Thanks to all for the thoughtful replies. My cup runneth over. Every day I'm gladder and gladder that back in 2005 I opted for grad school rather than a house. Any bets as to what the first neighborhood will be in which we see the top coming down in Seattle?
I do want to clarify, part of what interests us about the south end is the option of being able to swing a 15-year mortgage for around the same monthly payments that our friends pay for their 30's; to me that's the real opportunity a declining market presents. I work for a government agency so am probably not going anywhere for a while. We're willing to wait a long time to buy. I do get that Columbia City or Beacon Hill will never -- not in my mortgage-holding lifetime anyway -- have the cachet of Fremont or Ballard. That said, I look at these undistinguished little sub-1200sf 1940's houses in Ballard still with Zestimates and asking prices upwards of $400K, and I know that this is unsustainable. Ballard? Come on.
Angie, I love your idea of a weekend-daytime tour and would happily sit on a giant pile of cookie crumbs for the privilege thereof. Let's work on this.
Any bets as to what the first neighborhood will be in which we see the top coming down in Seattle?
How far up the ladder are we talking?
Let's take a look at one of the places that Dave says people pay for the "address"
How about the hoity toity "my acreage is more manicured than your 3 acres" Highlands where you can enjoy your "Spectacular Sound and Mountain Views" while listening to the chorus of lawn-mowers and leaf blowers perhaps?
36 NW Cherry Loop.
Sold in 1995 for $3,000,000
Sold in 2001 for $4,475,000
Sold 12/2008 for $3,800,000
Currently for sale (with a CDOM longer than it has been since the last sale) at $3,995,000
...and while were making fun of the playgrounds of the rich and famous...perhaps the fine owners of nearby neighboring 39 NW Cherry Loop will get around to paying their $53,039 tax lien soon and find someone to maintain their tennis court better.
I do get that Columbia City or Beacon Hill will never -- not in my mortgage-holding lifetime anyway -- have the cachet of Fremont or Ballard
I don't know. Ballard didn't always have cachet. And it still has some alleys that smell like urine....and a crime rate higher than most other neighborhoods in Seattle....( The U District and parts of downtown/First Hill were tops in crime rate, Ballard just behind).
Re Cherry Loop: Interesting! And does someone know why the property reports for Cherry Loop addresses (and presumably others in the The Highlands) are not accessible via the KC GIS site? Does being a "private community" mean that otherwise-public records are not?
I ask because I've taken to Googling, in cases of short sale, asking price below last sale price, etc., the names of the property owners. My hypothesis was that a lot of them are/were involved in real estate and financial services, and so far my hypothesis has been sound. Though lately there is some Microsoft creeping into the mix.
I'm renting in 98122 / central district and I'm wondering when its going to work its way to here. Still no foreclosures listed, still nothing under $300k in the neighborhood, still no signs of a breakdown in prices on redfin, still piles of townhouses under construction and it looks like they're all selling. Do I just live in an alternative reality universe where there is no housing collapse?
And this isn't the best neighborhood in Seattle, if you leave a window open some meth addict will definitely climb in and steal your laptop....
Lamont,
I'm seeing five single family homes currently for sale in the 98122 zip code for under 300k. Not pretty, in fact I think the meth addicts live there.
Seems to me that because the western side of 98122 is so close to downtown,that part of the zipcode won't see the declines as early as the southeastern part of the zip....Homes east of 23rd and west or on or near MLK should see declines first, especially south towards Yesler, as the neighboring 98144 zip code in that area has seen some downward movement. There are also a couple of homes in the 98122 zipcode scheduled to be auctioned off at a foreclosure auction in March. Real expensive, and could have possibly been redeemed by now.
Lake Hills (98008) has completely stagnated. There's a relatively large number of houses for sale for winter, but no one is buying -- I haven't seen a sold sign is a very long time. Prices dropped about 10-15% from peak last year, but the sellers apparently won't go any lower, and still they aren't selling. Most of the houses have been for sale for quite a while, many of them relisted multiple times, and haven't had a price drop in many months. I suspect they are waiting for the spring selling season...again.
Civil Servant, that would be totally fun. I'd be glad to show you the good, the bad, and the ugly. Can we do something like private email within this forum? I'm not sure I want to make my real email address public. Alternatively, we could set a date and time here, maybe 10 am on Sunday March 8th at the Columbia City Bakery, take it from there?
