King County Home sales - $400,000 to $600,000 - First half of 2007Kirkland, Bellevue and Redmond home sales - $400,000 to $600,000 - First half of 2007Kirkland, Bellevue and Redmond home sales - $200,000 to 400,000 - May 2007 and June 2007 as compared to currently for sale and currently in escrow. There are several sub-segment graphs if you stay Ardell's Seattle Area Real Estate Blog after following the second two links.  Also some commentary.  The only surprise is in the $200,000 to $400,000 category with June sales down much lower than May.  Could be a sign of first time buyers shying away from higher rates, or lenders cracking down on zero down loans.We could see a comeback of FHA loans which could strenghten and support this lower priced housing market.Virtually nothing exists under... 07/06/2007

By: Tony MeierEastside Realtor Movies at MarymoorLights, Camera, Action!!! 2007 begins the third annual FirstTech Movies @ Marymoor Park. Movies are held at McNair Field in Marymoor Park and all donations go directly into supporting parks maintenance. Now that's a happy ending!Open seating at 7, movie begins at duskMarymoor Park Outdoor Movies and Event Hotline: (206) 296-4999School of Rock [PG13] | Wednesday, July 18 9:40 PMThe Princess Bride [PG] | Wednesday, July 25 9:30 PMThe Devil Wears Prada [PG13] | Wednesday, August 01 9:20 PMBack to the Future [PG] | Wednesday, August 08 9:10 PMThe Pursuit of Happyness [PG13] | Wednesday, August 15 9:00 PMMonster House [PG] | Wednesday, August 22 8:45 PMGeneral QuestionsKid friendly? - Movies are shown un-edited.  Ratings for movies vary.  It i... 06/28/2007

Windermere's Community Service Day   Our work is not about houses. It's about people. We're in the business of selling houses. But more importantly, we're helping people find a place they can call home. Our commitment to service extends beyond each real estate transaction. Every year since 1984, Windermere associates have skipped work for a day to complete neighborhood improvement projects. Not only is Community Service Day a great opportunity to give back to the communities where we live and work, it also gives us a chance to work together. We clean, landscape and repair parks, playgrounds, schools, shelters and community buildings. Each office selects a project that best serves its community needs. After all, real estate is rooted in our communities. And an investment in our neighbor... 06/25/2007

Redmond Derby Days Saturday, July 7, 200710 am to 10 pm Redmond City Hall Campus15670 NE 85th StreetRedmond, WA  98052 NEW 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, 7th & 8th Redmond Medical Center Kids Parade Venture Bank Grand Parade Microsoft Entertainment Stage Bicycle Criterium Free Kids Activities Great Food, Beer & Wine Garden Funtastic Carnival Fireworks Finale - 10pm       HistoryRedmond Derby Days, which is celebrating its 67th anniversary in 2007, is a summer tradition that came to life at the end of the Depression.  It began as a drive to raise money for downtown holiday decorations and school athletic equipment.  The Redmond Bicycle Derby was the outgrowth of a small town's community spirit and is now the nation's longest running bicycle race.  As always, this year's event will include... 06/20/2007

Redmond Real Estate Housing Statistics - 6/06/2007By: Tony Meier - Eastside RealtorThe market has firmed up slightly this week.  With the total volume averaging 14.11 weeks of inventory (which is down again from last week) the market remain robust.  The hotest range is still $400,000 to $499,999 and the coolest part of the market is $1,750,000 to $2,249,999 which has shown no sales in the last 7 weeks. When looking at this speadsheet keep this in mind...  The following is generally accepted as to the state of the market - 1. Less than 18 weeks of inventory = Seller's Market2. About 18 to 22 weeks of inventory = Balanced Market3. More than 22 weeks of inventory = Buyer's Market So if you study the table below... You will see price ranges that have sellers in firm control and others that ... 06/11/2007

Redmond Real Estate Housing Statistics - 5/30/2007By: Tony Meier - Eastside RealtorAnother strong week for Redmond Home Sales.  With the total volume averaging 14.9 weeks (which is down from last week) the market remain robust.  The hotest range is $400,000 to $499,999 and the coolest part of the market is $1,750,000 to $2,249,999 which has shown no sales in the last 7 weeks. When looking at this speadsheet keep this in mind...  The following is generally accepted as to the state of the market - 1. Less than 18 weeks of inventory = Seller's Market2. About 18 to 22 weeks of inventory = Balanced Market3. More than 22 weeks of inventory = Buyer's Market So if you study the table below... You will see price ranges that have sellers in firm control and others that have the buyer in control. ... 06/01/2007

