Wendy Leung's Seattle Condo Blog

Equinox Update

Equinox Condos on Eastlake is on track for late spring completion. The steel framing is completed in the north building and framed to level six at the east and south building. The roof and windows are also being installed. A model unit will be located on the 5th floor of the building and will be available for hard hat tours by appointment beginning in March. As for the retail space, the owners of Wasabi Bistro and Red Fin are opening a new 2,000 sq.ft. restaurant called Mosaic in Equinox. So far, 61 out of the 204 homes are sold.

Ruby Hard Hat Tour

I had the chance to take a hard hat tour at Ruby today and checked out some of their offerings. The building is located next to Tramonti condos on the eastside of Eastlake Ave E .

The 4-story building has a nice courtyard facing the lake; many units have a partial lake view. The long corridor on the eastside of the building definitely helps in reducing the highway noise for most of the homes (with the exception of the north homes which get more noise).   

Specifically, I'm not a big fan of the north 03, 04 and 05 floor plans as they get the highest noise exposure from the highway. However, according to Tanya, the sale manager, those homes will be priced at the more affordable price point from mid to high $200,000's. If that is the case, then I guess it will be a fair trade off for buyers.

Ruby Condos Update

The Ruby condos sales center is scheduled to open the 3rd week of 2009. Pricing has not been firmed up yet but is expected to start at around $279,000 and top out in the mid $400,000's. The 52 open one bedroom and one bedroom homes will range from 620 square feet to 930 square feet. 

When asked about the noise coming from the Ship Canal Bridge, Sales manager, Tanya Foster offered that the developer has worked closely with acoustic engineers in the construction process to reduce the noise coming from the highway. Ruby is set up in such a way that the corridor is on the east side of the building, closer to the bridge. Most homes are facing the lake (with the exception of the homes on the north side) and the corridor adds as an additional shield from the noise. WSDOT has received funding to study the highway traffic noise and will be evaluating different methods to reduce traffic noise. This will probably help in further reduction of traffic noise further down the road.

Ruby Condos

Ruby Condominiums, a low profile mixed-use condo, is located in the developing Eastlake neighborhood on Eastlake Ave E and Alison Street. Unlike boutique condos such as Eastlake Lofts or the larger construction efforts like Equinox, Ruby will only be featuring 52 one bedroom homes, though many will have alcoves for a den or office.

This 4-story project is developed by Maria Barrientos, the same developer involved in the Stadium Lofts in Pioneer Square, Leona in Queen Anne and several apartment buildings in Seattle. Pricing for these homes is not firm yet but will probably be in the range of $300,000's to $400,000's. Home sizes will be ~600-800 square feet. Contruction started in Spring 2007 and is expected to complete in Jan 2009.

Open House Sat & Sun - Come say hello

I've been getting lots of questions about the different projects in Capitol Hill and Queen Anne.

If you'd like to chat in person about the market in general or specific projects you're curious about, I'll be hosting open houses in Eastlake and Queen Anne this weekend. If you are in the neighborhood, feel free to pop by to say hello and I'll be happy to give you the inside scoop.

Saturday (08/11) 1-4PM Eastlake View Condo
Sunday (08/12) 1-4PM loft in Queen Anne

-About Wendy

Equinox update 2

Equinox has started selling their units. As of last weekend, close to 40 units were sold.

Three different parts of the building make up this 204 unit condo. The two parts of the building closest to Eastlake Ave have lofts, open one bedrooms, one bedroom plus dens and two bedrooms. The 4 two-level lofts in the north side of the building are approximately 1,000 square feet and feature 17 foot ceilings. Units on the first level facing the courtyard have their own private patio.

The third part of the building (further from Eastlake Ave) has open one bedrooms, one bedroom plus dens, two bedrooms and two bedroom plus dens. This side of the building is closer to I5 and you’ll probably hear a little bit of traffic noise. For those who are sensitive to noise, you might want to keep that in mind.

Beside the spacious, above street level, gated courtyard, Equinox has a separate ‘Jewel box’ glass enclosed lobby that allows visitors to enter before getting into the condo. This is a rather unique design.

Three color schemes are available for home buyers to choose from and several customization and options are also available.

• Euroslider room dividers

• Hardwood floors throughout

• Mobile kitchen island

• Electronic shades (cool!)

• Custom multi-media systems

• Air conditioning

I asked Carrie DeBuys, the sales manager, about the project. 

