by Melanie Grimes

Created on: June 11, 2009   Last Updated: June 12, 2009

Homes for sale in Seattle are starting to rebound, and many sources, including Forbes Magazine, suggest that Seattle will continue to be one of the first real estate markets to rebound. Employment in Seattle is up nearly 3% since 2008. College towns are experiencing job growth and a stable real estate market, compared to the rest of the United States, where job growth decreased by 3.5%.

The Seattle houseboat community is another undiscovered treasure. Nearly 500 houseboats provide homes in Seattle, and about 10-20 are on the market at any given time. Houseboat moorages in Seattle are either rented or co-op owned. Houseboats on co-op docks are considered more favorable. Houseboats in Seattle can range in price from $50,000 to many millions, depending on the size, location, and dock. Many of Seattle's houseboats are one bedroom, one bath homes, built originally for fishermen and loggers. When Seattle installed sewers to the houseboat community, the value of Seattle's houseboats soared. The least expensive houseboats in Seattle are those licensed as barges. They are purchased with boat loans, whereas the homes permanently docked

The University District is home to many students. This is an area of much turnaround, but also permanent residents, as the University of Washington employed two percent of the Seattle's workforce. Other major employers include Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks and Boeing.

West Seattle is a unique community inside the Seattle city limits. Surrounded by water, this oceanfront Seattle neighborhood feels like a small town. Homes for sales in West Seattle are less expensive than in other Seattle neighborhoods, so many first time home buyers prefer to buy homes here. Townhouses and condos are also springing up. Alki Point in West Seattle was the first area settled by Caucasians. The native tribe, the Duwamish, also settled in this area because of the proximity to the ocean, which provided transportation and food. Alki Beach is a popular beach and the homes near the water are the most expensive in this neighborhood. There is a ferry that runs from West Seattle to Vashon Island, the Fauntleroy Ferry. Vashon is a bedroom community that uses West Seattle as its launching point and for services, such as grocery stores. Though there are stores on the island, many prefer the variety available in West Seattle.

Other Seattle neighborhoods, such as Capital Hill, Fremont, Wallingford and Green Lake are also seeing new home buyers lured by the government incentives and low mortgages.

The Coldwell Banker Westlake office is the #1 selling real estate office of any company in Seattle, and #3 internationally. Seattle is also served by Windemere, John L. Scott and numerous smaller companies as well. There are a few brokers who specialize in houseboats for sale, and some who focus on condos or new construction, though the majority cover certain neighborhoods, or a customer demographic, such as first time home buyer.

Seattle is a thriving city on the verge of a real estate market rebound. Homes for sale in Seattle are starting to sell, and this is a great time to buy a home in Seattle.

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