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Ballard Neighborhood News

August Seattle Market Update

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The Seattle and Ballard Market Update is a monthly update using information from NWMLS’ InfoSparks using data for sold residential and condominium homes in Seattle and the Ballard/Greenlake area.

What’s going on in the Seattle Real Estate Market?

You may have been hearing that Seattle’s real estate market has cooled off considerably, or that it’s now a “buyer’s market.” That’s not necessarily true. While inventory is up, it’s still not up enough to meet current demands. Houses are also on the market longer, but in Seattle, that average is still only 15 days. We still have less than 2 months of inventory across all of Seattle, and many experts consider a balanced market to be 4-6 months of inventory. A much greater shift would have to happen for it to swing in favor of buyers.

Still, that doesn’t mean that new opportunities for buyers haven’t come around. Generally, you’re going to see less of the crazy price appreciation and multiple offer situations that we saw in 2017, giving buyers more time to make decisions between homes, and allowing ample time for inspections and other due diligence tasks.

Looking to buy or sell a home in Seattle? We’re always here to help! Contact us at 206-965-8205 or drop us a note at hello@remaxonmarket.com and let us know what you’re looking for. Our expert real estate agents are highly trained and experienced in Seattle area real estate.

September 2018 Events in Seattle

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ferris wheel

Washington State Fair
Aug 31-Sep 23, Puyallup, WA
Washington’s annual fair features food, carnival games and rides, a rodeo, and ongoing concert series. This year’s acts include Toby Keith, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Cheap Trick, Macklemore, and Rascal Flatts.

Free Summer Concerts at Ballard Locks
Various Dates in September
Live classical music played by various local musicians. Relax and have a picnic at the Ballard Locks.

Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival
Sep 1-3, Seattle Center
Seattle’s premier music and arts festival held at the Seattle Center. Music, comedy, film, art and food at multiple venues throughout the grounds.

Washington Cider Week
Starts Sep 6th
Celebrate the region’s craft cider brewers with various cider-related events across Seattle.

Seattle Floating Homes Tour
Sep 9, Eastlake
Self-guided walking tour some of Eastlake’s eclectic floating homes showcasing the unique properties and lifestyles of the owners.

Fisherman’s Fall Festival
Sep 15, Ballard
A community educational event featuring fishing information, demonstrations, live music, food and family fun.

Fremont Oktoberfest
Sept 21-23, Fremont
Seattle’s largest beer festival featuring over 100 beers. Dogs welcome on Sunday.

Wooden Boat Festival
Sep 29-30, South Lake Union
Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival celebrates the history, the craft, and the culture of traditional wooden boats. Food trucks, beer garden, and youth activities.

Home Buyer’s Pets a High Priority

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REALTOR study on pets
Graphic courtesy realtor.com®

A new survey out from realtor.com® shows that home buyers are more and more likely to forego other wants in their home search in order to accommodate their furry friends. In the survey, 75% of pet owners said they would not make an offer for an otherwise “perfect” home if the home didn’t have spaces suitable for their pets. Woof!

Home buyers with pets make up 80% of the home searching population, so these results are nothing to scoff at. Dogs were the most common pets, so outdoor spaces and large yards are common must-haves when searching for homes. Eighty-nine percent of younger buyers aged 18-34 said they have pets, and families with children were also highly likely to have pets, at 91%! However, dogs weren’t the only pets that made an impact on buying decisions. Pets like fish, birds, reptiles and rodents were also taken into consideration.

“It’s heartwarming to find that people will put their pets’ needs first, even when it comes to one of the biggest financial decisions they will ever make. This survey shows that we really do consider pets part of the family — and that their needs are a critical part of finding the perfect home.”
—Nate Johnson, realtor.com®

Seattle is a notoriously dog-friendly city, with one Seattle Times’ article noting that we now have more dogs than children in the city. There are plenty of dog-friendly eateries and parks, including Norm’s in Fremont, Belltown Pub, and Fremont Brewing. See a comprehensive list of dog-friendly Seattle restaurants here.

Several of our own clients this year have been dutifully searching for homes that will be a good match for their pets. If you’re a Seattle renter searching for a home to make your own and looking for pet-friendly accommodations, give us a call at 206-965-8205 or email us at hello@remaxonmarket.com. We can help you figure out the best solution for your needs!

NWMLS InfoSparks Market Update for Seattle and Ballard

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The Seattle and Ballard Market Update is a monthly update using information from NWMLS’ InfoSparks using data for sold residential and condominium homes in Seattle and the Ballard/Greenlake area. July’s Market update key points include:

Listings are up compared to the previous month, leading to an increase in average days on market and months supply of inventory. This brings some relief for buyers but overall prices are still trending upwards.

