Debra Sinick

Archive for the ‘Woodinville, WA’ Category

What A Difference A Year Makes In Seattle-Eastside Real Estate

In Bellevue Real Estate, For Buyers, For Homeowners, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle, Seattle real estate, WA real estate, Woodinville, WA, market statistics, real estate on June 15, 2009 at 3:15 pm

The Seattle area real estate market is going from green to yellow. The map colors have changed on these  real estate maps, representing a shift in the real estate market.
King Snohomish County Months Supply Area Map May 2009

King Snohomish County Months Supply Area Map May 2009

King  Snohomish County Months Supply Area Map-May 2008

King Snohomish County Months Supply Area Map-May 2008

Here’s what these maps show:


Each NWMLS (Northwest Multiple Listing Service) real estate area in the two counties  is shown on the maps. For example, if you look at the eastside, you’ll see an area labeled 530, which is East Bellevue and parts of Redmond,  and 560, which is Kirkland.

Every area of the NWMLS is then evaluated by looking at the number of homes for sale and the number of homes that sell each month in that area. If there’s an overabundance of homes for sale compared to the number of homes selling, then it’s a buyers’ market.  If there are a reasonable number of homes selling each month compared to the number of homes on the market, then it’s a balanced market between buyer and seller.  Lastly, if the number of homes is selling well compared to how many are for sale, then it’s a sellers’ market.

What do the colors on the maps represent?
  • Green represents a buyers’ market.
  • Yellow represents a balanced market between buyer and seller.
  • Red represents a sellers’ market.

Along the sides of the maps, each real estate area is listed with the number of months it would take to sell all the homes currently for sale in the area. Let’s look at area 530 again.  In area 530, if no other home comes on the market, it would take about 4.4 months for the homes to sell.  In Kirkland, area 560, if no other home comes on the market, it would take 8.1 months to sell the homes for sale.  East Bellevue and Redmond near Microsoft are color coded in yellow.  With 4.4 months of inventory, it has a more balanced market.  Kirkland is colored green.  It’s a buyer’s market because it would take 8.1 months to sell the homes on the market.

Looking at 2009’s map, it’s clear how much the Seattle area real estate market has changed to a more balanced market.  Most King and Snohomish county real estate areas are colored yellow, showing a balance between buyers and sellers.

May of 2008 was very definitely a buyers’ market and a buyers’ market only. In May of 2008, green for a buyers’ market was the predominant color on the map.  In May of 2009, yellow is the dominant color, representing a more balanced real estate market.

Hopelink Needs More Volunteers in King County

In Bellevue, WA, Issaquah, WA, King County, WA, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Seattle, Woodinville, WA on May 28, 2009 at 11:54 am

Denise Stephens from Hope-link asked that I post this press release because Hope-link is in need of more volunteers:

Prospective volunteers can learn more at orientation in Bellevue, Bothell, Redmond or Carnation. Bellevue, Wash. – Hopelink, a 38-year-old nonprofit agency helping families, senior citizens and people with disabilities in east and north King County, needs more volunteers at its centers in Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Shoreline, Bothell and Carnation. Hopelink relies upon volunteers for such jobs as sorting food in its food banks, helping adults learn to read or do basic math or study for the GED exams, delivering food to homebound clients, or answering phones and helping with administrative tasks. In April alone, more than 700 volunteers donated over 6,000 hours to help Hopelink programs and clients.

Hopelink continues to need new volunteers over age 16 and volunteers between the ages of 12 and 16 with parent/guardian supervision. We welcome anyone interested to an orientation meeting to learn more about Hopelink and its many volunteer opportunities. Space is limited and orientation sessions start promptly, so please arrive early. • Wednesday, June 3, 2009, at Hopelink’s Bellevue center in the Learning Center conference room, 14812 Main St., in Bellevue. (Note: this is a new location for the Bellevue orientations.) Parking is limited on site.

Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@hope-link.org for information about off site parking options. This location is served by Metro routes 221 and 247. An afternoon orientation will start promptly at 1:00 p.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. An evening orientation will start promptly at 7:00 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. • Thursday, June 4, 2009, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Hopelink’s Bothell center, 18220 96th Ave. NE in Bothell. • Tuesday, June 9, 2009, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Hopelink’s Redmond center. The orientation will be held in the Rainier Room conference room of the Family Resource Center complex (where Hopelink is located), Building A, 16225 NE 87th St., in Redmond. The Redmond volunteer orientation is a new addition to the schedule. • Wednesday, June 10, 2009, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. at Hopelink’s Carnation center, 31957 Commercial Street in Carnation.

For more information, go to www.hope-link.org/takeaction/volunteer. For information on how young people between middle school and high school age can help Hopelink, please visit http://youthlink.hope-link.org/ Since 1971, Hopelink has helped homeless and low income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities make lasting change in their lives. Hopelink promotes self-sufficiency by helping people meet their needs for food, shelter, homelessness prevention, family development, transportation and adult literacy. For more information on Hopelink and its services, call 425.869.6000 or visit www.hope-link.org.

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle-Eastside Condo in April, 2009?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, financing, market statistics, real estate on May 19, 2009 at 5:52 pm

TG Chart Eastside Condo April 2009Seattle Eastside April 2009 condo real estate statistics

April, 2009  1315 condos for sale,177 sold, 13% chance of selling a condo

(The absorption rate, the percentage of condos selling,  is the number of condos for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of condos sold that month.  So if the absorption rate or chance of selling is 10% that means out of 100 condos for sale, 10 received offers and sold.)

(pended means the number of condos that got offers this month)

Much good news for the Seattle-Eastside condo sales during April, 2009.  April represented the highest number of condo sales on Seattle’s eastside since June, 2008. Only 15 more condos were offered for sale, but 67 more sold in April than in March. I’m sure the first time home buyer credit is spurring on all the activity.

The other piece of good news is HUD, the office of Housing and Urban Development, announced the $8000 first time home buyer tax credit can be used towards a buyer’s down payment. This is a boon to first time buyers.  The actual workings of the program have not been released yet, but I will report on it as soon as I hear about it.  If you have a lender you trust, you can also contact them to get more information about the program.  Remember, the tax incentive must be used before December 1st, 2009.  To be safe, if you plan to use it, you should consider buying before the end of October, so your home or condo purchase will close in time for you to be eligible for the credit.

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle/Eastside Home in April, 2009?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Homeowners, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, Kirkland, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, financing, real estate on May 15, 2009 at 7:32 am
Seattle Eastside Resiential Real Estate Activity April 2009

Seattle Eastside Real Estate Activity April 2009

The media was hopping with news stories about the increase in April, 2009 real estate sales in the Seattle area.  Local TV stations KOMO and KING5, both had reports on the more positive real estate market.  The Seattle Times, Seattle PI.com, and BizJournals all had stories with the same theme.

The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in April 2009 ranged from a low of 10% to a high of 23%, with an average 16% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.)  Numbers will be rounded off to the nearest whole number, unless the number is exactly .5% between two numbers.

Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:

April, 2009         3600 homes for sale         573 homes sold            16% chance of selling.

March, 2009      3711    homes for sale        372 homes sold           10% chance of selling.

April,  2008        4017  homes for sale       489 homes sold             12% chance of selling

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(This monthly Seattle/Eastside real estate report now includes the chart above because it’s clear and easy to read. You can still find the  MLS charts by clicking on each of the cities below.  Those charts have some of the same information as the chart above, but also show the real estate trends for the last 5 years, including  median pricing for each city and whether the number of homes for sale and the number of sales are up or down.  If you look at the charts by city, you’ll notice the total number of homes for sale and the number of homes sold can vary slightly from the chart above.  This is because the information for the charts is gathered at slightly different times.  Regardless of the exact numbers, it’s clear the charts show the same trends, which is the most important piece of information.)

(click on city names for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall Ciy

Median sales price decreased by 12% from $597,639 to $524,000.

Inventory was down by 12% and sales were down by 12% from last year.

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Median sales price decreased from $608,998 to $500,000 a decrease of 18%.

Inventory was down 6% and sales were up 15%.

South Bellevue

Median price increased by 8% from $600,000 to $649,900.

Inventory was down by 15% and sales were up 70%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland

Median price was down to $399,950 from $484,450, a 17% decrease.

Inventory was down by 6% from last year and sales were up by 44%.

Kirkland

Median price decreased by 8%, from $707,950  to $649,000.

Inventory was down by 8% and sales were up by 9.5%.

West Bellevue

Median pricing decreased by21%  from $1,399,000 to $1,100,000.

Inventory increased by 5 % and sales increased by 18.5%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Median pricing decreased by 14%  from $652,450 to $554,950.

Inventory decreased by 9% and sales decreased by 5%.

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Thoughts on the April 2009 Seattle Eastside real estate market:

  • Ok, everyone, take a deep breath.  Things are looking up! Seattle -Eastside homes are selling. Every eastside area had a double digit absorption rate, for the first time in months.
  • All areas saw some very positive changes this past month.  The positive changes are in bold print. Everycity had some positive change in the real estate activity.  The number of homes for sale, the inventory, was down in every city, except one.  The number of homes sold was up in all cities except two!
  • The stand-out area, which is often the case, is the area in East Bellevue and Redmond, close to Microsoft.  This area’s absorption rate was the last to slow down and is the first to come back to life.  Twenty-three percent of the homes for sale sold there last month.
  • Are real estate prices increasing on Seattle’s Eastside?  No, the number of sales has increased dramatically though.
  • April had the most number of home sales since June of last year.  In King County overall, six of the last ten weeks have had the most number of sales since July, 2007.
  • In some areas on Seattle’s Eastside, we are seeing a more balanced market between buyers and sellers.
  • The $8000 buyers credit will now be available for a down payment. This is great news, which should help bolster the real estate market even more.

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle/Eastside Home in January, 2009?

In Bellevue Real Estate, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Seattle real estate, Woodinville, WA, market statistics, real estate, real estate opinion on February 18, 2009 at 5:01 pm

The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in January 2009 ranged from a low of 7% to a high of 11%, with an average 10% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.) Numbers will be rounded off to the nearest whole number, unless the number is exactly .5% between two numbers.

Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:

January 2009         3294 home available          325  homes sold          10% chance of selling.

December 2008     3169 homes available        243 homes sold,          8% chance of selling.

January 2008         2963 homes available        346 homes sold,          12% chance of selling.

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(click on each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

Sellers had 11 % chance of getting a home sold, the same as last month and DOWN from13 % last year.  Median home prices were DOWN, from $619,900 to $535,000.  Inventory was down by 4% and sales were down by 24% from last year.

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Sellers had a 11% chance of getting a home sold, the same as last month, and DOWN from 15% last year.  Median sales price decreased from $567,250 to $480,000, a decrease of 15%.  Inventory was up 20% and sales were down 14%.

South Bellevue

Sellers had an 11% chance of getting a home sold, UP from 6% last month  and UP from 8% last year.  Median price decreased by 11% from $630,000 to $559,900.  Inventory was up 1% and sales were down 58%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland

Sellers had a 10% chance of selling a home,  UP  from 7% last month and DOWN from 14% last year.  Median price was down to $438,200 from $459,950, a 5% decrease.  Inventory was up by 27% from last year and sales were down by 9%.

Kirkland

Sellers had a 11% chance of selling a home, UP from 6% last month and UP from 10% last year.  Median price decreased by 21%, to $521,440  from $652,250. Inventory was up by 2% and sales were down by 10.5%.

West Bellevue

Sellers had a 7% chance of selling a home, UP from 3% last month, and the same as last year.  Median pricing decreased by 10% to $937,500 from $1,027,500.  Inventory increased by 43 % and sales decreased by 43%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Sellers had a 9% chance of selling a home,  UP  from 7% from last month, and DOWN from 12% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 27%  from $664,925 to $484,950.  Inventory increased by 17% and sales decreased by 13%.

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Some thoughts on January’s real estate market:

  • No big surprise again,  all eastside areas experienced a reduction in both pricing and sales.
  • Most eastside neighborhoods had similar chances of having a home sell in January.
  • All areas, except the plateau area of Sammamish, Snoqualmie, Fall City, Issaquah, and North Bend, had an increase in the number of homes for sale when compared to last year.  There were fewer homes available to buy on the plateau this January than last, about 30 less homes
  • The chances of selling in the core neighborhoods of Kirkland, area 560,  was actually a little better than last year, but only by 1%.   The same thing is true for (area 500), South Bellevue and parts of Issaquah.  Sellers had a 4% greater chance of getting their home sold this January than last.

The number of homes for sale on the eastside is creeping up slightly.  As of February 16th, there are 12,678 homes available, whereas 2009 started with 11,363 homes for sale.  This is the typical pattern each year. As spring progresses, more people think about moving.  I anticipate more homes coming on the market in the next few months.  If you’re thinking of moving, your chances of getting your home sold are far better with less competition now, so it’s best not to wait.  Those of you who are thinking of waiting until school is over, should be thinking about putting your home on the market in March or April, so you can get moved in the summer.  If you wait until school is over, then you may not have your home sold and your move complete by the time the next school year starts.

As I’ve been saying for the past year, this is a market for realistic sellers.  If you want to make a move, be prepared to have your home in show condition and priced right.  If you’re planning a move into a new home,  since it clearly is a buyer’s market, you can negotiate in your favor then.  Homes are selling, as you see above, but it usually is the homes that are the best value that get sold.

Contact a Realtor well before you want to sell to make sure you’ll be ready when you do want to sell.  As always, if the market or your situation means it’s best for you to stay put, then that’s what  you should do.

