Seattle Area Puget Sound & Lake Waterfront Real Estate

Reduce Goose on the Loose

2008-04-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Geese can be a troublesome part of local lakefront living for some. Geese love wide open manicured grass that comes to the water's edge, like many home owners have. Lawns provide them with foraging spots and open sight lines with no hiding places for predators. The main downside for many waterfront owners: what the geese leave behind...

The easiest way to get rid of geese on your lawn is to create a native vegetation buffer between your lawn and the water. This blocks the sight lines and access routes that geese prefer, and they will move on to open lawns elsewhere. Choose native vegetation of varying heights so that you can frame and enhance your views, with a majority of low lying bushes and native ground cover so that your views are maintained at your eye level but not at the geese's eye level.

This also provides other benefits to your property. Native vegetation buffers such as this help filter pollutants from your lawn before they enter the lake, and they provide insects for fish and birds. Also, in the rare event of severe wind that creates a lot of high wave action, the larger vegetation will protect your soil and landscaping from erosion far better than grass.

What To Do About Noxious Aquatic Weeds

2008-03-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

"Noxious" aquatic weeds are defined as non-native plants that, once established, are destructive to the local ecosystem, competitive with other plants, or difficult to control. You want to avoid these, but they get into our waterways through a thousand different avenues: bottoms of unclean boats, wind and wave movement, natural spreading, animals, etc. Common weeds in King County lakes include Eurasion water milfoil, fragrant water lily, purple loose-strife, and yellow iris.

So, what to do if you start noticing aquatic weeds taking over your lakefront shallow waters? A very good resource is the King County Noxious Weed Control Program. You can contact them for information, ask questions, and get advice on how to get your particular situation under control.

Catching an infestation early is important since large scale infestations can be expensive and time consuming to treat, plus may require a number of permits. So, preventive medicine is good. And cooperation among neighbors is also important... Weeds don't stop at invisible property lines.

King County Shoreline Master Program recent results

2008-03-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest update from King County on the public input process to proposed changes of our local Shoreline Master Program:

Preliminary King County responses to public comments received on the draft Shoreline Master Program update from October – December 2007 are now available. Phone message comments were received until September 2007; due to a technical error phone messages after that period were not recorded.

King County plans to release a third public review draft in late summer 2008 and hold a series of public meetings in fall 2008 before transmitting the Proposed Shoreline Master Program to King County Council in November, 2008.

Shoreline Fact Sheets
Draft Shoreline Master Program (September 2007)

King County commissioned a phone survey in winter 2007 to help understand public goals and priorities for managing shorelines. Results are available from the Shorelines Public Survey Findings page.

King County will release a third public review draft in late summer 2008 and hold a series of public meetings in fall 2008 before transmitting the Proposed Shoreline Master Program to King County Council in November, 2008.

Please send an email to shorelines@kingcounty.gov if you have any questions.

Best Puget Sound Beaches

2007-11-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

In addition to your own private beachfront, there are many terrific long expanses of public beachfront around the Seattle area of Puget Sound. Here some of the best beaches close in to the city. Be sure to explore further out for many others as well, including terrific parks in Tacoma, Vashon Island, and much more.

Best Sand Beaches

Marina Beach - Edmonds

Meadowdale Park - Edmonds

Richmond Beach - Shoreline

Carkeek Park - North Seattle

Golden Gardens - North Seattle

Discovery Park - Magnolia

Alki Beach - West Seattle

Dash Point State Park - Federal Way

Best Beach Walks

With a stroller:

Alki Beach - West Seattle

Lincoln Park - West Seattle

With a day-pack:

Meadowdale Park - Edmonds

Discovery Park - Magnolia

Best Beach Picnics

Kayak Point Regional Park - Marysville

Richmond Beach - Shoreline

Seahurst Park - Burien

Saltwater State Park - Des Moines

Dash Point State Park - Federal Way

Best for Sea Creatures

Howarth Park - Everett

Brackett's Landing - Edmonds

Seahurst Park - Burien

Best Beaches with Playgrounds

Marina Beach - Edmonds

Richmond Beach - Shoreline

Golden Gardens - North Seattle

Seahurst Park - Burien

Saltwater State Park - Des Moines

Best Beaches for Fires

(in designated fire pits only)

Golden Gardens - North Seattle

Alki Beach - West Seattle

New Puget Sound Radio Show

2007-10-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

People for Puget Sound, in conjunction with KSVR 91.7 FM, is beginning a new radio talk show centered around Puget Sound and its environment, people, history, and current topics of interest. The program will air Tuesdays at 5:00 pm on the community based radio station that transmits from Skagit Valley College in Mt Vernon.

