A New Day Real Estate: Bellevue Condo Report December 30, 2014

The following is a blog post that I wrote to go with the YouTube video of today's Bellevue Condo Report from A New Day Real Estate.  If you like this information and want to see it each week, make sure to subscribe at ANewDayRealEstate.com or keeping on checking the site regularly.  Before long, this will be a regular vlogcast and available on iTunes and hopefully Stitcher too.

This is the Bellevue Condo Report for December 30, 2014 from Joe Kennedy of A New Day Real Estate in Bellevue Washington.

There are currently 139 condos listed for sale in Bellevue, but that includes one listing for a covered boat slip at Newport Shores for $115k.

Of the 138 livable condo units that are listing for sale, they range in price from $109,950 for a 2 bedroom, 1 bath unit in the Silver Glen 55+ community to $3.35 million for a penthouse unit on the 41st floor of Bellevue Towers.

That penthouse unit at Bellevue Towers is a 3,403 square foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit and is priced at $984.43 per square foot. It also comes with monthly HOA fees of $2,173 - and amazing views.

There are currently only 14 condo units for sale in Bellevue that are priced at less than $200k - and half of them are located in the previously mentioned Silver Glen 55+ community. So there is not a lot of choice on the low end of the condo market.

As far as the high end market for condos in Bellevue, there are currently 29 different units priced at $1 million or above.

What I did not mention in the video, but will cover on a future podcast, is that 70 of the 138 condo units currently listed for sale are in the Washington Square project on the corner of 106th Ave NE and NE 9th Street in downtown Bellevue.

This means that in all reality, outside of Washington Square, there are only 68 condo units for sale in all of Bellevue. Not a lot of inventory - or competition. If you are thinking about selling your condo in Bellevue, now could be a really good time.

Please do not forget to join us next Tuesday, January 6th from 6-9pm for the first ever meeting of the Bellevue Real Estate Investors networking group.

A New Day Real Estate: Bellevue Homes Report December 29, 2014

This information was first posted at ANewDayRealEstate.com, but shared here on the Bellevue Business Journal news site, as our readers have said that they are very interested in the current state of real estate in Bellevue and on the Eastside.

 
This is the Bellevue Homes Report for December 29, 2014 by Joe Kennedy of A New Day Real Estate and the Bellevue Real Estate Investors .



As of today there are 109 single family residences in Bellevue listed for sale on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

The homes currently listed for sale in Bellevue range in price from $419,900 for a 1,490 square foot house in Lake Hills to $32.8 million for a 11,520 square foot estate on Meydenbauer Bay / Lake Washington.

In all of Bellevue, there are currently only 11 houses listed for sale at less than $500,000. There are only 57 homes in Bellevue listed for sale at less than one million dollars and there are 52 houses in Bellevue that are listed for sale at over $1 million.

If you are interested in buying, selling, investing or are just curious as to where your currently property fits in, please feel free to call me at 425-429.8590 or email Joe(at)ANewDayRealEstate.com.

If you live, work and/or play in Bellevue, it's important that you know about Renewal Food Bank in Bellevue. They do great work helping to feed over 250 families in Bellevue each week. Renewal Food Bank is located at the Highland Covenant Church at 15022 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue, WA 98007 and online at http://RenewalFoodBank.com.

A New Day Real Estate and the Bellevue Real Estate Investors networking group will be working to help support Renewal Food Bank during 2015. Please contact me if you would like to help.

Nathan Brannon Wins Seattle International Comedy Competition

[caption id="attachment_9708" align="alignright" width="300"] L-R Sterling Scott, Cory Michaelis, Kyle Bottom, Nathan Brannon, Matt Donaher, MC and former winner David Crowe, and 2013 champ Zoltan Kaszas.
Photo credit: Peter Greyy[/caption]

After 23 shows in 26 days in 19 venues, the 35th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition has a winner.  Portland-based comedian Nathan Brannon was awarded the championship at the conclusion of the “Final-Final” show last night at Seattle's Comedy Underground. His grand prize includes $5000 cash, a recording contract with Uproar Entertainment, and a series of forthcoming comedy club bookings.

Finishing in second place, and winning $2000, was Kyle Bottom from Vancouver BC.  Third prize of $1700 went to Boston’s Matt Donaher, fourth to Edmonton comic Sterling Scott ($1500), and $1300 and fifth place to local favorite Cory Michaelis of Everett WA.

