Another great reason to move to Burien,

B-Town Blog reports:

LA Fitness, which is planning on moving into the space formerly occupied by SAAR’s and Staples, has filed for permit applications for improvements on the property at 14905 4th Ave SW.

According to a note in this month’s City Manager report (PDF file, p. 238), the proposed scope of work includes “partial demolition, alteration and remodel of the existing 45,030 square foot building into a health club with basketball, sales, racquetball, kid’s klub, aerobics, cycling, pool, spa, sauna, locker room, free wights, cardio and circuit training area.”

The project valuation is estimated to be $4 million dollars.  

As we previously reported, Jim Alexander, Vice President of Merlone Geier Partners told The B-Town Blog on Feb. 20, 2013 that they “…hope to have them open by the end of the year.”

Obviously they’re running behind in their proposed timeline.

There are three LA Fitness gyms in the Seattle area, with the nearest located at 350 Baker Boulevard in Tukwila.

B Town Blog Original Article

Washington’s closing costs among lowest in U.S.

As mortgage rates slowly increase, so do loan origination fees. USA Today reports that loan-origination and other fees went up 6 percent in the last year to a national average of $2,402 on a $200,000 single-family mortgage loan to a customer with stellar credit and 20 percent down, based on data from Bankrate.com. The reason for the parallel rise in rates and fees is two-fold. First, higher rates mean less profit on the money loaned. To compensate for the loss in profit, lenders attempt to make up the difference in fees. Second, the work required in underwriting loans is greater today than it has been in the past, thereby increasing costs. Bankrate’s 2013 survey indicates that Hawaii averages the highest closing costs at $2,912 for a mortgage of $200,000 (excluding taxes, title fees, property insurance, association fees, interest, and other prepaid items). In contrast, Washington has one of the lowest in the nation at $2,208. – See more at: http://dustinkeeth.info/#sthash.LtCW2P5e.dpuf

Search Burien & Normandy Park Real Estate homes for sale:

The front porch is a vestige of an older, simpler way of life when families sat outside and neighbors visited with one another. Once a place for relaxation, the front porch faded in popularity due to an evolving modern life that brought about air conditioning and backyard decks, according to www.houzz.com. But the architectural feature is making a strong comeback.





There’s no easier way to add square footage to your home than to maximize the transition areas outside your property. Households can utilize the porch for additional entertaining space or for solitude. Need some inspiration? Check out Better Homes and Gardens for style ideas.

Diane Foreman, a design consultant with Neil Kelly Co. notes that the porch is, at minimum, a transitional space between the home’s exterior and interior. But the porch is also a holding place of “intangibles,” sensory experiences and memories about childhood, grandparents, and neighbors.





Seattle Times writer Tyrone Beason sums it up this way:





“The duality of the front porch is intriguing. It is a part of the house and yet it is a part of the streetscape. It is a private space but, then again, there’s nothing private about it. You can watch the world go by there — but the world can also watch you.”





Beason reminds us that a well used and aesthetically appealing front porch adds valuable space to homeowners and curb appeal to the home, which can increase the overall value of the property.

For more information on Burien Real Estate

– See more at: http://dustinkeeth.info/2013/07/24/the-front-porch-is-a-gateway-to-memories/#sthash.Fpaw15bM.dpuf


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Luxury apartment dwellers can now park their automobiles right next to their high-rise properties, whether they live on the first or thirtieth floor. Singapore will open Hamilton Scotts, a luxury condominium that touts a sky garage, in the summer of 2013. Similar high-rise projects complete with the latest in auto parking include luxury properties in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., and Manhattan’s West Chelsea neighborhood. Watch the Wall Street Journal video for details.

Existing-home sales could reach normalcy in 2013, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR) .

Sales of existing homes throughout the U.S. rose 2.3 percent in July from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.47 million, reports the Seattle Times . In the Puget Sound area, sales rose 11 percent in July.

Single-family rentals are hot.

Forbes  reporter Morgan Brennan shares insight on three ways to grow wealth in the housing market. Real estate investment trusts, turn key investment properties, and renting and managing homes as a traditional landlord are good options now and in the future. Watch the video for details

The average cost of closing on a mortgage has dropped by 7.4 percent over the past year, reports  CNN Money . Based on a recent survey conducted by Bankrate.com, a $200,000 mortgage with 20 percent down might cost a buyer $3754 in closing fees, or $300 less than one year ago.