Upcoming topics for the next 5 weeks include: Puget Sound Partnership, how to prevent a major oil spill and the related importance of tug boats, Hood Canal update, interview with Governor Gregoire regarding plans for restoring the health of Puget Sound, awareness of toxins in personal care products, and early maritime explorers of the Sound.

The programs will also be archived for online listening any time at either the radio station website or on People for Puget Sound's web page devoted to the show.

King County Shoreline Management Program updates

2007-10-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

As I wrote about before, King County is now in its second phase of updating local Shoreline Management Program designations, policies, and regulations. This is a good opportunity for you to learn about existing and proposed regulations, as well as contribute your thoughts and opinions on the topic.

The county provided a good overview of their upcoming events, which I'll quote here for your info:

Learn more.
· Visit the King County Shorelines Web site to review the first draft of the updated Shoreline Master Program. Hard copies of the draft will also be made available in public libraries and community service centers in October 2007.
· Schedule a special presentation for your organization by contacting Mary Rabourn at 206-296-1977. (Meetings will be scheduled based on staff availability.)
· Attend an upcoming Open House near you (dates below) to learn about what is new in the draft Shoreline Master Program and the King County Comprehensive Plan, ask staff questions and provide your comments:

Public Meetings - Draft Shoreline Master Program and Comprehensive Plan
· Oct. 11, 2007: Cascade View Elem. School / Snoqualmie, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
· Oct. 15, 2007: Vashon-Maury Island UAC meeting / Vashon, 7:30 - 9 p.m.
· Oct. 16, 2007: Kentridge High School / Kent, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
· Oct. 18, 2007: White Center Heights Elem. School / Seattle, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

How to submit comments.
1. Online: Visit the New King County Shorelines Web site to submit comments, sign up to receive e-mail updates or look up information about a shoreline area: www.metrokc.gov/shorelines/
2. Email comments: CompPlanAndShorelines@kingcounty.gov
3. Mail written comments:Attn: Shoreline TeamKing County Department of Natural Resources and Parks201 S. Jackson St., Ste. 600Seattle, WA 98104

What's next?
· Fall/Winter 2007 – Public meetings for review and comment on the revised draft program.
· December 28, 2007 – Deadline for public comments
· March 2008 – King County Executive will transmit a proposed Shoreline Master Program Update to the Metropolitan King County Council for review, public hearings and adoption.

National Flood Insurance Program up for Vote

2007-09-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is up for a vote again, and this insurance provides important affordable coverage for people in many areas of the Seattle / Puget Sound region. Most home owner insurance policies do not cover flood damage, and many home owners are not even aware that they have no coverage in this area. The NFIP covers obvious areas such as rivers overflowing their banks into property, yet many people also don't know that it includes high tidal/wave action on the Sound, land movement due to heavy rains, mudslides, and related catastrophes that could potentially destroy a home and yet not be covered by the home's regular insurance. With our area's huge expanses of Sound and lake coastline, and our steep terrain with homes perched on fragile hillsides to maximize views, this can be important insurance for many home owners in many different locations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mitigation Division manages the program, and it is federally subsidized so the rates are lower than would otherwise be available through private insurance (though of course there is the hidden generalized cost in our taxes to pay for the subsidy). Private insurers have been steering away from flood insurance over the years. Many high risk areas do not even have realistic private flood insurance options, and NFIP fills the void.

