the
Home Connection
Volume 11 | Issue 8
AUGUST 2020
eye on the market
experience this! median closed-sale prices for single-family homes are on the way back up. Year-overyear in King County prices are up by 4.32 percent, in Snohomish County up by 5.22 percent, in Pierce County up by almost 9 percent and in Thurston County up by nearly 8 percent.
Brokers report they are encountering more multiple offer situations as the market heats up. Buyers are not hesitating to jump in with offers over the asking price in hopes theirs is the chosen one. Extremely low mortgage rates are playing a significant role by providing home seekers with more buying power. The intense competition is in part due to persistent low inventory levels as some homeowners have decided to adopt a “wait-and-see” stance for the next few months. The increased attention for existing listings has led to higher offers and higher sale prices for properly priced homes in good condition. The most recent statistics from the Northwest MLS show
Before the pandemic many buyers prioritized short commute times and proximity to amenities. While these are still important, as we all spend more time at home, some buyers are pivoting, and the desire for larger living spaces has risen to the top of wish lists. Areas outside the Puget Sound core that offer homes with more spacious living are reporting a significant uptick in interest and home sales. As we enter the last full month of summer, many are anxious to get settled into a home before the school year begins. Time will tell if this mini-exodus to outlying areas will have a ripple effect and free up much-needed inventory in the more densely populated areas of Puget Sound.
app corner: around the house
Quest Factor – Explore Puerto Virtual reality Rico with Linteam escape room Manuel Miranda
Grand Wailea, Maui – Beach Live Cam
Northern Lights Live Stream from Chruchill, Manitoba, Canada
Hamptons, Coopers Beach – Explore the Beach Cam Live Amazon Rainforest
When it comes to making those home tasks and ambitions easier, “there’s an app for that.” Here are a few helpful apps offered on your preferred device platform: Tody: This app helps to manage home cleaning tasks with tools for prioritization, motivation, and tracking progress. You can organize lists of your projects and work flexibly while staying on track with your cleaning goals. Salvation Army Family Store: With this app, you can donate household items such as toys, clothes, books, furniture etc., with scheduled pickups or drop-offs to make donations easy. It will also keep track of your donations and even offer coupons for your local Family Store.
Sortly: Sortly allows you to organize your home inventory in several different folders and subfolders to make finding items easier. You can add searchable tags and notes to find what you need quickly. Sortly also allows you to enter details for items such as a photo, serial number, purchase date, SKU number and warranty expiration date. Homestyler Mobile: Snap a photo of any room in your house and change it to 3D perspective view. You will then be able to decorate and furnish your room. This app also gives you the chance to share your designs with talented stylers for advice and inspiration.
Charleston, South Whale Watching Carolina – Virtual Livestream on the Oregon Coast Ghost Tours
Virtual tour of the Virtually Explore Giant’s Causeway, Caverns in New Mexico Ireland