Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Realtor - SeattleHome.com

Ballard isn't the most glamorous neighborhood in Seattle. It's sometimes rough around the edges. It can be funky, traditional, grungy, modern, eclectic, and contemporary all at the same.

That seems to suit first time home buyers just perfectly these days. Ballard has been one of the hottest markets in the Seattle metropolitan area for young buyers of single family homes. During the summer months of 2009, houses in Ballard have been selling at a median time of less than one month on the market. Considering the national and local numbers for inventory and marketing times of homes, this is a fairly extraordinary statistic. When a well-priced house comes on the market in Ballard, it sells. It's just that simple.

So, why is this neighborhood, known in the past as a grungy, industrial, Scandinavian fisherman's port, now a hotbed of young professionals and home buyers?

There are three main factors working in Ballard's favor. The first, and most important, is home pricing. North Seattle prices are fairly high in general, but many homes in Ballard are in the $300,000 range. There were 13 homes under $350,000 sold in Ballard in the last two months, and there are another ten available right now on the NWMLS. These prices are right in the wheelhouse of a working couple in Seattle. They may be a bit high for a single buyer, but with two middle-class incomes, the $300k range is within reach.

Factor #2 is the proximity to downtown Seattle. While Capitol Hill, Wallingford, and Belltown may offer a slightly quicker commute, Ballard's commute to downtown Seattle is very similar. Just 10-15 minutes from the downtown job core, Ballard commuters have ample options for bus transit and the less-used 15th Avenue corridor for car and bike commuting. Considering the price savings of 20%-50% compared to these other neighborhoods, Ballard is a relative bargain.

The third factor influencing purchases in Ballard is the lifestyle. Ballard could be the most eclectic, varied, and lively neighborhood in Seattle. Belltown has the neon lights, manicures, and fake 'n bake tans. Capitol Hill has the posh party lifestyle. The U District has rowdy college bars and clubs. Ballard has a bit of everything. From hipster bars to low-key fisherman's dives, there's never a "scene" in Ballard. Quiet enclaves have small, understated restaurants. Industrial marine street-ends have "hole in the wall" bars. Popular attractions on Market and Ballard Ave draw the young, professional night life crowd.

Ballard is really a microcosm of the city of Seattle's evolution. Many of Seattle's neighborhoods retain the traditional feel of the pioneers that developed the area, but new residents have modernized and added their own contemporary touches to the local scenes. While the eventuality of neighborhood progression is inevitable, it's great to see the traditional sectors of Seattle holding strong to their roots and maintaining the identity that makes them unique.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos for sale on SeattleHome.com
Seattle Waterfront Homes - RE/MAX Real Estate Brokers

Lake Washington waterfront home sales have slowed a bit as we have moved into late summer. While the real estate market in Seattle has been strong now for a few months, lower-priced homes have been the biggest sellers. As more of these lower end homes sell, we should see some more move-up buyers getting into the waterfront real estate market.

There were two waterfront Lake Washington homes sold in July. The first is a large, contemporary home in Kirkland. Sitting on Juanita's Woodland Cove, this 3 bed, 4 bath home is over 4000 square feet. It has a Lake Washington shoreline of over 100 feet, a 3 car garage, dock, and boat lifts--exactly what you'd expect for a luxury waterfront home. Listed originally at $2.75 million, it eventually closed near $2.2 million after about 7 months on the market. Waterfront homes typically have longer marketing times, as their unique nature minimizes the potential pool of qualified buyers.

The second home sold is in Bellevue, just South of I-90. With almost 1/2 acre of land and nearly 100 feet of Lake Washington waterfront, it's a luxury builder's dream. The home was apparently a tear-down/restore project, as it doesn't nearly match most of the homes on the waterfront. The property sold suprisingly quickly, listed at $1.4 million and purchased for just over $1.3 million in less than one month. Expect to see a spectacular home on this lot in the near future.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos for sale on SeattleHome.com
Seattle Waterfront Homes - RE/MAX Real Estate Brokers

This information not compiled or published by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. MLS data used, may not include all sales

After Ballard's torrid pace of June home sales, it looks like the market for single family homes has stayed strong. Real estate sales of houses and townhomes in Ballard were up 18% in July 2009 vs July 2008. Prices, meanwhile, were 10% lower, making homes more affordable for first time home buyers.

