University District
$2,000,000 for Our Neighborhoods
The City of Seattle wants us—you, me, and our neighbors—to decide how to spend $2,000,000 on small-scale neighborhood improvements. Does your community need a new crosswalk? How about a median? Or a flashing beacon, repaired sidewalk, curb ramps, park benches, or trail improvements? That’s what this project, “Your Voice, Your Choice,” aims to accomplish. As real estate…
Read MoreHow Racist Real Estate Shaped Seattle
We all know the “bad” neighborhoods. We all know the “rich” neighborhoods. So, too, did 1936 Seattle. Much of the city we live in today was shaped by early 20th-century home loans, as you can see in this Great Depression map from the Home Owner’s Loan Corporation (HOLC). HOLC took all sorts of data from mortgage…
Read MoreST3 Light Rail–The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Good: Light rail lives! The new Capitol Hill and Husky Stadium stations are operational and successful, and riding on the wake of their popularity, Sound Transit has announced the new ST3 draft plan, which lays out the future of Seattle’s public transportation. This draft plan matters. It’s huge, developmentally speaking. As Seattle keeps growing…
Read MoreNorth Seattle Home Prices Rise 42 Percent
Home prices are up. Way up. Central Seattle and Beacon Hill both saw their median home price climb nearly 40 percent last year. In parts of North Seattle, the median home price leapt 42 percent. Forty-two percent. That’s absurd. The Seattle-wide median home price isn’t as bad. That measure only jumped 24 percent last year,…
Read MorePeople on People on People
Seattle is now the #10 U.S. city for density. Density isn’t what usually comes to mind when most people think of our city. I know I used to picture the waterfront, the comfortably impressive skyline, and the charming village-esque neighborhoods. But I’ve watched more and more people move into those charming neighborhoods, and I’ve noticing…
Read MoreBe Heard, U District Commuters!
Rejoice! Rejoice! University Link and Capitol Hill light rail stations are nigh! Six months ahead of schedule and $150 million under budget, their opening dates will be announced any day now. (Seriously, learn from light rail, Bertha.) The popular theory is a grand opening on a Saturday in March. And there’s more! That light rail…
Read MoreNoisy Neighbors
Quiet neighbors and a peaceful environment often influence our clients’ home-buying decisions. At some point or another, we’ve all experienced living near that obnoxious house of college kids who party wayyy too late every weekend. Some of us might have even been those obnoxious college kids back in the day! When you buy a house…
Read MorePrime Now, Wine Now
Seattleites, booze has never been more convenient. …for some of us. Amazon just launched—for the first time ever in the U.S.—Prime Now, alcohol-style, which can bring a bottle of wine or a pack of beer to your doorstep in under an hour. It’s more than just a booze service. Prime Now lets you pick from more…
Read MoreRental Registration and Inspection Ordinance
Do you know the new rental licensing requirement, SMC 22.214 (Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance)? The Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (RRIO) requires landlords to register ALL rental housing units in Seattle, from single-family houses to large apartment buildings. ALL properties must be registered from 2015 to 2016, with specific deadlines based on the ZIP code where…
Read MorePhoto Contest: Seattle Bloomin’
It’s springtime in Seattle! For May’s photo contest, send us pictures of nature in bloom. Step 1: Take 1-3 photos of blossoms. A flower, a tree, a blooming onion. They’re all fair game. Step 2: Email your photo(s) to josh.realestategals@gmail.com with: • Your name • A brief caption Step 3: We’ll post your photos on our Facebook page. The photos…
Read MoreKing County’s Worsening Homelessness
Homelessness in King County is up. The number of homeless people sleeping outside jumped a heartbreaking 21 percent since this time last year, according to a count organized by Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness last Friday. The official numbers? King County: 3,772 people sleeping outside (649 more than last year) Seattle: …
Read MorePaseo, Paseo: What Do We Do Now?
Paseo has closed. You might have heard it already from the stunned news reports and neighborhood gossip that flurried through Seattle on Tuesday. Paseo, celebrated Cuban sandwich shop. Paseo, #2 on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in America. Paseo, Seattle treasure. Closed. The news came as a shock to just about everyone. One day…
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