Local restaurant applies for sidewalk café permit

In addition to its patio and inside dining areas, Pinxto, the Spanish Tapas bar and restaurant located at 2207 2^nd Ave, has now applied with the City of Seattle for a sidewalk café permit.

Watch this space for more details.

Global Realty Opens Residential & Resort Showroom in Downtown Seattle

Representatives of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty unveiled the opening of its Residential & Resort Showroom at 2715 1st Avenue in downtown Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. Mike Good, chief executive officer of Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, LLC and Dean Jones, managing member of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty addressed guests during a private reception last night; declaring expansion plans throughout the Pacific Rim and noting Seattle as a critical gateway to the United States.

CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty® Brand Announcement of Pacific Rim Expansion Plans at Reception

“The Residential & Resort Showroom in Seattle is a tremendous accomplishment and represents the caliber of companies that we’re attracting to our expanding global network,” said Good. “Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty is well positioned for growth as we open new offices in the Pacific Rim such as Hong Kong and Japan but also because Seattle is a major feeder market for our resort properties in the U.S., Mexico and the Americas.”

The Seattle real estate market has held up better than most metro areas in the U.S. in part due to increasing demand from out-of-town consumers, according to Jones. “About a quarter of our sales transactions are to relocating or second home buyers purchasing from outside the state or internationally – we can’t ignore this market channel,” said Jones. “We believe this trend will increase as global companies based in the Seattle area draw employees to the region and as second home buyers discover the Pacific Northwest over other West Coast markets. It’s contributing to market stabilization at all price points in the city.”

Jones adds that many of his clients are also prone to buy investment and vacation properties elsewhere. “We now specialize in sun, surf and snow destinations by making direct referrals to our affiliates in key resort markets. Our agents’ reach extends well beyond Seattle’s city limits,” he said.

The brokerage, owned by Dean and Stacy Jones of Realogics, Inc., and Sam Cunningham as the designated broker has grown considerably since acquiring the Sotheby’s International Realty franchise on February 23, 2010. In addition to Co-Founding Directors Moira Holley and James Stroupe, the firm has welcomed Chris Longfelder Doucet, Connie Blumenthal, Erik Moris, Melanie McCarthy and Cybele Walsh to the international realty network.

Today Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty is comprised of 23 agents representing approximately 200 listings and more than $225 million in inventory throughout in the greater Seattle area and beyond. The company also represents buyers citing local market expertise and effective negotiation skills. Recently, an out-of-state couple working with Moira Holley purchased a $9.25 million listing for $6.25 million – one of the largest transactions recorded for a non-waterfront property in King County since 2007, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Good and Jon Meschke, VP of Affiliate Services at Realogy – Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, LLC both noted Holley and Stroupe as being key players to the success of Realogics Sothebys’ in the greater Seattle area through their innovative marketing strategies.

“Our unique marketing platform has helped us attract clients and top-producing agents alike,” says Cunningham. “They seek every advantage available in today’s marketplace and we offer unparalleled reach both in-store and online. We’re proud to be affiliated with one of the world’s most established brand names as we represent exceptional properties of all product types and price points in our new retail gallery.”

In addition to real estate, the Residential and Resort Showroom also showcases international art in a partnership with Sun Valley-based Gallery DeNovo. The 3,500 sq. ft. retail space features artists from around the world and will host monthly events that range from real estate market updates to art walks and wine tastings. The showroom opens to the public on Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 10am. Guests may register to receive newsletters and event information at www.RealogicsSothebysRealty.com.
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Stroupe Group Exclusive Building Websites

We wanted to take a moment to share a beneficial service we provide for both buyers and sellers looking at downtown Seattle real estate.  Over the last couple of years, we have built a collection of websites for buildings downtown, and have many more in the hopper.  Our intention with these websites is to allow each unique address to convey it’s own personality online.

Every site we build for a condo building allows a visitor to:

• View active units for sale,
• View the past three years of sold history,
• Sign up for instant email notifications of new listings,
• Inquire about a particular unit’s value,
• See a neighborhood map and WalkScore,
• Look at a photo gallery of amenities,
• Get building management/concierge contact information.

