June 10th, 2009
Posted by James Lupori
Woodinville saw a sharp increase in the number of sold properties in May as compared to April: 27 properties sold in May as opposed to 12 in April. This is good news, as Woodinville has been experiencing quite a “funk” over the last several months:
WOODINVILLE SOLD PROPERTIES IN WOODINVILLE
Click on the graph for a larger view
AVERAGE WOODINVILLE PRICES
Click on the graph for a larger view
It’s clear that buyers in Woodinville have been taking advantange of the lower priced properties. This may be due, in large part, to the low interest rates, the $8000 tax credit and falling prices.
It’s not all rosy for the Woodinville market. I took a quick look at the current inventory of properties in Woodinville and found that there are a LOT of properties on the market:
There are currently 383 homes/condos for sale in Woodinville. Frankly, that’s a lot of properties. Also consider that the market is only selling off about 7% of the inventory (my down-and-dirty absorption rate calculation). It will be interesting to see how the sales roll out in June due to a healthy number of current pending properties:
Recently, the local Multiple Listing Service and some local real estate “gurus” have been encouraged by the rise in pending sales. As a cautious observer of these numbers, I believe that it’s better for buyers and sellers to focus on closed sales. Pending sales have not been sure-fire sales as in years past. Several of my colleagues in the Title and Escrow industries tell me that a significant number of pending sales are failing due to the volatility in the economy, short-sales and other reasons.
Nevertheless, the increase in home sale activity in Woodinville is great news. If you ever have questons regarding the real estate market or need the services of a Realtor®, please don’t hesitate to contact me:
James Lupori
Associate Broker
Keller Williams Greater Seattle
206.713.2102
www.kenmoreundressed.com
May 13th, 2009
Posted by James Lupori
Soft Tail Spirits – Truly Local, Truly Unique
12280 NE Woodinville Dr. suite –C
Woodinville, WA 98072
425-770-1154
Soft Tail’s Imported Portuguese Copper Still
Several weeks ago my wife and I were riding our tandem bicycle in Woodinville, WA which lies a short distance from our home in Kenmore. We were on our way back when we noticed a sandwich board on the road that said “Soft Tail Grapparia.” My heart almost skipped a beat: A Grapparia here, only minutes away from my home? I couldn’t wait to stop in and check the place out! So what’s the big deal, you ask? Why so excited? I have spent a good amount of time in Italy and have enjoyed more than a few shots of grappa. For me, finding a local producer of grappa is absolutely wonderful!
Grappa – The Fiery Spirit from Italy
Grappa is a uniquely Italian drink. Traditionally, made from pomace, the discarded grape seeds, stalks, and stems that are a by-product of the wine making process, Grappa has been around since the Middle Ages. For generations, Italians have sipped this “firewater” after meals and even added a little to their morning espresso, to “correct” it. Once considered an acquired taste, popular only in Italy, Grappa, today, is making itself known around the world. Distilleries from Australia to Oregon, as well as Italy, are trying their hand at making Grappa, with surprisingly good results (from www.lifeinitaly.com). Now we have Soft Tail Spirits, one of the first Craft Distilleries in Western Washington. And they are producing an excellent grappa.
Why a Craft Distillery?
I spoke with Dennis Robertson, the Owner and producer of Soft Tail Grappa last week. His motivation for creating the distillery was fueled by an interest in spirits and vodka, but, he is also committed to the idea of utilizing an ofttimes discarded byproduct of wine making (the pomace) for a good purpose: making grappa.
Also, Dennis has been able to capitalize on recent changes in the state Legislature that allow tastings and direct sales at distilleries, rather than making customers travel to state-controlled liquor stores for purchases. The legislation also lowered the distillery licensing fee from $2,000 a year to $100 a year. If you want to read an interesting article regarding the art and science of the local distillery industry, the Seattle Times published and interesting article entitled: Distilleries are the new toast of Washington.
The Soft Tail Tasting Room
Soft Tail Spirits offers three grappas: Grappa Blanco, Grappa Giallo & Grappa Reserve. Grappa Blanco is a fine tasting product, crisp and fragrant. Grappa Giallo is aged in oak barrels and has wonderfully complex earthiness that will appeal to those who fancy whiskeys, and tequila. The Grappa Reserve will challenge your pallate but has a great after taste. Click on the picture below for more details on the grappas:
Click on this picture for details on Soft Tail’s Grappas
Grand Opening!
This coming weekend, Soft Tail Spirits is going to hold it’s Grand Opening. For hard core grappa fans and neophytes as well, I highly recommend you visit the Grapparia and enjoy an excellent, local product. You won’t regret it.
