Glenn Roberts   |  Ravenna Park  |  My Seattle   | Lake & Co Real Estate

2010 University Street Fair Seattle

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A glimpse of this years fair.

 Glenn Roberts   |  Ravenna Park  |  My Seattle   | Lake & Co Real Estate

April 2010 Market Data for Single Family Homes in the University District - Seattle

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The April 2010 statistics for Seattle's University District

The University District of Seattle suffered through a slow winter along with the Roosevelt Neighborhood. Only two sales closed in April in the single family sector.  But now there are eight properties under contract. That’s a good sign. The U District has a great many more multiunit properties and condos than the surrounding neighborhoods. But there are some very good locations to find and enjoy a single family home.

Right now, the selection of single family homes stands at 18 with prices ranging from $375,000 to $800,000. The picture below is an example of a fine U District home for $750,000.

All of the city amenities are available in Seattle’s University District. Good transportation to just about anywhere via Metro bus routes. The Burke Gillman Trail will take you west to Ballard or north to Kenmore on your feet or bicycle. The light rail will have a stop here around 2015 with access to downtown and south to Seatac Airport when open and eventually north to Northgate. If you’ve got a paddle board, kayak, sail boat or power yacht, the ship canal gives you a direct route to the rest of the world.

Do you want to invest in a good rental area, find a condo for your son or daughter to call home while attending the U, or do you need a quality home in an excellent location? Give me a call. I’ll match you up with just the right place.

 Glenn Roberts   |  Ravenna Park  |  My Seattle   | Lake & Co Real Estate

University District Farmers’ Market Seattle

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What one might find at the University District Farmers' Market in April.

It was sunny this morning and before we noticed the frost on neighborhood roofs, we had decided to head for the University District Farmers’ Market. It’s only about eight blocks from our house in Ravenna Park and we thought it would be nice to know what the farmers were up to in April. This market is open year around but we hadn’t been for a while.

So we grabbed a couple of reusable grocery bags and I grabbed my gloves.  We got to the corner of 50^th and University Ave NE at about 9:30 and found the market rocking. I was surprised at the variety of things that could be had so early in the year.

The University District Farmers’ Market usually has a lot of flowers, and no surprise, tulips were in abundance this week. April is the month of the Skagit Valley’s Tulip Festival and many of the farmers at this market are located there.  Another booth had nothing but organic potatoes. We bought a few to eat and a variety to cut up and use for seed. I like to plant about 24 sq ft of potatoes each spring just to see what we get.

We were tempted by this pies and bread booth but held off and also by this wood-fired pizza operation. Mmmmm! But it was still before 10:00 AM so we declined again.

Right next to this Oyster bed a farmer was cooking up some breakfast sausage and we opted for a pound of that. The samples were mighty tasty.

Two-fifths of the group Nettle Honey was playing some of their original compositions and I picked up one of the CDs they were selling while we waited for a raspberry crepe to be made especially for us.

What else was at the University Farmer’s Market? Well, they had chicken eggs, duck eggs, apple cider, many varieties of cheese, organically raised beef and pork, smoked salmon, frozen salmon, tuna jerky,  fresh made soup by the quart or the cup, plants, starts sets, and many root vegetables. With a little warmer weather we hope to see some local strawberries soon.

All in all, it was a great morning in the University District at the farmers’ market. If you would like to know more about real estate opportunities in the U District, or the surrounding communities of Ravenna, Roosevelt, Bryant, Wallingford and Green Lake, please contact me. This has been my stomping grounds for over 20 years and I’d love to show you around.  

 Glenn Roberts   |  Ravenna Park  |  My Seattle   | Lake & Co Real Estate

The University District A Transient Place for Some

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One cost of higher education - housing.

The University District lies just south of Ravenna and Roosevelt, and, no surprise, is adjacent to the main campus of the University of Washington. The University of Washington has an undergraduate population of over 30,000 and a total student body of around 43,000, so the area can be a considered a small city in it’s own right. The area is predominately a mix of commercial properties, everything from tattoo parlors to big name banks, from taverns to churches; and multiunit residential properties, townhouses, apartment buildings of all sizes, rooming houses and condominiums. There are a few pockets of single family homes left and many of them have been converted to homes with mother-in-law units, or Accessory Dwelling Units, as the City of Seattle likes to call them.  

Most students find a rental that fits in with their budget and may stay there the whole time they are at the U, or they may move many times as needs and friends change. However, many parents whose student doesn’t want or get on-campus housing elect to buy a condo or townhouse for their student to live in for the next 4+ years. Others opt for a single family home and the student manages the home by renting out rooms to other students. I’ve worked with a number of families over the years and most who stay in college 4 or more years find this a more economical approach than four years of renting.

Since I live in Ravenna and am only a few blocks from the University District, I welcome anyone’s business who is interested in investing in this area.

The University District Market Report

There are 12 active residential listings in the University District at this time and they range in asking price from $314,950 and $799,500. Six listings are under contract and they range from $320,000-$799,000. Over the past six months there have been 19 sales at closed prices betwenn $168,000 and $792,000.

In the condo sector there are 18 active listings asking anywhere from $156,500 to $410,000. There are 8 condos under contract with values between $149,000 and $569,000. The 9 closed sales range between $175,000 and $349,000.

Multifamily properties are an important factor in the University District. There are 7 active listings between $599,000 and $1,295,000. Three properties are under  contract with listing prices of $425,000-$875,000 and there are also 3 closed transactions with contracts of $462,000 to $780,000.

 Pricing seems to be difficult for agents and sellers in this area. Things take longer to sell when they are priced to high at the start.

But, when the price is right, they sell within the first 30 days for 99.7% of the list price.

Graphs and data supplied by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

I watch this market closley and am here to help you find a good investment, whether it be short term for a particular use, or a long term investment for you retirement portfolio. Give me a call and we'll talk.