Waterfront Sales in Seattle Surge in August '09

There was a flurry of Seattle waterfront real estate activity in August - seems like the nice weather finally brought the buyers out of the shadows. After a slow July, there were quite a few closings last month, from small houseboats to grand waterfront estates. The highlights:
Seattle Houseboats and Floating Homes
There were three houseboats sold in August, with one being a small "house barge", and the other two being true "floating homes". The house barge in Westlake (Lake Union) is a small craft, newly-built, and cozy. With 1 bed and 1 bath, it went for just $65,000 (yes, there are a lot of other costs involved in living here). The two floating homes were on Roanoke Reef and Mallard Cove, higher-end floating home communities in the Eastlake area. These are 2000 sq ft quality homes, with sale prices of $1.1 and $1.2 million. The views from both of these homes are beautiful.

Waterfront Land:A property on Alki Ave SW in West Seattle sold for just $440,000 with Puget Sound waterfront. It's zoned for low-rise multi-family, so there will probably be townhomes/condos on this lot soon. There's a small house on the lot for now, but not for long.

West Seattle Homes:
Two waterfront homes on Beach Dr SW sold for $1.35 and $1.55 million. At 60-70 feet of Puget Sound waterfront, they're very comparable properties and are just a couple of blocks apart. The first home was a 1970s-built remodel with about 2600 sq ft of space. The second is a newly-built home, but a bit smaller at around 2200 sq ft. Both lots are around 5600 sq ft.

North Seattle Waterfront Homes:
Northeast Seattle has some of the most expensive and least expensive waterfront in Seattle. Case in point, our two sales in Cedar Park and Windermere. The Cedar Park home has 75 feet of waterfront on Lake Washington, 2700 sq ft in the 4 bedroom 2.75 bath home, a 50 foot dock, and a covered boat slip with lift. It sold for just $1.3 million after almost a year on the market, a relative bargain on Lake Washington.

Just a couple of miles South, a home in the Windermere neighborhood with very similar stats sold for almost $2.1 million. The Windermere neighborhood is well-known, sought-after, and exclusive. Buyers pay for these factors. This home sold in just one month, which seems to happen a lot in Windermere. When something comes on the market, if it's priced well, it's gone quickly.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
http://SeattleHome.com

Waterfront Seattle Homes Sold in July 2009

There were two significant Seattle waterfront real estate sales in the month of July. Both sales were on the Puget Sound waterfront, but coming from opposite ends of the city.

A 2 bed, 2 bath, 1500 sq ft West Seattle home on Beach Dr sold for $930,000 after 4 months on the market. This was clearly a sale based on the land value, the home will very likely be torn down and rebuilt. They didn't even bother putting pictures of the home in the MLS listing. There are very few folks in the Seattle area who will spend nearly $1 million and live in a 1500 sq ft home. The west-facing views should make this a great lot for a new house.

On the North end of Seattle, a Blue Ridge home sold for just under $1 million. This was a 2500 sq ft, mid-century home built specifically for the views. It had been on the market for about 5 months. This is a high-bank waterfront property, so most likely the access to the beach would be through the community Blue Ridge beach/park access. The Puget Sound waterfront in the Blue Ridge/North Beach area is some of the calmest, with great walking beaches and low surf.

Sam DeBord and Brian WiegandSeattleHome.com

Ballard Home Sales Rising - Why Ballard is a Buyer's Target Market

Ballard is not the most glamorous neighborhood in Seattle. It's sometimes rough around the edges. It can be funky, traditional, grungy, modern, eclectic, and contemporary all at the same.
Ballard

That seems to suit first time home buyers just perfectly these days. Ballard has been one of the hottest markets in the Seattle metropolitan area for young buyers of single family homes. During the summer months of 2009, houses in Ballard have been selling at a median time of less than one month on the market. Considering the national and local numbers for inventory and marketing times of homes, this is a fairly extraordinary statistic. When a well-priced house comes on the market in Ballard, it sells. It's just that simple.

So, why is this neighborhood, known in the past as a grungy, industrial, Scandinavian fisherman's port, now a hotbed of young professionals and home buyers?

