urbnlivn, a seattle condo blog

Seattle Times, Condo wave leaves renters battered:

In 2006, more than 2,300 rental units were converted to condos in Seattle, up from 430 in 2004.

As a renter for the last three years in Seattle I feel like renting has been a good deal. There was a lot of inventory when I was looking and my rent […]

Popularity: 2% [?]

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Seattle Times, Mixed-use buildings bring mixed feelings:

Developers have been putting up residential buildings near office buildings in downtown Seattle for years, hoping to attract empty nesters and young professionals who want to live within walking distance of their jobs, trendy restaurants and shops.
Now, a growing number of developers are putting condos and apartments inside office […]

Popularity: 7% [?]

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This Sunday the Seattle Times had a lengthy article on Looking ahead: The sky isn’t falling for the Puget Sound market.
For a critical look at this article I refer you to the Seattle Bubble Blog, Always Trust The ‘Experts’.
I’d also like to point out that the Sunday Seattle Times Real Estate section was […]

Popularity: 1% [?]

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The Seattle Times this weekend had a big article on luxury real estate, The new luxury in Real Estate and takes a look at the definition of luxury condos:

How does an “all-luxury” building differ from a regular condominium project? For starters, there’s price: Most luxury condos cost $1,200 a square foot or more.

As well as […]

Popularity: 32% [?]

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In the Seattle Times Real Estate Q&A section this weekend someone wonders:

Q: How important is it for a condo association to own the land under its building, and what are the consequences if the land is owned by another party? Also, must the seller divulge who owns the land?

I have no idea how common this […]

Popularity: 1% [?]

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Seattle Times, A condo — and a lifestyle, too:

It’s really about the unveiling of a project with throwback elegance, said Dean Jones of the marketing firm Realogics. “It’s speaking to people who want to reward themselves with a higher level of living.”

Yes, marketing is often seen as speaking to people, but for these projects to […]

Popularity: 7% [?]

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Seattle Times: Condos appreciate strongly; studios lead:

Since 2000, King County condominiums have outperformed single-family houses two out of five years. And even when they haven’t, their appreciation has been strong.
In 2005, for example, the county’s single-family houses appreciated 16.3 percent per square foot. Condos climbed a healthy 13.5 percent.

The article also lists to some good […]

Popularity: 4% [?]

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Seattle Times, Nearly 1,000 condos, apartments planned for lot at Qwest Field:

Four acres of striped asphalt next to Qwest Field would be replaced by 956 condos and apartments, transforming Pioneer Square into a more residential neighborhood, under a tentative deal to be announced today.

I’ve always been intrigued about living down there or in SODO. However, […]

Popularity: 1% [?]

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Seattle Times, High-rises price out the middle:

I like the idea of an army of spit-shine new residents invading downtown. It’s fewer cars on the road, a nod to our healthy economy and hints at the world-class city we’ve always wanted to be.
But I don’t see any place for the middle class. Any firefighter, teacher or […]

Popularity: 5% [?]

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Seattle Time, Vulcan buys block from Pemco:

Paul Allen’s real-estate company, Vulcan, has announced further expansion into South Lake Union’s Cascade neighborhood with the purchase of a two-acre full block previously owned by Pemco Insurance.

Sounds like they bought 2 acres for $15 million bringing Vulcan’s ownership to 60 acres.
Here’s a map from the article:

Popularity: 3% […]

Popularity: 3% [?]

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