Archive for the ‘Magnolia’ Category
June 6, 2008
Open House Date and Time:
Sunday, June 8th, 1-4pm
3312 W Government Way
Seattle, WA 98199
Seller’s Comments
Coffee shop of choice: We love going to the Starbucks in the Village on weekend mornings. On nice days, we walk down to get coffee.
Favorite restaurants in the area: Rudys, Red Mill Burger, Matador (Ballard), Szmanias, and Maggies. They all have great food. The people know us and our dog at Rudy’s because we go there so much. They have a great breakfast.
Favorite places to go: Ballard locks, Discovery Park, Ballard, Magnolia Village.
Best features of the home: Location. It’s in a convenient, yet quiet spot. Government Way has two bus lines, making commuting very quick and easy. Buses come every 15 minutes during commute times.
We are also very close to Ballard. Surprisingly it is quicker to walk to Ballard Locks than to drive. It’s only a 20 minute walk to Ballard, so it is something we often do on weekends.
We love being close to Queen Anne, Ballard and Downtown.
Favorite room:The kitchen. It is open and spacious. I love the granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and cabinets. We also love our guest bedroom. It is located on the first floor, allowing our guest to have their own room and bath separate from the rest of the house. It makes having guests really easy.
Any Remodeling?: We have added granite countertops and new fixtures in the kitchen and master bath. We also recently installed new plush carpet.
Most romantic spot: The balcony off the living room. It is great to sit out there on a warm night with a glass of wine.
What’s in the neighborhood: Everything… There are great places to eat, parks, convenient transportation, Downtown, the Village, churches, gyms, a community center, and even an outdoor pool. They also have a farmers market during the summer.
What I will miss the most: We will definitely miss the kitchen. We love to cook and the big, open space and nicer appliances make cooking a breeze. We also will miss the newness; many homes in Magnolia are older, so it has been wonderful to live in a low-maintenance, newer home.
August 7, 2007
Tonight is the annual Seattle Police Department Seattle Night Out.
Seattle Night Out is billed as a crime prevention event, but it is more of an opportunity to meet new neighbors and catch up on the neighborhood gossip. For you real estate buffs out there, this is the place to get the inside scoop on what is about to come on the market, why stuff is sitting on the market and why stuff sold for what it did.
What is really interesting is how this event brings about a sense of micro community. In my hood, Phinney Ridge, there is a block party just about every other street. For this one evening a year there is this sense of block rivalry–we have the best food, the best people, the best houses, the best location… It would be fun to have follow up event to settle the score of which block is really the best. Perhaps a hot dog eating contest or bocce tournament?
If your block is having a party you should find a way to peel yourself away from your computer and catch up with your neighbors and plot ways to take a bite out of crime. If your block isn’t having one, wander a few blocks and I am sure you will find one.
June 27, 2007
Magnolia’s newest park, Ella Bailey Park, has spectacular views of the city and Mt. Rainier.
It’s in a great location on the east side of Magnolia with a play ground, basketball courts and a grilling and picnic area.
Several properties have sold in the immediate area over the past three months and there are 6 properties close by with prices ranging from $474,950-$799,000.
2719 W Blaine St
Seattle, WA 98199
$799,000
4/2.75
$/Sq. ft. $160
MLS# 27098266
2702 W Blaine St
Seattle, WA 98199
$765,000
3/3
MLS# 27076280
2617 W Plymouth St
Seattle, WA 98199
$729,950
4/1.75
$/Sq. ft. $361
MLS# 27114180
2430 29th Ave W
Seattle, WA 98199
$475,000
1/1
$/Sq. ft. $660
MLS# 27108667
2107 Thorndyke W
Seattle, WA 98199
$474,950
2/1
$/Sq. ft. $424
MLS# 27105263
2334 Thorndyke Ave W #201
Seattle, WA 98199
$619,000
3/2.5
$/Sq. ft. $428
MLS# 27078970
June 26, 2007
Sold last week in Magnolia:
The last town home in a development on the north side of Magnolia shared by Williams Avenue and Jameson St. recently sold for $431,500. It has 2 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and is comparable to the one I wrote up in March on Jameson Street. There are some differences between the units. The town home on the Jameson St. side of the building is 1150 sq. ft. (300 sq. ft. smaller then the one on the Williams Street side) and was originally listed for $439,000. It looks like the waiting game paid off for the new owner on Williams street since they paid just under $298 sq. ft. and there are not many town homes available in the $350-$450K price range right now in Magnolia.
June 12, 2007
Three single family homes sold in Magnolia last week, all in the $490,000-$640,000 range with an average price of $574,000. The houses had an average square footage of just under 1584 sq. ft. The average price per square foot was $378, but don’t count on that helping during negotiations because the smallest of the three houses was the one that went for the most $. Just like most places, location is everything in Magnolia and you have to pay for a good one. I did a quick search on Redfin and found 11 other houses listed right now in Magnolia with similar criteria ($495,000-$650,000 with 1250-2000 sq. ft.). If these criteria and a few others align with yours, then there still might be a good chance to get what you are looking for.
