the
MARCH 2017
Volume 8 | Issue 3
EYE ON THE
market
Spring is right around the corner, and the 2017 market is already heating up. Brokers are reporting brisk traffic at open houses to start the year. With football season having come to an end, and along with it Seahawks Sundays, house hunters have less to distract them from their search. New residents moving into the area are also contributing to an increase in open house traffic (and street traffic). The January 2017 Washington State Drivers Report shows a 2.5 percent increase in out-of-state drivers obtaining a Washington state driver’s license over the past 12 months (ending January 28). This is 3,800 new drivers each week, including some new residents looking for homes. The ever-increasing number of buyers competing for homes in an already competitive market is a major factor pushing housing prices upward. Recently
LOCAL released NWMLS data for January shows the median closed-sale price for a singlefamily home in King County increased by 6.93 percent year-over-year. Comparatively, prices in neighboring counties have increased by an even higher percentage during the same time period as buyers have expanded their search. In Snohomish County, prices are up by 8.19 percent; in Pierce County, they are up by 11.57 percent. Our region’s investment in regional public transportation systems is also making outlying areas more attractive to buyers. Many of those moving to our state are already familiar with longer commutes using regional transportation systems. A long commute doesn’t deter our new neighbors from considering and competing for homes close to public transportation options. Buyers can expect competition to increase as our region’s great economy, quality of life and high-wage jobs continue to attract new residents.
spring HOME COLOR TRENDS Spring is an exciting time to change up any room simply by incorporating a few seasonal updates. Here’s a look at trendy colors and ideas to consider: 2017 PANTONE® Color of the Year
Greenery
Fringe and tassels on everything,
including mirrors, table lamps, fixtures and wall hangings, and even incorporated into wallpaper are hot, Year as a “refreshing and revitalizing hot, hot. yellow-green shade, evoking the first days of spring when nature’s greens Accessories should lend character to a revive, restore and renew.” Greenery room and borrow from nature: Use is a versatile “trans-seasonal” shade elements from the outdoors, such as that lends itself to many color combistone and old wood, to decorate. Pair nations and can pair with neutrals, unfinished, rough materials with brights, deeper shades, pastels and smooth polished surfaces to create metallics. These pairings easily cross informal harmony. over between fashion, beauty, product Mix textiles to create an energetic and graphic design applications. feel—for example, pillows and throws In spring, use flat, crisp materials such (with fringe and tassels, of course). as cotton, voile and linen to keep your You can also mix patterns by keeping space feeling fresh and comfortable. to the same color palette. Pantone describes its Color of the
happenings
2-5 Emerald City Comicon (Seattle) emeraldcitycomicon.com
3-4 DeMiero Jazz Fest in Edmonds demierojazzfest.org 3-4 Poverty Bay Wine Festival drinktomusic.org 4 Cabernet Classic in Bellevue strangertickets.com 4 Lake Sammamish Half Marathon lakesammamishhalf.com 4 Snohomish Wine Festival snohowinefest.com 5-23 Dine Around Seattle (Sun-Thu) dinearoundseattle.org 11 Bourbon & Bacon Fest in Seattle bourbonandbaconfest.com 11 Kirkland Shamrock Run kirklandshamrockrun.com 11 Shamrock Shuffle Wine & Beer Walk in Bothell bothellchamber.com 11 Snohomish Chocolate Walk historicdowntownsnohomish.org 11 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Seattle | irishclub.org
11 St. Paddy’s Day Run in Tacoma stpaddyruntacoma.com 11-12 Irish Festival Seattle irishclub.org 12 St. Patrick’s Day Dash in Seattle irishclub.org 19 Mercer Island Half Marathon mercerislandhalf.com
March
March Is Women’s History Month
I M P O R TA N T D AT E S
The purpose is to remember the contributions of both notable and ordinary women, in hopes that the day will soon come when it’s impossible to teach or learn history without remembering these contributions.
Wednesday, March 8 International Women’s Day Sunday, March 12 Daylight Savings Time Begins *Set clocks ahead 1 hour* Friday, March 17 St. Patrick’s Day
For more information, visit www.nwhp.org/.
Monday, March 20 Spring Begins!
post-winter HOME CHECKLIST Not ready to get your spring cleaning started in earnest? Here are a few post-winter things you can do around your home right now:
Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and filter.
Test the batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Replace the furnace filter. It may be especially filthy after the winter months.
Clear the gutters of any buildup to allow for proper functioning.
Inspect the roof for water damage. It’s also a good idea to check any fences, carports and sheds. Tip: Check the south end of your roof first; it is the first to show wear.
Clean the windows and screens. Repair any holes in screens and replace if needed.
Inspect and repair siding and peeling paint. Fix or replace damaged siding. Strip peeling paint and replace it with a new coat.
Check the basement for water damage. Pay attention to musty smells, water stains and damp surfaces.
Be sure no inside or outside air vents are blocked by fallen debris.
celebrate ST. PATRICK’S DAY BELLEVUE Paddy Coyne’s paddycoynes.net
SEATTLE The Blarney Stone blarneystoneseattle.com
Kells Irish Restaurant kellsirish.com
EVERETT The Irishmen Bar & Grill theirishmen.com
The Celtic Swell celticswell.com
Madrona Arms madronaarms.com
The Chieftain Irish Pub chieftainirishpub.com
Molly Maguires 206.789.9643
Conor Byrne Pub conorbyrnepub.com
Mulleady’s Irish Pub mulleadyspub.com
Fadó fadoirishpub.com
Murphy’s murphysseattle.com
Finn MacCool’s finnmaccools.com
The Ould Triangle 206.706.7798
FX McRory’s fxmcrorys.com
Owl N’ Thistle Irish Pub owlnthistle.com
Shawn O’Donnell’s shawnodonnells.com KIRKLAND Wilde Rover Irish Pub wilderover.com REDMOND JJ Mahoney’s Irish Pub jjmahoneys.com
Volume 8 | Issue 3
Paddy Coyne’s paddycoynes.net Shawn O’Donnell’s shawnodonnells.com T.S. McHugh’s tsmchughs.com TACOMA Doyle’s Public House 253.272.7468 O’Malley’s Irish Pub 253.627.9403