Tag Archives: Seattle

A while back I spelled Seatttle with…

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three “t’s” on the sidepanel and was surprised just how much traffic it brought. Because I was more concerned with being professional than traffic, I fixed the type, but Mary just reminded me of the effectiveness of the error, so I thought I’d try it out again! 🙂

And if you are looking for Seattle real estate information, dont’ be discouraged if you landed on this page! 😉 We’ve got tons of great stuff on this site!

To highlight just a few: Ardell gives local condition stats ever Sunday, Rhonda provides mortgage rate updates every Friday, and I wrote a post about moving to Seatttle a while back that is loaded with questions, answers, insights, dangers, etc. from people. (There are almost 500 comments to date!)…

Best Pizza Delivery in Seattle

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Nov5eable 129

Hands down…Pagliacci. Do you have another favorite? I’d love to hear it. My “standby” is the Brooklyn Bridge…however the “seasonals” are a treat…The pizza in the photo is the current seasonal: Salumi’s finocchiona salami, Mama Lil’s goathorn peppers, roasted fennel, mozzarella and ricotta cheese on an olive oil base.

Delish! Do you know of a better pizza delivered to your door in Seattle? Bring it!

Seattle Bubble Says Seattle Markets Going UP!

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As seen on Seattle Bubble:

“Seattle shows up on their forecast at #21 on their top performing markets list with an expected 3.8% increase.”

Seriously in 2005 when the housing market was positioned to go UP, Seattle Bubble started the Gloom and Doom Blog.

Now after it has DOUBLED in some places against their predictions of Bubbles Popping, and is showing signs of weakness…WHAT?  Going UP.  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  Not saying it isn’t, just couldn’t believe my eyes.  Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time…twice.

Sorry everyone, I just couldn’t help myself.  The Empire Strikes Back!  I knew that picture of a guy talking out his butt would come in handy one day.

How difficult is it to find a good rental in Seattle?

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I have a few “Google alerts” set up to be notified when certain terms are published on the web, such as Rhonda Porter, Mortgage Porter and West Seattle.   Tonight, the West Seattle Google alert pointed me to someone who is looking to rent a 2 bedroom home with “a soul” for up to $2800.  

We are moving to Seattle very soon. Need online resources to find a nice rental home for the two of us. We are looking in the Ballard, Queen Anne, and West Seattle areas. I’d prefer non-mega corporate rentals, ie. one or two unit townhomes, a house, or a smallish apartment building. I’m familiar with craigslist, which I’ve been using a lot. Also familiar with NWapartments. The larger sites like rent.com list rentals that are just too cookie cutter and commercial for us. Please give resources to help us find a nice, unique, home with a soul. BTW, we are looking at the $1800-$2800/month rent range for a 2bedroom.

Are rents that high?  Do rental homes really lack soul?  I rented my two bedroom in West Hill Auburn on Northlake a short time for $1800 per month a couple years ago that had “the soul” of worn out shoes.   I loved that funky house.   However, it was not a “good rental” for many reasons (1/3 acre garden, septic tank, etc), I clung onto it for personal reasons and have since sold it. 

I’m just full of questions after reading this!  🙂  Guess you could call it soul searching.

Here's to a shimmering '08

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For some sad reason, right as a year is close to screeching to a halt, I can’t help but utter the phrase “good riddens.” It rolls off my tongue almost perfunctorily. Each year has its highs and lows, and this year was no exception. 2007 kicked off in morbid fashion when my mother was almost killed in a head-on collision (thanks to an ignorant driver) in the leafy Chicago suburbs. Luckily, she survived relatively unscathed, at least physically. On the plus side, I moved to Seattle and made headway on some new goals, established new routines and dived into graduate school and volunteer projects. But besides mourning our own unpleasant experiences, it’s easy to be sullen over the year our own nation has endured: We continue to heartbreakingly lose too many American soldiers as tension swells in the Middle East; the housing market continues to look grim; scandal riddled the sports worlds; and the most recent blows – floods battered Seattle and the senseless slayings in Carnation. At times, it’s difficult to not want to disencumber yourself from the fetters of all that plagues our world, and just pretend it’s not happening.

However, there’s a sort of dis-ease that comes with a new year as well and as I’ve grown older have tried to ask myself, how am I going to make this year a step up from the previous? Even slight tweaks in one facet of one’s life can undoubtly make the new year more resplendent. But that’s always easier said than done. If your 2008 starts murky, here’s a web site that might quell your moroseness and prompt you to unleash chuckle or two.

Let’s hope 2008 is great! Cheers!

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Sweet Home Chicago!

Going home to Chicago for the holidays was more than enjoyable. It had been a year since I had seen one of my brothers and sister-in-law and months since I had seen my parents and other siblings. Presents, food, laughter and fun brimmed my empty-nester parents’ home. What was most surprising was how maneuvering the airports during the holidays was quite a cakewalk. Though my redeye flight leaving Seattle was delayed two hours (mechanical aircraft problems really ease my mind, j/k), which meant we took off from the Emerald City at the ungodly time of 2 a.m., leaving me zombie-like for the first few days of my trip while my friends and I braved the malls for holiday gifts and indulged in a Chinese massage.

