December 2nd, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
If you havn’t tried these places, they are both unique. One is fairly new. One has been around a long time and continues to delight the public with their displays that change with the seasons.
Gemini Fish Market, stop by and get something different for dinner.
Gemini Fish Market makes it so we don’t have to drive to Seattle for a market such as this. It is located at 1410 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah WA 98027. 425-961-0741 You can get fish and flowers just a few steps away from each other. They are on Twitter, twitter.com/geminifish, and Facebook. email is freshseafood@geminifish.com .
Countryside Floral is not far away. 1420 NW Gilman Blvd Ste 1, Issaquah, WA 98027 425-296-0494
Both are back off of the main front of Gilman. A tree outside of Countryside is always decked out and delightful, with a hint of things inside.
Whenever I go to QFC, I always drive by this tree. Best dressed tree in Issaquah!
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December 1st, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
Driving around recently with clients looking for houses, I drove past this sign. My first thought was “you would never see this sign in Issaquah!”
Can anyone guess where it is?
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November 27th, 2009
Posted by Larry Cragun
In looking at the current mls statistics for Issaquah home sales I still see a buyers market. This chart shows the entire MLS, which doesn’t give an accurate picture of individual markets such as Issaquah or even community stats such as Issaquah Highlands. It is still interesting. 
An indicator of what is going on are those homes in pending status. These reflect offers accepted and awaiting the results of inspections, subject to financing, or pending final closing.
There are 53 homes and 15 condominiums that went into that status since the 1st of November. October had 63 homes and 59 condomiums enter that status for the entire month.
What is a positive sign for the market is illustrated in the graph below: That is that instead of the largest number of sales moving at the fastest time period being in the very lowest prices, that has moved up to the $500,000 to $600,000 price range.
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November 21st, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
I decided I needed moral support for Thankgiving so I went to WeightWatchers. A really good meeting was conducted by Kimberly E. who teaches Thur at 6pm and Sat at 6:30, 8, 9:30 am in Issaquah on Gilman. I am passing on the best advice from the meeting. May you eat from the horn of plenty without blowing it. Can you do it? Can I do it? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
From Aminah Ibrahim & Flickr
From philippe.charles9 & Flickr
There will be much more tempting foods at my thankgiving table, yet this BIG Mac kind of says it all about the stomach stretching, weight bloating holiday.
We never need repent from eating too little. Thomas Jefferson
How do you handle thankgiving? Click comments and tell me.
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November 21st, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
I always wished I was one of those persons who has their Christmas shopping done before Thankgiving. Not going to happen.
During the Salmon Days Event in Issaquah, the art and craft booths offered some really unique things that would make great gifts. I didn’t write about them, but I really wanted to give some credit and publicity for some great ideas.
Here are my picks for gifts
Golden Goose Hats with Linda Mestrovich lmestrovich@aol.com Website www.goldengoosehats.net
Golden Goose Hats
Unique one of a kind Felted Hats
Check out her website: www.goldengoosehats.net
Next Abraxas Crow Company www.abraxascrow.com . These are steel sculptures, lots of work, lots of creativity, and they are pretty expensive. But for that special hard-to-by-for person, perhaps.
Do you know someone whose home needs a piece like this? A huge conversation piece.
They do make smaller pieces
Artist is Gunter Reimnitz 360-379-3281 reiminitz@olypen.com Website www.abraxascrow.com
Then there is tye dye clothing from www.flashbackunlimited.com email: flashbackunlimited@msn.com
Flash Back Unlimited Tye Dye Clothing
This really is a flashback for me. The long dresses they had were my favorites. Some were a little more subdued, which I liked. Guess I’m not as flashy as I used to be.
Happy Gift Hunting
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November 18th, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
I saw a newpaper headline the other day touting this fact “Shops Open on Turkey Day.” You all know it is about THANKSGIVING, not turkey. Evidently the shops that are open don’t. They see it as another big shopping day. I feel sorry for their employees who have to work that day, but of course I am sure they are very thankful to have a job.
