Apr 21, 2000

Seniors get help moving to assisted living

Leisure Care Retirement Communities and Coldwell Banker Bain have created a service to help seniors move from their homes to assisting-living units.

The two Bellevue-based companies said they consider the service a first-of-its-kind.

"This is a much-needed service," said Shari Blackwood, development and relocation director for Coldwell Banker Bain. "It takes the stress away from seniors and their families during a time of flux."

The service links a network of brokers, appraisers and moving companies to Leisure Care, Blackwood said.

Leisure Care manages 30 assisted-living communities in the Western United States, making it the country's ninth-largest privately-held retirement company. Six of the facilities are in the Puget Sound area.

UW wants a redeveloper in Tacoma

The University of Washington issued a request for proposals for developers interested in redeveloping the 34,500-square-foot Joy Building near the UW-Tacoma campus on the sound end of downtown Tacoma. The school describes the structure as a historic building.

Proposers should outline a design and how they would finance the project. The university is offering a 10- to 20-year ground lease.

Proposals are due by June 15. A pre-bid site inspection is scheduled for 10 a.m. April 24 at the Joy Building, 1720 Pacific Ave. To get a request for proposal form, fax Kerry Kahl at (206) 685-6836.

Transnation Title

Peter E. Johndrow has become a commercial sales representative for Transnation Title, covering King and Snohomish counties. Johndrow has several years of sales experience in the insurance industry.

Tacoma officials will talk to CREW

Juli Wilkerson and J.J. McCament of the Tacoma Economic Development Department will speak May 11 at lunch to Commercial Real Estate Women. The two will talk about development in Tacoma, which is picking up speed. The event will be at the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle, with registration beginning at 11:45 a.m.

Apr 18, 2000

Norwest Mortgage

Norwest Mortgage has changed its name to Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. All of the company's more than 1,100 locations nationwide are being converted to reflect the new identity. The company chose to adopt the Wells Fargo name following its 1998 merger with Wells Fargo & Co. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Co. It is an originator and servicer of residential mortgages, with a presence in Norwest/Wells Fargo bank locations in all 50 states.

Apr 14, 2000

UW real estate program gets $25,000

The Seattle Chapter of the Appraisal Institute contributed $25,000 toward the formation of a post-graduate real estate program at the University of Washington.

Program head Robert Filley Jr. said that brings the total raised or committed to $2.3 million of Filley's $3 million target.

"It's coming along," Filley said.

At the start of this year, Jon and Judy Runstad pledged $1 million to the program, which thus became named the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies. Jon Runstad heads the Seattle development firm Wright Runstad & Co.; Judy Runstad is a real estate lawyer with Foster Pepper & Shefelman.

"This is the largest gift our organization has ever bestowed," said Anthony Gibbons, past president of the Appraisal Institute's Seattle chapter.

The chapter also gave $5,000 to Washington State University's established undergraduate real estate program for maintaining the program's Web site.

Creation of the UW program occurs incrementally, Filley said, but he wants to have a real estate graduate certificate program in place for the fall of 2002. He hopes to finish fundraising by June 30.

UW recently hired its first real estate professor, Ronald Throupe, who came from Washington State.

Filley said student interest in real estate appears to have risen. An introductory class that typically attracted between 40 and 50 students drew 80 for this spring quarter.

Throupe and Filley will meet with the Appraisal Institute chapter at its dinner meeting on April 19 at the Washington Athletic Club. To attend, call the chapter office at 622-8425.

Norris Beggs & Simpson

Joe Baer of Norris Beggs & Simpson's Bellevue commercial brokerage office placed among the Portland-based firm's top five producers, earning him a promotion.

Baer, who specializes in apartment building investments, moved up from associate vice president to senior marketing consultant.

Baer, a CPA, joined Norris Beggs in 1992. Before that he worked as regional controller for an international hotel company, overseeing the buying and selling of property. He's a Seattle native and a 1980 graduate of Washington State University.

Real estate classes go online

Rockwell Institute and John L. Scott Real Estate formed another partnership, this to provide residential real estate training online.

The first series of classes, about escrow, will become available this month.

"Real estate agents are some of the busiest people on the planet, especially during boom times like we have currently," said Rockwell president David Rockwell. Online education is the only way agents can get their clock hours are their own convenience."

John L. Scott and Rockwell have worked together since 1982. Among other activities, they've created the John L. Scott Real Estate Academy at Rockwell Institute.

The first series of classes, about escrow, will become available this month.

"Real estate agents are some of the busiest people on the planet, especially during boom times like we have currently," said Rockwell president David Rockwell. Online education is the only way agents can get their clock hours are their own convenience."

John L. Scott and Rockwell have worked together since 1982. Among other activities, they've created the John L. Scott Real Estate Academy at Rockwell Institute. Information about the online classes can be found at http://www.rockwellinstitute.com.

Windermere Real Estate

Beth David and John Voss joined Windermere Real Estate as sales associates in the Seattle-Lakeview office. Both came from Homes Realty in Seattle.

Tess Guerzon transferred to the Seattle-Lakeview office from Windermere's Wall Street office.

Debbie Anderson became a sales associate in Windermere's Mt. Baker office. She previously worked at Seattle Packaging Corp.

J. Michael Wilson became a property manager in Windermere's Seattle property management office, coming from Sagen Group Property Management.

Washington Association of Realtors

Steve Francks moved up to executive vice president of the Washington Association of Realtors, the group's top administrative post.

Francks worked as a real estate lawyer for Short Cressman & Burgess in Seattle before becoming the association's education director three years ago.

First Citizen award

This year's First Citizen award will go to members of Seattle's Bullitt family.

The Seattle-King County Association of Realtors gives out the award each year to honor business people's service to the community.

Craig Ellis, this year's event co-chair, said Stimson Bullitt, Priscilla "Patsy" Bullitt Collins, Harriet Bullitt, Katherine "Kay" Muller Bullitt and Dorothy C. Bullitt each likely could be singled out as individual First Citizen honorees, but that would take five years. So they'll be honored together at the 62nd annual First Citizen banquet, set for May 24 at 7 p.m. in the Paramount Theater.

Among the Bullitt family's activities, they founded and operate Channel 5-TV's King Broadcasting Co., Harbor Properties and the Sleeping Lady resort near Leavenworth.

The association honored a family once before as First Citizen, giving the award to the Bill and Mary Gates family in 1995.