George asked in his recent post what was the first song that impacted me in life and when did it occur.  When I responded in the comments of his post, "George, This kind of stuff makes me feel so old sometimes.  Since most of my life has been spent in the music business the first song that changed me is still of importance as it was the driving force for over 5 decades of work and life.  It was 1956, I was listening in my bunk bed to my new transistor radio and heard The 5 Satins " In the still of the night ".  For some reason this song sent me to a whole new place in time. To this day I listen to it with the same feeling. There have been many instances in my life when a certain song fit the moment and remain apart of me." George asked me to post the YouTube Video. I don't know if I can... 06/07/2008

     I am writing about this wonderful business we call REAL ESTATE.      For reasons sometimes unknown we have allowed our livelihood to slip away from the core issues and daily factors that propel us to do our job.       I have had conversations with countless Realtor's, agents and brokers about the continuing dilemma we face to either finish a transaction in place or work with new seller's and buyers.      This is not a post about lending, or mortgage. This is about how we have allowed the public and other business conditions to dictate how we function in today's world and still maintain some type of credibility for ourselves.     So:  I'm tired of having to pick up and redo a transaction by an inexperienced or otherwise incompetent agent to make something work for my client or one o... 06/02/2008

FAST, RELIABLE, DEPENDABLE, PROFESSIONAL Property Management SERVICE for your Rentals investments Call Us Today RD House Real Estate & Property Management Average time on rental market less than 22 DAYS 5% fee downtown Condos www.rd-house.com 206-728-6063 Your real estate is a valuable investment and we can help you protect that investment with sound expertise. Our goal is to provide you the best property management service available in the Washington State, starting @ 5% Management.  Please feel free to contact us Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.Ricky D Sadler Broker/Senior PM @ 206-728-6063 or email rickyd@rd-house.com Summary of ServicesOwner/Tenant Relations: As your agent, we will advertise your property to locate and qualify tenants suitable for your property. We handle... 05/07/2008

The seeming lack of excitement coming from the eastside regarding Google's move to Kirkland / Houghton is hiding a very large fact: this is a major, major thing to be occuring in the local real estate market! The low key style that is the Northwest hides an obvious elephant sitting in the corner of the room. Values in the condo and casual luxury market have been stagnating for a year now and will most certainly rebound from this influx of hundreds of new Google associates. I don't think buyers at Boulevard have anything to worry about, considering how difficult it was to sell the last few units in late 2007. They took a very temporary hit from the downturn. In the long run, all residents will be considered geniuses for investing in new construction in downtown, east and west of market s... 05/07/2008

Now that the troublesome bill has passed, the blame game starts. Target: Washington REALTORS. Defense: They have posted notice that they were "closely monitoring the legislation" prior to the bill passing. Bologna! I'm Jack Burns of Estate Rescue and I was there, ALONE in front of the senate, arguing the absurdity of this bill. If anyone was monitoring this bill, I sure didn't see them. Watch the bill pass and the three minutes (cut short) I had to oppose it: VIEW VIDEO Don't let anyone tell you the people who could have done something about it, didn't know what was happening. I'm not even a Realtor and I knew about the hearing and the content of the bill (thanks to REAPS). In the letter I sent the Governor as a last ditched effort to stop this bill, here's what it said about the fiduci... 05/06/2008

By Greg Perry, Kirkland Realtorwww.425realty.com    I am the proud father of a U.S. Marine who served a tour in Kuwait and Iraq.  Over the weekend, we celebrated Kevin's birthday.  Kevin has always been the ultimate team player.  As a youth hockey player, he was always the inspirational leader of every team he played on.  Just as he was graduating from high school, Kevin decided to enlist in the Marine Corp.Kevin had a problem, however.  He suffered a knee injury in his last year of hockey and he failed his physical.  Military doctors told him that surgery was his only option, and there was no guarantee he would pass the physical after rehab.Kevin had his operation, and worked like a man possessed to rehab his knee.  His goal was to become a U.S. Marine.It took him a year to earn his wa... 04/21/2008

Kitchen yes, bathrooms yes -- but the living room often gets left out when it comes to writing about home improvements.  In fact in some house designs these days, great rooms are replacing formal living rooms.But what if your living room could use a face-lift?Generally speaking, remodeling your living room means doing one or more of the following projects:Replacing or renovating the floor. Refinishing walls. Upgrading lighting and other electrical systems. Adding or changing features, such as a new fireplace or built in bookcase. Applying moldings, wainscot or a new mantel. New window coverings. Expanding the overall space. Your living room is one of the most straightforward of rooms to remodel.  And, because it's your home's most public space, redoing the living room gives the whole ho... 04/16/2008

