For Your HomeSelling Your Home September 15, 2020

How to Improve Your Curb Appeal

Image Source: Canva

 

When it comes time to sell your home, first impressions are crucial. Improving your curb appeal helps to make the most of a buyer’s first glance and sets the stage for their interest in purchasing your home. The following projects are simple and inexpensive ways to enhance both your home’s first impression and its value.

 

Landscaping

 

  • Lawn: A healthy, well-tended lawn goes a long way towards improving your curb appeal. Clean up all weeds, leaves and debris, and consistently water your lawn to give it that fresh green look. If you live in an arid climate, consider grass alternatives like artificial turf for the best lawn aesthetic.
  • Plant colorfully: Adding color variety to your front yard will grab buyers’ attention. Align smaller plants, like groundcover and flowers, neatly within your flower beds, aiming for symmetry when possible. Use larger plants and trees to frame in your entryway or walkup. If your front yard doesn’t have flower beds, try adding hanging planters or window boxes.
  • Lighting: Landscaping lighting boosts your curb appeal during nighttime, accentuates your shrubbery, and adds a welcoming touch for visitors as potential buyers, lighting the way to your door.

 

Image Source: Canva

 

Porch

Front porches set the stage for all your home has to offer. Improvements here will play a significant role in how comfortable potential buyers feel about the property and how inspired they are to explore the inside of the house.

 

  • Door: Your front door is an opportunity to make a tasteful statement. Look at bold color choices that are within or slightly stretch your home’s exterior color palette. Take time to prepare the surface for a fresh coat of paint to make the color pop as much as possible. Try stylish doorknob options that accentuate the aesthetic to give your door some added flair.
  • House numbers: New and stylish house numbers are an easy, eye-catching touch to the look of your porch. Look for styles that match with your exterior color palette and any exterior lighting fixtures.
  • Go for comfort: Incorporating classic front porch elements like a porch swing, sitting bench, and other outdoor furniture gives a welcoming aura to the front of your home and creates a sense of comfort for prospective buyers.
  • Shutters: Windows are the gateway to the inside of your home. Shutters of delicate fabric will bring elegance to your front porch, while wooden shutters deliver a solid, cozy vibe.

 

Other

These miscellaneous projects will add the finishing touches to your home’s curb appeal and get it in prime selling condition.

 

  • Quick maintenance: Small chores and minor fixes like cleaning gutters, repairing chipped paint, and cleaning windows are important for buyers with a detailed eye.
  • Staining: Instead of replacing fences or garage doors, look into applying a fresh stain. This brings a refreshed look and is much cheaper than a full renovation or replacement.
  • Power wash: Power washing your walkways and driveways makes a significant difference in curb appeal. If buying a power washer is outside your budget, explore rental options from the big-name hardware stores.

 


This post originally appeared on the Windermere.com Blog

CommunityWindermere Foundation August 28, 2020

Windermere Foundation Has Raised over $825,000 This Year!

Image source: Shutterstock

 

The first half of 2020 has brought uncertain times and unprecedented change, and across our network, our agents and offices have rallied with their communities through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve seen offices come together in support of their neighbors by providing meals to frontline workers, donating to local food banks, and giving their time in support of low-income and homeless families impacted by COVID-19. So far this year, we’ve raised over $825,000, with over $500,000 coming in second quarter alone, bringing the total raised by the Windermere Foundation to $41.8 million.

 

Here’s how some of our offices have served their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic:

 

Sedro Woolley & Mount Vernon, WA

Over the course of the first half of the year, the Windermere Sedro Woolley and Windermere Mount Vernon offices have donated more than $5,000 combined to the Helping Hands Food Bank to help their mission of providing local families with healthy meals through the pandemic.

 

Gearhart & Cannon Beach, OR (Windermere Realty Trust)

In a joint effort through Windermere Realty Trust, the Oregon Coast offices of Cannon Beach and Gearhart raised $2,000 for the organization Food 4 Kids. Food 4 Kids’ goal is to supply elementary and middle school students in the Seaside School District with supplementary weekend meals during the school year, currently feeding 235 children.

