North Seattle

Gong Bowls at East West Bookshop in Roosevelt

The Ravenna neighborhood is a wonderful close-in place to live, near to and north of the University of Washington and all the stir and bustle that it provides. It is also, along Roosevelt Way NE, a wonderful place to shop for trendy clothes, have your hair done, enjoy some ethnic cuisine in a neighborhood eatery, find organic produce (Whole Foods is close), or find a book or two for that weekend getaway. The East West Bookshop is one of my favorite stop ins, not only for the books but because every single time I go there I get to hear the sound of the Gong Bowls.

At least, I think that is what they are called. Made of translucent glass, varied in size, uniformly smooth and streamlined in shape, they glow, they seem to hum even before you tap them with the … pole, ringer, mallet? The stick thing. They call my name silently, and then when they are tapped and begin to ring, they call my name on various levels of being! Wow, talk about time travel all in a moment, these things are first class mystical musical treasures! (You know who you are, what better Christmas present could there be? I’ll wait!)

I don’t stop at the Gong Bowls forever, of course. The bookshop offers a veritable garden of titles to suit anyone’s exploratory mood. Three that caught my eye last time I was in are Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron, Animal Speak by Ted Andrews, and Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston. Now please don’t misunderstand, I’m not really recommending these particular books since I have not read them yet, just tossing them out as examples of what you may encounter as you browse the shelves. (But if you do happen to read them, do let me know how they are!!)

Books are not all you will find, there’s jewelry, bags, candles, and much more! There are also numerous events, readings, seminars and lectures held each month, enabling anyone interested to learn and explore some of the paths and disciplines available on the shelves. Just browse through the current calender of Store Events on their website to see the latest.

Pretty soon I’ll sign up for something and…why not, blog about it! Stay tuned for further development.

Edy Kizaki
Realtor & Team Leader

Summer Solstice Festival in Fremont

It’s one of the traditions that makes Seattle what it is.  It’s anticipated for months, prepared for endlessly, and celebrated with wild enthusiasm.  The Summer Soltice Festival in Fremont brings out the crowds, first to save places to watch the parade (friends meet early in the morning and enjoy the socializing time while they wait), then the parade itself, sometimes extreme and often glorious, then all the music and booths and food and beer and wine and dancing and juggling and … yes, cameras. 

Yesterday we went down as soon as we could, not getting very good positioning for the parade but not really caring either, and parked, well, halfway to Ballard.  Luckily I wore my flats.  Just the walk over along the ship canal (Fremont Cut) was delightful as colorfully dressed (in not much, as is traditional) and body-painted cyclists wheeled along departing the parade area.  Then the rocking music could be heard, and soon we were amidst a strolling crowd of beaded and bangled festival goers with kids, dogs, and food food food the order of the day, oh yes, and the bicycles.  So many happy, smiling, friendly, shopping, eating, dancing, and playing people all in one small sunny neighborhood generates enough “good vibes” to make the Sun happy he bothered!  Which is the whole point, right?

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.

Sam’s Club, Walmart’s answer to wholesale shopping!

Warehouse shopping has gained popularity as rising costs in everything from gasoline to milk, meat to dairy, medicine to photo shop all add up to a bigger burden for budget conscious Americans fighting to just stay afloat. I am one of these consumers. As a restaurant owner and merchant, I have shopped for groceries and supplies almost daily for the past 20 years. Thus, I am well experienced in finding outstanding deals as the result of comparison shopping and warehouse shopping is a great resource.

Sam’s Club is one of these local warehouses, similar to Costco, but different enough to have built a name on it’s own. With only two locations locally, one on 135th and Aurora Ave N. and another in Auburn, customers flock from all around town to buy in bulk and save.

Buying in bulk is great for restaurants and other food service companies, however, it is not for everyone. Savings per item is apparent when buying, for instance, a dozen butter croissants for about $6 or 50 cents a piece.  Any bakery or grocery store sell the french breads for a dollar and up per piece.  But if you are not going to eat a dozen pieces in a matter of a couple of days, it may not be worth the large quantity purchase.

Some of the most popular items that draw people form all over town are:

1) Gasoline (unleaded and premium gas runs an average of 25 cents less that the cheapest brands)
2) Meats: puchase a whole loin of NY steak, slicing an freezing in portions will save a bundle in the long run.  A recent trip had whole loins selling for $5.99 per pound, compared to a local grocery priced at $7.99 per pound.

3) Milk, eggs, and dairy are reasonably priced staples, and at $1.00 for a dozen eggs and  $1.78 for a gallon of milk,  they are easy to have on hand all of the time.

4) Pharmaceuticals are another big seller here.  Sams Pharmacy offers all standard and generic medicines and are almost always priced significantly less than major drug store chains. 

Some other good values that I consistently purchase include whole baked large pizzas in the deli for $9.90, foot long french bread for 50 cents a piece, and a bunch of about 10 bananas for just $1.19.   The list goes on and so does the fun. There is an in-house photo shop, optometrist, tire shop, and pharmacy as well. Great products, outstanding deals, so fun to shop. Yearly membership fees of less than $100 apply, but if you shop more than a few times a month, it can pay for itself in the savings. Happy Warehouse shopping!

