Vulcan vs. Flipper...the final chapter?

If you may remember, a little over a year ago, we had the opportunity to witness a "flipper" competing with Vulcan for the sale of a similar overpriced and undersized unit. S804 (Vulcan) vs S1104 (Flipper)

Vulcan ultimately lowered their price in order to beat the flipper.

Vulcan won of course. They were able to lower their price to below the price that the "flipper" had paid.

No brainer.

Don't feel sorry for the flipper however...they actually got lucky. They were able to unload their teensy weensy condo. (610sf open 1BR) for only a 10k loss. (Bought for $370k sold for $360k Of course, this doesn't include over a year of carrying costs or transaction costs so the ultimate loss remains a mystery to this blogger.

At least our original "flipper" got out before having to compete with this one selling for 249k

I wonder what the flipper, who was originally asking $475k (dreaming of a near 100k profit near the peak of the bubble) for S1004 (another super expansive 610sf open 1BR) is thinking?

So what's the moral of the story?

You can lose big flipping condos.

Even more than your original deposit.

I can only assume that these flippers wish they had just walked from their original deposits now.

Neo-cons back down!

As #1 son, Fellow Resident, pointed out, the rental modification isn't planning to go to a vote for the board. I found the clarification note about it after he mentioned it. I seriously get spammed 10 times a day from the community page so I didn't see it before.

Some have emailed me asking: "Why would they draft this if they didn't intend to do something about it?"

Here's Fellow Resident's comment in all its full glory:

As you can see in that information, there is not a plan to vote on this at the annual meeting nor was it ever the plan. I would hope that you would read the email sent via our community website and let all of us (how many that may be) know the whole story.

As for Fellow Resident voting for Obama....isn't he a Muslim??

Some Political Oppression going on at 2200 Westlake

Extrapolating from the email below, it sounds like the Board at 2200 Westlake is stocked by neo-con Republicans who retired early from the Bush administration. Instead of the Patriot Act, they are now hellbent on destroying the economic livelihood of all the owners at 2200.

Considering that 2200 Westlake is likely 95% rentals and should really just change the name to "2200 Apartments Community, Managed by EquiResidential, LLC", this new proposed rules strikes at the very liberties that our country's forefathers envisioned when they wrote the Declaration of Independence: that every stupid-ass skinny-pants-wearing, Cornish Art College-hating, Prius-driving flaming liberal yuppy like you and me should be allowed - without encroachment from the condo board - to rent to other yuppies.

But then again, that's just the take of your intrepid author. I submit to you this email which was unceremoniously blasted to all residents in hopes of mobilizing votes against the measure. May you judge for yourself.

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RE: Don't give up your rights! New 2200 by laws proposed.

I am writing to you to express my concern regarding changes in the bylaws proposed by the current board. New rental rules and regulations have already been drafted that I believe will affect our property values and give up SIGNIFICANT rights.



We should be very skeptical of giving the board these kinds of powers especially in these uncertain economic times. Don’t just sign and mail your proxy without first reading the proposed changes in the bylaws which will be discussed at the meeting, otherwise you are giving the board a rubber stamp to pass these and many more restrictions. Please show up to express your opinions.



Under the Draft of the New Rental Regulations, the Board may...



* Put a limit on the number of rental units in the building

* A homeowner’s rent is “pledged” and assigned to the Association as security for the payment of all Assessments due by that Owner

* Board may without limitation evict the Tenant, and impose fines upon the Owner and/or Tenant

* Pre-existing leases will be allowed to continue as leases until an owner sells HOWEVER this greatly reduces your buyer pool and property value as 2200 will no longer be attractive to an investor

* Board may adopt rules to screen any Tenant, at the owner's expense

* Board may adopt rules to reject any Tenant

* No unit shall be rented for less than 12 months

* Board may assess fees in connection with the moving of any new occupant and charge fees for such administrative costs



I don’t know if this will be voted on at this meeting or not, but we also will elect 3 new Board Members and we need to know our interests are being represented.



