Spring Home Checklist

When you own your own home, spring often signals a time when we clean out our living spaces to prepare for warmer weather. Here is a list of items to look at in your home in order to be 100% ready for the changing season:

  • Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and filter. 
  • Check your furnace filter and replace if filthy.
  • Have a look at your roof - did it incur any damages during the stormy season? While you're up there, clean out your gutters.
  • Do all of the batteries in your smoke detectors work?
  • Wash your windows.
  • Have a look at your siding - replace what needs fixing and top with a fresh coat of paint.
  • If you have a basement, head down and check it for water damage.

nother space in your home that often needs attention in the springtime is your garden. The early part of spring presents opportunities that will keep it looking gorgeous all through summer:

  • Order seeds and plants.   
  • Check your household plants for pests.
  • Prepare your garden tools and lawn mower for use!
  • Prune your ornamental trees/shrubs and fruit trees.
  • Check flowerbeds and replace dirt/mulch as needed and fertilize your plants.
  • Start seeds of vegetables and flowers that are cool-season; freshen up your annual flower beds.
  • Buy any trees or shrubs that you'd like to plant next winter, so you're prepared when that season comes around.

Local & Global Market Trends - February 2016

 

Introducing: The 2015 Year End Review Market Report

I am proud to present the Market Report: Puget Sound Real Estate Trends & 2015 Year in Review, a comprehensive look at the 2015 real estate market in an exploration of seven key counties of Western Washington: King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Pierce, Jefferson and Island counties, as well as 29 neighborhoods. See how the market fared in YOUR neighborhood! 

READ THE REPORT

 
Seattle Housing Market Ranked 4th in the Country 

Seattle has experienced a "hot" housing market as of late, and has garnered national attention!
 
Seattle is the 4th best U.S. city for home ownership since the market bottomed in early 2012. What contributed to the recognition? 
 
Not only has the city experienced 8.8% increase in job growth and 9.9% increase in average wages in the past three years but unemployment has dropped by almost 42% and home values are up almost 30%.
 
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Seattle is One of the Best Meditation Cities in the U.S.

The Emerald City long has had a vibe of counterculture, greenness, arts, film, and, of course, coffee. But it also has a strong meditation community.
 
In fact, it was recently ranked as the third best city in the country for meditation. See what other places made the list! 
 
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Celebrating Cinema: From the Screen to the Streets

With the Sundance Film Festival coming to a close last month and the 2016 Oscars this coming weekend, the movies that are critically resonating most this year portray an undeniable realism.
 
One of the most exciting and exclusive ways for film fans to re-experience their favorite films are to visit those amazing locations themselves. Check out some famous residences that are currently listed with Sotheby's International Realty!
 
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Recently SOLD!
4 Bedrooms  |  2.5 Bathrooms  |  3,816 SF
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Beautiful custom-built 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home on a quiet, secluded cul-de-sac. Open main floor plan with formal living room, dining room and office.

 
 
 
 
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Recently Pending!
4 Bedrooms  |  2.5 Bathrooms  |  2,020 SF
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Beautiful flowing open space 4 bedroom, 3-car garage home backed up to untouched private green belt. Open kitchen into the family room with fireplace allows for many wonderful entertaining opportunities.
 
 

Fiscal Times Releases Top 25 Most Livable Cities in the U.S.

The Fiscal Times (FT) recently released their list of the 25 most livable cities in the U.S. and Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR) is thrilled that Washington state was represented 3 times with the inclusion of Kirkland (25), Olympia (20), and Bellevue (2)! As the article describes, the list was compiled using “an annual study from Livability, a marketing company that helps attract residents and businesses.” FT outlined some of the characteristics that many of these cities share, including “strong local economies with big employers, the existence of major universities and other research institutions, and dynamic downtowns that provide residents with an array of dining, shopping and cultural experiences. Beautiful outdoors and recreational activities also popped up frequently.”

In honor of these three gorgeous Pacific Northwest cities, RSIR highlights extraordinary offers in each of these areas below:

#25 – Kirkland, Washington

As FT writes, Kirkland made the list because it “offers a host of enviable features from a charming downtown to an abundance of trails and a dynamic economy. Residents enjoy pools, community centers, nearby wineries and fine restaurants.” Many residents likewise enjoy a waterfront lifestyle, as this gated European style community offers a dock with a boat launch for an unparalleled waterfront experience. The home exudes elegance and prestige, from its tall ceilings and curved staircase to the two master bedroom suites with a lake facing balcony.

