Seattle Real Estate & Homes For Sale | Seattle, Washington » North Seattle

How is Real Estate Market Doing? Do you have a crystal ball?

Sebnem Oden — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:03:27 +0000

“How is the Real Estate market doing?” is the question which I get asked the most, besides “where are you from?”

Well, there are many predictions out there about the real estate market, just like the weather predictions, 2012 predictions, is it a boy or a girl predictions? Who do you believe, who do you listen to?

I do not have a crystal ball and no one I know has one either…. I do like to look at statistics and share with you so that you make up your own predictions about when to buy, if to buy, when to sell and if to sell…. Should I wait to buy? Should I wait to sell?

Here I am, just sharing the information which is available to me as a Realtor from the Local MLS. You make up your own mind where you think the Real Estate Market is going… Some look at the past to make choices about the present moment and/or to predict the future… Does the past repeat itself? It is up to you…

	ACTIVE Units	PENDING Units	SOLD Units
JUNE 2010	62,382	6,170	6,214
JULY 2010	64,685	6,202	4,939
Total Unit +/-	+2303	+32	-1275
Difference %	-4%	+1%	-26%

Yes, the inventory declined by 4% July 2010 vs June 2010. We had 50,782 active listings in January 2010 so the inventory is higher compare to January by 21%. For the year, we are up 21% in active inventory.

Pending Listings which are waiting to close are up 1% comparing June 2010 vs July 2010. Year to date, pending listings +2%.

Sold Listings which are closed transactions are down 26% comparing June 2010 vs July 2010. Since we had record high month in June 2010 due to First Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit. Year to date, sold listings are up 30%.

Current Economic forecast is labeled as “modest” by The Federal Reserve’s board of governors last week. It is a slow slog, we are recovering… The news can be discouraging if one gets guided by it…

I say consult a Realtor about your specific situation and know your options…

Sebnem Oden, Realtor

206 619 3652

sebnem.oden@exprealty.com

www.ProKeyRE.com

Top 3 Reasons: List Your Home with eXp Realty in Seattle

Marybeth Cicirello — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 05:00:26 +0000

1. eXp Agents are trained to leverage the internet and technology in order to give your home maximum exposure. 80% of buyers start their search online and the number is growing. Here in the NW, our technical team works overtime to ensure that when a buyer types in “Seattle Real Estate,” our website is top, and more often #1, in Google. Listing with an eXp Agent places your home in front of internet buyers first and fast.

2. eXp Realty is a REALTOR^® Association office. Not all real estate agents or offices are REALTOR^® members, but eXp Realty and the Seattle Team are. We handle business relations and contracts according to a strict code of ethics, giving you the power to hold us accountable for the service and effort you are paying for.

3. eXp Agents train not only locally, but with top agents across the nation. Our office is filled with archives of tips and information that can be applied to your specific home and your specific goals. We embrace the concept that success doesn’t happen in isolation. Teaming up with Sellers, sharing our marketing plans and providing the greatest online exposure is what we’re about. The goal is to sell your home for the best price in the least amount of time.

For a complimentary CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) or more information on positioning your home in today’s market, I’m a phone call or e-mail away! For additional reasons to work with a real estate agent, an article from Forbes: Forbes: 5 Reasons to Work with a Real Estate Agent.

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

Cafe Bambino in Ballard

Edy Kizaki — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:19:16 +0000

A little coffee house in Ballard full of typical Seattle neighborhood atmosphere

Another in my series of great small neighborhood coffee houses, probably one of the defining characteristics of Seattle. I remember over 20 years ago when I visited this city with my husband, from Japan, we were astounded that every supermarket parking lot seemed to contain an espresso stand. From the San Francisco Bay Area, I had a healthy respect for Italian coffee, but I was not used to it’s being the pervasive element of the landscape it was here. And it was not till I had lived here for a couple of years that the Seattle-inspired adjective “to caffeinate” became a regular part of my vocabulary. I have always liked quirky wit and found it bountifully here, perhaps second only to the choices of coffee. As most everyone knows by now, Starbucks started here, Tully’s started here, and Seattle’s Best Coffee started here. More on this later, but the atmosphere and gentle welcome of the little neighborhood coffee houses continues to be one of my found treasures on the daily expedition into the city to find beautiful homes, neighborhoods, and treasures of life. When people talk about Seattle being “walkable” the nearest coffee house is high on their list.