The legislation under consideration this week is HR 3121 Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007. This resolution extends the program for 5 years, increases coverage limits and inclusions, adds optional wind coverage, and other items. If this is of interest to you and your community, I recommend calling your Congressperson and expressing support. Later this year the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs will be creating its own NFIP reform bill as well.

Personal Use of 1031 Exchange Vacation Homes

2007-09-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

1031 tax deferred exchanges, which allow the owner of an investment property to roll over gains into another "similar" investment property without paying taxes on the gains, can include personal vacation homes. However, the personal use of a vacation home must officially be restricted, usually keeping personal use to under 14 days a year or less than 10% of the time it is rented out.

There have been recent court cases clarifying the allowable personal usage of vacation homes, and what distinguishes between allowable and non-allowable properties for making a 1031 exchange at time of sale. A recent sale and 1031 exchange of a lakefront second home for another larger waterfront home tested some of these boundaries, and clarified some rules on the matter.

In general, there are several important aspects that a vacation home owner can do to demonstrate both intent and actual practice of maintaining a property for investment purposes. This includes: renting the property out and claiming the income, tracking expenses, depreciating the asset, deducting mortgage interest as an investment expense instead of a second home tax deduction, type of tax filings, and number of days of personal usage. Also, a property that is initially used mostly for personal use may be transitioned gradually over more to investment/rental use for a period prior to sale, and this could help justify a case that it was an investment property eligible for a 1031 tax deferred exchange. This is somewhat untested in the courts but some experts feel it could work if an exchange were questioned by the IRS.

There is likely an unexplored gray area between "personal usage" and "onsite maintaining of the property to uphold the investment value". If you are onsite for the purpose of maintaining and inspecting the property, then likely it would be beneficial to document this with receipts (from the hardware store or such) and a simple log of activities.

It is important to note that the IRS does not accept just market value appreciation of the property to be a valid justification for establishing a vacation home as an investment property. The IRS recognizes that a property can be left on its own for appreciation, but if it is used for personal purposes then it must be treated as investment property via intent and practice as discussed above, even if part of that does not include rental income.

There are a lot of options out there for people who already have a vacation home - or else want to purchase a second/vacation home - and would like to enjoy the benefits of rolling up their gains via a 1031 tax deferred exchange. This is especially the case for people who don't visit the property frequently and who also do advance accounting and tax planning practices in line with investment property approaches. Lots there to talk to your tax and legal advisors about, but very intriguing...

Tideland Ownership: Private vs. Public

2007-05-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

Tideland ownership can be confusing and conflicting for some waterfront owners, since property ownership varies between communities and even between nearby local properties within Washington. In Oregon, all beaches are considered public, and private ownership starts above the mean high water mark. In Washington on the other hand, the state sold about 70% of it's tidelands to private upland property owners between the time of statehood and 1971.

If a property comes with tideland ownership, that generally refers to ownership of the land exposed between the lower low water mark to the mean high water mark. The lower low water mark is rarely exposed, and only at minus tides. There are occasional technical differences to the high water mark, where government meander lines were instead used as approximations.

Land below the low water mark is generally public, although there is "underwater land" ownership in some places, mostly used for the purposes of shellfish harvesting. This public land under the water comes under the jurisdiction of the Aquatic Lands Division of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

So, depending upon where one is located and how the property ownership was exchanged over the years, beach ownership for waterfront owners varies from property to property. As a matter of civility, it's always important to respect the "front yards" of waterfront property owners no matter what the particular ownership rights. Even if the beach is public, visitors should address loitering, garbage removal, noise, and such just as they would want people to act right beside their own home elsewhere.

Ever wonder what it's like inside a houseboat?

2007-05-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

Because of my specialization in waterfront homes, KIRO TV contacted me this week about doing a story on houseboat living in the Seattle Lake Union area. The reporter, Michael Fox, was interested to show people what a houseboat was like both inside and outside, especially for people who had never been on one before.

So I took them on a personal tour of a current listing of mine that was then located at a prime end of dock view spot on the Ship Canal leading to the lake, and we got together for a nice sunny day on the water.

