Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Great Fall Fixes














Fall is a wonderful time of year to kick into action and continue preventative maintenance before the rain and snow sets in.  Although each home is different, almost every home requires constant attention.  Or as Jim Sulski for Right At Home Daily worded, "a never-ending job."  In an article featured on www.repair-home.com, Sulski does well with his suggestions for an efficient and productive Fall maintenance schedule.  For a full view of Sulski's article follow this link.

Each day this week, I will feature one article or helpful piece of information for keeping your home in tip top shape this Fall.  I welcome any suggestions or tips out there - the more the merrier! 

Cheers and Happy Maintain-ing!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Speaking of Fall Travels...

Of the few Northwest magazines I read, Sunset Magazine often has fantastic and well-rounded tips and tricks for navigating and exploring our beloved region (not to mention fab seasonal recipes).


Sunset's September issue features a literal gallery of regional trip options spanning across California, The "true" Northwest, The Rockies, and The Southwest (heads-up: each region listed links to the relevant gallery).


For the purpose of this simple posting, I will reiterate two of Sunset's suggestions listed in their "10 Great Fall Trips In The Northwest" gallery.  


Oregon's Willamette Valley wine country offers visitors a lot more than a fantastic glass of wine.  Patrons have done well in their "vamping," modeling accommodations after the regions most beautiful vistas - the vineyards. 
My suggestion for your trip there?  





















Saturday - September 25, 2010
  • 11Amity Pinot Noir Release Party (11:00am to Sun, September 26, 6:00pm)
Sunday - September 26, 2010
  • 9Wine Ride at Vista Hills Vineyard (9:00am to 12:00pm)
  • 3pHarvest Celebration at Penner-Ash (3:00pm to 7:00pm)
  • 4pPre-Harvest Release Tasting at Lange Estate (4:00pm to 7:00pm)
Saturday - October 02, 2010
  • 12pCrush Party at Montinore (12:00pm to 1:00pm)
  • 1pHarvest Tour and Seminar at Rex Hill (1:00pm to 2:30pm)
Saturday - October 09, 2010
  • 12pJohan Vineyards Reserve Tasting (12:00pm to 5:00pm)
  • 12pExtreme Chocolates Event at The Four Graces (12:00pm to 4:00pm)
  • 1pHarvest Tour and Seminar at Rex Hill (1:00pm to 2:30pm)
Saturday - October 16, 2010
  • 1pHarvest Tour and Seminar at Rex Hill (1:00pm to 2:30pm)
  • 6:30pHarvest Dinner @ Youngberg Hill (6:30pm to 9:30pm)
Saturday - October 23, 2010
  • 11Grand Opening Celebration at Raptor Ridge Winery (11:00am to 4:00pm)
  • 1pHarvest Tour and Seminar at Rex Hill (1:00pm to 2:30pm)
Sunday - October 24, 2010
  • 11Grand Opening Celebration at Raptor Ridge Winery (11:00am to 4:00pm)
Saturday - October 30, 2010
  •  The Four Graces Graceful Dead Party (All Day)
  • 10Experience A Day in the Vineyards at Wine Country Farm (10:00am to 3:00pm)
  • 1pHarvest Tour and Seminar at Rex Hill (1:00pm to 2:30pm)
Sunday - October 31, 2010
  • 10Experience A Day in the Vineyards at Wine Country Farm (10:00am to 3:00pm)
Saturday - November 20, 2010
  •  Harvest Open House - R. Stuart and Co. Wine (All Day)
Friday - November 26, 2010
  • 11Wine Country Thanksgiving (11:00am to 5:00pm)
Saturday - November 27, 2010
  • 11Wine Country Thanksgiving (11:00am to 5:00pm)
Sunday - November 28, 2010
  • 11Wine Country Thanksgiving (11:00am to 5:00pm)

  • *Calendar and images sourced from www.willamettewines.com

Washington's Fall fruit is a delectable treat we have all come to love, look forward to, and most importantly...enjoy!  There is no better way, that I can think,  to see Washington than one bite at a time.  Sunset's suggested route looks fantastic, and would serve to fill a weekend wonderfully.  For a quick link to their "hits list" click here.

