I’m on my way back to the south end via Montlake Boulevard from the University Village. At Husky Stadium the traffic stops. It’s 12:30 pm and the Montlake Bridge is up to let a few sailboats pass along the Washington Ship Canal to Lake Washington.This old bascule bridge spans the Montlake Cut and it’s the most easterly draw bridge of 4 along the ship canal that connects Puget Sound via Lake Union to Lake Washington. The bridge opened in 1925 and was designed by Carl Gould, one of the early architects of the University of Washington.The latest stats I can find say about 40,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day... Timing is everything however! If there’s a Husky game at the stadium or it’s the opening day of boating season, forget about it!None the less, I love this route through Montla... 07/12/2015

I spent about half of the day at the University Village in Seattle with Barbie Van Horn. We're working on a new clock hour class for agents/brokers and I'm now headed for home. The easiest way for me is to head down Montlake Blvd and connect to one of the inner city routes (off the Freeway) and enjoy the ride. I'm always trying to capture impromptu pedestrian views. I love seeing life on the street as it happens and not trying to glorify it, simply capture it. Just a few blocks south of Husky Stadium (University of Washington) the light turned red and I had to stop just in front of this bus stop. It warmed my day... I just loved this scene... Waiting for the Bus with smiles and flowers. 08/10/2014

As the mid-summer slowdown sets in for Seattle real estate, we're finally seeing inventory levels begin to rise.  Active real estate listings in the city have been scarce for the first half of the year, and we're only now starting to see a slightly healthier level of homes for sale in the Seattle market. Total home sales in June dropped 10.9 percent from the previous month, allowing more listings to sit on the market for a longer period of time and increase the effective inventory.  While sales were down for the month, they're still 11.4 percent higher than they were in June of 2012. June's 751 home sales were still more than in any month of 2012, in fact.  While a slowdown is technically in effect, the overall market should still be viewed as very strong, and the 2 months of inventory ... 07/22/2013

New college graduates are often focused on two big things:  moving into their own place, and getting a good job after graduation.  A new study by Rent.com ranked cities across the U.S., based on their friendliness to new college graduates' most pressing needs.  While some grads buy homes right away, the majority rent for 2-5 years after college graduation before buying their first home. The availability of homes in Seattle is somewhat tight, and housing prices are certainly above the national average.  However, the strong job market and higher-than-average incomes for new college grads outweight those factors. Seattle's mean annual income stands at $54,800, according to the study.  For a single college graduate, that was plenty to make up for the median price to rent a one bedroom apart... 04/02/2013

With stories about real estate trends in the U.S. headed in every direction, it's difficult to get a good feel for where we are in terms of a recovery.  Headlines about sinking distressed home prices certainly receive attention but, in their simplicity, they fail to capture the overall market and its complex mix of properties.  For the average home buyer or seller, the condition of the real estate in their specific market is what they truly need to know--not just in locale, but also in property type. The most significant statistics in real estate sales right now are those of non-distressed home sales.  Prices of traditional resale homes (those that make up the majority of the market and are likely what an average American homeowner intends to purchase) have stabilized over the past year... 12/08/2011

As a follow-up to Part I of the luxury foreclosure post, here is the current inventory of luxury foreclosures. Current NWMLS Listings of "Bank-Owned" Homes over $1,000,000 in King County: 6457 Lake Washington Blvd SE Newcastle $1,004,85010460 47th Ave SW Seattle $1,029,00020 NW Cherry Lp Shoreline $1,034,5502007 Market St Kirkland $1,050,0004106 Lake Washington Blvd Kirkland $1,060,0002119 Bonair Dr SW Seattle $1,089,00027 NW Cherry Lp Shoreline $1,199,90013806 SE 7th St Bellevue $1,203,80013606 SE 7th St Bellevue $1,219,00014979 Reserve Dr SE North Bend $1,249,00014368 Edgewater Lane NE Seattle $1,265,000515 35th Ave S Seattle $1,295,00032715 SE 46th Lane SE Fall City $1,299,90014058 Edgewater Lane NE Seattle $1,340,000816 82nd Ave NE Medina $1,383,9006033 174th Ave SE Bellevue $1,400,... 10/26/2010

If you've never visited a foreclosed home in person, you probably picture them with broken windows, tattered carpets, and random critters living in the attic.  While those kinds of foreclosed homes certainly do exist (I've had to visit homes where the dogs stayed for a few days after the owners), there's also another side to the REO market.  Many of the highest-priced homes of the real estate boom have now become victims of their once-sky-high values.  There are an increasing number of luxury and waterfront homes that have reverted to the bank.  While some of these homes have a fair amount of deferred maintenance (Realtor-speak for damage and decay), there are some perfectly-maintained luxury homes whose owners simply walked away.  Other luxury new construction developments have ceased ... 10/26/2010