CNN Money had recently listed the 8 cities they are predicting to post housing gains by September 2011 and Tacoma, Washington made the list. CNN Money forecast a 4% gain in Tacoma home prices, which is a huge increase from the 22% lost since 2006. With medium price of a Tacoma home for sale at $239,000, it’s no wonder why homebuyers are taking this great opportunity for an investment.

Tacoma's downtown has gone through a restoration over the past few decades, with new museums, galleries, restaurants and even a branch of the University of Washington. Homebuyers are enjoying Tacoma’s new homes easy access to city sophistication and fine dining one day and hiking, skiing or kayaking the next.

The homes for sale in Tacoma provide locations near history sites and the wonders of Seattle’s wilderness.  Explore everything from salt-water beaches and waterfalls, to Museums and the glass art of Dale Chihuly. Tacoma’s homes are located near family friendly attractions like the Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum and Washington State History Museum and even the Chihuly Bridge of Glass. For outdoor adventures take your family to visit the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Seymour Botanical Conservatory and Lakewold Gardens.

Tacoma homes for sale have something for everyone. With builders like Polygon Northwest and Quadrant Homes you are sure to find a great deal on a single family home within an amazing community. Polygon Northwest had recently released, with overwhelming number of interested, The Estates at Lakeland Hills. The Estates at Lakeland Hills offers 3 - 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms new homes within a 2,113 - 2,953 sq. ft. These Tacoma homes for sale are starting from the high $200,000's. Quadrant Homes is offering Tacoma’s number one selling green home at Northwest Landing. Northwest Landing provides new green homes with 3 bedrooms, 1 - 3.5 bathrooms and 1,263 - 3,861 sq. ft. homes with prices starting from the mid $200,000's.

East Seattle’s Vista Park Audubon, by D.R. Horton provides single family new homes for sale in Issaquah Highlands' premiere community of Vista Park. With Vista Park Audubon new home planes selling now with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 - 3.5 Baths and a 2-car garage, now is the time to buy a new home in east Seattle.
 
Vista Park Audubon homes for sale features covered porches, decks and exciting basement designs, with homes ranging from 1,898 to 2,371 sq. ft. Each new Vista Park Audubon home is economically built to fit a green lifestyle. With energy efficient windows with “Milgard” vinyl and a lifetime warranty against defects in material and workmanship insure for easy maintenance. A 90% energy efficient gas furnace provides comfort while preserving energy.

Impressive exterior detailing including stone mixed with board and batten siding, columns, porches and distinctive trim, make for a formal and elegantly Washington eastern Seattle new home. Within Vista Park Audubon new homes for sale you will find stainless steel GE appliance including 36" gas cook top and self-cleaning wall oven with built in microwave and dishwasher. Raised panel Maple cabinets feature 36" upper cabinets with crown molding. Plus your kitchen will be complete with beautiful ceramic tile countertops and granite backsplash.

At these Issaquah Highlands new homes you’ll discover over 1,500 acres parks and open space. Vista Park Audubon residents will have access to the trail systems within Issaquah Highlands that links within networks of trails to Squak, Tiger and Cougar mountains. You will be glad to know that these eastern Seattle new homes for sale at Vista Park Audubon in Issaquah Highland Alps. are certified  with the “4-Star Built Green” and “Energy Star”, which are the highest environmental rating awarded by the Master Builder Association of King and Snohomish Counties.

Snoqualmie Ridge by Quadrant Homes is not only the Seattle area's best-selling green home community, but its top-selling master planned community overall! Located a mere 30 minutes from culturally hip and vibrant downtown Seattle, these luxurious but affordable new green homes for sale are the perfect place to live for those who want to be close to both urban excitement as well as the beautifully lush natural landscapes that only the Pacific Northwest can offer, all while living in an environmentally conscious new home.

At Snoqualmie Ridge you’re close to everything you could ever want out of a living community, like numerous hiking trails (25 miles of trails), 34 parks, 540 acres of open space, tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields, mountain and road biking, fishing, kayaking and top-quality golf. If you're interested in doing some downhill skiing, then Snoqualmie Pass is only 25 miles to the east. Major retail shopping is close by along major highway I-90, and the city of Snoqualmie itself has a wide array of local shops, galleries, and restaurants.

The city of Snoqualmie is a friendly community that is best known as the home of the Snoqualmie Falls, where water cascades 270 feet over granite cliffs, 100 feet higher than Niagara falls, and which attracts visitors from all over the world. You can also find the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, as well as antique train cars that feature on the 5 mile stretch of historic railway.

New green homes at Snoqualmie Ridge are currently available in floorplans that range from 1,504 to 3,869 square feet, have 2-3 bedrooms, 2-3.5 baths, and are starting in the high $300,000's. Quadrant Homes believes in flexibility, and they're committed to doing what it takes to design the perfect new green home that fits around your personal lifestyle. For more information about these perfect new green homes for sale in this Quadrant community please call 425-396-5000.

Brought to you by the respected name of Quadrant Homes, these new green homes for sale near Seattle, Washington offer exorbitant value without the exorbitant price. Sitting across from a gentle park on a quiet street, Skagit Highlands give you all the benefits of living near a culturally hip major metropolis like Seattle, while at the same time providing a lifestyle that is bot comfortable, as well as a safe place to play for your kids.

