SEATTLE, WA-”A lot of buyers chasing after good apartment properties,” says Saint Newton, a principal with Seattle-based Paragon Real Estate Partners. He says a number of his clients have lost faith in the stock market and are looking for alternative investments.
“The market is a little weak right now, but interest rates are low, and apartments are fairly stable, all things considered. Rents in some close-in submarkets like Belltown are suffering, but some areas are still doing relatively well,” says Newton, adding that most investors are being realistic in their short-term returns and are prepared to wait for the larger upside to come with economic recovery—whenever it occurs.
Just this month Newton and partner, David Meissner, brokered a deal for the nine-unit Bowdoin Place Apartment. Although the property was built in 1967, Newton says the 1998 remodel helped in capturing a $1.28-million sales price. That translates to $163/sf—a hefty number given today’s market.