Quintessentially Eastlake! Four State-of-the-Art Homes by Dep Homes, $647,950-$749,950

Quintessentially Eastlake! Four unique and thoughtfully drawn floor plans at four price points! Amble to eateries? Zip to work? Kayak to fun? Or stay home and entertain with dazzling Downtown Seattle and Lake Union views from your towering roof top deck. Built for the discerning, urbane Seattleite intent on enjoying design, natural beauty and convenience: 4-star Built Green targeted, 2 bedrooms + den, cozy in-floor heat, gorgeous tile, quartz counters, and wood flooring, Abodian cabinetry & luxurious Bertazzoni & Paykel Fisher appliances.  Enjoy!

2218A, 2218B, 2220 and 2222 Yale Avenue East , $647,950 - $749,950

These homes are brought to you by Dep Homes and designed by Julian Weber.  What's more, all four homes are uniquely staged by three different stagers!  Come out, say hello, see these homes for yourself and vote for your favorite stager... and pick you new home!

Open Houses:
Saturday, March 29th, 1-3PM - Hosted by Fiore Pignataro,Windermere
Sunday, March 30th, 1-4PM - Hosted by Joy Rothrock, Windermere

What They're Saying About Fiore

"Thanks, Fiore!  I’ll spread your name to any potential home buyers!  You have been instrumental to my success. I’ve learned a lot with you and am having fun along the way—no one else said that yesterday at my buyers class.  Thanks again!"

—Erinn L., Ballard

 

“Fiore, Thanks for all your help and hard work in helping us buy our first home.  We love the place we ended up with and couldn’t be happier with how things turned out, setbacks included.  Please put me on your recipe list and I’ll be sure to refer anyone I know who’s looking to buy a home to you.”

—Curtis C. and Jenn I., Greenwood

 

“We are in the house and we love it more that we imagined.  It is very livable and feels like our home.  It will change our lives in many good ways.  And Lucia absolutely loves it!  She is so excited.  The attic is her room to do whatever she wants and there are no words to explain how happy that makes her.  Thank you so much.”

—Kristin M., Ravenna

“I have loved working with you, not just because you are so knowledgeable and thorough, but because you also understand how stressful the process is for your clients.  I felt supported and reassured throughout the process.  You are the best!”

—Pam P., Sunset Hill

From the Realtor ~ Super Awesome New Homes at Two Locations!

Spring is afoot, and the newness of the season is bringing on several new construction projects destined to excite.  Here are three new sites I am listing.  We are buttoning these up just in time for you to plant your spring garden!  Please let me know what questions you have regarding any of these super awesome new homes!

One-of-a-kind View Home in West Seattle by Maston Properties  ~  5421 15th Avenue SW 

Nowhere in Seattle can you find a new construction project on a lot like this.  Love big views of the Cascades and Downtown Seattle?  Love the secluded feel of being bordered by acres and acres of trees and trails?  This home borders the West Duwamish Greenbelt, home to eagles, red-legged frogs and fox.  Love having a 200' private driveway to your home?  Love 4 bedrooms upstairs, a master bedroom with en suite 5-piece bathroom, and energy efficient systems designed to save you money each month?  Then come check out this one-of-a-kind home!  Buyer customizations still possible.  Late March completion.  

Contemporary Homes by Barcelo Homes in Booming North Beacon Hill  ~  South State Street

A new and cool niche neighborhood is forming at the foot of North Beacon Hill.  Minutes from The ID, Downtown, booming 12th Avenue, and Central Area amenities and with killer views from sprawling roof top decks on quiet residential streets, one can see the appeal of this pocket neighborhood.  Cutting edge design, sensible floor plans, and 4-star Built Green systems are the cherry on top of fine urban living.  Late March through late April completion.
 

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town! From the Local ~ Great Seattle Walks

Call me a Seattle homer, but I love taking a walkabout in my town!  One of my favorite recent walks?  Stepping out of Piecora’s Pizzeria on East Madison St. and walking throughout downtown Seattle with a dozen friends the night we won the Super Bowl.  Think of high-fiving euphoric strangers and literally dancing in the streets to Maclemore.  Here are some other walks that will surely put some joy in your step!

