In case anyone else has been wondering what the black boxes above SR 520, I-90 and I-5 were…

First, no, they don’t take your picture, have lasers, or mail you tickets. The black boxes hovering precipitously above the highways are there to help with traffic. They are Active Traffic Management tools. They are essentially a series of electronic speed-limit and lane status signs that will adjust automatically to help highway-goers navigate with a higher degree of safety and efficiency.

Using Technology Improves Traffic

Active traffic management tools have been proven to be effective at reducing collisions and improving traffic flow in Europe. The use of the technology has reduced collisions by around 30% and increased the total traffic capacity on the roadway.

The goal is to utilize the traffic management signs to reduce congestion and help make travel safer and efficient.

For more information, please see the WSDOT web page for SR 520 and I-90 active traffic management.

Held at the Seattle Center each year, the Bite of Seattle is one of the most popular and anticipated events each year. While the name suggests that food is the attraction, you’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy live music, cooking demonstrations, and family oriented entertainment.

When: July 16^th – 18^th, 2010
Hours: Friday 11am – 9pm, Saturday 11am – 9pm, Sunday 11am – 8pm
Admission: Free! (may be costs associated with food and drinks)
Where: Seattle Center
More Information: 425-283-5050

There’s Food!

Visitors will be treated to all kinds of tasty foods including entrees, desserts, fruit drinks, microbrews, and wine. Many varieties of ethnic foods will be available as well including Thai, German, Greek, Filipino, French, Russian, and Hawaiian. A majority of the food booths will have samples that you can indulge in for free!

There’s Drinks!

Adults can savor the Bite of Seattle’s beer and wine gardens. Beers of the world, Northwest wines, and brand name cocktails can be enjoyed at specifically designated areas throughout the Seattle Center.

There will be music!

In between chowing down or enjoying delicious cocktails or fruit drinks, live music will be performed all throughout the Bite of Seattle event from noon to closing. Rock-n-roll, jazz, swing, and several classical styles will be performed.

There’s more!

Visitors to the bite of Seattle will also have the opportunity to attend contests, comedy shows, commercial exhibits, and a comedy club.

Congress recently passed a bill that will extend the closing deadline on the Homebuyer Tax Credit. The extension lengthens the closing date to September 30, 2010. This deadline is for home purchases that had a signed contract by April 30th of this year. There will be no gap between June 30th and the date the President signs the bill into law.

Additionally, Congress has extended the National Flood Insurance Program through September 30th as well. This bill is retroactive and will cover the lapse period from June 1, 2010, to the date the law is enacted.

In the spring of 2011, all-electronic tolling will begin on the SR 520 Bridge to help pay for the construction of a new, safer bridge. 

Good To Go! electronic tolling uses technology to keep traffic moving with no toll booths, no stopping, and no slowing down.  

Customers can set up prepaid accounts linked to a Good To Go! pass that is installed in your vehicle or linked to your license plate. Automatic replenishment allows you to never have to worry about running low in your account. Simply link a bank account or credit card to the account and your Good To Go! account is automatically replenished when you run low. 

As you drive under electronic sensors on the east high rise of the 520 bridge, the toll will be automatically deducted from your prepaid account.  If the driver does not have a prepaid account, a photo will be taken of the vehicle’s license plate, and a bill will be sent in the mail to the vehicle’s registered owner.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has launched an extensive outreach campaign to educate drivers about electronic tolling on the SR 520 Bridge.  To reach as many bridge users as possible, WSDOT  is on the radio, in newspapers, online and out in the community.  WSDOT is currently meeting with community and business groups throughout the region to answer questions about the SR 520 Bridge electronic tolling program. 

The message is simple: Get ready for all-electronic tolling on the SR 520 Bridge by signing  up for the interest list at http://www.goodtogo520.org/, and stay up-to-date on tolling developments.  Subscribers will receive regular updates about rates, account options, special offers and customer service resources.  Interest list users will be among the first to be able to sign  up for a Good To Go! account beginning January 2011.

Thanks to the WSDOT team for helping with this article. For up to date traffic information and projects, please see the WSDOT website.

On May 21^st, Seattle Symphony Music Director Gerard Schwarz will lead the Orchestra and local teen soloists in a free community concert 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Friday, May 21, in the Seattle City Hall lobby, 600 Fourth Ave. This special performance is part of Seattle Symphony’s ACCESS Project (Artistic and Cultural Community Engagement with Seattle Symphony). ACCESS is dedicated to bringing classical music to communities throughout the region, especially those areas that don’t often have the opportunity to participate.

After the the concert, audience members can mingle with Symphony members at a post-performance reception in City Hall’s Bertha Knight Landes Room.

The Symphony will perform works by our own Seattle Symphony Composer in Residence Samuel Jones, Ernest Bloch, Charles Tomlinson Griffes, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart. Featured soloists include University of Washington freshman and violinist Jocelyn Chang, Roosevelt High School senior and flutist Lauren Glass, and Issaquah Pacific Cascade freshman and cellist Karissa Zadinsky.

This will be the fourth year in a tradition started in 2006 where the symphony will play to standing-room-only crowds of more than 300. Don’t miss this opportunity to listen to some of the greatest works of classical music and support the young soloists and the rest of the symphony.

During the regularly monthly meeting in Olympia, the Washington State Transportation Commission will continue to discuss the SR 520 toll setting.

