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Showing posts with the label Washington State

5 Benefits Of Hiring A Real Estate Agent

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If you’re getting ready to buy or sell a house, you might be weighing the pros and cons of hiring a real estate agent. Some people will avoid working with agents or realtors because they think real estate agent fees are too high. Others wouldn’t hire one because they’ve had bad experiences in the past. However, this only emphasizes the importance of having a good agent to work with. In addition, if the only reason you’re not working with an agent is to save money by not paying fees and commissions, then you’re overlooking the main benefits of hiring a real estate agent. The chances of a better offer, a faster sale, and experience of the whole real estate process are a few of the most important answers to the question: What are the benefits of hiring a real estate agent?  In this article, we’ve outlined the main benefits why you should hire a real estate agent to help you in one of the biggest transactions of your life.  1. Agents Know What to Look For A real estate transaction...

Get To Know Me More And Why Work With Me

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I love the real estate industry and all that it entails. Showing homes to buyers, working through the process of a successful negotiation to purchase the property. Marketing a home for a seller is a challenge I also enjoy. Assisting the seller in the transition of selling their home and networking or target marketing is crucial. I offer a depth of knowledge and professionalism in all aspects of real estate transactions. I have an ongoing commitment to education, trends, and technology, enabling me to negotiate the best terms whether you are buying or selling. I specialize in residential and rural real estate and have been a licensed Real Estate Broker in Washington for many years. I know the individual areas and neighborhoods well, which is a great tool I can provide to my clients and friends. A client or customer review is a reflection of a client's experience with your services.  Sharing with you one of my client's reviews, "John Simmons is an amazing and focused realtor...

Renting vs Buying a Home?

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In this ever-changing housing market, the decision to rent or to buy can be as confusing as ever. And it's not something that people usually ask and answer just once. Buying a home is a huge part of the American Dream. Choosing to buy or rent, though, is a major decision that affects your financial health, lifestyle, and personal goals. Whichever option you opt for depends entirely on your lifestyle and financial situation. But there are several differences that make renting and owning property distinctly different. Renting a property doesn't come with all the responsibilities associated with homeownership and you have more flexibility, as you aren't necessarily tied down to your property. Owning your home gives you a sizeable investment, but it does come at a big cost—both upfront and over the long run. Owning a home isn’t always better than renting, and renting is not always as simple as it seems. If you’re on the fence about whether you should rent or buy, read on to fin...

What Does It Mean When Daylight Saving Time Ends?

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Get ready to “fall back” this weekend. We'll gain an hour of sleep when the clocks are turned back. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. For most of us, the extra hour comes and goes because we are in bed at 2 a.m., sleeping, and other than noticing more sunlight in the morning and perhaps feeling a little more refreshed, we hardly even notice it. Smart clocks, now, know when to change on their own but some have to do it manually with their traditional clocks Saturday evening before bed.  Now let's talk more about Daylight Saving Time and how it affects everyone in Northern America. What Is Daylight Saving Time? Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of moving the clocks forward one hour from Standard Time during the summer months and changing them back again in the fall. The general idea is that this allows us all to make better use of natural daylight: moving the clocks forward one hour in the spring grants us more daylight during summer evenings while movi...

All The Things To Know About Living In Everett

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The city the largest in Snohomish County, it houses plenty of history, culture, arts, and natural beauty and is home to the nation’s largest public marina. It offers peaceful surroundings, a welcoming community, and affordable homes. Also awarded the All-America City Award. Read the full article to know everything there is in Everett. Welcoming Community The city gives off a small-town vibe, maintaining a small, welcoming, and family-friendly community. Convenient Location Being a hub for Snohomish County and the center of Puget Sound, you can reside in the city without worrying about lengthy commutes to and from work. No Income Tax Living in Everett, WA like other Washington cities frees you from paying income tax. Basically, Washington State has no personal income tax. Affordable Expenses The living cost in Everett is relatively inexpensive and ideal for those with a median income. High-income Opportunities The city’s economy has diversified in recent years, creating high-in...

6 Open House Food Ideas You Like To Consider

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An open house is all about a great first impression. And what makes a better first impression than food? If you’re looking for some open house food ideas for realtors that will WOW potential homebuyers, look no further! These open-house food ideas are sure to impress! Cookies Cookies are often at open houses because they taste and smell great. Consider baking a variety of cookies and leaving them out on a platter. Popcorn Popcorn is a great snack and it can be taken with them. Consider bagging your own popcorn in small bags and adding your logo and contact information to the bag. Make multiple flavors, too! Cupcakes These little cakes are always a hit, and they’re easy to customize with your favorite flavors and toppings. Croissants Serve your guests warm, buttery croissants with their favorite jams and spreads. Finger Sandwiches While still letting guests wander around the house, finger sandwiches are perfect for those who want to provide some more substantial fare. Mini Quiches These...

Is Bothell A Good Place to Live?

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Bothell is a suburb of Seattle with a population of 46,386.  Bothell’s population has diversified in race and ethnicity, place of birth, income, ability, and a number of other factors.   Bothell is a thriving riverfront community that’s undergoing exciting changes downtown. Straddling two counties (King and Snohomish), Bothell offers great parks and recreation opportunities, quality schools, excellent restaurants and retail, and more.  But the question is, " Is Bothell A Good Place To Live ?" According to www.citytistics.com , Bothell’s overall livability score is above average. This rating is the sum of the city’s data points and factors, and then a weighting of these variables is used to determine a good standard of quality of life compared to other cities. The livability score considers education, crime, cost of living, and residents’ overall happiness calculated as a predictive index through our advanced statistical models. Also, low crime rates, quality education, co...

