Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 2, February 2003

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Home and Garden Briefs

Local home sales up

Continuing a trend that has run counter to other, more dismal economic indicators, home sales climbed at the end of 2002 and were up nearly 30 percent from 2001, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

The Kirkland-based service said 5,700 Puget Sound-area families purchased 4,973 homes and 790 condominiums in December, all told about $1.4 billion in sales.

The median price for homes sold in Seattle in December was $274,500, up 3.58 percent over the median price of $265,000 for December 2001. The median price means that an equal number of homes sold for more and an equal number of homes sold for less than that amount.

Ed Murphy, an associate broker with ReMax, said North Seattle's housing market remains strong thanks to affordable financing programs and low interest rates.

"I don't think it's up that much, but it's holding its own and is up a little," said Murphy. He said North Seattle home sales were up 4 to 6 percent in December over the same month the previous year.

"It's a strong market out there right now," Murphy said. "It's driving the economy."

Learn about green building

Beginning in February, the Seattle Parks and Recreation will offer a series of free workshops on Sustainable Landscapes and Green Building at the Phinney Neighborhood Center at 6532 Phinney Ave N.

The series, "Building a Healthy Watershed: Examining the potential of the green building process," is intended to teach Seattleites to find affordable ways to recycle construction debris, reduce energy, water and resource consumption, and utilize sustainable building materials.

The first workshop, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, will examine examples of creative uses of space. A workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 25, will focus on solar energy systems and small scale water conservation systems.

The workshops, sponsored by Carkeek Park's Environmental Learning Center, Seattle Public Utilities and the Phinney Neighborhood Association, are open to all Seattle-area residents and are filling up quickly, according to the parks department.

Call 783-2244 to reserve a space or visit www.phinneycenter.org for more information.

Program on what homeowners should know about beavers

Beavers in your stream, in your backyard what do they do and not do? Since beavers actually are less of a threat than a help to watersheds, it is often better to live with than without the toothy neighbor, the parks department advises. A free program on the subject, titled "Beavers, fact and fiction," will be held on Friday, Feb. 7, from 7:30-9 p.m. at Meadowbrook Community Center. The event offers practical advice and ideas for the homeowner on how to manage and live with this neighbor. The center is located at 10515 35th Ave. NE.

UW offers gardening classes

The University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture is offering a number of classes and lectures to keep Seattle gardeners busy until spring. The courses are available to the general public.

Dr. John Watt, director of the Washington Park Arboretum, will lead a tour through the Arboretum's Winter Garden on Saturday, Feb. 15. Those who want to take in the park's dogwoods, honeysuckles and witch hazels on a free two hour stroll with Watt should meet at the Graham Visitor Center before 10 a.m.

Julie Kintzi, senior gardener at the Woodland Park Rose Garden, will share tips on pruning various roses, from floribundas to climbers, during a workshop that will be held in the center's Douglas Classroom on Saturday, March 1. The workshop is $25 ($22 for Arboretum Foundation members) and requires preregistration. Topics at the March 1 lecture will include planting basics, recommended rose varieties, the least-toxic pest and disease controls, and fertilizers.

The center is located at 3501 NE 41 Street, northeast of the UW campus. For details, call 685-8033.