Discover North Seattle

Home Sales Stats for Bitter Lake

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:57:01 -0600

I've framed in the latest report from Trulia.com for those of you who live in the Bitter Lake area. Here are the stats for home sales in that area.

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

Save Your Local Economy... Three Stores at a Time

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:03:40 -0600

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

PSA: Disaster Preparedness Tips

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:46:59 -0600

Don't let this be your Disaster Preparedness Plan!

How To Prepare For A Disaster

Your Seattle home gives protection for you and your family in most cases. But there will be times that your home may not be enough. That's why it is so important to protect yourself and those you love by being prepared. Home fires are the most common disaster people face in Seattle, and also the most preventable. Families need to take a few simple precautions to avoid tragedies, such as having working smoke alarms on every level of their homes and having family fire escape plans in place to help get everyone out of the house safely. The American Red Cross recommends the following when creating your family escape plan:

Identify two ways to escape from every room in the home.
Practice your escape plan at least twice a year.
Select a safe location away from the home where your family can meet after escaping.
Consider purchasing and storing escape ladders for rooms above ground level and make sure to learn how to use them.
If you see smoke or fire in your first escape route, use your second way out.
If you must exit through smoke, crawl low under the smoke.
Before escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If it is warm, use your second escape route.
If smoke, heat or flames block both of your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Place a rolled towel underneath the door. Signal for help by waving a brightly colored cloth or shining a flashlight at the window. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and let them know your exact location inside the home.
Once you've escaped, stay out.

Fires are only one disaster homeowners and renters need to be prepared for. My friends at SeattleTimes.com have come up with a great checklist you can download and print out that can help you not only prepare for a disaster, but also to survive a disaster.

You can go to the Seattle Times web site here to download your copy of their Disaster Preparedness and Survival guide.

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

"I know a guy..." Need a Connection? Ask Me!

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:20:29 -0600

I'm sitting here thinking about all the people I get to meet because of what I do for a living. I am blessed to be so connected to the community and to meet so many people! Honestly, this is exactly why I got into real estate in the first place. I love connecting with people and being that person who can always say, "I know a guy..."

So I spent about 10 minutes thinking about different connections I have and thought I'd write a few down in case any of you were looking for a connection. Life is too short to live on an island! I think 6 degrees of separation is too much!

Here's a brief list of connections or people I know. Some are fun to know, like Kendra Todd, winner of Donald Trump's "Apprentice", or Pro Bowl Fullback Mack Strong, or Blake Lewis (American Idol), but most are more practical. You get the idea. If you need help with something, I probably know someone I could connect you with in Seattle. Just ask, 'cuz I love connecting people!

Attorneys

Immigration
Tax
Real Estate
Foreclosure

Home Repair

Tile
Roofing
Architects
Plumbers
Inspectors

Spiritual

Bible Study Groups
Church/Community Functions
Benevolence Opportunities
Marriage Counseling

Financial

CPA's
Mortagage Advisors
Financial Advisors

The list could go on, but just know that you can ask me anytime. Connecting people is one of the best parts of my job!

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

"Dollar" Movies in Seattle

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:13:43 -0600

I love getting a good deal whenever I can, especially in this economy. So if you're looking for a fun time at the movies in Seattle without the heavy price tag, check out these cheap Seattle movie theaters:

In Shoreline

Crest Cinema:

16505 5th Avenue NE at 165th
Shoreline, WA 98155
(206) 781-5755

I remember going to the Crest while growing up in Shoreline. Of course, back then it was only about $1.00. My, how inflation has skyrocketed prices. Now tickets are currently $3.00. Ooooh... big money! We used to go to the 7-11 across the street to buy snacks and try to sneak them in. I like the way the seats rock back like a rocking chair. Too many memories to list on this one!

In West Seattle

Admiral Theater:

2343 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
Info: 206-938-3456

Another great Seattle landmark! This one's a little pricier, but I think the movies are more current. Tickets are currently $5.50. You can even rent out the theater for a private event if you want.

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

Seattle & Tacoma Named in Top 8 Cities for Real Estate Recovery

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:39:37 -0600

Seattle and Tacoma have made it to the top of CNNMoney's list of 8 cities that are poised for the best real estate recovery. This is great news for us, as we are all waiting for our homes to being appreciating again and return on our investment. Here's the blurb for Seattle, from CNNMoney.com:

Median home price: $365,000 Value lost since 2006: 18.1% Forecast gain through 2011*: 3.2%

Seattle has become a world-class city with a diverse, vibrant economy. As a home to manufacturers, such as Boeing, and software providers, such as Microsoft, the job market has held up better than average, with December's unemployment rate sitting at 9.1%.

