Archive for March, 2008
March 29, 2008
Spring usually arrives as a welcome relief from a long winter. Flowers awaken and rise from their sleepy bulbs, leaves begin to fill barren branches, and cherry blossoms burst in radiant color and glory. With these other signs of emerging life from a long winter’s sleep, home buyers also begin to pop up here and there, gathering flyers, touring open houses, and thumbing through comps. But, will this wacky winter keep the flowers from blooming or the buyers from buying? We have yet to see how the usual prime selling time will fare in 2008, but for now, take a gander at this week’s Eastside price reductions of $25,000 or more.
If you’ve a keen eye, you may spot a deal or two in here that certainly may be worthy of a look!
BELLEVUE
3222 110th Ave SE
5 br.3.5 ba, 3,080 sq.ft.
Reduced $45,000 to $1,230,000
MLS 28019971
12331 SE 23 Pl
5 br/1.75 ba, 2,970 sq.ft.
Reduced $40,000 to $749,000
MLS 28022842
1615 125th Ave SE
3 br/1.75 ba, 2,680 sq.ft.
Reduced $30,950 to $719,000
MLS 27196392
ISSAQUAH
1593 26th Ct NE
4 br/3.5 ba, 3498 sq.ft.
Reduced $50,000 to $1,249,000
MLS 27081867
1613 26th Ct NE
5 br/4.5 ba, 3,743 sq.ft.
Reduced $50,000 to $1,268,000
MLS 27199322
KIRKLAND
11019 NE 104th St
4 br/3.5 ba, 3,760 sq.ft.
Reduced $100,000 to $1,100,000
MLS 28052096
404 11th Ave W
6 br/5 ba. 6,030 sq.ft.
Reduced $100,000 to $2,695,900
MLS 28017788
8131 NE 115th Way
4 br/2.75 ba, 2,720 sq.ft.
Reduced $54,000 to $795,000
MLS 27206470
1324 3rd St
4 br/3.75 ba, 4,000 sq.ft.
Reduced $50,000 to $1,299,950
MLS 27205189
12516 NE 94th St
3 br/2.5ba, 1,920 sq.ft.
Reduced $50,000 to $599,990
MLS 28034057
11433 80th Ave NE
5 br/3.5 ba, 3,740 sq.ft.
Reduced $50,000 to $700,000
MLS 28026148
11026 100th Ave NE
3 br/2.5 ba, 2,940 sq.ft.
Reduced $30,000 to $819,000
MLS 28026569
8005 NE 124th St.
3 br/1 ba, 2,500 sq.ft.
Reduced $25,000 to $599,950
MLS 28025419
REDMOND
21230 NE 92nd Pl
5 br/3 ba, 3,250 sq.ft.
Reduced $53,000 to $1,230,000
MLS 27199382
7820 172nd Pl NE
5 br/1.75 ba, 2,510 sq.ft.
Reduced $25,001 to $499,999
MLS 2800264
SAMMAMISH
24627 SE 2nd Pl
4 br/2.75 ba, 3,770 sq.ft.
Reduced $50,000 to $1,150,000
MLS 28016696
25709 NE 10th St
4 br/2.5 ba, unspecified
Reduced $30,000 to $769,000
MLS 28020321
21910 NE 11th St
4 br/2.5 ba, 3,280 sq.ft.
Reduced $30,000 to $865,950
MLS 27099075
WOODINVILLE
15627 NE 153rd St
4 br/6 ba, 6,025 sq.ft.
Reduced $100,000 to $2,250,000
MLS 28026279
15611 NE 157th St
3 br/2.5 ba, 2,770 sq.ft.
Reduced $51,000 to $999,000
MLS 27212533
March 28, 2008
Open House Date and Time:
Sunday, March 30, 1-4pm
2430 238th Pl NE
Sammamish, WA 98074
Seller’s Comments
Coffee shop of choice: Starbucks
Favorite place to go: Pine Lake Park, we spent many evenings at summer concerts performed by the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra or watching July 4th fireworks. It’s also an ideal place for a day out fishing or picnicking.
Best features of the home: The first thing that strikes you about the house is the dramatic 2-story entry which leads to vaulted formal living and dining rooms. The sky lights in the living room and bathrooms open up the spaces and provide a light and airy feel. The master suite is huge, at approximately 420 square feet, including the walk-in closet and 5-piece bath set. The backyard is exactly 100 feet wide, fully fenced and surrounded by 18 foot tall evergreen trees for privacy.
Favorite room: The family room, because the set up is perfect for TV/movie nights or enjoying a small get-together with friends.
Any remodeling since last sale price: New cedar siding was installed and a garden shed (6’x8’x8’) with matching siding with the house was built in year 2000.