I decided to make a list of everything I’m thankful for. If you have a list and want to share it, click on comments and send me yours. Some people who have been the worst victims of our economic downturn seem to be the most thankful. Could it be that adversity does make us stronger and MORE thankful?
I decided to add to this list everyday because I keep thinking of things to be thankful for, let me think:
I am thankful for family, friends, husband, Mom’s mincemeat pie, sunshine, rain, bagels, electicity, fireplaces, gas logs, salt, curry, sunsets, my church, Issaquah, Seattle Times cartoons, internet, a comfy bed, down comforter, pillows, good parents, curling irons, orchids, temples, Christmas decorations, Christmas, children, step children, grandchildren, art, health, cats, vitamins, a warm winter coat, my new computer, color printer, real estate picking up, integrity of folks, forever stamps, flip camera, kindness, eyesight, cell phones, exercise, interior design, weddings, bathtubs, auto, spring, summer, fall, even winter, I am still alive, doctors, dentists, sound mind?, elevators, garages, books, US citizenship, cheeses, crabcakes, gourmet granola, houses, Cougar Mountain Zoo, tiger cubs, ……………………to be continued. These are not neccessarily in the order of importance!
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November 11th, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
Is this Nancy Athena Porter?
Have you ever found a picture in a family members photo collection that was obviously someone of importance to the family with no information about who it is or when? Such is the way of Family History research. It is full of questions, begging to be answered. My father’s family came to the U.S. from Ireland and the history is full roadblocks, stonewalls and detours. One has to be a bit of a detective to find the answers. It is a quest many people are interested in and is a fascinating adventure.
The good news is that there is help galore at this years Family History Expo.
Every year, usually in Oct or Nov, a Family History Expo is held in our area. It is an all day event with classes, displays, vendors including keynote speakers on a huge variety of subjects to interest anyone interested in Family History or Geneology. Many organizations participate. There is no charge, however if you want a syllabus from the event that is $4.00. IT IS A GOLD MINE OF INFO.
To help ensure the classes are held where there is enough room to accommodate subjects with the most interest shown, please register online at www.wafamilyhistory.net and also indicate that you want a syllabus so they have enough. There is a list of organizations participating and all of the classes, times and speakers. You don’t have to stay all day. Choose the classes you want.
Some of the participants are Assoc. of Professional Genealogists PSC, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Black Genealogy Research Group, Daughters of American Colonists, National Archives and Records, Irish Genealogical and Historical Society, just to name a FEW.
Also vendors such as Roots, Ancestry.com and others are usually there as well.
There is a class titled Irish Roadblocks & Stonewalls, Detours Around; Just what I need.
The Expo is held at 10115 172nd Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052, LDS Church building. There is a map on the website and you can sign up for lunch if you desire. www.wafamilyhistory.net
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November 6th, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
The best bank in Issaquah just became a bit better. We always gave them top ranking in cutomer service and friendliness but now the new remodel, at the Gilman branch, makes the interiors fresh, bright and cheery. Customers, Key people and Mayor Ava Frisinger participated in the evening’s celebration.
Sandy Collins, Mayor Ava Frisinger and Jim Sheaffer present a BIG check to Issaquah Valley Community Services.
Maureen McCarry and husband, Tom Knollmann participated in the event
Congratulations to Maureen for winning her bid for re-election to the City Council!
And congratulations to Key Bank on their new environment. It will be nice for our favorite Key people, Sandy, Jim, Nancy, Betty and Lynn and for us, their customers.
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November 5th, 2009
Posted by Larry Cragun
I shouldn’t have categorized this topic as Short Sales And You should I? You are not in a short sale situation on your home, right? You most certainly aren’t trying to buy one, right? OK then, the official category for these articles is “Short Sales And The Other Guy”. There. For the full series click the category on the right sidebar that is mistitled, Short Sales And You with my full apologies.
I was an early player agent in the short sale game. I think it was over two years ago. The price was awesome, the agent sure he had a listing that would sell, and the buyers were in dream land.
