Debra Sinick

Archive for the ‘Kirkland WA’ Category

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How Was The Kirkland Real Estate Market in October 2011?

In buyers, Kirkland WA, Kirkland, WA Real Estate, market statistics, Real estate, sellers on November 17, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Number of home sales in Kirkland, WA

Kirkland Real Estate Sales Through October, 2011

Real estate sales in Kirkland have been been fairly steady over the last few months, despite what the media said about October’s sales.  Tne news media focused on the drop in real estate values for all of King County.  Median pricing in Kirkland followed King County,  dropping considerably this month, from $592,000 to $501,000.  But remember, these numbers are based on the sales that happened during October and is a function of what sold that particular month.  We’ll need to follow the next several months to see if there truly is a trend here.

There is some good news here to temper concerns about pricing:

1.    The eastside is in a better position, literally and figuratively, than many parts of King County.  It has a stronger economic base and a better location:

What you see emerging in our local market is an East/West corridor,” (Stan) Humphries (of Zillow) said, with houses holding their value in Eastside neighborhoods with good access to State Route 520 and Interstate 90 for an easy commute to work.

2.    Home prices are also becoming far more affordable.  Right now home values are the most affordable they’ve been in 17 years.   Home ownership may be cheaper than renting!

3.   This past month there was a big drop in the number of homes for sale. This drop is a very good thing as it decreases the competition among home sellers.

Slightly over 25% of the available homes sold last month.  A year ago, there were over 100 more homes on the market in Kirkland. If the number of homes on the market continues to drop, then a higher percentage of homes may sell next month.  Homes took on average 99 days to sell, just slightly over 3 months.

With fewer homes on the market, more affordable prices, and low interest rates, I expect homes will continue to sell even as we head into the holiday season.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

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How Strong Was the Kirkland, WA Real Estate Market in September, 2011?

In buyers, Kirkland WA, Kirkland, WA Real Estate, market statistics, Real estate, sellers on October 11, 2011 at 3:44 pm
House Sales Data for Kirkland WA

Kirkland, WA Real Estate Sales Through September, 2011

The number of homes for sale in Kirkland continues to be fairly constant, although the number dropped a bit this past month.  I expect to see this number drop even more as we head to the end of the year.  (Hard to believe, but we are almost there!)

In September, 21% or 57 homes in Kirkland sold.

Homes on average were on the market for 87 days.

As we’ve seen most months, there were several home sales that did not stay together.   When I first reported the August home sales,  62 homes had sold.  Eight home sales failed, leaving 54 home sales intact in August.  This means 13% of the offers did not go through.   Sales can fall apart over the inspection, financing or simply because a buyer has cold feet.

Kirkland is one of the faster places for selling a home on the eastside. This is a testament to the city’s prime location close to jobs here in Kirkland with Google in the Houghton neighborhood of Kirkland.  Microsoft, is just down the road in Redmond, which is an easy commute for many people coming from Kirkland.

Image representing Google as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

Closeup of a stone sign bearing the Microsoft ...

Image via Wikipedia

The variety of housing stock and price ranges bring a huge mix of people to Kirkland. Plus, the ambiance of the city, with its access to Lake Washington, is a big draw for many people.

View from Carillon Point, Kirkland, Washington.

Image via Wikipediapeople.

How are real estate sales in your neighborhood?  Are they stronger than last year?

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Is Kirkland, WA Filled with Rich, Single People?

In Kirkland News, Kirkland WA, Kirkland, WA Real Estate on September 28, 2011 at 9:53 am

Kirkland made the news  because someone out there (CNN)  thinks it’s a great place to live if you’re young, single, rich, and maybe even famous.

I’m here to tell you that Kirkland is a great place to live for a lot of people, no matter whether they are rich, not rich, married or single.  You don’t have to be rich or single to live here and enjoy Kirkland.

Perhaps with the presence of a huge Google office and the games division of Microsoft, people feel Kirkland is filled with young singles.

