Bellevue Real EstateFor BuyersFor SellersIssaquah Real EstateIssaquah, WAKirklandMarket StatisticsReal EstateRedmondSammamish, WA Real EstateSeattle real estateWoodinville, WAWoodinville, WA Real Estate April 13, 2011

How Many Real Estate Sales Were in Your Seattle-Eastside Neighborhood in March, 2011?

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bellevue,+WA&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.403932,58.271484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Bellevue,+King,+Washington&ll=47.610377,-122.200679&spn=0.310148,0.910492&z=10&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

How many homes sold in March, 2011 in your neighborhood?

The number of home sales for the eastside took a huge jump over last month’s total.  Each month of 2011 has seen a big increase in sales.

Are the sales stronger than March of 2010?  No, they’re not.  But remember, in March, 2010, buyers were scrambling to buy to get the tax credit.  This March, buyers are out buying because they’re ready to buy, not because a tax credit is dangling in front of them.  It’s been great to see the amount of activity in each neighborhood on the eastside.  In reality, it’s the hot homes that are selling.  “Hot” homes are great values with a good price tag and are staged and ready to go.  The homes that are not “hot” are taking a long time to sell and go through a lot of price reductions before getting an offer.

(Click on the cities below to see real estate trends for the past 5 years.  You’ll find the median pricing for each city and whether the number of homes for sale and the number of sales went up or down.  The odds of selling a home in each area is a result of the number of homes for sale divided by the actual number of home sales, so if 10 out of 100 homes sold, the odds of selling would be 10/100 or 10%)

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

The odds of selling a home were 23%.

Median sales price dropped: $497,500 to $466,500.

There were 637 homes for sale.

A total of 160 homes sold.

Redmond/East Bellevue

The odds of selling a home were 29%.

Median sales price increased by .5% to $467,250 from $464,995.

166 homes were for sale

A total of 64 homes sold.

South Bellevue/Issaquah

The odds of selling a home were 32.5%.

Median price increased from $539,450 to $571,470.

281 homes were for sale.

A total of 100  homes sold.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland

The odds of selling a home were 27%.

Median price was down from $396,725 to $359,900.

556 homes were for sale.

A total of 175 homes sold.

Kirkland

The odds of selling a home were 25%.

Median price increased to $559,000 from $515,000, an 8.5% increase.

278 homes were for sale.

A total of 84 homes sold.

West Bellevue

The odds of selling a home were 25%.

Median pricing was down from $921,500 to $780,000.

169 homes were for sale.

A total of 46 homes sold.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

The odds of selling a home were 24%

Median pricing decreased from $529,450 to $461,950.

287 homes were for sale.

A total of 86 homes sold.

If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact me.



Bellevue Real EstateBellevue, WAFor BuyersFor SellersIssaquah Real EstateIssaquah, WAKirklandMarket StatisticsReal EstateRedmondSammamish, WASammamish, WA Real EstateSeattleSeattle real estateWoodinville, WAWoodinville, WA Real Estate March 18, 2011

How Many Real Estate Sales Were in Your Seattle-Eastside City in February 2011?

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bellevue,+WA&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.403932,58.271484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Bellevue,+King,+Washington&ll=47.610377,-122.200679&spn=0.310148,0.910492&z=10&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

How well did homes sell in February, 2011 in your neighborhood?

(Click on the cities below to see real estate trends for the past 5 years.  You’ll find the median pricing for each city and whether the number of homes for sale and the number of sales went up or down.  The odds of selling a home in each area is a result of the number of homes for sale divided by the actual number of home sales, so if 10 out of 100 homes sold, the odds of selling would be 10/100 or 10%)

Thirty-five percent of the homes for sale around Microsoft in Redmond and East Bellevue sold last month.  That’s an incredible number and one we haven’t seen for years.  Overall, February was the most positive month for eastside home sales in the past several years!

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

The odds of selling a home were 23%.

Median sales price dropped: $499,995 to $489,990.  Home values have been more stable here than anywhere else on the eastside.

There were 605 homes for sale.

A total of 153 homes sold.

Redmond/East Bellevue

The odds of selling a home were 35%.

Median sales price increased by 2% to $430,000 to $439,950.

157 homes were for sale

A total of 57 homes sold.

South Bellevue/Issaquah

The odds of selling a home were 25.5%.

Median price decreased from $579,990 to $500,000.

283 homes were for sale.

A total of 83 homes sold.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland

The odds of selling a home were 24.5%.

Median price was down from $397,000 to $375,000.

549 homes were for sale.

A total of 150 homes sold.

Kirkland

The odds of selling a home were 20%.

Median price increased to $542,725 from $537,500, a 1% increase.

251 homes were for sale.

A total of 60 homes sold.

West Bellevue

The odds of selling a home were 18%.

Median pricing was down from $981,750 to $899,000.

174 homes were for sale.

