Spokane Real Estate Blog

Spokane ranked top 10 by Forbes for Real Estate market

2008-01-29T03:26:00.001-08:00

“Home prices nationwide posted their biggest drop in 16 years last month, according to the National Association of Realtors”

“Californians are moving up to this valley in inland Washington, driving up prices and leaving locals grumbling about crowded new developments and the lack of affordable housing. Though fewer new homes are under construction, and more “For Sale” signs crop up daily, Spokane is still a bargain. Median prices here are less than a quarter of those in San Francisco and a third of those in Los Angeles”

READ FULL ARTICLE

EWU quietly sold its downtown Spokane center

2008-01-29T03:25:00.000-08:00

“Eastern Washington University quietly sold its downtown Spokane center to a Portland-based real estate company for $3.4 million, a sale authorized in this year’s legislatively enacted budget. Higher education old-timers will remember this facility as the controversial “Frederickson building” purchased back in the early 1980’s by former EWU president George Frederickson”

“The former Spokane Farm Credit Bank Building was purchased by the EWU Foundation in 1982, a non-profit organization separate from the university”

READ FULL ARTICLE

Peaceful Valley high rise controversy

2008-01-29T03:24:00.000-08:00

“A building developer wants to build a 17-story high-rise condominium tower overlooking Peaceful Valley, east of the Maple Street Bridge. The neighborhood is fighting to get it stopped. The neighbors are right of course. This thing has no place in a neighborhood of the character of Peaceful Valley. It’s a no-brainer, yet whatever happens now, the taxpayers are on the hook for possible damages”

“The developer of the proposed 52-unit Peaceful Valley condo has sued for $7 million in damages after a city hearing examiner already denied the project, saying it’s too tall and would illegally cast a shadow on a nearby city park”

READ FULL ARTICLE

Why the Fox Theater Restoration is Smart Business

2008-01-27T07:05:00.001-08:00

“Spokane’s vibrant arts community is vital to our continued economic growth and success. Companies considering relocation see a community’s art scene as an asset because it adds to the cultural ambiance, entertainment options and overall quality of life that people value. As a real estate agent, I’ve met many new residents moving here from California, Seattle or the East Coast who are delighted to find that Spokane has an excellent symphony and a thriving arts community“

“The Fox Theater’s restoration, scheduled for completion this fall, continues downtown Spokane’s renaissance. It’s a keystone of the Davenport Arts District, complementing the Bing Crosby Theater, CenterStage and the Big Easy to create an attractive urban destination. Other cities, including Tacoma, Tucson, Knoxville, Portland and Boston, have experienced significant urban revitalization around similar restoration projects”

READ FULL ARTICLE

Spokane’s Green Building Boom

2008-01-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

“Spokane Home Builders Association (SHBA) is going green-quickly. The group, that represents eight counties in Eastern Washington, plans to launch BuiltGreenWA this year, a green building rating program developed by Puget Sound area builders and consultants.
“The buyers are asking for it. Fifty percent of Spokane’s expected growth in the next ten years is expected to come from Seattle, Portland, Boise, San Francisco-these people are moving here and they want green construction. That is the reason it is moving so quickly for us-the demand is exploding,” says Paul Warfield, Community Affairs Director with the Spokane Home Builders Association”

READ FULL ARTICLE

Browne’s Addition: Condo with a view or home with a view?

2008-01-24T03:26:00.000-08:00

“Aside from the Riverside & Peaceful Valley neighborhoods, Browne’s Addition has probably undergone the most dramatic changes in the past few years. Two big, pricey condos - all the rage along Riverside Avenue in Browne’s Addition - are going head-to-head with one high-end historic home”

“The newer condos seem to really hype things up a bit more than the historic house. Calling the 3rd floor of a building a penthouse seems a stretch. And when did a water softener become a selling point? The historic home seems modest in it’s description even though it was built for a former mayor of Spokane”

READ FULL ARTICLE

New Spokane venues and condos revive Spokane nightlife

2008-01-24T03:25:00.000-08:00

”Downtown Spokane, which used to fall asleep when the sun set, now is staying awake into the wee hours, and doesn’t appear to be likely to resume its slumber anytime soon.

In recent years, new restaurants and bars, spurred on by development activity in the city’s core, have been changing the landscape of the after-hours scene downtown. New hotels, condominiums, and entertainment venues have lent a cleaner, safer, and more upscale image to the area, which creates an environment where nightlife can thrive, downtown business representatives say”

READ FULL ARTICLE

Sleepy Spokane awakes to a real estate renaissance

2008-01-23T05:02:00.000-08:00

“Spokane doesn’t have the fast-paced environment of Seattle or Portland, but it is changing. Over the last five years, investors in this once sleepy city have made over $1 billion in downtown real estate improvements.

In 1990, downtown Spokane’s economic future looked grim. Rumors of Nordstrom and The Bon Marche closing were rampant. The “mallification” of Spokane that started decades before was finally wreaking havoc in Spokane’s historic core”

READ FULL ARTICLE

RIP Rookery Block

2008-01-20T18:58:00.001-08:00

“The block is now completely gone…”

“After the city withdrew its offer for a “friendly condemnation” of the block, negotiations between the owner and potential developers fell through, bringing the block closer to demolition. SPA, and especially the Advocacy Committee, worked tirelessly on this issue for two years”

READ FULL ARTICLE

Spokane residents rally against Wal-Mart

2008-01-20T18:46:00.000-08:00

“The heated meeting was just the most recent attack on the world’s largest retailer in Washington, where residents of several cities are trying to pass zoning laws to keep Wal-Mart out and lawmakers are considering proposals that would require the company to provide more health care benefits for its workers”

READ FULL ARTICLE

Kendall Yards site cleanup complete!

2008-01-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

“More than 200,000 tons of contaminated soil is gone and a piece of prime real estate overlooking downtown Spokane and the Spokane River is ready for development”
“Plans for the development include up to 1,000 residential units and 1.5 million square feet of commercial space. The project is estimated to create 500 jobs during construction and up to 2,500 permanent jobs in the commercial space”

Read Full Article