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
august important dates Sunday, August 2 International Friendship Day
Monday, August 17 Nonprofit Day
August 2-8 National Farmers Market Week
Wednesday, August 19 World Humanitarian Day
Saturday, August 8 National Cat Day
Wednesday, August 26 National Dog Day
Sunday, August 9 International Book Lovers Day
Wednesday, August 26 Women’s Equality Day
Saturday, August 15 National Relaxation Day
home & neighborhood security Even while we’re spending more time at home there are measures we can take to bolster the security of our homes and neighborhoods. Here are a few great tips to stay safe at and around your home: Deterring package theft: Install a smart home video doorbell to monitor activity outside of your home, as most video doorbells notify you when there is any kind of activity in the line of site of the camera and have recording capabilities. You can also request that your package has signature confirmation upon delivery or ask your carrier to place the package in an area out of plain view. Preventing car break-ins: Lock your doors anytime you are in or away from your car. You will also want to keep your car tidy and hide or bring valuable items with you to prevent thieves from breaking in to retrieve those items. Park in well-lit, monitored areas, preferably with security cameras nearby. Home invasions: Keep your house well-lit at night and all doors locked to discourage potential invaders. Do not leave heavy objects in the backyard that can be used to throw through windows. Store or secure ladders that could be used to gain access. Always lock windows, even second floor windows and in summer months use a locking device to secure windows that are in an open position. Kids playing in streets: When driving, be aware during times when children are most likely to be outside playing especially sunny days. Keep an eye out for children in residential neighborhoods, especially with parked cars (kids often are in between cars and may enter the street quickly) or streets with no sidewalks. Be careful to abide by the
speed limits, driving at or slightly below in areas where kids may be present. It is also important to reduce your speed when turning the corners of your neighborhood and back out of your driveway slowly to prevent accidents. Pedestrian safety while exercising outside: More of us are out on the streets, taking in the fresh air and trying to maintain appropriate physical distancing. To do this safely, exercise in areas where you are visible to drivers by wearing light colored or reflective clothing and staying in well lit areas if you’re out late into the evening. Avoid distractions that impede your eyes and ears such as cell phone use or noise canceling headphones. Stay in safe areas with sidewalks, crosswalks, or designated areas for working out. Be aware of your hydration levels and heat or weather conditions while exercising outdoors to prevent accidents.
Volume 11 | Issue 8
what’ s new in smart home tech It has been an interesting year for smart home technology. Here are a few innovative products frequently voted best smart home tech in 2020: Brilliant Control Brilliant Control is a wall switch that uses Wi-Fi to connect to and control smart devices in your home. It lets you play music, control lighting, set thermostat temperatures and see who is at your door. It works with many popular smart home platforms and has built-in Amazon Alexa voice support. $299 | www.brilliant.tech Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 30C This robotic vacuum makes cleaning your floors a chore you don’t have to think about with up to 100 minutes of constant cleaning and quiet performance. It also has smart capabilities and can pair with Alexa and Google Assistant. $279.99 | amazon.com Meross Outdoor Smart Plug This outdoor smart plug powers your outdoor set up via an app, so you don’t have to worry about plugging anything in. It stands up to the outdoor elements and is easy to use with two separate plugs. $21.88 | amazon.com Honeywell Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector This device prevents leaky or frozen pipes from causing problems for homeowners by monitoring the pipe’s condition. The detector works with WiFi for easy setup, doesn’t need a hub, and should last up to three years on AA batteries. $58.69 | homedepot.com