Lake Union Homes

Seattle houseboats and floating homes come on strong in Spring

March 10th, 2010, Author: Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Categories: Lake Union Waterfront Homes

We had an early glimpse of Spring with the past few weeks of warm weather, and the feeling has created an early push in the waterfront real estate market. Sales of Seattle waterfront homes are strongly associated with the Spring and Summer selling seasons, and it looks like the listings are starting to pick up a bit before the March 20 start date for Spring 2010.

Seattle Floating Home Lifestyle

While there are usually only 15-25 Seattle houseboats and floating homes listed for sale at any one time, there were seven new listings that came on the market in the past month. Almost half of these homes were also at the more affordable end of the spectrum, coming in under $200,000.

These homes can be great candidates for the home buyer tax credit (must be under contract by April 30), as they can be primary homes and the $6500 for move-up buyers or $8000 for first-time buyers can take a large chunk out of the purchase price. Most houseboats and floating homes need to be on owned moorage to be financed, so investigating the marina and slip are important if you’re not making a cash purchase.

Westlake Ave Lake Union Houseboat

The lowest-priced new listing is a river boat in the South Park Marina, coming in under $100,000. Moving up to Lake Union, the most affordable houseboats are two newer Mike Kelly boats on Westlake Ave N and N Northlake Way, listed at $169,000 and $185,000, respectively. These are the least-expensive Lake Union homes available, with two bedrooms a 3/4 bath, and modern living spaces.

Northlake Way Wallingford Houseboat on Lake Union

As we move into the $300,000+ range, the new listings become owned-moorage houseboats and floating homes. There are another two homes on Westlake and Northlake. These residences are on condominiumized or co-op moorage, and take an ownership equity in the property, allowing for financing and real estate taxes to be written off.

Houseboat living on the top deck

In Eastlake, a floating home listed just under $500k came on the market this month on Fairview Ave. A 2nd Fairview Ave home was listed in the $700k range. Eastlake’s floating homes quickly move into the $2 million category with good moorage and views of downtown Seattle. This is the most exclusive Lake Union floating community.

Home sales in Seattle seem to be picking up in general, and it’s likely that a continued strong market would push more home sellers into listing their homes for now. Following the end of the tax credit, we’ll get a more clear picture of the future of our real estate market in Seattle.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
SeattleHome.com – Washington State Realty – (206) 658-3225
Real Estate Brokers, Realtors, Green Certified Pros

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Seattle Waterfront Home Sales Make a Comeback in February

March 4th, 2010, Author: Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Categories: Lake Union Waterfront Homes

While January was your typical slow winter sales month for waterfront homes in Seattle, February provided a surprisingly strong month. After just a few lower-priced transactions in the previous month, there were 10 significant sales of Seattle waterfront homes during February. With 7 of those 10 sales being multi-million dollar homes, we’re getting a glimpse of what could be a strong market moving into the spring and a much-needed recovery in the luxury market.

February 2010 Seattle waterfront home sales

Seattle Houseboats and Floating Homes

Lake Union
The least-expensive waterfront sale in February was a floating home sale in Portage Bay, just East of Lake Union. This Boyer Ave home sold for about $350,000, which is a lower-range sale for the houseboat community. This is a small, traditional floating home with a house frame, parking, and cedar shingle siding.

Eastlake
A floating home in the Eastlake community sold for $1.4 million at the end of February. This community has secured parking, multi-story homes, and a very private neighborhood. The home has 2 beds, 2.25 baths, and nearly 2100 square feet of living space. Eastlake floating homes have some of the best waterfront views in the city, and home buyers pay significantly higher prices to live here.

Traditional Waterfront Homes

Matthews Beach
In Northeast Seattle, a waterfront home on Riviera Pl sold for $1.3 million. This Lake Washington home has two docks, a boatlift, and plenty of parking. The 3 bed, 2.5 baths, has 2200 sq ft of living space, and is sited close to the lakefront. Matthews Beach and its surrounding areas seem to have some of the most underpriced waterfront real estate.