Located halfway between Seattle and Vancouver, nestled in the gorgeously verdant Skagit Valley, and frequently cited as one of the most livable places in the United States, Mt. Vernon embodies both an uncomplicated rural heritage, as well as a strong sense of community. But just because Mt. Vernon has these things, that doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice any modern conveniences, and you won't at Skagit Highlands since there are plenty of shopping and dining options in Mt. Vernon.

 Some of the wonderful things that await residents of the new green homes at Skagit Highlands are the many trails and parks in and around Mt. Baker and the Puget Sound area, the year-round community festivals and events, including The Highland Games & Scottish Faire, The Bald Eagle Festival, The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, and the Oyster Run. You're also close to the I-5, as well as convenient shopping with a Haggen supermarket nearby. Skagit Highlands also benefits from being close to Mount Vernon Community College, as well as Skagit Valley College, which was recently voted as one of the best community college's in the country; and for those who like to keep a close counsel over what they eat and where it comes from, you'll love being near the Skagit Valley Food Co-Op.

These new green homes for sale are currently available in several masterful floorplans that contain 3-4 bedrooms, 1-2.5 baths, range from 1,263-3,963 square feet, and are starting in the high $100,000's. For more information and on how you can benefit from green homes, please call 360-542-8355.

Two years after the close of the housing boom, people continue to talk about making a move to Seattle. And why not? Seattle real estate market conditions in August 2009 show circumstances to be clearly in the buyer’s favor. As we addressed in a report on Seattle market conditions July 2009, inventory is high and prices are lowering. It doesn’t get much better than that! Here are the numbers:

Inventory
Homes for Sale: 3,305
New Homes: 3
Foreclosures: 1,374

Median Price
Homes for Sale: $429,000
New Homes: $224,950
Foreclosures: $300,289

Month-Over-Month Change
Homes for Sale: -1.4%
New Homes: n/a
Foreclosures: -1.7%

A little thrown off by the higher price of overall homes, when compared with the new homes? Keep in mind that Seattle is full of historic older homes and upscale high rises, some of which may drive up the overall price. Other than that, homes for sale in Seattle are nothing to be afraid of; if you are one of its countless interested buyers, the time to contact an agent is now.

Snoqualmie Ridge, Seattle’s number one selling master planned community, offers incredible amenities with panoramic views, restaurants, retail shops, parks, and trails. The reasonably priced lavish new Seattle homes for sale at Snoqualmie Ridge are located in the charming city of Snoqualmie. Snoqualmie Ridge secluded location will leave you felling miles away from the big city, and allow you to come home to the awe-inspiring wonder of Snoqualmie Falls and Mount Si.

At Snoqualmie Ridge you just have to step out your front door for  hiking trails, parks, playgrounds, basketball, soccer and tennis courts, mountain biking, fishing, kayaking and world-class golf! Wow that’s what I call amazing amenities. Not to mention that major retail shopping are close by with Snoqualmie rewording local shops, boutiques, galleries, spas and restaurants.

Perhaps though what is the most impressive about these Seattle homes for sale, is that each new home is green. Snoqualmie Ridge by Quadrant Homes, is administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency and is Energy Star® qualified. By choosing “Energy Sound” your new home will be more energy efficient than what is recommended by the national code. The benefits of owning a home that is ENERGY STAR qualified is the positive effect it has on the environment and your wallet. Through Quadrant Homes material selection and design innovations, your new home will reduced greenhouse emissions and significantly reduced your monthly utility bills. The benefits of a green home are endless, with aiding in the preservation of your surrounding environment and saving money by owing less on your utility bills to qualifying for an energy tax credit.

Snoqualmie Ridge by Quadrant Homes is located at 6608 Salmon Berry Court SE Snoqualmie, WA 98065. For more information on these Seattle new homes for sale with 2 - 3 Bedrooms, 2 - 3.5 Bathrooms, and ranging from 1,504 - 3,869 sq. ft. that start in the $300,000's, call at: 425-396-5000.

Another category of honors recognized by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) 10th annual National Green Building Conference on May 11 was Best Custom Home. What company built custom green homes with outstanding adherence to NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines in 2008? Chaffey Homes, located in Kirkland, Washington.

Chaffey Homes believes that selecting a custom built home begins with finding the best combination of perfected craftsmanship and outstanding value. Therefore, it’s only natural that they embrace this belief by offering an array of home buying and design choices. Additionally, they understand that your home is where your investment - and your memories - will grow. Fortunately, they don’t use those principles as an excuse to limit themselves when it comes to sustainable building. Chaffey Homes has evidently mastered the art of creating the whole package – an environmentally friendly home with a family’s needs at heart.

It started when growing national awareness of the need for a greener world first surfaced. Chaffey Homes took an active role by starting to enhance their building practices to comply with the regulations for Energy Star and Built Green. The result was added confidence and lower ownership costs for Chaffey Home’s owners; and, better performance of the homes’ energy functions. When owners are experiencing lower utility bills and increased protection from the elements, pollution, and noise, their overall quality of living is improved significantly – all because of the construction and craftsmanship of their home! Congratulations to Chaffey Homes on this accomplishment!   

