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

The number of Seattle bank-owned homes listed on the NWMLS has remained fairly steady throughout the month of June. Even though we have been hearing about total foreclosure numbers rising, the numbers of those homes that are being released on the market by the banks haven't reacted quite yet.

At the start of of June, there were around 100 bank-owned homes in Seattle on the MLS, and about 180 total bank-owned homes when Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Shoreline are included. As we reach the end of June, the numbers are virtually the same, with just a handful of new foreclosed homes on the MLS. So, where are these foreclosures? Are they being held back by the banks, or are there not as many foreclosures actually proceeding to auction as are being claimed?

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos for sale on SeattleHome.com

The Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle is comprised mainly of single family homes. There are a few pockets of condos, mostly built around the South end of the neighborhood near Lake Union. The majority of Wallingford condos are South of N 40th Street, and close to Gasworks Park, although there have been a few new construction condos built near the business and entertainment center of Wallingford, N 45th Street.

Although prices for condos in Wallingford remain fairly high, there are a handful of good buys for first time buyers or people looking for a bargain in this well-known neighborhood.

As of today, there are 8 condos in Wallingford under $300,000. Most are 1 bedroom, 1 bath condos, but the lowest-priced home is actually a 2 bed/1 bath. Situated near 41st St and Whitman Ave, this 1940s era unit is 700 square feet and surrounded mostly by single family homes and has quick access to highway 99. It's listed at just under $250k, the only condo in this category currently.

Moving up above $250k we have 4 condos currently for sale in the Biscayne, a fairly new building. There are a couple of one bedrooms and a couple of two bedrooms available, with the two-beds listed closer to $270k. A couple of these have Lake Union water views and Seattle skyline views from the balconies. Located at 34th St and Wallingford Ave, these condos are perfect for walking down to Gasworks or commuting from Highway 99 or I-5.

On the Southeast end of Wallingford, there's a large one bedroom (almost 900 sq ft) listed under $275k in Landings Lake Union. This is one of the biggest condos available in this price range, and a quick I-5 commute location. It's also just steps from the University Bridge, street end parks on the waterfront, and Ivar's on the lake.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos for sale on SeattleHome.com

The Wallingford neighborhood of Northwest Seattle is known as being fairly expensive, but there are some houses that have come on the market recently that ease that label. While most Wallingford homes start around $600,000, there are a few houses for sale that are under $550k and worth looking into.

There are a couple of townhomes listed at just under $400,000 right now, and both are fairly new construction, good-looking homes. Wallingford doesn't have a lot of townhomes or condos in general, so this is a good first buy to get into the neighborhood without breaking the bank.

The lowest-priced house is on the West end of Wallingford, between Stone Way and Aurora. It's a good-looking Craftsman house, 3 beds, 2 baths, and listed near $420k. At over 1800 sq feet, it has plenty of space and is inexpensive on a per sq ft basis. This area is thought by some to be part of Fremont, and alternately called Freford or Wallingmont. Technically, it's part of the Wallingford neighborhood according to the city, as Aurora Ave (Highway 99) is the true border.

There are a handful of other townhomes between $400k and $500k, all fairly new and high quality construction. There is also a very modern, minimalist single family home listed just under $500k. It's a green-built, brand new home that exudes style. This is not your average Wallingford craftsman, but a splash of funky design in a quiet enclave.

There are 3 or 4 more homes between $500,000 and $550,000 right now, all classic Craftsman homes, 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1500 to 2000 square feet. These kinds of homes seem like the best investment right now. Remember the old saying..."Buy the smallest house in the nicest neighborhood"?

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos for Sale at SeattleHome.com

Some of the best water view homes in Seattle are those around Lake Union. From the north end homes looking at the downtown skyline, to Capitol hill's view of Queen Anne and vice-versa, there's a great mix of serene waterfront and bustling city life in the same view.

There are a handful of Lake Union view homes available now under $400k, which is fairly affordable considering the neighborhoods that surround the lake.

In North Capitol Hill, there's a small 2/1 house at about 1000 square feet. It looks to be a rehab project, but with the location and views, it's a surprisingly low $350,000.

On Queen Anne, there's a 2006-built townhome with Lake Union views and 2 beds, 1 bath. Listed at $365k, it's very reasonable for Queen Anne, although it is a short sale and there is lender approval required for that price.

In the heart of Eastlake, there's an 800 square foot cottage with lake and mountain views for just $379k. This is one of the best areas for exploring the shores of Lake Union and the floating homes communities on the shoreline.

Back over on Queen Anne, there are a pair of 2008-built townhomes listed just under $400,000 with almost 1200 square feet of space, plus two beds and 1.5 baths.

For a nice view of Lake Union in a close-in neighborhood, these homes under $400k seem to be the best entry points right now.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos for sale on SeattleHome.com and SeattleCondo.com
RE/MAX Connected, Associate Brokers
(206) 658-3225

I was introduced to the new Google Voice service by other bloggers here on Active Rain - thanks for the heads up. Already having had a Grand Central account (purchased by Google) that had been practically mothballed, I logged into try out the new services available. If you don't have an account yet, you can sign up on the waiting list for an "invitation" at voice.google.com.

For those unfamiliar, Google Voice allows you to select a new, local phone number for free (local area code being key for real estate pros). This number can be used as your "gateway" phone number for your web-based business.

From this new number, you can assign multiple phones for your office, home, mobile, and even other members of your real estate team to receive calls. If you want all 5 to ring at once, no problem. The first person to answer takes the call. If someone goes on vacation, simply log in, uncheck their phone, and they're off the "hotline" until they get back. This is all free.

Along with this basic service, there are also custom voicemail settings, text transcription of voicemail (which I'm still not sold on), call screening, custom greetings, caller ID, and online calling widgets (place a button on your web site to call you directly). Did I mention this is all - free?

Since you can select how the caller ID shows up (see above), do you take calls from your Google Voice number and assign a distinct ringtone to notify you that this is a new web lead? Or, do you allow the caller's phone number to show up on your phone so that you can identify their area code right away or call them back if needed? You can go back and track all calls on the Google Voice account online, either way, so there's no loss of data, just a short-term response difference.

The one paid feature I've looked into so far is picking a new number. Google gives you the first number for free, so pick it well. You can buy a new one for $10, which is cheap for a business line. However, most of the numbers are not very attractive, it seems that most business-like phone numbers have been sold off elsewhere.

As usual, Google does not disappoint. The phones are ringing, voicemail and tracking are working fine, and I enjoy hearing my "New Lead" ringtone every time it goes off. I do wish they had a schedule, where I could send the calls to voicemail after 10 pm, as does my wife. It would also be great to be able to port your current phone number over to Google Voice, but that's not yet available. I know, beggars can't be choosers...but we can be beggars.

I'm just left wondering, when will the day come that all of my wonderful free Google services will show up with a big fat monthly bill?

Sam DeBord
Seattle Homes and Seattle Condos For Sale at SeattleHome.com and SeattleCondo.com
Assoc. Broker, RE/MAX Connected, Seattle
(206) 658-3225