 

Penrith Home Loans 

Earlier this year, Windermere’s mortgage partner, Penrith Home Loans, donated a total of $12,000 to the Windermere Foundation.

“The Windermere Foundation’s dedication to supporting low-income and homeless families in our communities aligns with the personal values of the employees who make up Penrith Home Loans,” said Maya Dartiguenave, Marketing Manager at Penrith Home Loans.

Penrith’s donations supported the organizations Hopelink and Share Vancouver. Hopelink was chosen by Penrith because of their holistic approach to helping people out of poverty and its mission “to promote self-sufficiency for all members of our community.” Share Vancouver was chosen because of its commitment to making Vancouver, Washington a home for everyone in the community. Examples of their work include employing an outreach team directly on the streets of Vancouver, providing emergency shelters, offering free meals to hungry children and subsidized housing to low-income families.

 

 

Neighbors in Need 

Between April 21 and May 5, the entire Windermere network came together to support local food banks through our Neighbors in Need fundraising campaign. Offices were challenged to raise $250,000, to be matched by the Windermere Foundation, for a total goal of $500,000. While coping with increased demand and a bottlenecked pipeline of food supply due to COVID-19, food banks were—and continue to be—desperate for funds to continue to serve those in need. Neighbors in Need surpassed the original goal of $500,000, raising a total of $690,000, and helping hundreds of food banks.

“I’m incredibly proud of how our offices and the community came together to raise much needed money and awareness to help food banks keep up with unprecedented needs,” said Windermere Foundation Executive Director, Christine Wood. “I hope we inspire others to do the same.”

These are just a few examples of how the donations flowing through the Windermere Foundation propel us forward in our mission to support low-income and homeless families in the communities across the Western U.S. If you’d like to help support organizations and programs in your community, please click the Donate button.

 

 

To learn more about the Windermere Foundation, visit WindermereFoundation.com.

 

 


This post originally appeared on the Windermere.com Blog

Local Market Updates August 12, 2020

Local Market Update – August 2020

While the pace of daily life may seem slow right now, the
local real estate market has had an unusually busy summer. The number of
new listings in July was up, sales increased, and home prices followed
suit.

• While overall inventory is at historic lows, more sellers put their homes on
the market. New listings of single-family homes in King County jumped more than
25% from a year ago. Snohomish County saw a 7% increase in new listings.

• Pent-up buyer demand fueled sales activity in July. The number of pending
sales was up 17% over a year ago in King County, and up 13% in Snohomish
County.

• With buyers snapping up new listings as soon as they hit the market, total
available inventory dropped to a 10-year low for the month.

• The lack of inventory is benefiting sellers, and multiple offers are now common
at every price point. As a result, single-family home prices rose 7% in King
County and 15% in Snohomish County.

The charts below provide a brief overview of market activity. If you are interested in more information, every Monday Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner provides an update regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the US economy and housing market. You can get Matthew’s latest update here.

EASTSIDE

VIEW FULL EASTSIDE REPORT

KING COUNTY

VIEW FULL KING COUNTY REPORT

SEATTLE

VIEW FULL SEATTLE REPORT

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

VIEW FULL SNOHOMISH COUNTY REPORT


This post originally appeared on GetTheWReport.com

Housing Market NewsThe Gardner Report July 24, 2020

The Gardner Report – Q2 2020 Western Washington

 

The following analysis of the Western Washington real estate market is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. We hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact your Windermere agent.


 

REGIONAL ECONOMIC OVERVIEW

It appears as if the massive COVID-19 induced contraction in employment that Washington State — along with the rest of the nation — experienced this spring is behind us (at least for now). Statewide employment started to drop in March, but April was the real shock: total employment dropped almost 460,000 between March and April, a decline of 13.1%. However, this turned around remarkably quickly, with a solid increase of 52,500 jobs in May. Worthy of note is that, in May alone, Western Washington recovered 43,500 of the 320,000 jobs that were lost in the region the prior month. Although it is certainly too early to categorically state that we are out of the woods, the direction is positive and, assuming we respect the state’s mandates regarding social distancing and mask wearing, I remain hopeful that Washington will not have to re-enter any form of lockdown.