Slideshow
Below is a brief slideshow from my visit to Soft Tail Spirits. I sincerely hope you have an opportunity to visit it soon:
Click on the picture to view the slide show
April 20th, 2009
Posted by James Lupori
The Whole Pet Shop
14229 NE Woodinville-Duvall Rd
Woodinville, WA 98072
425-481-584
www.wholepetshop.com
“Why did you open a health-oriented pet shop?” This was my question to Tina Schoenbachler, the owner of The Whole Pet Shop in Woodinville. Tina loves animals having grown up on a farm in Duvall, WA. She’s also passionate about her business: “I have a pug that was really overweight, so several years ago a good friend recommended that I start feeding her a better diet. Six years later, my pug is in great health. In fact, my customers tell me they don’t need to bring their pets into the vet as often because they spend a little extra on healthy food. It translates to better situation for the pets and their owners.”
Healthy, I’ll Say!!!!
Some tasty morsels for your four-legged friends
The Whole Pet Shop offers a huge array of healthy pet foods along with accessories, toys, bedding, etc. As a cat owner, I found quite a number of high-quality foods and products. For a fairly small space, the store is jam-packed with everything you need to take care of your pet.
The Whole Pet Shop will be three-years-old this May. Tina told me that her business is doing well in spite of the challenging economy. She has observed that when times are tight, people don’t cut back when it comes to their pets. In fact, it seems that when people spend more time at home, they spend more time with “the fur children!” Speaking of children:
An Invitation from Tina
Tina with her daughter Nya
The Whole Pet Shop is now part of a network of local merchants who are using a new Discount Program called the LEAP NETWORK. It is a way for you to take advantage of in-store discounts and also receive a 3% credit back on your credit card. It also allows you to take the discount and donate it directly to a number of local charities. To join, just click on the LEAP Network Frog on the right hand bar of this blog:
You simply register your credit card (Visa or Mastercard) with the network, click on a discount offer and, presto, you’re ready to go. When you make your purchase and use the registered card the credit is automatically processed to your account or charity . No need for coupons. No hassles. This is what the program looks like:
So start taking advantage of discounts at the Whole Pet Shop and support your local business community.
April 12th, 2009
Posted by James Lupori
Pasta Nova
17310 140th Avenue NE
Woodinville, WA 98072
425.483.3716
Pasta Nova is one of those small, unassuming, bistro-type restaurants that surprise you when you walk in the front door, smell the food and your stomach scolds you for not having visited before. The ambiance is simple with the feel of a northern Italian bar. Even though the restaurant is located in a strip mall, the interior is warm and the staff is incredibly friendly:
The owner, Fred Armin, is clearly passionate about his restaurant. When he found out that I spend time in Italy, he wanted to know what my favorite dish is. I told him there’s nothing more “homey” than a good polenta with a chicken stew. “Oh, I’m working on a new menu and I’m going to have polenta on it,” he said. He said it’s important that he keep his menu fresh and offer dishes his clients recommend.
A delicious Italian Meatball Sandwich for lunch. Yum!
Pasta Nova is open at 11:00 for lunch. Dinner begins at 5:00. The menu features a nice variety of Italain standards at reasonable prices. Just click on the picture below to view the menu:
Click this picture to view the full menu
Despite the current economy Fred told me that business is going well. “We can never have too many diners,” he said, but he has a loyal following in the local community. As a Realtor, Pasta Nova is one of those small intimate places I like to bring my clients for lunch or, even better, it’s a great spot where you can enjoy a romantic dinner with a special friend.
If you find yourself in Woodinville to tour the local wineries, I highly recommend you treat yourselves to a wonderful meal at Pasta Nova. You won’t be disappointed.
Written by James Lupori, Realtor and Associate Broker – Keller Williams Realty Greater Seattle
Author of the Community Based Blog – www.kenmoreundressed.com
April 9th, 2009
Posted by James Lupori
A Brief Introduction to Your “New” Author
I would like to introduce myself: My name is James Lupori. I am a Realtor and Associate Broker with Keller Williams Greater Seattle. My specialty is the sale of residential real estate in King and Snohomish Counties. My area of expertise, if you want to call it that, is the City of Kenmore and it’s surrounding neighbors; Woodinville being one of them. My primary blog is www.kenmoreundressed.com which I have been writing since last April. I have been asked to be a guest contributor to Woodinville Living until our network finds a new author.
