Prices increase by 2.5% ($12,500 on a $500,000 home!)
KIRKLAND, Washington (Oct. 6, 2014) – Pending sales of homes around Western Washington surged more than 13 percent in September compared to a year ago, and listing activity picked up slightly, fueling both broker optimism and words of advice for sellers.
Along with increases in the number of mutually accepted offers, the latest report from Northwest Multiple Listing Service shows year-over-year gains in the number of closed sales (up 4.6 percent) and prices (up 2.5 percent). Inventory for its service area, which encompasses 21 counties in Western and Central Washington, declined slightly (just under 1.2 percent).
We have had several gorgeous, sizzling hot days recently, here in Seattle. It reminded me of the summer of 1995 when I moved here from Denver, Colorado. I have lived in Denver for a couple of years. I loved three things about my time there. I got remarried there, I skied almost every day and I played Squash with the legendary Hashim Khan, seen here with his son and nephew, and yours truly, three to four times each week.
In late 1994 I started to consider moving from Denver. I have been fortunate enough to travel extensively and am very familiar with several beautiful cities in the world. I narrowed down the list to Kuala Lumpur, San Francisco, and Seattle. In December 1994 I visited Seattle, intending to find a place to live and then move from Denver.
We arrived here in the midst of a nasty rainstorm. I remember being thrashed around by the high winds while on the 520 Bridge, heading to Kirkland for dinner at a friend’s home. We stayed here for a few days and left very disheartened having decided against moving to a place that had such foul weather.
The following spring, I started my search again. I went to San Francisco and Boston amongst other cities. I liked those wonderful cities, however, none of them ‘called to me’. Then in July, I stopped here for a few days while on my way to Vancouver, BC to attend a business meeting. We hit a July heatwave that was almost exactly like the one we have just had. I got a taste of how amazingly beautiful the Greater Seattle Area can be on a nice, hot summer day. The lake, the Eastside, the Sound, various beaches, Pike Market – there are so many amazing aspects to the gorgeous Pacific North West.
Instead of staying for three days in Vancouver, BC I turned it into a day trip and returned to Seattle the same day. For those who might be saying, Vancouver is a beautiful city as well, yes, of course, it is. You see, I lived there before moving to Denver. I wanted to be as close to it as possible while still living in the US.
We stayed in Seattle for several days after that. We drove around all over Puget Sound. We looked at homes in Seattle, Kirkland, Bothell, Redmond, Sammamish, and Bellevue. Each day was more beautiful than the previous one. I finally understood the diversity in the beauty of this place. I bought a house in Bellevue before returning to Denver. I arrived back here with all my belongings on a truck in September of 1995 and have called it ‘home’ ever since.
I have been fortunate enough to have traveled through most of the world. I have also been privileged to live in some of the most beautiful places in the world. Sometimes great opportunities are just thrust upon you. All you have to do is accept the gifts and be thankful.
After I moved to Bellevue in 1995, I came across a very interesting employment opportunity. I had a shot at the top job in US Chess Federation. As an avid chess player since the age of eight, I was eager to combine my lifelong passion with an opportunity to run a unique business. The challenge was that their offices were located in Newburgh New York. I went out there a couple of times and was still undecided. As I was contemplating all the pros and cons of this opportunity, an old business associate called to ask if I would be willing to take on a four to six weeks project in Kauai, Hawaii. This was a short-term gig as opposed to a solid, long-term, rather prestigious position. In the end, Kauai, HI won easily over Newburgh, NY., and I found myself in Paradise. Read more
Three notable factors for the Real Estate Greater Seattle market
I have been fortunate enough to have traveled through most of the world. I have also been privileged to live in some of the most beautiful places in the world. Sometimes great opportunities are just thrust upon you. All you have to do is accept the gifts and be thankful.