counter and pastries all one could hope for

Cafe Bambino is even smaller than many. Located on NW 65th St in southeast Ballard, it is tiny but popular. There are not tables per se, but a counter up against the front window accommodates those who need a respite from their day. Nearby are Olsen Violins (a shop with a great reputation) and an antique shop next to that, several bars, and some small businesses. Quite a few artists have studio space near here too. In fact the owner of Cafe Bambino, Andhi Spath, is the creator of the Cafe’s landmark Bambino, a baby Buddha which sits atop the cafe with a cappuccino balanced atop his head. Inside taped to the pastry display case are real world bambinos connected to the cafe family. Don’t miss this very worthwhile stop … when you want to ‘caffinate’!

Bambinos

small but worthwhile neighborhood landmark

Bella Umbrella in Ballard

Edy Kizaki — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:18:05 +0000

As everyone who has spent a Sunday afternoon (or a Tuesday after work for that matter) knows, Ballard is walkable. Our clients who want an urban village atmosphere, with wonderful ethnic and long established restaurants, herbal shops and consignment shops happily interspersed with great pubs and classy restaurants, and a sense of the beat going on, Ballard is first choice. A friend of mine says lots of the residents don’t go out of Ballard all weeekend, why would they with the best of everything … yes… right there within WALKING distance? And for those who opt for a home twenty blocks north, a five minute bike ride. (Why not visit www.walkscore.com and plug your current favorites in by address, and you will get not only a composite score that rates the neighborhood, but a map showing all the stores, restaurants, parks, etc. around your choice!) But I just have to share with you a little corner tucked off the main Boulevard which has a compendum of wonderful little places… a bakery, a restaurant, a hair salon, a pub… and maybe most intriguing of all, an umbrella boutique.

Located just off the corner of x and x, this little neighborhood is worth a special trip to get acquainted. I’ll blog about the other fun spots here asap, but for now I wanted to share this amazing find with you, Bella Umbrella. Indeed beautiful, and bound to make you realize how much you need an umbrella or several. And if you are a bride, this will make your wedding something to remember!

Seattle Tours for Everyone

Marybeth Cicirello — Wed, 12 May 2010 05:00:31 +0000

20th Century Architecture across from Moore Theater

Got the sunshine bug? Pulled out your shorts and sneaks yet? Here’s something you might enjoy on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday (Apr-Dec). For inquiring minds: when you notice fern motifs on the interior of Macy’s downtown or stone eagles perched on top of the Seattle Athletic Club’s building; and for guests who are visiting our city and wanting to explore ~ Seattle Architecture Foundation (SAF) offers an array of city tours highlighting architecture, details, design and art! Moving out and about to experience urban Seattle and our neighborhoods enlightens participants and sparks conversation. Here are some that you can discuss afterward over an outdoor dinner and a glass of fine NW wine: Green Building Tours (The Cobb and Skinner Buildings tour. Or The Starbucks Center tour.); Art Deco Diamonds and Gold; Design Details Lions, Griffins and Walruses; Harvard Belmont District historic millions and quite a few more. See you around town…looking up!

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

Caffe Fiore is Seattle Cafe Life at it’s Best

Edy Kizaki — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:42:09 +0000

Sunset Hill is home to some fine homes and a special neighborhood to those who live here and those who visit. Set on the bluff above Shilshole and Golden Gardens (beach park), not far from Greenwood shopping, yet the area has a slow and timeless quality which residents treasure. One of the elements of this sense of deep peace and wellbeing is certainly the beloved Caffe Fiore Organic Coffee House. One of three locations for this Seattle institution (the others are in Queen Anne and Old Ballard), the coffee house sits like a flagship on the corner of Loyal Way NW and 32nd Ave NW (you may know that the addresses with NW are all in Ballard). The little building was built in 1908, and for those with a love of history it is worth either a quick visit to admire it and get some of the 100% certified organic coffee, or a long slow morning reading the paper or even taking advantage of the wifi to catch up on your email and enjoy the delectable handmade sweets available nowhere else. I might as well tell you now that this establishment was voted Seattle’s Best Coffee Shop. You will certainly not fail to see why when you visit, and the next time, and the next… for once you go, you will go back.