I do get that Columbia City or Beacon Hill will never -- not in my mortgage-holding lifetime anyway -- have the cachet of Fremont or Ballard
I don't know. Ballard didn't always have cachet. And it still has some alleys that smell like urine....and a crime rate higher than most other neighborhoods in Seattle....( The U District and parts of downtown/First Hill were tops in crime rate, Ballard just behind).
Who knows what the future may hold, but: my best friends' elderly parents have lived in Seattle their whole adult lives, and had/have a small empire of rental houses, including several in Montlake. They said that when the bought those houses, maybe in the 60s or 70s, that was considered a very sketchy neighborhood. I doubt anyone would regard it as such now.
I do know that in the last ten years, CC has seen improvements in the housing and business stock that I doubt has been met or exceeded in other parts of the city. Possibly West Seattle, though they're always going to have a geographic and traffic barrier to downtown, no matter how you slice it. CC is "on the map" for the professional class in a way that it just was not 15 years ago and there are many, many, MANY young families with well-educated, well-employed parents who have set down roots here. I have long said that I think the schools' reputations and performance are going to improve as the gentrifiers' babies hit school age--that's already apparent at several elementaries down here and there are lots of kids on their way up.
Also, in this economic downturn I think we may have dodged the bullet of big behemoth retail down/condo above development that I think Ballard and Pike/Pine will live to regret--there were two of those in the hopper, bracketing our "downtown", but neither of those have broken ground yet, so they might never come to pass.
Re Cherry Loop: Interesting! And does someone know why the property reports for Cherry Loop addresses (and presumably others in the The Highlands) are not accessible via the KC GIS site? Does being a "private community" mean that otherwise-public records are not?
I ask because I've taken to Googling, in cases of short sale, asking price below last sale price, etc., the names of the property owners. My hypothesis was that a lot of them are/were involved in real estate and financial services, and so far my hypothesis has been sound. Though lately there is some Microsoft creeping into the mix.
You can get the records for The Highlands. I thought the same thing as you trying to find the records for a particular listing. The listing was something like 9 Huckleberry or something like that. The actual street number was different. I just panned around and typed in parcel #'s.
It seems like the Uber-Rich don't like to show their addresses on their listings.
Did you notice in my list of L.A. listings that Beck's "flip" doesn't list the address. Heck...Zillow doesn't even his purchase.
I love that term. It harkins back to the days of the early settlers. When pioneers came in the claim this great continent for themselves. You get the idea, I don't really need to go there.
Columbia City and along Raineer from the Central District South used to be a lot more mellow. Aside from the gentrifiers there is also a large Asian population. Tensions rose as businesses were steadily taken over.
There is an economic principle that explains why Asians can come to this country with nothing and become a driving business force, but that's for another day.
Bottom line is that the gentrifiers will be moved out as an undesirable element. The gentrifiers have an odd idea that things should go thier way. They demand it, they go to meetings, and want pea patches.
When crime becomes a problem the gentrifiers want police protection. They want cross walks and stop lights. Gentrifiers are very busy people who do work hard to get more funding for the schools even though they are outside of the economic tax base for the area.
You must mean the people who fought for the Light Rail so they can get down town to work. That will be a double edged sword. The population of the South End will become more mobile also. The Light Rail Line may also be used by people who have a different line of work than the gentrifiers.
Some people steal, sell drugs, sell themselves, party, play, and in general get by. Asians are more organized, but they also gamble, sell drugs, party, play, and are motivated to make as much money as they can.
It's just different. In some other communities people self regulate. Some groups offer thier own protection based on a set of rules outside of what the gentrifiers are used to.
As time goes on and housing prices collapse the interest in the South End as an affordable alternative will collapse also, I can only hope.
Hi Angie -- I can't do the 8th, my sister will be visiting from back East. Chat offline? Send mail to ostensible.correspondent+at+gmail and watch for me to write back from a different account. It is really lovely of you to make this offer -- I appreciate it.
David, regarding your "I can only hope": do you have a dog in this fight (i.e., the south end never taking off)? This sounds a bit personal.
