Thursday, November 15, 2007
Seattle Magazine
Seattle Magazine has asked Shawn Filer to represent the Laurelhurst and Windermere neighborhoods in their Magazine for 2008. Shawn will join a list with some of the top Agents in the NW and will be the sole representative for these two neighborhoods!
The Urban Pages, 2008 - by Shawn Filer
South Lake Union
With access to Lake Union, three parks, a new streetcar, and Paul Allen’s deep pockets, South Lake Union offers endless potential. Currently the largest redevelopment in the Country, the South Lake Union area consists of five distinct areas; Lakefront, 8th Avenue, Westlake/Terry, Cascade, and Gateway. With several new condo projects in all price ranges and an estimated 30,000 new jobs, this will be one of the hottest neighborhoods for the next ten years and beyond. If you like short commutes, Kayaking, Whole Foods, Restaurants, and miles of “Green” construction, this could be the neighborhood for you. Current condo projects include the Enso, Rollin Street Flats, and Veer Lofts.
Madison Park
One of Seattle’s original high-end neighborhoods, Madison Park is just as popular now as ever. With a unique blend of million dollar houses and condos alongside many affordable apartments, Madison Park has something to offer everyone. With the highest cost per square foot in Seattle (in the $600 range) people often sacrifice space for amenities and an easy commute to Downtown Seattle. Only ten minutes to Pacific Place and five minutes to Broadway, Madison Park feels more like a small town miles away – a cozy lakeside community with strong social and economic ties. Walk to some of the best restaurants in town, play golf at Broadmoor Country Club, and put your name on the 10 year waitlist for The Seattle Tennis Club… all in one great neighborhood.
View Ridge
Along with its neighboring areas including Hawthorne Hills, and Wedgewood, View Ridge represents one of the hottest areas in Seattle. With consistently high appreciation, great views of Lake Washington, and easy access to University Village and the University of Washington, it’s easy to see why this area has remained so popular. The best part… unlike its luxurious neighbors in Windermere and Laurelhurst, $700,000 still buys a very nice house! With a fun mix of quiet streets, parks, yoga, and mid-century modern architecture, View Ridge is one of the most well rounded neighborhoods in the City. Grab some groceries at Metropolitan Market, take the dogs to Magnusson Park, and work off those Top Pot donuts on the Burke Gilman Trail.
Fremont/Green Lake
Every year Fremont and Green Lake seem to compete to become the trendiest and most popular neighborhood of the year. Both are great neighborhoods with a long history of appreciation, active lifestyles, and fun. With a balanced combination of old and new, including condos, apartments, and houses, both of these neighborhoods provide opportunities for all price ranges and personalities. On one hand Green Lake has the 3 mile loop for jogging and cycling, on the other Fremont has the Burke Gilman Trail. Green Lake has great restaurants and a Whole Foods nearby; Fremont has a PCC Natural Market, Oktoberfest, and enough trendy shops and restaurants to keep you busy for years. Bottom line, both neighborhoods have a distinct feel and edge – perfect for any active lifestyle or person.
With access to Lake Union, three parks, a new streetcar, and Paul Allen’s deep pockets, South Lake Union offers endless potential. Currently the largest redevelopment in the Country, the South Lake Union area consists of five distinct areas; Lakefront, 8th Avenue, Westlake/Terry, Cascade, and Gateway. With several new condo projects in all price ranges and an estimated 30,000 new jobs, this will be one of the hottest neighborhoods for the next ten years and beyond. If you like short commutes, Kayaking, Whole Foods, Restaurants, and miles of “Green” construction, this could be the neighborhood for you. Current condo projects include the Enso, Rollin Street Flats, and Veer Lofts.
Madison Park
One of Seattle’s original high-end neighborhoods, Madison Park is just as popular now as ever. With a unique blend of million dollar houses and condos alongside many affordable apartments, Madison Park has something to offer everyone. With the highest cost per square foot in Seattle (in the $600 range) people often sacrifice space for amenities and an easy commute to Downtown Seattle. Only ten minutes to Pacific Place and five minutes to Broadway, Madison Park feels more like a small town miles away – a cozy lakeside community with strong social and economic ties. Walk to some of the best restaurants in town, play golf at Broadmoor Country Club, and put your name on the 10 year waitlist for The Seattle Tennis Club… all in one great neighborhood.