Home prices had a softer landing as well, dropping just 18.1% over the past three years, about half the national average, according to Fiserv, a division of Moody's Economy.com.

In the next six months prices are expected to grow 1%. After that, the market should gain momentum. By September 2011, the city could see a price gain of 5.5%.

And while that may not sound all that robust for those jaded by the annual double-digit returns recorded during the boom, that performance will be one of the best of any large city during that period.

Check out the blurb about Tacoma on the CNNMoney web site here.

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

Construction for 15th Ave NE Bridge Starts This Spring

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:22:49 -0600

There will be construction on the 15th Ave NE bridge starting this Spring, and it's going to last a while. Above is a map of the detour routes you may want to think of using after March 2010. The bridge has seen a lot more traffic over recent years and needs to be repaired, along with further work to deal with erosion underneath the bridge. This means ALL traffic, including pedestrians and bikes.

You might want to get comfy with the detours - they say the construction will last about 11 months!

You can learn more about the bridge work and its benefits by going to the Seattle DOT website for more info: http://www.seattle.gov/Transportation/bridge_rehab_15th.htm

- Jay

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

North Seattle Spotlight: Olympic Manor Home with a View!

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:19:24 -0600

Do you like mountain and water views from your living room? Check out this Olympic Manor home for sale!

Click any of these pictures for more information about this great North Seattle home!

Greet the Olympics/Sound everyday from this completely updated classic home in Olympic Manor. Views from all front rooms & relaxing patio. Perfectly bright & flowing floor plan w/3 main floor bedrms. incl. master w/vast closets and double shower. Beautifully remodeled kitchen w/skylight, stainless, granite, cherry cabinets. Downstairs has 4th bedroom, huge family room, oversized 2car garage. With all new windows, hardwoods, 2 gas fireplaces & great yard, you'll love living in this exquisite home.

Olympic Manor is a wonderful neighborhood just North East of Crown Hill. Tucked away in its own secluded area, Olympic Manor is a quiet space with great neighbors. This is also a great place to go see beautiful light displays during the holidays!

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

I Have a Great Opportunity for First Time Homebuyers!

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:48:06 -0600

I have good news about the real estate market! Surprised? Well, it's true - today's market provides a huge opportunity for first-time buyers to enter the market.

Unfortunately, much of the media coverage of the real estate market has caused real fear in potential buyers. In reality, there has not been a better time to buy value in recent years.

If you know of anyone who has found themselves overwhelmed or discouraged from buying their first home, please send me their contact information or forward this blog post to them so that I can send them a free e-book. Your First Home: The Proven Path to Home Ownership outlines the process of home ownership in eight simple steps and is a must-read for anyone considering purchasing their first home.

With my experience, passion and knowledge of today's market, I am fully prepared and anxious to help your friends and family find their first homes. And as always, your referral is the best compliment that I can receive.

Ciao!

- Jay

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

Go For The Gold: How to Put $8,000 in Your Pocket

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:34:05 -0600

Need some inspiration about getting the government's $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers?

Here's a real life success story.

To illustrate the beauty of the tax credit, take the example of Laura K. and her husband of Austin, Texas.

Laura, an exotic animal veterinarian, and her husband, a book editor, had spent much of 2008 in search of the elusive perfect home. They worked with their real estate agent over several months and found two homes they really loved. But unfortunately, two consecutive deals fell through and their dreams of home ownership were put on hold. "It was exhausting and unfortunate," says Laura. "I really had had enough."

Reassured by her husband, who hated paying rent toward someone else's mortgage, and inspired by her mother, who had found great success investing in real estate over the years, Laura let patience guide her toward a better opportunity. By March of 2009 she and her husband had saved up more money and were ready to pounce. Their patience proved fruitful as their real estate agent found them a bank-owned condo within their preapproved price range in a fabulous neighborhood just a five-minute walk from downtown. (Five minutes from downtown! Woo-hoo!)

They secured financing and entered into a scary multiple-offer situation. As fate would have it, they beat out two other buyers when their offer was accepted. Armed with 30-year conventional financing at a rate of 5 percent, they were now sitting pretty with very manageable monthly mortgage payments. And here's the kicker: They earned themselves a big, fat check for eight grand from Uncle Sam.