To see the houseboat tour KIRO iWitness video:

www.kirotv.com/video/13227960

More info about this Seattle house boat WaterHaven

Community funds available for waterfront projects

2007-04-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

King County has a Grant Exchange Program that brings together different local grant and technical assistance projects to protect watersheds and shoreline habitats. If your community has an idea for an applicable project, you can apply for up to $50,000 in assistance as well as implementation support.

The programs primarily target the following: watershed protection, habitat restoration, reforestation, salmon conservation, and natural resource stewardship. The Grant Exchange is described as a clearinghouse of grant and technical assistance programs offered by the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks with the goals of protecting and enhancing the environment, increasing community stewardship, and providing expertise and consultation to projects.

Last year King County awarded 69 stewardship grants totaling over $1 Million, and this amount leveraged the addition of another $2.4 Million to the grantees.

Deadline for applications is May 15th. Contact Ken Pritchard at 206-296-8265 for more info.

Elliott Bay Water Taxi is back in service

2007-04-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Elliott Bay Water Taxi service - that takes passengers between West Seattle dock at Seacrest Park and downtown at Pier 55 by Spring Street - is back in operation starting April 29th and runs through September 30th this year. There is also an associated free shuttle bus that connects the dock at Seacrest Park to Alki, Admiral District, and West Seattle Junction. It operates 7 days a week and operates throughout the day, with more frequent crossings during commute hours. Fare is $3, and numerous passes and associated discounts are accepted.

A community celebration will be held opening day on Sunday April 29th, including music, family activities, and free rides on the Water Taxi all day.

Safety on the Sound 2007

2007-04-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

For all of you boaters out there: A large array of educational and water safety organizations will be hosting Safety on the Sound 2007 at the Des Moines Marina, 22307 Dock Ave S, on Saturday May 12th from 10am - 2pm.

Participants include US Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 32, Puget Sound Keeper Alliance, South King Fire and Rescue, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, Safe Kids Program, Boaters World Inc., United States Power Squadron and Poverty Bay Squadron, City of Des Moines Marina, and the King County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit.

Should be informative and helpful as we get ready for a new boating season upon us!

Seahurst Underwater and Beach Web Cam

2007-04-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

The University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory and the Occupational Skills Center Marine Technology Center have joined together to provide a near-real-time web camera on the Seahurst Park beach and another web camera located underwater just off the shore. You can see what is currently happening in those two locations, and can also obtain time lapse video that quickly spans an entire day of underwater activity, selected video events of interest, motion capture images, and data plots.

In-depth Wetlands Course

2007-03-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

If you own or are considering purchase of property with wetlands, which can include anything from boggy areas to full waterfront properties on large bodies of water, then you may be interested to attend an in-depth two day course that teaches about many aspects of properties with wetlands:

Functions and values of wetlands
How wetlands are identified and classified
Regulations involved when buying and selling properties with wetlands
Wetland mitigation
Wetland mitigation banking
Working with wetland consultants
The role of land trusts in regard to wetland properties
Afternoon field trip to a wetland

Date: Wednesday & Thursday, April 18 & 19, 2007
Times: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Place: Lacey Community Center (directions sent upon registration)
Fee: $180, includes resource binder, lunch, and morning refreshments

For more information, contact Kelly Martin (360-786-5445 ext 7915 or Martink@co.thurston.wa.us) or Karen Janowitz (360-786-5445 ext 7918 or janowitz@wsu.edu).

Waterfront Encroachments and Easements

2007-03-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Seattle PI recently raised awareness again about the efforts of the local volunteer group Friends of Street Ends, which works toward ensuring public access to the approximately 148 different street ends that run directly into Lake Washington, Lake Union, Ship Canal, and Puget Sound. They are trying to maintain, create, or open up these public property street ends as miniature waterfront access points and mini-parks for the local community. Recent negotiations regarding a specific street end on Lake Washington were reported, plus how it had all gone before the state Shorelines Hearing Board. In a somewhat unusual result, it seems that both the community and the adjoining affected waterfront property owners are fairly happy with the end result (which dictated that private/public stairs did not need to be replaced/relocated by the waterfront property owners). The owners were concerned about public intrusions onto their private property, as well as safety and disturbances that sometimes come with next-door public access, but hopefully the local community will be respectful of their rights to quiet enjoyment.

