Good question. You may have heard both good things and bad about Seattle real estate seminars. The truth is that there are some really good seminars presented from time to time and others that simply aren't worth your money. The trick is to find the good ones and ignore the bad.

How to find real estate seminars in Seattle that are worth attending

1. Who is running the seminar?

Find out everything that you can about the person running the seminar. Look behind the advertisements that are promoting the Seattle real estate seminar and find out more about the person that will be presenting. There are some smooth talkers that don't have a lot of statistics to back up what they are talking about. There are, on the other hand, a lot of great speakers they can give you quite an education about real estate investing and they are worth the price paid.

2. How much does it cost?

This is where it gets a bit tricky. You don't want to end up paying too much for a Seattlel real estate seminar, but you don't want to find one that's too cheap either. Seminars that are free or very low priced are usually designed to sell you something expensive, and in most cases the whole seminar can end up being a sales pitch. Seminars that are overpriced aren’t usually worth it either. You can find seminars that charge a fair price that are invaluable.

3. How big will the class be?

Call up the organizers of the seminar and ask how many people they expect to attend. The smaller the better since you will have a better chance to ask questions you need answered. If you end up at a seminar with 200 people, for example, chances are you won't be able to participate and get as much out of it as you would with one that is only seating about 50.

A good Seattle real estate seminar can be worth its weight in gold if you are serious about investing. The best way to learn is by following the steps of seasoned professionals that have honed their craft and have earned thousands of dollars by doing so.

This blog is courtesy of Adrian Willanger at Coldwell Banker Danforth & Associates 206 909-7536 helping people buy and sale homes in the Greater Seattle area.

Comparing the top quartile for each zip code.

Comparing the two zip codes just north of the Ship Cannel 98115 and 98117. Zip code 98115 is made up of the follwing communties: Roosevelt, Wegewood, Inverness, View Ridge, and the Sand Point Country. While the 98117 zip code is made up if the following communties: North Beach, Loyal Heights, Olymbic Manor and Crown Hill.

Price Trends

The median single family home price as of October 19 2011 for NE Seattle (zip code 98115) is $715,000 coming off the 3 year bottom in early October 2011 and trending upward. for NW Seattle (zip code 98117) is gowing the other way with the median price at $680,000.

The real estate industry generally uses "Median Price" instead of "Average Price" because a couple of high-end or low-end properties in a single zip code or city can skew the Average Price pretty quickly. Using Median (or the midpoint) gives a more accurate depiction of local price levels.

Homes for Sale

There are about 36 properties on the market in NE Seattle (zip code 98115) as of October 19 2011, and about 23 homes for sale in NE Seattle (zip code 98117).

Sales and Demand Trends

The average property in NE & NW Seattle (zip code 98115 and 98117) as of October 19, 2011 have been on the market for about 129 days. In comparison last year the homes in both zip codes were on the market for an average of 83-85 days.

For a more detailed breakdown of these areas contact Adrian Willanger 206 909-7536.

Few cities, if any, appeared on the scene over night (remember, "Rome wasn't built in a day?). Even well planned cities have taken unusual twists and turns along the way from ground breaking to current habitation. And no two cities have ever taken identical paths. Builders of condominium complexes establish and record a comprehensive set of rules and regulations for the future use of that which they build, as required by law. But there is a point when the people who have purchased the various units have greater interest in the complex than the builder and the balance of power shifts. The owners start to amend the rules and regulations. The landscaping changes. When more owners are involved in the day to day process of maintaining the property, the better the property becomes.

In many cases, when there is a predominance of rental units in the building, the property is not so well maintained. For this reason Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac require a high percentage of owner occupants or they will not accept the mortgage terms.

Cities usually have a cause attached to their location. A river allows for river transport of goods. The bay off an ocean demands a port. Mountain passes define routes, and where routes cross, trade has been going on for centuries.

Once a town or city has begun to grow, interested parties make rules and set up enforcement policies on how the inhabitants should get along. And as towns become cities the management becomes more complex.

City management systems include mayors and councils and more rules and regulations are made. There comes a time when the managers start asking neighborhoods to reoprt on their wants and needs. There comes a time when city managers tell the neighborhoods that they must plan for the future. They ask the neighborhoods how they are doing and how they want to grow.

Some neighborhoods heed the call and engage. The people that live in these neighborhoods meet and talk and tell the city managers how things are going. Neighborhoods are made up of people. Some academics like to do studies and they come up with things called demographics. These academics go deeper into there studies and say that if this then that. They start forgetting about the people that live in the neighborhoods.

You may think I'm wandering, but I am not. Seattle has asked it's 37 urban villages to come up with plans for growth and greater density. The Roosevelt neighborhood has done that. The Roosevelt neighborhood has come up with a zoning plan that allows for greater density and allows for a density that sustains a new light rail station to be built there. But certain elements fo the city are aligned with developers who have decided that blocks which they control would be better suited to growth and that the people who live in the neighborhood are just being selfish is wishing to control home their homes are impacted.

It's a sad day when communities loose control to developers. Don't let it happen to you. If you live in a Seattle neighborhood, support Roosevelt's Plan for the future. And Roosevelt will support your cause when the going gets tough. Great neighborhoods make great cities.

A neighborhood blogger in the Roosevelt neighborhood of Seattle came up with this idea. ParkaParty. If you would make a donation to the University District Food Bank, or any other, she would make an avatar of you in a snow filled scene, dressed in a parka. I started seeing avatars of some locals I know in parkas and had no idea what was going on. Preparations for Thanksgiving taking all of my time. I was distracted.

A few days before the holiday, Seattle received an unwarranted blast of winter. Four inches of snow or so and it was cold and the snow stayed. Harrumph! But Patty Campbell was busy promoting her cause. You can donate to most any food bank online these days, and all you need to do is send a receipt for your $10 or more contribution to any food bank to Patty and she'll dress you up. You probably can't buy a parka in Florida, but wouldn't you look smart in one of these?

There have been some live/work projects built in the Roosevelt neighborhood and there are more on the drawing board for this Seattle neighborhood. In 2010 Roosevelt will have a light rail station that will eventually connect the Northgate urban center with the University of Washington, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle, the Rainier Valley and SeaTac Airport. The line is complete and operational at this time from the airport to the downtown area. The expansion north will be welcomed by the residents. At present, cab-fare from downtown to the airport is $30-40 and a ride on the light-rail is $2.50.

That's all pretty much an aside to this article. The Roosevelt neighborhood is adjacent to the University of Washington and on an easy commute route to downtown Seattle. Under the direction of Mayor Mike McGinn, many streets in Seattle have been re-striped and bike lanes added. Roosevelt Way NE is no exception. I took a look at a Google map and see that there are 9 bike shops located within "walking with a flat tire" distance of the Roosevelt commute route.

The newest and handiest (to me) of these is Ride Bicycles located at 6029 Roosevelt Way NE in the new Knoll project: Roosevelt Live/Work Lofts in the 6000 block of Roosevelt Way NE. I stopped in to chat with Christiaan Bourdrez, the owner of ride bicycles. For a small shop Christiaan has an amazing amount of inventory from bikes, of course, to clothing, accessories and parts. Ride Bicycles also does expert repairs. They are currently offering an end of the year special on tune ups. Christiaan has been in the bike business off and on since 1991. He was a mechanic for a few years with the National Mountain Bike Race Circuit and did some Downhill Cat One racing. As a long time bike commuter himself, he has the knowledge, experience and skills to help you whether you are a new or seasoned rider. Stop in someday and say hi. There is a bike lane right in front of the store.