I grew up in Selah Washington which is a small town outside of Yakima.  I made the move to Seattle to attend college.  At first I felt really lost in this city and the odd city layout didn't help either.  Anyone who has lived here knows that if you miss your turn in Seattle you can't always just go around the block.  I felt really overwhelmed and a little intimidated.  This was fleeting of course and I soon began to get my bearings.  After a few years of moving around from neighborhood to neighborhood I finally found Ballard.  I was immidiately in love with the small town feel that graces it's downtown area.  At the time all I had heard about Ballard were jokes on Almost Live.  Ballard is really changing and the downtown area on Market Street has become revitalized over the last several... 02/23/2007

The Seattle Times is reporting the new owners of Seattle’s venerable Smith Tower has designs on converting it to condos.  At one time, Smith Tower was the tallest building on the west coast. Chicago-based Walton Street Capital filed papers with the city Wednesday to begin what could be a months-long process of getting approval to redo the tower as housing. Some people seem to think it may be a reasonable proposition: Matthew Gardner, principal in the Seattle-based land-use economics firm Gardner Johnson, said Smith Tower’s conversion “could be incredible.” “The building itself is iconic, so it does make sense to go down this road.” Gardner also said the switch would benefit Pioneer Square by bringing more residents into the neighborhood. Smith Tower has struggled a bit to attract and r... 02/22/2007

Flea Market Fun in Funky FremontSeattle's Fremont neighborhood, self declared "Center of the Universe" has an outdoor, year-round Flea Market every Sunday.                                                                                                                                                                                                        I recently spent a Sunday late morning and early afternoon with some friends poking around finding a couple of treasures and lunch at the Red Door Restaurant & Bar.    We started off by fueling up at Peet's Coffee & Teas at Fremont's main corner, Fremont Ave N and Canal St.  The Red Door used to have that location until it was picked up and moved a couple of blocks west for "development". Fortified with fresh hot coffee and treats, we hit... 02/21/2007

Since 1987, Windermere Real Estate has been supporting the inspiring sport of crew, an exercise requiring precision, stamina and teamwork to excel. Annually on the first Saturday in May, Windermere and the University of Washington produce a one-of-a-kind crew competition taking place the opening weekend of boating season along the shores of Seattle’s Montlake Cut. Thousands of spectators line the shore to watch our international guests, invited top-caliber collegiate rowing teams, U.S. Olympians, and local rowing clubs compete in The Windermere Cup, a highly-anticipated regatta which is free to the community. When/Where: Saturday, 05 May 2007 - Montlake Cut, Seattle, WA 02/20/2007

I love Meeting the Neighbors at my Open House!Today at my Open House for my condo listing in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood, it was a little slow.The condo already had an accepeted offer on it (on the 8th day) and is STI, but since I had already put an ad in the Seattle Times for the Open House I wanted to follow through.  A little different from last week when there were lots of interested buyers passing through, and neighbors interested in seeing the condo.  I love meeting the neighbors!  It is a lot of fun hearing about the neighborhood and finding out what they think makes the neighborhood or condo complex a great place to live.  The condo became for a short time a little condo "block party" with nieghbors mingling and chatting and potential buyers (including the buyer whose offer ... 02/18/2007

Shopping you can do at Seattle's Northwest Flower & Garden Show....  Lucca Statuary Exhibit      Detail of Lucca Statuary planter.  Oh my...there are some wonderful vendors at the NWF&GS!  After checking out the Show Gardens and mulling over ideas for your condo's balcony, townhome's patio, or houses' yard you can visit the booths of the people and shops who can help with stuff to transform your outdoor room into a place to enjoy.  I visited all my favorites...too many to show and list them all, so I will highlight a few....       Fremont Gardens Exhibit                                                     Mongomongo Exhibit, lanterns                            Cool new plant, upright taro                                                                             Ravenna Gardens Exhibit... 02/17/2007

Seattle - Northwest Flower & Garden Show The Seattle Northwest Flower & Garden Show is a great place to get some wonderful ideas for your home, townhome or condo.  Creating outdoor rooms is a great way to increase your enjoyment of your home, and when time to sell adds value, how great is that!  Some of the Show Gardens this year are really dramatic, which is what I think makes the NWF&GS worth going to see even if you aren't a gardener...it' a great place to see designers and landscapers in action!  The Seattle Times' Pacific Northwest Sunday Magazine has more information about the show, and sponsors a contest for NW gardeners with the Grand Prize Garden winner going to The Chelsea Flower Show in London this May.  The magazine has wonderful photos of all three winning gardens, more ide... 02/17/2007

