photos courtesy of Lacey Lybecker

The world of whiskey (or whisky, if you please!) is far and wide, but there is no need for regional travel or crossing country lines to taste the best in Northwest beverages or a vertical line-up of single malt Scotch. Hop Scotch Beer & Scotch Festival… features a tasting flight with six whiskies handcrafted by Northwest distilleries, plus a vertical flight of five single malt Scotches from The Glenlivet. Guests can sip on Scotch from far away Scotland, stay local with Northwest whiskies, or sample both flights to test their taste buds on the difference.

(This is a sponsored story written by John Madrid, Managing Broker with John L. Scott Real Estate).

What a difference a year makes … sale prices continue their climb and time on market continues to drop. It is definitely turning into a seller’s market.

For the 11th consecutive month the median sale price for single-family homes sold in Northwest Seattle, including Ballard, Fremont, Green Lake, Phinney and Wallingford, met or exceeded the sale price for the same period a year prior. Much of this trend can be attributed to a decrease in the supply of homes for sale in 2012 compared to 2011.

In addition to a shortage of inventory, record low interest rates, continued strong hiring by Amazon, Microsoft and a slew of smaller to midsize companies and a general belief that the market has hit bottom has resulted in strong appreciation for most Seattle home owners and sellers in 2012.

The median sale price for single-family homes sold in 2012 in NW Seattle was $425,000 compared to $399,000 for 2011, a 6.5% increase. The average time on market decreased to 32 days in 2012 from 42 days in 2011.

A less than a 3 month supply of homes is generally considered a Seller’s market. The overall supply of NW Seattle homes averaged around 1.4 months of inventory for 2012 compared to a little less than a 3 month supply for 2011.

Expected trends for 2013 include continued low interest rates and inventory as well as multiple offers situations for competitively priced homes in popular neighborhoods including most of NW Seattle with its great walkability, popular schools and proximity to downtown.

More stats on other Seattle neighborhoods can be found here.

Tip: Even in a strong home Seller’s market amazing photos and professional marketing materials (including a custom website and full color two sided flyers) can result in a quicker sale and the best sale price.

John Madrid is a Managing Broker with John L. Scott Real Estate – University Village and is a 2005-2012 Seattle Magazine “Five Star” Agent. His clients include both home buyers and sellers. He can be reached at 206-498-1880, john@live206.com or www.live206.com.

(Statistics are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed. All information should be verified to the users own satisfaction.)

Over the holiday break, two Seattle Pacific University students were involved in separate accidents in Oregon. Sophomore Drake Edwards from West Linn, OR was killed in a car accident on December 23. Another sophomore, Richard Sohn from Everett, Washington, was involved in a tour bus crash near Pendleton, OR on December 29 that resulted in fatalities and injuries. There has not been an official update as of yet on Richard’s condition.

SPU President Daniel J. Martin sent an email to SPU students as they were returning for Winter Quarter, which included the following:

As a result of learning about Drake’s passing before I left to visit family, I spent a great deal of time over break reflecting about our community, relationships, and those who experienced a very different Christmas and New Year’s Eve than they had anticipated. Certainly, the Edwards and Sohn families, those affected by the horrific act of violence in Newtown, Connecticut, and other members of the SPU community who have lost loved ones recently are among these. My thoughts and prayers have been with them all.

A service of remembrance for all in the SPU community who have lost loved ones in recent months is being planned for Friday, January 4, at 5 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church, adjacent to the SPU campus.