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Volume 10 | Issue 12
DECEMBER 2019
EYE ON THE MARKET Mortgage rates are on the rise after a long run of record lows. Over the last few weeks we’ve seen mortgage rates increase six basis points (0.06 percent); however, this is still very low in comparison to this time a year ago. These rates have helped homeowners who may have been struggling to meet the repayment requirements. Active listings of homes and condos are at their lowest levels since April. Last month’s selection declined more than 21 percent from where it was this time a year ago. Ten counties, mostly in the Puget Sound area, have less than a two -month-supply of inventory, while four to six months of inventory is considered to be a better-balanced market. King County’s available listings are well below the national average of four months. Our area hasn't seen numbers in the national average since February of 2015, however. This may indeed be the new normal. Alas, demand for living here isn’t going
LOCAL HAPPENINGS anywhere. Last month, nine counties reported double-digit jumps in pending sales compared to this same time last year. Going into the real estate slow season, experts are not expecting a significant influx of inventory until the spring. This means buyers will be faced with increased competition and hikes in pricing through the end of the year. In some cases this also means that some sellers may take their homes off the market over the holidays and put them back on the market in the spring, when there are more buyers looking to move. A new Redfin survey shows that Bellingham is now tied with Portland, Oregon, as the place people leaving Seattle are the most interested in. The median price for a home in both Bellingham and Portland is around $440,000. It seems Seattleites are now looking more north to escape expensive housing prices and the heavy traffic. While no one expects Bellingham to become the next Portland anytime soon, it is an attractive option for homeowners.
UPCYCLING: THE ART OF SUSTAINABLE GIFTING Gifts that will help you save the planet and some money! Candle jars: Turn old candle jars into dishwasher, and you’ve got a brand-new something new! Once you’ve burned up container. Fill it with hot cocoa mix, all your wax, pop them in the freezer for some mini marshmallows and crushed two hours to release the remaining wax. peppermint sticks for an easy, delicious treat anyone can enjoy! Or if Once you’ve gotten the wax you’re really crafty, there are out, the possibilities are lots of good recipes online for almost endless— a succulent body scrubs and other sweet flowerpot, a container for treats! bathroom or kitchen goods. A versatile gift that works for Tin cans: Discover almost anyone! endless possibilities with this upcycling hack! Cut off the tops Mason Jars: Upcycle your and bottoms of a few large cans, hotused (cleaned) pasta sauce containers glue them together along the sides to into vessels for treats! Remove any outside labels using hot water and dish create a stacked wine bottle holder! Or leave the bottoms on the cans, poke a soap, run the jar through the (continued on next page)
11/23-12/4 Annual Seattle Festival of Trees seattlefestivaloftrees.com
11/29-12/24 Snowflake Lane snowflakelane.com 11/29-12/28 The Nutcracker pnb.org/nutcracker 11/29-12/22 A Christmas Story: The Musical edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org 11/29-12/23 Christmas Ship Parade edmonds.entreprise.localist.com
11/29-12/22 Elf: The Musical tmp.org 11/29-1/5 Zoolights pdza.org/zoolights 11/30-12/21 Santa Train trainmuseum.org 12/1-23 Annual Issaquah Reindeer Festival cougarmountainzoo.org 12/6-23 A Christmas Carol secondstoryrep.org 12/6-12/22 A Christmas Story: The Musical villagetheatre.org/issaquah 12/7-12/8 Redmond Lights redmond.gov/1139/RedmondLights 12/8 Seafair Holiday Cruise seafair.org 12/14 SantaCon santacon.info 12/31 New Year’s at the Needle seattlecenter.com