I wrote an article earlier today about a scammer. I can almost appreciate the creative talents of an obvious scammer like that. But when it comes to the real estate industry, I just want to puke. I stopped into a new construction site yesterday to evaluate it for one of my clients. There are four people in the room. A guy sitting at the site plan talking to a young asian couple and a woman standing a bit on the side. I see the guy giving the "hard sell" about two and only two "available" lots. I'm standing back and looking at the site plan and I see about 50 available lots. Only two of them have "available" stickers and 6-9 have a sold sticker. So doesn't that mean all of the lots with NO sticker are "available"? For some reason the young couple doesn't "get" this, but I just keep my mo... 02/17/2007

Amid the talks of bubble trouble Seattle condo resales in thea city center neighborhoods fared quite well in 2006.  Although, not at the sales or appreciation levels experienced in 2004 and 2005, last year reflected continued growth and upward values. Only one neighborhood plateaued, which surprisingly was Queen Anne, one of the most sought after neighborhoods with sweeping views of downtown.   However, it is one of the more pricier locales. Note: Compiled upon sold data from the NWMLS.  Information is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. 02/17/2007

Seattle Real Estate - Acting in my Seller's Best InterestI had a recent conversation with my seller concerning a potential buyer (a neighbor who was not looking for property) for the newly listed property who expressed some interest in the property just as it was in the process of being listed.   A couple of days into the listing period, it looked like the potential buyer may have a real interest in the property, and after talking to the potential buyer (who did not have an agent) on the phone we set up an appointment to show the property to the buyer's spouse when they returned from a trip. I called my seller to discuss this, and outlined three different possibilities that I could work out with the buyer regarding representation should they decide to make an offer, but that I needed to... 02/15/2007

"If" the beginning of every residential real estate transaction were the buyers and the sellers and their agents meeting and chatting, maybe having dinner together and a drink or two for an hour. Then everyone walks through the house together while the seller tells the buyer the story of their life in the house and the buyer and agents ask questions. Then the offer is written, and proceeds through the inspections to find things the seller just truly doesn't know about." In the comments section I said to Tim of Legacy Escrow, "Tim, the sad thing is that it is totally within our power to civilize the process." The owner received multiple offers in short order, due to our diligent efforts in getting the property "positioned to sell". We did not ask ALL of the potential buyers to sit down ... 02/15/2007

The Importance of Your Credit Score . . . . . . . Credit scores are an important factor in mortgage loans but many consumers are unsure about what causes them to receive that scoreHow Your Credit Score is Determined . . . . . . . The typical score model for mortgage are FICO scores. They are determined by five main categories:35% is based on your payment history      (Including all accounts)30% is based on the amount you owe creditors      (Specially revolving accounts with high balance) 15% is based on how long you have been using credit      (The longer you have a good payment history, the better)10% is based on your applications for new credit           (If you are loading up on credit it may damage your score)10% is based on your "Mix" of credit      (Numerous finance company accoun... 02/14/2007

 Good Morning All, My son-in-law (John) posted photos like these on the baby blog he has set up for my grandson.  This is in the home mom and I just traded with them so that they would have more room and be in the school district they wanted.  It is a great craftsman home in the Wallingford area of Seattle (it is almost 100 years old).  My mom and dad were the second owners. I told John that those fish eye photos are a pet peeve of mine when I see them on the MLS.  I feel that they distort the rooms so badly and that they do more harm than good to help sell a home.  When I am looking at listings and I see these kinds of pictures I feel like just passing on the home. Luckily, John only rented this lens.  What do you think? Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Belle... 02/11/2007

"How did they know that all I wanted for my first birthday was this T-shirt?! Thanks Auntie Regi and Uncle Dave!"  If my  home buying clients have children, I usually hear from them that "a good school is the most important factor in deciding where to buy a home."  One of the reasons my mother and I traded homes with my daughter, son-in-law and grandson was so that my grandson would be able to attend the John Stanford International School.  This is a wonderful school and teachers are clamoring to teach there.   It is a dual-language immersion school.  It averages 19 students per classroom teacher and is very diverse.This following are some things I found on their website:John Stanford International School is an award-winning Seattle public elementary school (K-5) in the Wallingford nei... 02/10/2007

The Downtown Seattle Association hosted its 2007 State of Downtown Economic Forum on Feb. 9th providing an overview of current and future downtown livability issues, planning and development.  Of particular interest was the forecast for the eventual construction (or not) of the 32 high-rise condominium projects on tap for downtown over the next 4 years and the lack of affordable housing.  Read more about the state of downtown housing on Seattle Condos and Lofts. 02/10/2007