Tolls for the SR 520 Bridge have not been set but will be discussed during the meeting. There won’t be any toll booths on the bridge; tolling will be done electronically. Motorists will prepay into a “Good to Go” account. When cars approach the bridge, an overhead device reads a transponder sticker on the windshield and automatically deducts the toll from the account. For those who don’t have an account, cameras will record license plates and send out a corresponding bill.

During the meeting, the Commission will work with the Washington State Department of Transportation to develop the toll rate structure. The discussions will cover the setting of the timeline, potential rate levels, and the rate structure.

The meeting is open to the public if you’re interested in attending.

The two-day meeting will be held at the Transportation Building in Olympia at 310 Maple Park Ave. SE. Meeting times are 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18 and 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 19.

Hi all,

Sorry for the inconvenience, but due to the increase in spammers we’ve had to temporarily disable commenting.

The Queen Anne Hill Writing Team

Things that can make a home sale hard to close or not close at all…

If the buyer wants to buy a home contingent on, i.e. before, selling their primary residence the transaction can sometimes get very stressful as deadlines near. This situation can sometimes be remedied by a bridge loan. Bridge loans are temporary loans that bridge the gap between the sales price of a new home and a home buyer’s new mortgage, in the event the buyer’s home has not yet sold. The bridge loan is secured to the buyer’s existing home. The funds from the bridge loan are then used as a down payment on the move-up home.

Delays can be caused by the agent not having previously worked with the lender. Communication between the two parties may not be as open as with people who have worked together before. Ensuring open communication can make all the difference!

When phone calls or email are not responded to it’s amazing what glitches can come up. All parties need to stay in close contact with each other throughout the entire transaction right up until closing.

An out of town appraiser can often cause a bump in the transaction time line if they are unfamiliar with the area, types of property in the area or area pricing. Neither banks nor mortgage companies will lend above appraised value. This can be remedied by the buyer bringing in a larger down payment, reevaluation of the original appraisal or ordering an entirely new appraisal. These are not cures but could be options.

Inspections are utilized to find hidden defects even the seller might not be aware of. There may be issues that would not normally be recognized by the consumer. These can generally be remedied by price adjustment or repair.

Improper permits can often delay a transaction. Additions to garages, MIL’s, work sheds etc. When work is not properly permitted nor is grandfathered in it can sometimes disrupt the appraisal or inspection process.

Be sure you understand what the rules and regulations are for sewer systems and underground oil tanks in the area in which you are buying. Some of those guidelines are ever changing in regards to various environmental regulations. Some oil tanks can be filled with sand, some have to be dug up, some can be certified as is and won’t disrupt anything. Regardless, be aware.

Mold, lead based paint or homes where there was illegal drug manufacturing can all be environmental issues that can derail a transaction.
Certain changes in the financing terms can be limiting factors as well. Change of terms or fees can affect an outcome of a loan. Be sure that the good-faith estimate of fees and rates is seen by the buyer within 3 days of receiving an application. This is a pretty accurate disclosure of what the loan is going to cost the buyer.

The Preliminary title policy commitment is the best way to see if the property is “encumbered.” Encumbrances can be anything having to do with water rights, property lines, easements, clouded ownership or workman’s liens, among many others. Often a good title officer can find solutions to these situations. However, they can be the cause of some stressful hurdles in the transaction.

You don’t have to know everything about everything in order to buy a house. But, the pertinent things that apply to your loan or the property you want to buy are important enough to have enough information to ask the questions. . . . .

Hire a good agent!

Backyard cottages are just that; Cottages. They are a spacious “MIL” mother-in-law. However they cannot be more than 800 sq. ft. They are allowed in single-family zoned properties throughout Seattle under an ordinance approved unanimously by the Seattle City Council. Owners of the property must live on the premise and Seattle would allow about 50 new cottages a year. The lot size along with height and depth requirements are covered under city ordinances as well.

Cottages or DADU’S (Detched Accessory Dwelling Units) are an additonal way to support needed housing in Seattle. They can be a nice niche for students, relatives, elderly or low-income rental property. They are small dwelling units that are on the same lot but separate from a single-family home.

Permit fees for backyard cottages will vary according to whether they are “new construction” or existing structures. It can take time to go thru the permit process. For more information about legalizing a currently occupied backyard cottage, please contact Dianec.davis@seattle.gov. For information needed on permit requirements go to www.seattle.gov/dpd/BackyardCottages or call Applicant Service Center (ASC) at 206-684-8850.

Welcome to the National Realtor Open House Weekend on April 10^th and 11^th 2010.  This event is backed by the Washington Association of REALTORS.  You’ve probably already heard it on the Radio, TV and read it in the Newspapers.  This is a state wide event. . . .along with other parts in the nation. 

The market and pending sales were  sparked with increased confidence due to the positive response of last years event. This year REALTORS hope to have even a bigger and better event by inviting buyer’s to view homes and possibly take advantage of the last minute buyer’s tax credit, coupled with a  great time to buy with record-low interest rates and a  great selection of homes across the price spectrum.

The National Open House weekend will showcase the wide selection of homes offered for sale for both move-up buyers and first time buyers.  Informing buyers of the  extended/expanded homebuyer tax credit which expires on 4/30/2010.

Get out and take a look. . . . . . . .