The Highlands neighborhood, just North of Seattle on the Puget Sound, is a highly-regarded, but not well-known neighborhood to the average Seattle citizen. This gated community resides just between the Seattle Golf Club and the waterfront, with just two entrances to the 100 home enclave. Home sales in the Highlands normally don't show up in MLS records, as many sales are intra-family, off-market sales, or long-expired listings, since luxury homes often take a year or two to sell.
While the prices of homes in this neighborhood are certainly exclusive (minimum $1.5 million, with many homes over $5 million), there is no air of flashiness or McMansion architecture. Most lots in the Highlands are around two acres, and the homes, built anywhere from 1900 to today, are mostly historic colonials, tudors, and the like, with a variety of contemporaries mixed in. The windy, wooded streets and long, private driveways allow each home owner to create their own vision for their estate without a neighbor's home towering in view. While there are a few "waterfront homes" on the high banks of the Sound, there is a railroad line running along the shore and the rail company owns the rights to the actual waterfront. Some owners do have tideland rights, and many have spectacular water views of the Sound and the Olympic Mountains.
As you reach the round-the-clock security gate off N 145th St just West of Greenwood Ave, you pass the Seattle Golf Club, a totally separate entity, that is highly-utilized by residents of the Highlands. Your GPS probably won't help you find a home's address, as the neighborhood has its own numbering system for its private roads. Most homes have a placard with the owner's last name next to the drive, since privacy is less of an issue in this private setting. Addresses are listed as The Highlands, Seattle WA 98177 and Shoreline WA 98177.
The Highlands functions much like its own city. Once an unincorporated suburb of Seattle, it later became part of Shoreline, which was incorporated in 1995. It was first platted in the 1890s, and much of the home building began in the 1920s. The Highlands has it has its own water source, street maintenance, and grounds keepers. Seattle City Light has a utility easement for the electrical service, but nearly all other functions are covered by the Highlands residents.
There is a homeowner's association in the Highlands that covers capital projects, security, and regular maintenance. Owners are assessed homeowners dues in a two-part valuation, with roughly one half as an equal member in the community, and the other half based on their lot size. There is a chapel, a preschool, tennis courts, and a pool. All real estate purchases must go before a Review Board and are subject to a sizable move-in fee.
Many famous Seattle residents are associated with the Highlands, including the Olmsted Brothers who designed the neighborhood. Boeing, Stimson, McGavick and Nordstrom are just some of the names of families who lived or built homes in the Highlands.
The Highlands is the ultimate in luxury Seattle real estate for privacy, upscale living, and a traditional, historic feel. Just having a chance to drive through this neighborhood allows one to experience a great piece of Seattle history that has been seen by only a small slice of the local population.
Current Real Estate Listings in The Highlands