Redmond Real Estate Housing Statistics - 5/23/2007By: Tony Meier - Eastside RealtorAnother strong week for Redmond Home Sales.  With the total volume averaging 16.14 weeks, the market remains seller favored with the sellers in firm control under $800,000.When looking at this speadsheet keep this in mind...  The following is generally accepted as to the state of the market - 1. Less than 18 weeks of inventory = Seller's Market2. About 18 to 22 weeks of inventory = Balanced Market3. More than 22 weeks of inventory = Buyer's Market  So if you study the table below... You will see price ranges that have sellers in firm control and others that have the buyer in control. This information puts my clients in the drivers seat when it comes to correctly pricing their home to sell or knowing what ... 05/25/2007

By: Tony MeierEastside RealtorThere is much talk about Zillow and the accuracy of their Zestimate valuations.  Their site has caught the attention of many who want to know what their friend, boss, co-worker or neighbor's home is worth.  Unfortunately, there valuation model is not very accurate.  To Zillow's credit, they say "Our data shows that the majority of our Zestimate home valuations are within 10% of the selling price of the home." Unfortunately, like most things... the more people read about it, talk about it, the more they believe it is true. So it goes with Zillow's Zestimates.  Recently, I read a craigslist ad for housing wanted which read "will buy your home for up to 85% of the Zestimate".  Even if an owner of a property was willing to sell their home at a 15% discount, if ... 05/24/2007

By: Tony MeierRedmond Realtor As the President of the English Hill Homeowners Association and a very active Realtor in the area, it is my job to stay on top off all things regarding English Hill. The following came from Sunrise today. Appearently the bear was sighted in the greenbelt behind the school.________________________________________________________Sunrise Elementary School is currently in full lockdown because of an off campus bear sighting. Students will remain indoors during recess periods. PE activities will take place indoors.The following precautions have also been taken:The State Department of Fish and Wildlife have been alerted and are on site as well as Northshore security personnel Northshore staff will accompany students who walk home after school Transportation Depar... 05/23/2007

By: Tony MeierRedmond RealtorSpringtime... a time to enjoy your senses. The joys of watching baseball.... The sound of the birds chirping in the trees... The wonderful smells from the BBQ.... The sound of construction trucks... The smell of hot asphalt!  Ahh... yes it is springtime!Yes, springtime is paving season in the Northwest.  This year... the King County DOT crews are busy working on many of the streets on English Hill.  They are cutting out sunken areas and around the landscaped islands where the tree roots have buckled the asphalt. Once the holes are filled, they will be paving over the streets.When completed we will have glistening black streets... a skate boarder or roller blader's dream!  Hopefully they will be done before springtime ends, so we can get back to the sights an... 05/22/2007

Redmond Real Estate Housing Statistics - 5/16/2007By: Tony Meier - Redmond RealtorAnother strong week for Redmond Home Sales. We are still seeing inventory build which is customary as we move into the summer months.  I have enhanced the spreadsheet this week with 2 digits after the decimal point. This will more accurately reflect the price ranges with few sales, like the upper end,When looking at this sheet keep this in mind... The following is generally accepted as to the state of the market -1. Less than 18 weeks of inventory = Seller's Market2. About 18 to 22 weeks of inventory = Balanced Market3. More than 22 weeks of inventory = Buyer's MarketSo if you study the table below... You will see price ranges that have sellers in firm control and others that have the buyer in control. Thi... 05/17/2007

Fewer than 20 percent of all U.S. households are affluent, yet that group controls nearly half of all aggregate income, according to a new report from Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com. A major component of their wealth? Residential real estate, thanks to "the run-up in values in major metropolitan areas, where the affluent tend to live," according to the company. Nearly 21 million households fall into an affluent category - singles earning at least $75,000 and households with more than one adult earning at least $100,000 - and wield an aggregate income of $3.6 trillion, an amount Packaged Facts predicts will grow by 27 percent over the next four years to $4.6 trillion in 2011. Affluent Profile: Risk Takers, WorkaholicsEighty-seven percent of the affluent own their own ho... 05/15/2007

English Hill Market Trend ReportsBy: Tony MeierRedmond RealtorNeighborhood Market Trend ReportsThese reports show the neighborhood sales trends for the last 7 years - including private sales. Whether you are buying a home on English Hill or plan to sell one, you will find this information extremely beneficial! They include the following neighborhoodsCrown HeightsEnglish Hill - Sunrise (Hampshire), Amberley, Coventry & SheffieldHollymereHollymor (Olde Morrison)GlenterraLangtree EstatesMount Clare EstatesMount Clare WoodsPark AvenueSunrise Terrace (Rosewood)Wyndham KnollThe reports can be viewed at http://www.englishhillonline.com/realestate/MartetTrend/Index.htmlTony MeierRedmond RealtorEastsideHomesBlog.comEastsideHomes.com - Seattle's Eastside Real Estate Resourcetony@eastsidehomes.com 05/15/2007