They were the survivors of a grueling contest that began November 5 with 33 comedians from the US, Canada, Australia and Japan,  selected from over 700 world-wide submissions.  That group was narrowed to ten semi-finalists, and further whittled down to these five. All ten semi-finalists also won cash ranging from $500-$900, for a total of $15,000 in prize money.

Summit at Snoqualmie Pass Sales to Benefit Northwest Harvest This Cyber Monday

What: Today, Cyber Monday The Summit at Snoqualmie, located at Snoqualmie Pass, WA., will be donating funds to help fight hunger from season pass sales. In the spirit of the holidays The Summit will be donating $10 to Northwest Harvest for every single Big S Season Pass sold on December 1st, 2014. The Summit is also encouraging people who’ve already purchased a pass prior to Cyber Monday to contribute as well.

Who: The Summit at Snoqualmie Ski Resort for Northwest Harvest.

Why: To raise awareness and funds with The Summit at Snoqualmie’s skiers and snowboarders for Northwest Harvest’s fight against hunger, particularly now that the winter weather is in full effect.

When: Contribution period starts at 12:01am Monday, December 1, 2014 and continues through 11:59pm Monday, December 1, 2014

. The Summit will contribute $10 from every single season pass sold in this time-frame.

Where: The Summit at Snoqualmie’s website: www.summitatsnoqualmie.com/tickets-and-passes/season-passes. Season pass purchasers can also buy their pass in person at The Summit at Snoqualmie, Snoqualmie Pass at the Summit West Guest Services office from 9am to 5pm on Monday, December 1, 2014.

About Northwest Harvest: The mission of Northwest Harvest is to provide nutritious food to hungry people statewide in a manner that respects their dignity, while fighting to eliminate hunger. Our vision is ample nutritious food is available to everyone in Washington State.

Holiday Party Warnings from NFIB

The holiday party season is here and the Small Business Legal Center at the National Federation of Independent Business is advising its members to keep celebrations safe by watching out for two problem areas – drunk driving and harassment.

Drunk Driving

An increasing number of states require employers to exercise reasonable care to prevent injuries by intoxicated employees leaving holiday parties. To minimize the risk of liability an employer should do the following:

• Use professional bartenders, and instruct them not to serve anyone who appears intoxicated.


• Distribute drink tickets to limit the number of free drinks.


• Serve lots of free food to soak up the alcohol.


• Ask trusted managers and supervisors to be on the look-out for people who have had too much to drink and unable to drive or need assistance getting home.


• Pay for cabs to take impaired employees and guests home or offer designated drivers.

Harassment

Socializing, alcohol, and mistletoe combine to create an environment that can lead to sexual harassment or fighting. Just because it’s a holiday party doesn’t mean you can’t be liable for what happens as an employer. Employee lawsuits can result from voluntary events held outside the office and outside normal work hours.

• Remind employees about your harassment policies before the party.


• If your business does not have an anti-harassment policy, get one! Have it reviewed by an attorney. Click here for a model policy developed by NFIB.


• Don’t hang mistletoe.


• Ask trusted managers and supervisors to intervene and stop in any fighting or inappropriate conduct they witness.


• Finally, make sure that all employees understand that a holiday party is a work-related activity, and that rules for appropriate work behavior still apply.

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NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists send their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses.

Blackcomb Mountain and Peak 2 Peak Gondola to Open at Whistler Blackcomb Thursday November 27

On Thursday, November 27, Whistler Blackcomb will complete its winter kick-off by opening Blackcomb Mountain to skiers and snowboarders.

In addition to the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, Blackcomb Mountain will have six lifts running including Wizard Express, Solar Coaster Express, Excalibur Gondola, Excelerator Express, Catskinner Chair and Jersey Cream Express. Skiers and snowboarders will have access to 730m (2,395ft) of vertical skiing and six runs, including Cruiser, Upper ZigZag, Green Line, Express Way to Easy Out and Wishbone. The Nintendo Choker Terrain Park will also be open with two jumps and 12 rails.

Dining locations open on Blackcomb Mountain as of November 27 include the Wizard Grill and Merlin’s Bar and Grill at the base of Blackcomb and the Rendezvous Lodge and Glacier Creek Lodge on the mountain.

Since its early opening five days ahead of schedule on November 22, Whistler Mountain has opened the Children’s Learning Centre and a ski out to Olympic Station via the Expressway run. Whistler Mountain is currently offering 750m (2,369ft) of vertical to skiers and snowboarders.

