Sep 19, 1995

Continental Savings Bank

Keith Smith has been promoted to director of information systems at Seattle-based Continental Savings Bank. Smith joined Continental in 1994 as a software support specialist. He formerly held a similar position at a national mortgage company. In his new post, Smith will manage Continental's technology and information systems at its home office in the Two Union Square Office Tower in downtown Seattle, as well as its 16 residential lending branches Washington, Oregon and Hawaii and seven savings bank branches in Western Washington.

Cucina! Cucina!

Seattle-based restaurant chain Cucina! Cucina! recently announced the appointment of Craig Michel as senior vice president of real estate and construction. The company said Michel's position is mandated by anticipated growth of the company, including several possible locations outside of the Pacific Northwest. Michel previously worked as vice president of real estate and development for Chevy's Mexican Restaurants.

Open space preserved in West Seattle

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Greg Nickels, Executing Gary Locke, and Seattle Mayor Norm Rice were on hand Thursday at a ceremony held in West Seattle to announce a tentative agreement for the City of Seattle to buy and preserve a critical piece of county-owned open space next to the Duwamish Head Greenbelt. Acquired by Metro in 1986 as part of a pipeline project, the one-acre parcel sits at the mouth of the Fairmount Ravine and had been slated for surplus to a condominium developer. The surrounding area is home to at least one Bald Eagle's nest and other wildlife. Under the agreement, which must be approve by the City and County Councils, the City Open Space Program would purchase the land from Metro and reimburse the agency over a number of years. "This agreement preserves a significant link in our open space system, and makes Metro ratepayers whole for their investment in the property, said Nickels. "I authored the 1989 open space bond to preserve just this sort of land."

Sep 18, 1995

Century 21

Craig Barone has been named business consultant for the Century 21 Northwest Region, which consists of 185 independently owned and operated real estate brokerage offices throughout Washington, Oregon and Western Idaho. Barone has over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry. He was previously vice president of franchise development for Qpoint International. A real estate agent in college, Barone opened his first Century 21 office in 1975, expanding to become the largest multi-office Century 21 brokerage in the state of Ohio. He also previously served as regional director for Re/Max of Ohio and as marketing director for Bellevue-based Re/Max Pacific Northwest. Barone will work in Century 21's regional office in SeaTac.

Sep 15, 1995

Free loan workshops

Free workshops are being offered by the Mountlake Terrace Branch of Continental Mortgage Company on the FHA 203k Rehab and Remodel loan. This loan allows individuals to make repairs or improvements to an existing home, and roll the cost of the work done into a low-interest home mortgage. The workshops are held every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Lunch is served at the noon workshop. For more information, call Continental Mortgage at (206) 771-2500 or (800) 761-7788. Continental's Federal Way office, 930 S 336th, Suite A, is also offering the loan seminar every Thursday. For reservations, call Alana at (206) 838-0200 or (800) 803-0242.

Grubb & Ellis

Craig Hill and Timothy Good have recently joined the Seattle office of Grubb & Ellis. Hill joins the office properties division as a vice president. Prior to joining the company, Hill was a vice president and director of corporate services with CB Commercial. Good who joins Grubb & Ellis as a vice president in the investment properties division was also previously with CB Commercial.

Key Bank receives recognition

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) gave special recognition to the corporate efforts of Key Bank of Washington and its member, Washington Reinvestment Alliance (WRA). Key bank signed an agreement with WRA to give non-profit counseling agencies in Washington $60,000 a year (over five years) to provide pre-purchase housing counseling to low-income households.

Windermere

Windermere Real Estate has added 11 associates to its King County offices. They include: Karyn Sandbeck, Ballard; Heather Eul, Bellevue; Waverly Cassill, Bellevue Commons; Vaughn Brady, Burien; Cheryl Abbott, Federal Way; Bill Garrison, Madison Park; Dolly Tokunaga and Angelica Spates, Mount Baker; Jan Slawson, Wall Street; David Christiansen, Wedgewood; and Jennifer Adams, West Seattle.

Help for Latino homebuyers

Bedford Falls Funding, a new Seattle-based mortgage banking company designed to serve the needs of Latinos in Washington, will hold a reception Sept. 21 at the Columbia Tower Club in Seattle from 5 to 7 pm. Speakers include Kim Herman of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission and Judy Dailey of the Federal Home Loan Bank. Bedford Falls will target low and moderate income families and encourage would-be homeowners to contact a tollfree number for information. Spanish speaking loan consultants will help callers with mortgage questions or applications. The group works with mortgage insurers, community groups, real estate professionals and mortgage companies to expand homeownership. For information on Bedford Falls call 800/868-4859.

Commercial Real Estate Women

National Network of Commercial Real Estate Women's (NNCREW) Annual Conference will take place in Seattle Sept. 28-30 at the Sheraton Hotel. Guest speakers will include Peter Ueberroth, former Major League Baseball Commissioner; Leanne Lachman, managing director of Schroder Real Estate in New York; and Anthony Stokan, Anthony Russell & Assoc. in Toronto, Canada. The conference is expected to attract more than 300 of the nation's leading commercial real estate professionals. For more information, contact Anne Foster or Michael Flynn, The Fearey Group, at (206) 343-1543.

Bernard Development Company

Bernard Development Company has leased 60,640 square feet of industrial office,warehouse and assembly space in the I-90/Preston Industrial Park in the last 60 years. Companies leasing space include: Magraw Inc., 500 square feet; Corroseal Inc., 16,810 square feet; Ural America, 9,570 square feet; GreenDisk, 22,080 square feet; Ride Inc., 4,320 square feet; and Multiple Zones, 7,360 square feet.