Helen Toyoda

Realtor

Helen@SeattlePowerSearch.com

Direct: 206.383.8182

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

PetDaddy at Greenlake Pampers Furry Friends

Where can you get a Full or Self-Service Wash and Dry beside Brown Bear Car Wash in Seattle?  How about PetDaddy All Natural Grooming and Dog Store at Greenlake.  Indulge your canines with this dog boutique located just two blocks east of Greenlake on the corner of 65th and Latona Ave NE.  On a recent weekend, there were a bunch of scraggly haired furry friends lined up to be given the royal treatment.  Each one wagged their tails in delight and looked bright eyed and bushy tailed, fresh, and clean-cut and returend happily to their owners.  Amazing what a little grooming can do to boost a dog’s morale.   A full service wash, cut and blow dries range from $35 -$45, depending on the size of your animal.  Nail clipping and ear cleaning are also offered in this very animal-loving environment. 

Another economical option for the time and money conscious consumer is the self-service wash and dry.  At just $16, you can use the facilities and shampoos to clean up your pooch in no time.  Appointments are needed for the full service boutique, and the loving staff make great efforts to have your dog returned in a matter of three hours for the full treatment.  The store also sells a full line-up of organic and healthy dog and cat foods, toys, and a display case full of healthy made doggy treats that look delectible enough for human consumption!  What a way to indulge your doggie and you for the day in this unique boutique and just a stone’s throw to the lovely Greenlake Park for a walk afterwards.  Ah, the life of a dog.

 

 

 

 

Helen Toyoda

Realtor

Helen@SeattlePowerSearch.com

Direct:383.8182

University Street Fair Kicks off Seafair in Seattle

Ah, you know we are approaching summer and Seafair in Seattle when the street fairs and cultural events start turning their wheels.  The first major one  arrived with the University Street Fair in the University District,  between 42nd and 50th and University Way NE this weekend and with the scorching 70 degree weather, the people came out in droves.  What a fabulous displays of arts, crafts, and foods, a country fair meets big market feel.

From glass blowing to oil and water color canvases, handmade pottery, clothing, dishes, mosaic glass mirrors, plant holders, the array and variety was absolutely stunning.  Colors from every hue of the rainbow were scattered among children’s clothing, paintings, and photographs.  These street fairs are unique because the artwork and displays are sold most of the time by the artists, themselves.  They stand behind their wares, much like at a country style fair, ready to answer questions and comments about what inspired them to make their masterpieces and how they did it.   It is a refreshing one-on-one that is seen less and less as our market place of goods expand nationally and even internationally. 

 How wonderful to be able to support a local artist, craftsman, and chef as they pursue and thrive off their skills of passion.  It is a rewarding feeling to be a part of this very personable yet monumental principle, not to mention a great way to support your talented neighbors.   Here is the list of Fairs and Events coming up in Seattle.  The next event is the Northwest Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center next weekend May 23, 24 and 25.  See you there for arts, crafts, music, fun and food! 

MAY

Festal - Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration Northwest Folklife Festival Opening Day of Boating Season Seattle International Children’s Festival Seattle International Film Festival Seattle Maritime Festival University District Street Fair

JUNE

Fremont Fair Festal - Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival Northwest New Works Festival Olympic Music Festival Seattle International Film Festival Pike Place Market Festival Pride Festival

JULY

4th of Jul-Ivars Festival Ballard Seafoodfest Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair Bite of Seattle Capitol Hill Block Party Chinatown-International District Summer Festival DayBreak Star Indian Pow Wow Festal - Bastille Day Celebration Festal - Naturalization Ceremony Festival of American Fiddle Tunes - Centrum Jazz Port Townsend - Centrum Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival Olympic Music Festival One Reel 4th of July Festival SEAFAIR Community Events SEAFAIR Marathon SEAFAIR Milk Carton Derby SEAFAIR Torchlight Parade SEAFAIR Torchlight Run SEAFAIR Triathalon Seattle Chamber Music Festival

AUGUST

Best of the Northwest Festal - Arab Festival Festal - BrasilFest Festal - Cambodian Cultural Heritage Celebration Festal - Tibet Fest Olympic Music Festival SEAFAIR Blue Angels Airshow SEAFAIR Community Events SEAFAIR Hydroplane Races SEAFAIR Navy Fleet Arrival Seattle Chamber Music Festival Seattle Festival of Alternative Dance & Improvisation

SEPTEMBER

Bumbershoot Festal - Italian Festival Festal - Korean Cultural Celebration Festal - Seattle Fiestas Patrias Olympic Music Festival Puyallup (Western Washington) Fair

Helen Toyoda

Realtor

Helen@SeattlePowerSearch.com

Direct: 206.383.8182

Greenlake Attracts Weekend Fun in the Sun

Seattlelites all know and agree, when the sun is shining and it is a weekend, the sky is the limit!  There are an abundance of places to go and play in every corner of the city.  One of the favorite all time places is Greenlake.  This North Seattle man-made lake and park which measures 2.7 miles around,  is flocked with joggers, bikers, rollerbladers and walkers.  Rain or shine, this popular destination is always the center of attraction with many activities to do for all ages.

