Good morning. Issue three of the Issaquah Dispatch: five minutes on what moved in Issaquah this week, one item for your own neighborhood, the market in three numbers, and one practical thing for the house.
Issaquah this week
Your next chance to comment on the 2027–28 budget is Monday, October 26. Council takes public comment at its Committee of the Whole, 6:30 PM in Council Chambers, 135 E. Sunset Way. The final budget hearing and the 2027 property tax levy hearing follow on Monday, November 2, at 7 PM. Budget calendar
Council kept the new 0.01% sales tax local. King County approved the tax to fund added services for children and families. On October 13 council acted so Issaquah's share is paid to the city rather than the county: one cent on a $100 purchase, an estimated $250,000 in 2027, with collection planned from January 1. City of Issaquah
NW Sammamish Road stays closed until mid-November. WSDOT's utility work just west of Lake Sammamish State Park began October 5; the detour is West Lake Sammamish Parkway SE and I-90. A second full closure, about four months, starts in early 2027 while crews build the new bridge and creek bed. WSDOT
The new high school's name moves to a second survey. After the October 21 ranking night at Pickering Barn, the district's Survey 2 puts a shortlist of names and mascots online in late October or early November. The school board picks on November 12. Naming timeline
Arts grant applications close Tuesday, November 3, at 5 PM. Project grants are $2,500 or $5,000. Issaquah-based nonprofit arts groups can ask for operating support up to $25,000, capped at 10% of their budget. Arts grants
Your neighborhood
Central Issaquah. An 8-story apartment building is proposed at 1550 Newport Way NW: about 206 apartments and 244 parking stalls in roughly 326,000 square feet. The city hosts a community meeting Thursday, October 29, at 6 PM in the Steelhead Room, 235 1st Ave. SE, or online by Teams, where the applicant presents and residents can ask questions. Application materials are at issaquahwa.gov/development. Meeting notice
Sold near you: 3 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $602K (range $510K to $1.10M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 21 days.
Issaquah Highlands. The Highlands Council hosts Spooktacular Halloween Bingo at Blakely Hall, 2550 NE Park Drive, Friday, October 23, 7 to 9 PM. Tickets are $20 and include snacks, drinks and prizes; advance purchase only, ages 21 and up, costumes optional. Event page
Sold near you: 12 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.05M (range $396K to $2.09M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 27 days.
Issaquah Valley. School District Road, the route to Issaquah Valley Elementary and Dodd Field, gets an honorary second name: Rick Rizzs Road, for the Mariners broadcaster's 41 years on the air. The celebration is Tuesday, October 27, 4:30 to 5:30 PM at Dodd Field, with Mayor Mark Mullet and members of the Mariners organization. Event page
Sold near you: 5 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $440K (range $310K to $515K); the fastest went from listing to closing in 59 days.
Montreux. The I-90 fish-passage project below the neighborhood replaces two creek crossings WSDOT rates "completely impassable" for fish. Besides Lewis Creek near Lakemont Boulevard, it rebuilds the crossing for West Village Park Creek, opening more than half a mile of new habitat. Westbound I-90 traffic shifts and overnight lane reductions continue near the Lakemont interchange. WSDOT
Sold near you: 3 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.44M (range $300K to $2.30M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 49 days.
Newport. Two city advisory boards meet at Tibbetts Creek Manor, 750 17th Ave. NW, next week: the Park Board on Monday, October 26, at 7 PM, and the Transportation Advisory Board on Wednesday, October 28, at 6 PM. Both meetings are open in person or online, and both take verbal comments by email request and written comments. Park Board · Transportation Advisory Board
Sold near you: 4 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.18M (range $624K to $2.32M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 34 days.
North Issaquah. Lake Sammamish State Park stays open through the NW Sammamish Road closure, but State Parks expects congestion getting in until late November. Inside the park, the Issaquah Creek and Tibbetts Creek bridges remain closed after winter erosion, and the Homestead Trail is closed until further notice after a washout. Washington State Parks
Sold near you: 1 home closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $675K; the fastest went from listing to closing in 145 days.
Olde Town. The Darigold mural, painted in 1995, is mid-restoration. Evan Jones, one of its three original artists, and Claire Waterhouse have restored and sealed about 40%, with an ultraviolet coating to hold the colors; the remaining 60% waits for drier weather in May 2027. City of Issaquah
Sold near you: 7 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $510K (range $310K to $1.62M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 59 days.
Providence Point. The Hard-to-Recycle collection is Saturday, October 31, 9 AM to 3 PM, at Eastside Catholic School, 232 228th Ave. SE, north up 228th. Up to six passenger tires off the rim are free; electronics, computers and TVs are taken, with a $5 cash charge per printer or copier. Fees are cash only, exact change, and no vehicles enter after 3 PM. Event page
Sold near you: 8 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $611K (range $300K to $1.96M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 34 days.
South Lake Sammamish. Meerwood Park, 1.75 acres off 192nd Avenue SE in the Sammamish Cove area, has a basketball court, tennis courts, play equipment, picnic tables and an open lawn. Open dawn to dusk. Park page
Sold near you: 4 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.85M (range $300K to $4.25M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 39 days.
Squak Mountain. Hillside Park, 300 Mt. McKinley Drive SW, is the mountain's neighborhood park: natural open space, a trail and an unscheduled field for pick-up games. There is no onsite parking, so plan on the street. Open dawn to dusk. Park page
Sold near you: no closed sales within 0.8 mile in the last 45 days.
Sycamore. Squak Valley Park, at the city's southern edge on Issaquah-Hobart Road, covers about 12.5 acres beside the main stem of Issaquah Creek, with three mid-sized soccer fields, a play structure and restrooms. The city scheduled closures there on October 14, 15 and 21 for King County's delivery and installation of the new Crystal Creek bridge; watch for posted signs if work continues. Park page · Closure notice
Sold near you: 1 home closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $695K; the fastest went from listing to closing in 76 days.
Talus. Construction has started on the Talus 9 project, with completion currently scheduled for early 2029. Signage on site links to the developer's status page. City of Issaquah
Sold near you: 8 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $513K (range $310K to $1.59M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 34 days.
The market in 60 seconds
Across city of Issaquah listings, the median home sold for $1.11M over the last 30 days (46 closings; single-family alone $1.46M). The median home took 58 days from listing to closing, and there are 4.8 months of inventory on the market.
Against last week's count, the median is up from $1.02M, the days on market are about the same (57), and inventory slipped from 4.9 months. The two 30-day windows share most of their sales, so one week's move says little about direction. About one home in seven (15%) closed above asking, down from 19%. At 4.8 months the market stays in balanced territory: under three months favors sellers, above six favors buyers.
One useful thing: clear the storm drain before the November rain
Falling leaves block storm drains in fall and winter, and a blocked drain backs water up into streets and yards. The city's Adopt a Drain program asks for 15 minutes twice a month on one residential drain: check it, rake off leaves and litter, and log the work. If your property has its own catch basin or detention pond, its upkeep is yours under city code, even if it is a single catch basin. Adopt a Drain · Private drainage
That's the week. Reply with anything you want tracked in Issaquah. Next Thursday: the November 2 budget and levy hearings, and the property tax due date.
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The Issaquah Dispatch is a RexMont Real Estate publication. Adriano Tori, Designated Broker. Reply to this email and a person reads it.