Simply Mindful

Liven Up Your Kitchen With Full Circle + Easy Updates For Your Home

Rachel Leave a comment


First things first, Happy Hump Day! I want to start off by offering all of my readers an opportunity to win one month of organic produce delivered by Full Circle! How do you enter? If you aren’t already, follow my blog! Not only will you get the latest real estate news and useful home ‘how-to’s’, but you will automatically be entered to win the Full Circle drawing. Already a follower or not interested in the long term commitment? Shoot me an email with your name/phone number/address and I will enter you.  All I ask is that you be a Washington resident when the winner is announced on Monday, September 1st.

What is Full Circle?

“Each week we handpick fresh, certified organic fruits and vegetables to create your personalized order. We build relationships with growers using sustainable farming practices and source our produce as locally as the season allows. We also source from organic growers in warmer climates for increased variety throughout the year. It’s like having the farmers market come to you—all year long!”  What’s not to love about that?

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Easy Updates For Your Home

Enhance the entry

First impressions matter. Invest in a new front door or paint your old one, it can dramatically change the look of your home and enhance curb appeal. Try other easy DIY fixes like repainting the exterior trim, replacing the house numbers or installing new outdoor lighting.

Build a Headboard

Headboards can be made out of anything – find something you’re passionate about and turn it into a headboard. Use old skis or skateboards; or make a collage by decoupaging magazines or attach family photos to an old headboard. Also, think about using salvaged materials such as fencing, old doors etc.  There are literally thousands of examples on Pinterest and is a great weekend project!

Illuminating Ideas

New kitchen lighting or a new fixture over the dining table is sure to brighten up any meal. Try one of these projects: Make a fabric-covered drum shade to match your decor. Install a dimmer switch to make your current lighting more versatile. Use a few cans of spray paint to give an old chandelier new life. Replace or paint the blades on a ceiling fan. Also, if you’re thinking about selling your house, remember that light creates an atmosphere that people either want to be in or not.  Think about creating a warm, inviting space with as much natural light as possible!

Paint Cabinet inside cabinet

Cabinet Facelift

If your cabinets need more than new hardware, paint them. It can be a time-consuming project, but if done right, your kitchen will look brand new and add value to your home.

Market Mondays: Lynnwood

Rachel Leave a comment

 

 

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This week, we are looking at what is happening in the real estate market for single family homes in the city of Lynnwood.  Lynnwood is home to many professionals who work in Seattle and is also considered a “hub city” of South Snohomish County due to all of the retail shopping in the area.  The cool thing about Lynnwood is that being just north of Seattle, it is an easy commute to the city but also minutes from the ferries, mountains, wineries and an ideal gateway to nearly everything the Northwest has to offer.  As the greater Seattle area continues to grow, Lynnwood is already seeing a marked increase in new developments as well as a desirable place to own a home! My prediction is that Lynnwood home prices will continue to see an increase and is a smart choice for a great long term investment.  With that, what does the market look like?

As of August 25th, 2014 there are 66 active listings for single family homes in Lynnwood.  The price range is $229,990-1.4 million with the median list price being approximately $419,000.  In July 2014, there were 209 homes for sale, with 88 homes sold and 103 pended.  In the last 90 days there have been 122 homes sold, which brings the months supply of inventory to 1.8 months based on closed sales.  This number changes when pending sales are considered, but the numbers indicate that it is still what is considered a “sellers market”. 

 

The graph below displays months of inventory in Lynnwood through July, notice the spike in January/February.  The months of inventory here are still not above 6 months, which is what is considered a balanced market.  It will be interesting to see what happens as the economy continues to improve and we also continue to see growth in the greater Seattle area.  We are in a very exciting time in real estate and I will continue to keep all of you updated on what is unfolding!

 

 

 

 

Spruce Up Home Value: Low Cost Bathroom Updates!

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Over the past few decades, the kitchen was the average home buyers focal point when buying a home.  That is not the case anymore, in 2014 bathrooms are more important to buyers than kitchens.  That being said, an additional bathroom, even a half bathroom, adds significant value to your home.  Growing up with a real estate Appraiser as a father, I heard horror stories about homeowners irate over the news that their special remodel project added ZERO value to the resale of their home.  Many times, it’s hard to differentiate between what we think is value based on our emotional involvement vs. what the market wants, the difference is sometimes surprising!