If you drive around town, especially along Lake Washington Boulevard and by Marina Park, you’ll see people of all ages. Some are single and some are not.  Some have families and some don’t.  Stop by any of our parks and you’ll see singles, families, young kids, teens, young adults, and seniors hanging out and enjoying the day.  The boulevard is a popular place for people to stroll, some with baby carriages, some with pets, some in groups, and some by themselves.

So Kirkland is filled with people of all ages, not just the young and single.

People of all ages enjoying Kirkland

Having fun In Kirkland

Relaxing along Lake Washington Boulevard in Kirkland

Relaxing in the Park in Kirkland
Downtonw Kirkalnd on a sunny, summer's day

Enjoying Downtown Kirkland

What about being rich in Kirkland?  Sure there are waterfront properties, mega-mansions, and tony condos.  But there are condos and homes in Kirkland that start at $45,000 for a one bedroom, 1 bath in Kingsgate to a waterfront property priced at$7 million that’s subdividable into 4 lots, two of them being waterfront.  There is only one home priced above $5,000,000 and it really is several waterfront lots.

Kirkland is a wonderful place for a lot of reasons.  Many of the reasons it’s wonderful is because there is such a variety of people who live in the city, even if you’re single! What do you love about Kirkland?

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Eastside Month of Concern for the Hungry Needs Your Help!

In Kirkland WA on September 22, 2011 at 8:34 am

There are people in Kirkland who need your help.  Eastside Month of Concern for the Hungry is fast approaching and people are needed to collect donations at Kirkland area supermarkets.  There are a lot of people who are in need of food at this particular time.

Hardly anyone has signed up for October 8th food drive.  You only need to volunteer for 2 1/2  hours to collect the food.  That’s all you have to do.  Couldn’t you spare a few hours to help those who are in need?

Can’t make it to volunteer on October 8th?  Go to the your favorite supermarket to shop and donate on either September 24th or October 8th.  You can also donate throughout the month at a variety of sites all over the eastside.  Remember the drive is a month long so there is a lot of time for you to give.

Food donations on Seattle's eastside

Collecting Food for Eastside Month of Concern for the Hungry

Below is the text from Kari Page, Kirkland neighborhood coordinator regarding the food drive.

Local Mayors proclaim September 24-October 22 as “Eastside Month of Concern for the Hungry”

The Mayors of several East King County cities will soon proclaim September 24 through October 22 as “Eastside Month of Concern for the Hungry” as part of the annual “Day of Concern for the Hungry” campaign sponsored by the Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle & King County.  The proclamations officially launch the annual “Share What You Can” campaign to benefit those served by local food banks and feeding programs.  The emphasis is to fill food bank shelves with non-perishable food items as the school season begins.  Donation centers include, various community centers, City Halls, and fire stations.  In addition, on Saturdays throughout the month, volunteers will be collecting food at select grocery stores throughout East King County.

Last year more than 60,000 pounds of food and over $10,000 in cash donations were collected as part of this effort.   These donations help local food banks meet the increasing demand for food assistance at a time when many organizations are experiencing significant funding cuts.  In fact, Hopelink reported that in 2010 the demand was up by 12 percent and has risen by 47 percent over the past three years.

In participating communities, neighborhood associations, community leaders, faith organizations, businesses, hospitals, and schools are encouraged to rally by hosting food drives and fundraising events and volunteering at hosted stores.

For more information or to volunteer, please sign up at Kirkland’s volunteer link.

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Did You See The Kirkland Triathlon Wind Through The Kirkland Highlands?

In Kirkland WA on September 20, 2011 at 7:45 am
Kirkland Triathalon

Huffing and Puffing Up 112th in the Kirkland Highlands

Kirkland Triathalon

Kirkland Triathlon in the Highlands

The Kirkland Triathlon came through the Kirkland Highlands last Saturday.  The race gave me a new appreciation for the difficulty of getting up 112th Ave NE into our neighborhood!  While taking photos, I looked at the road in a different light, noticing the long climb to the road.   As you can see from the first photo, 112th actually disappears as it drops down towards NE 87th.  This made it slow moving for a lot of the bikers.  The race began downtown, headed east on 7th, then north through the Highlands over to Rose Hill and then back into Kirkland in Houghton.

