About Seattle's West Seattle

This time of year when the days are short and the football season is long, people spend more time inside watching TV, videos and playing games. Is your family room or basement comfy and inviting or is it messy, cold and uncomfortable?

Designing a media room can run anywhere from a several hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands. The variables include the video and audio equipment itself, installation, and of course the number of changes you make to the physical structure of the house.

The project on the left is from a whole house that had been remodeled. That simple, clean media room was set up to create a comfortable place to watch TV.The investment in media equipment was relatively minor.

The project on the right is from a basement remodel that was completely gutted and refurbished to provide an office, media room, and family room all in one.

If you like these pictures, look here to get lots more media room ideas from great remodeling professionals in West Seattle, Kirkland, Redmond and Seattle.

HomeSavvi helps homeowners find the best resources to make their homes the place of their dreams - even on a budget. Come visit us in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Atlanta to get great ideas and expert advice from local remodeling professionals.

Windermere West Seattle - Fauntleroy

This is one of the best Windermere offices in Seattle and located at the Morgan Junction, the Fauntleroy office is home to some of the finest Windermere agents in all of West Seattle. As a member of the Wall Street Inc. group of Windermere offices Fauntleroy Inc joins the Alaska Junction office in providing the best customer service and "experience when it counts."

I can honestly say, that since I joined the team here at Windermere Fauntleroy that I have been greeted and welcomed into a wonderful family of agents that truly have a passion for the industry and a genuine integrity that is hard to come by in this industry. I guess like all things real estate when it comes down to it it's always "location, location, location."

West Seattle has so many great affordable real estate opportunities that help you stay minutes from downtown Seattle without paying the outrageous price tag of living downtown (Plus, you can actually have a yard) But it's not just the real estate, it's the community.

If you've ever had the opportunity to take a stroll down California Ave then you already know how great this little slice of urban living can be. A perfect evening could start from pizza at Zeek's Pizza to Cupcake Royale at Alaska Junction on down to Alki for a walk on the beach. If it were a little warmer you might think you were in Southern California, but I have to say the air is much fresher and the people are a lot friendlier here in West Seattle.

No wonder the agents at Windermere Fauntleroy are so great to be around, but it's not just the location - here people count too.

1. Capers

This is one of the best little interior design shops in Seattle. They have fabulous accessories and if you are looking for smaller-scale "bungalow-sized" furniture, this is the place to go.

CAPERS 4521 California Ave SW Seattle, WA 98116-4110 (206) 932-0371

2. Fresh Bistro

Fresh Bistro is my new favorite restaurant. It was started by Seattle Catering Company Herban Feast. Not only do they have wonderfully fresh ingredients, but their recipes are truly inspired.

http://www.herbanfeast.com/freshbistro/ 4725 42nd Ave SW, Seattle, WA‎ - (206) 935-3733‎

3. Shoofly Pie Company

If you are going to have a piece of pie, Shoofly Pie is the place to have it. If you want to make your own pie but don't want to mess with the dough, buy some fresh Shoofly dough and knock yourself out!

4444 California Ave SW Seattle, WA 98116 (206) 938-0680

I know that wine is a great love for many of us living here in Seattle, but making it AND getting a degree for it? South Seattle Community College, located in the West Seattle area, is now offering a program that awards Certificates and AA degrees for South Seattle Community College wine making (through the Northwest Wine Academy), which pairs well with their award winning Culinary Arts Program.

South Seattle Community College can help jump start your career in wine making, as well as help you with current trends, wine marketing and advertising, wine sales, & food and pairing. Right now, with the economy becoming increasingly difficult, this is a great time to refine your skills to stay marketable or to learn something new that will deepen your knowledge in one of the industries that will remain for years to come!! As most of you may have full-time jobs already, this is the perfect class for you since most of them are in the evenings so no excuses for dipping your feet into the wine and hospitality industry!

To enroll in classes at South Seattle Community College and learn more about this fabulous program, click on the bottle---

My goodness, how loudly can I yell this, "THE REAL ESTATE BOTTOM IS PAST, WE ARE ON THE WAY UP." As with all of us that have been around for several years, this too has passed. I am having more and more buyers looking, calling, texting, e-mailing, and plan old talking, about real estate. My buyers are getting serious, and my sellers are getting realistic. We, as Real Estate professionals must get out the word, we are through the recovery phase and on the way to prosperity.

Blog in on your success stories. What have you done to help the buzz of us being whole again? As for me, I found that all the old school work is the best. Talking with my clients in person, handwritten notes, and those wonderful little gifts that I drop off unexpectedly. My clients love me, love the honestly, and refer me to their friends, family and neighbors. They even know how to get a hold of me anytime for any of their real estate needs, and personal support.

I am Bill Darnell and proud to be a Realtor(r)