With the money they received, they could now fully furnish their new condo, make a donation to their favorite charity, and Laura could treat herself to monthly pedicures. All this and her husband embarked on a variety of challenging landscaping projects. Laura is now thrilled to be a homeowner. "The tax credit was a gift. Even though our previous offers fell through, I could not be happier."

So there's some real-life inspiration for you. Now go get that home of your own and the $8,000. And maybe you too can enjoy pedicures as often as you like.

- Jay

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

"WhirlyBall" A Fun Break For North Seattle Folks

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:00:48 -0600

Ever wonder what there is to do up here, north of Green Lake? Well, there's a place just north of Shoreline that's a blast for the entire family.

It's called WhirlyBall, and it's a combo of LaCrosse, Basketball and bumper cars. Yep, you read that right. BUMPER CARS!

What a great concept! You get to ram into other competitors while trying to score points for your team! WhirlyBall has been around for quite some time, and I've had fun there in the past. But I had all but forgotten about it until recently. So I thought I'd let all my blog readers know about it as well.

You can get in on beginner tournaments on your own, or bring a group of up to 40 people and reserve a whole court for a couple of hours.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

- Jay

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

Cool Programs for Homeowners

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:05:53 -0600

Residential Retrofit Program

Vice President Biden recently announced a program called "Recovery Through Retrofit." In addition to creating energy performance labels, it will create national energy performance measures for existing homes.

It will provide the following:

1. Access to home energy retrofit information
2. Access to financing for retrofits
3. Access to trained professionals to perform the retrofit

The goal of the imitative is to create more energy efficiency in homes to benefit the country's energy consumption. Retrofits include but are not limited to energy efficient heating, cooling, and water systems, insulation, roofing, flooring, windows, and solar panels.

Source: National Association of Realtors

Cash for "Clunky" Appliances

In efforts to vamp up energy efficiency, the federal government is implementing a rebate program for appliances. People can swap in their old appliances for new energy-efficient ones, saving electricity and saving on monthly bills.

A 20-year-old fridge can use three times as much energy as a new Energy Star-approved fridge. The age of your appliances impact your actual savings, so check into it before purchasing.

Important things to know:

1. Plans vary by state. Check out energysavers.gov for details.
2. Buy before it ends. Like the car rebate program Cash for Clunkers, this program has a set amount of federal money allocated to it. Once the $300 million is gone, the program will likely end. It is expected to run out quickly.

Source: The Associated Press

Government Calls for Increased Lending by Banks

According to the FDIC, lending has fallen for five consecutive quarters - even though banks have become profitable again and have started to repay government loans. Banks lent $600 billion less from September 2008 to September 2009, representing a 7 percent decline. Banks site a lack of qualified borrowers as the primary reason and point to the trend of decreased borrowing during recessions.

The goals of banks and the government appear to be in line now with each bank representative talking about getting aggressive with small business lending over the next year. Goals for 2010 small business lending include $5 billion for Bank of America and $4 billion for Chase.

As banks continue to be profitable, they can be expected to use the proceeds to repay the government as well as increase their efforts to make good loans. Small business owners should expect an increase in the amount of loans available during 2010 compared to 2009. Holding true to the trend in 2009, a good credit score and steady employment will likely continue to be important conditions of obtaining a mortgage.

Sources: The Washington Post, FDIC

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

This Month In Real Estate

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:02:33 -0600

This Month in Real Estate
January 2010

...............................................................................................................................................

Commentary

December closed out the year with further indications of a budding recovery, illustrating we've come far from the pessimistic outlook this time last year. Soft home prices, affordable financing conditions as well as the government's tax break targeted at the housing market have contributed to providing the much needed boost to the housing market. Solid gains in home sale activity helps to pare down inventory to a healthier level, which in turn will likely bring more stability to home prices.

The most recent Federal Reserve meeting indicated a more positive outlook about our economic condition as they pointed to plans to reel in emergency programs. Mortgage rates, which have hovered around 5 percent for most of 2009, are starting to climb again. Economists expect these unprecedented rates to go back up as Fed's program to purchase mortgage-backed securities expires in March and private investors are demanding higher returns.

According to Nar 2009 President Charles McMillan, "Even with price declines in recent years, the typical home seller saw their equity increase 27 percent." NAR's most recent Home Buyers and Sellers survey reported that 87 percent of survey respondents consider their home a good investment, and more than half see it as a better investment than stocks. This indicates that Americans still see homeownership as a source of steady long-term wealth accumulation.

Employment will continue to be closely watched and steps on the road to recovery will likely continue to come one-by-one. Although concerns remain, many experts are hopeful of a brighter year in 2010.

The Housing Market

Existing Home Sales - Up 44% from last year

Existing home sales surged a record-breaking 44 percent from a year ago, the highest annual gain since NAR started tracking the data in 1999. The strong gain can be attributed to first-time buyers who accounted for 51 percent of all home sales, the highest on record dating back to 1981, as they rushed to beat the deadline for the first-time buyer tax credit that was due to expire November 30. The previous high was 44 percent in 1991. Sales activity is at the highest level since February 2007 when it reached 6.55 million.

Median Home Price - Very favorable

Low home prices continue to add the extra boost to home sales. Existing-home price was $172,600 in November, 5 percent higher from its low in January. While still 4.3 percent down from a year ago, it is the smallest decline in two years. Distressed properties, which accounted for 33 percent of all transactions in November, continue to hold down the median home price, as they typically sell for 15 to 20 percent less than traditional homes.

Inventory - Lowest level in almost 3 years

The supply of homes is now at the lowest level in almost three years. The supply of existing homes for sale at the end of November declined 1.3 percent to 3.52 million, representing a 6.5-month supply at the current sales pace, down from a seven-month supply in October. Generally, a six-month supply is considered balanced. Compared to a year ago, there are now 15 percent fewer homes on the market.

Mortgage Rates - Inching Up

Mortgage rates have begun to inch back up as government support runs its course and interest rates rise. On December 24, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 5.05 percent, the first time it has gone above 5 percent since the end of October. According to Amy Crews Cutts, deputy chief economist at Freddie Mac, "Extraordinary resources have been put into keeping the rates down and supporting the mortgage market, and it's hard to imagine that the rates can go much lower than they are."

Affordability - Best since 1970s

Affordability continues to be at a record level thanks to unprecedented interest rates, low home prices, as well as the first-time buyer tax credit. So far this year, the home price-to-income ratio has fallen well below the historical average of 25 percent. The ratio now stands at 15 percent.

Sources: National Association of Realtors, Freddie Mac

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

New Park Design Needs Your Suggestions!

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:05:00 -0600

I received an email from Karen O'Connor, Senior Public Relations Specialist for Seattle Parks and Recreation. She wants to let everyone know there will be a planning meeting coming up where local residents can stop by and offer their opinions to members of the park design team.

Here's the info if you'd like to attend:

Date: Thursday, February 5, 2010

Time: 7pm - 8:30pm

Location: Haller Lake Community Club located at 12579 Densmore Ave N

Northacres and Spray park are located at 127th and 1st Ave NE.

If you want to have your say about how this park turns out, join the discussion at the planning meeting.

Have a great MLK Day!

- Jay

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com

Job Search Websites for Greater Seattle Area

Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver (Keller Williams - Greater Seattle) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:12:13 -0600

It seems like everyone's saying the economy is getting better, but I have a lot of friends who are still looking for work. There is a growing throng of unemployed saying, "Yeah? Well where are the jobs?"

According to some economists the situation we're in is fairly average. Historically, Employment has lagged behind any economic recovery. What seems to happen is companies no longer lay people off, but they don't hire anyone either as they wait for signs the economy is on solid ground.

Those of you who are fortunate enough to still have a job may be experiencing the other side of this hiring freeze. You've probably noticed your workload increasing and that you're now doing the job of 2 or 3 people. Well, it's probably going to be like that until the end of 2010 as companies start feeling better about adding to their staff.

It may seem odd that there are so many qualified people looking for jobs, and here you are doing the work of 3 people. But don't worry, there's light at the end of the overworked and underpaid tunnel. Usually the employment lag is around 6 - 12 months.

For those who are still looking, I have researched a bunch of websites that cater to the northwest job market. Hopefully some of these will be new to you and you can check them out with happy results!

CampusPoint.com

Craig's List - Seattle

Craig's List - Spokane

Jobdango

NW Hospitality

Seattle's Preferred Jobs

Pacific Northwest Careers

SeattleJobs.org

SeattleRecruiter.com

WA Employment Web Pages

Take courage, and happy hunting!

- Jay

Jay Silver | Northwest Realtor & People Connector | DiscoverNorthSeattle.com