Amazon Spheres

 Amateurs, employees and King5, and more all love to show and talk about  photos of the Amazon Spheres here in Seattle. They are amazing structures and make a fun field trip for out of town visitors. 

The idea behind the spheres is to create a space where employees and nature can co-exist. They do house over 40,000 plants from over 30 countries. 

You can visit the spheres on two Saturdays a month. You do need a reservation that can be made by using this line Amazon Spheres Reservation

Check it out, I think you'll find it fascinating. 

Should You Remodel?

Spring is here and maybe you're thinking about remodeling. Remodeling magazine notes that nine out of ten high return projects are high curb appeal projects. The first on the list is garage door replacement with a 97.5% return on the value at resale. The second project on the list is replacement of vinyl siding with manufactured stone veneer and this returns 94.9% of it value at resale. 

Several of the other project that you might consider might be these projects:

• Replacement of existing siding with new siding: 75.6 percent

• Steel entry door replacement: 74.9 percent

• Vinyl window replacement: 73.4 percent

• Fiberglass grand entrance: 71.9 percent

• Wood window replacement: 70.8 percent

• Composite deck addition: 69.1 percent

Remodeling costs are rising but you can sometimes cut some of the costs by  shopping at places like the ReStore where they sell gently used building materials and appliance at a fraction of their retail prices.  

Remodeling or updating your home in 2019?

Curb appeal continues to be the highest return on investment in the 2019 real estate market. Curb appeal and first impression are central to the real estate professional's estimation of resale value. A home's exterior will either encourage or discourage a potential buyer to look at your home. These impressions will set the stage for what a buyer is willing to pay for in your home.

The top five projects in 2019 according to Remodeling Magazine are:

1. Garage Door Replacement
2. Manufactured Stone Veneer
3. Mid-range Minor Kitchen Remodel
4. Wood Deck Addition
5. Siding Replacement

If your're interested in more information you can use this link Cost VS Value

Who Lives in Seattle?

We have certainly seen many changes in Seattle in the past few years. The tech industry and growth of Amazon as well as many other companies  both tech and healthcare has created a population explosion and housing challenge for all of us here. Oh yes, and don't forget about the traffic problems.

The latest reports however show that Seattle is reaching some of it's density and transportation goals for downtown.

This infographic demonstrates how our commuters got downtown last year. This is certainly good news for other folks on the road as well as good news for the environment and downtown congestion.



Since 2010 downtown Seattle has added more than 60,000 new jobs.  We will certainly need more housing and will be grateful to have the new light rail links completed.

Here's to Seattle of the future!