(This is a sponsored story written by John Madrid, Managing Broker with John L. Scott Real Estate.)

There are no signs that the current trends of low inventory, rising prices, short sales times and multiple offers will be abating anytime soon.

For Northeast Seattle, including View Ridge, Wedgwood, Maple Leaf, Bryant, Laurelhurst and University, there continues to be only about a one-month supply of single-family home inventory. This tight inventory can be attributed to continued low interest rates, robust Puget Sound area hiring and a generally improved economy including significant gains in the stock market. Whether the market will become more “balanced” (defined as a 3-6 month supply of homes) will hinge on many more listings hitting the market over the coming months.

Of homes closed in Northeast Seattle in April the average sale price was a little over 102% of the most recent list price. This indicates continued multiple offer situations.

Prospective buyers also should think in terms of at least a minimum of 3-5+ year home ownership horizon and preferably maintain the option to hold onto their home through future downturns in the market. Home seller costs (excise tax, title/escrow fees, sale commissions) of approximately 9% of the sales price should also be factored into any decision to purchase.

More stats on other Seattle neighborhoods can be found at

http://www.live206.com/seattle-market-update-c22527.html

John Madrid is a managing broker with John L. Scott Real Estate – University Village and is a 2005-2012 Seattle Magazine “Five Star” Agent. His clients include both home buyers and sellers. He can be reached at 206-498-1880, john@live206.com or www.live206.com.

Statistics are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed. All information should be verified to the users own satisfaction.

Update 2 p.m.: Seattle police have updated information here. Among the items stolen were marijuana plants.

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Three masked men forced their way into a View Ridge residence earlier this morning, clubbing one resident with the butt of a rifle and ordering both residents to the floor.

The robbery occurred about 6 a.m. in the 7500 block of 44th Avenue Northeast, near the Sand Point Country Club.

Seattle Police issued this press release:

Both victims were tied up.

One suspect held both victims at gun point while the other two searched the home.  Several items were taken including the resident’s vehicle.  After the suspects left the home both victims were able to free themselves and run to a nearby residence to call 911.  The victims drove themselves to the hospital where officers met with them.

Additional officers responded to the residence along with SPD Robbery detectives.

This is an open and active investigation. Anyone with information about this incident and or the suspects is asked to call 9-1-1. Anonymous tips are welcome.

From Seattle Police just before noon:

A man suspected of robbing a Wedgwood bank at gunpoint Wednesday morning wasn’t on the lam for long.

Just after 11:15 a.m., a masked man walked into the Key Bank at 73rd Avenue Northeast and Northeast 35th Street demanded money, and fled the bank.

Eighteen minutes later, police had tracked the suspect to the University District (using high-tech gadgets AND old-fashioned sleuthing!) and arrested him near Northeast 42nd Street and Ninth Avenue Northeast after a brief foot chase.

Officers will likely be around the Wedgwood and University District scenes for some time as they search for evidence.

Both medical and memorial funds have been created for the victims and survivors of Monday’s tragic event near Eckstein Middle School.

And memorial flowers are being placed one block east of the school on Northeast 75th Street, at the intersection where two people were killed in a car accident that left two others – a mother and her 10-day-old child – in critical condition.

The memorial funds – three in call – were established by the Wedgwood Community Council and friends of the family.

The Wedgwood Community Council has established two funds at the Homestreet Bank – Wedgwood Branch office. Thanks to a crowd-sourcing guru from the neighborhood, we’ve created an easier venue for those looking to contribute to the Schulte family. Please, please, please help us spread the word about this so that we can really contribute to the grieving family. Also, friends of Karina’s have also set up a fund through FundRavr and have agreed to let us spread the word about their fund too. The need is great. Needless to say that everything raised will be given to the family. You can now click on the links below to access the giving page for each fund, deposit checks personally, or transfer money to the funds using the account information below.

For more information on making a deposit call this branch of Homestreet Bank directly at 206-525-2840.

For more information on the funds go to the community’s council’s website.

Update from Seattle Police:

Officers are on scene investigating a double fatality collision involving a driver who struck as many as four pedestrians, including an infant.

At approximately 4:10 p.m. officers and fire department medics responded to a 911 call of a vehicle/pedestrian collision at 33rd Avenue NE and NE 75th Street.  Officers are still on scene actively investigating the circumstances of the collision.

Fire department medics have declared two adult pedestrians deceased at the scene.  Two additional pedestrians, an adult female believed to be in her 20′s, and an infant were transported by medics to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the involved vehicle is being investigated for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives are responding to the scene to assist with the investigation.

This remains an active incident.

Additional details will be provided when they become available

From Seattle Fire:

PIO headed to scene of ax at 33rd Ave NE and NE 75th St. 2 adults DOA. All further fire info will be released on scene.

From Seattle Police:

#SeattlePD investigating a driver that struck 3 pedestrians at 33 Ave NE & NE 75th St. For more info go to spdblotter.seattle.gov/2013/03/25/veh…

Our news partner The Seattle Times is updating here.

After staying to the north of us all week, pestering the folks from Everett to Shoreline, the Puget Sound Convergence Zone dropped south around 7:40 this morning. No doubt to celebrate the first week of spring.