In addition, whenever we have a seller that lists with the Stroupe Group, we integrate a customized page with professional photography.  All of our building websites also place at the top of all major search engines for maximum exposure, and we also use linking strategies to further secure placement.

Visit our current project: EscalaTower.com

Below is a list of other websites that are constantly being improved, and we would love to hear any suggestions on how we can make them better.

• 81 Vine Lofts
• 2200 Westlake
• Arbor Place Tower
• Avenue One
• Bay Vista Tower
• Bellora Building
• Cristalla
• Fifteen Twenty-One
• Gallery
• Meridian Tower
• Newmark Tower
• Pomeroy
• Seattle Heights
• Tavona Condos
• The Cosmopolitan
• The Parc
• The Vine
• Toscano
• Watermark Tower

Sample Gallery

BelltownParc.com	FifteenTwenty-One.com
LiveAtTheVine.com	AvenueOneCondos.com
GalleryInBelltown.com	CristallaBuilding.com

Stroupe Scoop: October 2009 Sales Stats, Featured Building, & Featured Listing

This month we have featured Cosmopolitan as the building of the Month.  We also have a new featured 2 bedroom1.75 bath in Belltown at Arbor Place Tower.  $40,000 in quality upgrades!

Be sure to receive the Scoop when it first comes up by subscribing!

New Pricing for Gallery & Brix Maintains Buyer Momentum

We were told that Brix sold another eight units (one being a fallout/back up buyer from the auction) during the weekend after the auction. Also, of the 3 townhouses that were remaining, only one is now left and has yet to be released. We’ve yet to speak to any little birdies about how Gallery has done since the auction, but our web traffic shows our Gallery website received 1,355 visits compared to our Brix website which received 346. Although we built the websites and integrated tracking on the same day, we have to also consider that search engine placement for both vary. Our placement for Brix is nowhere near as good as it is for the Gallery.

At any rate, those who have won a home at either location seem to feel happy with the deal they got. Schnitzer has also acted promptly and has repriced their first release of homes–which are moving quickly based on what we know from the eight additional units that sold just this weekend.

Any one of these units shown below does not guarantee that it is still on the market. To take advantage of this low pricing and to get more information on what units are available, contact us.

Gallery

Brix

Unit #1206 | Open 2B/2B 1,066 sq. ft. Was $800,000 Now $499,000 Unit #1204 | Open 2B/1B 880 sq. ft. Was $625,000 Now $469,000 Unit #1202 | 2B/2B + Den 1,301 sq. ft. Was $1,080,000 Now $699,000 Unit #918 | Open 1B/1B 771 sq. ft. Was $475,000 Now $335,000 Unit #915 | Open 1B/1B 596 sq. ft. Was $386,300 Now $335,000 Unit #908 | Open 1B/1B 603 sq. ft. Was $392,400 Now $295,000 Unit #802 | 2B/2B + Den 1,301 sq. ft. Was $800,000 Now $559,000 Unit #616 | Open 1B/1B 603 sq. ft. Was $368,100 Now $279,000 Unit #908 | Open 1B/1B 603 sq. ft. Was $392,400 Now $295,000 Unit #307 | 1B/1B + Den 883 sq. ft. Was $440,000 Now $275,000 Unit #302 | Open 2B/2B 961 sq. ft. Was $530,000 Now $409,000

Unit #607 | Open 1B/1B 724 sq. ft. Was $395,000 Now $309,000 Unit #505 | Open 1B/1B 674 sq. ft. Was $369,000 Now $279,000 Unit #314 | Open 1B/1B 547 sq. ft. Was $309,000 Now $255,000 Unit #311 | 1B/1B 671 sq. ft. Was $399,990 Now $295,000 Unit #307 | Open 1B/1B + Den 789 sq. ft. Was $420,000 Now $329,000 Unit #136 | TH 2B/2.5B + Den 1,418 sq. ft. Was $622,000 Now $489,000 Unit #134 | TH 2B/2.5B + Den 1,172 sq. ft. Was $520,000 Now $439,000 Unit #113 | Loft TH 1B/1.5B 747 sq. ft. Was $449,990 Now $309,000 Unit #126 | Loft TH 1B/1.5B 814 sq. ft. Was $459,990 Now $319,000 Unit #112 | Loft TH 1B/1.5B 938 sq. ft. Was $549,990 Now $339,000