Magnolia
With a $2.5 million sale, Magnolia started our high-end luxury waterfront sales for February. A 5 bed, 3.5 bath home on the Puget Sound sold at the end of the month after about 8 months on the market. This mid-century home on Magnolia’s North shore has 4700 sq ft of living space, including a guest house.

The Highlands
In Seattle/Shoreline’s gated community, the Highlands, a home on Cherry Loop sold at just under $3.1 million. The 6300 square foot estate has 4 beds and 6 baths. This property was on the market nearly a year and dropped its price nearly one million dollars in that time.

Mercer Island
Two homes sold on Mercer Island during February, at $2.8 and $3.8 million. On the North end, a 4 bed, 3 bath, 3200 sq ft home with a dock and boat lift was the less-expensive sale. This home sold in less than two weeks on the market. The Southern Mercer Island home, with 4 beds, 4.5 baths, and 4100 sq ft of finished space is a Mediterranean-inspired home with street-to-waterfront land. It had been marketed for over two years before closing.

Washington Park
Washington Park is a lesser-know part of the Madison Park area, but a neighborhood rich with historic homes and waterfront estates. This 1940s home has nearly 3200 sq ft of living space, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. After 6 months on the market, the home sold for $3.2 million, a $700k price reduction overall.

Windermere
At $3.3 million, a home in Seattle’s Windermere neighborhood hit the top 3 sales for the month. The 3 bedrooms and 3 baths cover 3900 sq ft, and there’s an additional 2/2 guest house with 1800 more sq ft. This home has 130 feet of Lake Washington waterfront, a huge swath of shoreline.

Bellevue
With 6100 square feet of home, this waterfront home in South Bellevue was the largest and highest-priced sale of February. The Lake Washington Blvd estate has 5 bedrooms, 5 baths, and nearly a half-acre of real estate. The 2008-built home also has a four car garage, nanny’s quarters, parking for 20 cars. Its final sale price was just over $4 million.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
SeattleHome.com – Washington State Realty – (206) 658-3225
Real Estate Brokers, Realtors, Green Certified Pros

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Seattle Area Waterfront Home Sales, January 2010

February 28th, 2010, Author: Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Categories: Lake Union Waterfront Homes

Waterfront home sales in Seattle are typically slow in the winter, and January 2010 was no exception. Only a handful of homes sold last month on the water, but there were some significant properties that moved.

Many Seattle residents may not know Three Tree Point, but it’s a small peninsula just South of Seattle in Burien. Windy roads switch back through a tall, wooded path as you head West to the point. Many homes have sweeping views of the Puget Sound, while the waterfront properties vary from soft-sloping driftwoood shores to steep banks and cliffs.

A small 3 bed/1 bath home on Maplewild Ave sold for just over $350k in January, a surprisingly low price compared to most of the multi-million dollar homes on the waterfront in Three Tree Point. Of course, this home is a walk-down access, meaning no driveway or garage. It’s not your typical home, but if you didn’t mind hoofing it down the trail to the home, you’d be buying some of the least-expensive waterfront on the Sound. This home was on the market for a few years–it really needed a unique buyer.

On Lake Washington, a new construction home in Renton’s Kennydale neighborhood sold for just over $2 million. This home, part of the Barbee Mill development, was a 3 bed/3.5 bath, 3500 sq ft home. The home was listed for around 7 months, which is still a fairly short marketing time for a waterfront home in this price range. Many times multi-million dollar waterfront homes take a year or longer to sell, as the market of potential buyers is limited.

The largest sale on the waterfront in January was in Bellevue on Lake Sammamish. The 5 bed, 7.5 bath home has almost 12,000 sq ft of living space and may be the largest home on the lake. I had a chance to visit it this fall, and it’s a truly stunning home, with entire walls that open up to the lake. The sale closed at a bit over $5.5 million, after having been on the market around 14 months.

