One of the risks of buying a view condo, especially in the downtown area, is you never know what projects could come up around your building. Even after you or your Realtor does due diligence to research the neighboring lots, there is always a chance that a taller building might be constructed right next to you and block your views, sunlight, and mojo. If you are buying in the densest downtown zone, there is no required separation between your tower and your new neighbors. This can be an unpleasant surprise for many homeowners; just ask some of the residents of the Cosmopolitan. Read more.
This is why I think the Meridian remains one of the best values in the city. Everything to the East is protected by height limits of 60 feet, while everything to the north is seperated by I-5 and then the transit tunnel which means a goood 500 feet until the next building could appear, not to mention its location on First hill gives it a ~100 foot base level height advantage over Cosmopolitan, Olive 8 and AVA.
good views there, but the freeway is so incredibly loud…even 20 stories up
Looks like the view is getting worse to the south too! See my blog post about it at:
http://www.theseattlespecialist.com/seattle-real-estate/cosmo-owners-loosing-even-more-views
Keep your beautiful view by buying the “Air Rights” over a property. There are appaisers that specialize in this-