Absorption rates are the ratio between ACTIVE and PENDING inventory.  Using this ratio, we can see how many Months of Inventory an area holds.  Residential sales --not including condo sales.0-3 months = Seller's advantaged market3-6 months = Balanced market6 plus months = Buyers advantaged market  Here are the Absorption rates for the Eastside NWMLS areas:NWMLS AREAJanuaryFebruaryMarch500 Bell/Iss13.77.48.1510 Mercer Is.10.813.25.1520 W. Bellevue14.11113.8530 E. Bellevue6.36.44.6540 Samm Plateau7.56.16.9550 Redmond86.46.7560 Kirkland10.189.3600 Wdv/Bothell7.18.18.1In March, both NWMLS areas 510 and 530 East Bellevue have improved to Balanced Markets.The upper end inventory is hurting many of the Eastside areas from showing better overall absorption.  For instance, Redmond Area 550 woul... 04/16/2008

A New Dog For Your New Home!By Greg Perry, Kirkland Realtorwww.425realty.com For many, having a pet to love is one of the criteria used in a house selection.   We include memories and experiences of our loved dogs, cats and other pets in our experience we call "home".In our family, we've always had a dog (often more than one).  Our dogs have always been integral part of our family experience.  In the last few years, our love for dogs have actually turned into our hobby (or passion), as we now exhibit purebred cairn terriers in conformation shows and performance events.We work with many clients who cite a new dog as one of their goals.  I always ask them what kind of dog they like.  I love to hear the dreams. Selecting a dog is always a very emotional experience.  For all the dogs in the... 04/07/2008

  Congrats Eastside Professionals! You are the newest Chapter of BNI in Kirkland! It was a lot of work, but we did it. I am happy to see that my efforts strongly contributed to such a dynamic group of professionals. I couldn't ask for more at this point!If you or anybody you know is interested in the BNI model or would like to learn how to build your business through word of mouth referrals, feel free to come visit us! We meet at the Laughs Comedy Spot EVERY Thursday from 11am - 12:30pm. You will want to arrive a few minutes early for open networking :)Read more at www.bninw.com or feel free to contact me at any time of the day!Peter Mann Keller Williams Realty - Bellevue Customer Service Professional Certified Relocation Specialist Phone: 206-949-8561 Fax: 425-454-4577 Email: petermann... 04/01/2008

Affordable Downtown Kirkland Condos are more often South of Central vs. East or West of Market, which is why I really like the location of Soho.  It is one of the few condo complexes East of Market and that makes it easier for visitors to park on the street.  It also is much easier for residents to get in and out of town without hitting traffic jams.  It's between 5th and 6th Street on 7th Ave. The prices are currently set a bit artificially low as they were undergoing improvements by the builder during the most recent market upswing.  That and 10 foot ceilings make it a still affordable condo complex amongst a sea of many that may be overpriced two years down the road in hindsight.  When it was built in 2000 it won design awards and was one of the first buildings to go with the 10 foo... 03/27/2008

Practically every article written, ...every talk show in existence, ...every conversation that is agent to agent, laments the fact that the public sees us in a different light than we see ourselves.  How can this be? Don't they know what we go through to be the great agent we see ourselves as? What?  You say you passed a test and have meetings and talk to other people in fields associated with ours? You do continuing ed classes to keep up and current? You say nice things to everyone you meet, and always help without thought of compensation? And you still can't figure out why we are held in such low esteem? The primary answer is so simple.....we as professionals have devalued our business and have mis-spoken in the positive for so long, that the public has given up trying to figure us ou... 03/23/2008

Kirkland Absorption RatesBy Greg Perry, Kirkland Realtor Every week, I watch the ratios between ACTIVE inventory and the homes that go PENDING.  This sales ratio is commonly called the absorption rate.  If we track this absorption rate weekly we can break this down to a simple number -- how many weeks it will take for the inventory to sell at the current rate of sale.After seven weeks, we average the data to level out the weekly inconsistencies.  This gives us a powerful way to track the market and to see instant trends.We can then categorize the market as a Seller's advantaged market (0-12 weeks), a Balanced market (12-24 weeks) or a Buyer's advantaged market (24 weeks +).In the 7 week period that spanned 1/23/08 - 03/05/08 (these numbers are run Thursday through Wednesday each week), ... 03/19/2008