Have questions about buying or selling, or specific questions on trends in your neighborhood? Shoot us an email at hello@remaxonmarket.com. We’re happy to answer all your questions!

August 2018 Events in Seattle

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concerts at the mural
Concerts at the Mural / Photo credit: Seattle Municipal Archives FLICKR

KEXP Concerts at the Mural
Every Friday in August, 5:30 PM
See local musical acts play on the lawn in front of the mural at Seattle Center. Bring a blanket and the whole family!

Movies in the Park with Scarecrow Video
Magnuson Park, Thurs Aug 2, 7:30 pm & Aug 16–30, Thursdays, 7:30 pm
Scarecrow Video and Seattle Parks and Recreation are providing children’s movies that won’t bore or patronize you—or your kids!

Seattle Art Fair
August 2-5, Century Link Field
Based in Seattle, a city as renowned for its natural beauty as its cultural landscape, the fair brings together the region’s strong collector base; local, national, and international galleries; area museums and institutions; and an array of innovative public programming.

Tiki Pop-Up Bar
August 2, Brimmer & Heeltap
Put on your best Tiki attire and enjoy a wide variety of Tiki cocktails in the back patio garden space of this chic eatery.

Seafair Weekend Festival
August 3-5, Genesee Park
Seafair Weekend offers the best sights, sounds, tastes and action of the summer including Hydroplane racing on the water, Blue Angels performing in the sky, world class wakeboarding tricks off shore and music and entertainment on stage!

Towards Impressionism: Landscape Painting from Corot to Monet
Ends August 5, Frye Art Museum
This exhibition traces the development of French landscape painting from the schools of Barbizon and Honfleur through Impressionism, featuring over 40 works from the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Reims.

South Lake Union Block Party
August 10, Westlake Ave + Denny Way
A large festival focusing on showcasing the best of the South Lake Union community, including booths, and bands Deep Sea Diver and Built to Spill.

SPF 30: Sub Pop’s 30th Anniversary Party
August 11, Alki Beach
Sub Pop Records is hosting an entirely FREE event along incredibly scenic Alki Ave. in West Seattle.

Movies at the Mural
Saturdays in August
Experience FREE movies outdoors at Seattle Center this summer. Picnic on the gently sloping Mural Amphitheatre lawn, in front of a state-of-the-art 40-foot screen, with the Space Needle looming above.  Schedule:
Aug 4: Get Out 
Aug 11: Little Shop of Horrors 
Aug 18: I Am Not Your Negro 
Aug 25: Wonder Woman

Gigantic Bicycle Festival
August 24-26, Snoqualmie, WA
First ride your bike 50 miles, then relax in the grass and listen to some live music.

Ballard Spotlight: Katsu Burger Opens in Ballard

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Katsu Burger Teriyaki Chicken Burger with Sweet Pineapple

Interior of Katsu BurgerKatsu Burger recently opened its doors in the old Skillet location in Ballard, located on NW 56th St behind the Washington Federal Building (right behind us!). Self proclaimed as the “Home of the Original Japanese Deep-Fried Burger,” this resturant features iconic deep-fried katsu style burgers, 4 different varieties of fries and an array of sushi, cocktails and shakes. (Pro-tip, prepare to unhinge your jaw because these are some tall burgers!)

Take a look at their burger menu with photos.

Katsu Burger has other Seattle locations, including Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Bellevue and Lynnwood.

NWMLS June Snapshot

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The NWMLS snapshot tells some key market indicators for homes sold within the entire MLS, which is currently 23 counties within WA state. Some highlights for last month include:

  • Median closed price is $425,000, up 10% from last year and $5k from last month
  • Active listings increased by 5% since last year, giving a little relief to buyers
  • Months of inventory is slightly up, meaning homes are on the market slightly longer

June 2018 NWMLS Market Snapshot

July 2018 Events in Seattle

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Urban Craft Uprising Summer Show
July 1
Local food and craft vendors share their wares at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall

2018 Seattle Special Olympics
July 1 – 6
The Special Olympics showcases the abilities of athletes with disabilities. Closing ceremony on July 6th @ 7 PM in South Lake Union Park.

4th of July Fireworks
July 4
All around Lake Union, residents gather to see the annual fireworks show. Beginning July 4 @ 10:20 PM.

