Mayor Jenny Durkan Publishes Mercer Island Mega Block Proposal
Mayor Jenny Durkan Publishes Mercer Island Mega Block Proposal

Mayor Jenny Durkan announced a major update in the sale of nearly three acres in South Lake Union, dubbed the “Mercer Mega Block,” as it was revealed that Alexandria Real Estate won the bid, committing to a total of $143.5 million for the land and money allocated to provide services to the homeless. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, Durkan’s proposal “would buy real estate to preserve and build affordable housing, work with employers to foster homeownership and provide financing of backyard cottages, or accessory dwelling units (ADUs).”

Read More
Commercial Real Estate, Local EconomyAaron FreemanPuget Sound Business Journal, ADU, Accessory Dwelling Units, City Council, Seattle, South Lake Union, Mercer Mega Block, Mayor Jenny Durkan, Alexandria Real EstateComment
T-Mobile Unveils New Testing Center at Launch Pad
T-Mobile Unveils New Testing Center at Launch Pad

After months of secrecy, T-Mobile has unveiled a new 20,000 square foot testing lab inside the Launch Pad, company’s innovation and testing facility. GeekWire recently toured the facility, which employees roughly 200 workers that test the function and durability of a range of devices, from smart homes to iOT gadgets.

Read More
TechnologyAaron FreemanCES 2019, Technology, Tech Trends, GeekWire, T-Mobile, Innovation Lab, Launch Pad, 5G, Spring District, Bellevue, EastsideComment
Blokable Set to Expand into California
Blokable Set to Expand into California

Seattle-based startup Blokable—which is working to disrupt housing development with modular smart home units—has generated $23 million to expand manufacturing into California and prepare for new projects. Since delivering a project in Edmonds in 2018, Blokable has held off on additional builds and instead has “focused on nailing down the business model and making sure the manufacturing meets housing regulations.”

Read More
Design, Investment, TechnologyAaron FreemanBlokable, GeekWire, Modular Housing, Affordability, Washington, California, Nelson Del Rio, Aaron HolmComment
Seattle-Bellevue Market Update | June 2019
Seattle-Bellevue Market Update | June 2019

There is a nationwide phenomenon of home price gains slowing nationwide.  “Home price gains continued in a trend of broad-based moderation,” says Philip Murphy, Managing Director and Global Head of Index Governance at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “Year-over-year price gains remain positive in most cities, though at diminishing rates of change. Seattle is a notable exception, where the YOY change has decreased from 13.1% in April 2018 to 0.0% in April 2019.

Read More
Market UpdateAaron FreemanSeattle, Bellevue, Philip Murphy, S&P Case-Shiller, Market Trends, King CountyComment
Dive into the 2019 Waterfront Report
Dive into the 2019 Waterfront Report

Summer is the official time for waterfront living in the Puget Sound and Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty has put together an in-depth look of waterfront trends in 14 counties around Western Washington. RSIRWaterfront.com charts 15 months’ worth of data and includes average and median sales price trends, topographic maps of 27 areas and monthly sales activity.

Read More
Market Update, Waterfront ReportAaron FreemanWaterfront Report, Market Trends, Market Update, Seattle, Puget SoundComment