Eastside Real Estate Working-for-you!

City of Kirkland Announces NE 124th St / 124th Ave NE Intersection Improvements

Monday, March 30, 2009

Improvements Coming to Kirkland’s NE 124th Street/124th Avenue NE Intersection   Kirkland, WA –  Traffic congestion relief is on its way to the intersection of NE 124th Street and 124th Avenue NE in the Totem Lake neighborhood.  Three additional vehicular lanes, bicycle lanes, and sidewalks will be constructed in the coming months.  In early April, Johansen Excavating, the City’s contractor, will begin construction to improve the intersection and complete it within five months.  Surface water quality and drainage improvements will also be installed. Construction will occur during weekdays, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Emergency or night time work may be required.  Adjacent property owners will receive notice from the City’s contractor about construction activities.  To receive updates about this and other major improvement projects in the City, subscribe to Neighborhood EBulletin by logging on to www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/E-Bulletins and select “Neighborhood News.”  For more project information, contact Rod Steitzer, P.E., Kirkland Public Works at 425-587-3825 or rsteitzer@ci.kirkland.wa.us. Greg Perry, CRS Kirkland Realtor

Active Listings By County -- A complete year of weekly counts

The following chart includes 53 weeks of weekly ACTIVE inventory counts for King, Pierce and Snohomish County.  King County is off 1% from last year, but Pierce inventory counts are off a whopping 16% and Snohomish counts are down 11%.  Residential and Condominimum.

Click on chart to enlarge:

 

Statistics compliled from NWMLS, but not verified or published by NWMLS

Monday's Inspiration -- Words about the month of April

By Greg Perry
Kirkland Realtor

On Wednesday, another month peels off the calendar and we'll be in the month of April, 2009.  This morning I checked around for various quotes about the first spring month.  Here they are:

"Sweet April showers do spring May flowers."          Thomas Tusser

"April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom, holiday tables under the trees."     E.Y. Harburg

"By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to Aprils breeze unfurled.  Here once the embattl'd farmers stood.  And fired the shot heard round the world."        Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Elections should be held on April 16th - the day after we pay our income taxes.  That is one of the few things that might discourage politicians from being big spenders."    Thomas Sowell

Isn't it appropriate that the month of tax begins with "April Fools Day" and ends with cries of "May Day"?      unknown

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year."      Mark Twain

Have a wonderful April!

 

 

Information on Downtown Kirkland Sound Transit Building

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Kirkland Transit Center: What:  Sound Transit is building a $13.3 million transit center including new bus bays and passenger shelters, enhanced pedestrian crossings and widened sidewalks, traffic improvements, landscaping, bicycle amenities, and public art. When: Constructions is scheduled to start in summer 2009 and to be completed by fall 2010. Web:  Kirkland Transit Center    Contact:  Roger Iwata, Sound Transit, Phone:  206-689-4904, Email: roger.iwata@soundtransit.org

I-405 Eastside Transportation News

In this issue

§         Going to Bellevue and Redmond on SR 520 this weekend? Check our travel graphs

§         Heads up Lake Washington commuters: I-90 closures in May and July

§         2009 construction season: plan ahead

Going to Bellevue and Redmond on SR 520 this weekend? Check our travel graphs

We’re at the halfway point of weekend closures for bridge approach work on SR 520. Like last weekend, we’ll be working on westbound SR 520 at the 130th Ave NE and 124th Ave NE overpasses. Weather permitting, crews will close two lanes around-the-clock from 11 p.m. Friday night to 5 a.m. Monday morning, leaving one lane open to traffic.

We need your help to avoid heavy backups during the closures. On a typical weekend day, more than 3,200 vehicles travel this stretch of westbound SR 520 each hour. With only one lane open to traffic this weekend, we expect to see only about 1,400 vehicles per hour getting through the construction zone.

To avoid getting stuck in congestion this weekend, choose an alternate route or plan to make your trip outside of the peak travel hours. Visit our Web site to check out graphics showing expected delays this weekend. 

Heads up Lake Washington commuters: I-90 closures in May and July

If you commute across Lake Washington or drive on I-405, get ready for more congestion in May and July as we replace cracked steel bridge joints on the I-90 floating bridge.