 

HOME SALES

  • There were 17,465 home sales during the second quarter of 2020, representing a drop of 22.2% from the same period in 2019, but 30.6% higher than in the first quarter of this year.
  • The number of homes for sale was 37% lower than a year ago, but was up 32% compared to the first quarter of the year.
  • Given COVID-19’s impacts, it’s not surprising that sales declined across the board. The greatest drops were in Whatcom and King counties. The smallest declines were in Grays Harbor and Cowlitz counties.
  • Pending sales — a good gauge of future closings — rose 35.7% compared to the first quarter of the year, suggesting that third quarter closings will grow as well.

 

 

 

HOME PRICES

 

  • Home-price growth in Western Washington rose by a relatively modest 3.5% compared to a year ago. The average sale price in the second quarter was $559,194.
  • Compared to the same period a year ago, price growth was strongest in Grays Harbor County, where home prices were up 14.3%. Clallam County also saw a double-digit price increase.
  • It was interesting to note that prices were up a significant 6.6% compared to the first quarter. This suggests that any concern regarding negative impacts to home values as a function of ​    COVID-19 may be overblown.
  • I will be watching for significant price growth in less urbanized areas going forward. If there is, it may be an indication that      COVID-19 is affecting where buyers are choosing to live.

 

 

 

DAYS ON MARKET

  • The average number of days it took to sell a home in the second quarter of this year matched the second quarter of 2019.
  • Across the entire region, it took an average of 40 days to sell a home in the second quarter. I would also note that it took an average of 14 fewer days to sell a home than in the first quarter of this year.
  • Thurston, King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties were the tightest markets in Western Washington, with homes taking an average of only 17 days to sell. All but two counties, Grays Harbor and Cowlitz, saw the length of time it took to sell a home drop compared to the same period a year ago.
  • Market time remains well below the long-term average across the region. This is due to significant increases in demand along with the remarkably low level of inventory available.

 

 

 

CONCLUSIONS

This speedometer reflects the state of the region’s real estate market using housing inventory, price gains, home sales, interest rates, and larger economic factors.

What a difference a quarter makes! Given that demand has reappeared remarkably quickly and interest rates remain historically low, it certainly remains a seller’s market and I don’t expect this to change in the foreseeable future.

The overall housing market has exhibited remarkable resilience and housing demand has rebounded faster than most would have expected. I anticipate demand to remain robust, but this will cause affordability issues to remain as long as the new construction housing market remains muted.

 

ABOUT MATTHEW GARDNER

As Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, Matthew Gardner is responsible for analyzing and interpreting economic data and its impact on the real estate market on both a local and national level. Matthew has over 30 years of professional experience both in the U.S. and U.K.

In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities, Matthew sits on the Washington State Governors Council of Economic Advisors; chairs the Board of Trustees at the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington; and is an Advisory Board Member at the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Washington where he also lectures in real estate economics.

 


This post originally appeared on the Windermere.com Blog

Uncategorized July 13, 2020

Local Market Update – July 2020

While our lives are very different than they were a year ago, the local real estate market has recovered to 2019 levels. Record low interest rates are helping spur demand. Sales were up, home prices increased and multiple offers were common.

  • The number of pending sales, a measure of current demand, was higher in June than for the same period a year ago.
  • The supply of homes on the market remains very low, with just a month of available inventory. When inventory is this low, quick sales over full price are common. That was the case in June when about 40% of homes sold for more than the asking price.
  • Home prices in King County rose 4% over a year ago. Snohomish County home prices increased 5%.
  • More sellers put their homes on the market. While total inventory remains low, the number of new listings in June was similar to the same time last year.

The monthly statistics below are based on closed sales. Since closing generally takes 30 days, the statistics for June are mostly reflective of sales in May. If you are interested in more information, every Monday Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner provides an update regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the US economy and housing market. You can get Matthew’s latest update here.

