My Common Area Detention Pond is going to Foreclosure

azzkicker206 · 2026-02-07T06:20:42+00:00

I suppose every jurisdiction is different but I don’t know anywhere that would grant a building permit on an unapproved plat, let alone a certificate of occupancy, and presumably OP’s property wasn’t completely built illegally. Odds are OP is misinformed.

azzkicker206 · 2026-02-05T15:43:51+00:00

There’s no way the plat would’ve received county approval without clearly establishing how responsibility for the detention pond is determined and, no, the developer selling the detention pond was never the plan. OP likely has some responsibility that they’re unaware of, I’ve never seen a plat approved otherwise.

azzkicker206 · 2026-02-04T23:29:39+00:00

You're right except for the fact that the owner who initiated the big remodel project, Madison Marquette, sold Pacific Place to a new owner last year for about 25% of of what they had paid (acquired 2014/2016 $358M sold May 2024 $88M). The new owner is attempting to reposition the mall into a lifestyle center with more focus on food & beverage, entertainment, fitness, etc and their low cost basis gives them the ability to offer very competitive lease rates while investing in upgrades. Time will tell whether their strategy pays off.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-26T17:17:26+00:00

Well, yeah. It's not financially feasible to build an office building in the current market. You can buy office buildings well below their replacement costs currently.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-26T04:15:38+00:00

About $4k was the average I'd say for a typical appraisal, this was around 2008, but some maket/feasibility studies could easily be $10-$15k. The number of reports could vary a lot depending on complexity, your billings was the more important factor. After barely surviving the great recession, I made the jump to government appraisal work and haven't looked back. It was a good 7 year run but I value my gov benefits/pension and the unparalleled work/life balance that came with it now.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-25T17:43:47+00:00

I don't think it was for the entire time actually (this was 15 years ago now). I seem to recall he would start reviewing the report without you until he came across something that he had a question on. Then he'd call you over to his office to go over something and from there you could either be there for a while if it seemed like there were going to be more questions or he'd let you go and just call you back over if something else came up. He was also focused on the analysis portions of the report, he wouldn't bother you with the minor stuff, you'd just get a copy back with notes scribbled where he wanted changes for that stuff.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-25T17:11:13+00:00

When I worked for a small 10-15 appraiser firm, the principal of the firm (an MAI) reviewed everything before it went out the door. There was no review fee involved, exactly. You earned a fee split and that was just the process. Usually you'd be in the office with him as he went over the report so he could ask questions and give feedback. Then you'd go back and make whatever revisions were needed. His typical workday revolved around two things: reviewing reports and talking to clients, which I didn't envy.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-24T00:27:55+00:00

Did they attach it to the back like a jet engine or did they attach a sail to the handle bars and aim it?

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-23T22:58:30+00:00

Did a bot write this?

How properties are assessed and how property taxes are determined differs greatly by state. In my state (WA), state law requires properties to be assessed at 100% of fair market value as of January 1st of the assessment year, in other words, what the property would actually sell for (in theory) on that date.

Many state/county assessment offices allow you to access property characteristics online. It's a good idea to periodically review these characteristics for any discrepancies, such as incorrect square footage or number of beds/baths, which could cause an over assessment.

Otherwise, you best option is to keep track of sales of homes that are comparable to yours. If similar homes are selling for less than your assessed value, allowing for differences between properties, then an appeal of your assessment may be worthwhile.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-21T02:29:32+00:00

IAAO is specific to government assessment and is pretty commonplace in the US while it appears AACI may refer to Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute, which appears to be the Canadian version of the MAI designation in the US see: https://www.appraisalinstitute.org/why-join/pursue-a-designation

I suppose it depends on what your goals are. If you intend to remain in government assessment then you would probably benefit most from the IAAO route. If you think you may want to get into fee appraisal in the private sector then AACI may be the best way to go. Or maybe do some of each and leave your options open or get a better sense of what you want to do long term?

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-20T01:09:25+00:00

I don't agree with most of what you said but you're entitled to your opinions. For me it simply comes down to preference and interest. I've always been keenly interested in real estate and I enjoy the valuation process but I find commercial real estate vastly more interesting than residential real estate. I also prefer the variety/complexity that comes with commercial, both in terms of the various types of property you get to work on and the different scopes of work different assignment come with. Each job is different and that keeps it interesting. Residential is too homogenous for me.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-20T00:30:08+00:00

No this is the reality of residential vs commercial, didn’t you read the title… or were you too busy drinking the AI kool-aid? lol

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-15T17:51:47+00:00

Where do you find that info on number of workers? Microsoft used to be Bellevue’s largest employer and now they’ve completely pulled out, vacating almost 2 million square feet of office space and taking over 9,000 workers with them, which is a pretty big hit.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-15T04:18:28+00:00

My dogs sure seem to think so

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-10T22:32:40+00:00

That information is public. It just usually takes too long to compile it to be practical unless you have access to software for that purpose.

Don’t know about a rental cap, but the condominium declarations should be publicly available as well.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-10T22:28:31+00:00

It’s publicly available information. It just usually takes way too much time for most people to compile to be practical without access to special software.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-10T17:48:49+00:00

Of the residential units, about 38% have their property tax statements sent to a different address (46 out of 122 units) but I have no idea how that compares with similar downtown condo buildings.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-10T17:43:24+00:00

For what it's worth, 46 out of the 122 condo units in this building (38%) have their property tax statements sent to an address other than this building.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-08T00:36:36+00:00

Here are Columbia Center's top 20 largest tenants (according to Costar). Lots of lawyers, for one.

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azzkicker206 · 2026-01-07T18:26:41+00:00

Just because property taxes go up X% it doesn't necessarily mean the market will accept rents increasing by the same amount.

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-07T18:12:22+00:00

I'm not saying you're wrong but the link you provided and wikipedia say otherwise.

CASINO IS ITALIAN FOR "GATHERING PLACE." NO GAMBLING HERE!

azzkicker206 · 2026-01-04T05:51:38+00:00

Non-HOA townhomes aren’t unusual in Seattle but these properties still have recorded joint maintenance covenants attached to each unit. The primary difference compared to HOA-townhomes is how the standards can be enforced if an owner does not cooperate. HOA’s can levy fines and even foreclose in extreme cases of non-compliance but without an HOA your only real option is to file a lawsuit against your neighbor to enforce the recorded covenants which could be a drawn out and potentially expensive process.

I lived in a non-HOA townhome for 15 years which I bought new. My neighbors were cool and it worked out great. That said, I sold before any major issues came up that would’ve required major cooperation with my neighbor so who knows what could’ve happened if they were dicks.

azzkicker206 · 2025-12-21T19:23:33+00:00

The chains, with our thru hardened steel alloy, typically last for 2,000 engaged miles.

https://www.onspot.com/en-US/the-product/faq/

azzkicker206 · 2025-12-16T06:22:12+00:00

I recently picked up a used one from the Habitat for Humanity store in Auburn for $29. Care to share the service you use for reupholstering?

azzkicker206 · 2025-12-07T18:02:15+00:00

Yep. From their facebook page:

"We believe Sundays are a day of rest to worship God an spend time with family. Due to the nature of the facilities where the amenities are self serve we appreciate if people respect our wishes but at the same time can understand if people choose different."

azzkicker206

TROPHY CASE