Archive for the ‘Classic’ Category
September 21, 2007
You might have guessed that the super-rich approach home buying a little differently than the rest of us. Forbes gives us a little insight behind the big deals on high-profile trophy properties in their latest piece on “Homes of the Billionaires”. Here are some billionaire strategies mentioned in the article that the rest of us can learn from.
Make an unsolicited offer
Never hurts to ask! Billionaires know what they want when they see it and if the property is not listed for sale, that doesn’t mean you can’t make a deal. For the rest of us, try the Zillow “make me move” feature.
Give your friends first dibs
Before billionaires put their home sweet home on the market, “they’ll float a deal where they tell their friends that if they could get X for their property, they would sell it… Prospective buyers will then peruse the property six to nine months before it is formally listed”. This makes sense since as the old saying goes “birds of a feather flock together” so your friends are likely to have similar tastes and socio-economic situation.
Use that bonus money to buy property
Unlike the rest of the housing market that’s hot in the spring and summer and tapers in the fall, the mega-mansion activity peaks in December and January because “this is when the bonus money is announced and starts percolating through Wall Street”. My guess is that most people use their end of year bonus to pay off those holiday credit card bills instead.
Open Houses this Weekend:
Saturday, September 22, 11am-3pm
4026 32nd Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98126
Sunday, September 23, 1-6pm
6026 SE 2nd St
Renton, WA 98059
Sunday, September 23, 2-5pm
13010 NE 103rd Pl
Kirkland, WA 98033
Saturday & Sunday, September 22-23, 1-4pm
4610 Bagley Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
Saturday & Sunday, September 22-23, 1-4pm
2753 S Washington St
Seattle, WA 98144
Sunday, September 23, 2-5pm
17571 SE 56th St
Bellevue, WA 98006
Sunday, September 23, 1-4pm
9336 Waters Ave S
Seattle, WA 98118
September 5, 2007
No one is really sure whether Sanjaya Malakar got votes on American Idol because people loved him or loved to hate him. I personally think people just wanted him to stay on the show for the sick joy of watching him get abused by Simon Cowell’s tongue lashings.
It seems his family intends on milking the celebrity he garnered to the max by pinning his name to the house they are selling in Federal Way. He only lived there for two years with his mom and soon-to-be stepdad. The whole family is going to Hollywood while their selling agent is going Sanjaya-crazy. According to the Seattle PI article the agent has unabashedly plastered the pimply pubescent’s image everywhere:
Fletcher plans an autographed photo of Sanjaya for the back of the listing flier, Sanjaya-themed house ads in local newspapers and magazines, and a Sanjaya song clip to accompany a slide show of house photos on a listing Web site. Stickers depicting the house will adorn the back of his business card, and he will distribute T-shirts featuring a photo of Sanjaya and his sister to various Federal Way businesses. Sanjaya portraits will be sprinkled throughout the house.
We’ll follow-up with an analysis of whether the Sanjaya branding helped or hurt the sale price.
Stats for Casa Sanjaya:
Price: $360,000
2313 SW 339th St
Federal Way, WA 98023
Beds: 4
Baths: 1.75
Sq. Ft.: 2,140
$/Sq. Ft.: $168
Lot Size: 10,455 sq. ft.
Type: Residential
Style: Split Entry
Year Built: 1963
MLS#: 27160229
November 30, 2006
Read the marketing copy for the home that made yesterday’s most-clicked property on Redfin Seattle and you’ll come away with the impression that there are buzzards circling over the place. The house has been on the market for 60 days, the original buyer fell through, and the owner no longer wants it as an investment.
Why should you be interested? This 1901 home in the heart of Madison Valley is near a ton of new development in the area including the new Trader Joe’s and Safeway. It has 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and is on the market for $445,000, which is just 70% of the average price for a home in the area. Finally, at least part of the work has been done as it has a reasonably new roof and electrical systems.
My guess is that Redfin users found this home using the “Fixer” search feature that has been incredibly popular. (Just pick the area you are interested in on the map and then click the check-box to show only “Fixer-Uppers” and hit the “Search Button.”)
One final comment on the house: Did anyone notice the pampas grass in the home pictures again today? Urban oasis, indeed!
November 29, 2006
Yesterday’s most-clicked property is a landscaped house in Ballard that just hit the market 3 days ago. Looking at the pictures on this blustery cold morning, I was struck by the presence of pampas grass in the front yard. For some reason, that stuff always reminds me of sunny trips to Disney World as a kid. Seeing it in the wintery north always seems a little like finding out that the driver of the Porsche that roared past you on I-5 is a little old lady with blue hair.
The house is definitely worth taking a look at. It is one of those rarities you seldom see: A nice looking house for less than $500,000 in Ballard. This one is in a good location halfway between Fremont and Ballard, not far from Hale’s Ales. It has 3 bedrooms, 1.75 bathrooms in 1,560 square feet. I really liked the kitchen and the built-in bookshelves.
It’s on the market for $487,000, which is slightly above the home’s Zestimate of $450,744 but, at $312/square foot, slightly cheaper than the homes in the surrounding neighborhood.
