Sweet Digs Readers,
We removed the post about this listing at the request of the seller.
In the future we’ll make it clear to prospective sellers both the pros and cons about blogging a listing and that once a post is up we won’t be removing it.
Matt, Director – Online Marketing
Open House Dates and Times:
1526 Alki Ave SW #307, Seattle $559,950
Saturday, November 1, 2008 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Sunday, November 2, 2008 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Saturday, November 8, 2008 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Saturday, November 15, 2008 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
11987 SE 4th Pl #502, Bellevue $419,500
Saturday, November 1, 2008 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Sunday, November 2, 2008 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
6921 31st Pl, Seattle $342,500
Saturday, November 1, 2008 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Open House Date and Time:
Saturday November 1st, 1-4pm
6921 31st Pl S
Seattle, WA 98108
Seller Comments
Coffee Shop of Choice:
There is lovely new neighborhood resident owned coffee shop next to Othello Light Rail station 5 minutes walk from the house. They have board games and even an area for little kids to play. A new Starbucks just opened less than 1 mile away.Favorite Restaurant in the Area:
Tuta Bella, is an amazing authentic Neapolitan pizza house in the fun Columbia City (http://columbiacityseattle.com/area ) less than 10 minutes drive away. We often go there then drop by the Columbia City Cinema which is a converted school theater. Next door to that there is a great comedy club and plenty of dining restaurants.
Favorite Places to Go:
Right out front in Van Asselt park! On the weekends you can walk out front and join a pick up softball game! There are also soccer and volley ball games. A new tennis court is planned to be added to the park. However, the house is located in a private area of the park.It’s a short stroll past the amazing front yards (3 master gardners in the neighborhood) to the new Chief Sealth bike trail (http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/chiefsealthtrail.htm) that gives miles of uninterrupted private paved riding/walking!
Best Features of the Home:
VIEW, VIEW, VIEW! The living room has floor to ceiling windows that show the park while the trees provide privacy. It is such a treat waking in the morning and getting all that natural light and greenery flooding in! The house has an open elegant floor plan that perfect for entertaining. The kitchen is HUGE with pantry! Speaking of storage, there is more than ample storage for even the largest items. The drawers are all extra large, two walk-in closets and a storage room under the stairs and extra large laundry room already fitted for additional sink. The décor is modern and VERY clean. Only two single owners in the house’s history, it’s like new, including the appliances!
Has there been any remodeling since you purchased the home?:
No, it doesn’t need it. But externally the addition of the Othello light rail station nearby has caused many services to join the neighborhood including Holly Park Clinic (Dentists & Doctors) which means you can walk to your appointments on Saturdays! Imagine, in 2009 you will be able to go downtown and the airport without worrying about traffic or parking. If you want to drive, downtown is only 10 minutes away via I5N.
Favorite Room:
It’s a tie between the sunken living room (see above) and the master with it’s windows overlooking the park greenery and its extra large private bath. Since there is no street in front of the house, it’s a tranquil escape that makes you feel great.
Most Romantic Spot:
The cozy back yard is wonderful for romantic dinners or parties. The neighbors are all amazing and we have movies in the park for the kids during the summers.What’s in the neighborhood?:
3 parks are less than 5 minutes away including a huge kiddie pond. The Othello Neighborhood campus is a Seattle library outlet with many books and activities like cooking and martial arts classes.There is a bus stop that also goes straight downtown via the highway (10 minute ride) for those nights when you want to enjoy downtown Seattle.
What you will miss most:
The neighborhood, neighbors and the park right off the front porch.
Dear Seattle Sweet Digs Readers,
As part of changes already announced two weeks ago, Redfin is changing up Sweet Digs to focus the format on proprietary, leading-edge indicators of what is happening to home prices in the Puget Sound area.
We had initially tried to provide a personal review of individual homes for sale in the area, but as a broker and an MLS member, we were not in an ideal position to be objective about other brokers’ properties. Since Sweet Digs was so local, it was also hard to keep pace with Redfin’s growth across the U.S.
The new format will largely focus on what Redfin does best: hard data, delivered in a freakishly compelling way:
It’s good stuff.
We’ve been preparing a change in format for several months, informed by a survey many of you completed earlier this summer, so we have reason to believe that you’ll like the new Sweet Digs.
For now, we just wanted to say thanks to the folks who helped us get Sweet Digs this far, for your dazzling wit and insight, your verve and dedication to your craft. And thanks to our readers for your steady support!
The new, more analytical blog posts start later this week. If there’s a particular type of analysis you’d like to see, just leave a comment to let us know. We’ll definitely be listening.
Regards, Glenn
Glenn Kelman, Redfin CEO
1.) 17077 Parkside Way SE, Renton $388,500
Open Sunday, October 19th, 1-4pm
2.) 1410 N 85th St, Seattle $374,500
Open Saturday, October 18th, 11-3pm
3.) 1705 224 Ct NE, Sammamish $599,500
Open Sunday, October 19th, 1-4pm
4.) 16608 SE 70th St, Bellevue $999,990
Open Saturday, October 18th, 2-5pm
5.) 22424 SE 244th S, Maple Valley $324,950
Open Saturday & Sunday, October 18th & 19th, 12-4pm
I’ve posted about Anhalt condos before–the distinctive early 20th Century buildings built by Seattle’s own Frederick Anhalt. Capitol Hill is lucky enough to have several Anhalt buildings mixed among its stately single family homes. These condos boast timbered architecture, period details, and elegant spaces.
There are currently four Anhalt condos on the market. Two of these, the Boylston and East John homes, have been on the market since my last post, and have seen price reductions.
721 Boylston Ave E #102 Seattle, WA 98102 Price: $369,950
2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath, 857 sq. ft.