EASTSIDE

VIEW FULL EASTSIDE REPORT

KING COUNTY

VIEW FULL KING COUNTY REPORT

SEATTLE

VIEW FULL SEATTLE REPORT

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

VIEW FULL SNOHOMISH COUNTY REPORT


This post originally appeared on GetTheWReport.com

Local Market Updates June 11, 2020

Local Market Update – June 2020

 

As we move to the next phase of reopening, life feels like it’s slowly inching back towards normal. The same is true in real estate. Statistics on home sales in May provided the first true picture of the effects of COVID-19. Those reports confirmed the incredible strength and stability of the local real estate market.

  • The Stay Home order, as expected, continued to impact the number of sales. However, the market is starting to move its way towards more normal activity. Pending sales, a measure of current demand, have risen every week since April.
  • The slight drop in median closed sale price is a result of a proportionately larger number of lower priced homes selling than is normal. It should not be interpreted as a decrease in individual home value.
  • There were significantly fewer homes for sale in May than the same time last year. With less than a month of available inventory, competition among buyers was intense. Bidding wars and all-cash offers were common.

The monthly statistics below are based on closed sales. Since closing generally takes 30 days, the statistics for May are mostly reflective of sales in April. If you are interested in more information, every Monday Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner provides an update regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the US economy and housing market. You can get Matthew’s latest update here. As we adapt to new phases of reopening, know that the safety of everyone remains our top priority.

EASTSIDE

VIEW FULL EASTSIDE REPORT

KING COUNTY

VIEW FULL KING COUNTY REPORT

SEATTLE

VIEW FULL SEATTLE REPORT

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

VIEW FULL SNOHOMISH COUNTY REPORT


This post originally appeared on GetTheWReport.com

CommunityWindermere Foundation May 20, 2020

Neighbors in Need Raises $690,000 for Food Banks

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected populations across the globe, but those who struggle with poverty and count on food programs to meet their basic day-to-day needs are in an especially uncertain place. While coping with increased demand and a bottlenecked pipeline of food supply, food banks are desperate for funds to continue to serve their communities. Because of this, Windermere decided to challenge its offices to raise $250,000, every dollar of which would be matched by the Windermere Foundation and donated to food banks in the areas where Windermere operates. We titled it the “Neighbors in Need” fundraising campaign.

Neighbors in Need kicked off on April 21, with the goal of raising $250,000 by May 5. As word continued to spread, online donations and contributions from both our agents and the public began to increase. Neighbors in Need was given a boost by Seattle Seahawks starting safety Quandre Diggs in a heartfelt message encouraging support. Over the final 24 hours, leading up to the May 5 deadline, support poured in from across the Windermere family as the final figure exceeded the initial goal of $500,000, landing at a total of $690,000.

Neighbors in Need exemplifies Windermere’s deep commitment to supporting our local communities, which traces back to 1989 when the Windermere Foundation first started. Since then, we’ve proudly raised more than $41 million for low-income and homeless families throughout the Western U.S.

On behalf of the Windermere Foundation to all those who joined the effort: Thank you. We could not have made this large of an impact without your help. We are humbled to be able to do our part to help those who need it most during these uncertain times.

 


This post originally appeared on the Windermere.com Blog

Local Market Updates May 14, 2020

Local Market Update – May 2020

We hope you are weathering the new normal as best as you can. With everyone spending more time than ever at home, real estate has taken on a whole new importance. For those who are interested, here is a brief update on how COVID-19 continues to affect our local market:

  • Business was better than expected under the Stay Home order. COVID-19 did reduce real estate sales in April as compared to a year ago, however the number of sales rose steadily each week of the month. Sales growth continued in early May and we expect sales to increase slowly week by week.
  • The number of new listings dropped, suggesting that would-be sellers are waiting until the shelter-in-place order is over to put their home on the market. With local technology companies continuing to hire, buyers will continue to face competition for limited inventory in the coming months.
  • Home prices remain stable, with the median price of homes sold in April up slightly from a year ago. Sellers appear to be pricing homes realistically and buyers are not finding deep discounts.

The monthly statistics below are based on closed sales. Since closing generally takes 30 days, the statistics for April are mostly reflective of sales in March. Next month’s data will offer a more telling trend of the effect of the virus on the local housing market.

