Kates Seattle Real Estate Blog

How to survive an earthquake is not what I learned as a child.  The following are extracts from Doug Copp's article on "The Triangle of Life":When buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void NEXT to them - NOT ...

Make an Emergency Survival Kit At a minimum, have the basic supplies listed below. Keep supplies in an easy ­to ­carry emergency preparedness kit that you can use at home or take with you in case you must evacuate. Water—one gallon per person, per day (3 ­day supply for evacuation) Food—non­peris...

Wondering what projects pay off when you plan to sell your home and are considering remodeling?  Recouping costs varies from state to state and city to city.  In the Seattle area, you'll get more bang for your buck with mid-range projects versus upscale remodels for your kitchen and baths: On ave...

I get a lot of questions about property tax assessment valuations. The King County Official Property Value Notices start coming out in April and you have only 2 months from the date of receipt to appeal your taxes, so let me give you an idea of how that works. Here's how property valuation is cal...

March 20 I climbed 1,311 stairs.  It was my 15th consecutive year of donating my lungs for the Big Climb for Leukemia.  I had a team of three this year ... sometimes I do it on my own but it's my way to stay in shape by training all year.  We raised close to $1,000. The climb is at the Columbia T...

King County: MEDIAN PRICE:   $354,950DOWN 13% FROM LAST YEARINVENTORY: 104118.7 MONTH SUPPLY 12% of sales are Short Sales and Foreclosures.AVERAGE MARKET TIME: 118 days Median Prices for houses are still looking stable around different neighborhoods. These prices are compared to a year ago:   Nor...

King County: MEDIAN PRICE:   $356,000DOWN 5% FROM LAST YEARINVENTORY: 10,0248 MONTH SUPPLYAVERAGE MARKET TIME: 90 daysMedian Prices for houses is still looking stable around different neighborhoods. These prices are compared to a year ago:   North Seatte:  $415,770 UP 2%   Edmonds:  $347,115 DOWN...

Is the Seattle condo market recovering yet?  It looks like it could be on its way.  Comparing 2009 to 2010:     Downtown: down 2%   Capitol Hill UP .0006%! North Seattle down 5% Edmonds down 2%           12 month median sale price percent change is based on a comparison of the rolling average/med...

I read an article earlier this week listing trends we're likely to see based on a survey by a firm (RCLO) of Echo Boomers (kids of baby boomers born between 1980 and the early 2000s).  - They like an urban feel but not necessarily in the city.  Although suburbs are not their cup of tea either. - ...

How do King County market statistics look for 2010 compared to 2009? North Seattle prices were up 3%! Shoreline down 4%; Edmonds down 3%; Bothell down 4%; Bellevue up 3%; Sammamish up 2%; South Seattle down 6%.                                       Single Family Residences (houses, townhouses).  ...