Six months later the bank told me of course we won’t sell this home, we can’t. We are under water too. Not many weeks later the lender Ameriquest filed for bankruptcy.
So vying to never mess with this waster of time process again I logically didn’t live up to my vow. We tried another, a client and me. How did it work out? Click over to real estate undressed to find out. If you are in too big a hurry to click over I will tell you it didn’t.
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November 4th, 2009
Posted by Larry Cragun
Is Issaquah A great place to live or what? Eighty home buyers thought so last month. Of that eighty 46 bought homes and 34 purchased condominiums.
Some of these sellers had been on the market for a while. One that had been listed for $3 million had been on the market for 617 days. It went for $2,880,000. It was in Issaquah Highlands.
The least expensive home sold for $172,500. It was on the market for 2 days.
Take these extremes out and you get the following statistics: The chart below shows days on market. These stats support that it is still a buyers market in Issaquah.
The average listing price was $492,887 and the average sold price was 3.64% less than asking price, $474,924.00. The average condo list price was $257,522 and the average sold price was $252,975. The average condo was on the market 111 days.
Currently there are 283 homes and 198 condominiums for sale in Issaquah, over 6 months inventory. This is not a good number for sellers.
Of these 21 condos and 22 are short sales. I am daily convinced that short sales are a waste of time. Click here for a series I wrote about short sales. Issaquah is unlike markets such as South King County where the majority of homes on the market are short sales.
Real Estate Stats courtesy of Rappattoni and the Northwest MLS.
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November 3rd, 2009
Posted by Larry Cragun
I just discovered something cool on Twitter. (I follow King 5 on Twitter and they pointed this out) The King County Elections department has a feature that answers these questions: Did my ballot get sent, did my ballot get lost, did my vote get counted.? They acknowledge that your ballot travels a long way from the time it it’s printed to the time it’s mailed to you and returned to their office. You can follow eachstep of processing your ballot.
I checked and my vote counted. I guess that means my favorites win.
Click here to go to the King County Elections ballot tracking site:
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November 1st, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
It is not like I don’t have plenty of clocks in the house. I think each room has one. I forgot before I went to bed. Woke up in the middle of the night and remembered. Didn’t want to get up to change a bunch of clocks. Couldn’t go back to sleep because I knew I should do it, but eventually I forgot, went to sleep, woke up with the alarm, jumped out of bed, not wanting to be late to church, then remembered, didn’t want to be early to church, went back to bed. Woke with a start, too late, I would miss church altogether. So much for daylight saving time.
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October 31st, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
These two events in downtown Issaquah could be attended at the same time. They are close to each other. Looks like fun.
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October 31st, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
Careful of this guy if you trick or treat at this house! Very Scary!
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October 30th, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
2/9/10: We just added Agave to Our Blog Network: CLick here:
I posted an article about the Agave restaurant in Issaquah Highlands. At the time, I had not tried it yet, but now I have. I give it a big thumbs up. The link to that article is below.
http://issaquah.neighborhoodsundressed.com/2009/09/25/have-you-tried-agave-concina-tequilas-yet/
I am not a professional restaurant reviewer, just an Issaquah citizen who likes good food. Agave is not your run of the mill Mexican Restaurant. The things we tried were delicious, I would like to have tried more but it is hard on the waistline. My choice was Enchiladas Verdes, with grilled asparagus, garlic spinach, roasted wild mushrooms, crema blanca, salsa verde, cotija. I loved the grilled asparagus and would go back just for that. Their sauces are a cut above the rest, very tasty. Even the rice and beans were just a little different. I hear the Sweet Potatoe Fries are good, I resisted for caloric reasons. We also had the Guava Flan.
We had a comment on the blog, folks that were upset that Agave charged for Chips and Salsa. This was because of (bad) advice from a business consultant and is no longer the case. Chips and Salsa are FREE when you are seated for your meal.