While you're at it, don't forget to take note of the rapid price reductions on unit #303. That is very common in Los Angeles. It is called "marking to market".
I have a long response, but let me say simply that I lived and worked in the Raineer Valley in the 1970s and early 1980s. I never had a problem. It used to be a great place.
White people ruined the community feel of many neighborhoods. It was tragic to watch and from what I've heard it is an urban phenomenon rather than a legend.
You can see the houses that those people purchase then try to flip. They spin the ethnic complexion while never participating in it.
The community needs participation in community issues. White people seem to be just passing through.
White people want the neighborhood to change to fit thier investment strategy, but do nothing to improve the quality of life for the community at large.
If you move in for life there are specific issues that need to be addressed. Lack of opportunity in the black community should be number one. Supporting black owned businesses should be a priority.
Drugs are a community issue handled at the community center level rather than police presence. Why do white people always call the police for everything?
There are privacy issues for every one, but when cars come and go, as long as it's not bothering you it's none of your business. If it bothers you then it is a community issue, not your personal ax to grind.
White people are so stupid. Why are white people so stupid? Why do white people move into a neighborhood of disrepair with a bunch of fancy stuff to put in the garage?
Why can't white people just get along, mind thier own business, and get to know the neighbors slowly over time? Why are white people in such a rush and pushy?
Maybe over the course of a year or two then you can get to know all your neighbors with a bar be que, some cocktails, a few beers, and music. It doesn't need to be done today.
Let me say again that if there is a problem in your community it is a community problem. White people want to "fix" stuff. Why? It's just stupid.
Those kids that are forming a gang are also a part of your community. You need to know that and respect that those kids are doing something for themselves.
If you have a better way it best work for all of them. If you have something positive to contribute you need to put that out there to the community .If you can't do that or if you are unable to do that then you need to give support to the people who can help.
Go to the community church, temple, or mosque if you get lost on your path. Forget your government, they are only a hinderence unless they give the community money without strings attached.
Mr. Losh said " Asians are more organized, but they also gamble, sell drugs, party, play, and are motivated to make as much money as they can."
These comments are inappropriate if not flat out racist.
Don't take it too hard. He seems dead set on offending as many people as possible. Asians, caucassians, latinos, blacks, women, men, children, jocks, dweebs, the rich, the poor, the middle class, and don't forget midgets.
If I understand him correctly, the world can be divided into three kinds of people: the long dead, the a**hats, and David Losh.
I have always said that Tacoma condos will be the first real, live, living, breathing incarnation of Eleua's "80% off" call. More will follow. Units in that beast are getting pretty close. Man, how depressing is that place?
You must mean the people who fought for the Light Rail so they can get down town to work. That will be a double edged sword. The population of the South End will become more mobile also. The Light Rail Line may also be used by people who have a different line of work than the gentrifiers.
One of the odd aspects of the DC Metro Rail system is that the suburban stations were built in relatively undeveloped areas. 20-30 years later development near the stations is still not what you might expect to find adjacent to one of the safest and cleanest subway systems in the US.
Back when the system was originally planned, the "nice" areas fought to keep Metro out. Instead of running the Virginia (Orange) line to the business/shopping center at (wealthy) Tyson's Corner, they went into residential areas further southwest. Same is true with the Blue line running through Annandale. The fear was that poor urban blacks would use the rail line to get out of the city and ruin everyone's suburban oasis. Based on what I've read about Baltimore's transit system, this phenomenon was responsible for the demise of several higher end shopping centers located along the rail line.
There is now a plan to add a line through Tysons and eventually out to Dulles airport.
Seattle's demographics are different, but undoubtedly the rail line running in from the south end will bring some undesirable elements to the connected areas. Given how lax Seattle is about prosecuting property crime and largely ignoring the hard drug problems I could see a situation where they'll either need to aggressively target enforcement or the problems will get out of hand.
I'm not saying the rail line will be the "south end criminal express" or disparaging the people that live there. I do think Seattle will be facing some of the same problems other cities dealt with when running rail through areas with higher crime rates.
Yep, starts at the bottom all right. The NWMLS numbers released today shows that 380 (SE Seattle) was the only area that had positive YOY price changes for single family houses. See page 2 of
Dave, you just keep on with your bad self. If you haven't been down here for the past 19 years I suspect that you might not have a clue about what things are like these days. Just a suspicion.
