful appearance.

This place is just great for those  who enjoy outdoor recreation.  Not only might it appeal to animal and nature lovers,  it could be  great for those who  like to dirt bike or ride ATV’s.  The pipeline is just down the street about half a mile and there are other trails in the area.  Lake Margaret is approximately 5 minutes away and  is the only nice sized lake in Duvall where public fishing is allowed.   (My family has caught trout and bluegill from this lake).

In today’s fast paced society and the stress some people may experience, this may just be the refuge the physician prescribed.   For those which telecommuting or working from home some of the time is an option, I certainly don’t know of a company out there which provides a setting as pleasant as this…perhaps the only distraction being the natural surroundings.   I wonder how such an environment would affect productivity…for the structured and disciplined, it may contribute to an increase.

A few more interesting facts: This home is also serviced by public water AND has it’s own private well.  There are fruit trees on the property consisting of apple, peach and plum. It has the potential to subdivide. High speed internet is available.  All this for $525,000.00!

If you’d like more information (including more pics - couldn’t fit as many as I’d like on here!) on this property or would like to schedule a showing, please contact me (Christine) at christine@seattlepowersearch.com (425) 286 -3779.

Great Hiking in Western Washingtons Snohomish County

Last weekend the day before Memorial Day, my family and I went on a great hike up in Granite Falls. This was our first time hiking there, having received information previously indicating there are at least four hikes in this area. Through my real estate related excursions in Granite Falls, I know it to be beautiful country. The Glacier Basin Trail is considered strenuous, but the other three are considered easy. They are The Big Four Ice Caves, Monte Cristo, and The Old Robe Trail.  We hiked Old Robe.

There is a bit of a descent down to the river which in the reverse, makes for an ascent, which can get a persons heart rate up a little for about 15 minutes.  It is beautiful scenery from the get-go and once down by the river, the trail remains relatively flat. The trail leads to part of what was once an old railroad line, and I’ve walked and maybe even ridden along tracks before, but I’ve never seen the likes of this. There are several tunnels or caves in the hillsides which the trains used to travel through. Although the trail is supposed to be closed at this point, we ventured on and the terrain does get a bit dangerous with unstable footing and debris on the trail. I’m glad my husband brought some rope and thankfully, we didn’t need it!

I did imagine myself back in time, traveling by train on this route….being the setting is breathtakingly beautiful, I imagined those providing any type of service not having to deal with unpleasant travelers with the setting exuding such a sense of peace.

Another place my boys and I have hiked is Wallace Falls in Gold Bar. This hike also takes one along the river for a while, and again, leading to levels of ascension. There are at least three different trails to hike with trails leading to the lower falls, middle falls and upper falls.  I’m not sure if each trail gives a different vantage point of the same thing since the lower falls has always been an enjoyable hike which provides a good workout and takes 2 1/2 - 3 hours round trip. My eldest sons 6th grade Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, proposed to his wife on this hike and they actually had their wedding there. I believe they were married at the Upper Falls so one of these days, I’m going to have to remember to ask him how many were in attendance!

Having spent a large portion of my life in Hawaii and explored much of the aina (land) there, I have to say the natural beauty of Washington state rivals it.

I hope to have a our next hiking excursion a little closer to home, perhaps Mt Si in North Bend.  This one may be a little more challenging but I understand the views are amazing so hopefully the rest of the family will appreciate having to make the additional effort!

Happy Trails Everyone!