On this recent gloriously warm and sunny weekend,  I was surrounded by the sounds of happy chatter, music, and a half a dozen different languages.  Children were playing and giggling as they stretched out their hands to feed the fearless squirrels just inches away from them.  Mothers pushed their babies in strollers

 

as they briskly jogged around the Lake.  Families sat on their blankets spread out with baskets of homemade lunches.  Senior folks sat on the benches, enveloped in friendly conversation and socializing.

Sports fanatics played soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball and even windsurfed.  Couples and families geared in life jackets rented paddle boats, canoes and kayaks to glide on the glistening blue waters of the Lake.   Musicians played guitars, fiddles, harps, and sang to the droves of people just passing through.  The ice cream, coffee, and lemonade stands were full of thirsty patrons, waiting for their turn to hydrate their thirsts.  The sunbathers just relaxed and bathed in the warm rays, sprawled on towels, blankets, and lawn chairs.  Alas, the activities in this waterfront park were as varied and unique as the people, themselves, on this leisurely Seattle spring day.

 

 

 

Helen Toyoda

Realtor

Helen@SeattlePowerSearch.com

Direct: 206.383.8182

Walking in Fremont

There is never a bad time to be walking around Fremont, but one late afternoon a couple weeks ago it just seemed that everywhere I looked there was a scene that I wanted to capture.  When I first came to Seattle I really wanted to understand more the soul of the place, and I think every time I walk around Fremont I get a sense of it again.  Here are a few of the sights and sounds from that twilight.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagine my delight when I was very drawn to a certain group of paintings and told the artist who happend to be there, and they turned out to be his work!  Synchronicity?

The Orange Splot Gallery, officially known as the “fun place to buy art”, grew from it’s inception in September of ‘07, then started growing and adding more great artists as well as a plethora of art services that allow you to get your own art screened, framed, and otherwise ready to put on your wall!

There is every reason to believe the claim to being the fun place to buy art is not in any way an exageration, further evidence being the clues on the path leading to the gallery, such as this greedy crow mural.

Keep an eye out for further Fremont walks, including Theo Chocolate Factory, the country’s first organic and fair trade chocolate factory, the Ship Canal, the Fremont Sunday Market, the Solstice Parade float warehouse, and much much more.

Chocolati Cafe in Greenwood / Phinney Ridge

A good coffee house is always worth remembering, and in this Greenwood neighborhood bordering on Phinney Ridge

(the two are close together and share much character and atmosphere, in fact they issue a combined newsletter, and have a combined Chamber of Commerce) there is better than that.

Yes, as indicated above, I speak of the Chocolati Cafe.  What makes it better?  OK, the scones.  I’m sorry to all the other wonderful scone makers out there, but these are definitely the best scones I’ve ever had.  Ever.  The best.  Like, the buttery lemon cranberry scone, and the crumbly buttery frosted blueberry scone.  (Note to self:  find out who makes them!!) 

And the wi-fi.  And the very friendly and sweet baristas.  And the truffles!!!!!  Yes!  And the perfect atmosphere, because as you know, a coffee house should be a little bit quiet and a little bit dim with rich colors and mirrors, and have wood floors and small round tables and the right kind of wooden chairs.  Quiet music so as not to overwealm the hiss of the espresso maker.  Chocolati?  Check, check, check, check, check, and check.

If you take a look at the neighborhood map, you will see that Greenwood is slightly

north of Phinney (which starts at around 50th), the heart might be thought of as the intersection of Greenwood and 85th Avenues, where numerous little shops and eateries are to be found.  Chocolati is competing with another great coffee shop, Neptune, just a few doors away, which I also have given my heart to and will blog about soon.  But.  As I said.  The scones, the

truffles… oh, I have not even mentioned the coffee itself, rich dark and absolutely what is called for on a warm spring day, in this city known as the coffee center of the Universe.  (Don’t ask me, check with the folks at the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Company across the street!)

Now it is time to admit it, there are several Chocolati Cafes.  There is also one downtown, at the Seattle Public Library.  There is one in Wallingford.  There is one in fashionable Greenlake!  And there is also the Chocolati Factory Outlet Store, on Aurora around 77th.  Reading the website leads me to discover that Chocolati was founded in 2000, and “with the inspiring philosophy in making savory chocolate confections that are not only aesthetically creative, but also provide a unique experience for the senses. We at Chocolati follow the ancient Epicurean technique of hand-making our chocolates with the utmost attention to detail. From the moment our chocolates hit your palette to the lingering aftertaste, our chocolates provide you with an experience like no other.”  It sounds grand, but after having been there and seen and tasted for myself, it must be understood that this is PERFECTLY TRUE.  Yum.  Oh, and let me mention that if you are either here on a visit or going off to visit someone elsewhere, do please scope out the chocolate covered fortune cookies.  Just imagine how it would be to get a box of those mystic little bundles of chocolate sensation!  What a perfect gift from our town, the quirky, sophisticated, laid back and all round the-future-is-here urban village landscape that is Seattle.

 

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

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