Civil Servant, I'm still game. I asked Ira to coordinate and hope he'll pull it together. I'm generally available on weekends mid-morning but can't do it on the 14th.
Yep, starts at the bottom all right. The NWMLS numbers released today shows that 380 (SE Seattle) was the only area that had positive YOY price changes for single family houses. See page 2 of
Since that's obviously not really true (median may have risen YOY, but real prices most certainly have not), it makes me wonder what changed in the 380 area's mix of homes.
Dave, babe, if you're in the area all the time, could you do us the favor of learning to spell 'Rainier' correctly?
Maybe the whole spelling thing is one of those annoying white people traits.
Sniglet, I think the relevant question is mix of houses *sold*. Undoubtedly there are lots of not so great houses, and houses in less desirable areas, that are on the market for much less than the lowest prices seen for the last few years. Those aren't selling though (and surely the stats will take a hit if and when they do).
So, probably the people who bought down here in Feb got a better deal for their money than they would have a year ago, in terms of amount of house or desirable location. The thing that I think really tells the tale is that they still were willing to do it in 380, and they surely got way more/better house for the money than they would have for comparable prices north of the ship canal.
The New York Times had a nice article about when the gentrification recedes. It mentions Beacon Hill specifically, though the article is about an LA neighborhood.
Congratulations! I used to just think your IQ was 75, but now I think you are just an a*%hole. Post that insult 80% of the regions population are not going help you nab sales.
Here are a couple of quotes from the article provided:
The tide of gentrification that transformed economically depressed enclaves is receding, leaving some communities high and dry.
Christian Lander, 30, who jeered the pretensions of the creative class on his Web site, Stuff White People Like, lives a few miles to the west of Eagle Rock and says things will be fine — better even. "The economic downturn is good for fringe neighborhoods," Mr. Lander said. "It returns the neighborhood to the people who consider themselves to be real residents."
Let's see, spell check for the Raineir and I am an @sshole. There is no doubt about that.
What gets me is the idea that anyone would be coming to the Seattle Bubble site to look for business of any kind.
Lamont,
I'm seeing five single family homes currently for sale in the 98122 zip code for under 300k. Not pretty, in fact I think the meth addicts live there.
Seems to me that because the western side of 98122 is so close to downtown,that part of the zipcode won't see the declines as early as the southeastern part of the zip....Homes east of 23rd and west or on or near MLK should see declines first, especially south towards Yesler, as the neighboring 98144 zip code in that area has seen some downward movement. There are also a couple of homes in the 98122 zipcode scheduled to be auctioned off at a foreclosure auction in March. Real expensive, and could have possibly been redeemed by now.
Yeah 98122 is much larger than what I consider to be "my neighborhood". It includes leschi and it includes the area SE of around yesler and 23rd. "Central District" is also overly broad. If you take the 98122 zip code that is NW of yesler and 23rd that is what I'm talking about (I live on 16th and spruce).
EDIT: whoops, 98122 doesn't go south of yesler, and east of MLK it is more madrona than leschi, although the zip code splits leschi park in two... whatever...
Dang! Skyway is Ira's stomping grounds, if I recall correctly.
That "fixer" looks like it's in a whole lot better shape than either of my houses were when we got them. I wonder what the "Not for the faint of heart" part of it is. Kinda makes me want to go look!
If you lived down there, you'd be real near this restaurant that got a tremendous review in the Stranger this week:
I think we're going to have to get down there and check it out. Though we just had an outstanding dinner at Cafe Mawadda on Graham near Rainier tonight (gyros, shawarma, best falafel I've ever had) so we might be on a middle eastern kick for a while.
Comments
I do want to clarify, part of what interests us about the south end is the option of being able to swing a 15-year mortgage for around the same monthly payments that our friends pay for their 30's; to me that's the real opportunity a declining market presents. I work for a government agency so am probably not going anywhere for a while. We're willing to wait a long time to buy. I do get that Columbia City or Beacon Hill will never -- not in my mortgage-holding lifetime anyway -- have the cachet of Fremont or Ballard. That said, I look at these undistinguished little sub-1200sf 1940's houses in Ballard still with Zestimates and asking prices upwards of $400K, and I know that this is unsustainable. Ballard? Come on.
