Estates Northwest: Seattle Real Estate Blog

Do you have a  Laurelhurst view home? Open houses were busy this weekend filled with Laurelhurst buyers on the look out for quality Laurelhurst view homes.  Even the Laurelhurst homes that have non remodeled kitchens and baths get a lot of attention if they have views.  Laurelhurst view homes are in big demand right now!  

Laurelhurst is a Seattle neighborhood East of the University of Washington and view homes are very popular here.  Laurelhurst Beach Club homes are also quite popular compared to other areas of Laurelhurst. Not all Laurelhurst homes are in the Laurelhurst Beach Club Boundaries so let us know if you need help finding one.

Currently there are 20 Laurelhurst homes for sale - many view homes in here and lots of Laurelhurst Beach Club homes.  The average listing price of these is $1,760,848, but homes just below or just above a million dollars are getting multiple offers as soon as they come on the market.  The Laurelhurst homes for sale right now range in price from $715,000 to $6,800,000 with a median price of $874,475.  The million dollar market in Laurelhurst is HOT right now. Let us know if you want an evaluation including current specials on Laurelhurst Realtor listing packages.

Land's End Real Estate Stats: Magnolia Real Estate in Seattle:  Land's End is a beautiful corner of Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood.  Perched on the Northeast tip of Magnolia's Lawton Park just East of Lawton Wood, Land's End is a great place to find unique Seattle water view homes and beautiful Magnolia waterfront property. 

Currently there are three Land's End homes for sale - one is an expansive waterfront property at the very tip of the neighborhood for $2,200,000 and there are also two Seattle view homes available for sale right now, too.  Both are on 40th and one of them is actually a short sale.  The non short sale property is $749,000 for just under 3000 square feet and then the short sale property $735,000 for just over 2000 square feet.  The non short sale has an amazing view of the Ballard locks and Sunset Hill in Ballard.  It also has income potential with a full mother in law apartment downstairs and three parking spaces (2 car garage and one car carport).  It is a great piece of property in a wonderful micro neighborhood inside Magnolia.

Land's End Real Estate Recent Activity:  Recent home sales in Land's End include a 1 bedroom 1 bath waterfront home for $715,000, a new construction 4/3.5 bath 3900 square foot Magnolia vie home for $1,100,000, and a gorgeous 1946 Hollywood type  5 bedroom/ 3.5 bath 4730 square foot Seattle waterfront home on 39th Ave W for $2,100,000. (complete with pool, hot tub, boat lift and launch so you could literally launch your boat from your back yard and travel off to the Puget Sound Islands!)

Magnolia real estate and Land's End real estate Resources:

 Magnolia real estate

Land's End real estate

This house would be PERFECTION for a Seattle home- so much love and care has gone into the details and it even has a brand new bath upstairs!  The grounds are extensive at almost a third of an acre right in city! 

Remodeled to perfection: This is how a house should be remodeled - from studs out - all new electrical, plumbing, more. Over sized covered front porch welcomes you right in to the entry, formal living, dining, and den area.

9042 6th Ave NW

Seattle home with large spaces: Large bedrooms and closets throughout, lots of craftsman attention to detail.  The love that has gone into this house is apparent as you tour it.  Three expansive living levels with room for more! Artist studio with sink and door out to patio and grounds, gorgeous office, den, kitchen with breakfast eating area, all three baths are newer with the same attention to detail as the rest of the house. 

Seattle grounds of beauty:  The grounds themselves are a thing of beauty with some of the most amazing plantings I have ever seen in Seattle. 

Don't want a park like setting for the best back yard parties in Seattle?  How about subdividing off part of it?  You still would have a large yard and income on top of it.

Right in the city!  Your own estate on a park! This gorgeous Seattle home is right in the heart of Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood just north of Ballard and Crown Hill and very close to both Phinney Ridge and Green Lake.  Greenwood has tons of shopping and restaurants including one of my favorites, Gorditos.  In addition, this Greenwood home is just East of North Beach and Blue Ridge with close proximity to both Golden Gardens and Carkeek Park if you want to go play at the beach down the street.  The Puget Sound is literally five minutes away!

Easy access for commuting to all areas of the Puget Sound with pleasant sea breezes off Puget Sound in the distance! Plenty of in city on street parking as this is a quieter neighborhood, but close to lots of great city life!

