Natalie Malin's Real Estate Blog | Mercer Island, WA | Buy a House, Condo, First Time Home Buyer, Mortgage, Real Estate Agent

Inside Real Estate
Let Me Help You!
(206) 232-3240
Follow My Blog
RSS
nataliemalin
Natalie Malin
Managing Broker

    Masters Degree
    CRS: Certified Residential Specialist

Direct: (206) 232-3240

Email Me

» About Me » Visit My Website
Company Info

Coldwell Banker Bain Associates

Real Estate Tools
Schoolsschools
Communitiescommunities
Calculatorscalculators

Archive for August 2009

WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LIVE ON MERCER ISLAND?

Monday, August 31st, 2009

What a lovely day today (Sunday)!  We enjoyed buying fresh fruit and vegetables at our Mercer Island Farmer’s Market (which continues through the end of October), and the great pizza there as well.  Then we had the pleasure of seeing our wonderful Youth Theatre Northwest’s outstanding production of “The Pajama Game”.  What a talented group of young people we have-the singing and dancing were great!  One of the talented actors, Lexie Showalter, was a girl I first met when I sold her parents’ home here many years ago when she was quite young.  This was her last play at YTN since she is graduating, and I predict-as do others-that she will be an outstanding actress we’ll be hearing more about in the future.

We then enjoyed the last of our sunny “Mostly Music In The Park” series, put on by our own great Mercer Island talent, “The Raretones”, who played and sang all the old favorites so beautifully.  The foot-tapping rhythm (it was hard to keep still; many in the audience got up and danced) and melodious harmony were amazing!

Pardon me if I always seem to be raving about all the many benefits of living here on our beautiful Mercer Island.  I think everyone who lives here feels the same way.  We’re so fortunate to have such a wonderful lifestyle.

And, speaking of living here…we have so many beautiful, affordable properties here on Mercer Island, you’ll want to at least see some of them before prices/interest rates go up again.  And if you live here and are thinking of selling, Mercer Island homes are selling readily again.  By the way, my great new Mercer Island listings should be ready to put on the market in a few weeks!  Please call, text, or email me to get started!  My 30 years of experience selling Mercer Island properties will help you accomplish all your Real Estate goals, while enjoying the process!


Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Real Estate | 4 Comments »

MORE MERCER ISLAND NEWS!

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Although Mercer Island’s “Mostly Music In The Park” series has now officially ended, there will be one more performance, on August 30th from 6-7:30 PM at Mercerdale Park, by the “Raretones”, a Mercer Island band (Rock & Roll Oldies) that was rained out earlier.  Fortunately our amazing Farmer’s Market will continue on Sundays from 11:00 to 3:00 through the end of October.  If you haven’t tried the “Mercer Island Special” pizza there, you’ll be pleasantly surprised-it’s great!

We just enjoyed a wonderful private function held at our great Mercer Island Country Club.  What a lovely facility!  I’ve been a member for 39 years now, and although the physical structure has been enlarged and improved, most of the same delightful group still belong, many of whom I’ve known for most of those years.

A note about coming changes in Mercer Island’s “CBD” (the Central Business District).  We’ll welcome having additional (angled) parking in front of Noah’s Bagels.  That will free up more parking spaces across the street at the north end QFC, where people have chosen to park in the past–that has gotten to be such a busy block.  And speaking of Mercer Island’s north end QFC, the cake decorator there is an amazing artist who can actually put the picture of your honored guest on the frosting (and it’s even edible).

As for Real Estate, Mercer Island homes are selling-at great prices-so you’ll want to begin your home search now, if you haven’t already done so.  I look forward to helping you with all your Real Estate needs/questions/purchases/and sales.  I also have some superb listings coming on soon.  Just call or text or email me at your convenience.  I actually answer my phone, text messages, and email right away so you’ll be talking to a live person, not a frustrating prompt as to which number to push to get through.  Hope you have a great week!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Real Estate | No Comments »

WOW! MERCER ISLAND WON THE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL TITLE TO REPRESENT THE NORTHWEST REGION IN THE WORLD SERIES!

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

We enjoyed watching–on national television, televised live on ESPN– the Regional Little League Championship Tournament play off game, which Mercer Island won in San Bernardino, California!  Mercer Island will now advance to represent the entire Northwest Region at Williamsport, Pennsylvania.  What a talented and well mannered group of guys we have!  We should all be so proud of how they represented us.  That was quite an experience.  Of course we have always had our share of talented athletes on the Island.  Along that line, Ed Pepple, our amazing renown and highly esteemed Mercer Island Basketball Coach has recently retired after coaching all of our sons from “Little Dribblers” all the way to the High School team for 42 years.  It was a thrill years ago when my son was young when his Mercer Island “Little Dribblers” team got to go to Lubbock, Texas for the play offs.  As I’ve mentioned often, Mercer Island is such a wonderful place to grow up, with great activities and opportunities for all ages.

