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Hearing on Metro Service Cuts May 14th
The King County Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee will hold a special meeting Tuesday, May 14 to take public testimony about potential Metro Transit service cuts. Committee members want to hear how you might be affected by service reductions and your ideas for alternatives.
Metro faces a $75 million annual shortfall and will have to cut service by up to 600,000 hours, or 17 percent, beginning in fall 2014 unless new funding becomes available. Roughly two-thirds of Metro bus routes might be eliminated, reduced or revised. Learn about services at risk: www.kingcounty.gov/metro/
Service cuts hearing: Tuesday, May 14 3:30 p.m. – open house 4 p.m. – testimony begins Union Station
401 S Jackson St, Seattle
Can’t attend? Submit your comments online
Metro has had a severe funding shortage since 2008. So far we have avoided major service reductions by cutting staff positions and programs, raising fares, digging into reserves, and taking many other actions. We’ve adopted recommendations from a performance audit to save about $22 million annually, and have secured $121 million in grant funding to help develop high-volume RapidRide lines in major travel corridors.
The County adopted a congestion reduction charge to provide supplemental funding for two years while the Legislature considered transportation funding solutions. That charge will run out in mid-2014, and no more reserve funds will be available. If no additional funding is approved, Metro will have to reduce service to close the budget gap.corridors.
Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner, Windermere Real Estate Seattle-Northwest
Gallup: Latest Data on Homeownership
Check out this Infographic for the latest Gallup Data on Homeownership.
If you are considering home ownership, give us a call, we love to work with first-time home buyers. Getting from renting to owning may be easier than you think!
Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate Seattle NW
206-769-9577
How Housing Is Leading Us Out of the Great Recession
We are often asked if the housing market can truly rebound if the all-round economy remains sluggish. We answer by explaining the housing market is not dependent on the economy but rather the economy is reliant on the housing market. Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moodys.com,addressed this issue in a recent report.
“Historically, housing has always led the U.S. out of recessions. It is the most interest rate-sensitive part of the economy, and as rates fall during recessions, housing rises first.”
How does real estate impact the economy?
Real estate impacts the economy in several ways. As Zandi explains:
“Housing’s resurrection is crucial to the creation of more jobs. Every new single-family home creates and sustains almost five jobs for about a year. These include not only construction jobs, but manufacturing positions for producing lumber, paint, nails, plumbing fixtures, carpets, wall board and so on. Truckers are hired to move this material around, and retailers add workers as new homeowners shop at home-improvement and hardware stores. Realtors, mortgage bankers, landscapers and cable installers all increase staff.”
Is the current market momentum sustainable?
If the economy is dependent on a recovering housing market, we need to know whether the current good news being reported in the real estate industry will continue as we move forward. Again, Mr. Zandi:
“The pace of construction has risen to 900,000 homes per year and is set to double to 1.8 million in the next few years. Even this will be only enough to meet demand; in an average year, 1.25 million households are formed, 350,000 houses are irreparably damaged or demolished, and an additional 200,000 are built for use as vacation or second homes. Given pent-up household formation—hundreds of thousands have put off their plans because of the tough job market—there could be a couple of years in which closer to 2 million homes will need to be built to meet demand.”
Housing will remain strong for the next several years. That will enable the economy to continue to heal until it fully recovers.
Have more questions about the Seattle Real Estate market?
Give us a call or email, we'd love to talk with you.
Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate Seattle Northwest
206-769-9577
Home Improvement: A Bathroom Makeover for Just $265
A bathroom makeover for just $265
Seattle Open House Today
Stop by today, 12PM-3PM
305 NW 127th Street
Seattle WA 98177
Beautifully maintained Broadview rambler welcomes you with a plethora of features throughout. In superb condition, this captivating home boasts a convenient circular floor plan with new interior paint, elegant light fixtures, rich hardwood floors, slate entry and halls. Room warming fireplaces in the living and family room. Park like setting, efficient gas heat, oversized driveway, delightful street appeal, the list goes on and on. Single level homes of this size and location are hard to find.
Want to visit this home or other sin the greater Seattle area? Give us a call, we would love to give you an educational tour of homes in the area, Seattle-Everett.
Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate Seattle-Northwest
206-769-9577
Seattle Housing Market
Take one minute to find out what is happening in your housing world.
Curious about your hyperlocal real estate market? Give us a call, we're happy to talk!
Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate – Seattle Northwest
Telephone 206-769-9577
FSBOing: This Time It Was Embarrassing
After failing to sell his NYC apartment on his own as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO), Colby Sambrotto hired a broker and paid a 6% commission in order to get the job done. His personal experience helps refute some of the myths Sambrotto has been espousing for over a decade. Let’s look at two of those myths:
Myth #1 – You Will Pocket More Money Selling on Your Own
Most FSBO sites say you can save the commission by selling on your own. What happened in Sambrotto’s sale?
From the WSJ article:
“The broker, Jesse Buckler, said he told Mr. Sambrotto the apartment in the Lion’s Head building on West 19th Street near Sixth Avenue was priced too low and wasn’t drawing the right buyers.
By May, it went into contract, he said, after attracting multiple offers. It closed in the last few days for $150,000 more than the original asking price.”
Myth #2 – The Internet Alone Can Sell Your Home
Many have said that, with the introduction of home search on the internet, hiring an agent is no longer a necessity. What happened to the FSBO guru when he attempted to only depend on the internet?
From the WSJ article:
“Looking to move his family to the suburbs, [Mr. Sambrotto] said he carefully staged his apartment for sale himself, and put it on the market. But after using a mix of websites to publicize his apartment, he said he had only ‘middling success’ and switched to a broker because many buyers were so reliant on brokers.”
Bottom Line
There is a reason the real estate industry has been around for centuries: it performs a valuable service.
Considering Selling? Give us a call, we would be happy to provide you with a complimentary market value analysis of your home.
Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate Seattle-Northwest
Telephone 206-769-9577
Just Listed – Seattle Home for Sale – Open House
Open Sunday 12PM-3PM
13027 6th Ave NW
Seattle WA 98177
This classic craftsman 1-story with full daylight basement is the epitome of the coveted Broadview neighborhood. Replete with innumerable updates and a serenity that immediately calls you home to your own private oasis.
Professionally landscaped grounds incl. spacious, fenced back yard, garden & patio areas. Security and comfort are the hallmarks of this classic. A major remodel in 2008 & improvements before and after, this home leaves you nothing to do but enjoy Broadview in all its glory.
Visit Online at BallardToBroadview.com
Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate Seattle-Northwest
Telephone 206-769-9577
Home Improvement: When to Save or Splurge on Appliances
Whether you're buying a refrigerator or a clothes dryer, shopping for home appliances can be overwhelming. Appliance tags spout features you've never 
heard of and aren't sure you even need. Add in the choice of size, color, manufacturer, energy efficiency ratings, rebate availability and cost, and it's enough to confuse anyone.
So which features should you splurge on, and where can you save?
"What it boils down to is for you to know your lifestyle, what's valuable or important to you," says Julie Wood, a spokeswoman for General Electric Appliances.
Some features that cost more are purely aesthetic, such as stainless steel exteriors. "Stainless steel is more of a premium appearance, and it really is all about style, it's not about function," Wood says. For a side-by-side refrigerator, for example, you'll pay around $200 more for the same model in stainless steel, versus black or white.
The same goes for premium colors. Is it worth spending extra to get the clothes dryer in red? "Unless you're entertaining in your laundry room, who cares about the paint color?" says Alan Lavine, vice president of Percy's appliance store in Worcester, Mass.
When it comes to functionality, though, saving or splurging can make a big difference. Here are tips for shopping for five of the most popular home appliances.
Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate Seattle-Northwest
Telephone 206-769-9577
Seattle Open House – Saturday 1PM-3PM
Open Saturday 1PM-4PM
305 NW 127th Street
Seattle WA 98177
Beautifully maintained Broadview rambler welcomes you with a plethora of features throughout. In superb condition, this captivating home boasts a convenient circular floor plan with new interior paint, elegant light fixtures, rich hardwood floors, slate entry and halls. Room warming fireplaces in the living and family room. Park like setting, efficient gas heat, oversized driveway, delightful street appeal, the list goes on and on. Single level homes of this size and location are hard to find.
On-line at: EldoradoLane.com
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