Uncategorized • November 8, 2016

Prepping your Kitchen for the Holidays

by Wendy Saddler

Prepping your Kitchen for the Holidays

Check spices that may need restocking

You may think your spice rack is well-stocked, but before you hunker down for the holiday, double-check expiration dates and give them a sniff test. Spices can go rancid or lose their flavor and scent entirely.

Audit your Pantry

A well-stocked pantry of coffee, tea, soda, and snacks is a great start. Then add wine (red, white, and sparkling), unscented candles, and an extra bag of ice for the freezer to your shopping list.

Get your service ware ready

Have your knives sharpened so you don’t end up hacking away at your honey-baked ham. If you are planning on any formal dinner parties over the holidays; polish silver, wash and iron fabric napkins, and clean china well in advance so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute.

Clean your cutting board(s)

If you haven’t done a deep clean on them lately, now is a good time to do so. If you want to avoid using bleach or chemicals, sprinkle the board with a coarse salt and massage it in using a lemon wedge. The lemon juice disinfects and neutralizes any odors, while the salt sloughs off any scraps and stains.

Clean the microwave

There are fewer things less appetizing than a filthy microwave and it is so easy to clean one. Put one cup vinegar and one cup hot water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5-10 minutes (depending on the level of mess and the strength of your microwave), remove the bowl and wipe the inside clean with a damp towel.

Getting new glassware ready

Put your hair dryer on its highest heat setting and hover it directly over the sticky label for about 30 seconds. Next, test a corner to see if the label lifts up easily. (If not, zap it for another 30 seconds.) Then peel the label off. If there is residue left behind, rub a few drops of olive oil on any sticky parts and let it sit for a minute or two. Then gently peel or scrub the remaining bits off.

Bottle Opener

If you don’t have a good bottle opener – invest in one that does all the work for you, never causing a fuss.

The Refrigerator
Pull everything out. Discard bottles with remnants of ketchup and old leftovers hiding in the back. Remove shelves and drawers and wash them in warm soapy water. Make as much room for pre-prepared dishes and the ultimate onslaught of new leftovers.

Smile
Your kitchen looks great and will function for you like a champ all holiday season long.

Uncategorized • October 28, 2016

Western Washington Gardner Report Q3 2016

by Wendy Saddler

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 me.

ECONOMIC OVERVIEW

Annual employment growth in Washington State slowed somewhat in the third quarter of this year, but still remains well above the long-term average. Additionally, the jobs that are being created are primarily quality, high-paying positions, which is important for the health of our economy. Unemployment in the state remains at levels that are somewhat higher than I would like to see, but this continues to be impacted by a growing labor force and modestly slowing job growth. I still expect to see the rate drop a little further as we move through the final quarter of the year.

HOME SALES ACTIVITY

There were 24,277 home sales during the third quarter of 2016—up by an impressive 7.9% from the same period in 2015, and 6.8% above the total number of sales seen in the second quarter of this year.
Skagit County saw sales grow at the fastest rate over the past 12 months, with transactions up by 25.6%. There were also impressive increases in home sales in Thurston, San Juan, Pierce, and Grays Harbor Counties. Sales fell slightly in Jefferson and Kittitas Counties.
Overall listing activity remains low with the total number of homes for sale at the end of the quarter 11.2% below that seen a year ago. That said, I’m happy to report that listings have been slowly trending higher in 2016.
I’ve been thinking about how sales can continue to rise while inventory remains so low. I believe this is due to an uptick in first-time buyers. These buyers have no home to sell, so they don’t add to the number of listings; however, they do cause sales to increase when they buy. This is a good trend to see!

HOME PRICES

As demand continues to exceed supply, we are continuing to see upward pressure on home prices. In the third quarter, average prices rose by a substantial 10.2% and are 3.2% higher than seen in the second quarter of this year.
The current rate at which homes are appreciating cannot continue, and I anticipate that we will see a “cooling” start to take place in 2017.
When compared to the third quarter of 2015, price growth was most pronounced in Lewis County. In total, there were nine counties where annual price growth exceeded 10% and prices were higher across the entire region when compared to a year ago.
Although supply levels are slowly starting to creep higher, we are still solidly in a seller’s market. Rising inventory levels should start to do a better job of meeting demand next year, which when combined with modestly higher mortgage interest rates, will see the region move closer toward becoming a balanced market.

DAYS ON MARKET

The average number of days it took to sell a home dropped by twenty-two days when compared to the third quarter of 2015.
All the counties that comprise this report saw the length of time it took to sell a home drop.
In the third quarter of 2016, it took an average of 52 days to sell a home. This is down from the 74 days it took in the third quarter of 2015, and down from the 67 days it took in the second quarter of this year.
King and Snohomish Counties remain the only two markets where it took less than a month to sell a home. Even though King County saw days on market rise slightly from 18 to 20, it remains the hottest market in the region.

CONCLUSIONS

This speedometer reflects the state of the region’s housing market using housing inventory, price gains, sales velocities, interest rates, and larger economics factors. For the third quarter of 2016, I am moving the needle very slightly toward the buyers. This is entirely due to the recent increase in inventory levels that I believe will continue through the rest of the year.

That said, the region remains steadfastly a seller’s market.

ABOUT MATTHEW GARDNER

Matthew Gardner is the Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, specializing in residential market analysis, commercial/industrial market analysis, financial analysis, and land use and regional economics. He is the former Principal of Gardner Economics, and has over 25 years of professional experience both in the U.S. and U.K.

Uncategorized • October 21, 2016

“We’ve Got You Covered” Winter Drive

by Wendy Saddler

Help Us Keep Homeless Youth Warm This Winter

Earlier this year, Windermere and the Seattle Seahawks announced that we were joining together to help #tacklehomelessness. For every home game tackle made by the Seahawks, the Windermere Foundation is donating $100 to YouthCare, a non-profit that provides support and services to homeless youth throughout the Puget Sound area.

As proud as we are of our #tacklehomelessness campaign and the money we’re raising, we know we can do more. That’s why we’re excited to announce Windermere’s “We’ve Got You Covered” winter drive benefitting YouthCare. Each night in Seattle, nearly 1,000 young people are homeless. And with the winter months quickly approaching, YouthCare is in dire need of survival supplies to keep homeless youth warm and dry during the long, wet winter.

Here’s what we are collecting:

Warm socks
Hats
Scarves
Gloves/mittens

From October 17 through November 14, you can drop off donations to participating Windermere offices in King and Snohomish Counties*. Our friends at Gentle Giant Moving Company are generously donating their time and trucks to pick up all of the donations from our offices. Donations can also be dropped off directly to YouthCare in South Lake Union at the James W. Ray Orion Center: 1828 Yale Avenue.

We hope you will consider making a donation to our “We’ve Got You Covered” winter drive. Feel free to contact your Windermere agent or local office for more information, or email justask@windermere.com.

*Windermere Winter Drive Drop-Off Locations

Auburn-Lakeland Hills