Angie, I love your idea of a weekend-daytime tour and would happily sit on a giant pile of cookie crumbs for the privilege thereof. Let's work on this.
How far up the ladder are we talking?
Let's take a look at one of the places that Dave says people pay for the "address"
How about the hoity toity "my acreage is more manicured than your 3 acres" Highlands where you can enjoy your "Spectacular Sound and Mountain Views" while listening to the chorus of lawn-mowers and leaf blowers perhaps?
36 NW Cherry Loop.
Sold in 1995 for $3,000,000
Sold in 2001 for $4,475,000
Sold 12/2008 for $3,800,000
Currently for sale (with a CDOM longer than it has been since the last sale) at $3,995,000
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Shoreline/36-N ... home/76675
...and while were making fun of the playgrounds of the rich and famous...perhaps the fine owners of nearby neighboring 39 NW Cherry Loop will get around to paying their $53,039 tax lien soon and find someone to maintain their tennis court better.
I don't know. Ballard didn't always have cachet. And it still has some alleys that smell like urine....and a crime rate higher than most other neighborhoods in Seattle....( The U District and parts of downtown/First Hill were tops in crime rate, Ballard just behind).
I ask because I've taken to Googling, in cases of short sale, asking price below last sale price, etc., the names of the property owners. My hypothesis was that a lot of them are/were involved in real estate and financial services, and so far my hypothesis has been sound. Though lately there is some Microsoft creeping into the mix.
And this isn't the best neighborhood in Seattle, if you leave a window open some meth addict will definitely climb in and steal your laptop....
I'm seeing five single family homes currently for sale in the 98122 zip code for under 300k. Not pretty, in fact I think the meth addicts live there.
Seems to me that because the western side of 98122 is so close to downtown,that part of the zipcode won't see the declines as early as the southeastern part of the zip....Homes east of 23rd and west or on or near MLK should see declines first, especially south towards Yesler, as the neighboring 98144 zip code in that area has seen some downward movement. There are also a couple of homes in the 98122 zipcode scheduled to be auctioned off at a foreclosure auction in March. Real expensive, and could have possibly been redeemed by now.
Who knows what the future may hold, but: my best friends' elderly parents have lived in Seattle their whole adult lives, and had/have a small empire of rental houses, including several in Montlake. They said that when the bought those houses, maybe in the 60s or 70s, that was considered a very sketchy neighborhood. I doubt anyone would regard it as such now.
I do know that in the last ten years, CC has seen improvements in the housing and business stock that I doubt has been met or exceeded in other parts of the city. Possibly West Seattle, though they're always going to have a geographic and traffic barrier to downtown, no matter how you slice it. CC is "on the map" for the professional class in a way that it just was not 15 years ago and there are many, many, MANY young families with well-educated, well-employed parents who have set down roots here. I have long said that I think the schools' reputations and performance are going to improve as the gentrifiers' babies hit school age--that's already apparent at several elementaries down here and there are lots of kids on their way up.
Also, in this economic downturn I think we may have dodged the bullet of big behemoth retail down/condo above development that I think Ballard and Pike/Pine will live to regret--there were two of those in the hopper, bracketing our "downtown", but neither of those have broken ground yet, so they might never come to pass.
You can get the records for The Highlands. I thought the same thing as you trying to find the records for a particular listing. The listing was something like 9 Huckleberry or something like that. The actual street number was different. I just panned around and typed in parcel #'s.
It seems like the Uber-Rich don't like to show their addresses on their listings.
Did you notice in my list of L.A. listings that Beck's "flip" doesn't list the address. Heck...Zillow doesn't even his purchase.
I love that term. It harkins back to the days of the early settlers. When pioneers came in the claim this great continent for themselves. You get the idea, I don't really need to go there.
Columbia City and along Raineer from the Central District South used to be a lot more mellow. Aside from the gentrifiers there is also a large Asian population. Tensions rose as businesses were steadily taken over.
There is an economic principle that explains why Asians can come to this country with nothing and become a driving business force, but that's for another day.
Bottom line is that the gentrifiers will be moved out as an undesirable element. The gentrifiers have an odd idea that things should go thier way. They demand it, they go to meetings, and want pea patches.
