the
Home Connection
Volume 11 | Issue 12
DECEMBER 2020
eye on the market While winter may be bringing colder weather, the real estate market has remained hot. Inventory and interest rates remain at historic lows and buyer competition has continued to increase. October market activity showed a 40 percent drop in active listings compared to the same month a year ago, while the end of fall brought an increase of 16 percent in pending sales and a year over-year jump of nearly 30 percent in closed sales. In fact, the Puget Sound region is in the top four most competitive housing markets in the country according to a recent analysis from Redfin. The Northwest MLS shows median closedsale prices for single-family homes have increased significantly. Several counties charted double-digit price growth including King County where prices are up
experience this! by 12.88 percent, Snohomish County up by 17.17 percent, Pierce County up by almost 17.81 percent and Thurston County up by nearly 13.41 percent. King, Snohomish, and Pierce county also beat the record for the month of October for the number of homes sold that same month a year ago. Puget Sound homes cost more than ever before despite a slight decrease in price from earlier this fall and homes are still selling at unprecedented speeds. Brokers report that homebuyers continue to experience bidding wars and multiple offer situations when trying to secure a home and are being pulled into the market by record low mortgage rates. This winter’s real estate market will be one to watch and it will be interesting to see if market activity will begin to plateau as it has in past years at this time, or if the market will remain in record breaking territory.
Deck the House for the Holidays 'Tis the season to start hanging holiday lights. Creating a light display for your home is a great way to get into the festivities and brighten up your neighborhood. Unfortunately, it can be difficult and time consuming to accomplish. Here are a few tips to help make the process faster, safer, and easier. money in the long run. It is also helpful • Plan ahead: Create a design plan before to use extension cords and lights that are you begin hanging your lights, this will specifically made for outdoor use as this help save time and allow you to map out critical patterns for your light display. To will help avoid malfunctions that lead to decide where to hang lights, look at your spendy replacements. house from the street or take a picture • Use the right amount of and choose which elements lights: Measure the lengths of would be enhanced with what you plan on decorating lighting. Consider highlighting so that you have an accurate features like roof trim, eaves, idea of how many boxes of pillars, posts, windows, and lights you’ll need. The brighter doors. you want your display to be, • Use high quality lights and the more bulbs per strand you products: LED bulbs, while will want. more expensive, last twelve times as long • Take safety precautions: When climbing/ as traditional bulbs and ultimately save continued on next page
Yuletide Express 11/28-12/19
The Nutcracker— Pacific Northwest Ballet 12/11-26
NORAD Santa Tracker begins 12/1
Google Lights 12/11
Times Square, NYC 40th Annual Winter Festival & Virtual Ball Drop 12/31-1/1 Crafts Fair 12/4-6
Kirkland Winterfest 12/5
Austrian Alps, Skiing VR 360 Video
Redmond Lights 12/7-8
Virtual Reindeer Sleigh Ride
December important dates Tuesday, December 1 Giving Tuesday
Thursday, December 10 Hankkah Begins
Friday, December 25 Christmas Day
Friday, December 4 National Cookie Day
Monday, December 21 Winter Begins
Saturday, December 26 Kwanzaa Begins
Monday, December 7 Pearl Harbor Rememberance Day
Thursday, December 24 Christmas Eve
Thursday, December 31 New Year’s Eve
Deck the House for the Holidays continued from previous page
using a ladder, make sure someone is holding it in place and you are aware of the ladder’s regulations. Take extra care when reaching to not overextend and be cautious when using tools. It is also important to start hanging lights early in the day, so you aren’t working in slippery conditions and have plenty of daylight to complete the job.
Holiday Gifts for the Cooks on your list Being ‘home for the holidays’ is true now more than ever, especially when it comes to hosting intimate gatherings or preparing holiday meals. Here are a few great kitchen gadgets from 2020 that will ease your culinary duties or make the perfect gift for your loved ones. • Starfrit Rotato Express. An electric peeler that instantly peels potatoes, fruits, and vegetables. This item is $27.64 and is available at hsn.com.
• Check electrical system: Inspect the
outlets and plugs you will use for your lights and do not use lights with any exposed or frayed wires. Never connect different types of lights on the same circuit or outlet and call an electrician if you notice any sparks or singeing. It is also important to read manufacturer recommendations on the number of lights you can safely string together.
• OXO Good Grips Cookie Press. This device makes creating consistent
pressed spritz cookies easy and fun. This item is $31.99 and available at amazon.com.
• Royal Craft Wood Cheese Board. This bamboo board is perfect for
slicing and serving your charcuterie favorites. It is on sale for $20.99 and can be found at wayfair.com
• Use a timer: An outdoor timer will
• Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker. Multi cooker that makes cooking from scratch simple and fast. This device is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker and warmer. It is $79 and available at amazon.com.
monitor and control your outdoor lights to conserve energy and save money. A timer will also allow your lights to automatically go on or off at preferred times such as on at sundown and off after you go to bed.
How to Drop Heating Bills as Temps Fall Winter is almost here and that means the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder. Now is the perfect time to prepare your home for the chilly weather ahead, and these tips will help you save money and resources while staying warm this winter.
• Inspect your house and perimeter:
home through gaps, including doors, Take a detailed look at the interior windows, light fittings, power sockets, and exterior of your home. Check that and dryer vents. Most leaks can be your water supply system is insulated sealed with weather stripping, caulk, properly and that there are no other foam strips or expanding foam spray. • Close the chimney: Chimneys can allow points of entry for cold air to enter your • Insulate your home: Since warm air cold air in if the damper is not airtight home. Inside your home, check for rises, adding extra padding to your attic or there are other gaps. One way to any gaps that could cause warm air to can cut down on energy loss that leads prevent the heat loss is by using fitted seep out such as cracks in window, old to expensive heating bills. Another glass or other fireplace doors to seal weather stripping, unsealed fireplace way to insulate your home is by the chimney. You can also better utilize etc. hanging curtains at your windows or by a fireplace by installing an insert, a heat insulating the windows themselves. exchanger, or a woodstove to add heat. • Keep doors and vents closed to unused • Maintain your furnace: Taking care rooms: Close the doors to unused of your furnace will help it heat your rooms and open them only as needed home effectively, which will lower to redirect warm air to the rooms electricity bills. Furnaces need regular where heat is needed most. Be sure to maintenance to work well. Every few also close the air vents in those rooms to prevent heat from entering. months you should clean off your • Fill in gaps: Heating your home can furnace, check the ducts for air leaks, be expensive especially if the heat is and change the filter. escaping. Warm air can leak out of your
Volume 11 | Issue 12