Equinox Update

Equinox is holding their Grand Opening on April 14th and 15th, 2007. Prior to the Grand Opening event, home buyers who are interested in this condo can RSVP for a private preview at their Presentation Center which will occur on March 24th and March 31st, 2007. Priority purchase appointments are on a first come, first served basis.

Previous post and slideshow.

-Wendy

Technorati Tags: Equinox, Eastlake lofts, urban condominiums, Eastlake condos, williams marketing, Seattle condos, Seattle Lofts

Eastlake Lofts Update

Eastlake Lofts’ “preview” event took place last week. Like so many faux preview events, 12 out of their 18 unit lofts were already sold. During the event, Val Thomas, the developer for this project spoke about how he had been looking for an Eastlake location to build a smaller condo project and why he felt that smaller condos have a lot more to offer than bigger condos.

Eastlake Lofts is going to be of solid construction of concrete, steel and brick. Homes from the 2nd level onwards will have views of the Lake Union, Queen Anne and the city. Aesthetically, Eastlake Lofts look a lot like 19th Ave lofts on Capitol Hill, which is developed and designed by Val Thomas as well.

19th Ave lofts

Eastlake Lofts

Floor One

• 2 level lofts unit with deck on the main level and balcony on the 2nd level.
• Approx. 16 foot ceiling height
• 1,044-1,223 square feet
• Most units have close to 200 square foot deck.

Floor Two

• Flat units with balcony.
• Approx. 10 foot ceiling
• 790-944 square feet
• #201-#204 has approximately 60 square feet deck
• #205 and 206 has around 330 square feet terrace

Floor Three

• #301-#304 - 1,171-1,538 square feet
• 2 level lofts plus a roof terrace
• Approx. 200 square feet roof terrace and 60 square feet balcony on the main level
• Approx. 16 foot ceiling

• #305-#306- 830-894 square feet- flat unit
• 2 balconies on the main level

Floor Four

• #405-#406-Flat unit with spiral stairway leading up to roof terrace
• 2 Balconies on the main level and approx. 340 square feet roof terrace
• 842-894 square feet

Features

Gas fireplace, Viking gas range, Bosch dishwasher, kitchenAid Refrigerator, and slab granite countertops

Prices for units left range from $415,000-$945,000.

Pluses

• A smaller and more intimate building
• Generous amount of outdoor space (balcony, terrace & deck)

Minuses

• Neighborhood is still evolving
• No amenities

Exterior          Good

Interior          Good

Location      Average

View             Good

Amenities   Below average

Value          Average

Overall          Good

-Wendy

Technorati Tags: Eastlake Lofts, Eastlake condos, Seattle condos, Val Thomas, Val Thomas Inc, Williams Marketing, 19th Ave Lofts

Eastlake Lofts & Equinox

Coming soon this late summer/early fall are two new condos in Eastlake.

Eastlake Lofts

Eastlake lofts will be holding their VIP preview event on September 14.

WHERE: The Eastlake Bar & Grill - Private upstairs room

2947 Eastlake Ave. E.

Seattle, WA 98102

TIME: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

The estimated completion date for this condo is early 2007 and it is located on Eastlake Ave and Lynn St.

18 units of one and two bedroom loft homes
700-1,500 square feet

Estimated price range
Low $400,000s to over $800,000

This lofts project will be a solid construction of concrete, steel and brick with views of Lake Union. Unit features oversized windows, soaring ceilings, private balconies or terraces, kitchens with slab granite countertops, stainless appliance package with Viking gas ranges, Whirlpool washers and dryers, and gas fireplaces.

Building has controlled access garage with elevator. One parking space per bedroom, and secure storage.

Equinox

Around 4 blocks south is another new construction, Equinox (1530 Eastlake Ave E). The sales center is scheduled to open in 2007.

Equinox is constructed using steel frame construction with extensive use of brick systems along with metal panels. It will have the presence of two separate buildings separated by a central courtyard.

204 units
Open-flats, lofts and townhomes

$200,000 to
over $1 million

The park like setting is set above the street and includes lush landscaping, and extensive use of water features. Large common area includes a game room, flat screen TV, and kitchen area. Across the courtyard is the fitness center. Other amenities include roof top terrace and concierge service.

Interior design features include custom cabinetry, hardwood floors and a wide variety of personalization options.

Latest post on Equinox.

-Wendy

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Technorati Tags: Equinox, Eastlake lofts, urban condominiums, Eastlake condos, williams marketing