When crime becomes a problem the gentrifiers want police protection. They want cross walks and stop lights. Gentrifiers are very busy people who do work hard to get more funding for the schools even though they are outside of the economic tax base for the area.
You must mean the people who fought for the Light Rail so they can get down town to work. That will be a double edged sword. The population of the South End will become more mobile also. The Light Rail Line may also be used by people who have a different line of work than the gentrifiers.
Some people steal, sell drugs, sell themselves, party, play, and in general get by. Asians are more organized, but they also gamble, sell drugs, party, play, and are motivated to make as much money as they can.
It's just different. In some other communities people self regulate. Some groups offer thier own protection based on a set of rules outside of what the gentrifiers are used to.
As time goes on and housing prices collapse the interest in the South End as an affordable alternative will collapse also, I can only hope.
David, regarding your "I can only hope": do you have a dog in this fight (i.e., the south end never taking off)? This sounds a bit personal.
Let's take a look at some Tacoma condos.
3201 Pacific St.
#303 listed at 100k
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Tacoma/3201-Pa ... me/3030537
While you're at it, don't forget to take note of the rapid price reductions on unit #303. That is very common in Los Angeles. It is called "marking to market".
#403 listed at 125k (last purchase 01/2007 for $233,500
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Tacoma/3201-Pa ... me/3030545
#603 (slightly larger but same line) dreaming of selling at $235,000
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Tacoma/3201-Pa ... me/3030559
#903 undercutting #603 (same sf) at $209,950 (attempting to get out just above 2007 purchase price)
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Tacoma/3201-Pa ... me/3030580
Same pattern in all the highrises (10+ stories) in Long Beach, San Diego, Hollywood and Marina Del Rey, Ca.
These comments are inappropriate if not flat out racist.
White people ruined the community feel of many neighborhoods. It was tragic to watch and from what I've heard it is an urban phenomenon rather than a legend.
You can see the houses that those people purchase then try to flip. They spin the ethnic complexion while never participating in it.
The community needs participation in community issues. White people seem to be just passing through.
White people want the neighborhood to change to fit thier investment strategy, but do nothing to improve the quality of life for the community at large.
If you move in for life there are specific issues that need to be addressed. Lack of opportunity in the black community should be number one. Supporting black owned businesses should be a priority.
Drugs are a community issue handled at the community center level rather than police presence. Why do white people always call the police for everything?
There are privacy issues for every one, but when cars come and go, as long as it's not bothering you it's none of your business. If it bothers you then it is a community issue, not your personal ax to grind.
White people are so stupid. Why are white people so stupid? Why do white people move into a neighborhood of disrepair with a bunch of fancy stuff to put in the garage?
Why can't white people just get along, mind thier own business, and get to know the neighbors slowly over time? Why are white people in such a rush and pushy?
Maybe over the course of a year or two then you can get to know all your neighbors with a bar be que, some cocktails, a few beers, and music. It doesn't need to be done today.
Let me say again that if there is a problem in your community it is a community problem. White people want to "fix" stuff. Why? It's just stupid.
Those kids that are forming a gang are also a part of your community. You need to know that and respect that those kids are doing something for themselves.
If you have a better way it best work for all of them. If you have something positive to contribute you need to put that out there to the community .If you can't do that or if you are unable to do that then you need to give support to the people who can help.
Go to the community church, temple, or mosque if you get lost on your path. Forget your government, they are only a hinderence unless they give the community money without strings attached.
That there's my dog.
Don't take it too hard. He seems dead set on offending as many people as possible. Asians, caucassians, latinos, blacks, women, men, children, jocks, dweebs, the rich, the poor, the middle class, and don't forget midgets.
If I understand him correctly, the world can be divided into three kinds of people: the long dead, the a**hats, and David Losh.
I have always said that Tacoma condos will be the first real, live, living, breathing incarnation of Eleua's "80% off" call. More will follow. Units in that beast are getting pretty close. Man, how depressing is that place?
One of the odd aspects of the DC Metro Rail system is that the suburban stations were built in relatively undeveloped areas. 20-30 years later development near the stations is still not what you might expect to find adjacent to one of the safest and cleanest subway systems in the US.