Waterfront property is valuable for its aesthetics, beauty, and access to public waterways. This sometimes creates friction when private property owners want their expensive private property privacy, and local inland community members want to share in their public access rights to the same bodies of water. Over many decades, variations on this idea also have created a very interesting and unusual array of encroachments and easements on some waterfront properties, and these are rarer to find in non-waterfront properties. Here are some examples to be on the lookout for, so that you can make your own informed decisions regarding any effects on your current or future property's values and enjoyment:

1) Encroachments onto public right-of ways. This includes the street ends mentioned above, but may also extend onto adjoining parks, boat ramps, and other examples. A survey and determination of surrounding properties can help address these questions.

2) Encroachments onto private property. Fences, old shacks, overhangs of buildings, shared walking paths or steps down an embankment, and many other types of encroachments can create issues of "understood" ownership that are contradicted by a professional survey. If next door to a commercial property, the same situations can apply there also.

3) Adverse possession. Examples such as the encroachments above, or even just access provided over many years across a person's property to the water, can create adverse possession. Adverse possession in Washington is basically "open and notorious" use of another's property continuously for over 10 years, and it can create a situation where the trespasser can claim legal right to ownership of the property even though another person actually owned the physical space per legal descriptions. I have significant qualms with that concept, but it exists nonetheless and does come up from time to time due to waterfront values and long forgotten sloppy maintenance of property lines and official permissions for accessing property. There are ways around it where a neighbor can provide access or temporary/ongoing use while still ensuring that the property will never fall under adverse possession (you can contact me for basic info and an attorney to really do it).

4) Easements. Easements are a way of life on some waterfront properties. Older communities may have a mish mash of access easements that go from inland properties and across some waterfront properties. This may have been exchanged among friends, or been part of a land deal, or sold for a relatively small exchange of value, but most importantly it usually doesn't hold any value to new owners and is only a potential source of friction regarding access rights across their property.

I personally was involved in a waterfront deal where one property encroached on an adjoining property by 5 feet, and the 5 foot encroachment rippled across 5 different properties in a row until the last one was effectively shorted 5 feet. This situation was not discovered until years after the initial encroachment (by a professional survey team who repeated their work three times due to the controversy it created). Was there ever a lot of discussion and negotiations that resulted out of that surprise finding!

The take-away from all this: it's very important to check existing surveys, information on surrounding properties, and all aspects of a full title search, plus ask around regarding any possibilities of adverse possession. All of that is not a 100% solution, but it certainly can go a long way toward eliminating surprises later.

Tax Relief for People Affected by November Floods

2007-02-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

If the record November 2006 floods adversely affected your home, business, or place where tax-related records are kept, you are eligible to receive various forms of tax relief this year. King County was included with 10 other Washington state counties in the Presidential Disaster Area resulting from storms, flooding, mudslides, and landslides that occurred throughout the state in November.

Most of the relief areas include significant time extensions across a wide range of filing dates, both for personal and business forms. Also, individuals may deduct personal property losses that were not covered by insurance or other forms of reimbursement.

If any of this may apply to you, consult your tax advisor to utilize the relief areas and to obtain more specifics for your particular situation.

King County Shoreline Master Program to be Updated

2007-02-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

The state Department of Ecology has mandated that King County update its Shoreline Master Program by 2009, part of a review and overhaul of the over 30 year old Shoreline Master Program throughout the state. This update could have potential ramifications for waterfront properties, although it is generally expected that the recent regulations brought on by the King County Critical Areas Ordinance will already cover most updates that would be deemed necessary. King County has also taken a lesson from the sometimes controversial and contentious process that resulted from the Critical Areas Ordinance's implementation, this time rolling out the process and drafts in a slower fashion with public inputs encouraged at each step. The Shoreline Master Program and CAO have the interests of the environment and larger community in mind, while sometimes these regulations may clash with the property rights interests of owners along shorelines who prefer more leeway in what they can do with their property.