Want to see it in person?  I would love to tour it with you and show you some of the great details that make it so wonderful!

Builder perks here from Sterling!

I was please when I got my latest Sterling flyer from Matt -

Sterling Savings has extended their awesome 3% up to $20,000 towards your closing costs program for qualifying Seattle area properties.   

Purchase and sale contracts need to be written prior to 1/31 and close by 2/26.  This credit is a great way to help finance a new home - there are some great projects that qualify, too! 

Let us know if you need more details or want to look at some of the great places that qualify!  There are some wonderful Queen Anne townhomes that I know of that fit right into the program - some listed - some not yet.  You can also find additional home listings for the neighborhood here: Queen Anne real estate

Last month, we sold a wonderful Downtown Seattle Condo in the 98 Union building - right in the heart of Downtown Seattle with its own access to Pike Place Market!  Here is what is gogin on with Union 98:

#410 in 98 Union - It is a zero bedroom studio although I would argue that the bedroom area was clearly divided and much more of a bedroom than the Gallery offered in their open bedroom concept "1 bedroom" condos so maybe my client can one day argue that it is indeed a one bedroom down the road since it is very much so in today's standards.  This city view Downtown Seattle condo has 577 square feet and is on the 4th floor of the lovely 98 Union Building which is right at the Southeast edge of Pike Place Market. 

Many people don't know this, but 98 Unionhas quite a different and unique form of ownership in regards to the home owners association.  You really need to dig into the resale cert to get the full effect and then ask questions, look at the reserve studies and minutes, and then ask more questions. It is a wonderful building and really in the ideal location and shares the same  Downtown Seattle "cul de sac" as 99 Union which happens to be the gorgeous Seattle Four Seasons.  Puget Sound views and more, this building puts you in the very heart of Downtown Seattle living!

Current Downtown Seattle Condos available in 98 Union:

9th floor 2/1.75 969 sqft for $499,000 (water Puget Sound Bay, city, Mountain views)

9th floor 2/2 1263 sqft for $595,000 (bay, city views)

6th floor 2/2.5 1942 sqft with city and sound views (this one is very cool as it si a double condo that has 2 parking spots, kitchens, storage spaces, more!) $645,000

11th floor 2/2 1295 sqft for $749,000 city, bay, mountain views

Recent Downtown Seattle 98 Union Condo sales:

4th floor 0/1 577 sq ft listed at $259,000 sold for $245,500 closed 11/12/2009

11th floor 2/2 1263 sqft listed at $799,000 sold for $655,000 closed 8/11/2009

Downtown Seattle real estate: If you want more information about the structure of the homeowners association in 98 Union or why we think this is a great choice for Downtown Seattle condo living, let us know!  We would love to show you some of our favorite units. We are also happy to help if you are thinking about selling your Downtown Seattle condo.

Wallingford Seattle Real Estate Market Update 2009:  Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood has had a pretty good run in the real estate market for the last six months.  It is no wonder, too, because this neighborhood has so much to offer!  Just check out 4333 Wallingford Ave N if you want a perfect example of a perfect in city home with all that the universe of Seattle has to offer!

Here are the latest Wallingford Seattle Real Estate Market numbers for December 2009:

Wallingford real estate: 

For residential including Wallingford townhomes, there are currently 28 Active Wallingford homes for sale, 11 Pendings, and 65 closed sales for the last six months.  Surprisingly, Wallingford Townhomes make up a smaller percentage of these than I would expect with 7 Active listings, 5 Pendings, and 12 closed sales for the last six months.  Median days on market for a Wallingford home is 48 days and Median sales price is $480,000.  List Price to Sales Price percentage ranges from 96.43% to 104.90% depending on how many days on market for these sales.

Seattle's Wallingford Condos:

Looking at Wallingford Condos, there are 9 Active condos for sale, 3 Pendings, and there have been 12 closed sales in the last six months.  The condo market in Wallingford is a little less attractive than single family at this time with a median days on market of 77 day and median sales price of $342,475.  The list price to sales price percentage is also less with the last six months of sales ranging from 92.91% to 95.92%.

If you are interested in looking at any Wallingford homes or are thinking about selling yours, please feel free to get in touch with us!  We are happy to help you through the process and show you some of our favorite things about Wallingford!

