Here’s another update on the Seattle Bubble interactive stalled / slow development map.
In the month and a half since the launch of the map, readers have contributed 76 stalled and/or slowed residential developments in the greater Seattle area. The Bothell area still has the largest representation, and even months after starting the map, I still spot a new one that hasn’t been mapped yet every week or two.
Again, anyone can contribute to this map, just load it up in Google and add the stalled / slowed residential construction sites (SFH or condo) near you. Below is the current stalled development map. Please feel free to continue contributing new locations and improving the data, especially if you live in an area with currently spotty coverage.
View Stalled/Slow Seattle Construction in a larger map
What amuses me is that there are still people out there claiming that we will be facing a housing shortage in just a year or two. I wonder if Todd Britsch (of Bothell-based New Home Trends) is still holding to his 2008 prediction that “Seattle is headed for a serious shortage that could bring a return to double-digit price appreciation starting in 2012.”
Categories: Features
Tags: construction, Google, maps
By The Tim on August 6th, 2009 at 9:07 PM · 13 Comments
I’ve known about Google’s foray into real estate search for some time now, but since the feature set pales in comparison to the offerings over at Redfin and Estately, I haven’t really spent much time with it.
However, today I learned of an interesting feature that Google seems to do a much better job at than any of the current competitors: Foreclosure search.
Over on the left side the first option is “Listing type” which allows you to check “Non-Foreclosure” or “Foreclosure.” Here’s a look at the Magnolia / Queen Anne / Ballard / Fremont area:
Note that when you are zoomed further out, far fewer homes appear on the map. You have to zoom in to about the level shown above before it shows you all of them.
The downsides are that apparently Google is pulling this data from a variety of sources, “foreclosure” may mean anything from homes that have received the initial notice of default to fully bank-owned houses, and some of the addresses are only approximate, with the full details behind a third party pay wall. Either way, it’s still interesting to poke around with.
Hat tip: Calculated Risk
Categories: News
Tags: foreclosures, Google, maps
Just a quick update on the Seattle Bubble interactive stalled / slow development map.
So far readers have contributed 48 stalled and/or slowed residential developments in the greater Seattle area. The greatest concentration by far is in the Bothell area, which may be due primarily to the fact that that’s where a few especially prolific contributors live (including myself).
Again, anyone can contribute to this map, just load it up in Google and add the stalled / slowed residential construction sites (SFH or condo) near you.
In related news, Eric Pryne over at the Seattle Times has a story up today about one of the larger stalled developments in the Bothell / Kirkland area that has been foreclosed on: Seattle-area homebuilder losing projects to foreclosure .
One of the Seattle area’s most prominent homebuilders has lost most of one new Eastside housing development to foreclosure, and expects to lose another big property.
Most of Conner Homes’ upscale, partly built Bentley subdivision in Bothell was sold at auction last month after the company defaulted on a $24.8 million loan, county records indicate.
Another auction has been scheduled in October for 35 acres Conner owns and once planned to develop in North Bend. The builder hasn’t made loan payments on that land since at least December, according to a foreclosure notice filed with the county last week.
For anyone interested, I pulled the foreclosure notices off the King County Records website. Here’s the foreclosure notice for the Bothell / Kirkland development (pdf), and here’s the one for North Bend (pdf). I guess someone forgot to tell Conner Homes that the bottom was in February.
Below is the current stalled development map. Please feel free to keep adding to it. FYI, I’m planning on doing a bit of a redesign to the site in the not-too-distant future, after which features such as this map will have a more accessible permanent home.
View Stalled/Slow Seattle Construction in a larger map
Categories: Features · News
Tags: builders, construction, foreclosures, Google, maps, Pryne, Seattle_Times
With the housing downturn in full swing, it’s interesting how many housing developments have slowed to a near stop or stalled completely. I’ve begun mapping out some of these fallow construction sites in the areas that I frequent (north King / south Snohomish), and I thought it would be interesting to open the process up and make it a group project.
Below you will find the map that I have started. If you’d like to contribute some stalled residential construction sites (SFH or condo) in your area, just sign into your Google account then head to this link, click “Edit” on the left side of the page, and begin adding your markers.
At present, the map is open for anyone with a Google account to edit freely. I only ask that you not modify existing points added by others and that you follow roughly the same format that I have used on the starting points, which includes location, size (# of units), builder, status, and if possible, a picture.
If we all work together, I think we can create something that will be pretty interesting.
View Stalled/Slow Seattle Construction in a larger map
Categories: Features
Tags: builders, construction, Google, maps
By The Tim on December 22nd, 1981 at 6:00 AM · 16 Comments
This is your open thread for today. Please post random links and off-topic discussions here.
Here’s a fun thing I discovered yesterday. Check out the results of a Google search for It’s a Priority. Nice!
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Google, open_thread