These are just a few of the new laws, the 14 page document is far more extensive and restrictive. I have included it in this email as it came directly from the CWD group.

(editors note: attachment not posted for fear that other condo units will simply copy and paste the bylaws thus spreading this threat to democracy, freedom, and ice cream)

It's a Dog-Eat-Dog Condo at 2200

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Below is the proposed pet policy at 2200 Westlake. It's being circulated by the board. The most interesting thing is the forbidden breeds: Pit Bulls Terriers, Staffordshire Pit Bull Terriers or Doberman Pinschers.

This prompted a vigorous debate between residents about whether certain breeds should be excluded. The highlight was a typical Seattle idiot who asked why people needed such big dogs in a building anyway. Sounds very familiar to the idiots who ask why people need to drive cars when public transit can get you there in twice the amount of time. (Why do you need to be in a hurry anyway?)

Pet Policy Below & Copies of the comment thread below:

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Two domestic pets (two dogs, two cats, or a dog and a cat) may be kept in a Residential Unit subject to these Rules and Regulations and the Declaration. The following breeds (or predominantly breeded dogs) are prohibited on 2200 Westlake premises: Pit Bulls Terriers, Staffordshire Pit Bull Terriers or Doberman Pinschers. The board may, by rules or regulation, prohibit other breeds of dogs it determines to be dangerous or unreasonably disruptive to the residents of the condominium.

No livestock, poultry, rabbits, reptiles or other animals shall be kept in any part of the Condominium, nor may any animal be bred or used therein for any commercial purpose, including pet sitting.

Bringing pets into 2200 residential that are not owned by or registered to a 2200 resident is not permitted. This includes temporarily housing pets as a business.

Cats and dogs must be licensed by the City of Seattle.

No pet is permitted to cause hazard, nuisance, or unreasonable disturbance to any resident. The Board may require the removal of any animal which the Board in the exercise of reasonable discretion finds disturbing other residents unreasonably, and may exercise this authority for specific animals even though other animals are permitted to remain. Removal of such pets will be at the expense of the pet owner, including reasonable attorney’s fees.

Pet owners are responsible for cleaning up any mess and cost of damage caused by their pets. All pet feces and kitty litter disposed of within the 2200 garbage management system are to be double bagged and hand carried to the garbage compactor area in the main garage on level P3 and placed into the assigned container. No pet feces or kitty litter are to be flushed down the toilet or placed in the trash chute.

Pets will not be allowed on the Common Elements or Limited Common Elements allocated to more than one unit unless the pet is leashed or being carried and is being walked to or from a unit to the public street. Cats must be transported in an appropriate pet carrier to and from the premises.

Pets must be under control of owner or appropriate handler at all times. Pet owners will comply with all “Pet Free Zones” as marked on 2200 property.

Residents must comply with city ordinances regarding domestic animals. Any and all such ordinances are hereby incorporated into these Rules, and a violation of any such ordinance will be considered a violation of these Rules and Regulations.

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This is the city - Dogs need to run and play - how do they do that in a building - I don't understand why so many have so much need for these large animals in town - but now we will probably get all sorts of messages as to why - don't bother - - I think there should be a restriction on anything you can't carry - in other words, you should be able to pick up your dog in the elevators. So far we have seen dogs pee, bark and nip at a small child in the elevator - and we
haven't been here that long. Please, no large dogs or dogs with a reputation for mean behavior - a gentle doberman - I don't think so.

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PLEASE GET SEROIUS. I'm forced to beleive that these comments are tongue - in-cheek humor. The difference between a condo that hods its value in these overbuilt times and one that faces constant deprecation is a sensible pet policy. There are plenty of commonly accepted restrictive policies that can sustain the vlaue of our homes and insvestment and still aloow pet owners the comfort and companionship they seek. Restricting breeds is an essential protection that will benefit all of us. Sure, it;s the owners, not the dogs. After all, a dog is an animal driven by instincts and training - not a humanized robot.