Pioneer Square Real Estate Update December 2009 Market:

I did the Underground Seattle Tour again the day after Thanksgiving when some of my family was in town.  Pioneer Square is so fun anyway, but I love the tour.  My sister said it felt very Universal Studios, but it really is so Seattle - anyone interested in our city should go on it.  There were some funky things that happened in Pioneer Square a hundred years ago and more!

Luckily thanks in large part to the funds raised over the years by the Underground Tour, Pioneer Square and all the gorgeous buildings in it were saved for the most part.  As a result you can find some very cool Pioneer Square lofts that are a great Downtown Seattle living situation!

Right now, there are 7 Active Pioneer Square condo listings ranging in price from $299,000 to $558,000 with an average price of $494,771 and a median price of $519,000.  You can see comparing that to Downtown Seattle Condos that Pioneer Square is not only Downtown anyway, but also affordable!  Average Days on Market (DOM) for these actives is 137 right now.

There are 2 Pending Pioneer Square properties right now priced form $350,000 to $359,000.

Sold in the last six months?  Pioneer Square real estate sold in the last six months is a total of 4 properties ranging in price from $235,000 to $880,000 with an average price of $503,625 and a median price of $449,750.  The average DOM is 139 for these that have sold.

Pioneer Square condo and loft  living: If you are interested in living in a great part of Downtown Seattle in one of the most historic places on the West Coast, then please feel free to get in touch with us - we are happy to help you with all aspects of Seattle real estate and find a perfect Seattle neighborhood for you!

Seattle City of Seven Hills:   In the late 1800's real estate developers decided to make Seattle be the city of seven hills similar to Rome and there have been varying theories through out the years ever since as to what are those seven hills?  The fact of the matter is Seattle is full of hills and slopes and steep bluffs, so picking just seven will always be a challenge. 

We can probably all agree that Queen Anne Hill, Capitol Hill, and First Hill surely qualify, but Magnolia is pretty high up there, too, and no one ever mentions Maple Leaf which to me is very high...  The debate will go on, but one of those hills is lost forever: Denny Hill.  In 1900, the city decided to basically eliminate a whole hill which covered 62 city blocks. They did it in two parts, but literally razed the hill. 

This can not be good environmentally, I am thinking and I have to wonder what the area North of Pine Street would look like with a big hill covering it.... Today it is part of Old Belltown and South of the Space Needle.  The landscape would be quite different if the hill was still around!  Here is a view towards Downtown from the South slope of Denny Hill in 1886 (photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives Item # 2869):

Denny Hill height:  Look how high that hill must have been!  The removed over 6 million cubic yards of earth to get rid of it!

According to NWDA:

"Before the regrade, Second Avenue rose 190 feet in the twelve blocks between Pioneer Square and Lenora Avenue, causing traffic and transportation problems in the area. The project began by flattening First Avenue between Pine Street and Denny Way. "

190 feet???? So Denny Park would have been pretty high and full of Puget Sound and mountain views back then, but instead is a flat park with huge sweeping views of nothing.  One man wants to change that:  Denny Park plan to restore the view given to Seattle's first park back to the citizens.  It is a little nuts, but he does have a point. 

What the heck was the city of Seattle doing? It was apparently a infrastructure nightmare to have this beautiful hill smack dab in the middle of the city so they just got rid of it and dumped the dirt into Elliot Bay or used it to fill in the soggy streets of Downtown Seattle.  Wow.

Denny Hill would have sloped right down North practically to the Space Needle if it were still here and might not make the needle rise up so obviously although the space needle height is a little over 600 feet.

The Denny Hill regrade was done in two phases.  I found a really cool before and after shot from the second phase which then adds the Space Needle after that to give you an idea.  I am still amazed that they would knock Denny Hill down.  It was so beautiful! 

Besides the fact that the city's first park was basically lowered to flat acerage with no view, one of the truly most amazing things to me about the city's decision to raze Denny Hill was the loss of Denny Hotel (later called Washington Hotel).  Theodore Roosevelt slept in this hotel and they knocked it down to lower the hill.