Kirkland’s Lake Street Mall by Marina Park

Kirkland’s lakeside parks, like Marina Park near the downtown shops and restaurants, are something to brag about.  The downtown area is a great destination.  When you have a day, a half day, or even a couple free hours and need a bit of a break, this is a place you will be sure to relax and refresh.  Down by the water in Kirkland there is always something interesting to see, do, nibble, buy.  Whether you want pizza at Zeek’s, cupcakes at Sweet Cakes Bakery, coffee at Kahili Coffee, world wraps, delicious fare at one of the many restaurants, like Hectors (average price $10, great weekend brunch)  or the Third Floor Fish Cafe (average price $40), to shop for a hat or shoes or flowers or art, you won’t do better than to spend a few hours here.  And the waterfront park is a wonderful place to stroll or sit with

friends and chat as you people watch, boat watch, and even do some bird watching as well!  Marina Park has a sandy beach, open air pavillion where there are concerts in summer, and magnificant views of Lake Washington and Seattle.  There’s a pay-per-use boat launch and a general air of festivity.  Nearby several well-known restaurants, a wine tasting and Martini bar, Wild Rover Pub, and galleries and boutiques assure the adult end of laid back entertainment.

Kirkland is a paradise for hikers, walkers, joggers and bikers, as the paths along the water provide breathtaking views.  You can hook up to the Burke Gillman Trail (an old railway converted to a biking path) which starts in Kenmore and goes along the water and all the way to Ballard.  Going the other direction, it’s extension is the Sammamish River Trail, which reaches all the way to Redmond, for a total distance of 20 miles.  (There is also talk of extending it to Issaquah.)   When I was here to meet a client last Monday the Seven Hills of Kirkland cycling event was going on, a four hour event for charity.  Since May 6 the Kirkland Wednesday Market started, being held from 2-7 every Wednesday in Marina Park.  May also saw the annual Kirkland Art Tour and several concerts and cruises.  June is offering a full calander of events, including the start of the Friday Night Market on May 29 which goes every week from 3-7 at Juanita Beach Park.  It’s another open air market featuring fresh produce and flowers, arts and crafts.  There is a Juanita Bay Wildlife Tour on June 7 and A Day on the Lake June 14, at Marina Park, and another great event planned at Bastyr University for June 6, their 11th Annual Herb and Food Fair.

Buyer’s Remorse vs. Non-Buyer’s Remorse

It is typical for every purchaser of goods to feel some remorse over the price they paid, color of the object, the options they should have gotten…etc which we call “Buyers Remorse”.  Now there’s another feeling that people go through call “Non-Buyers Remorse”, which is caused by missing out on a purchase by waiting for various reasons.  Is it any more or less significant? 

First, let’s consider “Buyers Remorse” .  In real estate, because of the sheer cost of residences people tend to over think what they just purchased.  Most people don’t purchase houses everyday and unless your a seasoned investor, it’s natural to wonder if you paid too much, could you have gotten more house for the money, is it really in the right location and the list goes on forever.  Normally it is thought that buyers markets help with the remorse as there are so many houses to choose from and time to negotiate the right deal, but does it?  Probably not.  When there are too many choices, people tend to like many different houses because of one or two aspects and when they finally settle on one, the questioning starts almost immediately.  When there are fewer houses to choose from the differences between houses seem much more apparent and while they still wonder if they got the best deal, can they really afford it or should they have purchased it, they usually settle down quickly once they are in the house and have made it their own and have made the payments for the first couple of months.  In any event, people need to realize that it is ok and normal to have these feelings.

Conversely, “Non-Buyers Remorse” is a concept that has started to be discussed but has been around for years.  Have you ever thought about buying something maybe a new video camera but waited because it will come down in price, there will be more free options in the next model, the format may change…etc, and then you miss making movies of your children who will only be that age once.  This also happens in real estate.  When the market is moving up, people wonder if they can afford it and is it really what they want and so forth.  When the market is falling people wonder if it will continue to drop in price, has the market reached the bottom and in this economy maybe there we can purchase a nicer house that someone else is losing.  Before I go any farther, I do not believe that anyone openly hopes that someone else’s loss will be their gain but it does happen.  In both instances, in up or down markets the end result is that the delay in making a decision can be costly to the buyers.  How you may ask will it hurt the buyers.  In upward moving markets, the decision to wait will potentially cause them to pay more for the house than when they first thought about it or someone may buy it because they perceive it is a good price.  In downward markets the same is true, waiting for the downward trend may cause people to miss out on the house they really like and later can’t find one to match.  It is also very difficult to find the bottom of a market because the way most people determine the bottom is when the prices start going up.  Oops.  Rates also need to be considered as in down markets the loan interest rates have decline with the loss in demand for the loans.  If the inverse is true then rates will rise as the demand for home loans increases.  Therefore, by waiting and trying to hit the bottom of the pricing market, you may also give up the best interest rate for your house loan which means you will have a higher monthly payment.   Ouch, that will give you some remorse every time you make a payment for your house. 

