I generally feel that Seattle is a pretty safe city although there are definitely some neighborhoods that are a little rougher than others. Seattle Metropolitan published some statistics on violent crimes, burglaries and car thefts for each neighborhood based on numbers provided by the Seattle Police Department and Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs for January 2006-December 2006. Here are a few I personally found fascinating:

Top 3
#1 Capitol Hill had the highest amount of total crimes reported at 2,216 and was ranked #2 for the highest amount of violent crimes.

#2 Eastlake came in second with a total of 2,025 crimes reported.

#3 Ballard had the most car thefts in 2006 and the total amount of crimes reported was 1,906.

-Queen Anne was reported for having the second highest amount of car thefts and the total crimes reported of 1,731 puts Queen Anne at #6 after First Hill and Wallingford.

-Belltown had relatively average numbers with 174 violent crimes, 141 burglaries & 143 car thefts. 1,242 total crimes were reported in 2006.

-Downtown’s numbers were pretty low with only 455 total crimes reported but ranked #1 for the highest amount of violent crimes.

The last Friday of every month, See Sound Lounge has one of most glamorous happy hours in Belltown.

With every glass of champagne you purchase between 7pm & 10pm, you receive a sealed envelope that either has a stone or a Πcarat diamond, courtesy of Gary Tipp Jeweler. To see if your diamond or diamonds are real, you simply visit the Gary Tipp Jeweler location at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel on 4th Ave. The champagne is only $6 a glass and there are 10 diamonds randomly passed out.

I stumbled across this happy hour last night and between three of us we have 8 “diamonds” to unveil. To top off one of the best happy hours EVER, See Sound also has a masseuse from Spa Salon Seattle giving free massages.

Champagne, a massage AND diamonds…what a great way to wrap up the week and month!

Digging a hole and burying money in your backyard is more advantageous than leaving it as equity in your house.

In the backyard:
1. Its liquid and immediately available.—equity out of your home can takes weeks to get.

2. The sum total amount is determined and cannot dip with market fluctuations—what if you need that money during a down time in the market?

3. It doesn’t get more costly to if interest rates rise—interest rates are very low right now. Will they be when you want to use the equity?

4. You can use the money if you lose your job—you won’t be able to refinance in the event of a job loss.

5. It does not get more expensive if you make a mistake with your credit rating—one late mortgage payment and you could be paying considerably more to get the equity out of your home.

6. You don’t lose it if you lose the house—if you get foreclosed on the bank will be very appreciative for any equity you have built up.

7. You continue to benefit from additional appreciation of the house—your appreciation will be the same, but your leverage situation will be significantly better.

8. It doesn’t get squandered—in either case.

And if this reasoning makes sense, consider the next step of investing that equity with a clear, disciplined plan and have that money steadily make more money for you. The power of compound interest is an amazing thing. Talk to a financial planner and make a plan.

- Patrick Dunn, Westwood Mortgage Inc.
patrick@westwoodmortgage.com

Seattle Metropolitan just released their April 2007 issue of Seattle’s “Best Places to Live.”

They identified ten up-and-coming Seattle neighborhoods based on the diversity of home styles (townhomes, single-family homes, condos & lofts), attractions, median home prices and recent revitalization efforts.

#1 on the list…Kent- shocking isn’t it? With a median home price of $278,500, a well preserved and historic downtown core, new retail and multifamily projects on the rise and convenient transit systems by bus or train, Kent is home to over 85k people. Home prices have increased a total of 65% since 2000 and 15% from 2005-2006.

#2 is none other than our very own, Lower Queen Anne. With grocery stores, well- established restaurants, bars, lounges and local businesses, being ranked the second best place to live doesn’t surprise me. The thing that makes it even more appealing is the median home price of $289,000 due to several recent condo conversions, vintage buildings and co-op-style ownerships.

#3 High Point in West Seattle ($315,990 mhp)
#4 Belltown ($324,450 mhp)
#5 Victory Heights/Pinehurst ($356,750 mhp)
#6 Rainier Vista ($390,000 mhp)
#7 South Lake Union ($394,000 mhp)
#8 Issaquah Highlands ($569,950 mhp)
#9 Somerset ($697,500 mhp)
#10 Yarrow Point ($1.5 M mhp)

This issue is packed with helpful statistics, detailed descriptions of each neighborhood as well as buyer tips, so make sure to pick one up!

Over the past week, I have been getting so many compliments on my new hairstyle-it has been borderline…well, awkward. So for all of you women or men relocating to Seattle looking for a stylist or if you just need to fire your old one, I highly recommend visiting Seven Salon. There are two locations to choose from, one of which is on 7th Ave downtown Seattle (1520 7th Ave, 206-903-1777) and the other is in the Bellevue Square Mall (101 Bellevue Square, 425-289-1777). I personally have been going to the Bell Square location for over a year now because it is super convenient, has free no-hassle parking and just happens to be right next to Nordstrom- need I say more?