With a nine percent increase year over year, Seattle continues to be among the top real estate markets in the nation. Along with cities such as Charlotte, North Carolina and Portland, Oregon, Seattle has a comfortable spot in most real estate top 20 lists – but why?

Local experts report that the cause is tied to a greater number of buyers than sellers in the renowned Northwestern city, resulting in a five percent rise in Seattle real estate prices from last year. But it’s not all good news: As with other large markets nationwide, sales are still down in Seattle, Washington – 12.5 percent from last year, to be exact.  

This means that Seattle is still a buyer’s market; in fact, inventory is up 50 percent from July 2008. One local Seattle real estate expert attributes this to the wisdom of the consumer, saying, “Buyers are no longer feeling pressured to pull the trigger quickly and are slow to do unless the home they find is a winning combination of location, price and condition." Homes for sale in Seattle are indeed plentiful, new homes included; better still, many can be found listed between the high $100,000’s to $200,000’s. Puget Sound, Olympia, and Tacoma have their share of excellent deals as well, including green homes, condos, and single family detached estates.

Who wouldn’t want to live in the hottest real estate market in the U.S.? The only bad news, experts say, is that total sales volume in Seattle – as with other top markets – is still down double digits (the high figures recorded are sales dollars, not actual volume). This begs two questions: Will these numbers hold up while as inventory continues to increase? Or, will pricing drop in response to said increase? Even if the latter proves to be true, this may be to a buyer’s advantage. Either way, someone stands to benefit from the current Seattle market.

The Quadrant Homes new green community, Skagit Highlands, has several first-rate homesites without the first-class price! Skagit Highlands offers Mount Vernon green homes for sale located halfway between Seattle and Vancouver. Mount Vernon, known for one of the most upbeat small cities in America, offers great shopping, services, and the Skagit Valley Food Co-Op.

Nearby Mt. Baker provides numerous trails and parks with easy water access. Known as one of the most visited forests in the country and located on the western slopes of the Cascade mountain range, you will find glacier-covered peaks, stunning mountain meadows and dense forests.
The nearby Skagit Valley Food Co-Op is where you can buy high quality products with good nutrition. All Skagit Valley Food Co-Op products have a low-impact and a non-harmful approach to the environment.

Not only does the nearby Skagit Valley Food Co-Op provide a non-harmful approach to the environment, but so does Skagit Highlands. By offering Mount Vernon green homes for sale, Skagit Highlands is improving the living of Mount Vernon’s residence by partnering with local land trusts to preserve streams, wetlands, forest areas and open spaces. Skagit Valley new community also provides green amenities with Built GreenTM and Energy Star®. Allow homebuyers a new green home that is both environmentally friendly as well as budget friendly.

Quadrant Homes knows the benefits of a green home, and it’s apparent in the honors they have received like; Built GreenTM Large Builder Award; Built GreenTM Foundation Award, and the Association of Washington Businesses Environmental Award. For more information on one of Skagit Highlands Mount Vernon green homes for sale call 866-784-6637 open Monday 2-6pm and Tuesday-Sunday from 10-6pm.

Lake Stevens is a 1,040 acre natural lake with eight miles of shoreline. Located 38 miles north of Seattle and eight miles east of Everett Washington, is where area residents can enjoy fishing, water-skiing, sailing, sail boarding, canoeing and swimming. Lake Stevens deepest point is 146 feet and is 210 feet above sea level.  Its shoreline measures 8 linear miles and has water access from all points along the shore. Although the aquatic life was much more plentiful at one time, the lake still supports numerous species of fish such as Kokanee, Perch and Bass. Additional wildlife takes advantage of the natural lake with waterfowl, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. The lake is surrounded by views of the nearby Cascade Mountains and the abundant greenery of local parks and lakeside residential lots.

One of these residential lots is The Pointe at Crosswater. This new community for sale by Polygon Homes has 2 to 3 bedroom Townhomes at Lake Stevens. The Pointe, boasts an elegantly gated community entrance and two and three bedroom townhomes.  In addition, this well designed home features master suites on the main level, fine interior finishes, and fully maintained exterior and landscaping! Polygon Homes can always be distinguished by their timeless designs, innovative features, and desirable locations. It's no wonder that Polygon Homes has the industry’s highest customer referral ratings. Seattle homes for sale contribute to the bustling economy of the Pacific Northwest's major city.

With The Pointe at Crosswater community located near Lake Stevens, all you have to do is step outside your front door to be close to various recreational actives such as, fishing, water-skiing swimming, as well as the Flowing Lake Golf Course. For more indoor activities on those rainy Seattle days there is a performing arts center, village theatre, and Everett Kidstage. Shopping is just minutes away at Frontier Village, Lake Stevens Marketplace, Everett Mall, and Historic Snohomish.

To see all that The Pointe at Crosswater has to offer stop by Monday 2pm - 6pm, Tuesday - Wednesday – Closed, Thursday - Sunday 10am - 6pm, or call (425) 334-2000.