New Cruise of Famous Waterfront Home Owners

By Scott Price

Sep

6

There’s now a “famous person groupies” cruise around Lake Union and Lake Washington, showing the locations of famous people who live on our beautiful lakes. Here is the info quoted from their inaugural invitation:

“”Map of the Stars” Cruise-Tours

The 3 hour “Map of the Stars” cruise includes Lake Union sights (Sleepless in Seattle floating home, Chihuly’s Studio, views of Space Needle and downtown, etc.) and Lake Washington with the premiere mansions (Gates, McCaws, Schultz, et al.) of Madison Park, The Eastside’s Gold Coast (Meydenbauer Bay, Medina and Hunts Point) and the North end of Mercer Island. I will narrate the tour and provide information as we view most of the homes in the book. We include the homes of eighty percent of the state’s billionaires. I will also point out homes listed for sale for more than $5 million.

The yacht has a wonderful upper level sundeck and a stately heated interior party and dining room with large picture windows.

Cruise includes:
Appetizers and dinner buffet
Margaritas, wine, beer and soft drinks
The book, Lake Washington 130 Homes ($17.95 retail).

$50 per person

More information is at: Anchor Bay Charters (includes map and directions) and Hundred Homes.

View some of these cruises on YouTube (2 minutes):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkmOnJYserM “

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Waterfront Home Sale Makes Front Page News

By Scott Price

Jul

10

You know there’s something “over the top” when the sale of a waterfront home makes the front page lead story of the Seattle Times… The 23,000 square foot Mercer Island waterfront home of the Lytles (founders of Leisure Care retirement community chain) finally sold after 6 years on the market and eventually being put up for auction (though not a foreclosure auction). The original $40 Million asking price was always overpriced, even in the go-go heyday of a few years ago. It was a classic case of asking too much in the beginning and continually chasing the market down, never getting ahead of the actual market value and market trends to make it truly in sync with real buyers. If it had been priced right initially they would have sold much quicker and they would have received a higher sales price.

The home sold – to the owner of the Video Only electronics stores chain – for the auction’s minimum bid of $12 Million. It is set up with grand spaces, indoor and outdoor saltwater pools, large dock and waterfrontage, great views, and all the details you would expect in a $12M waterfront home. Mr. Edwards will be having some great parties soon!

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Salmon runs increasing but still low in Lake Washington

By Scott Price

Jul

8

The salmon runs through the Ballard Locks are up from the past two years, but still below levels needed to permit recreational salmon fishing in Lake Washington. The salmon runs last met the minimum numbers in 2006. Distant Columbia River sockeye salmon are returning in record numbers through the Bonneville Dam, but that success hasn’t translated to our local fish populations yet.
As an interesting historical and habitat note, Lake Washington sockeye salmon were artificially introduced by the state in the 1930s to create a fishery and provide lifecycle nutrients for riverbank plants. Most start in the Cedar River, while others are released from local hatcheries. Hopefully the numbers will continue increasing!

Cedar River Lake Washington sockeye salmon

Lake Washington and Cedar River sockeye salmon in spawning colors



Click here for Des Moines Woodmont Beach Puget Sound waterfront house for sale

Des Moines Puget Sound no bank waterfront for sale (click photo for info)

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“Rich and Famous” book tour of Lake Washington

By Scott Price

Jun

22

Have you ever wondered what famous local folks live where – and in what kind of home – on the shores of Lake Washington? Well, local waterfront home owner David Dykstra wrote a book about just that, including lots of photographs: “Lake Washington 130 Homes“.

The King 5 Evening Magazine TV show interviewed the author and took a guided tour themselves in this video segment:

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Enatai Lake Washington waterfront neighborhood in Bellevue

By Scott Price

May

23

The Enatai neighborhood has long been a really interesting waterfront community option for living on or by Lake Washington. Its location is very convenient for commuting to either the Eastside or to downtown Seattle, and yet it retains the character of an older established neighborhood with big trees, nearby parks, and a sense of community.

Located just north of I-90 and on the west / Lake Washington side of I-405, it is bounded by the lake, Mercer Slough Park, Beaux Arts Village, and Bellevue. There are many home options here both on the lake or with easy nearby lake access, plus a wide range of home prices to choose from.

The Seattle Times published a nice informative article about Enatai neighborhood today. Check it out, and let me know if you have any questions or interest in Enatai.

The Seattle Times logo

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Newport Shores Coal Creek Salmon Habitat Ruling

By Scott Price

Apr

11

The previously reported battle between the city of Bellevue versus a resident of Newport Shores and his community association came to a legal head recently when a federal judge ruled against the resident and Newport Shores / Newport Yacht Club.

At issue was whether or not Bellevue met its obligations in managing stormwater runoff and sediment issues in Coal Creek, and also whether or not the resident created improper salmon habitat enhancement, all of which was part of a prior settlement. Bellevue was found to have met its obligations and the resident was found to have not created an actual salmon habitat enhancement on their property as specified, but instead to have effectively created a small salmon hatchery for introducing new fish into the creek.

And the battle continues on: The resident has been prevented from moving into his home for a long time now; he still needs to figure out how he can legally occupy his newly built – but never lived in – home. The city plans to file for reimbursement of their attorney fees. No winners in that protracted battle!

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Bellevue waterfront home permit dispute

By Scott Price

Sep

24

Want to see two immovable forces battle over riparian zone and salmon related permit issues? Check out the article in today’s Seattle Times about the legal battle between a Bellevue/Newport Shores attorney and the city of Bellevue over the construction of his home beside Coal Creek.