For starters, A half bath may add up to 10.5 percent to a home’s value, while a full bath can tack on an additional 20 percent. Of course, the amount of additional value you will receive varies according to the home’s other features.

Tip: If you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford a bathroom addition, give the existing bathrooms a little TLC with a few of the following suggestions.

Install a Dose of Tile

Install a dose of tile! Give your bathroom sink an upgrade with some intentional detailing. Rather than tiling a whole tub surround or wall, add just a border of tile above the sink vanity. Here, elegant blue, white, and brown tiles introduce color and pattern into the bathroom. The small mosaic tiles make the vanity area look luxurious and rich.

Update Cabinet Hardware

Cabinetry’s handles, hinges, and doorknobs are the final touches and style setters for any vanity. Luckily, they’re simple to replace whenever you want a fresh look — and cabinetry hardware is available at any price point. Give your cabinet doors and drawers a good cleaning before installing new hardware. Or freshen them with paint or stain to best display the new accents.

Install Wainscoting

Give bathroom walls interest by adding wainscoting. Crisp white-painted wainscoting provides contrast to the sunny yellow hue used on the upper portion of these walls. For humid rooms such as the bathroom, look for paints treated with mildewcide to eliminate worries about mildew.

Update Light Fixtures

Refresh a tired bath by replacing outdated light fixtures with modern versions. Online you’ll find hundreds of sconces that cost less than $100. For an even thriftier change, look for replacement shades to update the fixtures you have. If you like the style of what you have but the metal finish doesn’t work with your decor, tape off the surrounding areas and give the fixtures a fresh coat of metallic spray paint!

Replace Fixtures

Swap outdated light fixtures, medicine cabinets and faucets for up-to-the-minute versions. Fashion-forward fixtures will make your bath feel fresh and fabulous, and they can draw attention away from less-desirable areas of the bath.

There are so many inexpensive ways to update your bathroom, a fresh coat of neutral colored paint goes a long way and don’t forget to check the fan! That’s a simple update that can add functional value to your bathroom, skimping on quality can hurt in the long run.

Market Mondays: “Around the Sound”

Rachel Leave a comment

It’s Monday! That means it’s time for another look at what’s happening in the real estate market.  Last week was a busy week for us, lots of sellers and buyers and great deals coming up, even in what is considered a “sellers market”.  This week, I wanted to paint a picture of what is happening outside of King/Snohomish county and include Pierce, Kitsap, Thurston, Island and Skagit counties.  

If there is a certain market you are interested in specifically, leave a comment and I will feature that market in the coming weeks or contact me directly with any questions you may have..  

 

If you look at median sale prices of homes in July 2014 vs. July 2013, prices are up from a year ago everywhere except for Skagit county.  Snohomish county saw an increase of 10%, a bigger jump than any of the others.  With continued job growth, a growing economy, competitive mortgage rates and affordable housing, this will likely keep the market in an upward trajectory.  Overall, homes listed for sale are up 12.9% from this time last year and closed sales are up 7.6%.  

The graph below demonstrates the amount of homes for sale vs. closed sales.  Currently, we are at 2.7 months of inventory when all counties are included in the data.  This changes slightly, however, when each county is displayed individually.  2.7 months inventory is still considered well below a “balanced market” and although buyers are still finding themselves in competitive, multiple offer situations, the inventory is slowly improving showing no signs of the bubble experienced before the subsequent crash.  

Closed sales fell in July edged up just barely compared to a year earlier in the close-in counties and Kitsap. Thurston saw the biggest sales gain, up 7 percent from last year. Island, Skagit, and Whatcom all saw sales drop from last year’s levels.

According to the Seattle Times, Seattle is the fastest growing city in the US, with a 2.8% increase in population in 2013!  Of course, I can see why people would want to move here! Beautiful scenery, a healthy economy, job growth, mild weather…..the list goes on.  For homeowners or those interested in buying a home in the Seattle area, there’s no better time to be part of this exciting market!  

 

 

 

Feng Shui Basics: How your space affects your mood

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How often have you walked into a room in your own home or someone else’s and thought things just didn’t “feel” right? Or, perhaps there are certain rooms that also feel exceptionally inviting and open.  It’s easy to forget how important the spaces we live in are to our health and well-being.  The Following are some insights into home decoration and how it can make you more peaceful, productive and happy.

