Windermere Blog | April 2016

April 29, 2016

#YourStoryIsOurStory: It's Never too Late to Fall in Love

Posted in #YourStoryIsOurStory by Tara Sharp

In November 2015, Windermere Real Estate agent, Vivian Peterson met some new friends that would teach her an invaluable lesson. At an open house, Richard approached Vivian about selling his current home. After almost 40 years in his place, a home he shared with his first wife until she passed away, Richard was looking to sell. This is a move uncharacteristic of Richard, but he had recently met...
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April 27, 2016

Keeping Up with The Joneses: Seven Yard Tools a First-Time Homeowner Needs

Posted in Living by Tyler Davis Jones

Did you know that gardening tools are really expensive? I didn’t. We even priced out what it would cost to have a landscaper come every two weeks just to mow and edge our front and back yard (which would leave us to the weeding, sweeping, etc.) but alas… that is also expensive (about $100 per month). So… Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to Home Depot we go…
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April 25, 2016

An Incoming Tide Raises All Ships: How the Growth in Homeowner Equity Continues to Stabilize the U.S. Housing Market

Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate

With home prices rising and consumers not taking on additional mortgage debt, equity levels have grown substantially. The country went through a very painful period of negative equity during the housing recession, but the growth started returning in 2012, and we moved back into a period of positive equity again by the summer of 2013. In 2015, equity levels increased by an impressive 10.2 percent
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April 22, 2016

New Home Construction Trends to Watch Out For

Posted in Living by Tiana Baur

Earlier this week, at the Windermere Builder Solutions Breakfast, more than 100 Windermere brokers came together to listen to Windermere President OB Jacobi lead a panel discussion on new home construction trends in the greater Seattle area.
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April 21, 2016

Western Washington Real Estate Market Update

Posted in Market News and Western Washington Real Estate Market Update by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate

Washington State has seen very robust growth over the past 12 months with the addition of 102,600 new jobs, which is 224,000 more jobs than seen at the previous peak in 2008. With this robust growth, it is unsurprising to see the unemployment rate trend down to 5.8%—well below the long-term average of 6.4%. As pleasing as it is to see the unemployment rate drop, it is equally pleasing to see...
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April 20, 2016

Windermere Foundation Quarterly Report

Posted in Windermere Foundation by Christine Wood

Thanks to you and the wonderful support that the Windermere Foundation has received so far this year, we have disbursed nearly $470,000 to non-profit organizations dedicated to providing services to low-income and homeless families throughout the Western U.S.
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April 14, 2016

#YourStoryIsOurStory: How Windermere Cup Changed Jenni Hogan's Life

Posted in #YourStoryIsOurStory and Windermere by Tara Sharp

Since 1987, Windermere Real Estate has partnered with the University of Washington to put on a one-of-a-kind rowing event called the Windermere Cup. For the last thirty years, Windermere and UW have brought some of the best rowers from around the world to Seattle to compete in this premier sporting event, and in the process, changed the course of some of the athlete’s lives.
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April 11, 2016

What’s the Deal with Condos?

Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate

The Greater-Seattle region continues to grow its population base but not its land base. As such, density needs to be embraced. Condominiums play an important part of the equation, but until this segment of the market regains its footing, there will be further pressure on housing of all types to accommodate the region’s growth, and this will continue to put upward pressure on prices.
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April 06, 2016

8 DIY Fire Pits to Get Your Yard Ready for Summer

Posted in Porch.com and Living by Porch.com

If you’re thinking about the changing seasons, think about making your own fire pit. This popular backyard feature is surprisingly easy to construct, and will bring your outdoor living to the next level. Make a quick trip to the hardware store, grab the kids to help out, and you can have one of these gorgeous backyard features by this weekend!
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April 04, 2016

How to Find the Right Real Estate Agent for You!

Posted in Buying, Selling, and Video Tips by Tara Sharp

If you are buying or selling your home, you will want to find a real estate agent that you like and trust. Windermere agents, Marguerite Giguere and Anne Jones have some great tips on how to find a real estate agent, make sure they will fit your needs and set expectations.
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