Most romantic spot: The breakfast nook with bay window facing the backyard; there, we spent many meals together while watching the hummingbirds, finches, and juncos, etc. frequent the feeders
What’s in the neighborhood: There are some great city parks and recreational facilities nearby.
What I will miss the most: Abundant space for living and entertaining. The hummingbirds that show up in the backyard during summer. The friendly and quiet neighborhood.
March 28, 2008
Open House Dates and Time:
Saturday, March 29th, 12-5pm
Sunday, March 30th, 12-5pm
19804 Greenwood Pl N
Shoreline, WA 98133
Seller’s Comments
Coffee shop of choice: Hotwire Coffeehouse! A short 8 minute drive for fantastic organic fair trade coffee products. Friendly owners, art happening on the walls and music exploding from the corner stage on weekends. Did I mention the food is awesome? Wi-fi and comfy chairs with plenty of space. Richmond Beach Coffee Co. is down the hill for a more intimate coffee experience. Carmens (a few blocks away) is my favorite drive-thru. Starbucks, of course is everywhere.
Favorite Restaurant in the Area: Taqueria Guaymas…yes, try it. Solid great service with yummy…I mean YUMMY fare for decent prices. Oh, and generous margaritas. Scott’s Bar and Grill is more upscale but casual is fine with fantastic fare to fill the soul. Great service.
Favorite places to go: Pagliacci Pizza on 200th and Ballinger Way NE woos us with its hand-spun fresh dough (baked directly on hot bricks) pizza. Richmond Beach always beckons no matter what the season. Did I mention Hot wire coffee house? For a good read…the Shoreline library…gigantic. Closer, the new Richmond Beach library is smaller but just as wonderful.
Best features of the home: Eco-friendly and well maintained. Low maintenance, NW plantings grace the rockeries. Light, airy home with interesting angles, vaulted ceilings, and large windows let in lots of light and views of trees. Original white oak hardwood floors shine throughout. Cozy up to a gas fireplace in the huge family room downstairs just waiting for your imagination. New wool carpet there with felt pad make for happy feet and health. Roof-mounted solar panels are ready for final hook-up to hot water system.
Favorite rooms: Our spacious living room welcomes us to lounge, read, or listen to music. Big kitchen magic makes creating mouth-watering meals for a crowd really fun. Our Tree-house hill above our patio has sported many dinners in the wild.
Any remodeling since last sale price: New natural landscaping with low maintenance/native plantings. Completely painted outside and inside with low and no VOC paint. Updates include bathroom counters, vanities, fixtures, plumbing, and tile backsplash in kitchen with new stainless appliances, brushed nickel light fixtures (CFL powered) and door hardware throughout house. We had a new wool carpet installed family room where there is a newer gas fireplace. Original White oak floors are freshly sanded and finished with water-base sealer. New light switches and sockets throughout the house with GFI safety circuits in the kitchen, 3 bathrooms, and utility room. New electric breaker box installed. Ducts cleaned and furnace serviced.
Most romantic spot: Richmond Beach at Sunset watching colors and smelling the sound. The bats come out at night. A great walk for refreshing the soul.
What’s in the neighborhood: $3 movies at the Crest as well as 1st run new releases at the Mountlake 9. Ethnic eateries as well as the usual run of the mill faster foods, major grocery chains, Sky nursery, Home Depot, 24 Hour Fitness, small businesses, great schools including Shoreline Community College (8 min away), Aurora Transit center, Shoreline Park and Ride, Costco, and coming in 2008 a new 50,000 sq ft YWCA (5 blocks away). Scheduled soon is the new city hall with a versatile civic center. And then there is the 3 mile (100 foot wide) Interurban trail for bikes and pedestrians that link Shoreline’s neighborhoods, businesses and parks. Rather ice skate? We have that , too. Spin Alley right down the hill near the Richmond Beach Coffee Co. for the bowling enthusiasts. Many places of workship. Trees. Lots of evergreens.
What I will miss the most: My home we made ours with all its nooks and crannies.
Waking to the sound of birds in my backyard greeting the day…taking our dog Jenna to the beach for a good run…chatting with the neighbors about this and that…watching the neighborhood kids grow up…waiting for the snow fall…then sledding down the our hill…puttering in my garden. Enjoying the quiet street on which we live.
March 28, 2008
Open House Date and Time:
Sunday, March 30th 1-4pm
11301 Makah Rd
Woodway, WA 98020
Seller’s Comments
Coffee shop of choice: Caffe Ladro at 5 Corners or Starbucks at Main St and 5th Ave in Edmonds.
Favorite places to go: Walks along Sunset Ave, Edmonds Beach and along Edmonds Marina.