Source: Individually compiled NWMLS statistics. The NWMLS database and statistics do not include many new construction pre-sale units, private sales or auction sales. These statistics were not compiled or published by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
SeattleHome.com – Washington State Realty – (206) 658-3225
Real Estate Brokers, Realtors, Green Certified Pros

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Walkability/Walk Score on Seattle’s Waterfront

February 18th, 2010, Author: Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Categories: Lake Union Waterfront Homes

I had a chance to sit down with the folks at Walk Score last week, and if you haven’t heard of Walk Score yet, you probably will soon. The Seattle-based company has developed a system for scoring the walkability of cities and neighborhoods around the country. The basic concept is that if you have good transit, accessible streets for walking, and close-in amenities such as shops and restaurants, your neighborhood is “walkable” and receives a high score (on a scale of 1-100).

I’ve compared 20 of Seattle’s waterfront neighborhoods, and gotten a wide range of walkability results. For example, South Lake Union received a stellar 91, while Windermere received one of the lowest scores at 37. That being said, walkability is clearly not everyone’s goal in buying a home in a waterfront community. It could be said that residents of exclusive neighborhoods like Windermere would rather have less foot traffic, less commercial space, and a more private community in general. Those in SLU are clearly more inclined to take transit and walk to their local grocery store.

Seattle’s Waterfront Neighborhood Walk Scores

As you look over the numbers, you’re probably also surprised by a few: Magnolia is more walkable than Alki? The system isn’t perfect, but one thing to keep in mind, is that a community like Magnolia, though somewhat isolated, is a good “walking community” if you’re near the small business core. You could eat, shop, and work within a few blocks of home.

If you happen to live on the West end of Magnolia, however, it’s a different story. It’s a totally residential area with very few businesses within walking distance, and should clearly have a different score. This is the limitation of searching by the neighborhood center (you can easily punch in an exact address for more refined results).

Seattle Neighborhood Walk Scores

“Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address based on the distance from your house to nearby amenities. Walk Score measures how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle–not how pretty the area is for walking. “
Alki has some of the best walking views in Seattle, and is one of the busiest walking avenues during the summer. It is a beautiful stroll, but grocery stores, hardware stores, places of employment (besides restaurants) are all a drive up the hill. It’s more of a “drive-in” recreational area than a full-time walking neighborhood, and its score reflects this.

Walk Score gives an innovative new approach to viewing our priorities in choosing a neighborhood. Walkability isn’t a top priority for all buyers, but saving on transportation costs and the possibility of improving one’s lifestyle will definitely draw more consumers to this new metric. New transit data is coming on line soon, and I imagine the scope of Walk Score’s influence will be expanding quite a bit in the near future.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
SeattleHome.com – Washington State Realty – (206) 658-3225
Real Estate Brokers, Realtors, Green Certified Pros

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Seattle Waterfront Home Sales – Seasonal/Cyclical Effect

February 18th, 2010, Author: Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Categories: Lake Union Waterfront Homes

It’s July and the summer sun has finally come to Seattle. You’re taking some time off from work, ready to shop for a new home, and what better place is there to buy than on the waterfront? Everyone’s out boating, wakeboarding, fishing, or just diving off the end of the dock.

Seattle’s Lake Washington waterfront in Denny Blaine

The rush of emotion may be enough to push you into buying a waterfront home in the summer, but does the timing make sense? You’ll clearly get the most use out of the waterfront during the summer, but what if there was a lot of financial gain that could be made by purchasing that home in the “off-season”?

Real estate is known to be seasonally cyclical, with the majority of sales between late spring and early fall. There are many reasons for this–bad weather during winter, darker evenings, holidays, children in school, etc. Buyers just find more time to house hunt in the summer months. It turns out that while this effect is similar in the waterfront real estate market, it’s actually even more strongly marked.

