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The Tolls Are Coming! The Tolls Are Coming to Seattle's 520 Bridge
The tolls are coming for the 52o bridge from Seattle’s eastside to Seattle starting in March, 2011. Travel across the bridge to Seattle during peak times will set you back $3.50 each way. The cost is less during other hours of the day. In fact, if you head across the lake during the middle of the night, it’s a lot less money!
Seattle's 520 Bridge
I’m wondering how the new tolls will impact how you live. What got me thinking of this was when a client called me about moving. Last year he was hoping to move his family to Seattle. Since both he and his wife work on the eastside, he’s now looking at Bellevue and Mercer Island.
Will the new tolls impact how you commute?
Will you rely more on public transportation?
Will you try to go across the lake during off-peak hours?
Are you considering a move to the side of the lake where you work?
Do you think the tolls will cause more people move?
Do tell what you think.
Snow In February in Seattle? Here's Where You Can Think Spring
Snow in Seattle in February? Sounds impossible but with temperatures predicted to go down into the 20’s later this week, it’s possible. If you need a cure for the wintertime blues check out Molbak’s in Woodinville. It’s a springtime frenzy with gorgeous flowering plants.
Whites, blues, purples, pinks, and reds.
Molbak’s is a feel good kind of place that will remind you spring is just around the corner. I’m sure if you check your yard you’ll find things starting to bloom and come back to life as I did in my front yard.
Have a Very Merry "Green" Holiday
Attention all you Seattle eastsiders: Have a Very Merry “Green” Holiday!
- Holiday Lights
Looking for a last minute gift idea?
Give a tote bag or sign someone up for weekly home deliveries of local produce. Full Circle Farms has terrific produce available.
Can you re-use a potato chip bag to wrap presents? Check this video out to find some interesting sources for wrapping presents.
Is it better to have a natural or artificial tree? Which is better for the environment?
And for last minute decorating tips.
And if all else fails for inspiration, The Examiner has a compilation of holiday “green” sites.
Have fun!
Does Microsoft Still Have a Big Influence On Seattle's Eastside?
Does Microsoft still have a positive affect on Seattle’s eastside? Yes! Microsoft still has a huge impact on the eastside.
The map below shows only some of the eastside campuses:
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Microsoft+Computer+near+156th+Avenue+Northeast,+Redmond,+WA&sll=47.647756,-122.133025&sspn=0.038741,0.113811&ie=UTF8&hq=Microsoft+Computer&hnear=156th+Ave+NE,+Redmond,+King,+Washington&ll=47.584406,-122.229424&spn=0.281495,0.25636&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
Recently, the news has focused more on layoffs. There are a number of people who have been laid off and are struggling, which is truly unfortunate. This post is not an attempt to minimize what those who are without jobs are going through, but to focus on the strong influence Microsoft still has on Seattle’s eastside.
There’s little said about the increase in the number of Microsofties on Seattle’s eastside since 2007. There are now over 40,000 employees in the area. Back in 2007, there were just over 35,000. Imagine the impact these additional 5,000 employees and their families have on the eastside economy and quality of life. Imagine the impact of 40,000 people on the local economy. Since 2007, these five thousand more people are renting or buying homes, going out to eat, buying goods at stores and using local services.
Microsoft has had a huge impact on the real estate in the surrounding neighborhoods. The Bellevue and Redmond neighborhoods near Microsoft have consistently performed better than any other area on Seattle’s eastside. The number of homes that sell compared to the number that are for sale, the absorption rate, is almost always the strongest on the eastside. Most every month of the past few years, the Microsoft area of Redmond and Bellevue has had more homes selling when compared to the number for sale.
Does this make this area more expensive?
No, not by a long shot. The good news is there’s been a huge benefit to the whole eastside because of Microsoft and there are homes in most price ranges in the area.
The least expensive home in Bellevue is on the market for $227,000. The most expensive Bellevue home is a waterfront property on Lake Sammamish for $4,250,000. Most of the homes in the area are priced under $500,000. Most homes for sale right now, almost 1/2, fall into the $300-500,000 price range.
These 40,000 jobs help keep our economy and our real estate market going, even with the lay offs. The real estate market is still challenging, but homes are still selling. Clearly, the competition is tougher for the sellers right now as pricing and condition are everything. This very realistic real estate market should continue for a year or so.
The eastside, particularly near Microsoft, should fare better than many other parts of the country as the economy improves. People will continue to move in and out of the area for jobs.
What do you think?
Cool Universal Design Could Save Home Buyers Money In The Long Run
Let’s face it, buying a home is an expensive prop0sition. There are different ways to try to save some money when buying a home. One of the issues I see is home buyers not thinking of the future when buying a home. Home buyers don’t think about how a home could save them money over time. Home buyers want a “deal” when first buying a home, which is not surprising, but they often don’t think about how well a home could work for them. There are a few different ways to think about how a home could be more cost effective over time.
For example, most people don’t think about the floor plan or how easy it is to live in a home. Think of buying a home that’s a great deal, but has 4 levels, meaning a lot of running up and down stairs. This style of home is great, but can get tiring, literally and physically. It gets old after awhile when you have to cart groceries and laundry up and down stairs. Most home buyers don’t think about a floor plan that’s easy to live with over many years. But there are floor plans out there that work for a lot of people and a lot of lifestyles.