Favorite restaurant in the area: Olives Café and Wine Bar at 107 5th Ave N. in Edmonds.
Best features of the home: Quiet and secluded on a full acre in natural setting. Open floor plan on main floor. Large wrap around deck with hot tub. Lofts in upstairs bedrooms.
Favorite rooms: Dining room and kitchen.
Any remodeling since last purchase?: No.
Most romantic spot: Hot tub on a cold, clear winter night with the sky full of stars.
What’s in the neighborhood: Walks along narrow tree lined streets – walks with the best views of Puget Sound and Kitsap Pennisula – walks along Edmonds beach.
What I will miss the most: Summer evenings dining on the deck and the late night hot tubs under the stars.
March 28, 2008
Open House Date and Time:
Saturday, March 29th 1-4pm
20518 73rd Dr SE
Snohomish, WA 98296
Seller’s Comments
Coffee shop of choice: Molbak’s Café, Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream’s Café, and Lyon’s Den. On a beautiful day you can walk to get ice cream and get a little exercise to work off that ice cream – a 2 mile round trip walk.
Favorite places to go: Flower World, Molbak’s, Sammamish River Trail, Downtown Woodinville, Downtown Snohomish, even Mill Creek. This area is definitely a gardener’s paradise. No wonder Flower World and Molbak’s are nearby. For an active lifestyle, both the Sammamish River Trail and the Centennial Trail are easily accessible.
Favorite restaurants in the area: Maltby Café. Hands down the best cinnamon rolls and breakfasts. For a quick, cheap meal — $1.50 hotdogs at the Woodinville Costco. Of course, that’s also that Purple Café in Woodinville. There’s no shortage of choices that are less than 10 minutes away.
Best features of the home: The neighborhood! Modern craftsman on over .5 acre. It’s quiet here but still really accessible to all the great things in the northern part of the Eastside. I love the wrought iron stair rail and the wainscoting. There’s something timeless about both those features that accommodate many home décor styles.
Favorite rooms: The living room. It’s my favorite spot to read. I also enjoy the master on the main. I never realized how much I would appreciate having my own private sanctuary away from the noise of a busy family.
Any remodeling since last purchase?: The house in only 6 years old. New exterior paint.
Most romantic spot: The trails. Each .5 acre property backs up to a forested walking trail that’s well maintained.
What’s in the neighborhood: Park for kids and many walking trails. Quiet, beautiful neighborhood of houses that is also connected to similar neighborhoods.
What I will miss the most: The setting. It’s nice not to live in a cookie cutter neighborhood. Privacy is supreme. Your neighbors are nearby so you have all the advantages of a neighborhood without know what they’re having for dinner!
March 28, 2008
Open House Date and Time:
Saturday, March 29th, 1-4pm
2331 42nd Ave SW #314
Seattle, WA 98116
Seller’s Comments
Coffee shop of choice: Cupcake Royale, near Alaska Junction. We often went down for a cupcake and coffee.
Favorite Restaurant in the Area: Circa on Admiral and California, for the menu and atmosphere.
Favorite places to go: Anywhere along Alki Ave, Hiawatha Playfield two blocks away. We walk to the water taxi to get to Downtown.
Best features of the home: The rooftop deck. Going up in the late afternoon or early evening in the summer is really hard to beat. We also had great views of the New Year’s and 4th of July Fireworks over Seattle Center and Elliot Bay.
Favorite room: Bedroom, for the color.
Any remodeling since last sale price: No remodeling. The additions we made were the chandelier, the blinds in the bedroom, the storage unit in the bathroom, and the paint.
Most romantic spot: Watching the sun set over the Olympics from the roof.
What’s in the neighborhood: What’s not in the neighborhood? Within a block: Metropolitan Market, Safeway, Bartell’s, Admiral Theater, Italian restaurant, Thai restaurant, Mexican restaurant, more restaurants, Starbucks, Baskin Robbins, a park, Seattle Public Library, busline to downtown, dry cleaners, Blockbuster, and more.
What I will miss the most: The rooftop deck mostly, location was really great too.
March 27, 2008
Numbers are definite, tangible, and logical. The just make sense, so I was pretty excited when I saw Redfin’s latest study on the Seattle and San Francisco markets analyzing house sales in the areas. Businesses analyze data all the time, so why the heck not look at real estate sales in the same way?! According to this report, the Redfin buyer’s average negotiating advantage was just over $5,000, while the average commission refund was $10,520. More specific to our neck of the woods, King County Redfin buyers received an average refund of $9,772, which could go along way toward moving expenses, new carpet or new appliances!
Redfin King County buyers paid on average 98.885 percent of the listing price, while buyers who used other brokerages paid 99.383 percent. The difference of 0.498 percent represents an average savings of $2,490. The total Redfin Advantage was 2.452 percent, for an average total savings of $12,262.
The study was based on MLS records, comparing the final sales price to the list price at the point of sale for all condos and SFH sold between Feb. 6, 2007 and Feb. 5, 2008. Big Cheese, Glenn Kelman gives more detail in his latest blog entry, in case you’re interested.
March 24, 2008
A half of a million dollars seems like boatload of money, but is it? I guess it all depends on how you look at it. Here are a list of things that you could get if you’re willing to plunk down about 500,000 smackaroos:
Royal Diamond Chess Set, Charles Hollander Collection
14 carat white gold
9,900 black and white diamonds
186.09 total carat weight
A condo in downtown Bellevue with updates
200 99th Ave NE #42
2 br/1.75 ba, 1,151 sq.ft.
Price $499,999 ($434//sq.ft.)
MLS 28042021
A small house in Kirkland
11615 NE 97th St
4 br/2.5 ba, 1,610 sq.ft.
Price $500,000 ($311/sq.ft.)
MLS 28043659
Anna Nicole Smith’s Diaries
1992 & 1994 editions
Handwritten including the phrase, “I hate sex.”
Price $512,500
A tri-level house in Redmond with a recroom
15910 NE 105th St
4 br/2.25 ba, 1,970 sq.ft.
Price $499.950 ($254/sq.ft.)
MLS 28046034
An almost-new home in Woodinville
20424 128th Pl NE
4 br/2.5 ba, 3,036 sq.ft.
Price $499,000 ($164/sq.ft.)
MLS 28007713
A 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster
Engine: AMG-built supercharged 5,439-cc 24-valve 90 deg V-8
618 hp@6,500 rpm
575 lb-ft @ 3,250-5,000 rpm
MSRP $497,750
A cyborg T-800 skeleton used in Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Price $488,750
March 21, 2008
…your favorite colors are green and white:
11518 NE 107 Pl, Kirkland
4 br/3.5 ba, 3,210 sq.ft.
Reduced $25,100 to $699,900 ($218/sq.ft.)
MLS 28000492
…it looks kinda cool…
11426 NE 115th Ct, Kirkland
2 br/2.25 ba, 1,480 sq.ft.
Reduced $20,000 to $420,000 ($284/sq.ft.)
MLS 28026182
…it’s so small…
12510 NE 117th Pl #B3, Kirkland
1 br/1 ba, 630 sq.ft.
Reduced $6,000 to $183,900 ($292/sq.ft.)
MLS 27208447
…they might throw in the blue gingham tablecloth if you’re really lucky…
12227 SE 12 St., Bellevue
4 br/2.5 ba, 3,100 sq.ft.
New listing at $669,000 ($216/sq.ft.)
MLS 28045464
…it’s a house under $400,000
15817 182nd Ave NE
3 br/1.75 ba
Relisted at $399,000
MLS 28004716
…the price was reduced by a freakin’ $50! Come and get it!
423 18th Ave
4 br/3.5 ba, 2,997 sq.ft.
Reduced $50 to $1,058,950 ($353/sq.ft.)
MLS 28017178
March 21, 2008
Open House Date and Time:
Saturday, March 22nd, 1-4:30pm
14737 112th Ave NE
Kirkland, WA 98034
Seller’s Comments
Coffee Shop of Choice:
Get Up and Go espresso, this place has great coffee and is owner-operated.
Favorite restaurant in the area:
La Corona is a favorite for Mexican food, it’s also owner-operated, and overall just a great little place. When the mood for Italian strikes, we head to Restaurant Paridisio in the art walk of Kirkland’s downtown.
Favorite Places to Go:
We often find ourselves at the downtown Kirkland marina for concerts and relaxing together as a family. Kirkland has so many things to offer, like boating and waterfront dining. The home has such easy access to Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond that everything is within reach.
What’s in the neighborhood:
E. Norway park, Edith Moulton park and Kingsgate park are all nearby, along with several schools and grocery stores.
Best features of the home:
The location is definitely one of the best features, being on the cul-de-sac of a safe and fun neighborhood has so many advantages. The house also has a big front yard which we’ve definitely enjoyed!
Favorite room:
We love the dining room because that is where the family gets together to eat and talk; the living room is another favorite, with a great set up for movie nights with family and friends.
Most Romantic Spot:
The back patio - it’s perfect for small get-togethers and summertime barbecues.
Any Remodeling Since Last Sale Price:
Living room, dining room, kitchen, hallway, all 3 bedrooms, front yard, back yard, and one bathroom.
What I will miss the most:
The family and friends in the neighborhood; they’re the best!!!!
