Head to Redmond's Marymoor Park Today to See Cyclists Try for The Olympics

Do you want to see Olympic hopefuls in action? Marymoor Park in Redmond shines again. Head over to The Group Health Velodrome in the park today to get your chance to see top cyclists compete in a qualifying race for the United States National Track Cycling.

The event, which began on Friday, starts right now, 9:30 AM. Adults pay a $4.00 entry fee and children get in for free.

My previous post talks about all the great things that you can find in Marymoor Park. The cycling event is a wonderful example of one of Redmond and the county's gems.

The Gems of Redmond #1-Doggy Disneyland and other Great Things at Marymoor Park.

For those of you who do not know the city of Redmond, the gems of Redmond postings will highlight wonderful things to do and see in the Redmond area. In addition to real estate information and monthly statistics, my goal is for you to learn more about Redmond and its quality of life. By reading these posts, you will understand why it's such a great place to live.

There is no better place to start than with one of the true gems of Redmond and King County, Marymoor Park. This 640 acre park has something for everyone. Do you like to bike, hike, run with your dogs, play soccer, listen to a concert or see a summer outdoor movie? Then this park is for you!

But first, for you dog lovers, there is a huge off leash area for dogs to run free, the largest area in the state for dogs to roam in a public park. The area abuts the Sammamish River and if your dog likes to swim, this is a fun place. There are nicely groomed trails covered with wood chips that are great places for Fido to meet and greet. I was down there the other evening after it had just been raining, so very few dogs were there. You should bring your dog down on a weekend or early in the morning. It's a happening place for four legged critters.

The Clise Mansion, which is a beautiful structure now rented out for functions, was originally built in 1904 as a hunting lodge for James Clise. Mr. Clise bred horses and raised cows on his farm, which is known as Willowmoor Farm. The farm changed hands a number of times and was rescued from development by King County in the late 1950's.

The buildings, including a Windmill, are on the National Historic Register.

The city of Redmond is known as "The Bicycle Capital of the World." Marymoor Park's Velodrome, which is supported by the local HMO, Group Health, is testament to the importance of bike riding and racing in this city. Several people were racing when I went by the other evening.

The soccer fields were hopping. There are a number of fields clustered together and all sorts of teams were coming and going.

Sports galore: tennis courts, baseball, softball, rowing, rock climbing wall.

There is even a place for radio controlled airplanes to fly.

Several playgrounds with sturdy play structures are available for small children.

Living in a condo or apartment, but like to garden? Marymoor has a pea patch for you. Over two acres of the park are dedicated to growing organic vegetables.

Summer brings concerts and outdoor movies to the park.

The Sammamish River Trail is a paved 10+ mile trail that connects to the Burke/Gilman Trail in Seattle. It is ADA accessible, good for bikers, runners, and walkers. I have been able to take my Dad in his wheel chair for a ride along the trail. There's a section in Woodinville in which one can go horseback riding. The trail is pretty active on weekend days. People and groups use it to train for all kinds of races. The trail follows along the river. Some spots are pretty built up and others feel very natural. There is an area near downtown Woodinville where I have encountered Blue Herons!

What sells in Peoria May Not Sell on Seattle's Eastside

I just had a past client call me to get my advice about making some changes to her home before she put it on the market. We have known each other since 1999, when she and her husband were referred to me to help them find a home on the Eastside. They purchased a home that they remodeled and sold after living in it for several years. At that time, they decided to move closer to family in the Midwest. Now, she and her family are heading back to the Northwest.

The home in the Midwest has a very 60's retro flavor. The light fixtures in the home are true period pieces. She emailed me photos of her home and asked what I thought about changing the light fixtures. I questioned her about the type of buyer who might be buying her home, the performance of the real estate market in the area, and if her home had competition from other listings. Finding the answers to these questions helped her to decide whether or not to change out the light fixtures. Her Realtor in Illinois was a fan of removing the fixtures, since she didn't think buyers would appreciate them. Her thought was to update the fixtures as this would appeal to more buyers.

Ironically, I know people in the Seattle area would kill for retro light fixtures, and this is my point. Different markets demand different styles and features. If this home was selling in the Seattle area, I would not recommend removal of the light fixtures. Here, retro fixtures would be an added plus.

It is important for both buyers and sellers to know what works in a particular market. What sells in Peoria does not always sell in Seattle. Your Realtor should be able to help you determine what "sells" in your area. Making choices that appeal to the local market when updating your home is critical for making the most money when you sell your home. It is a great way to make more money, and, also, not lose money because of a costly remodeling mistake.

But remember, ask a Realtor "what plays" in Seattle so you can make the most money out of any remodeling.

What were the chances of selling a home in West Redmond in June,2007?

Sellers had a 42% chance of getting their home sold in June, 2007.

The area is still performing at a stronger rate than most of the other Eastside areas. However, it has slowed down a bit. Last month I thought June might be a little stronger than it ultimately turned out to be, but still, if you are selling a home, you are lucky to be in this part of the Eastside.

If you go the statistics page on my website, you will find the chart for the East Bellevue/West Redmond area.

• June, 2007 179 homes for sale 76 sales, 42% chance of selling a home.
• May, 2007 152 homes for sale 97 sales, 63% chance of selling a home.
• June, 2006 118 homes for sale 83 sales, 70% chance of selling a home.

The area near Microsoft, East Bellevue and West Redmond, continues to have the lowest inventory on the Eastside, with the exception of West Bellevue. The area finally approached 176 homes for sale this past month. It still is a pretty tight market. However, for the first time this year, I am seeing many more homes go through some price reductions.

I have some clients looking in the area in the $500-700,00 price range. They asked me a couple of months ago to send them the sales each week so they could track the final sales price to list price for homes in the area. We are starting to see full sales prices cracking. Some sellers are actually having to negotiate and give a bit in price to get their homes sold.

If you are actively looking, you may want to have your Realtor track the final sale prices to the original list price on a weekly basis for you. That way, you will be right up to the minute with the pricing in a particular area.

For a picture of the real estate activity on the whole Eastside, you can check my blog at Eastside Real Estate Buzz.

Celebrate the Fourth of July All Around the Seattle/Eastside Neighborhoods

The Fourth Of July holiday heralds summer! The Fourth of July is often cool and rainy, what many people think happens here all year round. But the surprise, we usually have a gorgeous spring and a fabulous summer. It is our big Seattle secret.

Tradition dictates, however, that our true summer begins on the 5th of July. I know this to be true because I am beginning my 22nd year in Seattle this July 4th and I can count on one hand how many times it has warm and sunny. The Seattle Times reported in the newspaper today that the Fourth of July is usually the soggiest day of July.

This year promises to be one of those great Fourths with the weather predicted to be in the high 80's to the 90's. Of course, this happens only because the holiday falls on a Wednesday, the middle of the week, when most people are not taking off a few days for a long weekend! (The gods can be cruel sometimes!)

People certainly have their favorite places to see fireworks all over the Sound. Two big shows happen in the city.

Washington Mutual sponsors a day long funfest and fireworks show at Gasworks Park.


Join Ivar's at Myrtle Edwards Park overlooking Elliot Bay for a 10 PM fireworks show.


Over on the Eastside, there are great events in Kirkland on the Fourth. There is a parade at noon, a picnic at 1 PM at Juanita Park, and a fireworks show at 10 PM over the lake.

(I may park myself by my empty boat slip down in the Kirkland marina to get a close look. I mentioned I was boatless in my previous post on my Kirkland Highlands blog)

Bellevue also has a day of fun with a full day of events.


For all the festivities on the fourth you can check out the Seattle Times.