Kirkland Highlands Real Estate Buzz

Weekly Real Estate Buzz in the Kirkland Highlands Through July 17th, 2008

Debra Sinick — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:38:31 +0000

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

Active Listings: 31 (22)

New listings: 4 (5)

Re-listed properties: 0 (1)

Pending inspection: 1 (2)

Pending: 1 (0)

Closed Sales: 0 (5)

Contingent sale: 0(0)

Number of Price Reductions:2 (1)

Cancelled listings 0 (1)

Expired Listings:1 (1)

Temporarily Off Market: 0(0)

Price increase: 0(0)

Back on market: 0 (0)

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0-$349,999: 0(0)

$350,000-$499,999: 7 (5)

$500,000-$749,999: 6 (6)

$750,000-$999,999: 8 (9)

$1,000,000- $1,499,999: 6 (5)

$1,500,000- $2,999,999: 4 (4)
———————————–
Average Price: $889,000 ($847,983)

Median Price: $869,000($869,000)

Average Days on Market: 82(82)

Highest Priced Listing: $2,299,000($2,299,000)

Lowest Priced Listing: $362,500 ($362,500)

There were no closed sales this week in the Highlands, but there’s a home that just received an offer and another home that is now pending.

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Town homes/condos:

4 Active town home/condo listings

No other town home/condo activity

What Were The Chances of Selling Your Kirkland, WA Home in June, 2008?

Debra Sinick — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:29:20 +0000

Sellers had a 16.5% chance of selling a home in Kirkland in June, 2008.

(Click on the link above to see a chart with Kirkland’s real estate trends for the last few years. The chart shows trends for Kirkland, south of NE 116th St.)

June, 2008 491 homes for sale, 81 sales, 16.6% chance of selling.

May, 2008 530 homes for sale, 51 sales, 9.6% chance of selling.

June, 2007 383 homes for sale, 90 sales, 23.5% chance of selling.

The chance of getting a home sold was much better in Kirkland, WA in June than any of the previous months this year. Inventory, the number of available homes, was up by 28% and the sales dropped this year from last year by about 10%. It will be interesting to see how July plays out and if a trend is happening here.

For a complete update on Eastside real estate, check out my eastside blog post.

Here’s the Latest from The Port of Seattle Eastside Rail Open House

Debra Sinick — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:40:24 +0000

Were you able to attend Wednesday night’s Port of Seattle Open House at City Hall?

If so, what were your thoughts?

If you weren’t able to make it, you can check on my KIrkland Views post in which I summarized the meeting from my point of view.

Weekly Real Estate Buzz in The Kirkland Highlands Through July 10, 2008

Debra Sinick — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:22:13 +0000

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

Active Listings: 22 (29)

New listings: 5(2)

Re-listed properties: 1(0)

Pending inspection: 2 (0)

Pending: 0(0)

Closed Sales: 1(1)

Contingent sale: 0(0)

Number of Price Reductions:1 (3)

Cancelled listings 1(0)

Expired Listings: 1(0)

Temporarily Off Market: 0(0)

Price increase: 0(0)

Back on market: 0 (1)

———————————–

0-$349,999: 0(0)

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

$500,000-$749,999: 4 (6)

$750,000-$999,999: 7 (9)

$1,000,000- $1,499,999: 3 (5)

$1,500,000- $2,999,999: 3(4)
———————————–
Average Price: $847,983 ($921,364)

Median Price: $869,000($869,000)

Average Days on Market: 82(88)

Highest Priced Listing: $2,299,000($2,299,000)

Lowest Priced Listing: $362,500 ($399,500)

The closed sale of the week was $450,000 down from $489,000, about 8% below the asking price, market time of 192 days.

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Town homes/condos:

4 Active, with one town home re-listed on the market.

1 expired listing

2 price reductions

One closed sale, the “bungalow” on NE 87th sold for $479,000 down from the original list price of $549,000, 13% below the original asking price.

What’s Your Five Favorite Reason(s) for Living in Kirkland, Washington?

Debra Sinick — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:28:22 +0000

Kirkland, Washington rocks! According to the July issue of Seattle magazine, Kirkland is just behind Queen Anne as the best overall neighborhood in the Seattle area. According to the magazine, we are Seattle’s Sausalito, a suburb with great access to the water. Kirkland has:

great Lake Washington access
good schools
compact, walkable downtown
restaurants
outdoor public pool
parks, some right on the water
reasonable access to Seattle

Seattle magazine picked the Top Ten Best Neighborhoods and Kirkland came out #7. The ratings are based on a study of 5 issues: housing affordability, WASL scores, minutes to downtown, crime rates and % of home appreciation.

All of these are great considerations, but what are your favorite reasons for living in Kirkland?

Sometimes It’s The Simple Solutions

Debra Sinick — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:50:36 +0000

Here’s a copy of a recent article I wrote for the Reporter about neighborhoods and carpools. It’s important to think out of the box to solve our local issues and concerns.

Kirkland Reporter

DEBRA SINICK, Community columnist
debra@debrasinick.com

I’ve covered a variety of issues since I started writing this column for the Reporter. Looking back at what I’ve written, the underlying theme becomes obvious: community and community involvement. It takes a neighborhood or a village or a city to solve many of the issues a community faces.

It’s become abundantly clear to me how we need to step out of our busy, hectic lives and work together as a community to solve issues and improve our quality of life.

Sometimes it’s the simplest of ideas that make the most sense. As a society, we struggle to solve so many of our problems. We commission expensive studies and spend considerable time evaluating options, when the right solution can often be the simplest, least expensive option.

The solution to area traffic woes is an issue for many of us. As the Eastside has grown, so has the traffic. With the increasing cost of gas and the longer commute time because of traffic, people are re-thinking transportation options.

