Archive for the 'Brokers Open Houses' Category

Madrona Homes for Sale and Brokers’ Open Houses

View of Downtown Bellevue from Madrona ParkYesterday I went to some Broker Open Houses in Madrona and stopped by one in Leschi on the way back to my office. The homes for sale in Madrona were listed from the $900,000 range to under $1,500,000. Two of them had been recently and extensively remodeled, and are ready for new owners who are looking to buy a Madrona home.

Unfortunately the weather was unseasonably cold and gray for the end of May, and the homes that had views of Lake Washington were not able to show off their views like they would have in sunshine. I stopped to take the above photo of Madrona Park looking acrosss a cold, gray Lake Washington to Downtown Bellevue, and it looks as cold as it was! However, seeing the Madrona homes listed for sale on a cold day really makes you appreciate their remodeling all the more, since they seem extra “snug” and warm!

One of the Madrona homes was a large craftsman that had the main floor beautifully opened up, solid white mill work, very high ceilings and high-end appliances and finishes so it felt light-filled and airy even on a gray Seattle day.

Another beautifully remodeled craftsman cottage had some nice surprises like an outdoor shower, of course it also had 3 fabulous indoor showers and baths as well! One of the nice touches for this home was the original art hanging on the walls, good art always enhances how a home shows. I have to admit though, that one of the paintings (by artist Francesca Sundsten) caught my eye so much that I missed seeing where the stairs were to the finished (very well finished) basement and had to ask where the stairs were “hiding”!

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Madrona Real Estate Market* snapshot as of today for May 2008

ACTIVE41 Madrona homes for sale, average of 80 days on market, $449,000 to $1,995,000.

STI2 Subject to Inspection, average of 109 days on market $420,000 to $599,000.

PENDING 2 Madrona homes Pending, average of 25 days on market, $925,000 to $1,430,000.

SOLD4 Madrona homes Sold, average of 62 days on market, $310,00 to 780,000.

*These numbers are for single family homes only

Spoken by Deborah Burns | Discussion: 144 Comments »

Magnolia Homes for Sale and this weeks Brokers’ Open Houses

Magnolia on a sunny day looking towards the SoundLast Tuesday was Broker Open Houses for homes listed for sale in Magnolia . The weather was rainy (but warm) so I was thinking that I might miss some of the wonderful views while touring the homes, but the wind picked up and the skies cleared for some glorious sunny views.

Today I was focusing on the higher end of Magnolia homes for sale so the houses were ones listed between $1,000,000 and $4,000,000, but mostly under $2,000,000, of course… there is even more expensive Magnolia real estate too!

I had a plan to visit particular houses but I was quickly distracted by the Open House sign in front of a house that I have driven by many times. I m a fan of Mid-Century Modern Homes that have been respectfully updated with an eye for sleek, elemental design…well this first Open House was all that, just gorgeous! I think it would be a great match for someone thinking about a high-end condo, but who still needs more space and would like a little Zen like garden. The southwest view of the Sound and in the distance Alki Point was breathtaking, and it was extra exciting because several US Navy ships cruised by with a fire boat leading the way shooting fountains of water into the air!

Back to the planned tour…I was able to see 8 more Magnolia homes for sale before the Brokers’ Open Houses ended, and one of those was another unplanned visit to a house that I had seen 3 years ago when it was originally listed for sale in Magnolia. It is a very modern home sited on an unusual shaped lot, it was interesting to see the house with furniture this time, much warmer.

Because Magnolia is in an older part of Seattle, there is a wide range of home styles and several were represented on my tour, the Mid-Century Modern, Post Modern Contemporary (3 of those), one completely remodeled Mid-Century Traditional, Mediterranean, Colonial, and a Northwest Contemporary. These homes all have wonderful kitchens and baths, beautiful details and finishes, and most of the homes had stunning views…which is why they are also come at a high price! Next week, for balance, I’ll focus on entry level homes for sale in Magnolia.

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Magnolia Homes* for Sale Market Snapshot as of today for May 2008

ACTIVE – 125 Magnolia Homes for Sale, 110 average days on market, $359,950 to $6,950,000

CONTINGENT – 1 Contingent Magnolia Home, 54 days on Market, $699,950

STI5 Subject to Inspection Magnolia Homes, 83 average days on market, $459,500 to $1,735,000

PENDING – 13 Pending Magnolia Homes, 58 average days on market, $419,950 to $1,350,000

SOLD – 11 Sold Magnolia Homes, 117 average days on market, $390,000 to $1,900,000

* Single Family Homes and Townhomes

Spoken by Deborah Burns | Discussion: 164 Comments »

Brokers’ Open Houses and Seattle Real Estate

I am planning on posting stories about my tours of the weekly Brokers’ Open Houses in what I call Seattle’s Urban Villages, the neighborhoods that make Seattle such a wonderful place to live.

These will be some of my impressions, opinions, thoughts, and musing about how the homes relate to their neighborhoods and whatever strikes me as relevant (or not!) to the Seattle real estate market. Sometimes it may just be a story about that particular days tour.

Because of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service rules (Rule 190) of not advertising another members listings without their permission, I will only be writing about the homes I see on the Brokers’ Opens in very general terms expressing my impressions and opinions. So no addresses, mls numbers, specific prices etc., the homes will retain their anonymity… …I just wanted you to know why!

Spoken by Deborah Burns | Discussion: 138 Comments »