A couple little side notes…Seven Salon solely focuses on hair. No manicures, pedicures or facials- all 50+ stylists are hair gurus and specialists who love what they do. The service is phenomenal. When you walk in, someone is there to welcome you, check you in, help you to your dressing room for the robe change, hang your coat, and get you an espresso all with ease. You can’t beat the trendy and chic atmosphere that combines Buddhist figures with contemporary flare. They even have a fulltime DJ on staff making sure the mood is right.

If you do check it out, ask for Stevie- she is the best!

Come May 20th, Nordstrom and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) will be celebrating their 25th Anniversary at Husky Stadium!

The annual Beat the Bridge Run has a couple heats to choose from- 8k race (5 mile), 1-mile fun run, 4-mile family walk & the Diaper Derby. The 8k race will have prizes for its top-finishers but the main challenge is beating the University Bridge before it is raised. The course starts near Husky Stadium on Montlake Boulevard NE and finishes at the stadium where there will be giveaways, food samples, music and other activities.

To register, visit the official website. The Entry fee is $15 per participant or $25 including a t-shirt. T-shirt and Bib pick up will be on May 19th, noon-5pm and for those of you that procrastinate, you can register the day of for $17/$27.

Since 1983, Nordstrom has partnered with JDRF, supporting research that will someday leads to a cure for diabetes. If you would like to make a donation to contribute to the goal of $1,130,000, click here.

According to a Bankrate Inc. poll released on Monday, the biggest factor in whether or not renters convert to buyers is not the fear in market trends/ falling property values but the fact that they simply can’t afford to buy.

The poll of about 1,000 adult (which is not a huge number, but we get the point) taken nationwide, concluded that less than 2% of renters were concerned with declining property values. Nearly 40% said that they just didn’t feel that they could afford to purchase, 12% said that their credit history wasn’t good enough to buy a home and only 13% of those polled said they were purchasing soon.

For those who currently have mortgages, 57% had fixed-rate loans, 9% had adjustable-rate mortgages and the other 34% did even know what type of financing they had! For more poll results, click here or visit Bankrate.com.

If you are a renter and are just in the initial stage of debating a purchase, I urge you to talk with a mortgage consultant to see what exactly your options are based on your credit, income and long-term plans. You may be surprised with the financing options available to you and the different plans that can help you rebuild your credit!

The Puget Sound Business Journal just reported that Seattle’s home prices increased more than 11% from January 2006 to January 2007- the largest increase among 20 other cities, according to a Standard & Poor’s report. Please see the link below for more information:

Seattle sees nation’s biggest bump in home prices
-Puget Sound Business Journal

Here are a couple dates to keep in mind for the upcoming months…

April 1st 2007- Sales and use tax will increase one-tenth of one percent within all of King County. With the exception of a few cities like Black Diamond, North Bend & Snoqualmie, the total sales tax rate will increase to 8.9%. Pierce County’s sales tax will remain the same varying from 7.8%-8.8% (view more). King County’s increase will go towards transportation purposes.

April 17th 2007- Taxes DUE! Typically taxes are due every year on the 15th, but this year the 15th is a Sunday and the 16th just happens to be Emancipation Day. Because April 16th is not a Federal holiday the IRS offices will be open. If you haven’t filed already, you better do it quick, especially if you are reporting a delinquent tenant!

May 14th 2007- The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) approved an increase in the price of a First-Class stamp to 41 cents, authorized the issuance of the Forever Stamp and approved shape-based pricing. Click here to read more.

Provided by Patrick Dunn, Westwood Mortgage Inc. & MMG WEEKLY

“AS A RULE, MEN WORRY MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN’T SEE…THAN ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN.” Julius Caesar And the whole financial world anxiously sat on the edge of their seats this past week, waiting to see what the Fed had in store following their most recent meeting. But no surprises to have been worried about – as expected, the Fed decided to hold the Fed Funds Rate steady at 5.25%. But they did make a subtle change in the carefully crafted wording of their Policy Statement, which suggested that a rate cut may be more likely than a hike as their next move down the road. However, the Fed also said that Core inflation remains above their comfort level…and the Fed will not cut rates as long as this remains true. The Fed’s mission is to fight inflation, period. And until their favored measure of inflation, the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure Index dips below 2% for a few consecutive months, don’t expect to see a Fed rate cut anytime soon.

Mixed news from the housing front, in the form of new construction Housing Starts bouncing higher, yet new Building Permits moving lower. Existing Home Sales rose somewhat unexpectedly in February, marking the largest monthly gain since March 2004 and the highest pace of sales was the highest since April of 2006. Overall, not bad reports, considering how the media still wearily beats away on their housing bubble drum. But it wasn’t all great news – overall sales are off 3% from last year, the inventory of existing homes on the market rose slightly to a 6.7 month supply, and the median price of a home declined slightly to $212,800. Many experts feel it is likely the housing market saw its worst days during August of last year, but although stabilizing, the housing market still has a ways to go.