Woodinville’s Molbaks is Decked Out With Poinsettias Once Again

In Bellevue Real Estate, Exploring the Eastside, For Homeowners, Local news and information, Woodinville, WA, not real estate on December 18, 2008 at 2:49 pm

Woodinville, Washington’s Molbaks is decked out in its annual poinsettia finery with over 30 different types of poinsettias. The profusion of color, with variations of pinks, reds, and whites is just gorgeous.  This is the perfect place to go on a gray, cold day. It’s bound to bring a lot of holiday cheer!  Here’s hoping the snow will let up so you can get on over there.

molbaks poinsettia festival #5molbaks poinsettia festivalmolbaks poinsettia festival #2molbaks poinsettia festival #3

molbaks poinsettia festival

What Were The Chances of Selling a Seattle/Eastside Condo in October, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Kirkland, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, WA real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on November 21, 2008 at 2:09 pm

Sellers had a 12% chance of selling a condo on Seattle’s Eastside in October, 2008. ( click on 2008 year to date statistics in the link above for a chart showing the condo report)

October, 2008         1324 condos for sale,  153 condos sold,  12% chance of selling.

September, 2008     1414 condos for  sale, 173 condos sold,   12% chance of selling.

October, 2007         1121 condos for sale,  202 condos sold,   18 % chance of selling.

The number of condos/ town homes for sale on the Eastside is dropping from its summer high.  The chance of selling a condo, however, has remained pretty constant throughout the year with 12-13% of the available condos selling each month.

Median pricing was down this month by about 13%, dropping from $345,416 to $300,215.  Inventory is up by 18% from last October and sales have dropped by 24%.

I’ve seen some great condos sell and all of the ones that have sold were well priced and showed well, the key to success in this market.  Sellers must be ahead of the curve in pricing or they stay among the pack of available condos.

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle/Eastside Home in October, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Homeowners, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Kirkland, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on November 20, 2008 at 4:46 pm

The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in October 2008 ranged from a low of 6% to a high of 11%, with an average 8% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.) Numbers will be rounded off to the nearest whole number, unless the number is exactly .5% between two numbers.

Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:

October 2008         3975 homes available, 320 sold, 8% chance of selling.

September 2008     4117 homes available, 513 sold,  12% chance of selling.

October 2007         3398 homes available, 461 sold,   14% chance of selling.

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(click on the each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

Sellers had a 9 % chance of getting a home sold, DOWN from 14% last month and DOWN from 17% last year.  Median home prices were essentially the same, from $559,000 to $559,194.  Inventory was up by 13% and sales were down by 40% from last year.

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Sellers had a 11% chance of getting a home sold, the SAME as last month, and DOWN from 14 % last year.  Median sales price decreased from $609,950 to $484,725, a decrease of 20.5%.  Inventory was up 13% and sales were down 10%.

South Bellevue

Sellers had an 8% chance of getting a home sold, the same as last month,  and DOWN from 12% last year.  Median price decreased by 14% to $569,900 from $664,950.  Inventory was up 5% and sales were down 32%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland

Sellers had a 9% chance of selling a home,  DOWN from 12% last month and DOWN from 13% last year.  Median price was down to $533,925 from $549,250, a 3% decrease.  Inventory was up by 17.5% from last year and sales were down by 17%.

Kirkland

Sellers had a 6% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 9% last month and DOWN from 11% last year.  Median price increased by 8%, to $709,475 from $657,475. Inventory was up by 17% and sales were up down by 41%.

West Bellevue

Sellers had a 6% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 8% last month, and DOWN from 10% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 6% to $1,399,000 from $1,492,000.  Inventory increased by 45.5% and sales decreased by 9%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Sellers had a 7% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 17% from last month, and DOWN from 16% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 21% (oops, typo of 421% before!) from $599,475 to $472,425.  Inventory increased by 24% and sales decreased by 44%.


October has been the toughest month to get a home sold on the eastside so far this year. This is not a big surprise, given the volatility of the economy, the bailout, and the pre-election jitters.  Most neighborhoods saw the chances of selling drop to the single digits, with the exception being the East Bellevue and Redmond area around Microsoft.  Eleven percent of the homes for sale in that area received offers last month, while it was toughest to get a home sold in Kirkland as only 6% of the homes sold.

Every area on the eastside experienced a decline in the number of sales when compared to October of last year.  Ironically, most of this September’s sales were higher than September of last year.  The number of homes for sale on the Eastside has dropped back below 4000 homes for the first time this year.

Median prices have dropped back, in many cases, to 2006 levels. In some areas, such as East Bellevue and Redmond around Microsoft, the median price has dropped below $500,000 for the first time since the beginning of 2006.  Even though the number of sales are down, the median price continues to jump up or down.  In Kirkland, the toughest area for a sale last month, prices went up almost 8%, while in Sammamish, sales were down, but prices remained stable.  As I’ve mentioned in the past, it’s important to look at trends in each area over a few months.  Prices and sales go up and down in each area and there isn’t always a correlation between the two.

Will things continue to drop or will they stabilize?  Having the election behind us and giving the country a more optimistic focus than we have seen in a long time, it will be interesting to follow.  It take a few months after the election before we see any changes.

But if you follow Forbes magazine, Seattle is looked at as the number one city to bounce back.

What Were The Chances Of Selling a Home on Seattle’s Eastside in September, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Homeowners, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, Kirkland, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate, real estate opinion on October 15, 2008 at 10:05 pm

The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in September 2008 ranged from a low of 8% to a high of 17.5%, with an average 12% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.) Numbers will be rounded off to the nearest whole number, unless the number is exactly .5% between two numbers. (Revised numbers)

Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:

September 2008     4117 homes available, 513 sold,  12% chance of selling.
August 2008          4240 homes available, 503 sold,   12% chance of selling.
July 2008               4332 homes available,  543 sold,  12.5% chance of selling.
September 2007    3529 homes available,  443 sold,  12% chance of selling. 

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(click on the each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

Sellers had a 14% chance of getting a home sold, UP from 13% last month and DOWN from 15% last year.  Median home prices were down by 14%, from $602,500 to $519,000.  Inventory was up by 10% and sales up by 1.5% from last year. 

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Sellers had a 17.5% chance of getting a home sold, DOWN from 19% last month, and DOWN from 19 % last year.  Median sales price decreased from $575,000 to $550,000, a decrease of 5%.  Inventory was up 24% and sales were up 16%.

South Bellevue

Sellers had a 11% chance of selling a home, THE SAME as last month and UP from 10% last year.  Median price decreased by 5% to $594,500 from $627,250.  Inventory was up 7% and sales were up 19%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall

Sellers had a 12% chance of selling a home,  UP from 11% last month and DOWN from 13% last year.  Median price was down to $459,950 from $495,000, a 7% decrease.  Inventory was up by 19% from last year and sales were up by 15%.

Kirkland

Sellers had a 9% chance of selling a home, THE SAME as last month and DOWN from 12.5% last year.  Median price increased by 2%, to $695,000 from $679,975. Inventory was up by 20% and sales were up by 17%.

