Why Shoreline WA Is Still One of Seattle's Hottest Markets

Hey Shoreline Washington. If you've been watching our channel from Shoreline, then this one is for you because we have been busy out here this spring and I want to show you exactly what's been happening in one of the most competitive pockets of the Seattle area real estate market. I'm Emily Cressy. I'm a realtor and team lead with HomePro Associates at Keller Williams Greater Seattle. I've been helping buyers and sellers right here in Shoreline and over the last couple months things have been pretty busy and I've worked with people who live right here in this community. I'm going to share some of the stories and the insights from the field so that you can get an idea of what your buying or selling experience in the North Seattle region is likely to be. I live in Lake Forest Park. I've been voted a top Kenmore realtor the last couple of years and I just want to share kind of what is happening so you can be abreast of the situation if you are researching what to do, when to do it, and figuring out your next home move. So today I want to talk about what the Shoreline market is actually doing right now, what we've been closing, what's coming up, and why I think this is still one of the most compelling places to buy in the Greater Seattle area even in a market where a million dollars is kind of like the median price point. So let's start with what we've been doing. We recently listed a property here in Shoreline for $575,000. It was a small home with a great yard and the sellers busted their hump trying to get it ready for sale in just 30 days from our first meeting. We priced it intentionally because it did have power lines behind it and we looked at what else was selling in the area. We weren't sure how much of a detriment that would have to the price point, but the good news was we got over 10 offers on this property and people were approaching us afterward with backup offers, calling to see if we were really going to close, and yes, that one closed at $660,000, which is nearly a hundred thousand dollars over asking price. And it happened because of our A-plus strategy, which is the strategy that I take all of our clients through and you can read about that. I actually, I think we'll try to put a link in the show notes here so you can download our report on exactly what that is and how we do it. We also had a listing near Hanlon Park a few weeks before that, which we listed at $750,000, which I thought was on the high end of what comps were showing, but multiple offers came in for that one too and that ended up closing at $800,000, which was the seller's dream price. And I said, you're never going to get it. And we got it. So he was absolutely thrilled and the seller, he earned it, man. He contacted me six months before going on the market. He asked me, you know, give me the list, all the homework. What are the things that I need to do to get it ready? And he went through and did everything. He painted inside and out. He got the yard in shape. He cleaned up all the rooms. We got it professionally staged. He reseeded the grass. He updated countertops. He put in quartz countertops and it looked fantastic. He had a pre-inspection and fixed some electrical items that came up on that. And it didn't look like brand new. You know, this was a 80 year old home. The seller success story is kind of what happens when you do all the things you can that make sense, that are cost effective to position a home correctly in a market where demand still outpaces inventory. And we have something new coming up. I think I can tell you about it now because by the time this video launches, it will be live, but it's a two bedroom house near the light rail. It's got a huge sunny front yard, as well as a large fenced backyard and fruit trees. And homes like this generally sell a little above $600,000. So again, you know, this is a very popular price point. The entry level price point being near light rail is huge. And a lot of these areas in Shoreline we're seeing competition from developers as well, because close to the light rail, there's been a lot of rezoning and there's additional rezoning planned for some of these taller buildings to be built. So you're going to have more condos and more townhomes or apartments closer to the light rail. So you're having higher population density so people can walk there. But in the meantime, there are going to be fewer and fewer houses. So if you want a house, if you want an affordable house with land and room to play soccer in the yard and play catch and take your dog out and run around, there's going to be fewer and fewer of those homes available. So the demand for them is definitely picking up. And as they become the lower number of them, supply and demand, right, there's going to be a lower supply of single family homes in walking distance to the light rail. So you can either buy that to kind of lock in your position or as a speculative thing, like maybe the land will be worth more and you could put three townhomes on it or something like that. The thing you do have to be prepared for, though, is that the face of these neighborhoods will be changing. What used to be, you know, nice, affordable older homes are going to start to feel like they're the little town in the middle of the big city. So that could be good, could be bad, just depends on your perspective. And if you're looking for homes like this, if you want to be among the first to know when affordable homes become