#20 – Olympia, Washington

FT says that Olympia is prominent because of its position as a state capitol with strong government activity “along with tourism given its close proximity to the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Tumwater Falls Par and Wolf Haven International.” Another highlight? The “amazing views, boating attractions and fresh seafood” of the Puget Sound, which are found at this captivating waterfront cottage with a rare 450+ feet of waterfront with a private cove on Henderson Inlet. With nearly 15 acres of seclusion, fenced pasture, a barn, and a ranch style home, this property offers endless opportunity to its next steward.

#2 – Bellevue, Washington

It is no surprise that Bellevue garnered the number two spot on the list, with its award-winning schools, abundant entertainment options, and its frequent hosting of “technology companies which has helped develop its downtown.” Bellevue offers a range of properties, from in-city condos to sprawling estates. The property below offers an enviable waterfront lifestyle where endless light and elevated ceilings complement vibrant outdoor spaces and Lake Washington views. Aquatic adventurers will revel in the large patio area steps from a private dock with a Jet Ski and boat lift.

Introducing The Market Report: Puget Sound Real Estate Trends & 2015 Year in Review

Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR) presents the Market Report: Puget Sound Real Estate Trends & 2015 Year in Review,  a comprehensive look at the 2015 real estate market in an exploration of seven key counties of Western Washington: King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Pierce, Jefferson and Island counties, as well as 29 neighborhoods for our current and prospective clients. The report touches on macroeconomic trends, the primary demand drivers influencing our regional real estate market in addition to micro markets that vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood.

The year 2015 witnessed white-hot real estate conditions throughout the Puget Sound not seen since before the Great Recession. Prices of real estate throughout the Puget Sound catapulted higher in 2015, the result of tight supply and an influx of new buyers. A similar trajectory is expected in 2016: expanding demand, anemic supply and developers playing catch up to increasing homeownership levels.

The Puget Sound region has taken a different path from other boomtowns in North America whose economies are based on resource extraction (e.g., oil), financial intermediation, or entertainment. Seattle’s aerospace industry has gradually yielded its eminence to the service expansion and new product development cycles of the information tech industry and their secondary employment effects on IT contractors, food & beverage businesses, and real estate developers.

Besides drawing new residents domestically from other U.S. states, the Puget Sound benefits from the state’s importance as a gateway to trade with Asia, as well as from international air travel to and from Sea-Tac International Airport. The Sound’s proximity to international communities across the broader region from Vancouver, British Columbia to Los Angeles and San Diego is also a factor, as is the superior quality of life in the region and its comparative affordability in respect to those other markets. The international eminence that results from these features of our local economy has allowed the area to attract growing numbers of immigrants from overseas and recognition as a global gateway city.

5 Tips for First Time Homebuyers

A recent article by My Northwest describes 5 things buyers do that can cause agents distress and strain the client/realtor relationship:

  1. Try and see beyond the current look of the home. As the article describes, "real estate professionals say they wish more clients could get past the aesthetics of the house, especially since so many of the items that bother them are easily fixable."
  2. Focus on more than just finances. Sure, it's important to be prepared to purchase, but it is also key to remember that "it's not necessarily the highest offer that the seller will accept, but rather the best structured offer combining timing, price and reasonable contingencies." That is why it is key to have an agent who is on your side and can allow you to make informed decisions regarding all aspects of the transaction.
  3. In this fast-paced real estate market, timing can be everything and you won't always have a substantial amount of time to commit to a decision. "If too much time passes between a buyer viewing a home and making an offer, the seller might not take another party who quickly expressed interest and maintained communication."
  4. Do not talk to the listing agent without your realtor by your side. As the article says, "the listing agent is there to get the most money for the seller, not save the buyer money," which is why you need your own advocate throughout the process.
  5. When making a counter offer, don't "lowball" - going back and forth can be a frustrating process for agents and more often than not, is counterproductive as it offends the seller(s).