Enter “Aging In Place.” The name suggests we’re talking about older people who want to stay in their homes. But “Aging in Place” has another term associated with it, Universal Design, design that works for everyone, young and old alike. The teen who breaks a leg playing soccer or the Mom who is navigating the front doorway into a home with a baby stroller and packages are all people who benefit from “universal design,” design for everyone.
Most people think aging in place or universal design has too many restrictions to be attractive to multi-generations. This is not true, if a home is designed and done right. The Aging Well Consortium blog has terrific photos of a variety of homes with universal design elements. The design would easily appeal to most buyers who live on Seattle’s eastside. Plus if universal design features are incorporated into a home when it’s built, it’s not any more expensive to build.
Gourmet Kitchen with Wider Passageway
Maybe one way to save money over time when buying a home is to look at a home as truly a long term investment, a home that works for you no matter what may change in your life. Few home buyers ever do this. Moving can be expensive when you’re selling a home and buying a new home because you no longer can stay in your home. Think about it.
What do you think?
(Photos from Zai architect Emory Baldwin’s home.)
Are People Still Moving In and Out of the Seattle Area?
Are people still moving into and out of Seattle? This is a very cool interactive map which shows you where people are coming from and also how many people are moving in and out of Seattle. You can click on cities and counties all over the country to see where people are moving. Pretty cool!
Seattle is #2 Of The Ten Best Places to Live Over the Next Decade
Seattle Rocks! Seattle is the second best place to live in the country, according to Kiplinger’s. It’s because we’re smart!
Seattle Sunset From Across Lake Washington
Kiplinger’s study had an important tenet when evaluating cities. The top cities included smart people, great ideas, and collaboration.
After researching and visiting our 2010 Best Cities, it became clear that the innovation factor has three elements. Mark Emmert, president of the University of Washington in Seattle, put his finger on two of them: smart people and great ideas. But we’d argue that it’s the third element — collaboration — that really supercharges a city’s economic engine. When governments, universities and business communities work together, the economic vitality is impressive.
This is a hub of innovation as the home of Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, and Expedia are among many strong innovators in the Seattle area. The economy, the schools, the natural beauty with lakes, mountains, and Puget Sound
Mt. Rainier, the Bremerton Ferry, and Puget Sound
are all draws to the area.
Did I mention Seattle is within driving distance to three national parks? Mt. Rainier, Olympic National Park, and The North Cascades National Park.
Did I also mention that the fresh food and produce available in the N0rthwest is fabulous?
Fresh Berries at Pike Place Market
Which Homes are Selling on Seattle's Eastside?
Seattle-eastside Real Estate Sales 2010-1st quarter
The eastside sales here include South Bellevue and Issaquah all the way up to the Snohomish County line and from Lake Washington out to North Bend, Duvall, and Carnation.
If you look at the real estate statistics above:
Almost half of these Seattle-eastside real estate sales were below $500,000.
Over 80% of the eastside home sales were below $750,000.
Twenty-seven home sales were below $250,000.
Thirty-six home sales out of the 1119 were priced above $1,500,000.
Only 2% of the sales were above $2,000,000. Out of 1119 home sales, only 18 were priced above this $2,000,000 mark.
24% of eastside sales were short sales or bank owned properties, contrary to what many think. Most of the homes were sold by the actual home owner.
The sweet spot in Seattle-eastside real estate is between $250-500,000, with many of the homes priced between $350-500,000. Pre-2008, the sweet spot was the $500-750,000 price point.
Congratulations to Seattle-Eastside Top Schools in the Nation
Seattle-eastside schools are some of the tops in the nation. US News recently published its top high schools in the nation and many eastside schools made the list. US News rated Bellevue’s International School as no. 10 in the country while highlighting Skyline in Sammamish, Woodinville High, Redmond High and others. The International Community School in Kirkland was no.29 on the US News list.
This week, it’s all 5 Bellevue high schools in the top 100 Newsweek list. Interlake took the highest spot of the 5 at no. 13. The Seattle Times had an article with information as to how the list is compiled.
Bellevue, Washington-Interlake High School
Congratulations to all these great Seattle-eastside schools.
The First Big Decline in Homes for Sale in King County Washington
Twelve days ago I wrote a post that King County properties for sale was rapidly heading up to the 2009 high. Just last week we were within 300+ homes/condos of the 2009 peak, which stands at 13,861. There 13,515 homes/condos for sale in King County that week.
This week we see the first big decline, with a drop of 570 properties. The number is back below 13,000, at 12, 946.
Phew, I was just beginning to wonder if we were going to surpass 2009’s real estate totals in the Seattle area. We may, as 2010 is still young, but it’s a breath of fresh air in the real estate market to see a drop in inventory (the number of homes and condos for sale). Sales have been brisk as many buyers were anxious to buy a home in the Seattle area before the expiration of the 2010 tax credit, which could explain the decline in inventory.
The next few weeks will be interesting. Normally the number of homes for sale does increase in the summer months in Seattle, but I’m wondering if a lot of sellers put their home on the market earlier this year to capture the activity with the 2010 home buyers’ credit.
Do you think the numbers will increase as we head into the summer?
King County Washington Properties for Sale, 5-3-10
