ARDELL DellaLoggia

Does anyone remember 3,6,9 the Goose Drank Wine? 

Most mornings I wake up with a song in my head.  Right out of bed and I'm singing it.  Usually I can tell what kind of day it's going to be by which song it is. 

Sometimes it's just corny like "Oh What a Beautiful Morning".  There are lots of repeat songs.

But this morning the song was SO BIZARRE that Kim had never even heard of it.  He thought maybe it was one of my Mother's famous flip side Flora's from back in the War Days.  But I'm pretty sure it only goes back to Dance Fever or Hullabaloo.

If you have ever been to a Mariner's Game, you know the tradition of playing this song during the 7th Inning stretch.  My partner, Kim Harris, was a Roadie for this group back in 1964 (not giving it away so you are suprised when you play the video below).  He was also a Roadie for Paul Revere and the Raiders.

This group is out of Portland and Kim says EVERY local band played this song...without exception.  A Pacific Northwest thing.

I have known this song most of my life, as I'm sure you do, but I would never have guessed it was a Seattle Favorite and came out of Portland.

Enjoy Seattle's Favorite Song:

I woke up at 6:00 a.m. this morning and embarked on a journey that I have been meaning to take for quite sometime.

I am attempting to document all of the instances where I represented the buyer or the seller in a real estate transaction. Though I may never be able to remember and record all of them since June of 1990, I'm starting with sales in the Seattle Area, where I am now, since I arrived in early 2004. In my first couple of transactions I represented the buyers in 2004, but I am starting with transactions where my partner Kim Harris and I, represented the sellers since opening our own office, Sound Realty, in late 2004.

Using my blog, I started document by writing a post on a flip project in Seattle.

Rather than upload the photos in my blog's files, which are already reaching monumental storage size levels, having blogged since 1/1/06 there, I started loading the photos on Zillow. This way there is a photo of them home stored for posterity, as it appeared at time of sale in 2005, and I was also able to pull the photos via link directly from Zillow. I'll do that again here to demonstrate. Hmmm, on second thought, now that I have posted the photo directly from Zillow into my blog post on my blog, I can copy the properites of the photos as they now exist in my blog post on "Ardell's Seattle Real Estate Blog (the RealTown version). It is how I am extracting the photos show below as I speak.

The interesting part of the story of these two homes is that they were purchased for $120,000 and $125,000, $245,000 on a combined basis, by the people we represented when they were subsequently sold. Kim sold the house on the bottom to them (before we became partners in all things) back in 2004 and the owners knocked on the door of the house next door, shown on the top, and bought that one as well directly from the owner. They then improved both properties and sold them for $299,998 and $309,000 or $$608,996.

Today, on Zillow, these properties are showing as being Zestimated at $500,500 for the house in the bottom photo. When you click on the link of $515,500, you will likely get the Zestimate as it may appear on the date that YOU click on that link. On the day I post the link, today, the Zestimate is $500,500, but this Zesitmate will continue to fluctuate and change as readers click on it, showing the rise and fall of the housing market over time.

It's quite odd that Zillow shows the first house at only $415,500 and the second house at $500,500, given they are not all that much different and sold for almost the same price back in 2005. Maybe one of the second purchasers made significant improvements over and above the improvements made in the flip project from 2004 to 2005. Maybe it's a mistake. My guess is it is a mistake in the Zestimate, as the chart above shows that even Zillow thinks $500,500 is above fair market value, while the chart below for the other home shows it at market value.

Zillow has many useful and interesting uses. While not necessarily always completely accurate, it's a very useful tool for me today in doucment the properties where I have represented buyers and sellers over the last few years. I will continue today and over time to record these transactions for my own use. That other people can see my "work history" is an added benefit of Transparent Real Estate Blogging.

I am recording this post as Beacon Hill. The properties are on 29th Avenue S. in 98144 close to the border of Beacon Hill and Mt. Baker, and as I recall being in walking distance to the park in Mt. Baker.

Below are some photos of a townhome for sale in Rivertrail, Redmond WA

For many, choosing townhome over single family home offers many advantages. The interior finishes are generally much newer and upscale than one could possible get at the same price and location in a single family home. The asking price of this townhome is $464,500. A single family home at the same price would likely be an older rambler from the 60s of 1,300 square feet or so.

This townhome is 1,544 square feet with a two car garage and gated patio area.

Not all townhomes are created equal. This one has new bamboo hardwood floors on the main level. another added feature not often found in townhomes at this price is the crown molding up at the top of the wall at the ceiling, upgraded baseboards, and a built in window seat for extra storage.

Freshly painted in currently popular colors is an added plus, when considering one townhome over another.

The Kitchen is at least as large, if not larger, than many single family homes that cost $200,000 more in lesser locations.

Five rooms on the main level include a living room with gas fireplace, a 1/2 bath off the slate entryway, a formal dining room, family room and kitchen. The family room shown above can also be used for expanded kitchen eating area. This owner uses it as a playroom for her two small children.

Vaulted ceilings in the master bedroom and a five piece master bath with double sinks, a soaking tub and a pocket door to the toilet and stall shower area. Clearly these amenities do not come in a single family home at this price.

The gated patio is perfect for small children at play or pets. There are few, if any, restrictions regarding pets at Rivertrail. Basically they are the same as City of Redmond restrictions regarding dogs on leash, etc.

An attached two car garage with alley access.

Rivetrail in Redmond backs up to the Burke-Gilman Trail and is in walking distance to Bella Botega. Of course it's proximity to Microsoft and Downtown Redmond and Redmond Towne Center make it a just about perfect place to live.

Townhome Living can give you much more than a single family home and at a more affordable price.

Affordable Downtown Kirkland Condos are more often South of Central vs. East or West of Market, which is why I really like the location of Soho. It is one of the few condo complexes East of Market and that makes it easier for visitors to park on the street. It also is much easier for residents to get in and out of town without hitting traffic jams. It's between 5th and 6th Street on 7th Ave.

The prices are currently set a bit artificially low as they were undergoing improvements by the builder during the most recent market upswing. That and 10 foot ceilings make it a still affordable condo complex amongst a sea of many that may be overpriced two years down the road in hindsight. When it was built in 2000 it won design awards and was one of the first buildings to go with the 10 foot ceilings. Several of the more favored buildings of its time had 8' or 9' ceilings and were built in the 90s. Today it stands as one of the most reasonably priced buildings with 10' ceilings in the units.

Soho has 58 units. As in all complexes, the first and top floors being the more desirable and selling generally at a higher price per square foot than those with units both above and below them for the normal and obvious reasons. Though position within the complex and view considerations will outweigh the which floor is it on consideration.

There are currently 3 one bedroom units for sale from $329,000 to $365,000, the lowest priced one being more than 100 sf smaller than the two higher priced units. There is a two bedroom priced just over $500,00 with the square footage being 40% more while the price is 33% more making it attractive if someone can afford the difference in price.

You have to be careful about price per square foot as the worst location in the complex may want to price at the price per square foot of a view unit. So pay attention to the detail and not just the face value of the comps without reasearching the location considerations.

Convenience of getting in and out of town quickly and having several options to do so without hitting any big traffic logjams, but still being very close to everything and walkable to everything, is Soho's biggest claim to fame.