How Scarce is Housing in Seattle?
Due to the housing constraints found in the Seattle market, there are many cases where developers tear down a single house and squeeze in three to four townhomes on that single lot, often with no parking.
SEATTLE—Of the homes that were currently under construction earlier this spring, only 489 or 7.1% were slated for homeownership compared to 6,324 for rent, according to a downtown development guide by the Downtown Seattle Association. Condos were even scarcer in 2017 with only a 16-unit townhome development and no actual condominiums popping up in the area, compared to 5,600 rentals, says Curbed.
With demand clearly at a fever pitch in the ownership sector, one for-sale development comes in the nick of time, available for occupancy shortly after the first of the year. Developer Intracorp launched sales last week at its latest residential project in North Seattle, Ravenna88, a collection of 87 new townhomes starting from $695,880.
Located at the corner of Lake City Way and 88th Ave. NE in a neighborhood to include parks and gathering spaces, Ravenna88 features two-, three- and four-bedroom townhomes, all with attached garages, ranging in size from 1,410 to 1,784 square feet. The project is six miles north of Seattle’s central business district, two miles from the University of Washington, five miles from South Lake Union and has accessibility to Interstate 5.
The sales gallery was open to the public on November 3, when more than 100 visitors had an opportunity to tour a selection of under-construction homes. Visitors also experienced a virtual-reality headset tour for a glimpse into the finished product.
“In the Seattle market, we are seeing more and more cases where developers tear down a single house and squeeze in three to four townhomes on that single lot, often with no parking,” Christine Johnson, vice president of marketing and sales for Intracorp, tells GlobeSt.com. “So, buyers are excited to see a true community being built at Ravenna88 that is both close and easily commutable to downtown Seattle, but also has a neighborhood feel, attached garages, guest parking, landscaped courtyards and a community park.”
Designed by NK Architects, the townhomes offer open floorplans, master suites and outdoor decks. Kitchens feature quartz countertops with a glass backsplash, an under-mount sink, Whirlpool stainless appliances, a gas range with convection oven, a stainless/glass hood, and white painted and stained-wood cabinets. Kitchen islands with pendant lighting are also available per plan.
Master baths are designed with oversized showers and dual vanities, polished quartz countertops with porcelain under-mount sinks, full vanity mirrors, 36-inch-tall wood cabinets and semi-frameless glass shower doors.
“Ravenna88’s townhomes present a fresh look and feel to the North Seattle area with clean lines, dramatic angled roofs, a modern color palette, cedar accents and metal railings,” said Johnson. “This is truly an extraordinary opportunity to own within a quaint, lush neighborhood that has unprecedented access to shopping, dining and major employment centers, plus exceptional schools.”
Intracorp offers one- or two-car attached garages, mini split heating and air conditioning systems, high-efficiency hot water heaters, 2 x 6 exterior wall construction and whole-house networking with cable, phone, USB charging ports and Cat5 wiring.
“As a local developer with close to 30 years of homebuilding experience in Seattle, Intracorp has introduced more than 40 communities that encompass close to 7,000 homes,” said Johnson. “We’ve taken great care in designing Ravenna88 with a deep knowledge of the local community and inspiration from the region’s natural beauty and modern sensibility.”