I got to see some of the leaders of the bike race as they flew downhill through Houghton.  I’d just finished working out and before I headed back to the Highlands, some of the leaders came zooming town the hill on NE 68th. The leaders were coming through Houghton just after 9 AM.  These folks were really moving!

Kirkland Triathalon

Triathletes Speeding Downhill in Houghton

KIrkland Triathalon

Kirkland Triathletes

Kudos to all who participated in this great annual event!

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Kirkland Real Estate Sales Were Still Going Strong in August, 2011

In buyers, Kirkland WA, market statistics, Real estate, sellers on September 19, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Kirkland Home Sales

Kirkland Real Estate Sales Through August, 2011

Fortunately for those Kirkland home owners trying to sell a home this year, there has not been a huge increase in the competition.  Since March between 276-287 homes have been for sale each month.  Sales are still fairly steady, which means if your home has been on the market for a while, it probably is priced too high for the market.  In August,  62 homes or 22% sold.

Most homes on average were on the market for 95 days.

Several of the home sales that happened in July, fell apart in August with these homes coming back on the market.  When I first reported July home sales, there were 67 homes that had sold.  Nine of these home sales failed, which means 14% of the offers did not go through.  This is not all that unusual on the eastside and in many areas these days.  In some areas of King County the failure rate for sales is much higher.   Sales can fall apart over the inspection, financing or simply because a buyer has cold feet.

It was great to see the news media finally supporting the positive real estate market we’ve been having for most of this year.  Our boom years began in 2003, but the years 1998-2002 real estate on Seattle’s eastside were nice and steady.  Our market is beating those nice and steady years.  The 2011 sales were up by 35% from last year with 22% fewer homes on the market, very positive, realistic news.

How are real estate sales in your neighborhood?  Are they stronger than last year?

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How Strong Were July, 2011 Real Estate Sales in Kirkland?

In buyers, Kirkland WA, Kirkland, WA Real Estate, market statistics, Real estate, sellers on August 15, 2011 at 7:33 am
Real Estate Sales in Kirkland, WA

Kirkland Real Estate Sales Through July, 2011

Since March, the number of homes for sale in Kirkland hasn’t changed much, varying between 276-289 homes for sale. Sales numbers, however, have bounced around a bit with April looking like it’s the high for Kirkland real estate sales so far this year.  In July, 67 homes sold, which meant 23% or almost 1 in 4 homes got offers.

When I first reported June home sales, there were 57 homes that had sold.  Seven of these home sales failed, which means 13% of the offers did not go through.  This is not all that unusual on the eastside and in many areas these days.  In some areas of King County the failure rate for sales is much higher.   Sales can fall apart over the inspection, financing or simply because a buyer has cold feet.

On the flip side, interest rates are just fabulous, which should help spur some people to buy.

Conventional FNMA
30 yr fixed: 3.95%
15 yr fixed: 3.25%
10 yr fixed: 3.0%
5 yr ARM: 2.875%

Real estate is very location specific, so take the national news with a grain of salt.  Look more at local reports, and even city specific reports, such as this to find out what’s really happening with real estate.

How are real estate sales in your neighborhood?

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How Many Homes Sold in June in Kirkland, WA?

In buyers, Kirkland WA, Kirkland, WA Real Estate, market statistics, Real estate, sellers on July 28, 2011 at 6:32 am
Real Estte Sales in Kirkland

Kirkland Real Estate Sales Through June 11

The number of Kirkland real estate sales has dropped from the high of 79 sales in April.  In June, 57 homes sold, which meant 20% or 1 in 5 homes  got offers.  Homes are selling, but it’s clear that with so many homes not selling, it’s only the best homes that are selling.  As I say every month, the home that is the best value against the competition is the one that wins the buyer.