Seattle Waterfront Home Sales Seasonal Cycle

All King County Sales vs. Waterfront Sales by Monthly Percentage, 2006-2008

I’ve used the statistics from 2006-2008, as we had an artifically strong fall in 2009 based on the home buyer income tax credit, which skewed statistics away from the usual yearly trends. In the winter months of 2006-2008, waterfront homes dove below total sales in terms of the percentage of sales for the year. When sales spiked in the summer, waterfront homes lagged the general market just slightly, but held on to the strong sales months a bit longer than the rest of the market. August through October are still fairly strong sales months on the waterfront, while the rest of the market has already started its fast slide toward winter.

Waterfront sales are clearly associated with good weather. While it seems simplistic to associate buyers’ purchases with a sunny day, there are very few industries where sales aren’t partly based on emotion. When it gets sunny in Seattle, we get excited. We want to get out on the water, and spend every possible moment in the sunshine. Waterfront home owners in the Seattle area are the envy of their neighbors every year when Seafair and the Blue Angels come calling.

What does this mean for the waterfront home buyer? If you can hold back your emotion, you might be much better off buying during the winter or early spring months. There are far fewer buyers in the market, which puts you in the driver’s seat. What’s more, sellers who remain on the market during the winter months seem to be more willing to negotiate. Open houses are sparsely attended, buyer showings are slow, and interested buyers are treated with extra attention. Besides, don’t you want a couple of months to clean up the dock and get the boat in the water?

Seattle waterfront vs traditional real estate sales

King County, Seattle Waterfront Monthly Home Sales As A Percentage of Annual Sales

Interestingly, the end of 2009 gave a big bump to the waterfront market. While most expectations were that the first-time buyer credit would only push sales in lower-end homes and condos, the last few months of 2009 showed a strong growth trend in waterfront sales. Compared to the previous three years, there was only a bit of a leveling off this past winter. This could be attributed to a couple of factors:

A) Home sales in general were picking up and this was just a temporary market bump overall.

B) There is truly a recovery on the way for the waterfront market, as we’ve kicked the traditional winter slump and will roll right into a big summer sales season.

We’ll find out more in a few months.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
SeattleHome.com – Washington State Realty – (206) 658-3225
Real Estate Brokers, Realtors, Green Certified Pros

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Seattle Houseboats and Floating Homes on Lake Union Show Strong Sales For

February 12th, 2010, Author: Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Categories: Lake Union Waterfront Homes

Sales of houseboats and floating homes in Seattle were surprisingly brisk in 2009, after a dismal year of sales in 2008. While the first half of the year was slow, bank-owned floating homes and bargain prices on houseboats on Lake Union drove sales back up to 2006 levels by the end of the year, while median prices took a bit of a dip.

Houseboats and floating homes are a particularly difficult sale in tough years like 2008, as they are true luxury purchases. Not only are the homeowners buying waterfront real estate, they also have the added cost of maintenance that comes with being moored on the water. Financing can be tricky, up-front costs and down payments are sometimes prohibitive, and the lifestyle is quite different from what most people are used to. Buyers of houseboats and floating homes are buying a lifestyle along with the actual residence.

Statistically, it’s hard to get a perfect picture of the houseboat market, as the total sample of sales is a relatively small percentage of the waterfront homes sold in Seattle. The sales total for 2009 was 21 homes, which was up from a paltry eight homes sold in 2008, and a very similar 22 homes in 2007 and 21 homes in 2006.

Seattle Houseboat and Floating Home Sales, 2006-2009

As was seen in the overall waterfront market, lower-priced houseboats are leading the recovery, with over half of last year’s sales being under $500,000. Compared to the previous few years, 2009 had a larger percentage of lower-priced homes, possibly influenced by first-time buyer tax credits from the government. The least expensive sale was a houseboat that sold under $50,000, while the highest-priced floating home sold for $2.1 Million. Floating homes with great moorage and city views on Lake Union can easily reach this price range, and many more of these higher-end homes sell in a hotter real estate market.

During 2009, a handful of floating homes went through foreclosure and sold at bargain prices, pushing the median sale price down. This small group of homes were designed by a very talented builder with high-end finishes, modern design, and top-notch appliances and materials. There were a few lucky buyers who moved into these homes last year that will be very happy with their investment 5 to 10 years down the road. The homes really stand out in the traditional floating home communities.