1201 E John #2 Seattle, WA 98122 Price: $429,000
2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath, 1,100 sq. ft.
730 Belmont Ave E #3 Seattle, WA 98102 Price: $374,000
1 Bedroom, 1 Bath, 971 sq. ft.
730 Belmont Ave E #1 Seattle, WA 98102 Price: $669,000
2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath, 1,272 sq. ft.
Source: BigCharts.com
For the last eighteen months or so, we’ve all been lamenting over the drop in home values, which at least in principle, translates to a drop in net worth. For example, if your home loses 20% of its value and is now worth $50,000 less than it was in 2006, does that mean that you are now $50,000 in the hole? Perhaps…but has the true value of your home really changed for you? Sometimes it’s hard to maintain perspective. After all, a home to live in provides benefits that greatly outweigh even the most generous of cash dividends paid when you own stocks.
That said, people still consider their home equity to be a vital component of their total net worth. So how does your home investment compare to how you would have done if you had put that same amount of money into the stock market over the last decade? Using the most recent quarter of data for the Case-Shiller Index, housing prices in the Seattle have gone up by 195% over the last ten years. In comparison, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) since October 1998 has been flat. Nada. Ziltch. Exactly zero. ( DJIA closed at 8452 on 10/19/1998 )
What’s the point? Maybe it’s just not as bad as you think. Maybe you should even feel good about your home, even with the recent declines in value. Real estate has provided a great diversification strategy, buffering total household net worth from complete devastation in the turbulent times we see around us today.
Big neighborhood dish over at the Central District News: sounds like the Twilight Exit bar, now located at 22nd & Madison across from the former home of Deano’s corner grocery, is going to find its own sweet digs further south in the CD.
Regular CD News blogger Scott reports that the bar, which is slated for demolition (developer Jim Mueller hasn’t settled on a date as yet), will make its new home at 25th & Cherry. His source? Miller Park Neighborhood Association Chair and Miller Park blogmeister Andrew Taylor. Word of the Exit’s exit hasn’t shown on Taylor’s blog, but our eyes are peeled.
Anyone heard anything to corroborate? To the contrary?
UPDATE: The local blog Nerd’s Eye View has a great photo collection of Fall City in the fall. Check it out. If you like autumn, it will definitely get you in the mood for chai lattes and pumpkin spice everything!
It is the thick of fall and pumpkins seem to be on everyone’s mind. Pies, cookies, patches and carving contests are a great way to create memorable weekends as the leaves turn and temperatures drop.
If you’re on the Eastside, I recommend a visit to Fall City Farms. First of all, it’s in Fall City. How can you not drive the 25 minutes down 520/202 to a city named after the most beautiful Northwest season? Secondly, the Fall City pumpkin patch would give Cinderella’s godmother a run for her money. Walking through the farm is like taking a 100-year leap back in time where cattle is raised on acres of green grass, butter is churned daily and Fred, the bread maker, stops by with a fresh loaf on his way to the deli.
If you work in Seattle, living Fall City might not be for you. The commute could be painful. If daily life brings you to the greater Eastside, Fall City might be the right choice if you like space and don’t mind sharing the road with a tractor or two. Nearly 50 homes are for sale in Fall City, and all are priced under $1.5 million. I was surprised at the home prices; they are not as affordable as I imagined. Homes in the $200,000 range were real fixer-uppers.
Overall, big lots are common and white picket fences are encouraged. If that’s up your alley, check out these Fall City homes.
32617 SE 44th St – $1,450,000
4 bd, 4.5 ba
4657 332nd Ave SE – $735,000
5 bd, 2.75 ba
33030 SE 43rd St – $449,950
3 bd, 1 ba
31806 SE Issaquah Fall City Rd – $385,000
2 bd, 1 ba
Picture provided by Fall City Farms.
Fall City Farms
3636 Neal Road
Fall City, WA 98024
425.222.4553
Trying to sell your small space? Or have you just invested in petite digs and are overwhelmed (or is that underwhelmed?) by the proximity of one wall to another?
Never fear: House Beautiful is here. A slough of decorators share their mini-manse “decorating no-nos” with those (me included) who are sometimes stumped by their lack of stretch-room.
First on the list? “Playing it safe,” according to decorator Victoria Neale. Drama can be great for a small space, she says; and while “you might get tired of a bold print in the main living area,” using a wallpaper or fabric that pops “can make a smaller, less-used room an exciting space to spend time.” For those looking to stage homes for resale, papering a bathroom with neon Chinoiserie or even a busy toile could mean a pass for many buyers, but hanging something in a subdued hue that boasts a bolder pattern (say, a fine, line-drawn geometric on taupe or a light grey) could pique the interest — and, potentially, the pocketbook — of a potential buyer.
Certainly, the House Beautiful list includes the classic “don’t cram the space with stuff” and “consider the room’s use(s) before buying and/or placing furniture.” These two tenets of staging shouldn’t be overlooked when you’re bringing in trails of people who may be your home’s next inhabitants. Of course, if you’re the new title-holder, you’ve got ownership (and a built-in excuse for experimentation) on your side. While you probably don’t want to shove so much stuff into your sweet new home that there’s barely room for you to move around, you can definitely play around with the space. Tall ceilings? Take advantage of height with skyscraping curios filled with collections. Large, uninterrupted wall space? Thinking about curating a gallery of family photos, secondhand art, or even a set of fabric samples.
Click through to the article for the rest of the designers’ advice on how to make a small space work. Or, if you’re in the market to shrink your living space, take a look at this pair of little, totally livable places under 1,000 square feet.
2421 E. Marion
Price: $369,000
Specs: 3 bd/1 bath
Size: 760 square feet
919 26th Ave.
Price: $429,000
Specs: 2 bd/1 bath
Size: 960 square feet
