Yesterday Zillow released its’ Seattle Real Estate Trends for the third quarter (July, August, September) of 2008 and posted that Seattle home values decreased -7.53% compared to the third quarter of 2007.  As a point of comparison, Zillow reported that home values Nationally decreased -9.7% for the same quarter.

 

I clicked through the links: Seattle Real Estate Trends, to Click for Seattle values and, on the left under Seattle, the Excel icon  , I found 5 tabs at the bottom of the page. There was a “Summary”, “Metro Area & County”, “City”, “Neighborhood”, and “Glossary”.  I found the information shown under City and Neighborhood to be the most interesting as the values data that Zillow has compiled is broken down to what most Seattle home buyers and Seattle home sellers will find the most interesting; their particular neighborhood or city. 

 

These numbers are “Year over Year” of the “% change for the Zillow Home Value Index or “Zindex” over the last year (12 months)”.  In other words, Zillows “Zestimate“, the median value for homes for in that area, and the percent less value compared to last years’ Zestimate median value.

 

Now, these Zillow numbers are not just the actual sales based numbers like the numbers calculated by the NWMLS, although actual sales data is used by Zillow as a part of calculating Zestimates, so they are a model for comparing value.  This makes the numbers a good tool for understanding value and comparing value, but are not the only way to measure an individual homes’ value.

 

A snapshot of Year over Year % for a few areas/neighborhoods of current interest to me (as well as current and recent clients) are:        

 

 

 

All year, the creme de la creme of donations made to the Goodwill, is skimmed and set aside for this special event and it’s a fabulous and fun fashion frenzy! 

 

If you can wear it and it’s sparkly, gold, silver, designer, retro, vintage, original, feathered, sequined, beaded, bejeweled, brocaded, silk, leather, lacy, leopard, zebra, and it excites your inner dress-up girl, well this is the event for you!

 

There will be dresses, skirts, slacks, blouses, jackets, coats, suits, robes, scarves, hats, shoes, belts, boots, handbags, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings, and more.  Oh, and for you men, well, the “good stuff” is here for you too.

 

A few years ago, I went with some very fashionista friends from Idaho (you laugh, but fashion knows no state boundaries!) and had a blast with all the flurry of fashion flying around the few hours we were there.  I am hoping to go again this year with an old friend and perhaps some new friends (former clients of mine who just bought their first home) and have some fashion fun!

 

This year will also see the First Annual Glitter Gala Event that took place yesterday evening in the Metropolitan Ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel with proceeds going to help support Goodwill programs.  While the Glitter Sale is a wonderful event everyone attending, there is a purpose to all that Glitters…helping people through Goodwill’s job training and education programs.

 

To find out more about all the fashion fun (photos too!) check out the Goodwill Glitter Blog for some very helpful shopping tips and photos of some of the cool stuff that will be at the Glitter Sale!  I hope to have some photos tomorrow to post of THE BEFORE the frenzy, and I will certainly have some from Saturday!

 

*** Blog updated Nov. 14th, with the Pre-view photos at the top of the page.  Many thanks to Betsy McFeely, PR Director at the Seattle Goodwill, for her wonderful Pre-view tour of all the hardwork the Goodwill Staff has done getting all the gorgeous “loot” ready for shoppers this weekend!

DEBORAH BURNS