Median, Maximum, and Minimum Sale Prices for Seattle Houseboats and Floating Homes

As prices have shifted downward, it looks like we’re seeing a comeback from the ground up. Affordable houseboats are the majority of sales for now, but they’re creating a base for move-up buyers and investors to get back into the market. This trend matches the overall Seattle waterfront real estate market, and is a positive sign for sales moving forward.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
SeattleHome.com – Washington State Realty – (206) 658-3225
Real Estate Brokers, Realtors, Green Certified Pros

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Seattle Waterfront Home Prices Dip in 2009, Recovery in

February 12th, 2010, Author: Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Categories: Lake Union Waterfront Homes

In my last post, I took a look at the overall decline in the median prices for waterfront home sales from 2007 through 2009. While the numbers look bleak, there are a few bright spots to consider.

Median home prices are a good indicator of the direction of a market in general, but they often overstate a trend. Waterfront homes haven’t lost nearly the value that the current median sale price might lead you to believe. To put it simply:

If the majority of car sales in 2008 were Mercedes and BMWs, the median price for car sales that year could be near $70,000. In a tough 2009 economy, most people decide to buy Toyotas and Fords instead, and the median sale price for 2009 becomes $30,000. Does this mean that the 2008 Mercedes are now worth 60% less this year? Of course not. There is a definite downward trend in the market, but when the bulk of the market switches between price segments, the median presents an overly dramatic view of the trend.

This is the same effect we saw in waterfront homes this year. The market shifted dramatically in 2009 to lower-priced waterfront homes in King County and Seattle. Some of this is accounted for by overall decreases in prices, but much of it is just a shift towards lower-priced waterfront properties–houseboats, smaller houses, less land.

While you can see the total numbers dipping, there’s also a striking rise in the number of home sales under $500,000. 2009, in particular, had the lower-priced waterfront homes become the top sale category for the first time in years. The shift shows the overall lack of buyers for high-end property in recent years.

Even more convincing are the trends based on percentage of the market. Both King County and Seattle show a quickly increasing percentage of waterfront home sales under $500,000. These lower-priced homes made up almost half of the total waterfront sales for 2009.

So, what does this mean for a recovery? We always have to stregthen the base of a real estate market before the mid-level and high-end homes begin selling again. The 2009 numbers for lower-priced waterfront homes seem to be a leading indicator for a healthier waterfront market. While there’s no assurance of continued strength, the signs point toward a slow recovery from the bottom up.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
SeattleHome.com – Washington State Realty – (206) 658-3225
Real Estate Brokers, Realtors, Green Certified Pros

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There’s No Monopoly in Seattle Real Estate Sales

January 26th, 2010, Author: Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Categories: Lake Union Waterfront Homes

For those that might think there’s a monopoly by a few brokerages or agents in the real estate market, take a look at the top 10 Greater Seattle residential sales for 2009 listed on the NWMLS. (Top sales of single family Seattle homes here - one condo added for this list).

I count 18 different brokerages involved in these top 10 transactions. If there is a monopoly, it’s certainly not at the top of the luxury home market. Not only are the offices spread widely, but there are many independent/non-national brands represented across the spectrum.

City	Price	Listing Office Name	Selling Office Name
Seattle	$5,300,000	Windermere Madison	Windermere Wallingford
Clyde Hill	$5,399,900	John L. Scott Bellevue	RE/MAX Connected
Bellevue	$5,460,000	Windermere Kirkland	Wallace Properties, Inc.
Mercer Island	$5,950,000	Windermere Bellevue	Ewing & Clark Mercer Isl.
Medina	$6,095,000	John L. Scott Mercer Isl.	John L. Scott Mercer Isl.
Bainbridge Island	$6,275,000	Coldwell Banker McKenzie	Windermere Bainbridge
Seattle (condo)	$9,750,000	ek Real Estate Group	Prudential NW
Seattle	$10,600,000	Madison House, Ltd.	Gerrard Beattie & Knapp
Seattle	$11,500,000	Windermere Wallingford	Windermere Wall St
Mercer Island	$15,560,000	Ewing & Clark, Inc.	Coldwell Banker Bain

Also interesting, is the spread of agents. There are 19 different agents/teams involved. Larry was the only agent listed twice, for selling his own Medina listing (congrats Larry!) If there was a monopoly, this is where it would exist–at the top of the luxury market, where clearly the most successful agents and companies strive to position themselves.

