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.
There’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.
Then neighbors collaborated with the city throughout the summer to finish the clearing areas of the park and to build a trail and walkway.
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.
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!
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped hang Christmas lights in downtown Kirkland this morning. 
(Numbers in parentheses are for last week’s data. This week’s data is reported through Thursday each week.)
New listings: 1 (0)
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
(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:
New listings: 0 (1)
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
Two upcoming events to continue the Cotton Hill Park clean-up:
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.
From now through December 14th, I will give Vial of Life bottles to people in the Kirkland Highlands. The Vials are free, but if you send me an email message, I will drop a vial(s) off on your doorstep.
What is The Vial of Life? The Vial of Life is a large pill bottle which contains a sheet of paper with your medical and emergency contact information. The sheet is stored in the vial and then placed in your refrigerator. The Vials were put together by members of The Kirkland Senior Council and The Bellevue Network on Aging in conjunction with Bartell’s and Medic One.
How do first responders know the vial is there? A sticker is placed on your front door or window and a magnet goes on your refrigerator. Everything you need has been placed in each vial and is ready for you to use.
The vial is a terrific way to help keep you safe in unexpected emergencies. Think about people who’ve had to go to the emergency room and they’ve been unconscious. They’ve been unable to tell someone they have medical issues such as high blood pressure or are allergic to a particular medication. Don’t let this happen to you! It could be a matter of life and death.
You can pick the vials up at Bartells’ Drug for $1.00. but The Kirkland Senior Council still has a supply we can give out for free. I’ll drop the Vial on your doorstep, so you don’t even need to be home!
Did you help the Cub Scouts raise food for Hopelink’s food drive? I stopped by about 12:30 and there was a car brimming with packages of food. A half dozen scouts and their parents were energetically flagging down neighbors and collecting food. Thanks to Cub Scout troop 550 all for your efforts!
From my inbox, a message from :
Denise Stephens, Public Relations Specialist
Office: 425.869.2440; Cell: 206.605.6843
Email: denises@hope-link.org
Volunteers Needed to Help Hopelink Give Hope to Kirkland People in Need
Prospective volunteers comfortable communicating in English
are invited to attend orientation December 3, 2008.
Kirkland, Wash. – Hopelink relies upon volunteers to assist in fulfilling its mission of helping people in need to make lasting changes in their lives. Hopelink needs volunteer tutors with its many Adult Education programs as well as volunteers to help in its food banks and, around the holidays, in its gift rooms. The need is always more acute around the holidays, and considering the condition of our nation’s economy, Hopelink expects even more requests for assistance with food and holiday gifts this year. The gift rooms are stocked with new donated clothing, toys and other items that parents and grandparents can select as holiday gifts for the children (infant through high school age) in their lives.
Hopelink’s Kirkland center at 13013 NE 65th Street needs volunteers to help with these gift room and food bank tasks:
· Receive and sort gift room donations between Dec. 8 and Dec. 23
· Re-stock shelves in the gift room (hours vary)
· Provide “personal shopper” assistance to clients selecting holiday gifts for their children or grandchildren (hours vary)
· Act as an interpreter for clients selecting holiday gifts (English/Russian and English/Spanish volunteer interpreters are particularly needed)
· Receive and sort food bank donations (hours vary)
· Drive to deliver food to home-bound clients
Additionally, Hopelink’s Adult Education department needs volunteers to:
· help adults learn basic reading, writing or math skills or earn a General Education Development (GED) diploma
· assist non-native English speakers to improve their English skills
· teach healthy living on a budget, money management and computer skills including job searching online and resume-writing
· oversee the children of parents who are enrolled in various Hopelink classes
Training for all volunteer positions is provided. Volunteers must be comfortable communicating in English; proficiency in a second language (Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Arabic) is particularly helpful.
Learn more about volunteering at one of two Hopelink volunteer orientation meetings on Wednesday, December 3, 2008. Orientations are presented in English. They will be held at Hopelink’s Adult Education Department office, 15015 Main Street, Suite 206 in Kelsey Creek Plaza (across from the main Hopelink center) in Bellevue, starting promptly at 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and repeated starting promptly at 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Hopelink’s volunteer coordinator, Sheila Sloan-Evans, at 425.869.6066 or volunteer@hope-link.org.
###
Since 1971, Hopelink has helped homeless and low income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities make lasting change in their lives. Hopelink promotes self-sufficiency by helping people meet their needs for food, shelter, homelessness prevention, family development, transportation and adult literacy. Through Hopelink’s Adult Education classes and services, the agency provides a crucial element in self-sufficiency, helping adults improve their family’s safety, stability and security. For more information on Hopelink and its services, call 425.869.6000 or visit www.hope-link.org.
(Numbers in parentheses are for last week’s data. This week’s data is reported through Thursday each week.)
New listings: 1 (0)
Pending inspection: 0 (0)
Pending: 0 (0)
Closed Sales: 1 (0)
Contingent sale: 0 (0)
Number of Price Reductions: 0 (0)
Cancelled listings 0 (0)
Expired Listings: 0 (0)
Temporarily Off Market: 0 (0)
Price increase: 0(0)
Back on market: 0 (0)
Rented: 0 (0)
Sale Fail: 1 (0)
———————————–
0-$349,999: 1 (1)
$350,000-$499,999: 7 (6)
$500,000-$749,999: 10 (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: $712,772 ($720,032)
Median Price: $669,000 ($684,000)
Average Days on Market: 129 (126)
Highest Priced Listing: $1,599,000 ($1,599,000)
Lowest Priced Listing: $325,000 ($325,000)
Here’s what happened this past week in Kirkland Highlands real estate. One new listing popped up. It’s a rambler with a remodeled kitchen and is priced at $495,000. The sale for one of the new construction homes in the neighborhood “failed” as we say in real estate lingo. Usually a sale fails over the financing. Since this home is new construction, I anticipate it coming back on the market.
The closed sale this week is for a home that was only a few years old. The original asking price was $1,200,000, the last asking price was $850,000 and the final sales price was $850,000. The home was on the market for slightly over 200 days. The seller had to get really aggressive to beat all the other competition in this price range in Kirkland, not just the Highlands, with a fabulous price. This home is a great one and showed beautifully, but experienced what I reported going on in Kirkland’s real estate in my last weekly real estate buzz:
” Kirkland homes, in general, are taking a longer time to sell than some other eastside areas. This may be because we have a lot of homes priced in the million dollar range that have been built over the last decade and are now for sale. Right now, out of approximately 500 homes for sale south of NE 116th in Kirkland, 200 are priced over $1million with the majority of these between $1-2million. This is not to say all homes for sale are over a million dollars, just that there are a high number of such homes on the market in Kirkland.”
Townhomes/condos
1 Active town home listed
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Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, I will take a holiday from reporting the weekly statistics next week. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Kirkland Highlands Real Estate Buzz
Eastside Real Estate Buzz West Redmond Real Estate Buzz