There are three main factors working in Ballard's favor. The first, and most important, is home pricing. North Seattle prices are fairly high in general, but many homes in Ballard are in the $300,000 range. There were 13 homes under $350,000 sold in Ballard in the last two months, and there are another ten available right now on the NWMLS. These prices are right in the wheelhouse of a working couple in Seattle. They may be a bit high for a single buyer, but with two middle-class incomes, the $300k range is within reach.
Ballard Seattle

Factor #2 is the proximity to downtown Seattle. While Capitol Hill, Wallingford, and Belltown may offer a slightly quicker commute, Ballard's commute to downtown Seattle is very similar. Just 10-15 minutes from the downtown job core, Ballard commuters have ample options for bus transit and the less-used 15th Avenue corridor for car and bike commuting. Considering the price savings of 20%-50% compared to these other neighborhoods, Ballard is a relative bargain.
The third factor influencing purchases in Ballard is the lifestyle. Ballard could be the most eclectic, varied, and lively neighborhood in Seattle. Belltown has the neon lights, manicures, and fake 'n bake tans. Capitol Hill has the posh party lifestyle. The U District has rowdy college bars and clubs. Ballard has a bit of everything. From hipster bars to low-key fisherman's dives, there's never a "scene" in Ballard. Quiet enclaves have small, simple restaurants. Industrial marine street-ends have "hole in the wall" bars. Popular attractions on Market and Ballard Ave draw the young, professional night life crowd.
Ballard neighborhood

Ballard is really a microcosm of the city of Seattle's evolution. Many of Seattle's neighborhoods retain the traditional feel of the pioneers that developed the area, but new residents have modernized and added their own contemporary touches to the local scenes. While the eventuality of neighborhood progression is inevitable, it's great to see the traditional sectors of Seattle holding strong to their roots and maintaining the identity that makes them unique.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos for sale on SeattleHome.com
Seattle Waterfront Homes - RE/MAX Real Estate Brokers

Affordable Seattle waterfront on the Puget Sound

With prices on Seattle waterfront homes at their lowest point in years, there are some great deals on some Puget Sound waterfront real estate. A couple of deals we're seeing lately that might pique your interest:

North Beach (Northwest Seattle near Blue Ridge and North of Ballard) is a beautiful, quiet community. There are two waterfront homes on the Puget Sound that are listed at much lower prices than we've seen in the past. One small bungalow is listed at just $375,000. At 1 bed, 1 bath, and around 600 sq ft, it's a cozy hideaway on the water.

Just down the road is an expansive, 3 bedroom/4 bathroom house with panoramic views of the Sound. At under $900,000 it's a steal. This is a short sale, so be prepared for that whole can of worms if you're interested.

Further South, in the Three Tree Point neighborhood just SW of Seattle, there's a beach house with a long trail walk to access it. It's not your average home, but it's $399k and it has some beautiful views.

There are some great bargains if you can find them - give us a call if you need some help.

Seattle Waterfront Homes
Sam DeBord and Brian WiegandYour Seattle Homes Experts(206) 552-8820

Blue Ridge Waterfront - Seattle Home on the Puget Sound

I previewed this Blue Ridge waterfront home recently for clients. It has some of the best waterfront footage on the Puget Sound that I have seen in a while. It just had a significant price drop, from $2 million to $1.8 milllion.

Situated at the center of Seattle's Blue Ridge neighborhood, this low-bank property has an easy walk down toward the sandy beach and saltwater shores of the Puget Sound. The yard is large, and the shoreline is even larger. This mid-century home looks good from the street, but you can't feel its expansive size without seeing the interior. At 3800 feet, it's a large, spread-out home that is well-designed to make use of the water views from all of the Northwest-facing windows.

The double lot provides plenty of privacy, and the lower level would be ideal for developing into an entertaining area leading out to the yard and the waterfront.

2444 NW Blue Ridge Dr, Seattle, WA 98177Courtesy NWG Real Estate
Blue Ridge Waterfront Homes For Sale
Blue Ridge Water View Homes

Edmonds Homes on the Puget Sound Waterfront

Edmonds offers a wide range of waterfront homes. There are affordable houses on Lake Ballinger and Lake Serene, and everything from small cabins to luxury villas on the Puget Sound.

Prices start around $500k on the Puget Sound, so there is ample opportunity for waterfront home buyers. The views from Edmonds on the waterfront are sweeping. The Olympic mountains, islands in the Sound, ferries, and occasional orca whales make water views in Edmonds hard to beat.

Edmonds Waterfront Real Estate
Edmonds Water View Real Estate

Sam DeBord and Brian WiegandSeattleHome.com (206) 431-5900
Seattle Waterfront Real Estate Brokers - RE/MAX Connected
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Normandy Park's Puget Sound Waterfront Homes

Normandy Park is just South of West Seattle, between Burien/Seahurst and Des Moines. Situated on the Puget Sound waterfront, this neighborhood has a quiet, secluded feel. It's just a short hop to the Airport, I-5, and Highway 509.

The Puget Sound waterfront homes here come in a variety of prices, from economical rambler hideaways to green-built, modern cliff-hanging mansions. There are currently just a few Normandy Park waterfront homes on the market, ranging from $700k to $3.75 million.

Normandy Park Waterfront Real Estate