We have 8 beautiful Windermere R.E. / Mercer Island listings being held open over the weekend.

Details about the open houses is below. Enjoy!

Mercer Island

$1,150,000 l 8413 SE 82nd St l 486302 l Nancy LaVallee l Sunday, 5/19, 1-4PM

$1,439,000 l 8400 W Mercer Way l 480039 l Peni Schwartz l Sunday, 5/19, 1-4PM

$1,575,000 l 7900 Northbrook Lane l 440324 l hosted by Kristopher Herrell l Sunday, 5/19, 2-5PM

$2,280,000 l 7270 W Mercer Way l 444561 l Cherrie Lee l Saturday, 5/18, 1-3PM

Seattle

$799,000 l 2721 Warren Ave N l 470145 l Bonnie Sanborn l Sunday, 5/19, 1-4PM

Renton

$399,000 l 17535 SE 186th Wy l 479351 l Claire Dion l Sunday, 5/19, 1-4PM

Bellevue

$299,000 l 5395 164th Ave SE l 484179 l Lisa Dong l Sunday, 5/19, 1-4PM

$699,950 l 12526 SE 47th Pl l 488424 l Andrea Victor l Sunday, 5/19, 1-4PM

“The Mercer Island Open House List is ready to conveniently print from this blog post!  9 home are available to preview Saturday, May 18th, and 23 will be open Sunday, May 19th. The list prices range from $595,000 to $10,885,000. The prominent features of the homes being held open over the weekend include recent price reductions, new to the market, outdoor entertaining spaces and walk-in pantries.”

• Appliances – washers, dryers, refrigerators, etc.
• Electronics – televisions, stereos, etc.
• Scrap metal, machinery – circuit boards, etc.
• Computers (Secure data destruction) – PCs, laptops, printers,
monitors, etc.
• Batteries – car, computer, etc.
• Medical equipment
• Ink & toner
• Cell phones

There is a surcharge of $10 to $30 to recycle appliances through the county, and you have to take the items to a facility off-island— so our recycle event will save you both time and money. Start summer off in style by decluttering and recycling those items you no longer use!

In conjunction with the Recycle Event, we will be accepting donations to benefit Mercer Island Youth and Family Service (MIYFS). One of the many services MIYFS offers is Family Assistance to those in need of emergency assistance with basic necessities like rent, utilities and food assistance. 100% of all donations will go to MIYFS.

For information about recycling other items not mentioned in the list above, you can reach 1 Green Planet at (425) 996-3513 or via email.

The survey was mailed out across the island to find how Seniors feel about living in the Mercer Island community. Subjects touched on in the survey include transportation, safety and quality of life issues. The results of the survey will be discussed during the forum. In addition, it is hoped that those in attendance will help continue the discussion of happy and healthy aging on Mercer Island – what services are still needed to help accomplish that goal?

All ages are welcomed and encouraged to attend. If you have questions about the event, or need a ride, please call (206) 232-4597.

Nicole is able to present a unique perspective to this tour, as she is also an architect. She began her career drafting and designing spaces. She is also immersed in the history of various architecture and has spent much time researching the lovely historical character which embodies the Queen Anne community.

The tours are scheduled for the first Sunday of the month May to September, beginning at 10 am. You will need to reserve a spot on the tour by calling 206-271-1267, or sending an email to andition@windermere.com. Also, a minimum tax-deductible $20 donation is recommended, with the proceeds benefiting 3 Queen Anne nonprofit organizations. Payment can be a check made out directly to the benefiting non-profit, or cash. Tour meet up spot is Kerry Park, 211 W. Highland Drive. The tours are approximately an hour and a half long; the walking distance is less than two miles. Dress for the weather – tours will occur rain or shine!

The May 5th and Aug 4th tours benefits the Bayview Intergenerational Childcare, “which harnesses the excitement of youthful exploration to provide a place for growth and learning; children develop a positive attitude towards age and disability from frequent interaction with the residents of Bayview.”

The June 2nd and September 1st tours benefits Beginnings School, “which provides a place for children to develop intellectually, emotionally, and physically through social interaction and individual exploration.”

The July 7th tour benefits Queen Anne Historical Society, “which has the goal of preserving the historic heritage of the Queen Anne community.”

If you would like to participate in a tour, but have little ones and need to use a stroller, Nicole is coordinating abbreviated tours with Twirl Cafe. Check their calendar for details.

We have 5 beautiful Windermere R.E. / Mercer Island listings being held open over the weekend. 

Details about the open houses is below. Enjoy!