available or homes at a certain location, reach out to me and I will let you know. I will keep you posted. I have a list of buyers that I'm working with and I will put you on that with your exact criteria so we can be the first because a lot of these homes sell in the first weekend. It's just ridiculous. So you've got to be there and get on it pretty quickly if you think you want to be a contender for something like that. Get geared up, get on the same page with your agent, get pre-approved with your lender so you know exactly what to do and when you're informed, you're educated, and you're ready to act. Because remember, even with a median price point in Shoreline of around $800,000 now, there are still opportunities here below that price point for buyers who are not in that price range. But the window is narrow, the competition is fairly stiff, and you just need to be prepared to move quickly when the right home comes along. You need to know what it's worth, you need to know how to write a competitive offer, and you need to know how to make sure that the inspection is good and that you feel safe and comfortable with that. Now if you're not from Shoreline or you're not super familiar with it, Shoreline is worth the fight. The schools here are excellent. The Shoreline School District has a reputation that draws families from all over the region and if you've got kids, that matters almost as much as the square footage or the mortgage or something like that. That's a huge factor. We've also got great parks. Hamlin Park sits right next to Shorecrest High School and Kellogg Middle School. We've got Boeing Creek Park over by the Shorewood area on the west side by Richmond Beach, and these parks are just fabulous. Huge wooded parks with, you know, you can kind of get lost in them, right? So it's big enough that you actually feel like you're out in nature. Dogs love it. They have off-leash dog parks in both of these areas. In spring and in summer, you'll find like little league games, soccer games going on. Lots of families everywhere. I went to Kellogg and Shorecrest and I ran cross country and I would always would run through the woods in Hamlin Park and there are some killer hills there, but your coach might make you sprint up and get a good leg workout in if you're so inclined. I also trained to be a softball player in elementary school. I did Snow King softball. I was on the all-star team in elementary school. I got the green jacket. So anyway, these parks and these schools are just great resources right in the middle of the Shoreline neighborhoods. On the west side, they also have Shoreline Community College. I guess it's called Shoreline College now, and they have a huge campus as well. Ball Fields, dog parks. It's a very kid-friendly, dog-friendly, eco-friendly community and just lots of nice people here. For entertainment, there's the Crest Theater. I just took my daughter and her friends there to celebrate the end of school. Like it's the sort of a second-run theater, so it's less expensive and the movies have been out for a while longer, and I'm thrilled it's still in business. I used to go there as a kid. The last time I went there, I think, I don't know it was the last time. It's been a while, but I remember going there when I was very pregnant with my daughter before she was born, and I remember thinking how uncomfortable the seats were and I was like, oh, you know, maybe they're too tight or too small, but it turns out I was starting to go into labor, and I was having little contractions, and that's why I thought there was something wrong with the seats, but it was certainly a memorable trip for me. My husband has no recollection of that. So anyway, besides that old stuff, you know, new things are coming to the Shoreline area as well. On 15th Avenue at 175th, there's a rock climbing gym that's been there for a couple of years. They're the new Poshmark Apartments, which if you remember, if you're an old-timer, they were built on the site of our old post office, so I love the little, like, tip of the hat to that, as well as other new apartments where Lena's Cafe used to be, and all sorts of things. So the neighborhood keeps growing, it keeps adding things, and it keeps getting more interesting. We have the Shoreline Place Mall, which is getting redone. The Sears is gone. They've got the Town & Country Market, nail salons, they've got kids swimming lessons, Chipotle. My favorite is Chipotle, so I have kind of a bead on where all the local Chipotles are. There's like three that we, or that we rotate through, north, south, east, and west, right? But the bottom line for you is that if Shoreline is where you want to put down roots, if you want the schools, the parks, the community feel, like the outdoor plays during the summer, the 5ks, right? You want to stop renting and stop waiting. I'd be happy to talk to you about what buying a home in this community looks like, whether you're a first-time buyer, working with a tight budget, or you're ready to move up. I had some folks sell their $600,000 house and move into a $1.3 million house recently, which was really exciting to see how much more they could get for their money. It's really exciting to take that next step, but of course you've got to get started. You can text the word HOME to my cell phone, 206-245-8813, or book a call with me using the calendar link down below in the description. I'm Realtor Emily Cressy with HomeProAssociates.com, and I look forward to seeing you in the next video.