Seattle Sculpture Park—Myrtle Edwards Park—Waterfront—Le Panier for coffee and pastries.  Just did this on a windy Sunday morn and what a range of images, from cutting edge art to the urban nature of the Sound to the rustic Pike Place market.  And Le Panier serves up still-wicked chocolate croissants at the end!

Beach Drive—Alki Beach—Harbor Avenue.  The scenic, residential curves of Beach Drive move you to the friendly funkiness of Alki (don’t miss Lady Liberty and the lighthouse!) and on to the jaw-dropping views of our cityscape.  Towards the end, try Marination Ma Kai near the water taxi for great Hawaii food.

West Duwamish Greenbelt.  You know that giant patch of forest you see as you approach West Seattle? This is Seattle largest greenbelt and it features miles of trails and loads of urban wildlife including fox (seriously?) and red-legged frogs.  This one’s labeled urgent on my bucket list—I’ll let you know how it goes!

Other Great Walks:  Blake Island (grab a picnic, get a lift, and enjoy this state park), Foster Island and the Arb (almost in full bloom!), Lake Union (nearly six miles in circumference—end in South Lake Union and check out what’s going on in this brand new “city” within our city).  Aren’t we lucky!

From the Chef ~ Cavolfiore con Olive Nere ~ Cauliflower with Black Olives

Here is another wonderful vegetable dish from one of my favorite recipe books/kitchen memoirs The Heart of Sicily:  Recipes and Reminiscences of Regaleali.  If you missed the last one, scroll down to stuffed pepper recipe below - so tasty!  This recipe calls for green cauliflower, a seldom seen heirloom variety.  I have substituted our typical white variety, and the author suggests Swiss chard, broccoli rapa, or other flavorful greens as alternatives.  Another optional ingredient is a few anchovy filets.  As they show up often in vegetable dishes like this one, I introduced them here.  This works well with both hearty winter roasts and summer grilled meats.  Please let me know if I can help you in any way!

1. Cut one head cauliflower (give or take 2 lbs.) into 2-inch florets and boil in well-salted water until al dente, about 4 minutes, then drain.  Meanwhile, sauté 1 small, minced onion in 1/4 cup olive oil until slightly golden, 2-3 minutes.  (Optional:  Add 3-4 chopped anchovies and sauté  with onions.)  Remove pan from heat and add 1/2 cup pitted and sliced oil-cured black olives.  Set mixture aside.

2. Preheat oven to 375º.  Oil an 8 x 12-inch baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Combine cauliflower and olive mixture in dish.  If desired, mix in up to 1/4 cup olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste, remembering that the olives and the cheese to come are salty as well. 

3. Toss with 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano or parmigiano cheese.  Now top with 1/2 lb. shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano or parmigiano cheese.  Bake for 20-30 min. or until top is nice and golden.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

From the Realtor ~ What's the True Value of an Experienced Realtor

I love that old saying, "This is not my first rodeo."  And now, in my 11th year in real estate, I have license to say that.  I really enjoy all aspects of this job:  analyzing the value of homes and neighborhoods, tweaking contracts, negotiating for the interests of my sellers and buyers, and most of all, helping my awesome clients get to the next space and next step in their lives.  More importantly, however, I've been seasoned by the various swings in the market:  I started in real estate during a balanced market, thrived during the big boom, honed my craft during the long, four-year bust, and now I am busier than ever during our recent resurgence.  From all of this I've learned that experience is paramount in real estate.  What's the value of hiring a veteran, expert Realtor when it comes time to entering the real estate market?  Don't let me try to convince you, check out the Wall Street Journal article below.  It turns out that there is quite a difference, both monetarily and experientially, when working with an agent who really knows how to ride the bull.  Yee haw! 

Wall Street Journal:  The Price of Real-Estate Experience:  $25,000

Here is another link to a Realtor.com which describes the advantages of working with a Realtor.

Why Use a Realtor?