First upload via the Whistler Village Gondola, Creekside Gondola, Excalibur Gondola and the Wizard Express Chair will be at 8:30amwith the last ride up from the valley at 2:00pm. Mandatory download is in effect from the top of the Wizard Express and Excalibur Gondola on Blackcomb Mountain and from Olympic Station and Creekside Gondola on Whistler Mountain. Sightseers can access the mountain and the PEAK 2 PEAK via the Whistler Village Gondola.

Guests are reminded early season conditions still apply, especially off piste. It is important to obey mountain signage, ski and ride on open runs only and stay within the operational area marked by “Temporary Boundary” signage.

Lifts tickets will be available from the Whistler Village, Creekside and Blackcomb Daylodge ticket windows or online at www.whistlerblackcomb.com. Edge Cards are also available at the early bird rates until November 30 for Canadians and Washington State residents.

Guests looking to plan a trip to the consistently rated No. 1 Mountain Resort in North America can visit whistlerblackcomb.com/deals_packages  or call 1-888-403-4727.

About Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb, the official alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, is situated in the Resort Municipality of Whistler located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia 125 kilometres (78 miles) from Vancouver, British Columbia. North America’s premier four season mountain resort, Whistler and Blackcomb are two side-by-side mountains which combined offer over 200 marked runs, 8,171 acres of terrain, 16 alpine bowls, three glaciers, receives on average over 1,165 centimetres (459 inches) of snow annually, and one of the longest ski seasons in North America. In the summer, Whistler Blackcomb offers a variety of activities, including hiking and biking trails, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, and sightseeing on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola.

For more information, visit http://ww1.whistlerblackcomb.com/media

Proud to be a venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Join Us for a March on Main Street on Small Business Saturday Nov. 29

By Jay Inslee and Patrick Connor

We’re calling on all Washingtonians to join us for a March on Main Street, Saturday, November 29.

The cause: A better economy, longer-than-seasonal employment opportunities and tighter-knit communities– all of which are the bedrock of a vibrant society. And all it takes to accomplish these goals is for each of us to spend more of our money with the small businesses lining the Main Streets of our state.

Everyone is familiar with Black Friday, the post-Thanksgiving gift shopping frenzy, when masses of people converge on shopping malls, raising their stress levels and blood pressure. But if you were to save some of your holiday shopping and energy for Small BusinessSaturday, you would be doing much more not only for your own health, but also for our state’s economy.

Begun in 2010, the campaign to shop small has yielded big dividends for America’s and Washington state’s economy. Last year, shoppers spent $5.7 billion at locally-owned shops and restaurants on Small Business Saturday, according to a survey conducted by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). And last year’s total marked a 3.6 percent increase over the previous year.

This same survey indicates that on average, shoppers estimate nearly one-third of their holiday shopping will be done at small businesses. Additional benefits to shopping Main Street speak to the importance of community:

• Nearly all (94 percent) of U.S. consumers say that shopping at small businesses make them “feel good”


• Two-thirds (66 percent) of consumers say the main reason they patronize small businesses is because they value the contributions the business makes to their community


• More than half (57 percent) say they know one or more of their local small-business owners personally

Small business is no small statistic when it comes to job creation. In fact, it’s primary to any economy.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, Washington’s small businesses employed over half - or 1.2 million - of the state’s private workforce in 2011. Almost all firms with employees are small. They make up 98 percent of all employers in the state.

Need even more good reasons to choose Main Street?

• Your money stays local. When you shop at a chain store, most of the money goes back to a corporate office, but when you shop on Main Street, most of that money stays on Main Street.


• Your shopping experience is friendlier and more customer oriented. Instead of dealing with temporary workers who don’t know the merchandise, there’s a good chance you’ll be dealing directly with the owner - someone who cares very much about making you a return customer. In fact, according to the NFIB and American Express survey, 77 percent of consumers say Small Business Saturday makes them want to shop small all year long.


• You help small businesses plant lasting roots in your community. Some small-business owners cut their own salaries to keep their full complement of employees. Others have dipped into savings or taken out second mortgages to keep their doors open, or to avoid cutting back employee hours. Shopping local infuses these businesses with cash to keep their doors open.

Of course big box stores stock items that Main Street shops don’t, but you might be surprised at the variety of items that Main Street stores provide.

So how about starting a new shopping tradition this year? Don’t go all out on Black Friday. Spread the holiday cheer by shopping small on Main Street on Small Business Saturday. This new trend will benefit everyone.

Jay Inslee is governor of the state of Washington. Patrick Connor is Washington state director for the National Federation of Independent Business.