Seattle-area residents looking for inexpensive waterfront homes can start their search in Shoreline.  Prices on the Puget Sound are fairly high, but less-well-known locales like Echo Lake create great opportunities to own waterfront without blowing your budget. Echo Lake is a small body of water on the North end of Shoreline near Highway 99.  There are waterfront condos as low as $150,000 available.  For buyers who want a dock, somewhere that they can kayak, or just a place to set a beach chair and relax, Shoreline can create a great chance to own your own part of the waterfront. Shoreline Waterfront Real Estate - Home on Echo Lake and the Puget Sound 04/20/2009

Richmond Beach, Shoreline, WA: According to the latest Richmond Beach Community Snooze Newspaper, Shoreline Parks officials will explain the proposed temporary - or trial off leash un-fenced area for dogs at Saltwater Park.  Off leash and un-fenced...  That should be interesting! When? Tuesday 4/14/2009 at 7:30 PM Where? Basement of Congregational Church, 1512 NW 195th in Shoreline. This is a great opportunity to get involved in your community and let your voice be heard in regards to this issue!  Are you interested in Richmond Beach Real Estate? Richmond Beach is a great neighborhood in Shoreline, WA.  For more info:  realestate@cooperjacobs.com   04/02/2009

Have you ever been in a house and thought, "What is this room supposed to be?"  Buyers are willing to pay for square footage as long as they view it as valuable and useable space.  If the purpose for a room isn't clear, buyers will be confused.  You've got to show them how to use the space and present a comfortable, cohesive and relaxing lifestyle throughout the house.  This recently listed home is a great example of how professional staging can banish the "identity crisis" in various rooms:   Before staging, the homeowners were using the living room as a dining room:   After staging, the living room is now a great place to entertain friends or just relax by the fire:     Staging this room off the kitchen as the dining room made sense:   Prior to staging, the dining room was being used ... 03/19/2009

Another reason to take a peek at Shoreline... Did you know that the city of Shoreline Washington has 330 acres of park and open land spaces?  Shoreline real estate has always been sought after because of the great schools that serve the city, but many new buyers might overlook Shoreline's great park system.  Richmond Beach Park is the most obvious of the city's parks, but there are in fact 20 parks so far!  There are facilities for swimming and picnicking among other things! If you are thinking about purchasing Shoreline real estate and want to check out the matrix of amazing parks in this Seattle suburb then make sure and check out this page which has a great grid showing you exactly what park offers what amenities: http://www.cityofshoreline.com/index.aspx?page=135   12/31/2008

Winter Storm Watch: Use Care on Icy Roads   Shoreline Plows and Sanding Equipment Are on the Job With winter heralding its arrival with a big show of weather, Shoreline offers tips for staying safe and preparing for further winter storms. Be sure to check the National Weather Service (NWS) website for weather forecasts and updates.  Road Closures · 3rd Avenue NW at NW 205th Street Snow Removal One of the concerns for Shoreline, like most of the Puget Sound area, is that there is still ice on many side streets that is now being covered by snow. This is because the snow froze during the previous storm before plows could clear it. Snow plows’ rubber blades do not remove ice. “The important thing to understand is that this weather is not a normal snow storm. Last weekend we were hit with a ... 12/18/2008

Here's a sampling of the kind of house or condo available at different price points. These homes sold recently in the Shoreline area: Have questions about Shoreline area homes? Would you like to be one of the lucky buyers like the ones above? The Egerer & Weidauer home team proudly serves the Shoreline homeowners and would love to help you with your home buying or selling needs! 206.661.7256     www.jeremyandnicolesellhomes.com     360.990.4083 12/10/2008