Seattle International Beerfest
July 6-8
3-day specialty beer festival held at Seattle Center’s Fisher Lawn and Pavilion. Sample everything from classic styles (pilsners, pales, etc.) to exotic new-world hybrids (barrel-aged hoppy farmhouse sours, etc.)

Seattle Street Food Fest
July 7-8
Seattle’s largest food festival returns curbside to South Lake Union adding two more blocks of street food and makers over the weekend.

Timber! Outdoor Music Festival
July 12-14
A weekend of fun, music and community featuring local bands Car Seat Headrest, Polyrhythmics, Naked Giants, Cumulus, etc.

Ballard Seafoodfest
July 13-15
Celebrating Ballard’s historic connection to the seafood industry. Live music including Blitzen Trapper, The Grizzled Mighty, Smokey Brights, Nite Wave, etc.

Viking Days
July 14-15
A free outdoor family-friendly festival featuring delicious Swedish pancakes, traditional entertainment, a Viking encampment, kids’ activities, and much more.

Capitol Hill Block Party
July 20-22
Musical acts take over Cap Hill’s Pike/Pine corridor.

Port Townsend Jazz Festival
July 26-28
Hop over the water for a day trip to Port Townsend for Jazz Festival.

Seafair Torchlight Parade
July 28
A’rr Matey! Gather at Westlake Center @ 6 PM as more than 100 parade units march, float and dance in celebration of Seattle.

CoffeCon
July 28-29
40+ exhibitors on the sample tasting floor and 30+ walk-in seminars, classes and experiences taught by top coffee experts.

Things to do in Seattle in June

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Seattle International Film Festival 
Running until June 10th
More than 400 films from 90 countries. 25 days. 145,000+ attendees. Movies and showtimes vary.

Upstream Music Festival
June 1 – 3
Music festival takes place in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood, with headlining acts such as Jawbreaker, Cut Copy, The Flaming Lips and Murder City Devils alongside Seattle locals like TacoCat.

Georgetown Carnival
Saturday,  June 9th, Noon – 10 PM
Enjoy live music, street art, food trucks and beer gardens in Seattle’s historic Georgetown neighborhood.

Shilshole Boat Fest
Saturday June 9th, 11 AM – 5 PM
This FREE event will get you and your family out on a boat and introduce you to people who can help navigate how to get into boating. Learn how to boat safely and how to protect the environment while boating. Enjoy family friendly activities, live music, food trucks, a beer garden, and vendors celebrating the Ballard community!

Fremont Fair and Solstice Parade 
June 16 & 17
Yearly fair and home of the famous “naked cyclists,” you’d be surprised this is family-friendly event. This annual tradition brings floods of people to the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. Tons of food and craft vendors, and annual bicycle parade with painted cyclists and crazy costumes. Parade begins Saturday, June 16 @ 1 PM.

Zoo Tunes
June 2018
Various musical acts including Ziggy Marley, The Violent Femmes, Indigo Girls and Andrew Bird play at Woodland Park Zoo in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle.

Marymoor Park Concert Series
June 2018
Musical acts including the Barenaked Ladies, Janelle Monae, Primus, Robert Plant, Sublime, Willie Nelson play this family-friendly park located in Redmond.

Seattle Pride Parade
Sunday, June 24th @ 11 AM
Seattle’s 44th annual pride parade starts downtown at 4th and Union and continues until Denny Way. Get your pride on and don’t forget your glitter hot pants.

Ballard Spotlight: Salt & Straw Ice Cream

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Ballard ice cream shop Salt & Straw is a new edition to Ballard, having opened their doors on February 9, 2018 . The Ballard locale, outfitted in parquet-patterned counters and whimsical waffle-cone wallpaper, is a great place to stop and get a cool treat as we head into Seattle summer.

Known for their adventurous ice cream flavors, Salt & Straw is a Portland-based ice creamery that has now expanded to Seattle (naturally), and also three other west coast locations. Their Seattle stores feature a menu of 11 staple flavors developed just for our city, like “Beecher’s Cheese with Peppercorn Toffee” and “Rachel’s Raspberry Ginger Beer.” There’s also a changing rotation of 6 limited edition flavors, so I guess this means we’re going to have to go every month!

Our Favorite Flavor: Elm Coffee & Westland Whiskey
Honorable Mention: Chocolate Rose Petal

Check them out on Instagram for delicious photos of all ice cream, all the time.

Get your sugar-fix at the Ballard Location :

Salt & Straw
5420 BALLARD AVE NW
SEATTLE, WA 98107
Open 11AM-11PM – (206) 294-5581