CW Title and Escrow Newsletter | 10.2018

the

OCTOBER 2018

Volume 9 | Issue 10

EYE ON THE

market

After almost two years, Seattle is no longer leading in the nation's fastestrising home prices. The Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index reported that Las Vegas led the nation in June 2018, with a 13 percent growth in home -sale prices from June 2017. Seattle’s growth was just below, with a 12.8 percent increase.

According to the Seattle PostIntelligencer, a shortage of inventory is one of the main factors causing increasing home values in the area; however, inventory in the Seattle area has increased by about 13 percent from last year, and will likely continue to increase. The surplus in inventory may be a good sign that buyers can worry less about competition in bidding, and have a greater selection of homes from

PUGET SOUND

LOCAL which to choose. Despite the increase in inventory, industry experts confirm that while the Puget Sound area continues to be a seller’s market, our region is certainly seeing a slowdown. Although buyers have been able to downshift from the breakneck pace of earlier this year, it’s still a very fast-moving market.

Brokers advise buyers to remain ready to act quickly on new listings.

Mortgage rates in the past few weeks have dropped since this coolingoff period began. With inventory increasing and prices leveling out, this may be a good time for buyers who were outbid in the summer to look into the market again. NWMLS reports that the average price for a single-family home sold in King County in August 2018 was roughly $669,000. Pierce County's average price came in at $352,000, while Snohomish County reported $492,225.

Experts predict that home values won't be declining but will be appreciating at a slower rate compared to years before.

pumpkin patches

Snohomish County Bailey Vegetables 12711 Springhetti Rd, Snohomish baileyveg.com Baylor Farm 28511 Ben Howard Rd, Monroe 360.793.0822 Biringer’s Black Crow Pumpkins & Corn Maze 2431 SR 530 NE, Arlington facebook.com/biringers.black.crow Bob’s Corn & Pumpkin Farm 10917 Elliott Rd, Snohomish bobscorn.com Carleton Farm 630 Sunnyside Blvd SE, Lake Stevens carletonfarm.com/pumpkin

Craven Farm 13817 Shorts School Rd, Snohomish cravenfarm.com/ppactivities Fairbank Animal Farm 15308 52nd Ave W, Edmonds fairbankfarm.com The Farm at Swan’s Trail 7301 Rivershore Rd, Snohomish thefarm1.com Foster’s Produce & Corn Maze 5818 SR 530 NE, Arlington fosterscornmaze.com Stocker Farms 10622 Airport Wy, Snohomish stockerfarms.com Thomas Family Farm 9010 Marsh Rd, Snohomish thomasfamilyfarm.com continued on next page

happenings

4-11 Tacoma Film Festival tacomafilmfestival.com 5-7 Tacoma Greek Festival stnicholastacoma.org 6 Monster Bash-Everett flyingheritage.com 6-7 Oysterfest 2018 oysterfest.org 11-14 Borealis Festival of Light borealisfestivaloflight.com 13 Gig Harbor Community-wide Trunk or Treat gigharbor.macaronikid.com 14 Snohomish River Run snohomishriverrun.com

18 Everett Art Walk everettartwalk.org 18-21 36th Annual Holiday Food & Gift Festival holidaygiftshows.com 19-21 Everett - Skate America usfigureskating.org 19 - 21 Seattle Home Show seattlehomeshow.com 20-28 Halloween Storytelling Train trainmuseum.org 27 Fall Farm Fun: Pigs & Pumpkins bellevuewa.gov 27 Sky Valley Classic 1-mile, 5K and 10K in Monroe ymca-snoco.org 31 Mill Creek Treats on Main Street and Trunk or Treat millcreektourism.com

October

IMPORTANT DATES Monday, October 1 October is National Child Health Day Friday, October 5 World Teachers’ Day Tuesday, October 16 National Boss’s Day Friday, October 19 National Mammography Day

IT’S TIME FOR

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Saturday, October 27 National Make a Difference Day Wednesday, October 31 Halloween

pumpkin spice lattes!

To make the pumpkin spice latte mix: Combine 1/2 cup milk and the sugar, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk, and let simmer 1 cup milk, soy milk or almond milk for 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup 2 teaspoons sugar, or more to taste milk, whisking until combined.

Strain mixture through cheesecloth or 4 teaspoons pumpkin puree fine-mesh sieve to remove pulp. (not pumpkin pie mix) Return milk mixture to saucepan and simmer until hot, whisking again for 2 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice minutes. Add desired amount of (plus extra for optional garnish) espresso or strong black coffee to the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract saucepan and whisk one last time until foamy (1 minute or less).

Espresso or strong black coffee Top with whipped cream sprinkled Whipped cream and cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice, and drop in a stick (for optional garnish) cinnamon stick (optional). The mixture (before adding the coffee) will keep in the fridge for two-three days.

Makes one latte.

Enjoy this seasonal favorite throughout the fall when you keep a few ingredients on hand: • • • • • • •

PUGET SOUND

pumpkin patches

continued from previous page

King County Baxter Barn 31929 SE 44th St, Fall City baxterbarn.org/pumpkins.html Carpinito Brothers 1148 Central Ave N, Kent carpinito.com Fall City Farms 3636 Neal Rd, Fall City fallcityfarms.com Fox Hollow Farm 12123 Issaquah Hobart Rd SE, Issaquah foxhollowfamilyfarm.com Remlinger Farms 32610 NE 32nd St, Carnation remlingerfarms.com Serres Farm 20306 NE 50th St, Redmond serresfarm.com Thomasson Family Farm 38223 236th Ave SE, Enumclaw thomassonfarm.com

Before the first frost O C TO B E R I N YO U R G A R D E N October is here and with that comes the cold! Here are a few tips to prepare your garden for the coming fall and winter, quietly thriving until spring.

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Check weather forecast daily for frost warnings.

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Using low tunnels or cloches covered with frost blankets over food crops and cutting gardens may extend the growing season up to one month.

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You can also preserve root crops and extend harvest up to one month by removing green leaves and covering with straw, soil or mulch.

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For winter greens like kale and chard, protect them from the rain and wind by pushing heavy wire or PVC pipe into the ground to make hoops over the plants. Drape with row cover material or frost blankets which can be found at your local gardening store.

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To help prevent slugs, clean up their common hiding areas, such as weed piles, boards or stacked pots.

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In October, start cutting back perennials leaving 3-inch stubs near the ground.

These stubs will catch fallen leaves and provide insulation from the cold.

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Add mulch to keep root temperatures stable, and add compost to supply organic nutrients to the soil. Don’t fertilize as this will prompt new growth at the wrong time of year.

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Cover paths between vegetable beds with leaves or mulch to deter weeds next spring.

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Cover plants with cardboard or other material (except plastic) during frost.

Wait until air warms to remove cover.

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Continue watering new additions to the landscape that were planted within the last 12 months. Many plants die from drought during their first winter.

Pierce County Double R Farms 5820 44th St E, Puyallup double-r-farms.net Maris Farms 25001 Sumner-Buckley Hwy, Buckley marisfarms.com Picha’s Farm 6502 52nd St E, Puyallup pichafarms.com/pumpkins.php Scholz Farm 14310 128th St E, Orting pugetsoundfresh.org/farm /sczholz-farm-and-garden Spooner Farms 9710 SR 162 E, Puyallup spoonerberries.com/harvest-festival Volume 9 | Issue 10