3424 W Viewmont Way W
Sales Price: $639,900
3 bedrooms/1 bath
3712 30th Ave. W
Sales Price: $589,000
4 Bedrooms/2-1/2 baths
3207 31st Ave. W
Sales Price: $491,000
2 Bedrooms/1 bath
April 27, 2007
Space is and is not an issue in this house. It’s a rambler that was popped up two floors. While it has lots of space, it feels like it is almost three separate houses. The first floor is a mixture of the original house and a brand new kitchen. It has a pink “Pepto-Bismol” bathroom and ceilings that are noticeably lower than the remodeled floors above it. The second floor didn’t have any surprises, but the third floor is just one gigantic room. It would be perfect for very large yoga classes, a huge playroom for all the neighborhood kids or for someone to redesign so it wouldn’t feel so overwhelmingly humongous and open. The basement is ripe for a remodel show and the yard has lots of potential. It was just reduced $30,000 bringing the price per sq. ft. down to $252/sq. ft., which is quite a deal in Magnolia.
Price: $1,195,000
Beds: 4
Baths: 3.75
Sq. Ft. 4747
$Sq. Ft. $252
Last Sold: $349,950 (2000)
MLS# 27051350
April 27, 2007
The paper flyer for this house was written by a master. It sounds so nice, almost anyone would want to come inside and take a peek. I did a little more than that and here’s what I found: The house seems to me like it needs a new electrical service and it still has knob and tube even though the flyer says the electrical was updated. The plumbing story is about the same. When I asked, I was told that the pipes out to the road are new, but the ones in the house are galvanized and original. The basement walls have vents, inside. I have never seen that before and I noticed what looked to me like traces of water damage along the bottom of the walls. The kitchen needs major updating and the bathrooms on both floors could use a facelift too. The upstairs has sloped ceilings that gave me the feeling that the master is not much of a master at all. I guess it’s all in how you define it. However, with some cash for a dormer, it could be a great master with fabulous views. Updating this house could cost a pretty penny and take some time, but the neighborhood is wonderful and the views are spectacular. If you’re interested in this house, I suggest doing a close inspection since there seem to be a few discrepancies on the flyer.
Price: $899,000
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 3020
Price/Sq. Ft.: $298
MLS# 27067522
April 19, 2007
For close to a million dollars I expected this house to be quite the gem. And what a gem it is. The brick on the outside might look a bit ordinary form the street. But, open the front door and you’ll be knocked off your socks by the open and inviting floor plan, Venetian plaster walls, and kitchen with everything including its own sitting area. The house was renovated by a contractor who specializes in remodeling and it shows in the detail. The view is protected by a reservoir on one side and the house is located on a dead end street in a quiet neighborhood. It’s a great house for entertaining inside and out. The deck off the back is spectacular at 500 sq. ft. There’s also an off-leash dog park around the corner and you’re only minutes from the village of Magnolia. If you want a house that’s in perfect condition and ready to move into, it’s the one.
Price: $959,000
Beds: 4
Baths: 3
Sq. Ft. 2760 (including basement)
$Sq. Ft. $347
Last selling price: $400,000 in 2002
MLS# 27057987
April 19, 2007
The title says it all. This 652 square foot condo, feels like it is 800 square feet because of its 14 foot ceilings and a great little private outdoor room off the living room where you can step outside to relax and escape the world. The Atwater building is only 5 years old and just minutes to the village of Magnolia, walking distance to Discovery Park and a hop, skip and a jump over the foot bridge to the Ballard Locks. There is secured parking in a covered garage and an extra storage space as well. One concern I have is that the price is a bit high per square foot at $491 for a place with a boring bathroom (layout and style). For that price per square foot, I would expect it to have a hip bathroom that matches the rest of the condo. Don’t get me wrong, I love the place, but without a view and a bathroom that needs updating, the price might need updating too.
Price: $319,950 (recently reduced from $329,950.
Beds: 1
Baths: 1
Sq. Ft. 652
$Sq. Ft. $491
Last selling price: $110,000 in 2002
Homeowner’s dues: $190
MLS# 27049421
April 13, 2007
They say location is everything and this house is sitting on the right spot. The city view is fabulous, a new park with a playground and soccer field is being built right across the street. The house is on a dead end so traffic shouldn’t be bad unless everyone decides to turn around in your drive way. The structure itself isn’t much to talk about. It’s a small 1,770 sq. ft. with very chopped up rooms. At $367 a square foot, you’d be buying it for the view. There have been a lot of recent pop-ups in the neighborhood and I’d say this one might be on the short list. It’s definitely worth looking at because the view is spectacular and should stay intact.
Price: $649,000
Beds: 2
Baths: 1.75
Sq. Ft. 1770 (including basement)
$Sq. Ft. $367
Last selling price: $88,000 in 1984
MLS# 27058523