One thing that was apparent was that returning to the Midwest had me reverting to the fast-paced way of talking, going-about-things that I have somewhat left behind since I’ve lived in Seattle. It’s interesting to hear if others observe differences in a person that hasn’t been back in months. My mom (jokingly, I hope) repeatedly called me detached, which made me ornery and react with a slight cringe. Though I attributed any disconnectedness to the redder than red redeye flight and time change. Five days in Chicagoland was plenty, especially with the bitter cold that is inevitable there, but I treasured mingling and going to church with my numerous friends and family there. One of my hobbies is writing novellas, so I was also tempted to start a yearly book club with the family since books became a hot topic at the dinner table at certain points, or whip out the Scrabble board, but my geeky self resisted!

As a sort of news junkie, I couldn’t help but inquire into how the Chicago burbs have handled the intense media scrutiny that has swirled around Bolingbrook, IL (neighboring town of my hometown) and embattled ex-cop Drew Peterson, who is under the glare in regards to his missing wife. Some of my friends mentioned the onslaught of Fox News trucks around and others just cited an eeriness to the areas amid the hubbub.

And go figure, we didn’t have a white Christmas in Chicago, but I heard Seattle sure did. And how about the last two gorgeous sunny days we’ve had here in Seattle – just an anomaly? Perhaps yes.

Happy New Year to you all!

Adventures In Articulated Transportation

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[Editor’s note: Today, I’m excited to introduce Mike Schwagler as the newest contributor to Rain City Guide. Mike currently wears two hats in that he is an agent for John L. Scott in Redmond and also the founder of Write For Sales Copywriting. I’ve had an email dialog with Mike for a while now and I’m confident he’ll be a great contributor to the site! Mike can be reached at 425-861-1588 or writeforsales@comcast.net]

My wife, Diane, and I have lived on the Eastside for over 20 years and never tire of going to Seattle. Well, perhaps the verb going is misleading. We like being in Seattle…at least once we get there! The hubbub, the energy, the cultural activities, the people on the street, everything about it is wonderful. Seattle truly is a great city!

Going there, however, has always been the issue. In fact, I’d bet there were 10 years when we only got downtown once a year. Driving in, along with the issues of parking and navigating the downtown streets had been enough of a hassle to discourage a lot of our visits.

About a year ago Diane took a position with Virginia Mason, working downtown, and discovered something quite remarkable – our public transportation system. At first we were a little bit hesitant about this whole bus thing, so on the Saturday morning before she started her new job, we took the bus downtown. It was a dry run to figure out the best stops for her to get off and the best routes for her to walk to her new offices. Once we were comfortable with all of that, we walked a few blocks to the shopping district and ended up hanging out in downtown Seattle all day. It was a blast!

When we were done, we hopped onto the “545” (one of those long, articulated express buses) at Westlake Center and 23 minutes later we got off at the Redmond park and ride. Who needs a car?

Diane takes the bus to work every day and with the exception of a storm-related adventure last winter (which could’ve had serious consequences had she been driving a car), she has been having a great experience. She’s developed a group of bus-buddies and always has an interesting story about someone new she met on the bus. That doesn’t happen in your car unless you crash into someone.

As for me, I’ve used Metro and Sound Transit to get downtown at least fifteen times, for seminars, shopping and just for fun. I hop onto the “545” right outside my office here in Redmond (how convenient is that?), do what I have to do downtown, and then meet Diane after work for a bite to eat or to just stroll around with my gal in the Emerald City.

Rantings on volunteering, wigs parties, de-icing

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Although I’ve just recently become accustomed to Seattle and its nuances, and my schedule has fallen into a rhythm of some sort, I’m looking to somewhat overhaul my routine. I enjoy being busy to a large degree and too much free time definitely breeds indolence. Therefore, outside of work, one class and freelancing I’m beginning to familiarize myself with some of the local food banks by performing service work for a few through Seattle University and my church.

There was a time when, after volunteering during several college spring breaks at a Franciscan soup kitchen in the heart of Philadelphia’s most destitute neighborhood, that I was going to be a live-in volunteer there for one or two years after college before starting my career. But as perhaps anyone would, I had grave concerns regarding how I would jump into my career after a two-year hiatus and little professional experience under my belt. Luckily, the bevy of opportunities to help the less fortunate in Seattle have stymied any regrets I may have had in not welcoming the amazing opportunity that the friars in Philadelphia offered me. Within a year, I do hope to voyage back to my volunteer roots for several days and assist the needy there once again. 