You heard me- I have the complete guide of how to NOT sell your home. In this market it is especially important to heed these instructions or you may end up with a sold house, and who would want that?! First things first, Overprice Your Home. I understand that you want to get your price and because of that, you should price accordingly, even if the figure you came up with is nowhere near close to the actual market value of the property. Also, be sure to not budge on any offers that come in below asking price. You want to sell your house for X amount of dollars and you need to strive to get that, even if it means not selling it. Second thing to remember; Don't Make Any Improvements to Your Home. At all! Don't think of doing any cosmetic or structural work on your home. If buyers want it-... 11/21/2008

As a real estate agent, I wear the hat that helps people buy and sell their most important investments. I also wear the hat of CERT Emergency Worker for the city of Shoreline. As a community emergency worker, I know that it is so important to have a plan when dealing with the uncertain. Those plans can save your life and your most vital assets. Residents of the Pacific Northwest know that our fall and winters can be pretty bad. Just this morning there were multiple accidents and incidents relating to the rain and bad weather. We must have a plan for the unexpected so if, heaven forbid, something does happen, you will be prepared! I get frequent updated and articles relating to the topic of emergency preparedness. The article below has tons of great information and tips to get you and yo... 11/07/2008

Whether you are looking to buy or trying to sell.. we all end up dealing with a rental situation. I remember my first place. It was a 450 square foot, Lake City area rental. It was very cozy to say the least :) I have recently done some rental searches for some clients and found out some interesting information you might find interesting. There are some homes in the Shoreline area going for between just under $200,000 to $275,000. I did some math and calculated that with a modest down payment of 5%, the monthly mortgage payments wouldn't be too much higher than the going rental rates. Right now, homes are going for near discount prices, and if you want to get in on all the opportunities, I'd say now is as good a time as any to look into it. On the other hand, many Shoreline area home ow... 11/05/2008

"The desire to do business hasn't gone away, but the heat has gone out of the market." -Gary Keller "In a buyers market, sellers are often going through the five stages of grief; 1.) Denial, 2.) Anger, 3.) Bargaining, 4.) Depression, 5.) Acceptance. My job is to counsel them through it." - Martin Bouma, Ann Arbor, MI Realtor A shift exposes and magnifies the classic real estate price conflict that has always existed: the asking price a seller wants versus the price a buyer is willing to pay. To illustrate this conflict and how the market determines who has the upper hand, I'll share this story: At a bar exam three different would-be attorneys forget their pens. One asks a test proctor if he has an extra pen. He does, but only one. The first attorney says, "I'll give you a dollar for the... 11/04/2008

Hey gang, here it is. My first attempt at video blogging. Let me know what you think. Also I created a utube channel with lots of other videos either that I made or that are of interest to Seattle and Seattle Real Estate. Check it out and let me know what you think. http://www.youtube.com/user/RainCityRealEstate 10/28/2008

"A few years ago, a colonel who had just returned from combat told me, "Over there, it always felt like we're stuck in hell and the country is at the mall." Part of the responsibility for the disconnect lies with President George W. Bush, who never asked us to sacrifice for the war effort. It's time to rectify that. "I'd like to see every kid in America give part of their allowance to help the troops," Wilpon says. As an elderly kid, I'm giving part of mine." (http:www.welcomebackveterans.org) Our troops need to know that we support and appreciate the sacrifices they make for us, our families, and our future. Fellow ARer John Morrison, realtor in Massachusetts, brought the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to my attention. The fund is a leader in supporting the men and women of the armed forc... 10/28/2008

Are you itching to get out on the town and just don't know what to do?! I found some fun events going on in our fair city that I'd like to share with you.   And here is what's to come in November... Let me know if I missed anything and I will add it and be sure to tell me how the events went. Hope to see you all there! Best Wishes, The Egerer & Weidauer Team 10/20/2008

Hello Readers, By now you might have noticed that I am a Shoreline area specialist. I am a proud resident and whiz of everything Shoreline, including real estate. I want to put this out there to invite residents and those wanting to become residents to inquire about anything that is on your mind relating to real estate. I gladly welcome your questions and input. Be sure to also check out my Localism blog about Shoreline and other real estate related topics at. Thank you for your continued readership and support!                      206.661.7256     Keller Williams Realty North Seattle     360.990.4083 10/16/2008

