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Have you ever looked to see where the distribution of your King County Real Estate Taxes go? 2009 taxes are distributed among 8 areas Areas. 49.6% goes to State & Local Schools, 17.4% to County Purposes Includig Emergency Medical Services, 17.8% go to Cities & Towns, 5.0% to Fire, Hospital & Other Districts, 3.7% to Surface Water Management, 2.7% to the Library System, 2.2% to the Port of Seattle, and 1.6% to Ferries & Floods. For more information about what the portion of your property tax dollars pay for, go to http://your.kingcounty.gov/AimsHigh
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The Northwest Multiple Listing service just released that Pending sales in Western Washington have risen with improved affordability and buyer incentives. Sales for April, 09 were 11.4% higher than twelve months ago and 21.3% higher than March, 09. Inventory is shrinking and prices are showing some signs of stabilizing, according to data in the latest report from Northwest MLS. The median price for last month's closed sales of single family homes and condominiums area-wide was $270,000. Lower prices, record low mortgage interest rates, improving consumer confidence, the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit and other incentives for buyers are credited with the spurring activity. For a Full from the Northwest MLS please visit: www.nwmls.com
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Seattle City Council approved an ordinance to establish new interim tree protections that will limit tree removal on virtually all single family and commercially zoned properties in Seattle. The new tree protection ordinance will help to conserve our rapidly disappearing tree canopy – the reason Seattle was nicknamed the Emerald City. The Council has previously adopted a Comprehensive Plan policy goal of reversing the decline of Seattle's tree canopy cover, now measured at about 18% of land area, and grow it to 30% over the next few years. This turnaround will require planting new trees, taking better care of existing trees to protect their health, and taking steps to prevent the removal of healthy trees. This interim measure is the first step in putting a set of policies in place to achieve those goals. These policies will include incentives to reward property owners for protecting and increasing tree cover, as well as better practices to maintain city owned trees and increase their number. Protecting mature trees from unnecessary removal is intended to prevent clear-cutting of the city's tree canopy. Trees have great ecological value: they reduce storm water runoff and pollution, absorb air pollutants and carbon dioxide, provide wildlife habitat and shade, stabilize soil, and enhance property values. They thus contribute to fighting the effects of global warming, mitigate flooding and the toxic effects of storm water run-off, promote community, and keep Seattle an attractive, vibrant city. (Article is from Richard Conlin's Making It Work Newsletter.)
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