The total inventory in Ballard, and in Seattle in general, has dropped significantly since last year. The latest numbers show about 20% decreases in houses on the market, which has created a fast-moving market. While last month Ballard houses were selling in just a couple of weeks, in July we moved up to a longer, but still relatively quick 36 days on the market. Any seller would be happy to sell in one month.

I've personally been involved in a handful of multiple-offer transactions in Ballard in the past month, with one home receiving 9 offers on the first weekend it went on the market. While the condo sales are not as strong, the price point for houses in Ballard seems to be attracting a lot of first time buyers. The median sold home price was $395,000, and the majority of first time buyers I'm seeing are in the $250k-$375k range.

I'd look for this market to continue strong sales through the fall as buyers take advantage of the $8000 tax credit. Most will have to have a home under contract in October to qualify, so getting pre-approved and starting the home search by September is a must.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos for sale on SeattleHome.com
Seattle Waterfront Homes - RE/MAX Real Estate Brokers

This information not compiled or published by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. MLS data used, may not include all sales

According to the latest stats from the NWMLS, home sales in the Seattle area are continuing their summer rebound. Based on the number of calls I'm getting from Seattle buyers who are looking to use the $8000 first time home buyer tax credit before the November expiration, I'd imagine this rally will last later into the fall than the usual cyclical summer real estate surge.

Total real estate sales in King County were are their highest point in two years, while pending sales were up over 10% in King and Snohomish Counties. While prices in Seattle are still down about 13% compared to last year, the "losses are lessening" as an optimist once said. Prices were down over 15% earlier in 2009, so things seem to be flattening out.

The biggest surprise was the drop in overall inventory. King County experienced a 20% decrease in the number of houses on the market, a really staggering number. This will surely drive prices up a bit on some new listings, and should keep the home prices from falling any further, at least in the short term.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos for sale on SeattleHome.com
Seattle Waterfront Homes - RE/MAX Real Estate Brokers

Last week I wrote a post on Google Voice for real estate professionals, how to sign up, and its features/uses.   I recently added the Google Voice widget to my ActiveRain blog, and it's easy to set up once you have an account (thanks to Bob Southard in GA for the inspiration).  There's one permanently on my sidebar (to the right) and one in this post (below).

**If you can't see the widgets, they sometimes load slowly. For reliability, I'd recommend placing them in your sidebar over directly in a post**

You need a Google Voice account first, apply for an invitation at voice.google.com.  Set up your name, phone numbers, and forwarding phones.  After your account has been full set up:

1.  Log into Google Voice and Click on "Settings" on the upper right.

2.  Select the "Call Widgets" tab.

3.  Select "Add a new Call Widget", fill out the forms for your appropriate phone, and Save.

4.  Copy the "Embed" Code from the box shown above.

Move over to ActiveRain.

1.  Click on "My Home" in the upper right corner.

2.  Click on "Settings" on the left sidebar.

3.  Paste the code into the "Blog Description" box.

4.  Don't forget to press the "Update" button below the box to save the code.

(Option 2 - To insert directly into post - only for those comfortable editing the HTML of your posts)
At the top of your post window, click on the "HTML" tab instead of the "WYSIWIG" Tab.
Paste Google Voice code directly into HTML code and save.
The reliability of this has been quirky, if you go back and edit with WYSIWIG.

Now you have a functional, web-calling feature on your Active Rain blog.  So, why wouldn't people just call you directly?  Isn't a phone number easier?  Does it even makes sense for a person to click on a web button, have Google locate and ring your phone, calling the customer back, and then connecting the two of you?

Of course it is doesn't make sense, but people are curious.  Someone who may not want to call an agent directly might just want to know how Google Voice works.  They may click on the button, call you, and just say:

"Hi, I'm Tony in Ballard, I was on your blog and just thought I'd click on the Call Button to see how it works."

You may have never spoken with Tony otherwise.  Every contact counts.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos for sale on SeattleHome.com
Seattle Waterfront Homes - RE/MAX Real Estate Brokers