If you are interested in more information, every Monday Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner provides an update regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the US economy and housing market. You can get Matthew’s latest update here.

As our current situation evolves, know that the safety of everyone remains our top priority.

EASTSIDE

VIEW FULL EASTSIDE REPORT

KING COUNTY

VIEW FULL KING COUNTY REPORT

SEATTLE

VIEW FULL SEATTLE REPORT

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

VIEW FULL SNOHOMISH COUNTY REPORT


This post originally appeared on GetTheWReport.com

Uncategorized May 1, 2020

ALL IN: Windermere’s Citizen Agents are Working Hard for their Communities

Since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak in Western Washington, Windermere agents have been living a core company value: being “citizen-agents” and serving as a “central part of the fabric of the community.” Although residential real estate was declared an essential business (with limitations) during the Stay Home, Stay Healthy shutdown, brokers have shifted their focus from transactions to community service.

Following the company’s recommended practice of “go slow and do no harm,” agents across Seattle and the Eastside have stepped up to answer the calls of not only their clients but also first responders, healthcare workers and others serving on the front lines.

Examples abound of our agents’ incredible commitment to their communities. Here are just a handful of the myriad efforts that Windermere brokers and staff have undertaken.

Early on in the local COVID-19 outbreak, which disproportionately impacted emergency services at EvergreenHealth, the brokers of Windermere East Inc. collectively started a drive to “feed the front lines.”

Agents and staff generously contributed money and time to purchase meals from local restaurants and deliver them to emergency, critical care, clinic, and other essential hospital staff at facilities in Kirkland and Redmond.

Julie Taylor of the Bellevue West office, helped spearhead the drive, teaming up with other Windermere brokers to research the Evergreen staff’s favorite restaurants, place orders and deliver meals. To date, more than 30 brokers have helped deliver meals and more from Royal India, Jones BBQ, Thai Kitchen, Cactus, Pomegranate Bistro and Lisa Dupar Catering, Cafe Paradisio, Café Veloce and Mercurys Coffee Co.

In a time of tremendous uncertainty, generosity and gratitude shine bright through this project, which quickly established a treasured and trusted partnership – not just between businesses, but between individuals caring for one another in a time of need.

The initiative was a resounding success, raising over $20,000 and providing over 1300 individual meals, to date.

Ron Upshaw and Don O’Neill, brokers at Windermere Midtown’s Lakeview office and local radio personalities, partnered with Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman, founder of the Refugee Artisan Initiative, to personally deliver handmade masks to first responders and healthcare workers who were experiencing critical shortages of protective gear.

The Initiative’s mission is “to transform the lives of refugee and immigrant women by providing sustainable work in sewing and handcrafting products.” While their production lines normally focus on handmade jewelry and fabric home goods, Ming-Ming quickly shifted focus to sew masks in support of the 100 Million Mask Challenge launched by Providence.

Ron and Don amplified Ming-Ming’s efforts and her GoFundMe page, and have served as her diligent delivery drivers to drop off hundreds of masks across the region.

 

 

Even while working remotely, the brokers of Windermere Real Estate / Seattle Northwest kept up their tradition of contributing “Pig Dollars” into a piggy bank at the start of every business meeting “for good karma and just because.” This time via Zoom instead of in-person, they came together and collectively filled a virtual piggy bank. In just five minutes, they donated $1,100 to support North Helpline’s food banks and emergency services.

The six Seattle offices of Windermere Real Estate Co. have long been intertwined in their neighborhoods and the Seattle community as a whole. When COVID-19 began to impact the caseload and safety of the medical professionals at UW Neighborhood Clinics, brokers swiftly took action. They started a drive to purchase and deliver two lunches per week to the entire staff at UW’s five in-city clinics.

They partnered with James Beard Foundation award winner, chef Renee Erickson, and her restaurant, The Whale Wins, who will make the delicious, individually wrapped meals. The drive, which is ongoing, has a goal of raising $19,000 to provide over 1200 lunches.