Annual English Hill Garage Sale June 1&2By: Tony Meier, Redmond RealtorAttention Bargian Hunters! All of English Hill will be on SALE!It's time again for the annual English Hill garage sale! This years event will be held on June 1st & 2nd from 9 am to 4 pm. The English Hill Homeowners Association advertises this event in local newspapers, and hangs a banner sign.  This is a very popular garage sale, with neighborhoods all across the hill taking part. Each year several dozen families participate. The neighborhood is swarmed with cars filled with bargain hunters, looking for that special item.As with all sales, shop early for the greatest selection!For more information on English Hill visit - http://www.englishhillonline.com/Tony MeierRedmond RealtorEastsideHomesBlog.comEastsideHomes.com ... 05/15/2007

Redmond Real Estate Housing Statistics - 5/9/2007By: Tony Meier - Redmond Realtor"How's the market..." a question frequently asked by my clients.  My answer is always... "That depends".  It matters not only what area you are in but also what price range.  I pay close attention to the market statistics each week so I can better advise my clients before they make a decision to buy or sell.  In every market... there are price ranges that move faster then others.  Who controls the market (either Buyer or Seller) is largely governed by the laws of supply and demand.  The chart I follow shows the pace of the market and relates this information in the number of weeks of inventory per price range.The following is generally accepted as to the state of the market -1. Less than 20 weeks of invento... 05/14/2007

If you have never taken up birdwatching, move to Meadowview Village,and you just may take up a new hobby.  Located in Redmond, WA just a few blocks from Bella Bottega shopping center, this townhouse development is meant to help those who want to do a lot of walking or bike riding.  Meadowview Village is a well planned neighborhood that makes the most efficient use of location, terrain, with the blending of modern architecture designs.  Situated a few blocks north of the city of Redmond, residents can walk to theaters, banks, the post office, numerous restaurants, grocery and drug stores, just about everything one would need including city hall!  Work anywhere near the City of Redmond? One could bike or walk to work.  If your company is close to the Burke-Gilman Trail, commuting by bike ... 05/13/2007

New Construction Condos in Redmond and Condo Conversion Projects in Redmond, clearly deserve consideration.Walking to Redmond Town Center and Downtown Redmond is at least as appealing as walking around Downtwon Kirkland, except for the Lake thing.  So if being near Lake Washington is not a huge draw for you, and if you can't afford a condo with a Lake view, I would definitely check out everything within walking distance to Redmond Town Center.For those not into hiking the Trails, walking through Redmond Town Center and around the town is good exercise with something pleasant to look at AND a safe environment.The conversions seem to be worth the price differential.  New running more in the $500,000 range and conversion at $320,000 or so for a comparable space and location.  Still checkin... 05/07/2007

The Eastside's beloved Marymoor park used to be a working ranch named Willowmoore.  In 1904 a fellow named James Clise bought 78 acres and raised award winning Ayrshire cattle and Morgan horses.  The Willowmoore cattle were so good, the Japanese government sent delegates to study the farm and learn about dairy production.  James Clise sold his property in 1928. 05/04/2007

COMMUNITY EFFORT ON EARTH DAY ENHANCES SUNRISE GROUNDSIn celebration of Earth Day, a group of Sunrise parents and students gathered on Saturday, April 21, and removed weeds around the building and laid bark in the beds the islands in our parking lot. In speaking with the Principal, Paul Bodner today - He expressed is gratitude to the community for getting involved! He was very impressed with how the school looked!Way to go English Hill! Tony MeierRedmond RealtorTony & Wendi MeierEnglish Hill's Resident Real Estate TeamServing Buyers, Sellers and Their Referrals Since 1989EnglishHillOnline.com 04/27/2007

SUNRISE HONOREDBy: Tony MeierRedmond RealtorRedmond Real EstateOur local school was honored by Schooldigger.com, a website that looks at high performing schools throughout the state of Washington. Please feel free to visit the following website to get additional information: http://www.schooldigger.com We are proud of our local school!  If you want to find out more details on this fantastic school go to:http://www.englishhillonline.com/Schools/Index.htmlTony MeierRedmond Realtortony@eastsidehomes.com 04/02/2007