Seattle

$860,000 l 2721 Warren Ave N l 470145 l Bonnie Sanborn l Sunday, 4/28 1-4PM

$950,000 l 2040 43rd Ave E #510 l 475531 l Nancy LaVallee l Sunday, 4/28 1-4 PM

Mercer Island

$779,000 l 5053 88th Ave SE l 476988 l hosted by Michelle Rubin l Sunday, 4/28 1-4PM

$1,375,000 l 5331 Forest Ave SE l 470311 l hosted by Kathryn Lerner l Sunday, 4/28 1-4PM

$1,449,000 l 7850 SE 52nd St l 470676 l Erin Ewing l Saturday, 4/27, 11-2 PM

“The Mercer Island Open House List is ready to conveniently print from this blog post!  5 home are available to preview Saturday, April 27th, and 22 will be open Sunday, April 28th. The list prices range from $4698,000 to $10,885,000. The prominent features of the homes being held open over the weekend include recent price reductions, new to the market, outdoor entertaining spaces and walk-in pantries.”

Potential home buyers rely on open houses to help them find the home of their dreams. During National Open House weekend, buyers can have a greater chance of doing just that. ~National Association of REALTORS®

Please enjoy a sneak peek of our office listings scheduled to be open over the weekend.

In case you are interested in attending an open house, here are the details about each Windermere Real Estate/Mercer Island listing being held open for this event. The details for each home are listed by city, and include the date and time of the open house.

Mercer Island

$695,000 l 3045 68th Ave SE l Nancy LaVallee | Sunday, 4/21, 1-4PM

$749,000 l 7627 SE 22nd St l Doug McKiernan | Sunday, 4/21, 1-4PM

$1,449,000 l 9252 SE 46th St l Jay Agoado | Sunday, 4/21, 1-4PM (hosted by Kristopher Herrell)

$1,575,000 l 7850 SE 62nd St l Erin Ewing | Sunday, 4/21, 1-4PM

$1,598,000 l 7900 Northbrook Lane l Bonnie Sanborn | Sunday, 4/21, 1-4PM (hosted by Kathryn Lerner)

$2,280,000 l 7270 W Mercer Way l Cherrie Lee | Saturday, 4/20, 1-3PM & Sunday, 4/21, 1-3PM

Kirkland
$825,000 l 215 Sixth St S l Denise Coe l Saturday, 4/20, 1-4PM & Sunday 4/21, 1-4 PM

Seattle
$860,000 l 2721 Warren Ave N l Bonnie Sanborn l Sunday, 4/21, 1-4PM (hosted by Nicole Demers-Changelo)

$950,000 l 2040 43rd Ave E #510 l Nancy LaVallee & Kathryn Lerner l Saturday, 4/20, 1-4PM

If you would like more information about all the open houses scheduled on Mercer Island for 2013 National Association of REALTORS® Open House weekend please click here. Both Windermere listings, and those from other island offices, are included to give you a comprehensive view of the Mercer Island open houses for this weekend’s event.

Brokers added 9,332 new listings to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service database during March, but pending sales topped that number to further crimp inventory and trigger competitive bidding among buyers who are flocking to open houses.

Northwest MLS figures show year-over-year prices jumped 14.9 percent for the 21 counties in its service area. The median price for last month’s closed sales of single family homes and condominiums (combined) was $258,500, rising from $225,000 for the same month a year ago. Twelve counties reported double-digit gains, led by Ferry (up 70.9 percent), San Juan (up 47.3 percent), and Island (up 36.1 percent).

Prices for single family homes increased 14.3 percent, while the median sales price for condos, which accounted for about 12 percent of sales, surged 19.6 percent. Two-thirds of last month’s condo sales were in King County; prices there leaped 28.6 percent, increasing from $175,000 to $225,000. The price of a single family home that sold in King County jumped from $330,000 to $392,000 (up 18.8 percent).

Brokers reported 5,745 closed sales last month for a 13.9 percent increase from the previous year when they tallied 5,044 completed transactions.

“The market continues to be incredibly competitive with at least one in four buyers paying cash,” noted MLS director OB Jacobi. “For those not paying cash, the average down payment is between 20 percent and 50 percent,” he added.

Jacobi, the president of Windermere Real Estate Company in Seattle also reported the vast majority of home sales right now have multiple offers, and “it’s no longer restricted to the urban markets — the outlying areas are now experiencing the same thing.”

Brokers say even distressed sellers are receiving multiple offers for their homes.

“As one of my brokers told me, when you have 12 offers on a short sale, it pushes the price of the home up to market value. This is clearly reflected in the appreciation we continue to see in prices across the board,” Jacobi stated.

Inventory is depleted area-wide, with only 18,500 active listings in the MLS system at month end. That total is down by almost 6,400 listings year-over-year for a 25.7 percent drop. Counties with the largest declines include Clark (down 46 percent), Snohomish (down 43.8 percent) and King (down 42.4 percent).

