Will Seattle Skirt National Housing Market Crash?, Seahawks Won’t be Looking at Alan Faneca: SeattleIAM

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This is a selection of recent popular blog articles from SeattleIAM where you will find the best blogs from Seattle, Washington as well as video uploads, social networking, rumors, and blog authoring

Is Seattle Safe from the National Housing Marking Crash?

Dominic Holder, writing for The Stranger’s Slog writes that since the national housing market is “tanking,” the thinking is that “Seattle’s housing market – a year or so behind the national market – is circling the same drain.” But the proposals for new developments don’t support this opinion. “Eight proposals for major mixed-use and residential projects” were filed with the Department of Planning and Development in the past two weeks. “Only six were filed by this time last year.” In addition, there are several other notices “filed for projects getting started in the next six weeks.” Developers are either nuts or they “clearly believe Seattle housing will still be in high demand.”

Holder points to veteran developer Michael Mastro in his post. His firm, Mastro Properties, is “revered for its impeccable investment timing.” Mastro says, “Greater Seattle has a migration number that exceeds many areas of the country.” Holden writes that “the profit margin on large-scale residential developments is enough that housing prices can drop and developers can still make a killing.” As long as there is a demand to “live in the urban core” developers will supply apartments. “While the new rentals won’t necessarily be cheap, adding them to the market will keep costs down for everyone.”

Seahawks Will Look to Second-Tier Players in Free Agent Market

The news from Seahawks Insider’s blogger Frank Hughes is that in a recent interview with Mike Holmgren on KJR radio, Holmgren stated that the Seahawks have to “concentrate on their own free agents, Marcus Trufant, Josh Brown and Sean Locklear, which will preclude them from going after big-name, big-money guys like Alan Faneca.” They’re still “in the market” free agent-wise, but they’ll “have to take second-tier guys, as they have done in years past.”

In addition, Holmgren didn’t rule out re-signing D.J. Hackett and that they may place Deion Branch on “injured reserve… depending on how Branch rehabs from his surgery.” Our blogger guesses in his post that “there is no way Shaun Alexander is coming back,” since Holmgren “talked extensively about the need to have a running back that can do all three facets of his job well.” Holmgren expressed the fact that if you are exceptional in one area, you can get away with it. But since Alexander is “only average,” he “can't be poor at pass catching and blocking and get away with it.”

State Treasurer Race Buried in the Glut of “High Profile” Races

A recent post on HorsesAss.Org, dishing the “straight poop on WA politics & the press,” acknowledges that with the “wealth of high-profile races on the ballot this year,” the contest to replace retiring State Treasurer Mike Murphy doesn’t exactly stand out. This doesn’t mean we should ignore it either. Interestingly, “Murphy, allegedly a Democrat, is backing his top aide, Allan Martin, a licensed funeral director and embalmer, who has declared as a Republican.” The Democratic nomination is being sought by Rep. Jim McIntyre, an economics professor and former Finance Committee chair.

According to the post, Chang Mook Sohn, the state’s chief economist and longtime revenue forecaster, is also a serious candidate. “But while Sohn is reportedly planning to run as a Democrat, you’ve got to wonder about his party credentials.” His name recently appeared on a petition “by the libertarian Cato Institute calling for Social Security privatization,” which doesn’t sound like a particularly Democratic value. HorsesAss admits to having “run-ins with McIntyre when he chaired the Finance Committee,” but at least knows “where he stands on the issues.”

Bellevue’s Stata8 Launches Money Saving Telecommunication Services Today

Today on John Cook’s Venture Blog, Cook announces that Bellevue-based Stata8 Networks “has raised $8 million from Globespan Capital Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Wirefree Partners.” Stata8 is launching its service today and claims “it can save businesses as much as 25 percent on telecommunications costs by redirecting cellular calls onto the enterprise network.” This service allows cellphone calls to be billed at landline call rates, “an attractive option for businesses that have dealt with the inability to manage employees' cellular phone costs.”

According to the post, “Strata8 is led by Andrew Buffmire, who previously served as director of business development and strategy in the Unified Communications Group at Microsoft.” Another Bellevue-based company, Sotto Wireless, is also “playing in this arena,” in an attempt to help businesses manage their telecommunications needs and  costs.

About SeattleIAM

SeattleIAM is part of a groundbreaking network of city-focused blog aggregation, user generated media and social networking websites currently rolling out across North America. Each IAM website filters and organizes blog content as well as offering video upload capabilities, social networking, blog authoring, favourites lists and rumours. The IAM Network is a division of SoMedia Networks Inc which also operates Inveslogic.com, Greenedia.com, Healthedia.com and Blabaloo.com. For more information or to register an account, visit SeattleIAM.com.