Escala Update: Summary of important and exciting news as of 5/5/08-

- Having sold more than 50% of the total inventory, LEXAS Companies has announced the release of new the new home inventory on floors 9, 28 and the sub-penthouse level.

- Come June 5th, prices on all previously released homes will be increased by 3-7% to balance the phased inventory.

- The second level that accommodates Club Cielo has recently been completed and they are currently working on the first residential floor- Yay!

- Club Cielo’s website is now up and running!

A lot of good things are in the pipeline for Spring 2008 and over the past month I have been cranking away on new projects, taking on more listings and trying to balance all and everything in between.  Obviously I have had a little trouble keeping up with the posting, but the clouds have parted (except for one dark cloud- aka “the tax man”) and I can get back into my routine once again!  

Sales-
5th and Madison:  I have to say that I definitely fell in love with 5th and Madison.  As the “hidden gem” in the heart of downtown, I love the location, finishes and floorplans and have been eyeing #405 myself (currently at $425k/ 808SF).  The 05 floorplan is on the southeast corner of the building and has a very open view of the city, park and the First United Methodist Church‎ on 5th, with 808 square feet, wall-to-wall windows, lots of storage (beware- you build out your own closets!), high ceilings, spacious bedroom/living rooms and an open kitchen… One of my clients is set to close this Friday on #205 and I am sure he will love living there! 

Watermark Tower: We gave it a try last September but this time around, #1005 sold to #1004- a perfect combination for one gigantic residence on the northwest corner taking up nearly half of the 10th floor!

Escala:  Homeowner’s at the Escala are in the process of selecting their finishes!  I went with one of my clients to choose their package and I was really impressed with the standard options.  A couple upgrades to look out for…cable/outlets- a whopping $600 each to install them above the fireplace or at the built-in desk and the fireplaces are electric not gas, prices to be determined.    

The Parc #328:  Just Listed!  If you are looking to get into the market, this condo is perfect for your first home.  Not to big ($), not to small, very useable square footage throughout, a HUGE deck, brand new and priced to sell.  Check it out!

New Website- 
I am in the process of launching a new website- SeattleCondoExperts.com!  The concept is to be announced on a later date as I am still working on creating the perfect resource for both agents and the public eye. 

Seattle Rental Group/ NW Property Group-
We have hired a couple new agents, so being that I am #1 in charge of training, I have been working very hard to create little “UrbanAshies” for everyone.  Everyone is falling into place- Alexandra established a website of her own and has found a focus in sales/leasing of multiplexes, whereas Lillian and Adam are just getting started but good things are surly to come!
 
Additional Education-
This Spring I will also be working towards my Associate Broker license completing a total of 120 hours of classroom time in real estate law, brokerage management and business management.  I am sure completing the coursework and continuing with my day to day operations is going to be a challenge but it is either now or never…

So, apologizes for the neglectful behavior…definitely not my typical A-type personality to leave people hanging!  

Photos- Michelle Moore Photography, Madison Tower #1503 

Last week, The Escala was awarded three Gold National Awards, eight Silver National Awards, 12 Regional Awards and two Individual & Council Awards at the 27th annual awards ceremony sponsored by The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). 

Click here to read MORE.

Congrats to the team- Sonya Wetzstein, Marni Granston, Jennifer Virnoche and Stephen Dartnell!

If you are thinking about purchasing at the Escala, this coming month is your last chance to customize the home interiors!  Selections will be starting on January 20th and will continue through mid-February…

Also, there are a lot of specials going on right now.  Just to name a couple…

- I previewed Trio last week with a client and they have been running weekly specials (“Home of the Week”) every Friday dropping prices more than $30k for select units.  If you are interested in this building, I recommend contacting sales manager, Jackie Daum for more information.

- The Parc also has several floorplans available and the developer is offering to cover homeowner’s dues for up to 2 years on select floorplans (the units facing WAMU & Avenue One). 

With all the availability and specials out there, you may increase your chances of getting a better break if you have your agent draft up a purchase and sale.  It was strongly hinted that the developers are open to reviewing all offers…hey, it never hurts to ask!

- Moving on…200 West Highland has updated their website and revealed all 25 floorplans ranging from 1,500 SF-2,800 SF with prices starting at $1.23M to just under $4M.  Completion is scheduled for this fall and their showroom is located at 2025 1st Ave #420.

Have a wonderful weekend!   

Recently homeowners on the southside of the Cristalla and eastside of One Pacific Tower have expressed some concern about the proposed project on the north and south corner of 2nd and Virginia.  I was able to take a peak at the design review proposal and although views (and daylight!) definitely will be impacted by the project, I think that rebuilding the 2nd Ave strip is a must for such a prime location.    

The “twin” towers, designed by Weber+Thompson and developed by Justen Company, LLC will join the Cristalla, 1915 Second Ave and 1521 Second Ave to create “a five-building assemblage that will reshape the skyline behind the market district.”

South Tower
1931 2nd Ave
38 floors total- 10 floors hotel/lobby (117 rooms) & 28 floors residential (185 condominiums)

North Tower
2015 2nd Ave
39 floors total- 6 floors lobby/retail & 33 floors residential (234 condominiums)

1915 2nd Ave
24 floors total- Street level retail & 175 condominiums developed by Intracorp

Other projects just blocks away are One Residences (2nd & Pine), Escala (4th & Virginia), The Alex (1st and Bell) and a 43 story apartment building on 3rd & Virginia. 

This Saturday and Sunday, don’t forget to drop by the 2007 Seattle Urban Condo Tour at Fisher Plaza!  The two day event is FREE and will give you the opportunity to tour 20 of the newest condo projects in Seattle. 

There will also be seminars that will cover topics on securing financing, adding value to your condo, agent secrets and what our cityscape/economy will look like in 2011.

Some of the properties that are participating:

For more information, visit the official website!   

Here are some of the articles that came out last Saturday in the Downtown Living section of the Seattle Times/Seattle PI: 

• AVA - (website)
• The Gallery - (website)
• Escala - (website)
• 1 Hotel & Residences - (website)
• Mosler Lofts - (website)