West Bellevue

Sellers had a 8% chance of selling a home, UP from 6% last month, and THE SAME as last year.  Median pricing decreased by 15% to $1,314,000 from $1,550,000.  Inventory increased by 49.5% and sales increased by 53%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Sellers had a 17% chance of selling a home, UP from 14% from last month, and UP from 11% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 4.5% from $549,950 to $525,000.  Inventory increased by 11% and sales increased by 58.5%!

Most eastside neighborhoods showed similar real estate activity in September as in August.  The chances of selling a home hardly varied with the exception of the Redmond’s Education and Novelty Hill areas and Carnation.  The area experienced a 3% increase over August activity. This area also saw the largest increase in sales from last September, 58% more homes sold.

Homes in West Bellevue had only an 8% chance of selling. However, West Bellevue had a huge increase in inventory, almost 50%, resulting in 53% more sales this year than last year at this time.

All the eastside areas dropped in median pricing, with the exception of Kirkland, which was up 2% this month.

The chances of selling a home on the eastside have not varied much in most neighborhoods over the past few months.  However, in almost all neighborhoods, prices are down and inventory and sales are up.

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle/Eastside Home in August, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Kirkland, Real Estate News, Redmond, Seattle real estate, WA real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on September 18, 2008 at 2:49 pm
The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in August 2008 ranged from a low of 6% to a high of 19%, with an average 12% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.) Numbers will be rounded off to the nearest whole number, unless the number is exactly .5% between two numbers.
Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:
August 2008          4240 homes available, 503 sold,   12% chance of selling.
July 2008               4332 homes available,  543 sold,   12.5% chance of selling.
August 2007         3336 homes available,   643 sold,  19% chance of selling. 

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(click on the each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

Sellers had a 13% chance of getting a home sold, UP from 12% last month and DOWN from 21% last year.  Median home prices were up by 4%, from $549,250 to $572,000.  Inventory was up by 19% and sales declined by 22% from last year.

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Sellers had a 19% chance of getting a home sold, UP from 16% last month, and DOWN from 25 % last year.  Median sales price decreased from $582,475 to $549,000, a decrease of 6%.  Inventory was up 43% and sales were down 12%.

South Bellevue

Sellers had a 11% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 14% last month and DOWN from 20% last year.  Median price decreased by 8.5% to $592,475 from $647,800.  Inventory was up 14% and sales were down 38%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall

Sellers had a 11% chance of selling a home,  DOWN from 15% last month and DOWN from 16% last year.  Median price was down to $478,062 from $502,500, a 5% decrease.  Inventory was up by 30% from last year and sales declined by 14%.

Kirkland

Sellers had a 9% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 10% last month and DOWN from 14% last year.  Median price declined by 11%, from $649,950 to $585,000. Inventory was up by 29% and sales were down by 14.5%.

West Bellevue

Sellers had a 6% chance of selling a home, UP from 5%, and DOWN from 19% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 37% to $999,950 from $1,582,500.  Inventory increased by 73% and sales declined by 42%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Sellers had a 14% chance of selling a home, the same as last month, and DOWN from 26% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 8% from $650,000 to $599,950.  Inventory increased by 19% and sales dropped by 34.5%.

July and August’s market activity was very similar, with most neighborhoods seeing the same chances for selling in both months.  However, the top area for sales on the Eastside, with the largest increase in chances from last month, was the East Bellevue/West Redmond/Microsoft area.  The chances of selling your home in South Bellevue, North Kirkland, Woodinville, Kenmore, Bothell, and Duvall dropped by few percentage points.  For the first time this year, West Bellevue’s median price dipped below $1,000,000.  We’ve not seen median pricing in West Bellevue below $1,000,000 since 2006.

To determine the most realistic view of the market, look at several months worth of data.   Pay particular attention to the amount of homes for sale in your area.  Regardless of what’s happened in the previous months, make sure you know the actual competition in your area before establishing a sales price and going on the market.

Be the best home out there and your home will sell.  People are still relocating, changing jobs, needing more space, reasons that still exist for making a move.

The Seattle/Eastside area is still far more fortunate than many other areas of the country.  For example, Southern California is looking at a 34% price drop from last year.

What Were The Chances of Selling a Seattle/Eastside Condo in July, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle real estate, WA, WA real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on August 12, 2008 at 2:26 pm

Sellers had a 12.7% chance of selling a condo on Seattle’s Eastside in July of 2008. ( click on 2008 year to date statistics in the link above for a chart showing the condo report)

July, 2008              1476 condos for  sale, 187 condos sold, 12.7% chance of selling.

June, 2008            1427 condos for sale, 194 condos sold,  13.6% chance of selling.

May, 2008              1472 condos for sale, 211 condos sold,  14% chance of selling.

July, 2007                 918 condos for sale,  332 condos sold,   37% chance of selling.

The chances of selling a condo have been pretty consistent for the last three months, varying only by a percent.  The number of available condos shrunk a little in June, but is now slightly over the number of condos available to buy in May.

Are condo prices still going up?  Yes.  However, this past month and in May,  the increase in value was less than one percent.  Increases in value have slowed down considerably, while the inventory and the chance of selling has stayed fairly constant.  Cream puffs are selling, other condos are taking a very long time to sell. If you are buying, consider the best condo with the least amount of issues. 

Is the condo located near employment, transportation, schools, shopping? 

Is the condo in good condition?

Is the condo in a quiet location?

Does the condo have a strong amount in reserves?

Are the condo dues low?

Do the dues cover exterior maintanence, water, sewer, and garbage?

Anything else you should look for?  Do let me know.

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle/Eastside Home in July, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Kirkland, Local news and information, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle, Seattle real estate, WA, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on August 12, 2008 at 1:58 pm
The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in July 2008 ranged from a low of 5% to a high of 16%, with an average 12.5% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.) Numbers will be rounded off to the nearest whole number, unless the number is exactly .5% between two numbers.
Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:
July 2008               4332 homes available,  543 sold,   12.5% chance of selling
June 2008              4154 homes available,  635 sold,  15.2 % chance of selling.
May 2008              4349 homes available,  522 sold,  12% chance of selling.
July 2007               3253 homes available,   773 sold,  23.8% chance of selling. 

_____________________________________________________________

(click on the each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

Sellers had a 12% chance of getting a home sold, DOWN from 17% last month and DOWN from 22% last year.  Median home prices were up by 1%, from $569,800 to $575,000.  Inventory was up by 18% and sales declined by 33.5% from last year.

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Sellers had a 16% chance of getting a home sold, DOWN from 23% last month, and DOWN from 34% last year.  Median sales price decreased from $599,000 to $574,990, a decrease of 4%.  Inventory was up 70% and sales were down 20%.

South Bellevue

Sellers had a 14% chance of selling a home, UP from 12.5% last month and DOWN from 23% last year.  Median price decreased by 19% to $604,950 from $749,975.  Inventory was up 24% and sales were down 24.5%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall

Sellers had a 15% chance of selling a home,  DOWN from 15.5% last month and DOWN from 26% last year.  Median price was down to $475,000 from $550,000, a 14% decrease.  Inventory was up by 35% from last year and sales declined by 23%.