Listing Agent Name	Selling Agent Name
Mary P Snyder	M. Patrick Chinn
Stephen D MacDonald	Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
Dave Rodland	Susan Naficy
Tere G Foster	Kris B Robbs
Larry Williams	Larry Williams
Georg Syvertsen	Jan R Johnson
Edward S Krigsman	Tracy E Harris
Kitty K Hughes	Spafford Robbins
Bob Bennion	Holley Ring
Betsy Q Terry	Linda H Tsang

What’s the take-away from all of this information? A pretty yard sign does not sell a home, no matter which company logo is pasted on it. Even the highest-end of luxury home buyers aren’t worried about the company you’re listed with. If you prepare a home well, market it well, and make it available to buyers, it will sell.

Buyers and Sellers should work with a motivated, experienced agent who puts your best interests first and makes you feel at ease. You’ll work better together, and most likely sell your home more quickly when you’re both on the same page. You have a lot of choices. Choose someone you’ll enjoy working with.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
SeattleHome.com – Washington State Realty – (206) 658-3225
Real Estate Brokers, Realtors, Green Certified Pros

(Information not compiled or published by the NWMLS)

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Greater Seattle’s Top 10 Home Sales of 2009

January 26th, 2010, Author: Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Categories: Lake Union Waterfront Homes

The top 10 single family home sales in the Greater Seattle area for 2009, as listed in NWMLS records, were as follows:

Price	Address	Beds	Baths	Sq Ft	Selling Agent	Listing Agent
$5.1MM	9300 NE 13th St Clyde Hill	5	4.75	6882	Wendy Lister	Steven Erickson
$5.3MM	1105 Parkside Dr E Seattle	4	3.5	5500	M. Patrick Chinn	Mary Snyder
$5.4MM	10 Undisclosed Clyde Hill	6	6.75	10300	Sam DeBord and	Stephen MacDonald
					Brian Wiegand
$5.5MM	9125 Lake WA Blvd NE Bellevue	4	3.25	6320	Susan Naficy	Dave Rodland
$5.6MM	450 W Lk Samm. Pkwy Bellevue	5	7.5	11750	Debbie Jenner Culp	Judy Layton
$6.0MM	7406 N Mercer Way Mercer Island	5	4.25	7907	Kris Robbs	Tere Foster
$6.1MM	3329 Evergreen Point Rd Medina	5	7.5	7100	Larry Williams	Larry Williams
$10.6MM	XXXX Undisclosed Seattle	6	4.75	0	Spafford Robbins	Kitty Hughes
$11.5MM	5025 NE Laurelcrest Ln Seattle	5	5.25	9808	Holley Ring	Bob Bennion
$15.6MM	XXX Undisclosed Mercer Island	5	8.5	0	Linda Tsang	Betsy Terry

This information was not compiled or published by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

The luxury home market in Seattle was a bit slow in 2009, but there were still a good number of strong sales late in the year. The market seems to have stabilized a bit for now, which is good news for home sellers looking to move in the luxury home market for 2010.

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
SeattleHome.com – Washington State Realty – (206) 658-3225
Real Estate Brokers, Realtors, Green Certified Pros

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Waterfront Seattle Area Towns Make America’s Most Expensive List

January 21st, 2010, Author: Sam DeBord - Seattle Real Estate Broker, Categories: Lake Union Waterfront Homes

BusinessWeek recently listed the 50 most expensive small towns in America. All 50 towns were located in just seven states, with Washington garnering four spots for small towns in the Greater Seattle metro.

