On the 6th of November I took the RainWise rain garden tour in Ballard. This project is federally funded and designed to provide ways that pollutants will be filtered out of the storm drain system before they are washed into Puget Sound.

In the projects many city-owned rain gardens are being built in the parking strip (the land between the sidewalk and the street), including an occasional "bump out" of about 5' into the street. Some parking is lost but the impact of that is studied before the design is approved. Rain water then that would generally wash down the street picking up all kinds of pollutants is diverted through these depressions and is allowed to filter through specially prepared ground before it enters the water table and then finds it's way to a stream and eventually the Sound.

The rain gardens are built to drain completely within 72 hours of the rain stopping. Plants at the bottom tier of the garden consist of sedges and rushes which can take prolonged periods of both standing water and dry conditions. Part way up are a wide variety of transitional plants and on the top ring of the gardens are your more common yard plants.

Another part of the project is the private rain garden grants. Residents who choose to, collect the rain water that falls on their roofs and driveways and direct it into a rain garden in their yard may qualify for a grant of up to $4,000.

If you'd like to live in Ballard, I'd like to help you find an appropriate home. The map below will give you an idea of what houses are selling for in Ballard. Market times here are relatively short for well priced homes. Let me know how I can help you become a part of this forward thinking community.

On Saturday, November 6th from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM you can go to the Sunset Hill Community Club (3003 NW 66^th Street) and pick up information to begin your self-guided walking tour of the Ballard Rainiwise street project.

Ballard has taken the lead in Seattle to prevent pollutants from entering our water ways. How so? One of the biggest causes of waterway pollution is run-off from roofs and driveways. This water is normally diverted to the storm drains in the street or in some cases to the city sewer system itself. In the latter case, this puts a burden on the sewer treatment plants. In the former, pollutants that could be filtered on the property are wisked away to streams, rivers lakes and out to Puget Sound.

Here is what this free tour offers:

·         Learn from experts at each tour site how and why Ballard is leading with green.

·         Discover how easy it is to receive a RainWise rebate and create a beautiful yard.

·         See neighborhood rain gardens and cisterns that have already received a rebate.

·         Visit planting strips transformed into roadside rain gardens.

·         Explore porous concrete and how it works in green alleys.

Be a part of cleaning up this valuable resource of ours. At the same time, you might discover a way to install a water retention sight on your property and enjoy the rebate to help defray expenses.

The Ballard market didn't slow down on account of Octoberfest celebrations. There are currently 110 active single family homes listed in Ballard, a waterside neighborhood of North Seattle. And there are another 53 under contract. Over the past 30 days 26 sales have closed. That's slightly above a 4 for an absorption rate which means it's a healthy sellers' market.

One reason it is a healthy seller's market is because sellers here have come to terms with the current reality of what their homes are worth. The sooner sellers everywhere face the facts of today's home values, the better it will be for the economy in general.

This fine house on a quiet street in Ballard with a great walk score (86) and easy access to biking routes and bus routes sold quickly. In only 16 days the negotiations and inspections were completed and it is now on the way to closing. The average market time for the 110 currently active single family homes is 67 days. Some are still priced too high and some have not been properly prepared. But there are buyers for your Ballard home.

I'd be happy to speak with you if you are thinking of selling in the near future. There is talk of a shadow inventory of bank held properties and there is also talk of better times to come. If you're not one to wait, but want to meet the market head on, let's get together and size up your Ballard home.

DON'T BUY anything today, until you've seen this Ballard Open House. I could go on and on about the features and the location and that it is the best value under $450,000 in all of north Seattle, but no one ever bought a house because of an eating nook or French doors, or a fenced backyard. No one ever turned down a house because the master bedroom was in the basement.

People don't buy houses because they don't feel like home...to them. Come by my Ballard Open House today and sit a spell. See if this house doesn't feel just like home to you. Here are the picures and the facts, but they don't tell the whole story.

BALLARD OPEN HOUSE 1:00-4:00 TODAY 9/26/2010

MLS #130977

Many properties in Ballard go pending in September

  

This home will be held open Sunday, 9/26/2010 from 1:00-4:00. If you are looking to for a home in beautiful Ballard, please stop by and say hello. I'll be happy to see you. 

This is one of Seattle's best locations for economical living. Walk Score is 86 and biking is friendly. This 1941 three bedroom two bath home will be open Sunday 9/19/10 from 1:00-4:00. Stop by for a visit if you're in the neighborhood.

NWMLS # 130977

The living room has a unique and beautiful tile fireplace plus the usual hardwood floors and coved ceiling.

The remodeled kitchen has a ceramic tile floor and  eating bar that overlooks the nicely planted front yard.

There are two bedrooms on the main floor with hardwood floors. One of them has French doors leading to the back deck and yard.

The young man I sold this home to eight years ago got married a while back and his wife insisted that they remodel the basement. What an exquisite job. Besides the cosmetics, they've upgraded the mechanical systems as well.

Stop by and see me. Inventory is good and interest rates are low. Is now the time for you to move into a home of your own?

Ballard Roadside Raingardens

The Federal Recovery Act has provided funds and Ballard, a Seattle neighborhood, has received them with a goal of naturally pre-treating yard run-off from roofs and driveways by filtering it through densely vegetated rain gardens. This will keep keep many pollutants out of the ship canal waterway and Puget Sound.

At present the areas between NW 65th Street and NW 80th Street and from 28th Avenue to 31st Avenue are a part of the project. These are relatively wide streets. Twenty-eighth Avenue used to have a trolley running from the Ballard center out to Golden Gardens Park.

At present, construction is underway. From the city's website "The rain gardens are designed with soils and densely planted vegetation to infiltrate and filter storm water flowing from the roadway, while providing attractive landscaping. Rain gardens will be located within existing planting strips, and in some cases may extend slightly into roadways, providing a secondary benefit of traffic calming."

Not only will these rain gardens help with storm water control, they will slow down traffic through the residential streets and improve the standard of living in the neighborhoods.

Read more about rain gardens and about the city project. Let me know if you have any questions. Perhaps you'd like to live in an area such as this. I can help you with that too.

New Ballard Listing: Charming 1941 2+ bedroom home priced at $440,000.

The owner bought this home 8 years ago as a single man. Since then he's married, remodeled parts of the home (with her influence) and it is now time for them to move on.

Enter the living room and enjoy the fireplace with period tile work, and hardwood floors. The kitchen has been redone and includes a breakfast bar.

One of the two bedrooms in this new Ballard listing has French doors leading to the back patio and fenced yard.

The downstairs is fully finished including a new gas furnace and tankless water heater, a new tiled three-quarter bath and a large room adaptable to any purpose.

Let me know when you'd like to see this Ballard home. It's available now and will be open on Sunday, Sept. 19th from 1:00-4:00 PM.

Photograpy by Josh Phoenix of HD Estates.