November 28, 2006
Every now and then Redfin users find a Sweet Dig that truly is sweet. One photo in the listing shows a massive greenhouse of a living room that could only be near an Eastside greenbelt. But, it’s in Ravenna, backed up to a park, and five minutes from the University of Washington. This custom built home was designed by AIA architect, Pierce McVey: $975,000 list price, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and 2,989 square feet.
It’s “Asian inspired” but let’s forget for a minute which continent it sources its inspiration from and focus on the details that can make looking at a cluster of pixels so much fun. There are exposed wooden beams everywhere and lighted glass cabinets above a huge gas stove countertop. Then there’s the staircase that wraps up the metal frame like an accordian or a folding “Asian” fan (you can see one on the farside of the staircase photo).
Even at $435,000 above Ravenna’s median list price of $540,000, it doesn’t seem like an unseemly price to pay for a fairly large, custom built home in the city.
November 22, 2006
Quick Lassie, go find Billy! He’s near the house by the old mill! On your way, can you stop at yesterday’s most-clicked house and pick up a flyer? (It’s a block from the first location of Red Mill, in Phinney Ridge.)
Sorry folks - I just couldn’t resist the silly intro on the day before a big holiday weekend. This cute 1925 home on Phinney ridge has 3 bedrooms and 1.75 baths in 1,520 square feet. It’s got a little view of Greenlake, a nice backyard, and a really good location that is an easy walk to many of Phinney’s best places.
At $329/square foot, the home is a little more expensive than the neighborhood average of $295 but it is still below it’s Zestimate of $543,124. Given the good condition and proximity to Phinney Ave, the price is probably right on.
I have to say that I’ve been really struck by how many people are searching hard on the site for new homes on Thanksgiving week. Go Redfinners for not taking any time off finding the the best houses on the market. (This one’s been on the market for just 4 days!) As always, if you’d like to see this house or any other home on the market, please contact us at tours@redfin.com or 1-877-973-3346.
November 21, 2006
We found this week’s Bang for Your Buck property in Ravenna where it’s still possible to buy a nice home for $179 per square feet. Just be prepared to spend around $489,000 to move in: 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and 2,730 square feet. It’s located half a block from Ravenna Park and six blocks from I-5. We can’t imagine why anyone would pay over two-hundred grand more for a Ravenna home down the street that isn’t as pretty. Credit the slightly nicer interior of that home to better photography and staging.
Ravenna’s average dollars per square feet is $274 and the median list price is $564,990. Today’s B4YB property has been sitting on the market for 26 days. With Thanksgiving coming up, it’ll probably be a little longer before it sells.
November 16, 2006
Do you remember that incredible scene in Bowling for Columbine where Michael Moore somehow talks his way into Charlton Heston’s house for an interview and you can’t believe that the place looks exactly like you would expect it to look? Check out yesterday’s most-clicked home on Redfin Seattle and I swear you’ll think Heston (or perhaps some famous member of the rat pack) is going to walk out the front door at any moment.
This swanky and totally updated 1955 Mercer Island house comes complete with an impressive pool for you to lounge by in your bathrobe before retiring to the basement to watch movies on the flat screen. While the listing price may seem steep at $1.7M, it’s on a tremendous 37,634 square foot lot with a view of the lake and a pool! An amazing fact is that this is actually the average price for homes in that area. (Skewed by several $20M+ homes in the neighborhood.) Outside of good looks, the house has 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a fantastic location literally a block away from one of the top elementary schools in the city up the street.
For those of you that commute to downtown, don’t forget that Mercer Islanders get the benefit of using the HOV lanes on I-90 whether or not they are HOV.
November 14, 2006
Today’s most-clicked on property has offbeat written all over it. For starters, this Kirkland rambler has a shack in the backyard that’s actually a Finnish-style sauna and hot tub. One of the bedrooms, of which there are three, has a giant ballet dancer painted on the wall. Totally weird, but easily correctable at least. The home is listed for $369,950 and in the sign of the times, includes a one year home warranty to go with it.
The listing agent states that the interior feels much larger than the 1,200 square feet would suggest. I’m sure the French doors and having the whole house reside in one story helps create that effect.
Kirkland’s median list price is $607,000. At $369,950, this Sweet Dig seems like a relative bargain compared to the condos and townhomes you’ll find in its price range. And you won’t find many backyard saunas at any price point.
November 9, 2006
Yesterday’s most-clicked house was in the Bryant neighborhood of North Seattle. While it may not be the most beautiful house on the outside, the inside is actually worth clicking through to see.
This 1946 3 bedroom, 1.75 bath house is on a big 5,000 square foot lot and is pretty close to the commercial corridor on 65th that everyone in that area seems to know and love. You’re also close to the secret PCC (for some reason, I never get to the place without making at least one wrong turn) and a few nice ballfields and markets. The home is on the market for $579,950, which is about exactly average for the area on a $/square foot basis. However, it’s actually a good deal for the price since most homes in the neighborhood won’t have a separate kitchen/living area in the basement (with separate entrance) and a two-car garage.