Kirkland

Sellers had a 10% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 16.5% last month and DOWN from 22% last year.  Median price declined by 25%, from $757,475 to $569,000. Inventory was up by 25% and sales were down by 38%.

West Bellevue

Sellers had a 5% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 9.5%, and DOWN from 19% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 29% to $1,354,975 from $1,748,000.  Inventory increased by 85% and sales declined by 50%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Sellers had a 14% chance of selling a home, UP (barely) from 13% last month, and DOWN from 22% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 15% from $644,435 to $549,375.  Inventory increased by 18% and sales dropped by 25%.

The activity for May  is included at the top of this article because July’s market performance is very similar to the market performance in May.  June was a stronger month for sales for most of the Eastside neighborhoods than July has been.  South Bellevue, and Education Hill, Carnation, and Union Hill areas were all stronger performing areas, but only by a fraction.  Every other area of the Eastside showed less of an absorption rate than in June.  West Bellevue, Medina and Clyde Hill, our most expensive areas, were hit the hardest with the biggest decline in activity and pricing. 

To determine the most realistic view of the market, look at several months worth of data.   Pay particular attention to the amount of homes for sale in your area.  Regardless of what’s happened in the previous months, make sure you know the actual competition in your area before establishing a sales price and going on the market.

Remember sellers, it’s price and condition in this market.  Homes are selling, but as we all know, there’s competition. Be the best home out there and your home will sell.

What Were The Chances of Selling a Seattle/Eastside Condominium in June, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Kirkland, Local news and information, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on July 17, 2008 at 8:58 pm

Sellers had a 13.6% chance of selling a condo on Seattle’s Eastside in June of 2008. ( click on 2008 year to date statistics in the link above for a chart showing the condo report)

June, 2008            1427 condos for sale, 194 condos sold,  13.6% chance of selling.

May, 2008             1472 condos for sale, 211 condos sold,  14% chance of selling.

June, 2007             840 condos for sale,  382 condos sold,   45.5% chance of selling.

The absorption rate, the chance of getting your home sold, did not vary much from May to June of this year.  Inventory is actually down slightly, but the chances of selling were almost the same during the past two months.

Condo values on the Eastside continue to go up, but last month the increase was negligible at only .5% from June of last year.  The actual number of sales is down considerably, by almost 50%. This means the cream of the crop of condos are getting the offers and other condos are just sitting on the market.  Pick your condo/town home purchase wisely.

What were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle/Eastside Home in June, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, Kirkland, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, WA, WA real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on July 17, 2008 at 10:23 am
The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in June 2008 ranged from a low of 9.5% to a high of 23.2%, with an average 15.2% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.)
 Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:
June 2008               4154 homes available,  635 sold,  15.2 % chance of selling.
May, 2008              4349 homes available,  522 sold,  12% chance of selling.
June 2007              3107 homes available,  841 sold,   27% chance of selling. 

_____________________________________________________________

(click on the each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

Sellers had a 16.7% chance of getting a home sold, UP from 12.7% last month and DOWN from 25.3% last year.  Median home prices were down by 2.6%, from $604,475 to $589,000.  Inventory was up by 17.5% and sales declined by 22.6% from last year.

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Sellers had a 23.2% chance of getting a home sold, UP from 13.5% last month, and DOWN from 42.5% last year.  Median sales price decreased from $624,500 to $549,500, a decrease of 12%.  Inventory was up 80.4% and sales were down 1.3%.

South Bellevue

Sellers had a 12.5% chance of selling a home, UP from 11.5% last month and DOWN from 24.9% last year.  Median price decreased by 15.7% to $588,975 from $699,000.  Inventory was up 25% and sales were down 37.4%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall

Sellers had a 15.5% chance of selling a home,  UP from 9.6% last month and DOWN from 26.8% last year.  Median price was down to $498,875 from $522,475, a 4.5% decrease.  Inventory was up by 37% from last year and sales declined by 20.9%.

Kirkland

Sellers had a 16.5% chance of selling a home, UP from 9.6% last month and DOWN from 23.5% last year.  Median price declined by 4.5%, from $724,950 to $694,000. Inventory was up by 28% and sales were down by 10%.

West Bellevue

Sellers had a 9.5% chance of selling a home, UP from 7.3%, and DOWN from 34% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 13.7% to $1,294,750 from $1,500,000.  Inventory climbed by 95.7% and sales declined by 45.5%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Sellers had a 13.2% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 21.2% last month, and DOWN from 25.5% last year.  Median pricing increased by 12.2% from $598,000 to $671,035.  Inventory increased by 25.5% and sales dropped by 35%.

Inventory on Seattle’s Eastside dropped significantly from last month, by 195 homes, a 5% deline in inventory.  All the eastside areas showed an increase in the absorption rate, the number of sales compared to the amount of homes for sale, except in the Education Hill, Union Hill, Carnation area.  This area was the highest performing area last month, with the sales activity declining this month.  West Redmond/East Bellevue had the best absorption rate of the Eastside once again.  May was the only month this year that the area east of 405 and south of highway 908 was not the best performing area on the eastside.

 To determine the most realistic view of the market, look at several months worth of data.   Pay particular attention to the amount of homes for sale in your area.  Regardless of what’s happened in the previous months, make sure you know the actual competition in your area before establishing a sales price and going on the market.

Remember sellers, it’s price and condition in this market.  Homes are selling, but as we all know, there’s competition.

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle/Eastside Condo in May, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, Kirkland, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, WA real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on June 16, 2008 at 4:13 pm

Sellers had a 14% chance of selling a condo on Seattle’s Eastside in May of 2008. ( click on 2008 year to date statistics in the link above for a chart showing the condo report)

May, 2008             1472 condos for sale, 211 condos sold, 14% chance of selling.

April, 2008            1392 condos for sale, 222 condos sold, 15.9% chance of selling.

May, 2007             761 condos for sale,  376 condos sold,   49% chance of selling.

Condo values on the Eastside continue to go up. Last month prices increased over 5% from May of last year.  The actual number of sales is down considerably, which means the cream of the crop is getting the offers and the other condos are just sitting on the market.  Pay attention to the competition in the area and price or buy accordingly.  

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle/Eastside Home in May,2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Kirkland, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on June 16, 2008 at 8:07 am
 
The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in May 2008 ranged from a low of 7.3% to a high of 21%, with an average 12% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.)
 Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:
May 2008               4349 homes available,  522 sold,  12 % chance of selling.
April, 2008             3985 homes available,  512 sold,  12.8% chance of selling.
May 2007               2823 homes available,  871 sold,  30.9% chance of selling. 

_____________________________________________________________

(click on the each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

Sellers had a 12.7% chance of getting a home sold, DOWN from 15.4% last month and DOWN from 29.8% last year.  Median home prices were up by 3.1%, from $596,450 to $614,900.  Inventory was up by 36.8% and sales declined by 41.7% from last year.