View Ridge
Along with its neighboring areas including Hawthorne Hills, and Wedgewood, View Ridge represents one of the hottest areas in Seattle. With consistently high appreciation, great views of Lake Washington, and easy access to University Village and the University of Washington, it’s easy to see why this area has remained so popular. The best part… unlike its luxurious neighbors in Windermere and Laurelhurst, $700,000 still buys a very nice house! With a fun mix of quiet streets, parks, yoga, and mid-century modern architecture, View Ridge is one of the most well rounded neighborhoods in the City. Grab some groceries at Metropolitan Market, take the dogs to Magnusson Park, and work off those Top Pot donuts on the Burke Gilman Trail.
Fremont/Green Lake
Every year Fremont and Green Lake seem to compete to become the trendiest and most popular neighborhood of the year. Both are great neighborhoods with a long history of appreciation, active lifestyles, and fun. With a balanced combination of old and new, including condos, apartments, and houses, both of these neighborhoods provide opportunities for all price ranges and personalities. On one hand Green Lake has the 3 mile loop for jogging and cycling, on the other Fremont has the Burke Gilman Trail. Green Lake has great restaurants and a Whole Foods nearby; Fremont has a PCC Natural Market, Oktoberfest, and enough trendy shops and restaurants to keep you busy for years. Bottom line, both neighborhoods have a distinct feel and edge – perfect for any active lifestyle or person.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Thinking Outside the Box
A moral dilemma presented to 200 job applicants and submitted by Dick Breit to Reader's Digest shows the importance of creative thinking: The dilemma: You are driving along on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, where you see three people waiting: 1. An elderly woman who is about to die. 2. An old friend who once saved your life. 3. The perfect mate you've been dreaming about. Who would you choose, knowing there could be only one passenger in your car? Should you save the elderly woman or take the old friend because he once saved your life? What about the perfect man or woman of your dreams?The person who was hired for the job gave this answer without hesitation: "I would give the car keys to my friend and let him take the elderly woman to the hospital. Then I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the women of my dreams."
How to become #1 in Sales... Clever and funny!
Private Jones was assigned to the Army induction center where he was to advise new recruits about their government benefits, especially their Serviceman's Group Life Insurance (SGLI). It wasn't long before the center's Lieutenant noticed that Private Jones had a 100% close rate for all insurance sales. Needless to say, this had never happened before, so the Lt. decided to listen in on Jones's sales pitch. Jones explained the basics of the SGLI to the new recruits and then said... "If you have SGLI and go into battle and are killed, the government has to pay $200,000 to your beneficiaries. If you don't have SGLI and you get killed then the government has to pay only a maximum of $6,000.""Now," he concluded, "which bunch do you think they are going to send into battle first?"
One Smart Businessman...
A businessman walked into a New York City bank and asked for the loan officer. He said he was going to Europe for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000. The loan officer said the bank would need some security for such a loan so without hesitation the businessman handed over the keys to his Rolls Royce that was parked outside on the street. Everything checked out and the loan officer accepted the car as collateral for the loan. An employee then drove the car into the bank's underground garage and parked it in a safe spot. Two weeks later the man returned from his trip and then repaid the loan plus interest which came to $5,015.41. The loan officer said, "We do appreciate your business and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we were a bit puzzled. While you were away we checked and found out that you have millions of dollars... so we are puzzled why you need to borrow $5,000?" The businessman replied, "Where else in Manhattan can I park my car for two weeks for 15 bucks?"
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Luxury Real Estate Markets Still Strong!
Strangely enough the Seattle/Bellevue luxury market is going as strong as ever in some areas. A home in Windermere just set the area record for price for a home with no view and no waterfront. Roughly four days on the market at $3.3 million and two offers - one without an inspection contingency. My opinion... although the markets have slowed, things are still very good and look for the markets to pick up in early 2008. Jobs, jobs, jobs... and did I mention jobs. In addition to this, expect the mortgage industry to continue fixing their glitches and hopefully end the fiscal year better off than expected. Also in the near future, and announcement that 300,000 square feet was just leased in South Lake Union to an unknown tenant. Things are certainly looking up, but ultimately the buyers and sellers will decide how to take the coming markets.
The Urban Pages
It was just announced that I will be a writing contributor to the 2008 edition of the Urban Pages. For more information please visit www.urban-pages.com and look for the article early 2008. The piece is titled "Seattle's Hottest Neighborhoods."
New Website... www.shawnfiler.com
The new and updated www.shawnfiler.com was just launched today and I would love feedback on the new look. A professional flash site will be in place sometime next year, but until then this should do just fine. Feel free to leave feedback in the contact form or email me at any time. shawnfiler@cbbain.com. Thanks for reading and thanks for looking!
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