Back when the system was originally planned, the "nice" areas fought to keep Metro out. Instead of running the Virginia (Orange) line to the business/shopping center at (wealthy) Tyson's Corner, they went into residential areas further southwest. Same is true with the Blue line running through Annandale. The fear was that poor urban blacks would use the rail line to get out of the city and ruin everyone's suburban oasis. Based on what I've read about Baltimore's transit system, this phenomenon was responsible for the demise of several higher end shopping centers located along the rail line.
There is now a plan to add a line through Tysons and eventually out to Dulles airport.
Seattle's demographics are different, but undoubtedly the rail line running in from the south end will bring some undesirable elements to the connected areas. Given how lax Seattle is about prosecuting property crime and largely ignoring the hard drug problems I could see a situation where they'll either need to aggressively target enforcement or the problems will get out of hand.
I'm not saying the rail line will be the "south end criminal express" or disparaging the people that live there. I do think Seattle will be facing some of the same problems other cities dealt with when running rail through areas with higher crime rates.
http://www.nwrealestate.com/nwrpub/common/getRpt.cfm?obj=KCbreakouts
Dave, you just keep on with your bad self. If you haven't been down here for the past 19 years I suspect that you might not have a clue about what things are like these days. Just a suspicion.
Civil Servant, I'm still game. I asked Ira to coordinate and hope he'll pull it together. I'm generally available on weekends mid-morning but can't do it on the 14th.
Since that's obviously not really true (median may have risen YOY, but real prices most certainly have not), it makes me wonder what changed in the 380 area's mix of homes.
I just don't like white people.
Thankfully the Raineer Vista Projects are almost finished and the anticipated gentrification can fade into distant memory.
Columbia City will languish as it should until affordability returns. That will be very soon. You will find many speculators trying to get out.
In the mean time the Asian community will continue to buy up the area.
Maybe the whole spelling thing is one of those annoying white people traits.
Sniglet, I think the relevant question is mix of houses *sold*. Undoubtedly there are lots of not so great houses, and houses in less desirable areas, that are on the market for much less than the lowest prices seen for the last few years. Those aren't selling though (and surely the stats will take a hit if and when they do).
So, probably the people who bought down here in Feb got a better deal for their money than they would have a year ago, in terms of amount of house or desirable location. The thing that I think really tells the tale is that they still were willing to do it in 380, and they surely got way more/better house for the money than they would have for comparable prices north of the ship canal.
Congratulations! I used to just think your IQ was 75, but now I think you are just an a*%hole. Post that insult 80% of the regions population are not going help you nab sales.
The tide of gentrification that transformed economically depressed enclaves is receding, leaving some communities high and dry.
Christian Lander, 30, who jeered the pretensions of the creative class on his Web site, Stuff White People Like, lives a few miles to the west of Eagle Rock and says things will be fine — better even. "The economic downturn is good for fringe neighborhoods," Mr. Lander said. "It returns the neighborhood to the people who consider themselves to be real residents."
Let's see, spell check for the Raineir and I am an @sshole. There is no doubt about that.
What gets me is the idea that anyone would be coming to the Seattle Bubble site to look for business of any kind.
Yeah 98122 is much larger than what I consider to be "my neighborhood". It includes leschi and it includes the area SE of around yesler and 23rd. "Central District" is also overly broad. If you take the 98122 zip code that is NW of yesler and 23rd that is what I'm talking about (I live on 16th and spruce).
EDIT: whoops, 98122 doesn't go south of yesler, and east of MLK it is more madrona than leschi, although the zip code splits leschi park in two... whatever...
2000 prices?...
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/7217-S ... ome/198475
Loss by HELOC? It sure took a long time for the bank to get this one on the market.
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/5619-S ... ome/178028
That "fixer" looks like it's in a whole lot better shape than either of my houses were when we got them. I wonder what the "Not for the faint of heart" part of it is. Kinda makes me want to go look!
If you lived down there, you'd be real near this restaurant that got a tremendous review in the Stranger this week:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/destination-good/Content?oid=1148088
I think we're going to have to get down there and check it out. Though we just had an outstanding dinner at Cafe Mawadda on Graham near Rainier tonight (gyros, shawarma, best falafel I've ever had) so we might be on a middle eastern kick for a while.