System-wide, there is less than a two-month supply of homes, with the tightest selection in Snohomish (0.93 months), King (1.03 months), Clark (1.81 months) and Pierce (1.68 months) counties. In general, analysts consider four-to-six months of supply to be normal.

Pending sales are mirroring the shifts in market conditions. Volume area-wide was up only 3.9 percent from a year ago, rising from 9,126 mutually accepted offers to 9,482.

Five counties – Ferry, Grays Harbor, Island, King, and Snohomish — reported fewer pending sales than a year ago, likely a consequence of the limited selection.

Northwest Multiple Listing Service, owned by its member real estate firms, is the largest full-service MLS in the Northwest. Its membership includes more than 21,000 real estate brokers. The organization, based in Kirkland, Wash., currently serves 21 counties in Washington state.

Do you have questions about what the term “months of inventory” means? The infographic below explains “months of inventory,” along with sharing other pertinent information about the Mercer Island real estate market and low inventory.

In the infographic, the term “balanced market” is mentioned. A balanced market is a situation where the market is neutralized – there are equal numbers of buyers and sellers in the marketplace. Home pricing is generally more stable as the months of inventory are higher to accommodate the number of buyers, however not so high as to cause homes to languish on the market because there are not enough buyers for the homes listed for sale.

How many months of inventory are needed to create a balanced market? This number is subjective, as it is dependent on a number of market factors like average home pricing and average number of homes listed for sale to create neutrality in the market. On Mercer Island, 5 to 9 months of inventory, as mentioned in the infograpic, is typically a balanced market. In other areas you may find that a balanced market has a little lower months of inventory count, like 3 to 6 months or 4 to 6 months.

Do you have any questions about the current real estate market on Mercer Island? Please post them in the comment section below. Also, if you would like more statistics about the real estate markets in Mercer Island, Seattle and the Eastside, check out the blog Weekly Property Report — this blog provides weekly 16-week summaries of market activity, by price point, for fifteen MLS areas in the greater Seattle/Eastside region.

The concert series will be on Thursday evenings this summer, between July 25th and August 22nd. The music for all shows in the series kicks off at 7 pm at Mercerdale Park. The line up, listed below, features an awesome variety of musical styles performed by bands located in the greater Seattle area. These summer-time concerts will a fun event for people of all ages. Bring a picnic dinner, relax and enjoy the music as dusk settles on the island.

July 25 ♦ Portage Bay Big Band ♦ Swing
*August 1 ♦ Dynamite Limbo ♦ Classic Rock
August 8 ♦ Swamp Soul ♦ Cajun/Zydeco
August 15 ♦ Nowhere Men ♦ Beatles Tribute
August 22 ♦ KoKo Joe ♦ Popular Classic & Country

The bonus Sunday concert is scheduled for the Luther Burbank Amphitheatre. The concert time will be announced closer to the date.

Sunday, August 25 ♦ Russian Chamber Orchestra

*The Mercer Island Arts Council has scheduled prior to the August 1st concert a special art dedication of two new additions to the Public Art collection. Refreshments will be provided.

The Pantone Spring Color Report is a terrific resource to spark inspiration. Spring 2013′s Color Palette is all about finding harmony and balance in today’s fast paced world, while creating space for utilizing our individuality and offering excitement.

Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year, Emerald, is a sophisticated color full of vitality that imbues a sense of balance. Emerald can be used alone to add radiance to any space. Paired with Tender Shoots and Grayed Jade, these three green hues deliver a flora-inspired presence.

Grayed Jade, along with Dusk Blue and Linen, are the neutral tones in the spring palette. For a hint of calm and comforting color, pair the warmth of Linen with the coolness of Dusk Blue. Are you looking to create a spa-like feel to a bathroom or your bedroom? Paint a wall or add some accents in the same tone as Grayed Jade or Dusk Blue – the serenity of both of these colors encourages relaxation.

Do you want to make a statement through a burst of color? African Violet and Poppy Red fit the bill. These two colors can be combined to add interest and celebration to any room. Nectarine or Lemon Zest also carry a refreshing punch, perfect for a space made to accommodate fun, rainy-day activities like the rec room or family room. Tender Shoots adds delightful gusto to small spaces like a window seat or the front porch.

Monaco Blue is a shade that offers stability and depth. It can be used as an accent color in a home office to add a sense of poise. In a formal space, Monaco Blue’s classic nature augments the elegance of the room. In an informal space, paired with a sunny yellow like Lemon Zest, it creates a sensibility of good cheer.

Below is a video featuring Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. She discusses each color in the 2013 Color Report and why it is on trend for this season.

While Pantone’s Spring Color Palette is dominated by greens in 2013, the designers participating in this year’s report gave blue the overwhelming thumbs up as the color most complimentary to all skin tones. Do you consider how a color affects skin coloring when considering a major decor change, like painting a whole room?