For Rent: Laurelhurst Waterfront Home

This Jim Olson designed waterfront home in the Laurelhurst neighborhood has stunning architectural craftsmanship with strong horizontal lines, steel detailing and huge walls of glass. The home has a stunning entryway, with high ceilings and an open floor plan. The lower level of the house has a wonderful walk out to the Lake Washington waterfront, with your own brand new teak dock out to the jet-ski lifts, and boat dock area. This home is located near Laurelhurst Park, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Union Bay. For more information on this Laurelhurst listing with Western exposure, click here.

Status:	For Rent
Bed/Bath:	4/3.25
List Price:	$16,000

Pioneer Square Board Aproves 25 Story High Rise

The rumors circulating around downtown are true; the city board who has been in charge of keeping the historic presentation of Pioneer Square afloat, cast their votes and approved the modern sleek design of a 25-story apartment high rise just North of the Sodo stadiums. The all glass and steel tower will be sectioned into 2-4 story boxes, that will be positioned at varying angles. The building is part of a larger project named Stadium Place, in what previously was the North Parking Lot of Century Link Field.

Photo Courtesy of the Seattle Times, ZGF Architects

The collaborative developers Daniels Real Estate and R.D. Merril released the design the the public back in December and were met with mixed reviews, some stating that the design was far too modern to fit in with the historical appeal of Pioneer Square. But most members of the Pioneer Square Preservation Board actually had positive reviews of the design, and were all in agreeance with the new construction. The “South Tower” would be just a little shorter than the stadium, at 240 feet tall, and will have 333 units. Other projects are in the planning stages for the first phase of Stadium Place, such as a 20 story condo tower, and an office and hotel tower as well. For more information on these apartments, visit the Seattle Times.

Survey Indicates Renters Are More Optimistic About Buying

Renters in today’s market may have seen the value of their parent’s homes sky rocket, then deplete, or they most likely know someone who’s home is up for foreclosure. According to a survey done by the PulteGroup, The hope of home ownership is still in the air for many who rent and want to buy. Survey results showed that 60% of renters who said they would like to buy a home in the future have increased their intent to buy a home in comparison to a year ago. 61% of those folks also said they planned to purchase a home within the next two years.
When asked if they thought buying a home was a good investment, 44% of those poled said yes. According to Builderonline.com, the PulteGroup’s responded to the overall survey results with “We are seeing a renewed sense of optimism, especially from young professionals and young families visiting our communities nationwide,” Deborah Meyer, PulteGroup senior vice president. Many factors went into this survey and interestingly enough the pole also found that just over 1/4 of those poled believe that renting is cheaper than buying, and a little shy of a quarter are still worried about a stable job. For more information on Rentals and For Sale listings in the area, visit Craigslist.