Uncategorized Whole Foods Coming to Downtown Bellevue After months of speculation, Whole Foods has announced it will be the urban grocer occupying the space in the former JC Penny store at Bellevue Square. The new 365 store concept, named after the company's house brand, is expected to offer less expensive items and less variety than the larger stores. Scheduled to open the […]
Uncategorized Condo Insurance – what you need to know Condo insurance, what could be more boring.  Did you know . . . Most homeowner associations carry a master insurance policy which covers damage to a community's residential buildings and parking structures. The HOA may also carry additional earthquake insurance. As a homeowner you need to understand what coverage falls under the HOA's master policy […]
Uncategorized A Piece of History in Downtown Bellevue It was pretty exciting in downtown Bellevue this weekend.  The concrete pour at the Lincoln Square expansion site was the largest single construction project pour ever in the State of Washington.  Pretty impressive . . . just an other example of the continuing growth in Bellevue's central business district.  Lincoln Square is one of half a […]
Uncategorized DOWNTOWN BELLEVUE – GO HAWKS! Downtown Bellevue's Symetra Plaza fountain is dressed in blue with the 12s flag in the background.  Tomorrow is BLUE FRIDAY . . . GO HAWKS! 
Uncategorized Buying a House or Condominium? This is Your Time to Buy. Recent articles in Consumer Affairs, NPR and Fox/Business News focusing on the economy, employment, mortgage interest rates, rising rents, consumer confidence, home prices, etc. all agree that 2015 could be the best year to buy real estate.  Its getting expensive to be a renter . . . with rising rents the cost of putting a […]
Uncategorized Downtown Bellevue – So Many Reasons Why Its a Great Place to Live/Work/Play This morning's Seattle Times featured a great piece about the changing face of downtown Bellevue.  For so many reasons, downtown Bellevue has become the hottest address on the eastside.  Its a great place to call home.   http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025434304_youngbellevuexml.html
Uncategorized Birds Eye View of the Lincoln Square Expansion Construction Site Lots of activity at the Lincoln Square construction site this week.    
Uncategorized Carmine’s is Coming to Downtown Bellevue GREAT NEWS!  Il Terrazo Carmine is opening a restaurant in downtown Bellevue next year.  To be called Carmine's, the restaurant is scheduled to open in spring 2016 on the south side of the Downtown Park at 88 102nd Avenue NE.     http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2015/01/popular-seattle-italian-eatery-il-terrazzo-carmine.html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2015-01-07&u=ll6EwfzlDo%2Ff7otg4qIhgUw60o2&t=1420677596&page=all
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Uncategorized ANOTHER TUNNEL IN DOWNTOWN BELLEVUE Kemper Development Company has started the permit process with the City of Bellevue for another underground tunnel. The tunnel will connect the existing Lincoln Square parking garage t the Lincoln Square/2 garage currently under construction on the former Safeway site. The vehicle and pedestrian access tunnel will run below NE 6th Street.  The Lincoln Square […]
Uncategorized Renew Your Lease or Buy a Condominium? Zumper, a national aparatment rental site, recently released its November 2014 rental report naming the top 10 priciest rental marekts in the U.S.  Topping the list is San Francisco where the median monthly rent for a one bedroom apartment is $3,350 followed closely by New York at $3,000/month.  Seattle/Bellevue is ranked at #8 at $1,610/month […]
Uncategorized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Announcement is Great News for Buyers Great news for first time buyers . . . Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have announced 3% down loan programs for home purchases.  Low down payment programs won't mean we'll be seeing a wave of foreclosures and short sales again . . . buyers will need to document their creditworthiness and meet lender elegibility, underwriting, income […]
Uncategorized Lincoln Square and Bellevue Square Expansions I had the opportunity to attend a meeting Wednesday evening at "The Studio", the Lincoln Square expansion showroom located on the 2nd level of Lincoln Square. This is an amazing technological tour of what Bellevue looks like now along with the permitted buildings, both mixed use and residential, either under construction or schedued to start construction […]
Uncategorized New Guidelines Make Mortgage Loans Easier to Obtain A little known fact to most of the general public . . . Fannie Mae, one of the major players in the mortgage industry, has relaxed borrowing guidelines making obtaining a home loan easier.  (See the link to today's Seattle Times article.)  What does this mean to home buyers?  Its easier for buyers to qualify […]
Uncategorized $6 Million Condo Sale in Downtown Bellevue I was certainly surprised when this 4,300+ SF top floor condo at One Main Street came on the market listed at $6 million.  The condo sold in less than 10 days and closed escrow today reflecting a full price sale. No doubt this is a one-of-a-kind property, exquisite custom finishes throughout with wrap-around terraces and incredible lake, […]
Uncategorized Still Paying Your Landlord’s Mortgage? Its simple  . . paying rent is not a good investment. When you write a check every month for rent you're paying someone else's mortgage. Wouldn't it be smarter to pay your own mortgage and gain equity in your own home rather than paying your landlord's mortgage? With mortgage interest rates at or below 4% […]
Uncategorized Prime Downtown Bellevue Development Opportunity Hits the Market A prime parcel in Bellevue's Central Business District has just hit the market. Located at the SE corner of Bellevue Way NE and NE 2nd Street, the two contiguous parcels, owned by the Bates family for nearly 75 years, is being marketed by Colliers International. The asking price for the 50,500 SF parcel is $24,850,000. […]
Uncategorized Scary Low Interest Rates Interest rates for 30 year fixed rate mortgages continue to stay historically low, hovering around 4%.  If you haven't yet refinanced – now is the time.  Thinking about selling or shedding investment properties?  With low inventory levels this is a great time for sellers – less competition.  With low interest rates buyers gain more buying […]
Uncategorized VA Loans + Condos = Great Opportunity for Buyers A recent Seattle Times article on VA loans was a good reminder about a great, often forgotten, loan program. VA loans are opening doors to home ownership for many buyers. VA guaranteed mortgages offer zero down loan programs and more flexible credit underwriting. This is a great opportunity for returning vets (or vets who have […]
Uncategorized Downtown Bellevue Bartell’s Drug Expanding Bartell's Drug has submitted plans to the City of Bellevue to expand the building footprint and modify parking and landscaping at the downtown Bellevue location.  It appears just under 6,000 SF will be added to the existing storefront with completion scheduled for spring/summer 2015.  Bartell's is obviously preparing to expand to serve downtown's continued residential growth.  Nearly1,000 […]
Uncategorized The Future of New Condo Construction in Downtown Bellevue Today's article by Marc Stiles/Puget Sound Business Journal reports on the latest condo tower scheduled for construction on Seattle's First Hill and references other condo projects planned in downtown Seattle.  Nearly all the new residential development under construction or planned in both downtown Seattle and Bellevue is rental apartments.  Downtown Bellevue has experienced a shortage of […]