morning ride to best Seattle source of caffine (Sunset Hill in Ballard)

dogs, newspapers, bicycles, Seattle morning

Caffe Fiore in Sunset Hill

Baristas at Caffe Fiore

handmade donuts

tempting menu

watch the world from windows on the street

art and life blend as patrons caffinate and muse on the day

Classic Seattle Architecture – Craftsman House

Marybeth Cicirello — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:00:05 +0000

Classic Craftsman house in Mount Baker

Seattle is known for an early 20th-century American architecture called Craftsman. People who visit our city notice the abundance of Craftsman houses & bungalows and note that these aren’t quite so common (or exist at all!) in their own home towns. Considering the weather in the NW and our history in lumber and fishing industries, it’s an architectural response to Seattle’s rainy season and blue collar roots.

Bungalow in Genesee

The term “bungalow” refers to the size of many Craftsman homes we may see in parts of West Seattle, Wallingford, Fremont, or Genesee and some still have original built-in benches, ironing board closets and bookshelves. Larger – more formal – Craftsman houses can be found in Queen Anne, Leschi, Capitol Hill and Mount Baker with deep eaves, asymmetrical facades and wide street-facing gables. Generally, the structural, siding and interior element is wood and the floorplans are similar, but still irregular from home to home. In Seattle’s in-demand neighborhoods, a solid Craftsman house will range upward from $699,000 and a Craftsman bungalow upward from $450,000, with some exceptions.

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

The Seattle Market – is it true?

Marybeth Cicirello — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 05:00:53 +0000

Here’s a common misnomer, but one that we all use often and for different reasons: “The Seattle Market.” But really, to mix up all the neighborhood data into this one market snapshot is like mixing all the primary colors till they’re brown, and then trying to paint a rainbow with it. Seattle is comprised of neighborhoods – each a primary color with more complex shades & layers beyond that. What $350,000.00 buys in Capitol Hill (maybe a 1-bedroom condo), is completely different from what the same amount buys in Arbor Heights (maybe a 2/3-bedroom house and yard). Your pennies stretch differently per neighborhood. And we haven’t even gotten into streets and blocks within the neighborhood!

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

Romanza in Ballard, Perfect Decor and Gift Oasis

Edy Kizaki — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:48:08 +0000

Sometimes you know when you walk in that you’ll be back again and again. In fact you might even feel your pocketbook shivering in trepidation as your eye drifts with pleasurable anticipation over the delectable items ranged artfully along the shelves and covering every visible surface. The colors, the scents, the ambiance all tempts and whispers of the best things in life. Romanza may be too tempting to be utterly safe, but you will go back again and again. The utterly scrumptious candles. The amazing wine stoppers. The utterly cool “love you’ paperweights. The gifts for everyone on your list and then some.

On the main shopping street of Old Ballard, Market Street, Romanza can be spotted near Matador Restaurant, Secret Garden Books, and Mon Petit Shoes, all great destinations too (but don’t try to take kids into the Matador, it’s a bar so you need to be 21 to enter). Enjoy!

everything and then some

imported scented candles, creams and sprays you can't leave behind

Things are bad...send chocolate!

clocks tell you more than the time

thanks for reading!

Edy Kizaki, Realtor, Team Leader
206-249-2914
edy@seattlepowersearch.com
www.seattlecentric.com

Matador in Ballard, Great Bar, Great Eats

Edy Kizaki — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:18:18 +0000

Even if you don’t have in mind one of the eight different margaritas on the menu, or any of the infinite seeming choices this trendy Ballard landmark bar offers, it’s a great place to grab a bite. Lunch includes specials like a goat chees and cranberry quesadia or pork and hominy stew with cilantro and apples, various extremely well done burgers and sandwitches, and standard tortilla based dishes that somehow seem all fresh and all new. The atmosphere is timeless and the service snappy.

innovative menu, great prices, and wifi make Matador a Ballard favorite

This is the place to stop time for an hour or an afternoon.