Windermere has also launched the “Neighbors in Need” campaign! The Windermere Foundation is matching up to $250,000 for our Neighbors In Need, will you help us reach our goal of $500,000 for our local food banks? Your donations stay local when you select your Windermere office when you give here: https://bit.ly/NeighborsDonate
Housing Market NewsThe Gardner Report April 23, 2020

Western Washington Real Estate Market Update

 

The following analysis of the Western Washington real estate market is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist, Matthew Gardner. We hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact your Windermere agent.

 

A MESSAGE FROM MATTHEW GARDNER

Needless to say, any discussion about the U.S. economy, state economy, or housing markets in the first quarter of this year is almost meaningless given events surrounding the COVID-19 virus.

Although you will see below data regarding housing activity in the region, many markets came close to halting transactions in March and many remain in some level of paralysis. As such, drawing conclusions from the data is almost a futile effort. I would say, though, it is my belief that the national and state housing markets were in good shape before the virus hit and will be in good shape again, once we come out on the other side. In a similar fashion, I anticipate the national and regional economies will start to thaw, and that many of the jobs lost will return with relative speed. Of course, all of these statements are wholly dependent on the country seeing a peak in new infections in the relatively near future. I stand by my contention that the housing market will survive the current economic crisis and it is likely we will resume a more normalized pattern of home sales in the second half of the year.

 

HOME SALES

  • There were 13,378 home sales during the first quarter of 2020, a drop of only 0.2% from the same period in 2019, but 27% lower than in the final quarter of 2019.
  • The number of homes for sale was 32% lower than a year ago and was also 32% lower than in the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • When compared to the first quarter of 2019 sales rose in eight counties and dropped in seven. The greatest growth was in Cowlitz and Lewis counties. The largest declines were in Island and Snohomish counties.
  • Pending sales — a good gauge of future closings — rose 0.7% compared to the final quarter of 2019. We can be assured that closed sales in the second quarter of this year will be lower due to COVID-19.

 

 

 

HOME PRICES

  • Home-price growth in Western Washington rose compared to a year ago, with average prices up 8.7%. The average sale price in Western Washington was $524,392, and prices were 0.4% higher than in the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • Home prices were higher in every county except San Juan, which is prone to significant swings in average sale prices because of its size.
  • When compared to the same period a year ago, price growth was strongest in Clallam County, where home prices were up 21.7%. Double-digit price increases were also seen in Kitsap, Skagit, Mason, Thurston, and Snohomish counties.
  • Affordability issues remain and, even given the current uncertain environment, I believe it is highly unlikely we will see any form of downward price pressures once the region reopens.

 

 

DAYS ON MARKET

  • The average number of days it took to sell a home in the first quarter of this year dropped seven days compared to the first quarter of 2019.
  • Pierce County was the tightest market in Western Washington, with homes taking an average of only 29 days to sell. All but two counties — San Juan and Clallam — saw the length of time it took to sell a home drop compared to the same period a year ago.
  • Across the entire region, it took an average of 54 days to sell a home in the first quarter of the year — up 8 days compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • Market time remains below the long-term average across the region. This is likely to change, albeit temporarily, in the second quarter due to COVID-19.

 

 

CONCLUSIONS

This speedometer reflects the state of the region’s real estate market using housing inventory, price gains, home sales, interest rates, and larger economic factors.

Given the current economic environment, I have decided to freeze the needle in place until we see a restart in the economy. Once we have resumed “normal” economic activity, there will be a period of adjustment with regard to housing. Therefore, it is appropriate to wait until later in the year to offer my opinions about any quantitative impact the pandemic will have on the housing market.

 

ABOUT MATTHEW GARDNER

As Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, Matthew Gardner is responsible for analyzing and interpreting economic data and its impact on the real estate market on both a local and national level. Matthew has over 30 years of professional experience both in the U.S. and U.K.

In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities, Matthew sits on the Washington State Governors Council of Economic Advisors; chairs the Board of Trustees at the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington; and is an Advisory Board Member at the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Washington where he also lectures in real estate economics.

 


This post originally appeared on the Windermere.com Blog