6 Best Local Coffee Shop in Seattle, WA

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Seattle is one of the most important locations in coffee culture and history. Incredible coffee is everywhere in this town, from neighborhood roasters to perfectionist downtown espresso carts. It's home to coffee giants like Starbucks and Seattle Best, also known as the coffee capital of the USA, which is why coffee tourism is one of the top things to do when visiting Seattle. If you’re looking to do a bit of that yourself, here are the places you should start! Monorail Espresso Founded in 1980, the business opened and introduced the cultural Italian staple of espresso to the wet city streets of Seattle via the world’s first espresso cart. Monorail has opened two more locations in Seattle’s downtown corridor: in the lobby of Columbia Center and on Westlake Ave in the Denny Triangle. They offer creamy lattes and rich and strong espressos.  Olympia Coffee Olympia Coffee’s humble beginnings started in 2005 in an unmarked warehouse in downtown Olympia. Their success is grounded in thei...

Seattle's Air Quality Is Among The Worst In The Nation

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The regional air quality forecast for Thursday, Oct. 20, is unhealthy conditions for all residents, especially for sensitive groups. Multiple wildfires in the Cascades caused unhealthy to very unhealthy air quality in King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties on Wednesday. The unhealthy air quality can cause health symptoms like itchy eyes, sore throat, and headache to more serious symptoms for at-risk groups.  Doctors are worried about long-term health impacts on those that can’t come inside. Prolonged outdoor activity is not advisable. “We're worried about people who are maybe occupationally exposed to higher levels of smoke like a firefighter who's outdoors fighting wildfire smoke for 12 hours a day for the whole season,” said Dr. Cora Sack, a pulmonologist at the UW Medicine in the Department of Medicine and Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. Dr. Sack said older adults, pregnant women, and younger children are also at a higher risk.  “People s...

Why Consider Living in Lynwood, Washington?

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Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, a suburb of Seattle with a population of 38,538. Living in Lynnwood offers residents an urban-suburban mix feel and most residents own their homes. In Lynnwood, there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Lynnwood and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Lynnwood are above average, too.  It is often characterized as a bedroom community, Lynnwood has the highest concentration of retailers in the region and a growing core of businesses, anchored by the Alderwood Mall. The city also has a community college, a convention center, and a major transit center. According to one review on Niche.com, "Lynnwood is a great area to live in. It's close to Seattle, but away from the higher cost of living and traffic. There are plenty of diverse groups across the whole city. There are many different types of restaurants, bars, and desserts to try. The beaches of ...

4 Genius Ways To Save Money On Your Next Move

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Moving is exciting, but it can also be expensive. Many of us want to stick to a budget. Whether you’re just getting started or are deep into apartment or house hunting, creating a plan and a budget for your move is essential to staying in control of your finances. There are just so many factors to consider. On top of it all, if you’re not prepared, moving can be a hefty financial burden to bear. To make it all easier to handle, here are a few tips to save money while moving. 1. Declutter before the move. Knock out decluttering faster by creating piles of items you’ll keep and donate to stay organized. Take time to declutter every room in your home prior to moving. No matter how much stuff you think you have, you actually have way more. It’s amazing how much you accumulate over the years. Lastly, make sure you carefully measure the dimensions of your new home to figure out what will fit. 2. Make a moving budget. Budgeting is key to a financially successful move. Online moving calculator...

Top 5 Tourist Attractions in Washington State

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This Evergreen State is also home to an astounding number of scenic destinations. If you’re making plans to visit Washington state for the first time, you’re on the right page for a real treat. Whether you want to hike right up to waterfalls, admire snow-capped mountains from a distance, or spend the day on islands off the coast - Washington has it all. With a dizzying amount of great options, all that’s left is to decide where to go.  Washington State attracts millions of tourists each year. And there's no better time than now to find out what makes it so special to many. Let’s dive into the areas most worth your time and your attention on your trip to the Evergreen State: 1. Olympic National Park To see a lush green rainforest and a rugged mountain range in a single destination, try the Olympic National Park. This giant 1,442 square mile National Park is a stunning combination of rainforests, snow-capped mountains, and gorgeous coastal beaches on the Olympic Peninsula. It basical...

7 Home Renovations That Will Add Value To Your Home

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  Whether you're preparing for a move or simply looking to update your home, remodeling can be a huge undertaking—so it's important to know whether the reward will be worth the effort.  If you’re planning to sell your home in the near future, it’s important to choose renovations that will appeal to buyers and add value to your home. One of the best ways to do this is by choosing projects that offer a good return on investment. Here are seven home renovations that offer the best ROI for resale: 1. Minor Bathroom Remodel An updated bathroom is a major selling point for any home. There are essentially two types of rooms that sell houses: kitchens and bathrooms. As it turns out, however, the greatest home improvement ROI coincides with remodeling the bathrooms. According to a report by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, realtors estimate that homeowners can recover up to 57% of the bathroom renovation cost if they sell their homes. Instead of initiating a little ...

Washington State: How's the Real Estate Market Doing?

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  What is the housing market like right now?  After two years of rapid growth in home prices and vicious bidding wars, the housing market is showing the effects of rising interest rates. According to Redfin, in August 2022, home prices in Washington were up 4.3% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $596,300. On average, the number of homes sold was down 23.8% year over year and there were 10,402 homes sold in August this year, down from 13,653 homes sold in August last year. The median days on the market was 17 days, up 8 years over year. Statistics show that there were 30,901 homes for sale in Washington, up 17.9% year over year. The number of newly listed homes was 11,145 and down 21.1% year over year. The average month of supply is 2 months, up 0 year over year. Please refer to the graph below.  The graph shows that the direction and pace at which housing supply changes indicate whether the options for buyers are increasing or decreasing. They can also ...