The Shoreline Management Act applies to marine shorelines, rivers with a flow greater than 20 cubic feet per second, lakes larger than 20 acres, upland areas within 200 feet of these water bodies, floodplains, and wetlands associated with these shorelines. The act covers land use, public access, archaeological / historical resources, and ecology.

King County has recently distributed a draft map of areas where the Shoreline Master Program updates may apply. County representatives are also holding four public input meetings, two of which occurred last week in Carnation and Enumclaw. The next two are on Tuesday February 13 5:30-8:30 pm in Maple Valley and Thursday February 15 5:30-8:30 pm on Vashon Island. Public comments are also being accepted by mail, email, phone, or at the meetings.

The projected timeline for the next steps in the process includes a draft of the revised county plan for this June, a second updated draft in the fall, and a final version for presentation to the King County Council in March 2008. DOE requires that the county have a finalized plan completed and submitted by December 2009.

Shoreline Development and Natural Processes Class

2007-02-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Washington State University Extension Water Resources Leadership Team is providing a full day class - intended for both real estate professionals and waterfront property owners - that details impacts of shoreline development and how to best work with natural processes that occur along shorelines. I've been to a similar class in the past and it was quite interesting and informative; it includes classroom time plus a shoreline field visit to have hands-on discussion and learning.

The instructors will cover the following topics:
Natural shoreline processes
Bluff processes
Signs and risks of landslides
Avoiding natural hazards
Issues of human modifications, including bulkheads
Shoreline stabilization
When to contact a consultant
Alternative methods of erosion control
Regulatory framework
Field visit to a shoreline site (wear weather appropriate clothes)

The class is 8:30am - 4:30pm way out in Shelton (about 1.5 hour drive from Seattle) and costs $120 (which includes materials, refreshments, and lunch). Contact and registration information is available on their website.

Burien Puget Sound Shoreline Properties Survey

2007-02-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

This week engineers and surveyors will be walking the beaches of Burien home owners to produce a "Base Flood Elevation Study" for determining normal water levels and to pinpoint potential flood hazard areas. They will be taking photographs, measuring bulkheads, and surveying aspects of the shoreline, but will not trespass onto upland property without owner permission first.

Most people think of rivers, reservoirs, and lakes for flooding, but large tidal water bodies can also be considered potential flood zones when storms occur (usually if timed with high tides) that raise the water level onto surrounding properties. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) establishes maps to show base flood elevations along the shorelines, and these can affect home owners who have or want to obtain flood insurance since the rates will be at least partly based on the flooding potential as described in these maps.

The study will be completed in April and made available to all local residents after FEMA approves the results. The study will be made available at Burien City Hall, and it will also be posted on the Burien city website.

For additional information you can contact Project Planner Morgan Wilson at 253-209-4746 or Burien Building Official Lee Bailey at 206-248-5523.

Seahurst Park Night Creatures

2007-02-04T22:06:00.000-08:00

Come visit Seahurst Park on the Puget Sound shores of Burien to experience the beach creatures that come out on a low tide winter evening. The event will be led by naturalists from the Environmental Science Center and People for Puget Sound, who will provide hot drinks. They'll have a glowing bonfire to gather around and share stories before walking the beaches at night to educate you, your friends, and family about many things you likely did not know before. Prior starlight walks have been a big success with a great turn-out, and I've found them to be very fun and educational.

Be sure to bring weather and temperature appropriate clothing, good flashlights, and waterproof boots.

Date: Saturday February 17
Time: Starts at 7:30pm
For additional information: 206-988-3712

Dock Permitting and Regulations Seminar

2007-01-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

The Shoreline Property Owners and Contractors Association (SPOCA) is sponsoring a seminar on dock permitting rules and regulations, shading, grating, construction time windows, and mitigation requirements for shoreline property owners. The seminar will be held at the 2007 Seattle Boat Show in Seattle's Qwest Field Event Center at the following times: Monday January 29th 1:00pm, Tuesday January 30 3:00pm, and Wednesday January 31 5:00pm.