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Sellers had a 13.5% chance of getting a home sold, DOWN from 19% last month, and DOWN from 63.8% last year.  Median sales price decreased from $619,000 to $559,950, a decrease of 9.5%.  Inventory was up 128% and sales were down 51.5%.

South Bellevue

Sellers had a 11.5% chance of selling a home, Up from 10.6% last month and DOWN from 29.1% last year.  Median price increased by 1.5% to $699,475 from $689,075.  Inventory was up 48% and sales were down 41.4%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall

Sellers had a 9.6% chance of selling a home,  DOWN from 12.5% last month and DOWN from 24.9% last year.  Median price was down to $499,950 from $525,000, a 4.8% decrease.  Inventory was up by 47% from last year and sales declined by 43.3%.

Kirkland

Sellers had a 9.6% chance of selling a home, UP from 8.46% last month and DOWN from 31.3% last year.  Median price declined by 15.1%, from $799,950 to $679,000. Inventory was up by 55.4% and sales were down by 52.3%.

West Bellevue

Sellers had a 7.3% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 9.03%, and DOWN from 29% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 11.4% to $1,325,000 from $1,495,000.  Inventory climbed by 103.2% and sales declined by 48.9%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Sellers had a 21,2% chance of selling a home, UP from 14% last month, and DOWN from 33% last year.  Median pricing decreased by .08% from $654,950 to $650,000.  Inventory increased by 60.9% and sales dropped by 3.2%.

County wide, inventory is up from January’s numbers.   On the eastside 2963 homes were on the market in January and now there are 4349 homes for sale, a 32% increase.  The median price was up in four areas on the eastside in April, but only in two areas in May. 

 To determine the most realistic view of the market, look at several months worth of data.   Pay particular attention to the amount of homes for sale in your area.  Regardless of what’s happened in the previous months, make sure you know the actual competition in your area before establishing a sales price and going on the market.

Remember sellers, it is price and condition in this market.  Homes are selling, but as we all know, there is competition.

The News Has Been Abuzz With The Rail/Trail King County WA Deal-

In Bellevue, WA, King County, WA, Kirkland, Local news and information, Redmond, Woodinville, WA on May 15, 2008 at 9:01 am

 

BNSF Rail lineOn Monday Metropolitan King County officials and Port of Seattle Commissioners met to sign the paperwork for the complicated deal between the Port of Seattle, King County, and the BNSF railroad. The Port will buy the BNSF tracks from the railway and allow King County to keep the right of way in the public domain.

But what’s the future of the rail line? What’s the future of a trail?   I’ve added links to the some of the news articles about the deal and will highlight some of the key issues raised in each article.  It’s interesting to compare what’s reported in each article. The different newspapers do not see the issues in exactly the same light.  This is not surprising since the issues surrounding the trail and/or rail line are still unclear and very much up in the air. 

Several constants in this saga are:

The BNSF is selling the rail line to the Port for $107 million dollars.

The Port has granted King County an easement to develop a trail on 32 miles of the corridor.

Federal law requires the train line be “rail banked”, kept for possible future use as a train line. The tracks will remain in place. This will keep the line available for public use and ownership.

The port will receive $1.9 million dollars from King County for the use of an easement for a hiking/biking trail along the Renton to Woodinville stretch of the rail line and the 7 mile spur from Woodinville to Redmond.

The Everett Herald had an interesting story summarizing Monday’s inking of the deal.  The Herald reflected the Snohomish County Council point of view.

“ Snohomish County wants leverage sooner and is working to keep the rails in place for commuter trains all the way to tech job centers on the east side of Lake Washington.

“We think we can have the rails and the trails,” Somers (Snohomish County Council Chairman) said.

Somers is pushing for a deal with a private company called GNP Railway to provide daily commuter trains on the route from Snohomish to Bellevue as soon as next year. The county is negotiating with the company chairman Tom Payne.

“If we can team up with Tom Payne and get status with the federal government, the port and King County have to deal with us.”

Snohomish County wants rail. 

“The port isn’t interested in long-term ownership of the corridor, so questions to be worked out include who would ultimately own the corridor and run commuter rail over it, said Port Commissioner John Creighton. “We’re holding the corridor now, but if Sound Transit determines it can make use of the corridor, we would like to sell it to Sound Transit, get our money out, and invest it in our core business.”

Both The Seattle P-I and The Seattle Times weighed in with their take on the future for the rail/trail.  The Seattle P-I’s article was the most comprehensive summary of the story.  Here are some additional issues raised in the P-I article:

Previously, a study was done to the tune of $800,000 by The Puget Sound Regional Council.  This study stated:

“In May 2007 the Puget Sound Regional Council published a study that found Sound Transit and the state Department of Transportation’s strategy of using a series of rapid buses to serve commuters was more feasible than developing high capacity rail transit along the Eastside rail corridor.”

A new survey is being conducted and will be completed by February, 2009.  The cost for this study is $340,000, after $800,000 has already been spent to say the commuter line is not viable in King County!  Part of the money for the study is being paid by the Discovery Institute, which has a vested interest in seeing the commuter line developed, since this very group is hoping to develop the commuter line.  This second  study is being conducted with funds from a source that hopes to gain from the outcome of the study.  Hmm…. 

It’s important to have thorough and impartial studies completed, studies which demonstrate the actual cost per rider and the full cost of developing the trail and rail line.  It’s important to have the proper public process for the trail and/rail line.  Whatever is decided  must be the result of careful, thorough analysis and not just a band-aid solution resulting from the failure of Proposition 1.

 

 

 

What Were The Chances of Selling a Condo on Seattle’s Eastside in April of 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, Kirkland, Local news and information, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on May 14, 2008 at 6:04 pm

Sellers had a 15.9% chance of selling a condo on Seattle’s Eastside in April of 2008. ( click on 2008 year to date statistics in the link above for a chart showing the condo report)

April, 2008            1392 condos for sale, 222 condos sold, 15.9% chance of selling.

March, 2008          1277 condos for sale, 208 condos sold, 16% chance of selling.

April, 2007              621 condos for sale, 377 condos sold, 60% chance of selling.

Condo values on the Eastside continue to go up. Last month prices increased over 7% from last year and this month prices are up 12.6%.  This is not to say it’s easy to sell a condo. Clearly, the actual number of sales is down considerably, by 41%.

Pricing a condo for sale should be based on the amount of competition and the most recent sales.  Sales from even a few months ago are out of date.  Understanding the competition when you go on the market is the key to a successful sale.  Pricing must be competitive so a condo stands out from the pack.

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle/Eastside Home in April, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Kirkland, Local news and information, Real Estate News, Redmond, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle real estate, WA, WA real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on May 12, 2008 at 7:50 am
The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in April 2008 ranged from a low of 8.46% to a high of 19%, with an average 12.8% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.)
 Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:
 April, 2008            3985 homes available, 512 sold, 12.8% chance of selling.
 March, 2008          3637 homes available, 493 sold, 13.5% chance of selling.
 April, 2007            2444homes available,  734 sold, 30.0% chance of selling.
 