    Magnolia Blvd. looking south towards West Seattle and Alki Point accross Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.   Magnolia, one of Seattle's Urban Villages...is very nearly it's own island just a couple of miles northwest of Downtown Seattle.  Magnolia is on a peninsula sited on two hills surounded on three sides by Elliot Bay to the south, Puget Sound to the west, Shilshole Bay and Salmon Bay (including the Hiram M Chittenden Locks) to the north.   The island effect is even more apparent in the there are only three ways to get to Magnolia, and they are all bridges.  They cross over the the BNSF railway system in the valley that separates Magnolia from Queen Anne Hill to the east.  That area is called the Interbay which is comprised of the Interbay Athletic Field, the Interbay Family Golf Cen... 02/09/2007

DIS-IN-TER-ME-DI-ATE: "TO ATTEMPT TO DO AWAY WITH INTERMEDIARY ENTITITES BETWEEN TWO PRIMARY MARKET FORCES; TO ELIMINATE THE "MIDDLEMAN". "IF" ALL THAT YOU ARE IS "AN INTERMEDIARY ENTITY" - THEN GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS! "IF" ALL THAT YOU ARE IS "A MIDDLEMAN" - THEN GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS! "IF" YOU ARE AN ORDER TAKER - GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS! "IF" YOU ARE A PAPER COUNTER - GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS! "IF" YOU ARE SAYING "OF COURSE REAL ESTATE ALWAYS GOES UP AND YOU NEVER CAN LOSE MONEY WHEN YOU SELL YOUR HOUSE" - GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS! "IF" YOU THINK YOU ARE ALWAYS "WORTH IT", "IT" BEING 6% WHETHER THE PRICE OF THE HOUSE IS $250,000 OR $2,500,000 - GET THE HELL OUT OF THE BUSINESS. "IF" YOU THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU!  PLEASE, PLEASE GET THE HELL OUT OF THE BUSINESS! "IF" YOU ARE NOT AN ... 02/03/2007

I have only one criteria when choosing a client. That criteria is very difficult to describe, because the best term to describe my favorite clients, I only know in the Greek language. I dated a Greek guy for six years, from the time I was 16 until I was 22. Whenever he introduced me to his Greek friends and relatives, they would lightly and quickly thump their fist on their chest and say "kalu ka thYA" (emphasis on the YA). Generally, they were saying, "She has a good heart." When I meet a potential new client, I am actually interviewing them to determine whether or not I want to work with/for them. This can be a great business or it can be a miserable business. The difference between the two is the clients one chooses. Agents who view all people as "leads", who think anyone wanting to... 02/03/2007

 BLEEPIN WRONG ANSWERS I HEAR EVERY DAY IN THIS BUSINESS.   1) BUYER'S AGENT ASKS:  "Is there a pump system attached to the drain at the bottom of that steep driveway pointed down at the house?" Seller's Agent Responds: "You have to watch for leaves getting caught in the drain."  BLEEP!!  WRONG ANSWER!! NOW WE ARE AT THE HOME INSPECTION AND THERE IS WATER IN THE HOUSE! FOR WATER TO GET IN THE HOUSE, THE GARAGE FIRST HAS TO BE FILLED WITH WATER UP TO THREE OR FOUR INCHES TO THEN INTRUDE INTO THE HOME!!   BUYER'S AGENT ASKS: WHAT IS THE SELLER'S PLAN TO FIX THIS PROBLEM? SELLER'S AGENT RESPONDS:  "IT DOESN'T ALWAYS RAIN THIS MUCH!!!"  BLEEP!  WRONG ANSWER!   BUYER'S AGENT SAYS:  WELL HUMOR ME HERE THEN, WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN TO RAIN THIS MUCH? SELLER'S AGENT SAYS: WE AR... 02/03/2007

RIDDLE ME THIS, BATMAN!  IF AN AGENT CAN WAKE UP IN THE MORNING, AND GET THE MLS ON HIS HOME COMPUTER... WHY DOES AN AGENT NEED A DESK AT THE OFFICE?   IF AN AGENT CAN BE AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME WITH A LAPTOP AND A CELL PHONE: WHY DOES HE NEED A PHONE AT THE OFFICE?   IF WE CAN REDUCE THE OVERHEAD IN THIS BUSINESS BY HAVING LESS INFRASTRUCTURE, AND IN TURN PASS THAT SAVINGS ON TO THE CONSUMER...WHY DO WE HAVE OFFICES OF 50 DESKS THAT ARE FREAKIN' EMPTY!!!!  WHO IS COMING TO YOUR OFFICE AND WHY AND IF IT IS COSTING THE CONSUMER MORE TO HAVE DESKS FOR THE COFFEE DRINKING, OPEN HOUSE LUNCH EATING, NEED A PLACE TO HANG OUT PEOPLE... WHY SHOULD THE CONSUMER PAY FOR YOU TO PARK YOUR BUTT IN AN OFFICE WITH NO PURPOSE??? TIME TO RETHINK EVERYTHING.  CUT THE COSTS.  IF THE DESKS ARE EMPTY OR THE... 02/03/2007