Situated between Lake Sammamish and the foot of the Cascade Mountains, Issaquah is a beautiful location that is soaring in value, say local Realtors.

"Issaquah is a community of 15,000+ nestled between Lake Sammamish and the foot of the Cascade Mountains, off the I-90 corridor just 16 miles east of Seattle," says Realtor Denice Rochelle. "As one of the fastest growing communities in Washington, this once logging and mining village has become the northwest destination for living, working, playing and doing business in the 21st Century. Reflecting Issaquah's popularity, the median value of single family homes has soared to over $400,000."

"Home prices in Issaquah are up nicely, and available homes are selling quickly," says Realtor Sean Thatcher. "In April 2005 the median sales price was $418,750 with 100 sales, and the average time on market was 36 days. Compare this to April 2004, where the median price was $409,000 with 87 sales, and an average market time of 56 days. That's only a marginal 2 percent median price increase but homes are selling about 3 weeks faster compared to a year ago! Multiple offers are becoming commonplace again, and buyers are having difficulty finding available homes without the assistance of a persistent and truly dedicated agent on their side. Sellers may also not be getting what their home is fully worth without having an in-depth analysis done on the property and surrounding comparable sales."

Says Realtor James Christoforou, "Issaquah has a small town feel with its historic buildings and charming older homes and includes several new residential developments that have fit in perfectly for this area. It is an ideal place for families, with great schools, many mountain hiking and biking trails around, and close proximity to business districts including easy access to Seattle. Issaquah's residential real estate market continues to be hot with low inventory, new construction, and interest from people looking to move into this community. This has been driving selling prices up and quickly."

Published: June 16, 2005

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.