SPOCA is a contractor-created organization led primarily by waterfront construction interests, and they are trying to expand their membership to private waterfront property owners. They aim to reduce and streamline shoreline environmental regulations, which you may or may not agree with but the seminar should be interesting and informative for anyone considering a new dock, dock repairs, or dock modifications.

Olympic Sculpture Park on Seattle Waterfront

2007-01-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

The Emerald City has another jewel in its crown: the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park on the waterfront of downtown Seattle. It officially opens to the public Saturday and Sunday January 20-21, and I recommend stopping by for a stroll when you are next in the area.

Whatever your particular tastes and however you may feel about the modern sculptures represented throughout the park, it's a bold urban move in a prime development spot that ended up being preserved for public space and urban lifestyle. It also connects the city core literally with the water again: it has returned 850 feet of shoreline back to a more naturally sloped and publicly accessible topography, right in the middle of downtown Seattle.

The meandering path and architectural control emphasizes integration with the art, yet the views are expansive outwards to Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountain range, downtown skyscrapers, ferry traffic, and even Mt Rainier. One stop shopping for all the local classics there.

And perhaps one of the most impressive feats is invisible to the casual visitor: $64M of the park's $85M total were from private donors, not from government tax sources.

For good information, check out the Seattle Times guide to the park. It includes entertaining pictures from a hundred years ago, virtual tours, how the park was built, and more.

2006 Waterfront Market In Review

2007-01-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

2006 has come and gone, and it was yet another terrific year for WaterHavens everywhere. Waterfront real estate has risen with the general market throughout the year, and in many cases outperformed market averages. This is a normal occurrence: waterfront is always more desirable and tends to be a better investment than non-waterfront real estate. And if a down market ever occurs in the future, waterfront will still be the most desirable and first to sell if priced appropriately.

First, a review of the general King County real estate market: in December 2006, house prices increased 12% for the year and arrived at a median price of $440,000, while condo prices rose an astounding 21% to a median $270,000. For all combined residential properties, median was $399,900 and average was $477,845. Available inventory has risen and average time on market has recently taken longer than a year ago, yet prices have continued to rise.

Strong underlying fundamentals continue to drive our market strength: low interest rates continue, alternative mortgage models, strong job growth and professional economy, and lifestyle desirability of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Condos continue to be in demand due to demographic and age trends, second homes, investments/rentals, urban lifestyle movement, downsizing and simplifying, and continuation of having many singles or childless couples in the Seattle metro area. These large appreciation increases won't continue forever, but current outlook for 2007 indicates a stable market with lower - but still positive - appreciation.

Now for the actual waterfront property sale price results of each local waterfront community for all of 2006. I have compiled all of this specific data for house and floating home properties (in west to east / north to south order), and at the end I have also provided general aggregate information for condominiums (since condo waterfront status is not as clearly tracked in the MLS as with houses) and vacant land.

Here's a key to reading this data:
Number of houses from lowest to highest sale price, average list price / average actual sale price / average cost per square foot / average days on market.

NORTHWEST SEATTLE lakes: 6 from $350,000 - $994,000, list $625,408 / sale $634,667 / $285 sf / 113 days.

MAGNOLIA Sound: 2 from $899,000 - $1,500,000, list $1,224,500 / sale $1,199,500 / $1,087 sf / 261 days.

WEST SEATTLE Sound: 10 from $390,000 - $1,928,000, list $1,257,890 / sale $1,240,816 / $466 sf / 126 days.

BURIEN Sound and lakes: 11 from $250,000 to $1,300,000, list $914,350 / sale $840,277 / $339 sf / 160 days.

NORMANDY PARK Sound: 3 from $1,450,000 to $1,950,000, list $1,831,667 / sale $1,666,667 / $461 sf / 239 days.

DES MOINES Sound: 4 from $625,000 - $1,600,000, list $1,067,500 / sale $1,023,250 / $379 sf / 164 days.

FEDERAL WAY Sound and lakes: 11 from $302,500 - $1,770,000, list $719,400 / sale $698,209 / $268 sf / 134 days.