A total of 37 homes sold.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

The odds of selling a home were 16%

Median pricing decreased from $474,950 to $450,000.

293 homes were for sale.

A total of 52 homes sold.

If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact me.



Bellevue Real EstateBellevue, WAFor BuyersFor SellersIssaquah Real EstateIssaquah, WAKing County Real EstateKirklandMarket StatisticsReal EstateRedmondSammamish, WASammamish, WA Real EstateSeattle real estateWindermere Real EstateWoodinville, WAWoodinville, WA Real Estate February 16, 2011

How Many Real Estate Sales Were on Seattle’s Eastside in January 2011 Compared to 2010?

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bellevue,+WA&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.403932,58.271484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Bellevue,+King,+Washington&ll=47.610377,-122.200679&spn=0.310148,0.910492&z=10&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

How did January, 2010 compare to January, 2011 in your neighborhood?

(Click on the cities below to see real estate trends for the past 5 years.  You’ll find the median pricing for each city and whether the number of homes for sale and the number of sales went up or down.  The odds of selling a home in each area is a result of the number of homes for sale divided by the actual number of home sales, so if 10 out of 100 homes sold, the odds of selling would be 10/100 or 10%)

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

The odds of selling a home were 18%.

Median sales price hardly dropped: $499,900 to $493,975.  Home values have been more stable here than anywhere else on the eastside.

The number of homes for sale increased by 4% and the number of home sales decreased by 4%.

A total of 118 homes sold.

Redmond/East Bellevue

The odds of selling a home were 28%.

Median sales price decreased by 9% to $409,925 from $450,000.

The number of homes for sale was down by 16% and sales were down by 14%.

A total of 54 homes sold.

South Bellevue/Issaquah

The odds of selling a home were 19.5%.

Median price decreased from $559,900 to $460,000.

The number of homes for sale dropped by 10% and sales were down by 30%.

A total of 63 homes sold.

Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland

The odds of selling a home were 18%.

Median price was down from $389,725 to $359,900.

The number of homes for sale declined by 3% and sales were down by 8%.

A total of 105 homes sold.

Kirkland

The odds of selling a home were 18%.

Median price increased to $506,950 from $499,950, a 1% increase.

The number of homes for sale declined by 19% and sales were down by 35%.

A total of 52 homes sold.

West Bellevue

The odds of selling a home were 21%.

Median pricing was up from $899,000 to $1,000,000.

The number of homes for sale decreased by 11% and sales increased by 48%.

The total of 40 homes sold.

Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation

The odds of selling a home were 20%

Median pricing decreased from $524,990 to $376,250.

The number of homes for sale decreased by 5% and sales decreased by 8%.

A total of 52 homes sold.

If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact me.



Built Green and Sustainable LivingFor HomeownersReal EstateReal Estate Opinion February 2, 2010

Should Cul-De-Sacs Be Banned From Future Development In Washington?

cul-de-sac living

Neighborhood cul-de-sac

There aren’t going to be any more cul-de-sacs in new developments in the State of Virginia. Yes, Virginia will have no more cul-de-sacs.  Cul-de-sacs have been banned from new neighborhood developments.    Cul-de-sacs are the quintessential icon of the 1980’s-2000’s American suburb.

Here on Seattle’s eastside, new neighborhoods were generally built all over with cul-de-sacs sprinkled throughout. If the neighborhood was a new pocket neighborhood on infill lots in an older part of Kirkland or Redmond, as an example, there might not be room for cul-de-sacs, but if you look everywhere else on the eastside, cul-de-sac neighborhoods were the standard.   Woodinville, Sammamish, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Redmond, and Kirkland all have neighborhoods where cul-de-sacs prevail.  Streets with cul-de-sacs were the prized streets to live on, the premium lots, the more expensive lots. Realtors and builders would tout the benefits of living in a cul-de-sac:

  • No through traffic
  • A place to play
  • A place for neighbors to congregate, meet and greet each other at the mailbox.

So why did Viriginia ban cul-de-sacs in future development?

Cul-de-sacs unite the people who live in the cul-de-sac, but separate  them from other streets by foot and by car.  It’s harder for fire and emergency vehicles to respond quickly when a neighborhood doesn’t consist of through streets.  Road maintenance is more expensive with cul-de-sacs instead of through streets.

The New York Times magazine finishes each year with an issue highlighting the great ideas from the past year.  The most recent great ideas issue had an article about the cul-de-sac ban in Viriginia.   The concept fits with the new sensibility rising in many places as highlighted by the popularity of sites such as walkscore.   Walkability and connectivity are this decade’s buzz words for living. Planners are looking more for connectivity, walkability, and better traffic flow for neighborhoods.  People are now looking for easy commuting, more connectivity, and more places to walk.

The Sustainable Cities blog highlighted the NYT article and wondered whether the ban on cu-de-sacs is the wave of the future for neighborhoods.

What do you think?  Should cul-de-sacs be banned from future neighborhoods?  What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages?