In February 2019, Onni Group made their first real estate purchase on the Eastside, with the acquisition of a four-acre site in downtown Bellevue—currently home to a church and Barnes & Noble store—for $116 million. On Thursday, March 14th, the company provided the first set of publicly available images for a large-scale mixed-use project it plans for the area, which, according to Puget Sound Business Journal, will comprise “three 600-foot-tall towers totaling 1,289 residences, 896,000 square feet of office space, 317 hotel suites and 2,318 underground parking stalls.”
Read MoreAs a recent Puget Sound Business Journal article put it, “The Eastside office market has FANGs.” However fitting, they aren’t referencing the region’s sharp teeth; they are talking about a group of tech titans: Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google.
Read MoreCES is the world’s largest gathering place for those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Earlier this month, attendees convened in Las Vegas for a week of innovation and breakthrough technologies.
Read MoreI was recently holding an open house when a curious neighbor came into the home to check out the new improvements and ask about current market conditions. After showing her the home and added value/improvements made by the seller—and asking her to tell everyone she knew—I briefly explained that we are going through a market correction, which began in mid-May (like a light switch on May 10th), and touched on the probable causes. I went on to say that current market conditions seem to have stabilized: generally, sales have increased and inventory began decreasing around mid-October (I saw it October 18th). I summed it up quickly with, “I believe it’s a great time to buy.” She looked at me and said “yeah, but what would you say to your friend or a family member. How would you advise them?” I shrugged and smiled as I replied, “I just did.”
Read MoreThe World Economic Forum recently released the annual Global Competitiveness Report, naming the United States the number one most competitive economy in the world for the first time since the early 2000s. According to the report, the nature of economic competitiveness is shifting, as economies are “increasingly transformed by new, digital technologies,” which are “creating a new set of challenges for governments and businesses.” The United States is followed by Singapore, Germany, Switzerland and Japan.
Read MoreFacebook will soon be expanding its foot print in SODO, this according to a recent article published by the Puget Sound Business Journal, which indicates that the social media titan is investing $7.5 million into office space renovations at the Home Plate Center building. After initially indicating that they would lease a full floor at the office tower earlier this year, permits filed with the city of Seattle show that “Oculus” (the virtual reality arm of Facebook) has leased over 62,000 square feet.
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