And, as I’ve mentioned, this is the ideal time to buy on Mercer Island with the most amazing values in some incredible properties.  And if you live here and are planning to sell, the good news is that our homes are selling again now-some after being on the market for quite some time.  I hope you are able to take advantage of the situation.  I’m here to help you every step of the way.  I’ve been helping fellow Islanders for 30 years now and I would love to help you as well.  I was reminded of how long it has been when our exceptionally beautiful, gifted neighbor– with a gorgeous voice–Paget Knebel, sang the National Anthem so beautifully at the Mariner’s Game last week.  We are all so very proud of her!  I sold her parents their lovely home here on Mercer Island when she was just a little girl.

Ready to sell or buy?  Just starting to think about it?  Please call, text, or email me – you’ll be glad you did!  Incidentally, ask me about my great new listings coming on.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Community | No Comments »

MERCER ISLAND RANKED #1 AGAIN!

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

For the second year in a row, Seattle Magazine ranked Mercer Island as the number one suburban neighborhood out of 50 Seattle area suburban neighborhoods.  Neighborhoods were ranked according to crime rates, parks, schools, commute distances and other factors.  Mercer Island made it to the top of the list as a quiet, residential community with “great schools, big trees and pretty views.”  Of course, we have much more than that.

In the overall rankings of both urban and suburban neighborhoods, Mercer Island ranks fifth.  Seattle Magazine explains that Mercer Island loses points only for affordability because of the high median home price, but “is ahead of all others in all quality-of-life categories.“   Our mayor, Jim Pearman, congratulated everyone, including all citizens as well as City employees on this wonderful honor.  He said “The foundation of our community is the commitment of our citizens to their neighborhoods.”

Again this past week, we enjoyed our great “Mostly Music in the Park” series and we were able to purchase the most amazing organic fruit and vegetables from the many vendors at our Farmer’s Market on Sunday, and the music there was just outstanding!  Hope you can attend also-it’s every Sunday from 11:00 to 3:00 right in the heart of town in front of Mercerdale Park.

For your chance to buy a home/condo here on our coveted Island call/text/email me.  We have incredible homes/condos/land here for enticing prices.  I can work with you however you prefer.  Please contact me for all your Real Estate needs.  Thank you-I look forward to “hearing” from you (that’s now an antiquated term)!


Tags: , , ,
Posted in Real Estate | No Comments »

Mercer Island is So Special!

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

As always, we enjoyed our wonderful “Mostly Music In The Park” with “World Music” by “Maya Soleil” yesterday, where it was cool, with a great crowd of Islanders including little ones dancing to the music. And during the day, we had a close-up view of the Blue Angels directly over our deck-how thrilling! Also the Hydroplane races brought back memories of being young-just across the lake-when the “Gold Cup” Hydroplane Races were so exciting. We could hear them roaring by from our home and how we loved that sound. I’ve enjoyed the races ever since the first race here in 1950. An ideal Mercer Island vantage point, in addition to being on a boat on the “log boom”, is our I-90 floating bridge, which was packed with viewers on Sunday.

Speaking of Real Estate here on our beautiful Island, I am about to list a great condominium that I’ll be telling you about soon. I’m also working on a listing in Bellevue, a bright and spacious home overlooking a beautiful golf course. If you have been waiting for the ideal time to buy here, this is it. And that $8,000 tax credit that can be used toward a down payment for first time buyers, or for those who haven’t owned a home in the last 3 years, is such a huge advantage that will expire at the end of the year. This is the best possible time to buy. Please call/text/email me so that I can let you know about all the great buys available here. Thanks–I look forward to hearing from you and helping you find the ideal home for you and your lifestyle!



Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Buy House | No Comments »

Market Recap

  • Avg. Sales Price: $1,893,471

  • Avg. Days on Market: 160

Free Market Alerts

Get local reports delivered to you
 
Recently Asked Questions
    Ask Me a Question

    Do you have questions you need Answered?

    market alert newsletter

    Get free market reports delivered to you. » Sign up today

    - Copyright © 2010 Inside Real Estate, LLC

    Inside Real Estate does not endorse the agents on this site, and does not guarantee the content submitted by the site's members. Blog and page entries, content, and other information contributed by agents that are members of the site are accountable to the particular agent.