What’s the solution to Seattle’s traffic problems? Well, apparently if you ask the Mayor, the solution is a tax hike… on homeowners. Since 1998, voters have passed five levies: $117 million for education, $86 million for low-income housing, $72 million for the Seattle Center and community centers, $198 million for parks and $167 million for…
Video Report: Condo Craze
When you get some time, check out this King 5 video report on the condo craze. Robert Mak kicks off his report by focusing on a 23-story building full of $330,000+ condos going up in Bellingham. On his blog, he explains some of his thinking behind the report. Don’t get me wrong—Bellingham is a beautiful…
Real Estate Agent Boom Slowing
I guess Elizabeth Rhodes must be on vacation or something, because lately all the real estate stories in the Seattle Times have been refreshingly less biased than I’ve become accustomed to. For instance, take a look at this report from Jane Hodges on the huge increase in the number of real estate agents in our…
Affordability Continues Downward Slide
Apparently over at WSU there’s a group called the Washington Center for Real Estate Research. Last week they released a report on home sales in the first quarter of 2006 in the state of Washington. Surprise surprise, the report shows that home sales are slowing down in Washington! But as the Associated Press is all…
Seattle: Froth Or No Froth?
As amazing as it may seem to readers here, there are in fact many people that are completely convinced that Seattle is not in a housing / real estate bubble of any kind. Not that our bubble is less extreme than Florida or California, but that all of Seattle’s home price gains have been 100%…