Happy Fall to all, and of course, cheers!



Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Fall In The Far East

















I am thrilled to announce my upcoming trip to Hong Kong where we will not only be attending one of Sotheby's legendary auctions inside the famous Hong Kong Exhibition and Conference Centre, but we will also be celebrating the opening of our newest Sotheby's International Realty office in Hong Kong.

With impressive lots ranging from important art to rare wines, there is quite a bit to take in.  For your glance of these rare and exceptional pieces, here are the catalogs for the upcoming Hong Kong auctions - enjoy!
October 5, 2010 Auction

Sotheby's International Realty agents from around the globe (NYC, Florida, Singapore, New Zealand, California - to name a few) will be in attendance to these fabulously exciting events, and I am thrilled to have been offered such an outstanding opportunity. 



For those of you who have spent time in Hong Kong, I welcome any advice, recommendations, etc..


Gan Bei!
(Cheers!)


Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Little Things

It is an amazing feeling when "things," little every day things, still surprise, entertain, amaze, even relieve me.  Thanks to Val that moment came this afternoon (truth be told, she's always a "sure thing" when it comes to amusement).















As I continued to relish over Val's royal appointment, I stumbled on a fabulously fresh "scene" site which details, reports on, and appeals to our more extravagant (not always costly) sides. With several categories  spanning a number of cities (Seattle coming soon!), UrbanDaddy has done well in their very couture delivery of relatively mundane topics - take highlighting Steve Martin's (Steve Martin To Go) quirky Twitter site which can be found here, as an example.




Truer words have never been spoken, it simply is "the little things." So, here's to finding more enjoyment daily!

Cheers!

Monday, September 20, 2010

Auction Results Are In

Thanks to Matt Goyer for his quick reporting, I have published results of last nights Olive 8 Auction to share with you.

Here are the results to download in [xlsx] format. Olive 8 condo auction results.  

Also penned on UrbnLivn are highlights I would love to share.  It was an exciting night, and I couldn't have re-capped it better myself!




Highlights:
  • 32 solds. They originally announced they were auctioning 34 units, 28 units were on the auction day sequence. They added 2303, 2004, 2304 and 2404 at the end. They didn’t auction #1902 or #2102 (pricey 2 bedrooms).
  • Cheapest unit: $297,000 for #2110 a 650 square foot west facing one bedroom. Last priced at $395,000.
  • Most expensive unit: $702,000 for #2502 a 1,586 square foot north-east facing two bed, two bath + den. Lasr priced at $1,145,000.
  • Average price: $415,656
  • Total dollar value of units sold: $13.3 million
  • Seattle Times was there taking lots of photos, bloggers weren’t allowed in.
All in all, the auction was productive and promising!  

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Pool opens doors to pups.

I was alerted through the "grapevine" to what looks to be a great fund raising event.  


Benefiting the Arbor Heights Water Polo teams, this event is designed for the furrier in mind.  Hosted at the Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club pool, gates will open for our beloved pooches to take a dip in the pool, play, and interact.  Big dogs will be designated to play in the large pool, and our smaller friends will have the run of the "baby pool."  


As with any dog event/ gathering, organizers ask that owners remain with their pooches, up-to-date on all shots, "friendly" well socialized attitudes, and overall good health. That being said, this promises to be a wonderful event benefitting two fantastic teams (both ranked second in the city!).  


Feel free to contact me with questions. 


Here are the details:
Time and Date: Thursday 9/16 5-7PM

Address: 10003 31st Avenue SW Seattle, Wa. 98146  (enter off of 106th)


Thanks for your support!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Auction Fever


As exciting as most weeks are, this week is an undeniable chart topper.  Auction fever is in the air, and with the smashing success of our mock auction on the 12th, and the "real deal" Olive 8 Auction less than a week away, the excitement is mounting.