So whether you buy now or later in up or down markets, you will have some feelings that you could have done better.  It is natural and a part of most people’s thoughts.  How you deal with it is by realizing that you did the best that you could at that time.  Most people will get to try it again at a later date, hopefully many years later, and use what they learned the last time to improve the result.   Will it be perfect?  Probably not, but there could be another chance later.

Dave Sato
Realtor, Buyer’s Agent
dave@seattlepowersearch.com
425-213-6411

The Grange Cafe in Duvall … try a great restaurant

Duvall is a place that is great to live if you want the small town experience for your family.  It’s also a place that becomes a desintation for residents from many parts of the Seattle Metro area. 

The Grange Cafe is a good reason to go.  They are at 15611 Main Street, in the center of the Old Town shopping district.  Right now they are not doing lunch on weekdays due to the constructon going on in downtown Duvall, but they are open for dinner Tues-Thurs 5-8 p.m., Fri & Sat 5-9, and on Sat and Sun they are doing brunch from 9-2.

If you ask Executive Chef Eric Wright, or owners Rob and Judy Neldam of the The Grange Cafe, their menu brings the meaning of “local”to a whole new level!  It features many of the reigon’s best ingredients hand-delivered by local

farms, cheese and dairy from local artisans, and the highest quality meat and game available.  They have made partnerships with local farms to ensure that they receive the finest of meats, game and produce from local sources. 

Chef Eric has been trained Internationally and lately headed a team in Seattle’s Cactus until he accepted the challange to come and help create a delightful local venue in one of the area’s best local downtown environments.  If you live here, you know how

lucky you are, and if you don’t, it’s well worth the drive to find out.  Nearby Woodinville is renowned for it’s wineries, so why not plan to stop in at a tasting room (perhaps Januick or Chateau Ste Michelle, which has a summer concert series?) for an hour or two and then make your way to dinner at the Grange Cafe?

The Cherry Valley Grange, the building that how holds The Grange Cafe, is actually one of the oldest buildings in the lovely town of Duvall.   More than 20 years ago it housed The Silver Spoon Restaurant for several years, and was built over 80 years ago!  This building is very Duvall, with a country feeling which does nothing to detract from it’s understated sophistication.  There is a sense, perhaps shared with the Seattle area in general, that we do things this way because we feel deeply that it’s worthwhile to devote one’s life to excellence without false pretention.  We cook this way and eat this way not because it’s got current media attention, but because it makes for a full, deeply satisfying existance to revere the good things in life.  It exhibits the determination to take time to uphold the standards which result from that, whether it’s selection a local farm that grows top notch organic produce or lighting the dining room perfectly for an intimate gathering of friends.

If you go for Brunch, you might opt for the Silver Spoon Breakfast:  2 eggs, with bacon or sausage, local roasted potatoes, and toast. All free range. The potatoes are crispy with onions. The toast is house made . Fresh house made preserves.   A recent diner commented that the chef took time to come out and discuss vegetarian options with her and provided some excellent modifications to the dishes on the menu for her to choose from!  When people go out of their way to create a restaurant like this, I make it a point to visit whenever I’m in the neighborhood, and sometimes even when I wasn’t!