_____________________________________________________________

(click on the each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

Sellers had a 15.4% chance of getting a home sold, UP from 14.5% last month and DOWN from 29.4% last year.  Median home prices were down by 6.2%, from $637,000 to $597,639.  Inventory was up by 48.8% and sales declined by 22% from last year.

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Sellers had a 19% chance of getting a home sold, DOWN from 21.7% last month, and DOWN from 46.0% last year.  Median sales price increased from $569,000 to $608,998.  Inventory was up 110% and sales were down from 63 sales to 55 homes, a 12.7% decline.

South Bellevue

Sellers had a 10.6% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 12.3% last month and DOWN from 25.9% last year.  Median price decreased by 19% to $600,000 from $741,150. Inventory was up 54.5% and sales were down almost 36.7%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall

Sellers had a 12.5% chance of selling a home,  a minimal change from 12.3% last month and DOWN from 37% last year.  Median price was down to $484,450 from $514,950, a 5.9% decrease.  Inventory was up by 60.1% from last year and sales declined by 45.9%.

Kirkland

Sellers had a 8.46% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 10.7% last month and DOWN from 30.5% last year.  Median price declined by .03%, from $710,000 to $707,950. Inventory was up by 62.6% and sales were down by 54.8%.

West Bellevue

Sellers had a 9.03% chance of selling a home, UP from 7.26%, and DOWN from 28.3% last year.  Median pricing increased by 42% to $1,399,000 from $985,000.  Inventory climbed by 106.2% and sales declined by 34.1%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Sellers had a 14.0% chance of selling a home, DOWN slightly from 14.8% last month, and DOWN from 20.9% last year.  Median pricing increased by 13.1% from $577,015 to $652,450.  Inventory increased by 71% and sales dropped by 14.5%.

County wide, inventory is up from January’s numbers.   On the eastside 2963 homes were on the market in January and now there are 3985 homes for sale, a 26% increase.  The chances of selling in the different eastside areas varied very little from March’s numbers. However, if sales were down in an area, there was no absolute correlation with median price. Even if sales were down, the median price could still go up.  The median price was up from last April in four of the eastside areas and down in three of the areas.

If you are trying to get a feel of the market in a particular area, look at several months worth of data. This will give the most realistic view of the market.  Pay particular attention to the increase in inventory in your area.  Sellers. regardless of what’s happened in a previous month, make sure you understand how much actual competition there is in your area before establishing a sales price and going on the market.

Remember sellers, it is price and condition in this market.  Homes are selling, but as we all know, competition for the buyer is fierce.

What Were The Chances of Selling a Condo on Seattle’ Eastside in March, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Local news and information, Real Estate News, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on April 10, 2008 at 3:43 pm

Sellers had a 16% chance of selling a condo on Seattle’s Eastside in March of 2008. ( click on 2008 year to date statistics in the link above for a chart showing the condo report)

March, 2008          1277 condos for sale, 208 condos sold, 16% chance of selling.

February, 2008      1230 condos for sale, 140 condos sold, 11% chance of selling.

March, 2007            535 condos for sale, 405 condos sold,  75% chance of selling.

The eastside certainly doesn’t follow expected trends.  Even with the more than double the inventory, pricing is still 7.4% higher than last year.  Usually, if there are more properties available and less sales, then the prices go down, but not on Seattle’s Eastside.  

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Seattle/Eastside Home in March, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Local news and information, Real Estate News, Sammamish, WA, Sammamish, WA Real Estate, Seattle real estate, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics on April 10, 2008 at 2:29 pm
The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in March 2008 ranged from a low of 7.26% to a high of 21%, with an average 13.5% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.)
 Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:
 March, 2008          3637 homes available, 493 sold, 13.5% chance of selling.
 February, 2008      3303 homes available, 453 sold, 13.7% chance of selling.
 March, 2007          2126 homes available, 826 sold,  38.8% chance of selling. 

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(click on the each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

Sellers had a 14.5% chance of getting a home sold, DOWN from 16.4% last month and DOWN from 40.4% last year.  Median home prices were down by 2.4%, from $593,950 to $579,500.  Inventory was up by 59.7% and sales declined by almost 42% from last year.

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Sellers had a 21.7% chance of getting a home sold, UP from 15.6% last month, and DOWN from 58.8% last year.  Median sales price decreased from $598,725 to $539,950.  Inventory was up 127% and sales were down from 70 sales to 59 homes, a 15.7% decline.

South Bellevue

Sellers had a 12.3% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 13.4% last month and DOWN from 40.7% last year.  Median price decreased by 1.5% to $669,950 from $659,950. Inventory was up 60.6% and sales were down almost 51.2%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall

Sellers had a 12.3% chance of selling a home,  as 12.3% last month and DOWN from 35.1% last year.  Median price was down to $525,000 from $540,450, a 2.9% decrease.  Inventory was up by 57% from last year and sales declined by 44.9%.

Kirkland

Sellers had a 10.7% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 12.5% last month and DOWN from 28.2% last year.  Median price declined by 2%, from $714,950 to $699,999. Inventory was up by 57.2% and sales were down by 40.2%.

West Bellevue

Sellers had a 7.26% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 9%, and DOWN from 35.2% last year.  Median pricing increased by 2.9% to $1,250,000 from $1,215,000.  Inventory climbed by 136.9% and sales declined by 51.2%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Sellers had a 14.8% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 15.8% last month, and DOWN from 48.9% last year.  Median pricing decreased by 11.5% from $678,225 to $600,000.  Inventory increased by103% and sales dropped by 38.5%.

 King county wide, inventory is up from January’s numbers.   On the eastside 2963 homes were on the market in January and now there are 3637 homes for sale.

As I mentioned in a previous post, if you’re considering a move, whether you’re buying or selling, it’s important to break the data down regarding the inventory and the absorption rate  even further than what is reported above. The information here is a great snapshot for the eastside.  But when looking at the price for a particular home, it’s best to look at the information in a smaller area than what’s shown above.

Also, look at several months worth of data.  It’s interesting to see how things can fluctuate each month.  For example, in West Bellevue, median price has been declining over the past few months and this month median pricing is up.  If you look at several months worth of statistics, you’ll get a more realistic flavor of the market in a particular area.  It obviously is still a tough market for sellers and a much better market for buyers.  Pricing and condition is key in selling a home.   It always has been, but now it’s even more critical.

The new "old" log homes, an American architectural icon and a bit of history

In Bellevue, WA, Built Green and Sustainable Living, For Buyers, For Sellers, King County Real Estate, Remodeling and style trends, Woodinville, WA, real estate on March 10, 2008 at 7:55 am

Kirkland Log Home

There’s been a lot of press this past week about the torching of The Street of Dreams homes.  My previous post was about this story.  People were horrified by this senseless act.    When reading other posts about the event, particularly the one on The Seattle P-I Real Estate Professionals blog, I noticed another thread in the blog comments about the tragic event, many people were voicing an opinion against the mega-houses The Street of Dreams shows represent.

