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!

EquityGreen, a blog focused on green real estate, featured a write-up on Mosler Lofts & the Alcyone Apartments this past weekend.

Whether you are purchasing a green condominium, single family home or simply thinking about remodeling your current home- check out a few of these links:

- SeattlePI: GreenBuilding Blog
- Green Seattle Partnership
- Built Green
- Seattle Greens
- Seattle Department of Planning & Development- Green Building
- Environment Home Center

There are tons of resources available so please feel free to add to the list!

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)

A future owner at the Mosler Lofts just started a new blog for those who have already purchased and those who are interested in the project.

Seth, the blog?s founder, will be keeping everyone up to date on his experiences but has stressed the importance of allowing others to share their thoughts as well. For those not set to live in the building, comments will need to be approved!

(Mosler Lofts Owners Blog)

I thought this was a VERY unique opportunity at Live2200. Instead of purchasing a traditional condominium, purchase a work/live loft zoned for retail or office use!

On the first level you enter the work space on 9th Ave that features 15 ft. ceilings, concrete floors, near floor-to-ceiling windows and a Ÿ bath. There is a stairway that leads to the living space above with 14 ft. ceilings, hardwoods floors, a full bath and a large fully equipped kitchen- with all the trimmings! The main floor (living) can be entered from the 1st floor of the Azur tower and has a lofted sleeping area with 6 ft ceilings- perfectly proportioned for a hidden bedroom. The total square footage is over 1900 sq. ft, there is an outdoor balcony and downtown views are seen throughout.

Asking Price: $935,000

Click here for more information and photos.

Lyn Tully, Quorum Real Estate Madison

This afternoon I was interviewed by Rachel Belle with KIRO News Radio. The interview was primarily aimed at the rental market and what we (being investors/landlords and renters) should expect from this point forward. It will be airing tomorrow morning if you are interested in listening.

As I have said before, summer is our busiest time of year and the market is expected to tighten as we head into June. I have had several people inquire about my listings for July and August move-ins (listings that are unfortunately available NOW), but I anticipate July is going to be the most competitive month for finding that perfect apartment or condominium.

We are finally starting to see more and more new employees coming through the corporate channels- which is typical for May and June. This will bring in new BUYERS and RENTERS to the playing field as well.

Rental rates ARE increasing but I advise those landlords who are approaching the end of their lease terms not to overzealously increase rental amounts. If you take advantage of your current tenants you could risk loosing a month of rental income plus time and money spent on marketing. Even a vacancy of a week or two can potentially set you back!

In glancing over my listings…I am down to 2 Live2200 units! The rental market has settled a bit but I still see 37 units listed for sale on the MLS. (Aria- 4, Azur- 9, Arte- 24)

The spotlight has now shifted to The Cosmopolitan. Honestly, it is getting a little out of hand with the differences in pricing, the number of units for sale/rent and the competition- the games have just started! Tomorrow I will be listing 3 more condos in the Cosmo including a penthouse (that is absolutely phenomenal) so I will have 6 total units for lease. There are currently 64 condos listed for sale on the MLS!

Obviously these buildings affect the downtown/Belltown market (as well as the owners trying to rent/sale their units) but given the forecast ahead I think everything will even out during the summer months.

Please feel free to email me with any questions or leave comments if you would like to add anything to the topic.

Live2200 has been recognized nationally by the Urban Land Institute as a finalist for the 2007 Awards for Excellence!

The criteria in which each project must possess in order to be eligible can be found on the ULI website and are as follows:

- The project must be in stabilized operation and must be financially viable.

- The project must achieve a high standard of excellence in all areas?design, construction, economics, marketing, and management.

- The project must demonstrate relevance to the contemporary and future needs of the community in which it is located.

- The project must be worthy of emulation.

- Programs and processes?such as growth management strategies and publicly guided development programs?are eligible if they have been fully implemented. Instead of meeting the financial viability requirement, programs will be considered on the basis of how sound an investment of public funds they have been and the extent of their success in transforming communities and neighborhoods.

The official ceremony will be held at the ULI Spring Council Forum on May 11th where the other finalists will also be receiving their awards.

Ben (The Seattle Condos Blog) did a really good job covering the award so click here to read more.