U District

If you are wanting something fun, challenging and exciting to do in the Ravenna/U-District, you must check out FLEE the Ultimate Escape Game!  Proud to be known as the most advanced escape rooms the Seattle area, they bring fantasies and movie scenarios into real life. All of the themed game rooms are specially designed and crafted by skilled interior and industrial designers. Beyond finding clues and opening locks, FLEE has led the Room Escape Game into a whole new level by providing the most immersive room escape experience with tons of mechanical, electrical and automatic devices and puzzles that are intriguing and coherent with the story-lines, no two puzzles are the same!

Gather a group of friends (4-8 players) and book your Ultimate Escape!

The Neptune Theatre, located in Seattle's U-District, originally opened in 1921 and has since come back to life. Back in 2011 it was transformed from a single screen movie house into a performing arts destinaiton supporting musical and comedy performances, lectures, cinema, and community based programming.  

You can experience a tour of the Neptune Theatre, getting a closer look at the beautifully rennovation that exposed the original stage along with the restoration of the the eyes of Neptune whose face is nestled in the theater ceiling. The free tours are on the third Saturday of the month. Meet in the front of the main entrance of the Theatre by 10 am.  The tours will last about 90 minutes and will be led by members of their well-versed

Since the late 1950's, University Village has been a fixture in the surrounding neighborhoods of Laurelhurst, Ravenna, and Bryant.  As Seattle's only outdoor lifestyle shopping center, it is home to more than 120 stores and restaurants, offering a unique mix of locally-owned shops, signature national retailers and a varied collection of restaurants.  

Beyond the shopping and eating experience, you can enjoy FREE concerts with the U Village Sounds of Summer Concert Series presented by UW Medicine.  Concerts feature live music from local favorite bands and are held in the parking area in front of Veggie Grill and Aritzia below Room & Board.  Shows are on Wednesdays from 7 pm - 8:30 pm.  

The 2017 line-up features:

• July 12         Eldridge

Jet City Improv was founded in1992 by Andrew McMasters and Mike Christensen as Seattle's own improvised comedy show: more games, more comedy, no points or rules.  As the show gained in popularity, so too did their desire to spread the power of improv to the community in new ways.  So they bacame a non-profit orginazation with a mission statement they stick by: "To educate, enlighten, and entertain audiences through the art of improvisation."

Jet City Improv has been offering hilarious improv shows, improv classes, original shows, corporate improv classes and outreach work based out of a bright yellow theater in Seattle's University District.  

And is it family friendly?  Yes, bring your kids!  The theater is an all-ages venue.  

SOURCE: Jet

Seattleites love getting out on the water and we found another fun way for you to get out there! Mirage Eclipse by Hobie is the world’s first leg-powered stand up board. Check out the full promo HERE or visit Hobie Cats Northwest in Seattle.

I'm sure you've heard that King County home prices are on the rise but how much, you say? This chart, courtesy of Seattle Times, shows exactly how high. 

In short, buyers have become more aggressive. Fearing higher interest rates, they are offering high prices with less terms in the face of a record low inventory of homes. For those buyers who come to us saying, "I don't want to get into a bidding war." In this market, that's like saying, "I want to play basketball and not bounce the ball." Good luck with that! 

The median price for single-family homes sold in King County has recovered the ground lost since the last peak in 2007. Source: Northwest Multiple Listing Service (Garland Potts / The Seattle Times)

Are you a first-time home buyer?  

Help is on the way...

http://www.realtor.com/advice/5-tips-minimizing-first-time-home-buyer-stress/

We are here for you!  http://www.upagents.com/contact.php

I am happy to hear this news for our buyers who get detained in FICO credit jail - barred from buying because of this issue. This just in from David Haley of Mortgage Today:
 
Fair Isaac announced it is changing how credit scores are calculated. It will stop including any record of a consumer failing to pay a bill if it has been paid or settled with a collection agency, and adding less weight to unpaid medical bills that are in collection.

David goes on to explain...WHAT IS FICO?
- The FICO score is the most popular credit score model in the country. It's a statistical calculation based on the information in your credit profile.
- FICO reports several types of scores. Each is tailored for a different purpose, such as a credit card, personal, installment, auto

Has anyone else noticed that thing called the sun in the sky, recently? I have - and I’m taking it as a sure sign of summer! One of my favorite things to do during the summer is to wander down to a local farmers market, sample the juicy raspberries and find a beautiful flower bouquet for my kitchen table.

We’ve compiled a list of local farmers markets, so you can enjoy the experience as well!

Alki
West Seattle Farmers Market
Sundays, 10am to 2pm, year-round
44th Ave SW & SW Alaska St, Seattle, WA 98116

Ballard
Ballard Farmers Market
Sunday, 10am to 3pm, year-round
Historic Ballard Ave

Beacon Hill
Proposed, but no existing Farmers Market

Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill Farmers Market
Sundays, 11am to 3pm, year-round
Broadway Ave E and E Pine Street

Central District
Madrona