Ballard - Seattle, WA
Belltown - Seattle, WA
Broadway - Seattle, WA
Fremont - Seattle, WA
Georgetown - Seattle, WA
Manchester, Port Orchard, WA
There’s a growing buzz around Port Orchard in Kitsap County
Kitsap County’s City of Port Orchard and the Manchester neighborhood within Port Orchard have been the focus of two recent articles published in the Seattle Times.
The first article was written by Cindy Jones as a special to The Seattle Times on Saturday, September 29th 2007. The article was published on the front page of the real estate section and discussed a growing interest among buyers interested in homes with waterfront or water views available in the small community of Manchester.
Cindy Jones describes the area best… “Just across the Sound --- that sparkling stretch of water that blesses the community with spectacular views --- lies a city teeming with well-heeled dwellers looking for escape.”
She’s right. Many waterfront homes in Port Orchard’s Manchester community either sit on the Puget Sound or absorb panoramic views of Bainbridge Island, downtown Seattle and West Seattle from the hills that have come to define the coastline.
In spite of the growing demand for waterfront property in the area, few owners seem willing to relinquish their homes. The Seattle Times reported that there were fewer than 100 homes on the market at the time they published their article. I ran a report on November 6th using Northwest MLS data and found as few as 53 listings. Only four were waterfront. These statistics were not compiled or published by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.
If you would like to read the full story found online at The Seattle Times, feel free to do so by clicking here.
The second article was also written by Cindy Jones as a special to The Seattle Times on Sunday, November 4th, 2007. It crowned Port Orchard, with its 8,350 residents, as the Seattle Times, Neighborhood of the Week.
According to Cindy Jones, “…waterfront homes cost from about $700,000 to $1 million.”
The full story can be found online at The Seattle Times by clicking here.
Maple Hills, Renton, WA
The Maple Hills neighborhood in Renton lives up to the grandeur its name implies, with sweeping views of Mount Rainier, close proximity to Lakes McDonald and Kathleen, numerous hiking and biking trails around the edge of the neighborhood and membership access to the Maple Hills Community Park and Pool.
Maple Hills is located between Renton, Maple Valley and Issaquah. I-405, I-90 and HWY 169 are all easy to get to, so it is a nice central location from which to get around.
The neighborhood consists of about 400 homes. Many residents choose Maple Hills because they have discovered that by moving a little farther south on the Eastside they could get a bigger and newer house for their money.
According to Estately.com, the 133 homes for sale in East Renton Highlands which is home to Maple Hills Estates have an average price of $551,467. The average home is 2,897 square feet, has 3.8 bedrooms, and 2.6 bathrooms. The typical home for sale in East Renton Highlands was built in 1992, which is a little newer than the typical home for sale in Washington.
Located in the center of the vibrant neighborhood, Maple Hills Elementary School’s volunteers include parents, community members, retirees, middle and high school students some of whom are "alumni". Each year, in classrooms, the library, and throughout the school, 10,000 to 12,000 hours are donated to benefit the students.
The PTA supports the school in a wide variety of ways and with unending dedication and enthusiasm. The PTA has earned the 100% Membership award, the State PTA Standards of Excellence Award and the National Honor Unit Award.
The Maple Hills Park just north of Maple Hills Elementary School is a major asset to the neighborhood and a gathering place for many Maple Hills residents.
With a large play area, two tennis courts, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, barbeque pits, ample parking and a swimming pool, it is a popular destination. Summer at Maple Hills Park is full of activities such as movie nights, social feeds and the 4th of July Neighborhood Parade, 5K Run and Fireworks. The park also hosts sporting events for soccer, football and baseball leagues. The community pool offers swimming lessons and sponsors the Maple Hills Marlins, a competitive swim team.
The homeowners association, which meets monthly, can be found online at http://sites.google.com/site/maplehillsorgsite/. Association Dues are less than $300 per year.
Olympus - Newcastle, WA
"The upscale Olympus neighborhood in Newcastle lives up to the grandeur its name implies, with sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains, Lake Washington and Mount Rainier, along with well-kept yards and homes," writes Jolene Gensheimer in a special to The Seattle Times on Sunday, October 14th, 2007.
The Olympus community was established in 1987, when construction of the development began. The development was built during the mid 90's and boasts 267 homes. Olympus is served by two school districts: Issaquah and Renton. The neighborhood benefits from an active homeowner's association that meets on a monthly basis. The association hosts many events that contribute to the sense of intamicy shared by the residents. "Instead of being just a neighborhood of houses, it is a community," says longtime resident Mark Ledbury in Jolene Gensheimer's article.
Residents benefit from quick and easy access to Bellevue, Renton and Seattle via Interstates 405 and 90; easy access to Lake Boren Park found at the community's entrance and wide streets and sidewalks that provide safe, year-round biking, walking, or jogging throughout the neighborhood.
Olympus in Newcastle is just minutes from many great outdoor activities: Go for a day-hike at nearby Coal Creek Canyon Park or Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park; golf at The Golf Club At Newcastle; launch your boat on Lake Washington at nearby Gene Coulon Park; or simply enjoy a leisurely walk on the many trails Newcastle has to offer!
Pike Place Market - Seattle, WA
Pioneer Square - Seattle, WA
The Orchards - Renton, WA
The Orchards is a subdivision in Renton's East Highlands neighborhood. It is nestled between Duvall to the East, Union Ave to the West and NE 4th (Cemetary Road) to the South.
An article was written by Jolene Gensheimer as a special to The Seattle Times that featured this subdivision in their Neighborhood of the Week Column. It touched upon the fact that The Orchards subdivision is comprised of smaller communities that each have a unique atmosphere of their own with various types of housing that will meet the needs of almost any lifestyle. The Orchards has condos and townhomes as well as small and large single family homes. There is even an apartment community within the geographic confines of The Orchards although it is not officially part of the master association.
The Orchards has very little drive through traffic making this a quiet place to live. The well maintained sidewalks and trails make it a great place to enjoy the outdoors. But this doesn't mean that residents are so isolated that they have to travel far to access services. As you would expect, there are two Starbucks stores and a Tulley's withing walking distance. There is also a 24 Hour Fitness, an Albertsons, a Safeway and a QFC within a two minute's drive. The Landing is straight shot down Sunset Blvd.
The Orchards has drawn residents from surrounding areas such as Seattle, Bellevue and Issaquah who have discovered they can purchase newer homes and get more house for their money. Residents currently have access to three major north/south arterials to get to work each morning, I-405, Coal Creek Parkway and SR 900 (Into Issaquah). Coal Creek Parkway is undergoing a major widening project that will add two more lanes to the two lanes that currently exist. Once the project is complete, there will be two lanes running north and two lanes running south. This project is expected to reduce the time it takes to drive into Bellevue to a level that residents of Newcastle currently enjoy. Newcastle is the East Highlands' neighbor to the north where the average sale price of a home is 44% higher than it currently is in the East Highlands. The Coal Creek widening project effectively improves the location of the Orhcards by reducing commute times.
If you would like to read the article published by the Seattle Times, please click here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2004159169_realneighborhood03.html
University District - Seattle, WA
West Seattle - Seattle, WA