Seattle Eastside

The towns of Hunts Point, Medina, Yarrow Point, and Clyde Hill, all on the Seattle metro’s Eastside, checked in on the top 50 list. Each on of these areas has its own unique characteristics, but all share the feel of privacy and upscale living while still being a short jog from downtown Bellevue and a 10 minute drive into Seattle (traffic willing).

While many neighborhoods in Seattle proper would have probably made this list (Madison Park, Laurelhurst, Denny-Blaine, Washington Park, Broadmoor, Montlake, The Highlands, etc.), they don’t make the classification for this list as they are not separate townships. The Eastside townships are incorporated, and thus “small towns”.
The Points

No. 3: Hunts Point, Wash.
Median home sale price: $2,930,863
Price change YOY: -2.9%
Population: 437
Median household income: $179,898
Hunts Point WA

Hunts Point is the most private community on this list. Take one drive down Hunts Point Drive and you’ll see why. Towering trees, long, meandering driveways past gated entries, and a straight shot from video-monitored entry to the tip of the point. There’s no reason to drive into Hunts Point if you don’t live there, so there’s virtually no traffic. The waterfront homes are stunning if you can get a glimpse of them–most are far out of view from the street. The tip of Hunts Point is currently available for sale, a 2 acre waterfront gem with no current home on the land. It’s been listed recently in the mid-$20 million range.
Hunts Point WA Homes

No. 36: Medina, Wash.
Median home sale price: $1,426,173
Price change YOY: -4.6%
Population: 3,041
Median household income: $133,756
Medina WA

Medina is most famouse for being home to Bill Gates of Microsoft, and many of his software counterparts. The waterline in Medina reaches from Evergreen Point in the North to Groat Point in the South, covering the majority of the Gold Coast. This section of Lake Washington waterfront has westerly views of Seattle and evening sunsets on the lake. At 3,000 residents, it’s much larger than the other townships on the list.
Medina WA Homes

No. 38: Yarrow Point, Wash.
Median home sale price: $1,397,744
Price change YOY: -6.9%
Population: 997
Median household income: $177,940
Yarrow Point WA

Yarrow Point is another small peninsula on the shores of Lake Washington. Nestled between Cozy Cove and Yarrow Bay, around 1/4 of its homes are on the water. Like Hunts Point, it has only one street entry and therefore has very little outside traffic. Yarrow Point is a bit more open, with better ability to see many of the homes from the street.
Yarrow Point WA Homes

No. 47: Clyde Hill, Wash.
Median home sale price: $1,249,976
Price change YOY: -9.9%
Population: 2,845
Median household income: $132,468
Clyde Hill WA

Clyde Hill is the only town on our list that is not on the waterfront. The town is situated between Medina and the Points, and it has some of the best views on the Eastside. Clyde Hill homes can have views of Kirkland to the North, Seattle and the Olympic Mountains to the West, Bellevue and Mount Rainier to the South, and the Cascade Mountains to the East. With its own police and fire department, Clyde Hill has a small-town feel without sacrificing access to big city amenities.
Clyde Hill WA Homes

Sam DeBord and Brian Wiegand
SeattleHome.com – Washington State Realty – (206) 658-3225
Real Estate Brokers, Realtors, Green Certified Pros

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Seattle houseboats and floating homes come on strong in Spring

Seattle Waterfront Home Sales Make a Comeback in February

Seattle Area Waterfront Home Sales, January 2010

Walkability/Walk Score on Seattle’s Waterfront

Seattle Waterfront Home Sales – Seasonal/Cyclical Effect

Seattle Houseboats and Floating Homes on Lake Union Show Strong Sales For

Seattle Waterfront Home Prices Dip in 2009, Recovery in

There’s No Monopoly in Seattle Real Estate Sales

Greater Seattle’s Top 10 Home Sales of 2009

Waterfront Seattle Area Towns Make America’s Most Expensive List

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