Debra Sinick

Archive for December, 2008|Monthly archive page

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Kirkland, Washington’s Annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge

In Kirkland News, Kirkland WA on December 31, 2008 at 8:57 am

lake-washington-in-shades-of-gray

Good luck to all you Kirkland Polar Bears!  Brrr!  I’m not sure if Rob Butcher from Kirkland Views is jumping in, but the folks from the Kirkland Weblog have said they are braving the gray cold of Lake Washington.  Better them than me!  I’m sure they”ll have some great photos.  Have fun and stay warm.  Happy New Year!


City of Kirkland

News Release

Splash in the New Year: Plunge into Lake Washington

Kirkland’s Polar Plunge, January 1 at Marina Park

Kirkland, WA –  If you’ve wondered what it’s like to take a quick dip into chilly Lake Washington on the first day of the New Year, the City of Kirkland offers you the perfect opportunity to experience it yourself.  The Polar Plunge, a wacky Kirkland tradition, takes place on New Year’s Day, 1:00 p.m., Marina Park, 25 Lakeshore Plaza.  Participation is free; no registration is necessary.  To take the chill off after the plunge, participants can warm up by a fire, sip a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy a free cup of soup, compliments of the Wilde Rover Irish Pub.  To commemorate the dip, “plungers” will receive a 2009 Kirkland Polar Bear Patch. For event information, go to www.ci.kirkland.wa.us.

“Plungers” are encouraged to wear aqua socks or other foot protection.  Lifeguards will be on duty.  Non-perishable food donations will be accepted to benefit Hopelink’s Kirkland food bank.  For most needed food bank items, go to www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/fooddrive.

For more information on this and other special events and recreation opportunities, please call (425) 587-3330.  Kirkland Parks and Community Services Department is committed to providing recreation experiences for the entire family.

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Kirkland’s Google Offices-An Update

In Kirkland News, Kirkland WA on December 26, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Kirkland's Google Complex from a few months ago

Google’s offices in Kirkland are going to be downsized even more than first reported in November.  According to Brier Dudley in a recent Seattle Times article, Google will now rent out almost 40% of the office space going up on 6th St. South near downtown Kirkland.

It was exciting to see  Google expanding its presence in Kirkland.  It’s disappointing that it will done on a much smaller scale. Currently there are about 500 Googlers working in Kirkland close to Park Place.

Other tech blogs have picked up the story and are also looking to see if Microsoft makes an changes with its employee count after the first of the year.

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Happy Holidays to The Kirkland Highlands

In Uncategorized, Weekly market update on December 24, 2008 at 7:28 pm

christmas deocations

Happy Holidays

Stay warm, stay safe, stay healthy!

All the best in 2009!

(Weekly Statistics will be back after the first of the year)

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Weekly Real Estate Buzz in The Kirkland Highlands Through December 18th

In buyers, Kirkland WA, Kirkland, WA Real Estate, Real estate, sellers, Weekly market update on December 18, 2008 at 8:31 pm

(Numbers in parentheses are for last week’s data. This week’s data is reported through Thursday each week.)

Active Listings: 27 (27)

New listings:    0 (1)

Re-listed properties:   0 (0)

Pending inspection:   1 (0)

Pending:   0 (0)

Closed Sales:    1 (0)

Contingent sale: 0 (0)

Number of Price Reductions: 1 (2)

Canceled listings  0 (1)

Expired Listings: 0 (1)

Temporarily Off Market:  0 (0)

Price increase:  0(0)

Back on market:  0 (0)

Rented: 0 (0)

Sale Fail: 0 (0)

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0-$349,999:  1  (2)

$350,000-$499,999: 5 (5)

$500,000-$749,999: 9 (9)

$750,000-$999,999:  10 (10)

$1,000,000- $1,499,999:  1 (1)

$1,500,000- $2,999,999:   1 (1)
———————————–
Average Price: $7733,944 ($720,377)

Median Price:   $699,000 ($687,000)

Average Days on Market: 139 (131)

Highest Priced Listing: $1,599,000 ($1,599,000)

Lowest Priced Listing: $324,950 ($305,000)

Last week’s  least expensive home in The Kirkland Highlands received an offer.  This home was priced at $305,000.  The closed sale of the week is for new construction, which sold for $925,000, the asking price.  The home is 3700 square feet which at $925,000, was a value, given the asking price for other Kirkland homes of similar size and age.