Wigs n’ Wine 

On a lighter note, last weekend my roommate along with friends and myself donned wigs and slurped libations for a Wigs n’ Wine Party commemorating my upcoming birthday. We kicked off the notable occasion with dinner at Peso’s Kitchen & Lounge in Queen Anne. Having resided in Seattle now nearly five months, it was neat to get out and poke around the nuts and bolts of Queen Anne a bit. It’s probably by far the Seattle neighborhood I have frequented the least. Our evening out was a far cry from my birthday outing last year, which took place at a sleepy pizza parlor nestled in a leafy Illinois suburb. Despite the mundanity of last year’s evening, it was a pleaseant time nonetheless; this year was just understandably extremely new and different.

Am I back in Chicago?

Sure, it rains here plenty, and, of course, no shock there, but I am a bit perplexed at how much the sun has poked it’s head out from the clouds the past couple weeks. On the other hand, must say I was surprised at how much the temperatures have fluctuated lately; the thin coat of frost that blanketed my car windows the other day reminded me of my numerous years in Chicagoland and the frequency in which I had to de-ice my windshield. Oh well, I’m not complaining, guess it’s just an unseasonable cold October for Seattle standards. 

The MLS is not just for advertising your property

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[photopress:just_listed.jpg,thumb,alignright]Agent receives $5,000 fine for taking the key from the keybox, giving it to the electrician and allowing the electrician to remain on the property unattended.

Agent receives $5,000 fine for giving her keypad to an unlicensed friend to show property.

Agent fined $3,000 for changing the price by $1.00 or $2.00 to cause the property to show up on the agent hotsheet to get more attention and possibly showings.

Agent fined $3,000 for advertising another agent’s listed property in a real estate publication.

Agent waited in car while handing his keypad to his unlicensed assistant who showed the property. Agent did not leave a business card in the house. $5,000 fine.

$1,500 fine for not uploading a photo in a timely manner, not changing the status in a timely manner and not taking the keybox off of the property in a timely manner.

It is sometimes easy to forget that “The MLS” is not simply a data base for listed property to gain the eyes and interest of potential buyers. Reading the report of hefty fines being paid by members for, in some cases, what might appear to be fairly minor transgressions, is a good reminder of what “the mls” really is and is not.

I have to admit that as I am typing this, I am wondering if there is a fine for writing a blog post about fines.

Autumn season always one to savor

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As we stride into October, I’ve found myself wondering where the year has gone (like we all do). It was a year ago this weekend that I journeyed to Seattle from Chicago and was spontaneously whisking my way through Seattle with a friend and touring the gargantuan Mt. Rainier. And though the temperatures are quite brisker this year than when I visited last year, longtime residents have insisted this year’s September weather is an anomaly. But there’s nothing like watching the lush greenery morph into bright reds and oranges and leaves dance from trees. Autumn has always been my favorite season, so, in spite of my sometimes overwelming schedule, I’ve been taking advantage of some of the local events. With Fremont just a stone’s throw away from my home, enjoying Oktoberfest was a given, though it seemed slightly overhyped.

Both the Fremont and Ballard farmers markets have become mainstays when it comes to my Sunday routine. When I first dropped by Ballard’s market, I could not believe the breadth of the vibrant vendors and just the vast amount of fresh fruit, fish, dairy etc. all centered in one dwelling. The Pacific Northwest and the Midwest versions of farmers markets, not surprisingly, are just not comparable.
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Recently, I managed to take a jaunt via the Victoria Clipper to Victoria, B.C., with my Mother while she was visiting from Chicago. Our weather could have been a smidge better during the morning portion of our trip, but the afternoon sun that poked its head through the ominous clouds more than made up for the initial gloom. The absolute pure beauty of Victoria is just breathtaking; it melds modernity with antiquity in a dynamic that gives it a cozy and classy, yet hip feel. If you have never been there, you must try High Tea at the picturesque Empress Hotel (pictured), which is nestled amid much grand beauty. Replete with tea sandwiches, petit fours and other delicacies, the overall afternoon tea experience is something analogous to what you would enjoy in London, and you should not skip it if you plan to spend time there.

Now that fall is upon us and the full-fledged rainy season is soon to set in, I am quickly warming up to Rihanna’s hot last-summer song, “Umbrella.” It seems it will be a good IPod song now that I am riding the bus to work and grad school – yes, I barely drive my car anymore and I can’t stress enough how much it thrills me. Banished from my mind are the days of braving brutal Naperville, IL traffic. It always seemed no matter how prematurely I left for work there was always a snag (usually random, unannounced lane closures, courtesy of seemingly construction) that would prevent me from being punctual.

Although I have some trepidation about Seattle’s impending winter, when I think about trudging through Chicagoland’s cumbersome snow and the street salt and muck that constantly encapsulated my car, and often my clothes, I’m hardly fazed. The tepid temperatures here have been a welcome change and as long as we don’t have to cope with negative figures, frequent clouds and snow, it will be a breeze to endure.