As a reminder, national real estate statistics are exactly that.  They’re general statistics which give an overview of real estate in the country. An accurate measure of the market in Kirkland is to look at what’s happening in Kirkland.  The Seattle real estate market and even the Redmond real estate market, are not necessarily the same.  So looking at California or Spokane, as an example, doesn’t fit our local Kirkland market.

In June the median price of Kirkland homes dropped from $624,950 to  $535,000.

Since “one size real estate” does not fit all, it’s important to look at local real estate statistics.  Even in the Seattle area, there are vast differences among the various locales.

How are real estate sales in your neighborhood?

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Kirkland Highlands Real Estate News, 7-25-11

In Kirkland WA, Kirkland, WA Real Estate, market statistics, Real estate on July 25, 2011 at 9:10 pm

I wish I could say the reason I’ve not written a blog post recently about the bi-weekly real estate happenings in the Kirkland Highlands is that it’s been gorgeous weather and I’ve been having fun in the sun, but really it’s because I’ve been having fun selling homes this past month.  That’s good fun, too, but I must say I do miss the summer we usually have in the Seattle area.

The pace of the real estate market in Kirkland and Redmond has felt almost like it used to be, in 2007.  There are a lot of buyers out looking at homes.  Homes are selling well.  The pending sales in the Highlands all sold in under 2 months time, with one home selling in under a week.  The pending homes range in price from just under $400,000 to just under $1,000,000, reflecting the broad price range of Kirkland Highlands’ homes.

I’ve recently sold a couple of homes with multiple offers!  The level of activity in the real estate market feels good.

The real estate statistics below reflect the activity in The Kirkland Highlands for the past two weeks. All data is taken from the NWMLS through Monday of this week.


View Larger Map

The map shows most of the outline of Kirkland’s Highlands neighborhood. The map address is simply for a street corner in the middle of the Kirkland Highlands. For those not familiar with the neighborhood, it’s a pocket of unique homes close to downtown Kirkland. In some ways it feels like an island, because it’s separated on the east by 405, the south by Central Way (the main route to downtown) and the west and north by the BNSF corridor. The neighborhood has the best of both worlds, a little isolation without any through traffic, but just seconds from everything.

Numbers in parentheses are from the last report:

Active Listings: 17 (19)

New listings: 2 (2)

Pending inspection: 4 (2)

Pending: 4 (1)

Closed Sales:  2 (0)

Number of Price Reductions: 3  (2)

Price increase: 0 (0)

Homes off the market that did not sell: 2 (3)

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0-$349,999: 0 (1)

$350,000-$499,999: 11 (8)

$500,000-$749,999:  5  (7)

$750,000-$999,999: 1 (2)

$1,000,000- $1,499,999: 0 (1)

$1,500,000- $2,999,999: 0 (0)
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Most expensive home for sale: $795,000

Most affordable home for sale: $364,950

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Closed Sales: 

$377,000:  Final sales price $380,000: Last asking price $394,000: Original asking price.  Sold in 52 days for 5% below full price.

$460,000:  Final sales price $465,000: Last asking price $465,000: Original asking price.  Sold in 24 days for 1% below the original sales price.   **My listing**


KIRKLAND HIGHLANDS TOWN HOMES:

2  town homes for sale

***The Multiple Listing rules don’t allow comment on other members’ listings and sales besides data such as pricing and days on market.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions about how to position your home so you can get the best price when selling.

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Windermere Real Estate Sponsors a Free Recycling Event this Weekend

In Kirkland WA, Real estate, recycling on July 13, 2011 at 11:33 am
Recycling Opportunities
Windermere Real Estate Sponsors a Free Recycling Event in Kirkland This Weekend

If you missed our first event, this is a great opportunity to get rid of some of your difficult items responsibly, plus  it’s located in Kirkland, so it should only take a small amount of your time.

I’m heading off to my garage now to gather up batteries and a few other things.  I’ve been on a mission to “get rid” of things this year and this is a great opportunity for me to do it the right way.

Happy Recycling!

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