Selling a home in today’s market is a job for which only serious sellers need apply.  Serious sellers are those willing to meet the market pricing.  As harsh as that sounds, it’s the reality of the marketplace.    If you’ve owned your home for a number of years and wish to make a move, it’s a fabulous time to make a move up or down.  As a seller, flexibility in pricing and a well presented home is the key.  As a buyer, you can go for it and demand what you want.

I attended  a workshop a couple of weeks ago at The Bravern in downtown Bellevue conducted by Dr. Michael Palmer from The Leed School of Business at The University of Colorado.  His take was that nothing would change for the better with the economy until at least the summer of 2009, although it could be 18 months.  If you click on the link above, you can follow Dr. Palmer’s presentation.   Will lower interest rates and a new administration change things?  There is hope that will help to do the trick.  But consumer confidence must be restored to make things work with the economy in general.

Townhomes/condos

1 Active town home listed


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Kirkland Highlands’ Cotton Hill Park-Here’s The Latest

In Earth Day-Goat Project, Kirkland News, Kirkland WA, Real estate, Weekly market update on December 17, 2008 at 9:56 pm

kirkland-highlands-cotton-hill before trailThere’ve been a lot of changes over in The Kirkland Highlands’ Cotton Hill Park this year due to Karen Story, Sharon Rodman, the Environmental Education and Outreach Specialist for the city and steward of  The Green Kirkland Partnership, the great neighborhood volunteers, and city employees who spent time bringing the park back to life.  This week’s edition of The Kirkland Reporter had the full story from Karen Story, the “ring leader.” Karen wrote about the exciting events that transformed the park to a place Kirkland Highlands’ neighbors could use.

The project then became Kirkland’s  2008 Earth Day event. The project started with lots of goats ruminating on the invasive plants, especially the blackberry bushes.  The goats started transforming the park with lots of  blackberry bush dining.Goats ruminating in Cotton Hill Park

Then neighbors collaborated with the city throughout the summer to finish the clearing areas of the park and to build a trail and walkway.

kirkland-highlands-cotton-hill-pk-path

The park was dedicated in early fall and and The University of Washington Restoration Ecology Network (UW-REN) joined in to help finish the park’s transformation.

kirkkland-highlands cotton hill dedication

The park is still a work in progress with the next work party on January 19th, Martin Luther King Day.  Thanks to all the 4 and 2 legged critters who helped!

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Let There Be Christmas Lights in Downtown Kirkland

In Kirkland News, Kirkland WA, Real estate, Weekly market update on December 13, 2008 at 12:46 pm

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped hang Christmas lights in downtown Kirkland this morning. hanging christmas lights

hanging christmas lightshanging christmas lightshanging christmas lights

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Weekly Real Estate Buzz in The Kirkland Highlands Through December 11th, 2008

In buyers, Kirkland WA, Kirkland, WA Real Estate, market statistics, Real estate, sellers, Weekly market update on December 11, 2008 at 11:32 pm

(Numbers in parentheses are for last week’s data. This week’s data is reported through Thursday each week.)

Active Listings: 27 (28)

New listings:    1 (0)

Re-listed properties:   0 (3)

Pending inspection:   0 (0)

Pending:   0 (0)

Closed Sales:    0 (0)

Contingent sale: 0 (0)

Number of Price Reductions: 2 (0)

Canceled listings  1 (2)

Expired Listings: 1 (1)

Temporarily Off Market:  0 (0)

Price increase:  0(0)

Back on market:  0 (0)

Rented: 0 (0)

Sale Fail: 0 (0)

———————————–

0-$349,999:  2  (2)

$350,000-$499,999: 5 (4)

$500,000-$749,999: 9 (9)

$750,000-$999,999:  10 (10)

$1,000,000- $1,499,999:  1 (2)

$1,500,000- $2,999,999:   1 (1)
———————————–
Average Price: $720,377 ($737,823)

Median Price:   $687,000 ($719,475)

Average Days on Market: 131 (140)

Highest Priced Listing: $1,599,000 ($1,599,000)

Lowest Priced Listing: $305,000 ($325,000)

Kirkland real estate seems to be in a bit of a holding pattern.  The number of homes for sale has varied little over this past year, although home sales have fluctuated each month.  Suffice to say, the serious sellers are on the market now or they should be.  Inventory is far lower than it has been all fall.  Countywide real estate inventory is back to springtime 2008 levels, which is encouraging.

