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Showing posts from August, 2014

Was Seattle�s Great Wheel a great investment or a colossal blunder?

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Seattle's Great Wheel at Pier 57 Rising 175 feet over Elliot Bay, Seattle�s Great Wheel occupies a dominant spot on the ever-changing Seattle skyline. Since opening at Pier 57 in June 2012, the Great Wheel has secured a spot as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Seattle by promising a fun ride with spectacular views of the city, the Puget Sound, and beyond. A Ferris wheel renaissance begins Ever since the London Eye debuted to huge success in 2000; countless other cities throughout the United States and the world have raced to build Ferris wheels. The London Eye kicked off a Ferris wheel construction renaissance, with over 35 other Ferris wheels launching around the world. Several Ferris wheels have cropped up in the United States, including the High Roller in Las Vegas , the Capital Wheel in Maryland , the Great Smokey Mountain Wheel in Tennessee , and the SkyWheel at Myrtle Beach in just the last three years. A Ferris wheel comes to Seattle It came as no surprise ...

You won�t believe what my realtor sent me

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Kevin - congratulations! You have been in your condo for six years as of June 30! Just closed on a unit in the other stack for less than you paid. Crazy market!  Did the building next door take away your view? Hope all is well.  Congrats! Roger. In 2014, I celebrated six years in my condominium in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle.  I purchased my condo in June 2008 for $327,000, not long after the US entered a severe recession due to the bursting of the housing bubble in mid-2007 . At the time, I thought it was an ideal time to buy since housing prices had already started plummeting and the US government offered a first time home buyer credit, which would make the purchase price more affordable.  Although housing prices had started to decline, I knew that historically inflation adjusted housing prices had  climbed steadily since at least 1970  and housing seemed like a safe investment. I also figured that rents were only slightly less than a monthl...