Arrange a Showing to Take Advantage of New Pricing Last Chance to Take Advantage of $8,000 Tax Credit

click here

Stroupe Scoop: August 2009 Sales Stats, Featured Building, & Featured Listing

This month we have featured The Vine as the building of the Month.  We also have a new featured 1 bedroom1 bath in Belltown at Arbor Place Tower.  Excellent price with wide open western facing views.

Be sure to receive the Scoop when it first comes up by subscribing!

View Sold History and Unit List for Gallery & Brix

We’ve had several inquiries about the Gallery and Brix auction, so we have put together a couple of websites for you to review if you are also interested.  The new sites show previous sold prices, and a list of units will be going up for auction.  Click on either of the project names below to view the site:

GalleryInBelltown.com

BrixInCapitolHill.com

Gallery Letter to Homeowners Regarding Auction

There’s nothing of major concern with this letter sent to residents about the auction of condos that’s scheduled for September 27th, but it does verify that they will only be auctioning off a select number of units.  After the auction, they will commence sales as normal, but with an expected revision in pricing.

We have contracted with Accelerated Marketing Partners, a respected national sales marketing company, to sell select inventory homes during a one-day sale that will take place on September 27, 2009. Please note that this is not a complete sale of the remaining inventory of homes. Following the September 27th event, we will resume our normal sales activities.

gallery resident letter

Get Educated Before You Even !VISIT! Gallery and/or Brix: List of Units up for Auction

As of our most recent visit this afternoon, several potential buyers have already visited Gallery to tour some of the homes that will be going up for auction.  Unfortunately, any of those buyers who have signed in as a guest who will later want representation from an agent will be denied that request.  Therefore, it’s important for you to decide if you wish to have representation before you go to visit these two properties.   There are several important things to consider before making this decision.  We’ll be doing a more detailed post tomorrow as to what those benefits are, but we have had a client who was unable to bring us as their agent during the Lumen auction because we were not present during their initial visit.  They were very disappointed that they had to attend the auction without any professional insight.  The bottom line is that auctions can get very emotional, and you very much need a ‘game plan’ and numbers figured on how much you’re willing to pay.  Most all units at Lumen sold for over $100k from the starting bid, and not all of those who won a purchase really made a “great deal.”

Schnitzer’s goal is auction off enough units to get FHA approval, then afterward adjust the prices on the remaining units to match current market value determined from the auction.  Not a bad strategy in this market.

In the meantime, here is a copy of what units will go up for auction at Gallery (we’ll post Brix tomorrow), and you can see some of them online by visiting our condo profile for the address here.  If you would like to put together a game plan to take full advantage of the up-and-coming auction for either of these projects, give us a call and see how we can help you, or be sure to contact your favorite agent.  Either way, representation doesn’t cost you anymore money, but getting wrapped up in an auction without it can.

The Parc in Belltown Sells Out!

Realogics announced the final sale of the last remaining unit at The Parc (with the exception of those being resold/flipped).  The press release stated that this will be the first time that a condo project has sold out since 2007!

“The sellout of any tower is always a milestone but it’s far more significant today because it means that we’re finally digesting the standing inventory,” says Sam Cunningham, Managing Broker for Realogics Brokerage, LLC. who is the listing broker at The Parc. “We’re especially proud to have sold out using traditional sales and marketing efforts – it’s a win-win for buyer and seller in what has been a challenging marketplace for many, but not all projects downtown.”

This is certainly big news since the there’s still left over inventory from other new construction projects.  The release points out that the last place to sell out was 2200 Westlake–also marketed by Realogics.

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