Whatever the rukes, owners need to know that they must defer to those using the elevator who would rather not share an elevator with a dog. Moreover, the dog sizes need to be restricted to be small enough in size that an owner can carry the dog in the elevator - whcih comon courtesy would dictate as the repsonsible transfer mode. As one whose cat was eaten by a neighboring placid Doberman, I cannot toelrate these placid dog attributiuons. A dog is a dog.

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What is the policy in other HOAs and other communities? Do they restrict certain breeds? If so, then they have valid reasons to do that. I do not want to be standing in a small place like elevators wondering if the pitbull standing next to me is going to harm my kid any second..
So, yeah, if the statistics say certain breeds are more dangerous than others, I think it is a good idea to restrict them. It is good to be precautious than to wait till somebody gets hurts & becomes a legal issue.
Atttached is the site that discusses this in detail.
http://www.dogbitelegalcenter.com/resources/common-dogs.html

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I agree with unit XXX -- is there some reason we are exploring changing the current pet policy at this time? I see no reason to establish a blanket policy banning specific breeds or limiting based on size, not only does it seem arbitrary since dog behavior is almost always related to the quality of its owner, but legally, when you call out specifics in a policy like this, you will limit your ability to ban dogs on a case-by-case basis because people can claim they meet the minimum criteria. I firmly think all dogs should be welcome and the board should evaluate them on a case-by-case basis as complaints are made.

Even though I disagree greatly with Unit YYY, I think that respecting the wishes of people who do not want to ride in the elevator with larger dogs does seem like common courtesy, especially if there are children in the elevator.
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"ZZZ: one of the gentlest dogs I know of is a pit bull, I see no reason to restrict by virtue of breed"

That's hilarious. My friend Bichon Frise was recently attached by a pitbull at Cal Anderson park. It broke free from its owners leash and grabbed a hold of little "Howard" and shook him like a rag doll. Cost $1,000 worth of surgery & vet bills. Then there was this recent attack against a 71 year old elderly woman: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/378246_pitbull09.html?source=mypi. I could go on & on about these types of attacks being initiated by this breed of dog.

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Wow...I can't believe this thread is still going on breed restrictions. Breed restrictions have no impact on safety (if that is what this thread is still pertaining to). Training and owner responsibility still are the largest factors that impact pet behavior and the impact on our neighbors. I own a boxer that was attacked and sent to the hospital by two springer spaniels..yes, springer spaniels. Both weighted 35 pounds and were considered a docile breed. My dog required over 1k in medical bills and 40 stitches. Do I think that we should ban springer spaniels.. no of course not. It seems that our thread here on creating an owner based pet policy has been derailed by some home owners personal experience and is no longer is focused on creating a holistic policy for our community. Lets keep it on topic and focus on the good points of this proposal and make our fellow pet owners take responsiblity for their pets.

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Apparently 2200 owners managed to be somewhat successful in life without learning how to write properly.

Good thing I'm not a landlord

Landlady pays $31,000 for using "ghetto".

Just a reminder:

South Seattle is ghetto.
South Lake Union is ghetto.
East Bay (SF) is ghetto.

State of the Complex - 2 years later

It's close to two years after 2200 Westlake opened its doors. This upcoming anniversary deserves a State of the Complex post.

1. The 2200 Westlake complex is generally on solid footing. There were a number of problems in the first year that have largely been addressed. It's fair to say most of these are common among new units.

2. The Cornish School of Art has not made good on its promise to overun the 2200 Westlake complex by sending wave after wave of its 420-friendly, saggy pants wearing, bedazzled bat carrying, one notch above homeless slackers that masquerade as "art students". I believe they have been largely deterred by the deployment of anti-slacker measures invented by ingenious yuppies such as "Now Hiring" and "No free food here" posters around the complex. Good work, all!