I  thought this might be a good time to visit  a different form of American architecture, log homes.

 Log homes evoke the past, a sense of adventure, and the “Wild West.”  We think thoughts of Abe Lincoln and Laura Ingalls Wilder. The rustic nature of logs brings people close to the wood in its natural state. For some, it can create the perfect ambiance of a rustic, warm getaway and still be a primary residence. A log home is a great antithesis to today’s hectic lifestyles.

There are a number of log homes all around Seattle’s eastside. Most are in areas such as Union Hill or in cities like Duvall, Carnation, Fall City, Woodinville, and Issaquah. However, there are log homes everywhere. There’s a great log home in my neighborhood in Kirkland, one on Market St., and one on Rose Hill.

One recent issue of Realtor Magazine  had a interesting article about log homes. According to the article, log homes were first seen in this country in the 1700’s. Early settlers had to make do with what was available. Without “city” conveniences and lumber mills, the full logs did the trick. Homes were often built without nails since nails were scarce.

 log home construction

 Remember Lincoln Logs?  My brothers had those when we were kids.  Lincoln Logs were toy sets for building log homes. The toy logs had the same notched style construction as the original log homes. When I read the above article, I discovered Frank Lloyd Wright’s son created Lincoln Logs. I wonder what his Dad would have thought!

The Log Council , a member of NAHB, The National Association of Home Builders, is an industry trade group and information resource. Numerous architects and builders specialize in log home design and building. The above linked article will give you a great introduction to the concept of log homes in the 21st century.

Tragedy and Terrorism at The Street of Dreams in Woodinville, Washington

In Built Green and Sustainable Living, Local news and information, Real Estate News, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, real estate on March 7, 2008 at 8:46 pm
stofdrmsurbanlodgebest.jpg
It has been all over the news this week, the tragic torching of The Street of Dreams homes in Woodinville, Washington.  The home above, called The Urban Lodge, was totally destroyed. Here’s a sample of the articles written about the tragic fire:

Ironically, a woman has been found guilty this week of arson in the torching in 2001 of The Center for Urban Horticulture. ELF, The Earth Liberation Army, the same group, was thought to have burned the center to the ground because they believed, erroneously, experiments were being done to genetically engineer trees. Many UW professors lost years of work in the fire. This is The Seattle Times article about the trial.

So here ELF (allegedly) goes again, accomplishing nothing good by what they do. This was the first Seattle Street of Dreams with an eco-friendly sensibility. Sustainable materials were the norm in the building process. It was great for the public to see homes beautifully done and “green” at the same time. It was a good learning experience and may also have encouraged people to go “green”.  Yes, the homes were huge, you cannot dispute that fact.  However, the message of sustainable materials went a lot farther with the public. How ironic for the group to have torched anything, let alone these homes.

There’s been talk the fire was set in retaliation for the trial of Briana Waters, who was the lookout for The Center for Urban Horticulture fire.  The jury was beginning deliberations in her case at the start of this week, when the homes were torched at The Street of Dreams. So, if torching the homes was in retaliation for the trial of a group member, then it sounds like the message ELF was trying to send was to not “mess” with them.  This certainly is not a statement for saving the earth.

The third irony for me as a blogger is the amount of hits I received on Monday, the 3rd of March and Tuesday, the 4th, for a post I wrote back in August about these Street of Dreams homes. As journalists will tell you, bad news travels fast and certainly grabs people’s attention.  This is the post I wrote last year, if you’d like to see photos of the homes before the fire.

Let’s hope the perpetrators are caught and punished.  Terrorism, for whatever reason, is unacceptable.

What Were The Chances of Selling a Home on Seattle’s Eastside in January, 2008?

In Bellevue Real Estate, Bellevue, WA, For Buyers, For Sellers, Issaquah Real Estate, Issaquah, WA, King County Real Estate, King County, WA, Local news and information, Woodinville, WA, Woodinville, WA Real Estate, market statistics, real estate on February 9, 2008 at 6:05 pm

 

The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in January 2008 ranged from a low of 7% to a high of 15.8%, with an average of a 11.6% absorption rate.  Here are the real estate statistics for single family home sales activity on Seattle’s Eastside:

 January, 2008       2963 homes available,  346 sold, 11.6% chance of selling. 

 December, 2007    2594 homes available,  295 sold,   9% chance of selling.

 January, 2007       1895 homes available,  506 sold,  26.7% chance of selling.

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(click on the each area name for a chart showing the latest stats in the area)

The plateau:  Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City

Sellers had a 13.3% chance of getting a home sold, UP from 12.2% last month and DOWN from 32.6% last year.  Median home prices were down by .8%, from $624,900 to $619,900.  Inventory was up by 55% and sales declined by almost 36.5% from last year.

West Redmond/East Bellevue

Sellers had a 15.8% chance of getting a home sold, DOWN from 16.1% last month, and DOWN from 33.6% last year.  Median sales price increased from $539,450 to $567,250.  Inventory was up a whopping 112% and sales were exactly the same as last January, 36 homes.

South Bellevue

Sellers had a 7.2% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 8.9% last month and DOWN from 21.3% last year.  Median price decreased by 13.1% to $630,000 from $724,975. Inventory was up 51.6% and sales were down almost 48.3%.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall

Sellers had a 14% chance of selling a home, UP from 9.3% last month and DOWN from 25.7% last year.  Median price was down to $459,950 from $499,950, an 8% decrease.  Inventory was up by 50% from last year and sales declined by 18%.

Kirkland

Sellers had a 9.8% chance of selling a home, DOWN a hair from 10.2% last month and DOWN from 17.2% last year.  Median price declined by 3%, from $672,475 to $652,250. Inventory was up by 38% and sales were down by 21%.

West Bellevue

Sellers had an 7% chance of selling a home, DOWN from 9.7%, and DOWN from 21.6% last year.  Median pricing dropped by 13% to $937,500 from $1,077,500.  Inventory climbed by 78% and sales declined by 42%.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

Sellers had a 12.4% chance of selling a home, DOWN ever so slightly from 12% last month, and DOWN from 32.8% last December.  Median pricing increased by 2.5%  from $648,950 to $664,925.  Inventory increased by 59% and sales dropped by 40%.

 This will continue to be a more realistic year.  Here is the evaluation of the market from my January, 2008 article in which I summarized  2007 Seattle/Eastside real estate.  The remarks still hole true for this month’s report:

“The market is softer for sellers, but not dead on the arrival of 2008 like in many areas of the country.  Sellers need to be competitive with pricing and have a top notch marketing plan and presentation to capture a buyer’s attention and get the sale.  Realistic sellers should not have a problem getting a home sold.  Those who decide to sell should expect longer market times and flexibility in pricing.

Buyers have great choices, interest rates, negotiation opportunities, and a chance to think before jumping on a home in today’s market.  Buyers, however,  who plan to buy should stay put for at least 3-5 years. ” So this may not work for everyone.

Condo stats are coming soon!