THE HOME CONNECTION Volume 14 | Issue 1
JANUARY 2023
EYE ON THE MARKET
The new year brings with it a new wave of optimism regarding the real estate market. Industry experts report we are experiencing a leveling of the playing field as the housing market has entered a somewhat neutral territory in recent months, with neither buyers nor sellers having the upper hand outright. Buyers have more selection as inventory continues to rise. With this increase in market competition, brokers report sellers are more willing to negotiate to get their property sold. Fluctuating mortgage rates have at times trended downward, nevertheless, the cost of a home loan continues to constrict buyers’ purchasing power. To take advantage of interest rates when they do fall, brokers are advising buyers to have all their documentation in order so they can move quickly should a home come on the market meeting their needs. In those parts of our market where it remains solidly a seller’s market, properties in good condition and priced properly are quickly going under contract. Sellers who decided to delist their homes during the holiday season are shoring up plans to bring them back online in the coming weeks as new qualified buyers enter the market. Most recent Northwest MLS stats show median closed sale prices for single-family homes are up slightly year-over-year in many counties. In King County up by 0.85%, in Snohomish County up by 0.72%, in Pierce County up 1.94%, unchanged in Thurston County, in Chelan County down -2.61% and in Douglas County up 0.12%. In Spokane County prices are up 4.7% (Spokane Association of Realtors).
FOCAL POINT: Feature Wall
Give your home some personality and create visual interest in your space with a fabulous feature wall. Your feature wall can simply be for aesthetics or it can be functional and fashionable. Here is some inspiration to make your feature wall stand out from the rest. •
Picture Rail. Hang family portraits or framed artwork from a picture rail to add a modern look to your wall. Picture rails are great for those who want to continually change the sizes and arrangement of the photos on their wall without adding additional nail holes.
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Wallpaper. Easily add interest to a wall in your room by installing a vibrant wallpaper. Moody wallpaper is trending.
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Shiplap. Give your space a modern farmhouse feel with a white shiplap feature wall.
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Texture. Use applied molding for a classical or modern look, wainscoting for a traditional look, or plaster for an urban feel.
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Live Wall. Bring the outdoors inside with a live wall using plants in water or potted herbs, greens, or flowers.
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Tile. Do you love your bathroom floor tile? Continue it up one wall to make a tile mosaic feature wall.
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Open Shelves. Create a modern, artistic and functional wall of shelves. Add art, pictures, dishes, or dry goods in mason jars.
STORM MAINTENANCE
EXPERIENCE THIS!
After a storm blows through protect and maintain your home by completing these suggested tasks.
January 1
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First and foremost, remember to use precaution around debris and downed power lines. Be mindful of trees and branches that have been uprooted or broken but have not fallen all the way to the ground.
rentonwa.gov
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Clear gutters of debris, repair if necessary, and make sure they are draining 3-4 feet away from your foundation.
villagetheatre.org/mainstage/cinderella
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Check attic and basement or crawl space for leaks.
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Monitor snow load on trees that are near your home or driveway and remove snow if branches become heavy.
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Keep driveway and walkways clear by removing leaves that will become slick when wet and use ice melt to remove snow and ice.
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Keep faucets dripping during freezing temperatures when the power is out, or if your faucet is on an outside wall, to prevent pipes from freezing.
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Clear large icicles from roof so they do not fall and hit someone when they begin to melt.
POLAR BEAR PLUNGE January 6-29
CINDERELLA January 13-14
MONSTER JAM tacomadome.org January 16
LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION spokanechinese.org January 20-22
NORTHWEST REMODELING EXPO homeshowcenter.com January 21
THE PEAKING ACROBATS numericapac.org January 26-29
SPOKANE BOAT SHOW spokaneboatshow.com January 27
HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS harlemglobetrotters.com January 28
STINKY SPOKE
IMPORTANT DATES Sunday, January 1 New Year’s Day
Monday, January 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, January 2 Tuesday, January 24 New Year’s Day Observed National Compliment Day CW Title and Counties Closed
Saturday, January 28 Data Privacy Day
stinkyspokeride.com January 28-29
SEATTLE WEDDING SHOW weddingshow.com