Ben Kakimoto
Ben Kakimoto is a Seattle condo and urban real estate marketing & listing specialist. Contact Ben to learn more about the Seattle condo and loft real estate market or about buying or selling a Seattle area condo. Find Ben on Twitter and Facebook.
January 2009 Seattle condo market update
The median Seattle condo price rose to $335,000 last month, a record high and an 9.84% increase over January of last year. Unfortunately, that was due to high-end unit closings in downtown (MLS area 701) rather than an overall market improvement.
1521 2nd Avenue photos
1521, Seattle’s newest upscale condominium in downtown, provided photos of their model home and residential amenities. Along with the Four Season’s Private Residences, 1521 is one of Seattle’s most prestigious residential towers.
Ruby Condos – Eastlake
The Ruby, Seattle’s newest condominium located in Eastlake, is celebrating completion of its 52 one-bedroom homes with a Grand Opening scheduled for the weekend of February 7th & 8th.
Condo investors…an endangered species?
New mortgage fees and restrictions may hinder investment condo opportunities.
Condo PR, news and deals
Several condos are offering deals to close out construction, but none as good as those being offered at Veer. Buy a condo, get paid closing costs plus free furniture, plane tickets and a workout.
Parc interest rate buy-down promotion
The Parc condominium is offering a limited time rate buy-down promotion with a starting rate as low as 2.875%.
2008 Seattle condo appreciation rates
Citywide, the 2008 median price for Seattle condos depreciated by just 0.9%, from $315,000 to $312,000. Most areas did see declines but a handful of neighborhoods realized healthy gains.
New mortgage fee for condo purchases
Condo loans may get a little more expensive with a new Fannie Mae fee that’ll go into effect as of April 1st.
Newly constructed FHA approved condos
A number of new condo developments have obtained FHA approval. With FHA approval, buyers can more easily obtain FHA financing for their purchase which provides a low down payment option, more lenient guidelines and higher financial ratios.
December 2008 Condo Market Update
Bucking conventional wisdom December results turned out better than had been prognosticated. The median price rose to the second highest monthly level in 2008, the inventory supply continued to fall and more offers were went under contract.