SEATTLE Lake Union houseboats: 17 from $158,500 to $1,385,000, list $514,135 / sale $484,300 / $466 sf / 108 days.

NORTHEAST SEATTLE Lake Washington: 13 from $940,000 - $4,250,000, list $2,761,531 / sale $2,619,692 / $642 sf / 80 days.

SOUTHEAST SEATTLE Lake Washington: 5 from $985,000 - $1,775,000, list $1,437,331 / sale $1,395,333 / $480 sf / 56 days.

MERCER ISLAND Lake Washington: 22 from $1,100,000 - $6,200,000, list $3,524,136 / sale $3,304,955 / $774 sf / 317 days.

KENMORE Lake Washington: 3 from $1,410,000 - $1,605,000, list $1,606,667 / sale $1,530,000 / $464 sf / 52 days.

KIRKLAND Lake Washington: 3 from $2,400,000 - $6,175,000, list $5,087,667 / sale $4,525,000 / $816 sf / 397 days.

HUNTS POINT Lake Washington: 10 from $2,100,000 - $8,700,000, list $5,362,600 / sale $5,113,834 / $1,179 sf / 353 days.

MEDINA Lake Washington: 9 from $2,570,000 - $15,000,000, list $6,309,889 / sale $6,093,889 / $1,191 sf / 308 days.

BELLEVUE Lake Washington: 13 from $1,300,000 - $4,300,000, list $2,906,077 / sale $2,709,064 / $649 sf / 166 days.

WEST LAKE SAMMAMISH: 18 from $930,000 - $7,600,000, list $2,220,417 / sale $2,192,483 / $516 sf / 98 days.

EAST LAKE SAMMAMISH: 9 from $1,199,000 - $2,100,000, list $1,722,444 / sale $1,683,000 / $600 sf / 91 days.

RENTON lakes: 18 from $495,950 - $2,645,000, list $894,461 / sale $881,775 / $292 sf / 98 days.

KENT lakes: 10 from $325,000 - $825,000, list $642,980 / sale $635,965 / $211 sf / 90 days.

AUBURN lakes: 4 from $349,950 - $690,000, list $496,975 / sale $494,738 / $258 sf / 59 days.

CONDOMINIUMS all local areas: list $506,773 / sale $496,207 / $371 sf / 61 days.

VACANT LAND all local areas: list $773,734 / sale $751,496 / 215 days.

To summarize all of the home sale price data above from all of the local waterfront communities:

Lowest: $158,500 (houseboat)
Highest: $15,000,000
Average: $1,806,860
Median: $1,187,000

Quite a year! Enjoy a WaterHaven. Our waterfront and waterview is the best in the world.

"Green" TV Show Casting Call for Normandy Park

2007-01-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

I was recently contacted by a television show producer who occasionally asks me for ideas on our local communities. She has chosen Normandy Park as where she wants to film a show with two families competing to make their homes "greener" and more energy efficient; the show pays for all of the upgrades and remodel costs. Good deal! If you or someone you know might be a match, tell me about yourselves and I'll make the introductions. Here is the concept description that the producer sent to me:

CASTING CALL: FAMILIES WHO WANT TO "GO GREEN"
The 2006 wind storm left many western Washington residents without power and influenced many New Year’s resolutions to include being aware of how much energy we really use and possibly abuse in our everyday lives. A renewed dedication to “go green” and reduce, reuse, recycle in 2007 is gaining momentum and Screaming Flea Productions is offering two local families the opportunity to do it on national TV!

The new program called “Green It Up!” will give two western Washington families an opportunity to explore their energy usage and will challenge them to green up their lifestyle with do-it-yourself home improvement projects we can all learn from. Each family will be given the resources to tackle projects, large and small, that will feature Earth-friendly materials, appliances, and concepts to be implemented and monitored over a month to see which home has improved the most. With rising energy costs, “Green It Up!” will show how families can save money AND the Earth’s precious resources at the same time.

DETAILS: We are looking for two families living in Normandy Park who would welcome a little green competition into their lives. Families with multiple children are preferable. Project materials/appliances for the show will be funded/provided by the production team.