There are some interesting twists to this story, a bit different than the usual disputes over buffer zones, pervious surfaces, geotech, and such. The two opposing sides had a prior dispute 5 years ago, and are at it again. The home owner has built a nice new home beside Coal Creek and actually installed what amounts to a small salmon hatchery plus water-filtration plant with sump pumps to feed an artificial stream and holding pond! He even has a bridge over Coal Creek. The city claims he exceeded the size and location of disturbance zones around the home, plus says the mini salmon hatchery was never approved and he also did not create required flood mitigation berms. Bellevue is holding back his occupancy permit, and the home owner says he may not be able to move into his new pad for another 5 years.

Wow, what a convoluted mess there for everyone involved. Hope they get it all worked out.

The Seattle Times logo and subscription

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Removal of Logs on Lake Washington

By Scott Price

Apr

23

I was recently asked an interesting question: who is responsible for removing floating logs from Lake Washington? I did some digging with King County and the US Army Corps of Engineers, and this is what I found out:

The US Army Corps of Engineers is usually responsible for managing on-water safety issues, including occasional removal of floating danger logs from Lake Washington. This is part of their mission mainly because the lake is considered a navigable waterway with heavy marine traffic.

However, a “nuisance log” has many different interpretations and would not be addressed by most agencies, especially if the logs are onshore and not posing a hazard to marine traffic. What one person may not want may actually be good habitat for many creatures, and hence there would be a permitting conflict. There are actually Fish and Wildlife regulations against removing large wood from shorelines because the removal decreases refuge and food sources for fish. Officially, a hydraulic project approval would even need to be obtained from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife before such work could be done in the water. Smaller stuff is usually just handled by home owners on an individual basis.

Updated to answer reader question: I contacted the Army Corps of Engineers to get more information about what they do with the logs that they corral. They try to empty the holding pen monthly plus make a monthly round of Lake Washington as their schedule permits. The collected debris is off-loaded onto storage barges at the Ballard Locks. They dispose of usable debris to government agencies for restoration work or recycle it. The rest goes to the landfill.

Lake Washington waterfront real estate for sale covered porch view of Bellevue and Mercer Island

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Lake Washington Dock Permits Can Be Important

By Scott Price

Feb

17

A waterfront home owner who lives on the Renton shores of Lake Washington was recently found guilty of constructing a dock and boat lift without permits. Apparently a neighbor complained to the US Army Corps of Engineers (they are involved in the shoreline permitting process for docks), and even after the Corps cited the home owner to stop work he still kept going. As a result, he now faces up to a year in prison plus up to a $100,000 fine! He was charged with a misdemeanor violation of the federal Rivers and Harbors Act.

US Army Corps of Engineers logo related to waterfront homes dock regulations
For information on who to contact to determine regulations on dock construction and refurbishing, check my list of Seattle area government waterfront regulatory agencies on WaterHavens.com.

So make sure you have those permits in hand, and then you can relax and fully enjoy a beauty like this Lake Washington waterfront home for sale:

Lake Washington waterfront real estate for sale in Renton, this boat dock and lift IS fully permitted

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Christmas Ships, Land Use Regulations, News, Market

By Scott Price

Dec

1

Have you checked out the Christmas Ships around Lake Washington, Lake Union, and the Sound this year? Definitely worth a look, especially the December 23rd finale with the Best Decorated Boat Contest at Gasworks Park on Lake Union. Come bundle up and watch the festive sights at the different locations. It’s a great way to enjoy your WaterHaven, or visit someone else’s!

In local waterfront news, proposed land use regulations still dominate the talk among local rural WaterHaven owners. Both the Critical Areas Ordinance and a new ruling related to federal flood insurance / salmon protection have stirred up the debate something fierce. Petition drives and court cases are underway opposing restrictions on property usage, while other local organizations are educating people about environmental and community benefits. This should be interesting to watch…

Also, a team of divers discovered a World War II era fighter plane in the bottom of Lake Washington; certainly a more intriguing find than the usual array of old anchors and lawn furniture. If you haven’t mustered the time or courage to take up diving around our waterways, I highly recommend it. The lakes can be interesting, but the life teeming along the shores of the Sound are especially fascinating and world class. Yes it’s rather cold, but modern wetsuits or – even better – drysuits can keep you warm enough for your short explorations into inner space. Check out the Activities section of WaterHavens.com for a listing of local scuba clubs to get you started.

Unlike normal holiday trends, the real estate market is still very active right now. Last month saw new highs, available inventory has declined 18% from last year, and there are more buyers than sellers out there. Accordingly, prices have risen and time on market has declined. Some of the better priced properties are still moving very fast. For the November general King County market, the average residential closed sales price was $399,464 (as compared to $368,496 for November 2003) and the average condo sales price was $238,508 ($223,735 for November 2003). Average time on market has shortened from 61 days to 49 days.

In the WaterHavens waterfront market, house sales ranged from a Federal Way walk-down home on the Sound for $299,950 to a Mercer Island Lake Washington home for $5,250,000, condo sales ranged from $145,000 for a Redmond condo on Lake Sammamish to a Kirkland Lake Washington condo for $900,000, and floating home sales ranged from $135,000 to $1,135,000. Waterfront and water view inventory is down across the board, but that is usual for this time of year and is amplified by the still hot market plus excellent interest rates. There are currently 216 waterfront WaterHavens available in our local area, and even more water view and water access WaterHavens.

Enjoy a WaterHaven! Our waterfront and waterview is the best in the world.

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