The annual National Open House Event is coming up this weekend on Saturday April 28th and Sunday 29th. The Washington REALTORS association anticipates several hundred properties will be open to the public. So far, are over 650 properties in King County are participating. In Seattle, over 200 properties are on tour including 65 condos that will be open this week, and the number of condos should rise to well over 100.

House hunters – including first-time buyers and investors – will be able to learn more about home ownership from experts who are hosting the open houses. The National Open House Weekend is a stress-free event where prospective home buyers can arrange their own customized tours (with or without an accompanying Realtor) as part of the Open House showcase.

SeattleCondosAndLofts.com provides online tools for identifying listings open this weekend. Simply click on the “Open House” tab in the left hand column on the property search page to locate open house opportunities.

This special event features free day passes and special discounts for The Seattle Condo Blog readers on club membership, personalized training packages, dietary supplements, exercise equipment and more. Readers of TSCB who join the club on December 17th will also receive a free gift from Epicenter Fitness’s Mati Bishop.

Already a member? Existing members of Epicenter Fitness can take advantage of special pricing as part of the club’s member appreciation day.

Epicenter Fitness features more than 25,000 square feet of dedicated fitness area with four specialized studios and 180 group exercise classes a month including heated yoga, cycling, cardio kickboxing and a variety of strength and conditioning courses. The club also features the best line-up of personal trainers in downtown Seattle who provide customized programs tailored to provide a means for their clients by focusing on their nutrition, cardio fitness, dietary supplementation and resistance training.

For more information about the open house or Epicenter Fitness, please contact Mati Bishop at 206.587.2673.

Click to download flyer:

Leona is a mix of the old with new. The development preserves the original 1909 structure along with the addition of a new penthouse level on top as well as townhomes along Ward St.

Leona offers a mix of floor plans including one- and two-bedroom flats, 3-story townhomes and 2-story penthouses. Prices range between $429,000 and $1,975,000. Additionally, homes may be eligible for a 10-year tax abatement significantly reducing property taxes. www.leonaliving.com

Leona is located at the corner of Queen Anne Ave N and Ward Street. www.leonaliving.com

When: Sunday, September 14th from 12:30 pm to 4:30pm

Where: Start in the lobby of the Key Bank Building, 10655 NE 4th Street

Since Bellevue Towers is still under construction, the following event safety rules apply:

• Close-toed, flat shoes are required to enter the construction site (i.e. no high heels or sandals will be permitted).
• Please meet in the lobby of the Key Bank building to sign your release waiver prior to entering the construction site.
• Children under 18 are not permitted on the construction site.

www.BellevueTowers.com

Leona is a mix of the old with new. The development preserves the original 1909 structure along with the addition of a new penthouse level on top as well as townhomes along Ward St.

Leona offers a mix of floor plans including one- and two-bedroom flats, 3-story townhomes and 2-story penthouses. Prices range between $429,000 and $1,975,000. Additionally, homes may be eligible for a 10-year tax abatement significantly reducing property taxes. www.leonaliving.com

The 1915 2nd Avenue project, an Intracorp development, has been around for a number of years and had received approval for its original 24-story condominium design. However, with rezoning, they are now proposing a substantially larger 40-story 400′ tower that’ll be just 57′ from the proposed 1931 2nd Avenue tower. Currently, city code requires an 80′ separation, for those parts of a building above 125′ in height, from an existing building. Therefore, 1915 will require a special exception variance for the proposed design. Not surprisingly, Intracorp is now leaving its options open for either condominium or apartment occupancy. One interesting tidbit, the design includes an automated parking garage.

New design proposal for 1915 2nd Avenue, with 1931 2nd Avenue to the right:

Previous design proposal for 1915 2nd Avenue:

Alternative design proposal that complies with the 80′ separation distance requirement:

Apparently, without the special exception, the developer and architect seem to lose creative design abilities.

On the other hand, with the Terminal Sales Annex building receiving landmark status, the design for 1931 2nd Avenue now incorporates the facade of the 93 year old building. The 400′ 38-story structure features residential units above a 12-story hotel.

Design incorporating the Terminal Sale Annex building:

The great wall of downtown along 2nd Avenue (Escala and Pagoda in background, the transparent building in the foreground is a hotel/apartment proposal):