Property Sales in Woodinville, WA March 2009
Today, we are going to take a brief look at a 13 month trend in real estate sales for the City of Woodinville. As you know, Puget Sound has been experiencing the affects of the housing slowdown; however, we are seeing signs that the market is inching up a bit. This is due in some part to the yearly bump in Spring activity and I believe buyers are taking advantage of lower home prices, historically low interest rates and the $8000 tax credit for 1st time home buyers. For a more detailed discussion of the “big picture” numbers for Puget Sound, please see my blog post regarding Puget Sound Absorption Rates. Now, let’s turn to some statistical graphs that illustrate sales for the last 13 months to see how has Woodinville been doing:
Units Sold
Click on the graph for a larger view
As in many local communities, Woodinville is seeing an increase in sale activity since the beginning of the year. It remains to be seen what affect the stimulus measures will have on the market but, as I mentioned above, there are buyers out there. Generally, we are seeing “bargain hunting” behavior as homes under $400,000 constitute the vast majority of sales right now.
Click on the graph for a larger view
Woodinville’s average sale price has dropped significantly since last year. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues.
Days-on-Market
Click on the graph for a large view
If one averages out the days-on-market for Woodinville it’s running about 89 days. This is not a bad sales cycle even in a “regular” market. Sellers need to know that in this market a home must be “dressed for success” and must be priced aggressively. Buyers have a relatively large inventory to choose from and they have been slow to buy. Overall, the market is thawing a bit. It will be interesting to see what happens as the year progresses.
If I can assist you in any way regarding your real estate needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me:
James Lupori
206.713.2102
jlupori@comcast.net
December 12th, 2008
Posted by Susan Moore @ mcm group
of warmer places. Every year I get these fabulous catalogs from the Parker Company who provides loads of information on rentals, bed and breakfast and villas in Italy. I swear someday I will visit one of these. If you’ve found a fabulous vacation rental or had a fantastic vacation experience, send me a blogtip and share it with your community.
November 4th, 2008
Posted by Susan Moore @ mcm group
If you need to Locate your polling place or confirm your registration, click the link below.
https://www.metrokc.gov/elections/voterlookup.aspx
For future elections:
Click here to register to vote or change your address. You may need to reregister if you’ve moved or changed your name.
Click here to make sure your voting status is set to Active.
October 24th, 2008
Posted by Susan Moore @ mcm group
I just pulled a list of open houses for the weekend from the MLS, and it looks like it’s going to be an active weekend for Woodinville and surrounds (area 600). Click here for a map of all open houses for this weekend.
The Villas at Woodinville Village is open this weekend 12 to 6, if you haven’t seen the model home yet you should stop by. These riverfront townhomes are just gorgeous. They are getting ready to release their second phase next weekend, so make plans to stop by and see the model this weekend, then stop by again next weekend to see more.
Here’s the model home in phase one:
Here’s the home exterior:
And here’s the gorgeous view of the Sammamish River Valley, across to Chateau Ste. Michelle. Every home at The Villas has this view.
October 22nd, 2008
Posted by Susan Moore @ mcm group
It’s officially fall, and that means that cold and flu season is just around the corner. Make sure your defenses are up and you take some preventative measures so that when the next nasty bug hits, your body is not as susceptible to coming down with something.
Diana Agee, owner of Nature’s Remedy, has some fantastic suggestions for you to stay on top of your health and wellness. She recommends extra Vitamin C, Echinacea, Astragalus and/or Olive Leaf Extract as the perfect supplements for aiding your body’s defenses this time of year. Her store also features some preventative blends, such as Wellness Formula and Immuno Shield, that are an easier alternative to taking multiple individual supplements.
Diana is a great resource for all of your natural care alternatives and her store offers an exceptional collection of products. Be sure to mind the “official store manager,” Allison, as she loves a little attention that comes in the way of a few pets and rubs, too!
Nature’s Remedy is in the Woodinville Towne Center, open Monday – Thursday from 10am to 7pm and Friday and Saturday from 10am to 6pm. You can call them at (425) 485-4633.
October 21st, 2008
Posted by Susan Moore @ mcm group
Spread the word…
Trick or Treat! Friday, October 31st from 2pm to 6pm at the Woodinville Towne Center
Chuck Cruz and the gang at your local PostNet in Woodinville Towne Center are responsible for creating and promoting this fantastic idea! They are inviting all Woodinville residents and businesses to visit Woodinville Towne Center on Halloween, Friday, October 31st from 2-6pm, and to bring their children to enjoy the safe environment of trick or treating in our area. Look for the official notice in the Woodinville Weekly!
The Chateau Woods sales center is excited to participate in this first annual Trick or Treat Event at Woodinville Towne Center. We look forward to sharing in the treating and having a ton of spooky fun!
For more information, you can contact PostNet at (425) 487-3200 or visit www.postnet.com/WA105
