Lisa Bosques

Hi Jocelyn,

I don't think that property values will go down necessarily. However, I just don't know how that excess volume will be dealt with if and when the viaduct comes down. I live in Burien, and I used to work downtown. During the aftermath of the Nisqually earthquake, when the viaduct was closed for a few weeks for evaluation, the commute was nightmarish - my 15 minute commute turned into an average of 2 hours each way.

Now, that was an unplanned event. If the state goes through with its promise to take the viaduct down, then I would imagine that they would have a plan as to how to deal with the huge volume of traffic traveling on Seattle surface streets. That may be worth looking into.

Having said that, West Seattle is a wonderful place to live. Good luck with your home search! - Mon Aug 18 2008, 19:12

The best way for you to find a good buyers agent would be to ask people that you know and trust for a referral. Do you know anyone in this area who has worked with an agent that they like and trust? Can your local place of employment provide a reference to someone in the area in which you are looking?

As Realtors we must keep your best interests in mind at all times. I understand that a few out there do not. Also, in regards to the advice out there to "buy now", it really is a better time to buy now than in the past, simply because there are so many more homes to choose from, thus you are in a better position to negotiate.

I heard a quote on the radio the other day that went something like this - "It's time for people to stop buying homes because they are a good investment, and just start buying homes to live in". Meaning that if your desire is to have a home of your own to start planting roots in, then buy a home and stay in it for several years, and you will reap the rewards of increased equity. Then you won't have to worry about whether or not you are buying at the bottom of the market, because it won't matter. Plus, we Realtors have no crystal ball to predict if and when we are at bottom.

Good luck with everything! - Sun Jun 15 2008, 16:45

There have been some excellent suggestions here. I would also consider the Westwood Village area of West Seattle...there's plenty of shopping, a couple of coffee shops in the vicinity, and one of the best parks, Lincoln Park close by.

I also have to suggest Burien, a city of about 31,000 just south of Seattle. We have lots of amenities, and the Burien Town Square will be completed in the next year or two. We have a nice downtown core with plenty of restaurants and shopping, which will increase when Town Square is completed. The home prices are also less here than in West Seattle generally. But, just as in West Seattle, we are an uphill ride on the way back, though if you take Des Moines Memorial through South Park it's not so bad!

Good luck with your move! - Mon Jun 9 2008, 18:49

Hello Synthia,

I think you are off to a good start in thinking about a place to buy. You should be able to find something decent for $225,000. Alas, it may not be in Alki. The only places I've been seeing in Alki are studios that are less than 500 square feet, and that may not be ideal if you have two large dogs.

If you've been prequalified for $225,000, you may want to set your home search parameters up to $250,000. There are homes/condos that have been on the market a while and so now it wouldn't be unreasonable to make a lower offer on something that hasn't sold at that price. Sellers will either accept/counter or they won't.

When shopping for a condo, please keep in mind the Homeowner's Dues, which, for a 1-bedroom can run from $150.00 per month and up; for two bedrooms, dues usually run between $200 and $300 per month on top of your mortgage, and can even go up to $400. That means your condo purchase would have to be around $200,000, roughly, to stay within your limits.

As for condos w/patios for large dogs - There are a couple on the market...but you must check with the condo association to see if they allow large pets. There's a complex right next to Westwood Village, MLS #28068502, that is listed at $225,000 and is a 2 bed/1 bath. Homeowner's Dues(HOD's) are $179 per month.

I would also try the WestWater, a new condo conversion located at 6960 California Ave SW, right by Caffe Ladro and south of the Morgan Junction. These have been on the market a while, and start in the low 200's. They are hot to get these sold, so I imagine there's bargaining room.

If you like waterfront living, have you considered Des Moines? It's a short 10-15 min drive from W.Seattle, on the "secret" highway 509, and there is a wonderful waterfront community there that is facing some new development and growth. MLS#28088907 is a 1bed/1 bath condo at Whaler's Village, which is right on the water, priced right at $160,000. There are a few other condos available in the downtown Des Moines area, several located in the Spyglass condos at 21937 7th Ave S.

I would also love to plug my area, which is Burien!! We have some good buys over here, and Burien is a very nice place to live. I grew up in W. Seattle but am perfectly happy here in B-town. There are a couple of new condo conversions, one at 615 Ambaum Blvd SW, which is the quiet part of Ambaum just a few blocks from up & coming downtown Burien; and one called City's Edge that's also just past SW 116th ST on Ambaum. Both appear to have grassy common areas, and both have been extensively remodeled and are very nice. But remember to check w/the homeowner's association in regards to the dogs...

Good luck out there! And in answer to your question about realtor referrals, I'm not going to beat around the bush...I would like to refer...myself!:) - Mon May 26 2008, 14:40

Sometimes it is the bank that actually 'purchases' the home back at the trustee's sale if no one else steps up to purchase it. But if that's not the case, I'm not sure why the bank didn't stop the trustee sale if they had a contract from you to purchase the home. I'm very sorry that this has happened to you, I can only imagine how frustrating that would be. - Mon Mar 17 2008, 15:09