October 2021 Newsletter

the

Home Connection

Volume 12 | Issue 10

OCTOBER 2021

eye on the market Autumn is here and change is in the air.

The real estate market has followed suit, exemplifying the “typical” fall slowdown in activity with drops in month-tomonth new listings, total inventory, pending sales, closed sales, and median prices, according to newly released MLS statistics. MLS data also shows that total inventory for the reported counties fell by 6.6 percent from July of this year and by nearly 22.6 percent from August of 2020. However, closed home prices did rise when compared year-over-year.

In fact, Northwest MLS data shows widespread price escalations across most counties for closed home sale prices when compared with the same month a year ago.In King County prices are up by 14.41 percent, in Snohomish County up by 25.21 percent, in Pierce County up by almost 18.87 percent, in Thurston County up by almost 19.23 percent,

experience this! and in Spokane County up by nearly 26.5 percent (Spokane Association of REALTORS).

Brokers have noted that homes are staying on the market slightly longer, which they have attributed to sellers ‘overpricing’ their properties. Since there is still quite a shortage of inventory, homes are likely to sell quickly when priced reasonably. In King County for example, median list prices dropped from $740,000 in July of this year to $729,000 in August of this year. In many counties, the median sales price also fell slightly in the monthover-month comparison. This may indicate that we are hitting a price ceiling and that the pace of home price appreciation will continue to slow as we move through the rest of the year. As homebuyers continue to find mortgage interest rates below 3 percent, and experience increased buying power, it will be interesting to see if listing prices are affected and how quickly properties sell.

Issaquah Salmon Days 10/2-10/3

Puget Sound Festival of Bands 10/23

Lilac City Comicon Seattle 10/2-10/3 Restaurant Week 10/24 –11/6

Washington Beer Fresh Hop Festival 10/8

Harvest Fest 10/25-10/31

Puyallup Oktoberfest 10/8-10/10

Snohomish Zombie Walk 10/30

Glass Pumpkin Patch 10/23

Monster Mash Goodie Bag Giveaway

Fences make great neighbors Choosing a fence plays an important role in your home’s exterior design and helps to bolster the security of your home. Here are several different types of fencing you can choose and what the distinctions and benefits are to each type.

• Aluminum Fencing. One of the most

basic types of fencing is aluminum. It is stylistic and adds a nice decorative touch to a yard. It is less secure than other types of fencing available, as the poles are spaced in a way that makes a property visible. it’s relatively maintenance free and customizable with paint and decorations.

• Wood Fencing. Wood is a very popular

type of fencing in America. It gives homeowners a lot of privacy with the height it provides and is also visually appealing, as wood fencing is said to give a warm and welcoming feeling.

The height and size of your fence will greatly impact affordability as well as the type of wood you choose.

They take longer to install continued on next page

OCTOber important dates Monday, October 4 National Taco Day

Friday, October 15 National Boss’s Day

Tuesday, October 26 Pumpkin Day

Tuesday, October 5 World Teachers Day

Sunday, October 24 United Nations Day

Sunday, October 31 Halloween

Fences make great neighbors

Monday, October 11 Columbus Day

composting in your backyard It’s that time of year when autumn leaves begin to fall and collect in our yards.

Composting is a great way to clean up the yard, while also creating nutrient-rich soil for a healthy garden. Adding compost to your flowerbeds and garden keeps soil fertile and productive while reducing the amount of yard waste that ends up in landfills. Here are a few tips to help create soil from autumn’s beauty.

• Choose the right varieties of leaves. • Water the compost pile. A compost

Birch, maple, ash, cherry, beech, and pile needs oxygen and water to any leaves from fruit and nut trees flourish. This is achieved by turning work the best for composting as they and watering the pile a on a regular decompose quickly and are balanced basis. This process brings oxygen into in the nutrients that they give to a the center of the pile and keeps the compost pile. Tough, waxy leaves from break-down process strong. Compost trees such as magnolia and ginkgo can piles need to be turned a few times take years to break down and are best each week for the best results. left out of the compost pile.

• Store your compost pile correctly.

• Shred leaves before adding to

You can create a compost bin, use a tumbler, or create a maintained pile to store your compost. If you choose to create a pile, make sure to find a place that receives partial sunlight. Too much sunlight will make the pile dry and prevent decay. It is also important to pick a spot that has good drainage and to not place a compost pile near concrete, cement, or asphalt.

compost pile. Shredded leaves break down quickly in a compost pile while • Moisture & cold control is essential. whole leaves take a very long time to Moisture control is necessary in decompose. Shredding creates smaller regions that receive a lot of rain pieces to compost which causes the or snow. Excess water soaks into leaves to deteriorate faster, benefiting the ground and is taken on by the your compost pile greatly. Be sure to compost, which hinders the pile’s make the pile high because the leaves ability to maintain proper oxygen will provide insulation during the levels. This issue is harder to prevent winter months. with a ground dwelling compost pile.

• Include a source of nitrogen to aid

the compost pile. Leaves break down faster if the compost pile includes a source of nitrogen. Nitrogen warms up the pile and helps with breaking down dry materials like leaves. A good compost pile is made up of 4 parts of ‘brown’ materials, and 1 part ‘green’ materials. Brown materials are the leaves. Green materials include fresh vegetable scraps, eggs shells, coffee grounds, fresh green grass clippings, and manure.

One solution is a compost tumbler which is sealed to stop rain and snow melt absorption. Another solution is composting with a bin, as this method also prevents ground water absorption. For winter composting, move compost bins to a sunnier part of the yard if possible. You can also use layers of leaves, straw, cardboard, or sawdust to help insulate and keep warmth in the pile to prevent microbes from freezing.

Volume 12 | Issue 10

continued from previous page than other fencing options but can last the lifetime of your home.

• PVC Fencing. A fence made of PVC

is the least expensive way to fence your property. PVC is used to replace wooden stakes and pickets, and although not as sturdy, can fulfill their purpose. This type of fencing comes in a variety of different heights and colors and is very resistant to the elements and can last for years. Very similar to PVC fencing is vinyl fencing, with the main differences being that PVC fences are designed to resmble wood while vinyl fences are made with a heavier synthetic material and have a distinct sheen so that they resemble plastic instead of wood.

• Wrought Iron Fencing. Wrought iron

fences are both strong and beautiful and allow creative designs on top of the fence. They do however require consistent upkeep as these fences need to be sanded or repainted every two to three years. These fences are also not the most secure (similar to aluminum fencing) and can be more expensive as they are generally custom built.

• Bamboo Fencing. Bamboo fencing has

become more popular in recent years.

It can be grown naturally, so it is one of the most environmentally friendly and attractive options on the market.

Bamboo fencing optimizes privacy and is stronger than wood. It is usually less expensive, easy to install and rot resistant.