Kirkland's Easter Egg Hunt: Have Basket, Will Gather Free March 23 Event Marks 34th Anniversary  Since 1974, children from the Kirkland community have been racing to gather as many candy treats as they can at the annual Easter Egg Hunt. This year's event, provided by Kirkland Parks and Community Services Department and Kirkland Kiwanis will be held on Sunday, March 23 at 1:30 p.m. Hunters will be amazed at the 26,000 foil wrapped chocolate egg treats that will be scattered among the grasses of Peter Kirk Park, 202 3rd Street in Kirkland.Children ages four and under will begin at the playground area; those ages five through seven will start from Lee Johnson Field; and those ages eight through twelve should meet at the grass area west of the QFC grocery store in Park Place mall. Bring a b... 03/19/2008

The two biggest concerns of the Real Estate Market in 2008 will be sellers who overprice and buyers who overpay. While these should always be concerns, here in the Seattle Real Estate Market we are on the edge of being at peak.  Unlike the rest of the Country, we have held our own up until now and are just starting to see signs of weakness. If sellers sit on market too long at unrealistic prices, that could drive the market down.  Buyers sitting on the sidelines waiting for the sellers to get real can create a downward spiral.  And yet buyers jumping in and buying the overpriced listings isn't going to help anyone either, when reality sets in as the mortgage industry adjusts to tighter and tighter lending practices. Reality is that 20% to 30% of the buying public has been shut off from... 03/18/2008

brings you 3 bedroom waterfront Condos in Kirkland. Waterfront condos are hard to come by. There just aren't that many of them out there. If you do find one you have to be Bill Gates to afford one. There are only 2 waterfront condos on todays RE SHORT LIST. One is Almost 1.2 $Million and the other is a smokin' deal @ $490K. It's located in the revitalized Juanita area found on the northeast end of Lake Washington. The satalite picture below shows this property is just a few lots down from Juanita Beach Park. Juanita Beach Park is in the middle of a $15 million face lift. This will help the resale value in the Juanita area of Kirkland. If you are in the market for a Condo or have one to sell, please contact me. For info on other Kirkland Condos including these waterfront ones click here... 03/17/2008

LARGE lots is what these Kirkland homes got!   I am one of the few people that gives more value to a big lot than a big, fancy home. My philosophy is, you can always add to the house but rarely can you add to your lot. These days with the way zoning is and builders cramming as many homes in a community as they can large lots are hard to come by. Most new construction is built on 4000-6000 sq ft lots. Builders are also building monstrous homes with only +/-10 feet between homes and/or the property lines. This is not my idea of living.   In Kirkland, WA there is only a short list of homes under $600K that had a quarter acre or more of property.     Search criteria      City: Kirkland, WA    Price: $600K and under    Bedrooms: 3+   Bathrooms: 1.5+   Home Sq Ft: 1400-2100   Lot Size: 10,000... 03/17/2008

Please join myself and Tom Lasswell of Liberty Financial for a FREE Home Ownership Made Easy workshop.  It is being presented to educate first time home-buyers on how to find and finance their first home.   Purchasing a first home or any home for that matter is a huge decision, in fact, for some it is one of the largest investments and purchases that an individual or family will ever make.  We are here to dispel the myths about the process of getting a home loan and finding your dream home.  Currently, the reality is, there is so much information floating around about how consumers should approach getting the knowledge to make the right purchasing and financial mortgage choices, that for most the process is confusing and unclear.This workshop is presented by local industry members, incl... 02/29/2008

Affordable Eastside homes is almost an oxymoron.    Believe it or not you can still buy a home close to Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland for under $400K. I am not talking about 600 sq ft 2 bedroom 1 bath homes. I am talking about 2 story 3+ bedrooms 1.5+ bath at 1500+ sq ft with bigger lots than most new construction homes. Where are these homes?? How about Kirkland's suburb to the north, Juanita, South Bothell and West Kenmore. All of these areas are either in the Kirkland city limits or border it. The area of Juanita is part in Kirkland and part unincorporated King County. All of the previously mentioned areas are all very nice and have that small town feeling. They are also close to shopping, golf, restaurants, parks, great schools, plenty of coffee shops etc.  There is also a great se... 02/21/2008

NWMLS 560 Kirkland Real Estate Market StatisticsJanuary 2008Single Family Homes Area 560 Kirkland/Bridle Trails median prices were down -3.0%. Listing inventory was up 38.5% and pending sales were down -20.8%LISTINGS: 385 (2007) vs. 278 (2006) +38.5%PENDINGS: 38 (2007) vs. 48 (2006) -20.8%MEDIAN: $652,250(2007) vs. $672,475(2006)-3.0%Compiled from but not verified or published by NWMLSBy Greg Perry, Eastside Realtorwww.425realty.com 02/21/2008