Edy Kizaki
Realtor, Team Leader
edy@seattlepowersearch.com
296-402-9155

Seattle Professional Sports Scene

Seattle has always been the professional sports mecca in the Pacific Northwest.  Even after losing the Seattle Supersonics of the NBA, we still have the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners (currently in 1st place) the only professional teams in the National Football League and Major League Baseball, respectively  in the Pacific Northwest.  We also have the Seattle Storm of the WNBA and a winner of the league title a few years ago.  By the way, they just re-signed Lauren Jackson, 2-time MVP, to another contract.  Why did she as an unrestricted free agent sign here again?  Because of the incredible fan support the team has. 

New to the scene this year are the Seattle Sounders, a Major League Soccer team.  Out of the gate, they have taken the league by storm and are currently in 2nd place, not bad for a team in it’s 1st year of existence.  They have one of the premier goalkeepers in Washington’s own Kasey Keller.  So far this season, he’s given up 1 goal in the 5 games he’s played.  The other two games were lost as he was ejected from one and could not play the next.  This team has played to sellout crowds in every home game. 

Not surprisingly, even golf has made a stop in Seattle.  There have been several Senior level golf tournaments played here and one PGA event was hosted here.  Even Seattle native Fred Couples, a very successful pro on the PGA tour, has hosted a small multi-day event that has always been very well attended. 

If you want to see an NBA game, it’s just a two hour drive south to Portland to see the Trailblazers led by former Washington Husky, Brandon Roy and for those NHL fans, it’s north to Vancouver, B.C. to see the Canucks.  So as you can see, whatever you like in professional sports, it’s here in Seattle.

Is your neighborhood walkable?

These days, most people looking for houses that are in neighborhoods that have the same community spirit that was prevalent in the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s.  These were neighborhoods where everyone knew each other and their kids all grew up together.  You didn’t have to find a babysitter, there was probably one next door.  How is this type of community created?  One way is to slow down the pace of our lives and to stop trying to schedule every hour of every day.  In place of rushing here and there, people need to take the time to walk around their neighborhood.  It’s pretty interesting to meet all of the neighbors on your street in maybe a one block radius.  In my old neighborhood in Seattle, there was the grade school a block away that drew every kid there after school, on weekends and you almost couldn’t help getting to know each other.  Most neighborhoods have a central core area that defines it.  Within the core area there are grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters, parks, libraries, bookstores, fitness centers, drug stores, hardware stores and clothing stores to name a few.  All of them are within walking distance of where people live.  In most instances, mass transit is available within a block or two that can take you to and from work. Which means…you don’t need a car!  Wow, what a cost savings that would be.  Just think about how much you’d save not having to pay $2.00 - $5.00 for a gallon of gas, your annual insurance cost, upkeep and maintenance, licencing…etc. 

A lot of people are thinking this way and are looking for this style of living.  But how do you find it?  There are plenty of ways to do this.  The first is to start from where you work and decide how far out you want to commute.  Once you determine that, you look at the communities within the radius of that commute time and bingo, you should have found neighborhoods that you’d like to live in.  Then go and visit the neighborhoods and see what’s there.  Are there the activities that you’d enjoy?  Does the school in the area meet the quality you’d want for you kids?  Are there groceries and clothing stores?  If you don’t have enough time to work on all of that, you might try looking up the walkscore for the house that your looking at.  What’s a walkscore?  It’s a numerical score that takes into account all of the items previously mentioned.  You can then compare the different houses and their walkscores to help you decide on the perfect house for you.  The website is http://walkscore.com and it does most of the areas here in the Greater Seattle area.   

Communities are built on people and if you think back on the nicest place you’ve ever lived, it is probably where you felt the most comfortable.  What makes most people comfortable, is living in an area where people know and respect each other.  That brings safety as people watch out for each other.  So when you do walk down to the neighborhood coffee shop and see your neighbor you’ll realize that you picked the right place.  Happy walking!

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