It’s snowing steadily at 8:30 a.m. in Maple Leaf. Nothing’s sticking, though. Outside air temperature right at 34 degrees, and the air is still. When I left Wedgwood at 7:50 a.m., it was snowing lightly.

Snow also being reported at the Wedgwood, Green Lake, Wallingford, Phinney Ridge and Greenwood neighborhoods.

Traffic was snarled to the north earlier this morning, and several main highways were closed during the past 12 hours or so.

From the forecast discussion issued around 3 a.m.:

THE SNOW LEVEL WILL BE BELOW 1000 FT AGAIN EARLY THIS MORNING WITH
SHOWERS FALLING LOCALLY AS SNOW OVER THE LOWLANDS. PRECIPITATION
AMOUNTS IN THE CONVERGENCE ZONE MIGHT BE UP TO 0.20 INCH TODAY...
WHICH WILL RESULT IN LOCAL ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OF SNOW. THERE
WILL LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION ELSEWHERE

Below, Interstate 5 at the Everett Mall earlier this morning:

There are still a few tickets left for this Sunday’s dinner with uber-librarian Nancy Pearl.

The event, from 5-8 p.m. March24, is in part a celebration of North East Seattle Together’s one-year anniversary of launching its non-profit senior services.

Most of the cost of the event is tax-deductible.

For more information about NEST or this event, contact Judy Kinney, NEST executive director, at judy@nestseattle.org, 206.525.6378, or visit www.nestseattle.org.

Disclosure: Mike, the author of this post, is also a NEST board member.

(This is a sponsored story written by John Madrid, Managing Broker with John L. Scott Real Estate).

It continues to be a seller’s market in Northeast Seattle including View Ridge, Wedgwood, Maple Leaf, Bryant, Laurelhurst, and University neighborhoods where there is a little less than a one and half months of single-family home inventory.

If you are a fortunate home seller expect to see a lot of open house traffic, buyer “love letters” and possibly multiple offers if your home is located in a popular neighborhood and is competitively priced.

And what to do if you are a home buyer?

First, get your financial ducks in-a-row by getting preapproved by a local lender who is available in the evenings and on weekends.

Second, try to get out to see homes before the weekend which will give you more time to line-up pre-inspections if offers aren’t being reviewed for a few days.

Third, reduce the number of contingencies within your comfort level. Finally, write that love letter even if it’s just a short paragraph in addition to a summary of your offers terms. Don’t go overboard but in this market it just may help you stand out from the pack.

More info on other Seattle neighborhoods can be found at http://www.live206.com/seattle-area-market-update-c21537.html

John Madrid is a Managing Broker with John L. Scott Real Estate – University Village and is a 2005-2012 Seattle Magazine “Five Star” Agent. His clients include both home buyers and sellers. He can be reached at 206-498-1880, john@live206.com or www.live206.com.

Statistics are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed. All information should be verified to the users own satisfaction.

The 27-year-old suspect in a string of six attacks near here remains jailed on $250,000 bail, the King County Prosecutor’s office says.

The man, arrested Tuesday afternoon after he attacked a woman at Roosevelt Way Northeast and Northeast 71st Street, was identified in court charging papers today as Robin P. McDougall-Treacy, whose last known address was near Ravenna Park but who told investigators he now keeps his belongings in a rented storage unit at Roosevelt and Northeast 70th Street.

McDougall-Treacy was charged with second-degree robbery for the last of the six attacks, according to the charging papers, which also note he has a prior drug conviction and a conviction of fourth-degree assault for an attack on a juvenile in 2000, an attack that was originally charged as third-degree child rape.

His next court appearance is March 14.

The attacks began Feb. 2nd, and occurred through the Wedgwood, Roosevelt and Ravenna neighborhoods.

“This series is being investigated as a pattern crime, including six robbery cases to date,” police write in court documents. “In each case a lone older victim is confronted from behind by the lone white male as the victim is walking down the sidewalk.

“The suspect then slices a purse strap, or clothing in one case involving an elderly male victim, using what has been described as a knife and steals the victim’s purse/wallet,” the documents state.

On Tuesday afternoon police received several 911 calls from civilians reporting they saw, and in some cases were chasing, a robber carrying a knife and running through backyards near Roosevelt, the documents state.

Officers caught the man hiding in a backyard near Northeast 71st and 10th Avenue Northeast at about 1:38, the documents state. He or his clothing were identified by the robbery victim and several witnesses.

The victim told officers she was walking on the sidewalk at Roosevelt and Northeast 71st when she felt a slight tug on her purse strap, turned and saw the suspect with a knife. She wound up on the ground in the struggle, the court documents state.

Her stolen purse contained, among other things, her cell phone. When a detective called the number of that cell phone, “a phone could be heard ringing inside McDougall-Treacy’s backpack, that was recovered with him at the time of arrest,” according to the documents.

A search of the storage unit turned up two folding knives, one resembling the weapon in a previous attack, and a purse, the documents state.

Police arrested an armed robber this afternoon after he attacked a woman on Roosevelt Way Northeast at Northeast 71st Street.