Recently, a Highlands neighbor suggested people in the neighborhood get together to carpool. What a simple, straightforward and wonderful idea. We’re looking at these costly, and sometimes nonsensical, ways to improve traffic without looking at simple solutions right in front of us. How ironic it would be if neighbors three blocks apart drove to locations in Seattle that were also only a few blocks apart.

We have the means to make this happen. Kirkland is a city of neighborhoods and neighborhood associations. The associations do a fine job of informing and rallying neighbors around a variety of issues.

Perhaps each neighborhood could develop a carpool component on the neighborhood Web site? People in each of the Kirkland neighborhoods could find others who commute to the same place.

Perhaps this idea could spread to other cities in the area. Ride share/commuting programs could be endorsed by cities and become part of a city’s Web site.

In the Seattle area, some options are already available to commuters. Check online with www.rideshare.com or www.pickuppal.com. For privacy reasons, you can give only the information you deem necessary. For example, you can meet someone at an intersection and not in front of your home.

The reality is neighborhoods can do more to work together. There’s a variety of issues to tackle, whether it’s schools, parks, disaster awareness, commuting or neighborhood picnics. The bottom line for us in today’s world is to use the power of the internet and combine it with the people in a neighborhood to make changes and get things done. Carpooling/ride sharing seems a great place to start.

A member of the Kirkland Senior Council, long-time resident Debra Sinick runs local blog http://kirklandhighlandsrealestatebuzz.com from her Windermere Real Estate’s Yarrow Bay office. Reach her at debra@debrasinick.com.

Kirkland Reporter Community columnist Debra Sinick can be reached at debra@debrasinick.com.

Trail Envy-Wishing Kirkland, Washington Could Have a World Class Trail

Debra Sinick — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:57:37 +0000

I have trail envy. I’m envious of Redmond’s new and improved Sammamish River Trail. My husband, my dog, my Dad, and I stepped out on the Sammamish River Trail today and enjoyed a good hour strolling along the paved path. It was exciting to see people biking, walking, and skating on by. People of all ages were out in force and it wasn’t even sunny out! It was a relaxing chance to connect with nature. We saw ducks, herons, geese, and all kinds of two and four legged critters.

Imagine stepping our your door in Kirkland and hopping on a trail that runs through Kirkland. Imagine having a chance to enjoy the park views and the views of the lake and mountains. We have a world class trail possibility here in the city of Kirkland. On Wednesday, you’ll have a chance to hear from The Port of Seattle Commissioners about their proposed plans for the BNSF tracks. The Port will make the decision as to whether the tracks will be rail-banked and kept for future use as a train and used as a trail now or if the train tracks will become a commuter line. Come listen, learn, and give your opinion, this may be your last chance.

The Port of Seattle is holding an open house this Wednesday at 7 PM in the Peter Kirk Room of Kirkland’s City Hall, 123 Fifth Avenue in downtown KIrkland. Come on down and give your opinion to the Port commissioners.

I posted this article on Kirkland Views in which I gave my opinion about BNSF rail line.

Celebrating Fourth of July in Kirkland, Washington with a Great Fireworks Show

Debra Sinick — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:02:27 +0000

Not able to see last night’s Fourth of July fireworks over Lake Washington in downtown Kirkland? Here’s a few minutes of the great show. It was the first time I had seen the show from the water and it was terrific. My friends came by and picked us up on their boat and we had a front row seat. Out on the lake, you could see some of the fireworks from the other shows over in Seattle on Lake Union, the WaMU Family Fourth and theJul-Ivars Fourth in its 44th year over Elliot Bay.

A Sunny Fourth of July in Kirkland, WA?

Debra Sinick — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:00:21 +0000

Ok. second year in a row with a big, beautiful boat slip, but no boat. So this year again, we will watch the fireworks in downtown Kirkland from the dock. We’ll have a front seat for the fireworks show. It ought to be beautiful and a gorgeous end to a nice day.

Here’s what’s happening in Kirkland on the Fourth of July: Check out the Celebrate Kirkland website to get all the latest about the morning parade, picnics at the beach, and the fireworks display at night. There’s something for everyone.

Have a great holiday! Oh by the way, cross your fingers for me. I may have a boat to put in this boat slip next week. It’s only taken a year!

Congressman Jay Inslee Speaks At The Kirkland City Council Meeting

Debra Sinick — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:59:37 +0000

Congressman Jay Inslee stopped by last night’s Kirkland City Council meeting and had some interesting thoughts to share with The Council and the audience. Promoting sustainability and pedestrian friendly areas were high on his list. He had kudos for the City of Kirkland with regard to these issues.

The Congressman is working towards a clean energy economy for the nation. Hes sees technology creating a revolution in energy and decarbonized energy as an important source in our future. He sited a Northwest pioneering company who is combining energy with technology. Sapphire Energy on Bainbridge Island is working with algae, sunlight and carbon dioxide to create a renewable energy source. He applauded the company’s efforts to change our energy sources.

Congressman Inslee recognized many people are going through hard times, but in talking with his peers from all over the country, the Kirkland area is in a much stronger position than most. Issues facing us here are difficult, but not nearly as daunting as parts of the Midwest.

Council member Jessica Greenway asked Congressman Inslee not to forget those in Kirkland who still are in need.

The country’s problems, according to the Congressman, are three fold:

The cost of the war in Iraq
The tax cuts implemnted by the Bush administration earlier in the decade.
Baby boomers tapping into social security

This “triple whammy” has created huge financial burdens affecting the services offered to those in need all over the nation. Congressman Inslee stated two of the above issues will need to change in order for the country to be fiscally sound. The Congressman is looking forward to next year when we have a fresh start with a new administration.