I look towards to things happening in the new year with a new “can-do” administration in The White House. The hope is some of the fear in the marketplace will dissolve and people will come back into the real estate market.

There’s a possibility interest rates will go well below 5% to 4.5% next year, which would be just terrific for home buyers, and subsequently, home sellers.  Several articles were posted about the possibility of the new interest rates. Not everyone is of the mind that the lower rates will work.  The Wall Street Journal’s take on the possible new rate, according to June Fletcher, is that the rates will not work.

The Housing Wire, a real estate blog, also voiced their opinion about the projected interest rates.

Last, but not least, NPR had a story on the new rates.

IMHO, more people need to feel confident in the economy to make a move.

Townhomes/condos

1 Active town home listed

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Weekly Real Estate Buzz in The Kirkland Highlands Through December 4th, 2008

In buyers, Kirkland WA, Kirkland, WA Real Estate, market statistics, Real estate, sellers, Weekly market update on December 5, 2008 at 10:30 am

(Numbers in parentheses are for last week’s data. This week’s data is reported through Thursday each week.) Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, this week’s report covers two weeks:

Active Listings: 28 (31)

New listings:    0 (1)

Re-listed properties:   3 (0)

Pending inspection:   0 (0)

Pending:   0 (0)

Closed Sales:    0 (1)

Contingent sale: 0 (0)

Number of Price Reductions: 0 (0)

Canceled listings  2 (0)

Expired Listings: 1 (0)

Temporarily Off Market:  0 (0)

Price increase:  0(0)

Back on market:  0 (0)

Rented: 0 (0)

Sale Fail: 0 (1)

———————————–

0-$349,999:  2  (1)

$350,000-$499,999: 4 (7)

$500,000-$749,999: 9 (10)

$750,000-$999,999:  10 (10)

$1,000,000- $1,499,999:  2 (2)

$1,500,000- $2,999,999:   1 (1)
———————————–
Average Price: $737,823 ($712,772)

Median Price:   $719,475 ($669,000)

Average Days on Market: 140 (129)

Highest Priced Listing: $1,599,000 ($1,599,000)

Lowest Priced Listing: $325,000 ($325,000)

The number of homes for sale dropped as 3 homeowners took their homes off the market.  The homes were, ironically, in the more affordable price range, $350-500,000.  Because these 3 homes are now off the market,  the median price went  up dramatically this week.  Prices have not gone up, but there are fewer of the more affordable homes on the market this week, causing median price in The Kirkland Highlands to increase.  The number of days it takes to sell a home in the Highlands has gradually increased through the year.   It takes 4 1/2 months market time to generate a sale, on average, in the neighborhood.

The good news in the marketplace is the number of homes for sale in King County has diminished.  The number of properties available this week is 13,461.  We haven’t seen a number this low since April.

Townhomes/condos

1 Active town home listed

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Sunset From The Kirkland Highlands

In Exploring Kirkland, Kirkland WA on December 4, 2008 at 9:56 pm

A terrific sunset from Kirkland’s Highlands neighborhood tonight:

kirkland sunsetkirkland sunset

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Come Back to Help Clean Up Kirkland Highlands Cotton Hill Park

In Earth Day-Goat Project, Kirkland News, Kirkland WA on December 4, 2008 at 2:36 pm

Two upcoming events to continue the Cotton Hill Park clean-up:

kirkland-highlands-cotton-hill blackberry bushes

This Saturday help get rid of invasive blackberry bushes.

Check out the post on Kirkland Views for more information.

The Kirkland Highlands Neighborhood invites you to a
Cotton Hill Park Blackberry Removal Event

Saturday, Dec. 6
10am-noon

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Next Cotton Hill Park invasive removal event:
Martin Luther King Day of Caring
Monday, January 19
9:30am-3pm

Contact karen@tinyisland.com for more info

If you’d like to follow the story of the Cotton Hill Park transformation from an overgrown are to a park, click on this link.

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