In difficult financial times, builders are always looking for creative solutions for both themselves and their customers. Washington Square announced today the option of “Experience Washington Square.” This opportunity gives customers the chance to live in a Washington Square condominium, before locking in to purchasing a unit.

The program lets buyers lease homes for 6-12 months, with an option to purchase anytime while occupying the home. At the end of 6 or 12 months, customers have the option of either walking away with no strings attached or using 6 months of the money they’ve paid

towards a down payment. For those interested in inquiring about this offer, you are encouraged to contact Washington Square.

At Washington Square, about 70% of Tower 1 is sold and 30% of Tower 2.

Update: Rent’s range from $1,735 – $4,600.  The $1,735 in rent would get you a 808 sq. ft. one bedroom home for $530,000.

10 Comments

  1. seems like a good idea to me.

    and 808 sq. ft. one bedroom home for $530,000. what a great deal!

  2. Let me know when Bellevue Towers does this and I might be interested. WA Square’s floor plans blow.

  3. I really like the penthouse floorplans. But I’d have to commit armed robbery 15 times before I could afford to even touch the handle on the front door.

  4. Hope this works for them in getting people to occupy these units. It is creepy to have such a large building remain 70% empty.

  5. Let me know when the 2 Bedroom drops to a realistic value ~200,000 and then I will be interested.

  6. WA square really over reached on their pricing, when the first went for sale they were 150k over what I thought they should be, and now selling anything that’s luxury is tough.

    I’d buy one for 350k but anything over that is just too much…

    at some point the developer is going to have to slash the price, how long can they hold these?

  7. I expect they will go to auctioning the units if the rent to own plan doesn’t work. The homes usually go for 25-30% below asking price during auctions.

  8. Steve: A 2- bedroom for $200K, you’ve got to be kidding me!!? I bought my 525 square-foot studio condo 2 years ago for upwards of $250K.

    You’re delusional to think you’ll ever get 2-bedrooms in Downtown Bellevue for under $500K.

  9. La La, you overpaid. The key phrase that was a hint was “2 years ago”.

    That said, you can get 2BR floor plans in downtown Bellevue for less than $500K. You won’t be living in Bellevue Towers (at the moment, at least) or other brand new concrete and steel buildings, but there are certainly units available in older low-rise complexes for prices in the 400’s and maybe even upper 300’s by now.

  10. Try going a couple of exits north on 405 and check out Verdeaux condos. It’s a luxury mid-rise with a recent big price drop. You can get 1308 sq ft, greebelt view, 2 bedroom for low $300,000. Some smaller ones are high $200,000 for 2 bedroom.It’s great to see these open floor plans after seeing so many crackerboxes for $600,000