connection
the home
October 2014
EYE ON THE MARKET The Puget Sound real estate market is still humming right along in most areas. Recently released MLS statistics show home prices in August were lower than record-setting July. Inventory is up 7 percent in August over August 2013, but the market is still tight. The King county median house sales price was down 6.6 percent from the previous month and only up 1.6 percent from the same month in 2013. "What we are seeing now with the market is a moderated growth in appreciation, a normalizing of sales volume, and continued health overall," declared MLS director George Moorhead in a recent press release. Interest rates have begun to tick up slightly, perhaps signaling the start of an upward trend. As interest rates rise, buyers will need to adjust to their new level of affordability. This may mean fewer buyers for the current inventory of homes at every price point. Sellers currently seeing multiple offers that have driven prices higher in recent months, may see fewer offers, (and buyers, less competition) but tight inventory is still working to the advantage of the seller. Rising rates may also have another effect: motivated buyers who locked in low rates with their lender may be more aggressive in an effort to hang on to the low rate. Overall, fall is a great time to both buy and sell. According to Realtor.com, next to the spring season, autumn is the busiest season for home buying and selling in many areas. Fall buyers are eager to take advantage of year-end tax breaks they may be eligible for, move before the inclement weather sets in and be settled in time to celebrate the holidays in their new home. These factors may make for more motivated fall buyers, unlike springtime home shoppers who may feel they still have time to wait for new listings to come on the market.
PUMPKIN PATCHES
LOCAL HAPPENINGS 1-31 Earshot Jazz Festival | earshot.org 2 Brew at the Zoo | zoo.org
Support our local farms and enjoy an amazing fall tradition at a farm near you: KING COUNTY Baxter Barn 31929 SE 44th St, Fall City baxterbarn.org Camp Korey 28901 NE Carnation Farm Rd, Carnation campkorey.org Carpinito Brothers 1148 Central Ave N, Kent carpinito.com
4 Puyallup Art & Wine Walk puyallupmainstreet.com 4 Railroad Days | granitefallswa.com
Dr. Maze’s Farm 15410 NE 124th St, Redmond drmazesfarm.com
4 Fife Harvest Festival | cityoffife.com
Fox Hollow Family Farm 12031 Issaquah Hobart Rd ES, Issaquah foxhollowfamilyfarm.com Jubilee Biodynamic Farm 229 W Snoqualmie River Rd NE, Carnation jubileefarm.org Mosby Farms 12754 SE Green Valley Rd, Auburn mosbyfarm.com Remlinger Farms 32610 N.E. 32nd St, Carnation remlingerfarms.com
Serres Farm 20306 NE 50th St, Redmond serresfarm.com (Pierce & Snohomish Counties: next page)
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9-16 Tacoma Film Festival tacomafilmfestival.com 10-13 St. Demetrios Greek Festival seattlegreekfestival.com 11 Orting Pumpkin Fest tacomaevents.com 11-12 Sammamish Arts Fair sammamishartsfair.wordpress.com 15-16 Seattle Auto Show seattleautoshow.com 18-19 Zoo Boo | pdza.org 22-26 Tacoma Holiday Food & Gift Festival holidaygiftshows.com 24-25 Snohomish BrewFest snohobrewfest.com 24-25 Northwest Trek Events | nwtrek.org
Trinity Tree Farm 14237 228th Ave SE, Issaquah trinitytreefarm.com
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4-5 Salmon Days Festival salmondays.org 5 Harvest Hoedown | firstharvest.org
18-19 Turkfest Seattle | turkfest.org
Thomasson Family Farm 38223 236th Ave SE, Enumclaw thomassonfamilyfarm.com
Vo lu m e
3-4 Great Pumpkin Beer Fest elysianbrewing.com 3-4 Anacortes Bier on the Pier anacortes.org 3-5 Northwest Chocolate Festival nwchocolate.com 3-5 Everett Sausage Festival everettsausagefest.com 3-5 Oktoberfest Northwest oktoberfestnw.com 3-5 Seattle Home Show seattlehomeshow.com 3-31 Fright Fest | wildwaves.com
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24-26 Best of the Northwest Art and Fine Craft Show | nwartalliance.com 25-26 Swanson Nursery’s Fall Festival swansonsnursery.com 26 Run Scared 5k | runscared5k.com
O C T O B E R D AT E S & O B S E R V A N C E S WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1st World Vegetarian Day
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17th National Mammography Day
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5th World Teacher’s Day
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25th National Make a Difference Day
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13th Columbus Day
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31st Halloween
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16st National Boss’ Day
OCTOBER is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS Consider these tips before venturing out on Halloween night: 1. Remove anything from the porch and yard that a child could trip over, such as: garden hoses, toys, bikes and decorations. 2. A responsible adult should always accompany young children as they go door to door in the neighborhood. Carry a flashlight and consider attaching a glow stick or reflector to the costume.
3. If older children are going alone, plan and review their route. Agree on a specific time when they should return home. Make sure someone has a fully charged cell phone in case of an emergency. 4. Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the edge of the street facing oncoming traffic.
5. Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks. Never cross in between parked cars. 6. Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing you at night. 7. Law enforcement should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.
P U M P K I N P AT C H E S ( P I E R C E & S N O H O M I S H ) PIERCE COUNTY Double R Farms 5820 44th St E, Puyallup double-r-farms.net
Spooner Farms 9710 State Route 162 E, Puyallup spoonerberries.com
Craven Farm 13817 Shorts School Rd, Snohomish cravenfarm.com
Filbert Acres 6625 Pioneer Way E, Puyallup filbertacresfarm.com
SNOHOMISH COUNTY Bailey Vegetables 12711 Springhetti Rd, Snohomish baileyveg.com
Fairbank Farm 15308 52nd Ave W, Edmonds fairbankfarm.com
Maris Farms 25001 Sumner-Buckley Hwy, Buckley marisfarms.com
Baylor Farm 28511 Ben Howard Rd, Monroe, WA 98272
Old McDebbie’s Farm 4924 268th St E, Spanaway jimsufish.com
Bob’s Corn & Pumpkin Farm 10917 Elliot Rd, Snohomish bobscorn.com
Scholz Farm 12920 162nd Ave E, Orting, WA 98360
Bringer’s Black Crow Pumpkins & Corn Maze 2431 Hwy 530, Arlington, WA 98223
Picha’s Farm 6502 52nd St E, Puyallup pichafarms.com
Carleton Farm 360 Sunnyside Blvd SE, Lake Stevens carletonfarm.com
The Farm at Swan’s Trail 7301 Rivershore Rd, Snohomish thefarm1.com Foster’s Produce & Cornmaze 5818 SR 530 NE, Arlington fosterscarnmaze.com Stocker Farms 10622 Airport Way, Snohomish stockerfarms.com Thomas Family Farm 9010 Marsh Rd, Snohomish thomasfamilyfarm.com