3. Marazul has collapsed under the weight of its worthless and utterly disgusting menu. So far there has been no replacement, but there are rumors that the Lusty Lady strip club will be re-locating from the Four Seasons building to the 2200 Westlake complex. While this may be disappointing to some, this will greatly shorten the commute to work for the enterprising young ladies living in the West Tower - you know who you are.

4. Aside from a fire on July 11th in the fitness center tower, there have not been any major disasters. The real tragedy out of that fire is that residents were forced to use the 24-Hour fitness in downtown. This required us all to share towels with the common shmuck.

5. The new building manager (Jim B) is fantastic and responsive. He sent out an email regarding the fire within a couple hours of the fire. All were saved, except for the few souls who were still under seaweed wraps in the Spa. The management has implemented a new system to alert residents of packages as well as a handy new condo resident website that features such titilating posts from residents such as "Did anyone else get Herpes from the hot tub in the fitness center?" and darling commentaries such as "How do I find a cheap undocumented Lupita to clean my unit?"

6. There apparently is a common problem with the shit water pipe being cut all the time. I can count at least two occasions where some idiot hit the pipes causing the waste water pipe from Whole Foods to leak into the parking garage. While this was initially amusing, the novelty quickly wore off when even the Ethiopians at Elephant Car Wash would not touch the dry shit caking my car. So, here's my subtle message to the idiot who keeps cutting the pipes: KNOCK THIS SHIT OFF!

7. Renters have not quite flooded the building. As of this writing, there is only one unit for rent on Craigslist. There were a few incidents with a certain renter partying too loud in the party room, but the management swiftly dealt with that by shutting off the party room to everyone. Destroy the village to save it - it worked in Vietnam.

Life has largely normalized at 2200 Westlake. There are a few new faces from time to time, but we've all settled into our polite indifferent nods to each other when we pass in the hallways. The condos around 2200 are making progress in their construction. In a year or two, perhaps the cranes and incessant drilling will end and we can all enjoy our peaceful views of the transvestites on Denny hailing a cab.

Hail Chucky!

Dumb-ass rules at 2200

If you've been reading your emails from 2200 management lately you will notice that there have been reiterations of many of the rules for our fine community of overpriced condos.

Most of the rules are valid...you know...like the ones regarding the losers that were smoking in the stairwells (and doing Lord knows what else!)...but there was one rule in general that is just flat out lame.

Recently, an email was sent out to all the residents telling them to get their crap out of the hallways with the exceptions of a doormat and something along the lines of hanging a wreath on your doorway during the holidays. It makes me want to get a door mat like this one...or maybe this one

Now I can understand that we wouldn't want the homeowners to have free reign in choosing what kitschy items they put outside their door. Who knows, they may have such poor taste as to put a lawn jockey in the hallway.

But seriously...the hallways here are as sterile as a damn doctors office. Even the energy saving light bulbs are the "cool spectrum" variety wheras the warmer spectrum bulbs would make the trek from the elevator to my unit a far more pleasant jaunt.

But I digress...back to the "No shit in the hallways" rule.

I imagine that the primary purpose of this rule is to make it easier for the dude that vacuums to not have to navigate his way around the plethora of plants, candles and pink flamingos that we all so desperately want to proudly display outside our respective doorways.

Here's my solution.

There are corners a plenty in the hallways. Why not get square plant holders that butt into the corners with face plants? They actually do make some decent looking fakes these days. Best of all...no maintenance.

I think that something along the lines of what is displayed outside of Clover House would be nice and not only would they make the hallways nicer (which is a good thing if the flippers want to get their units sold)...some sort of air freshener could be incorporated into it so you don't have to smell all the cooking going on.

Yes...people actually use their stoves here and not just order out. Fancy that!

You may ask why I bring this up now when there have been plenty of things to poke fun at over the last couple months. One...I have been both lazy and busy. However, I was recently cornered by an "owner" who solicited a commitment for a donation for something to spuce up our spartan hallway. Not that I was particularly offended. I don't mind helping out...but it just shows that I'm not the only one thinking like this.

Who knows...maybe I can just send the bill to my landlord for reimbursement.