The mock auction on the 12th, as reported above, was wildly successful.  The auction process was explained to the 200 + person crowd, and I will re-cap a bit here.  

Mock Auction Re-Cap:
Auction registration is required by September 16th (this Thursday) to participate, and can be done easily through this link to the Olive 8 Auction website. Additionally, pre-approval by either Bank of America or Wells Fargo, and either a cashiers or personal check is required. Specific homes and details will be made available to bidders 15 minutes prior to start, and what are considered to be the most popular homes will be first in the catalog.  This auction will mark the fourth of its kind in our area with its unpublished reserved prices and process structure.  

Feel free contact me with any questions, as I know this remarkable process is complicated and a bit confusing.

Cheers!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Olive 8 Auction - Fast Approaching!








The Olive 8 Auction is fast approaching, and all of us at Realogics Sotheby's are thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in such a remarkable event.  The market we currently find ourselves serves in as a perfect primer for investing in properties of unparalleled value - Olive 8 being one of them.

So, for those interested in the process, we will be hosting a "mock" auction on September 12th.  Please feel free to call or contact me with any questions!

To re-cap my post from last week, the Olive 8 Auction will be held Sunday September 19th. 
Come see Seattle's newest luxury address. You might be surprised, but you will not be disappointed.

See you there, and Cheers!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

House Divided

For many Washingtonians, the changing of fall leaves and crisp autumn air means one thing - college football.  That being said, we often find ourselves divided this time of year - Husky? Or Cougar?

Now that the season is underway, it's time to gear-up, get out, and start cheering. Whether you find yourselves heading to your favorite chair, East to Pullman, or across the bridge to Husky Stadium, this is a fantastic time of year to reconnect, get involved, and get cheering for our wonderful Washington schools. We are a "house divided" when it comes to college ball - but hey, that's more than ok.  Just as long as my team wins!

Here are the Cougar and Husky schedules as posted on their respective websites.

Touchdown - and of course, Cheers!


2010-2011 SCHEDULE
( Click on an event for complete event information )
DateOpponent / EventLocationTime / Result
09/04/10at Oklahoma State TVStillwater, Okla.L, 65-17
09/11/10vs. Montana State
(Family Weekend / Future Cougar Day)
Pullman, Wash.4:00 p.m. PT
09/18/10at SMU TVDallas, Texas12:30 p.m. PT
09/25/10vs. USC
(Young Alumni Day) TV
Pullman, Wash.12:00 p.m. PT
10/02/10at UCLA TVLos Angeles, Calif.12:30 p.m. PT
10/09/10vs. Oregon
(Homecoming)
Pullman, Wash.TBA
10/16/10vs. Arizona
(Dad's Weekend)
Pullman, Wash.TBA
10/23/10at StanfordStanford, Calif.TBA
10/30/10at Arizona StateTempe, Ariz.TBA
11/06/10vs. California
(Armed Forces Day)
Pullman, Wash.TBA
11/13/10at Oregon StateCorvallis, Ore.TBA
12/04/10vs. Washington
(Apple Cup)
Pullman, Wash.TBA


2010 Washington Football Schedule
( Click on an event for complete event information )
DateOpponent / EventLocationTime / Result
09/04/10at BYU TVProvo, UtahL, 23-17
09/11/10vs. Syracuse TVSeattle, Wash.4:00 p.m. PT
09/18/10vs. Nebraska TVSeattle, Wash.12:30 p.m. PT
10/02/10at USC * TVLos Angeles, Calif.5:00 p.m. PT
10/09/10vs. Arizona State *Seattle, Wash.TBA
10/16/10vs. Oregon State *Seattle, Wash.TBA
10/23/10at Arizona *Tucson, Ariz.TBA
10/30/10vs. Stanford *Seattle, Wash.TBA
11/06/10at Oregon *Eugene, Ore.TBA
11/18/10vs. UCLA * TVSeattle, Wash.5:00 p.m. PT
11/27/10at California *Berkeley, Calif.TBA
12/04/10at Washington State *Pullman, Wash.TBA