At last, the new YMCA of Greater Seattle is open.  Named after a former Senior Minister at University Congregational Church and a longtime Seattle Times columnist, the Dale Turner YMCA of Greater Seattle officially opened this past Saturday, October 4, 2008.  The facility boasts 52,000 sq ft and is the first of three planned through the YMCA of Greater Seattle's $40 million campaign.  The other two facilities will be in Newcastle and Seatac and have already broken ground. The new facility features: •¬  25-yard, handicapped-accessible pool •¬  State of the art wellness center •¬  Full size gym •¬  Indoor cycling studio •¬  Variety of group exercise classes •¬  Yoga & pilates •¬  Active older adult exercise classes •¬  Pinnacle climbing wall •¬  Youth Development Center where kids and tee... 10/10/2008

I live in the North City neighborhood of Shoreline.  I recently volunteered to be the representative for our neighborhood to the Council of Neighborhoods and to revitalize our neighborhood association.  The first revitalization meeting was held on September 23 and the turnout was great.  The numbers weren't huge but the enthusiasm was.  Several people volunteered to work with me on getting the association active and getting neighbors connected.  I am so excited and honored to have this opportunity.  We have an outstanding neighborhood. 10/05/2008

Meridian Park is a neighborhood in Shoreline, WA, a suburb of Seattle, just off of Interstate-5. The neighborhood is very open and friendly neighbors can be seen power walking down the streets with their dog in toe. As far as real estate goes, things are moving along just fine. Within the last month, 3 homes have sold, 1 went to a pending status, and there are still 5 active and ready to be purchased. The median listing price is $368,356 and the median sales price is $379,667. The average days on market for homes in the area is 99 days. In all of Shoreline, the median sold home price in August of 2007 was $400,000 and in August of 2008, that price went up to $419,975. That's an increase of almost 5% from last year! So on a micro level, in the neighborhood of Meridian Park, homes are sel... 09/17/2008

Their advice is especially important this month, as the Department of Homeland Security has made September National Preparedness Month. In my community, I am a certified Shoreline CERT member. CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team and members are trained and certified to work within their neighborhoods to respond and take charge in emergency situations. As a CERT member, I have a knowledge of the dangers that we potentially face in any emergency situation and the skills/ abilities to get through the it. On that fateful day 7 years ago, the city of New York did not know what was going to happen to them. City workers and local law enforcement/ firefighters never prepared for terrorist attacks like the ones that happened that day. But those organizations and the city did have a... 09/11/2008

For those of you who have the privilege of living in Shoreline, you know that it is a great city. Shoreline was featured in Seattle magazine as the #1 best neighborhood in the Seattle area. We have a lot to be proud of! We are an ever growing city that just seems to be getting better and better. When I first moved here in 1997, the city looked very different than it does today. Where Central Market is today was an old Thriftway store. Top Food & Drug on 175th used to be a run down framing shop and grocery store. The mini mall and John L. Scott real estate office just off of Aurora across from Fred Meyer once sat an outdated mini mall and QFC store. And in 2008 we welcome a new addition to our city. At about 190th and Aurora, construction is underway for a new YMCA, senior housing, and o... 09/09/2008

Richmond Beach in Shoreline: Are you interested in relocating to Richmond Beach?  The Richmond Beach neighborhood in Shoreline is a wonderful waterfront community just North of Seattle.  Richmond Beach is on the banks of the Puget Sound and offers tons of outdoor recreational opportunities!  We love to play at the beach at Richmond Beach Park.  The schools and parks are wonderful here - the Richmond Beach library is phenomenal, and there is housing available in many price ranges from condominium living to water view homes to Richmond Beach waterfront living. Are you interested in Richmond Beach real estate? 09/05/2008