From May 4-23, commuters will see more traffic when we close the I-90 express lanes. Buses and carpoolers who typically use the I-90 express lanes to Seattle in the morning and to the Eastside in the evening will be shifted to the mainline lanes.

From July 5-28, we will close all I-90 westbound mainline lanes. All westbound traffic will be funneled into the two express lanes. Long backups are expected on the Eastside in the morning and evening.

Now is the time to start planning your commute. Explore ways to telecommute or shift your work schedule to off-peak hours, join a carpool or vanpool, or bike to work.

2009 construction season: plan ahead

The 2009 construction season is under way and you’ll be seeing a lot more orange on our highways this summer and fall.  To help keep track of what’s open and what’s closed you can always find the latest information on our weekly construction update report. That’s where you’ll find the latest information about closures throughout King and Snohomish counties and statewide.

For more information about the 2009 Puget Sound construction season visit our Web site.

A 6 Year Perspective of Eastside Real Estate Activity

Greg Perry, Kirkland Realtor
www.425Realty.com

Here is a grahpical perspective by quarter for residential (no condos) real estate activity for Seattle's Eastside.  The Eastside includes NWMLS Areas 500,510,520,530,540,550,560,600.  See map below for area boundaries.  Click on charts to make them larger.

Active / Pending / Sold by quarter (6 years):
 

Average Price Per Square Feet:
 

Average "For Sale Price" and "Sold" price:
  

Average Days on Market:
   

Months of Inventory:
 
Map:

From City of Kirkland:

Meetings to Consider Intent to Begin Boundary Review Board Process

As part of its continued study of whether to annex three neighborhoods north of Kirkland city limits, the Kirkland City Council will hold a Special Study Session on April 6 to review revised financial information that was requested at its March 3 meeting.   No formal decision will be made by the City Council at the April 6 Special Study Session which will begin at 7:00 p.m. and be held at Kirkland City Hall (Peter Kirk Room), 123 5^th Avenue.  On April 7, a second Special Meeting will be held on annexation where the Council will hear public testimony and consider adopting a resolution that, if approved, would initiate the next step in the annexation process.  The Council will deliberate whether to begin the required evaluation by the Washington State Boundary Review Board for King County for the City to annex the Finn Hill, Kingsgate and Juanita neighborhoods.   The April 7 Special Meeting will begin at 6 p.m., with a public hearing beginning at 7 p.m.  The April 7 meeting will be held in the City Hall Council Chambers.  Following the public hearing, the City Council may vote to approve or reject the resolution of intent to annex.

The Boundary Review Board reviews proposals for boundary changes by cities, fire districts, and water/sewer districts within King County, including annexations, incorporations and district mergers.  To receive an email notice when the Council agenda is posted to the web, subscribe to Kirkland Email Alerts at www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/E-Bulletins.htm.  

There is GOOD NEWS in this real estate market!

Greg Perry's blogcast on today's GOOD NEWS in this real estate market.

Monday's Inspiration -- 40 Inspirational speeches in 2 minutes!

Greg Perry, Kirkland Realtor
www.425Realty.com

This is fun! You'll spot a few of your favorites in here.  Relax and enjoy this 2 minute inspirational montage

Your Property Taxes -- Going UP?

Did you know you can appeal your King County Property Tax Assessment?

Each year the King County Assessor revalues all property in King County, notifying property owners of their new value determinations by mail on Official Property Value Notice cards.  The new valuation will be the basis for the amount of property taxes due the following year. 

If you feel the new assessed value of your property exceed its fair market value, you have the opportunity to appeal your property tax valuation by filing a timely petition to the King County Board of Equalization (BOE).

You have until July 1, or within 60 days to appeal!

The Assessor typically begins sending out revaluation cards in April, finishing sometime in August.  Petitions must be received by the BOE on or before July 1st of the assessment year or within sixty (60) calendar days after the date listed on the Assessor's value change notice -- whichever date is later.  If submitted by mail, petitions must be postmarked by the post office no later than the filing deadline.  If you miss the window as defined by the deadlines, you will be paying the tax the Assessor assigns to your property.

So, for now, if you reside in King County, keep a watchful eye out for your Official Property Value Notice card.  Within a few weeks, we'll be introducing an exciting new service to help YOU appeal unfair property taxes!

Greg Perry
www.425Realty.com