 This picture shows what was left of Denny Hill at the beginning of the second phase of the regrade in 1928 then after the regrade in 1936 and then again after the addition of the Space Needle to Seattle's skyline in 1964 (Picture Courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives item # 28958).

 So I went to the SDOT site and found a list of highest elevations in Seattle:

"NAVD88 stands for North American Vertical Datum

High Point above sea level, 6 parcels south of watertower at 35th Ave SW and SW Myrtle Street - 520 feet - NAVD88

Near Bitter Lake, on N 145th St just east of Greenwood Ave - 493 feet - NAVD88

NE 92nd ST and Roosevelt Way NE - 466 feet - NAVD88

Queen Anne Hill, at First Ave N and Lee Street - 456 feet - NAVD88

Highest point in Volunteer Park - 453 feet - NAVD88"

This list is interesting to me - Queen Anne and Capitol Hill seem to dominate here, but I was definitely  right about Maple Leaf - it is in there!  Let us know if you are interested in learnign more about a particular Seattle neighborhood history!

Queen Anne historic homes:  Very close to home for my family

Yesterday we visited two sets of great grandparents on Bainbridge Island and I got the chance to talk to my husband's Grandfather about growing up on Queen Anne.  It is funny because the two houses he grew up in are on the historic registry and his gandfather's house is also on the historic registry.  Unfortunately,  his "Uncle Joe's" Queen Anne house hadn't gotten there yet before the disaster when it was knocked down a few years ago on a long holiday weekend to make way for the new buyer's "new home".  Now it is the the site of a planned townhome community (google the JC Black house sometime if you want to hear more about that one).

West Queen Anne Love:  I recently wrote a post on Betty Bowen Viewpoint and was completely drawn to a particular house right across the street.  That shouldn't be too surprising because West Queen Anne is full of gorgeous homes, but this one really brought me in and while I normally would take the time to take a picture of a house so that it looked good on my blog or website, I just snapped a quick photo of this house because I LOVED IT. 

I was completely taken in and drawn to this house. I will go ahead and show you the photo I took, but it really doesn't do the house justice:

It turns out that this very house was my husband's grandfather's house when he was 17 and his parents had it built especially for them!  I could not believe it!

The house is something like 6 beds and an unheard of 3 car garage in Queen Anne.  My husband's great grandfather had it custom built in 1939-1940 and they moved into it when his grandfather was 17 from their home a few blocks over on West Prospect which they had lived in for the first 17 years of his life.  The West Highland house was built for my husband's great grandfather and mother and the name on the historic registry is the Lyman H & Marion Black Home. 

This house on West Highland is only a couple blocks South of my husband's great great grandfather's house, the CH Black house on Lee Street which takes up an entire city block. It is also right across the street from Betty Bowen Viewpoint and the West Queen Anne Walls.  In listening to my husband's grandfather's stories yesterday, he said his dad used to have a light he would switch on in the 1940s whenever couples were hanging out at the Viewpoint for too long after dark.  He remembers that his parents would always know he came home safely because he would come in and play Moonlight Sonata at the Grand Piano after a fun night out.  He KNEW Betty Bowen!

I had heard the piano story before but it was so amazing to find out that this particular house that I obviously did not photograph for any purpose except that I loved it happened to be the house where all this happened. I also find it amazing that not one, but at least four of their family homes are on the historic registry in family names - even if one other is gone now. 

If you are interested in West Queen Anne real estate or other Queen Anne real estate, please feel free to get in touch with me.  Queen Anne has a rich history and I would love to share with you some of my favorite spots!

Previewing Seattle homes - Seattle was so pretty today!   I was driving and not the one taking the pictures, by the way, East on the 520 bridge from Seattle to the Eastside on our way to go preview a few homes in Bellevue and Kirkland for a friend coming into town. 

 This shot was taken by Morgan looking East and a little South  so that he could capture the tip of Seattle's Madison Park neighborhood as well as Bellevue waterfront homes to the South of 520. 

Apparently, we are supposed to be getting snow possibly tomorrow night and rain starting again tonight!  I can not believe it so time will tell, but wanted to share what a pretty Fall day we had today!

Seattle real estate:  Are you thinking about moving this Fall or Winter?  Let us know if you are interested in looking at Seattle homes - there are some really cool ones that have come on recently and real estate here has definitely become a little more enjoyable!