Pictured above at the Highlands Green Halloween last Saturday are some of the Agave staff. Left to right are Ricardo, Julian (owner), Armando, and Angel. Our service was friendly and timely. We can’t tell you about the tequila. You will have to find out for yourself.
Let us know how you like Agave.
Agave Cocina & Tequilas is at 1048 Park Street, Issaquah Highlands, WA 98029 425-369-9829
WEBSITE http://agavecocinaandtequilas.com/ Hours are 11am-10pm Sun-Thurs and 11am-12pm Friday and Sat
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October 30th, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
Pretty fancy. This trail extends from Highway 900 to Lakemont Bivd. It is wide & paved and is lighted. A particularly nice trip with the autumn leaves in full color. The leaves are going fast, in fact some are already gone. Not gone exactly, just covering up the trail in our picture.
Have you tried it? If so let us know what you think. Write a comment on this article.
Newport Trail
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October 24th, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
Each year Issaquah Highlands has a fun event for all ages around Halloween. This year the celebration was at the Shops at High Street Retail Center. Participants put on their best costume duds, adding flavor to the occasion.
Judy at the Home Center in IH
Teresa with Vicki Stier
Kids could win a prize for the best costume
Young Kim of Highlands Cleaner, a good place to go
- Even Dracula likes Zeeks Pizza
Anyone recognize this guy?
Agave booth was a tasty stop
At the Agave booth left to right are: Ricardo, Julian (owner), Armando, and Angel, all ready to serve you.
It is now 3PM. It lasts until 4PM, you can still make it and you don’t even need a raincoat.
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October 20th, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
All year long as I drove along West Lake Sam, I noticed a very different house going up. I used to live across the street so I know the neighborhood well. Eventually, a large sign went up with a picture of the completed house and some info. It was called Zero Energy Idea House. It is now completed, I was hoping that there would be tours and those tours are now happening. A van will take you to the house from Vasa Park. 3560 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy SE. Bellevue. The house is at Bass Cove. A van is no longer available. The house is a 804 W Lk. Sammamish Pkwy, Bellevue, WA 98008. Call 425-427-1300 for more info.
Tours are Saturdays and Sundays Oct 17, 18, 24, 25, 31, and Nov1, 7, & 8 10 AM to 4 PM
Notice the vegetation on the roof and the helixwind and solar panels. The vegetated roof helps keep the home cool in the summer and warm in the winter and also reduces storm water runoff. The house is built of SIPS, structural insulated panels. It is fast and there is no waste.
The home has in floor radiant heat, unusual cabinetry and glass features. The garage is full of information and samples on all the products used. The appliances are Miele, my favorite was a steamer oven where you could steam 3 different foods at a time.
The powder room has a Glassworks sink and counter made from recycled glass that is to die for.
There is a very informative website on all the products and how it was built: www.zeroenergyideahouse.com
The Contrator was Shirey Contracting Inc www.shireycontracting.com (in Issaquah)
Clinkston Brunner Arcitects www.clinkstonbrunner.com
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October 15th, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
Are you good at guessing peoples weight? How about pumpkins? If you are lucky you could win……..
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBig Pumpkin! HOW BIG??????????????
At PCC Grocery in Issaquah you can enter to make a guess (an estimate). WIN
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October 12th, 2009
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
It’s a done deal, Swedish Hospital has broken ground on their new health care facility in Issaquah Highlands.
This will be an important accomplishment for residents of Issaquah and Sammamish for a comprehensive , fully integrated health care, sort of a outpatient clinic with beds in back, giving them near next door access to world class healthcare.
The benefits are more than medical, however. It will be an economic boon to our area, with more than 1000 direct jobs. The Swedish Hospital will also cause growth in retail and hospitality services. Employees of Swedish can live, work and play in Issaquah Highlands or Issaquah taking advantage all the convenient trails, outdoor recreation, and community spirit we have here.
Mayor of Issaquah, Ava Frisinger and Governor Christine Gregoire along with Swedish dignitaries grabbed their golden shovels and made it official.
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