Aug
04
2011
Until now, these awesome and unique compilations of recent local market activity BY NEIGHBORHOOD have gone exclusively to my database. If you are interested in any Seattle-area real estate market, these reports will be very exciting for you. They are recent and relevant. Print them out and take them with you on your next house-hunting trip. Or frame them. I do. 
SEATTLE – 2_2011 QIR Seattle (Web)
EASTSIDE – 2_2011 QIR Eastside (Web)
MERCER ISLAND – 2_2011 QIR MI (Web)
Aug
05
2011
Yes, the house of the guy who spoke of the pompatus of love is being sold. Sadly, Steve doesn’t live there anymore, but the word is this is the house he had built for himeslf (1980). I toured it this week. If you love to have parties, this is the house for you. 6500+ s.f. with a big indoor pool complete with diving board and a rooftop deck with 250 degree western lake views. Oh, Maurice!
Click the following URL to see the listing:
http://www.matrix.nwmls.com/DE.asp?k=1697139XB372&p=DE-8245667-369
The Joker Live on The Midnight Special 1973
Aug
18
2011
This is a graph of sold $ per s.f. in the Seattle metro area over the last 9 years. The sold price per s.f. in 2nd quarter 2011 is 32% higher than in 2nd quarter 2002. That’s appreciation, folks. So, why not invest in real estate for the long term rather than suffer the uncertainties of the stock market?
If you have cash parked on the sidelines while the stock market roils, or if you are hatin’ the idea of 1% bond yields, consider buying a small home to rent out. It will generate income and tax deductions as an investor, plus you can be reasonably certain of appreciation over the log term. If you want a loan to leverage your cash, the rates could not be better. Prices and sales terms are favorable, too, most especially for homes owned by Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.
Aug
24
2011
This is the question everybody asks me first. People who know me ask right after politely asking me how I am. People I just met ask right after they find out I’m a real estate broker. So, here’s a quick snapshot on the state of the Seattle and Mercer Island real estate markets now.
This is a market where buyers like traditional style, but will accept a non-traditional if it is a lot of house for the money. It can still take one or several price adjustments for a house to find its price, especially if a house has a location, lot or curb appeal challenge. Over-priced in Seattle, Mercer Island, anywhere in the metro area, still is a show-stopper.
3% less in sale price than asking is pretty much in line with the bulk of the market. The high-end is still sometimes seeing differences of up to 14%, reflective of fewer buyers in that arena.
In Seattle, I am seeing routine multiple offers on nicely done, market-priced homes in popular neighborhoods like Phinney Ridge, Ravenna & Wedgwood. They may go above asking price, but not far above. Even on MI, there are multiple offer scenarios for popularly styled homes and homes with land. Recently, there were 3 traditional 2-story homes that came on the market and were under contract in a matter of days.
Buyers often seem pretty unprepared for this idea, even when shown the statistics by people like yours truly. They are hearing a different story and seeing different stats from the national media. But, all real estate is local.
Aug
28
2011
Aside from the obvious sale price, that is. This is a common and important question. Funds to close for buyers and funds remaining for sellers after paying sales costs are subjects of keen attention.
Below is a chart from First American Title (http://local.firstam.com/title-wa/king/) showing typical buyer and seller costs by loan type and for the King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. The small caveat is that in real estate, almost everything is negotiable. One more point is that for this chart and the others below, is that once again, all real estate is local. What is customary or regulated in one locale, can be very different in another.
Wondering about those title insurance and escrow fees? They are based on sale price. See charts below…
Sep
09
2011
First and very importantly, we are opening this wall. Or, as Ty says, the house’s Achilles tendon. By making this opening, we will provide another path from the front door into the kitchen/FR through the large living room, making a huge and versatile great room. Below is the current view from the front entry. The opening toward the front door is to the dining room. We think we will actually make both of these a little taller, as the structure allows.
The opening can eventually be selectively closed via sliding barn doors mounted on the living room side. We’ll see how far we get as that is a finish item that may be added, or not.
This is the front door.
Until a week ago, it sported six panels on each of the double doors. Ty was driven insane by that every single day. Nice, solid wood door. Wrong style. He took off the panel effects and is in the process of repairing the doors where the panels were nailed.
He has chosen a sunny yellow for the replacement color when his doors are newly smooth and one plane. Pictures when done!
Sep
26
2011
That’s a quote.
In the past couple of weeks, two different friends who are remodeling/building have talked to me about water heaters. Bottom line from both: spend the money to buy a good one.
One friend is adding a bath among other major upgrades to an old house. She was looking for an on-demand water heater and found that warranties varied greatly from one manufacturer to another. She learned that some manufacturers assign warranty responsibility to the installer, something the installer is sometimes unaware of. Try getting your unit repaired with someone who doesn’t know he’s responsible for that and has no budget for it in time or money. So, dig in a little and ask.
Another friend had a traditional water heater installed in a brand new house barge. It wound up flooding the entire hold. It was a bargain before the flood, but not now.
Uncontrolled water in a house is always bad, no matter where it comes from.
The takeaway: pay for quality when it comes to indoor water-management and ask up front what will happen and who will be responsible if it goes wrong. Oh, yes, and get that answer in writing!
Jan
23
2012
All Seattle areas in one post, with links to your favorite areas, in-city and suburbs.Click to view the West Seattle Report
Click to view the Central Seattle Report
Click to view the Queen Anne Report
Click to view the Ballard-Greenlake Report
Click to view the North Seattle Report
Click to view the Mercer Island Report
Click to view the Renton Highlands Report
Click to view the Eastside-South Report
Click to view the West Bellevue Report
Click to view the East Bellevue Report
Click to view the East of Lake Sammamish Report
Click to view the Redmond / Carnation Report
Dec
14
2011
Click on the image to make it bigger and therefore useful.
Dec
12
2011
Home sale statistics by week and price range for Phinney Ridge, Ballard, Greenlake, Greenwood and north Seattle.
Dec
12
2011
Real estate sales charts by week and price range for Magnolia and Queen Anne.
Dec
12
2011
Kirkland, Bridle Trails, Juanita, Woodinville, Redmond, Carnation, East Lake Samm - real estate sales stats by price range and week.
Dec
12
2011
Bellevue South, Newcastle, Renton in this set of charts showing sales by week and price range.
Dec
12
2011
Sales stats for Seattle west and south by week and price range.
Dec
11
2011
Weekly sales stats by price range. Included below are Mercer Island, Bellevue West and Bellevue East.