Color:

Colors can alter your mood. It’s important to play around with colors to find the right balance for you. Here’s a quick color to mood chart for reference:

Red: Passion, power, stimulation, and high energy. (Suggestions: dining room, bedroom, or upholstery)

Orange: Creativity, happiness, enthusiasm, and communication. (Suggestions: accenting, throw-overs, or pillows)

Yellow: Cheerfulness, light-heartedness, and mental stimulation. (Suggestions: kitchens, not bedrooms)

Green: Growth, harmony, nature, safety, peace, and healing (Suggestions: bedroom, bathroom, or office)

Blue: Trust, loyalty, confidence, faith (Suggestions: accents around the house and in bedroom)

Purple: Romance, luxury, nobility, wealth, spirituality, and motivation (Suggestions: bedroom)

Black: Power, independence (Suggestions: picture frames)

Brown: Stability, humility (Suggestions: living room)

White: Cleanliness, vibrancy (Use sparingly; too much white can feel cold)

Use this as a general reference and then play around. Look at a color, its various tones, and notice your mood. Have fun and mix and match.

Furniture and Decor:

Many people simply put everything against the wall when it comes to furniture placement. I have been guilty of doing this after moving, leaving artwork to sit against the wall and allowing our busy lives to prevent us from taking care of one of our most important spaces. What I didn’t realize fully was that this creates negative energy and dead space.

Energy must always have flow, so you don’t necessarily need to make everything symmetrical at all times. Balance is more important than symmetry. The rule of thumb is to think outside the box and to decorate in a way that may not necessarily be the most obvious. Mix furniture and decor with a wide range of variety, vintages, and textures.

When it comes to the decor and furniture, if you want a strong and independent look, you may consider incorporating circular, oval, and arched shapes along with granite, marble, and flagstone. Artwork and decor with metal, stone, brass, iron, copper, or gold is integral as well.

For leadership and creating a healthy emotional interaction between people, it is suggested to use artwork that involves sunshine or any form of natural illumination along with pyramids, cones, natural sunlight, feathers, silk, or wool.

For more order and sensuality, use furniture with squares, rectangles, ceramic, tile, and brick.

For creativity, intuition, and flexibility, integrate more wood, floral upholstery, wall coverings, drapes, pillars, and columns.

For a more relaxed and spiritual environment, integrate anything with water, crystals, glass, or mirrors.

It’s important not to overdo too much of any element. Use variety and balance. HAVE FUN!

Using Scent to Uplift your Home Environment:

One of the greatest senses we have is smell. Smell is like touching or tasting something from a distance. It’s a subtle thing that can have a huge impact on our mood.

I am a huge fan of candles and notice that I am drawn to different scents at different times and seasons. Start lighting more candles, incense, and oils to produce pleasing smells throughout the day. You can also add more flowers like jasmine, violets, and gardenias throughout your home.

What’s wonderful about creating a pleasing home environment is that it’s not necessary to spend a fortune to make your space inviting and clear. Less is more. Just start experimenting with what feels good to you!

It’s time to take a look at your space so that you can remove anything that brings negative energy, add things that bring you positive energy, and that makes your family feel comfortable and happy around the house.

Remember, your home is your sanctuary.

 

Market Mondays: Woodinville

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The city of Woodinville is most well known as Seattle areas “wine country” and is increasingly known for its local wineries, which showcase wines from grapes grown in Eastern Washington including Chateau Ste. Michelle (well known for their popular summer concert series), Columbia Winery and dozens of other smaller ones. The Woodinville Tourist District is also home to the Redhook Ale Brewery and several fine restaurants including The Herbfarm “destination” restaurant. The downtown area includes Molbak’s Garden and Home, a nationally acclaimed garden center! All that being said, Woodinville is a sought after place to live and has seen only a slight change in market statistics over the past year.

As of July 28th, 2014 there is 2.5 month supply in inventory based on closed sales, which is up slightly from June of this year.  What is interesting is that when the current pending sales are added to the mix, months supply of inventory drops down to 1.5.  Woodinville itself is a consistently stable market, the months inventory fairly stable over the past year, hovering somewhere between 1.5-2.3 months supply except for a spike in January of this year, which is to be expected during the “slow” season. This makes Woodinville unique when compared to some of it’s neighboring cities, it’s stability and high desirability make Woodinville a safe place to buy a home.  The median sale price of homes over the last 90 days was $525,000 while the median current listing price is 475,000.  The median sale price and listing price have seen only a slight increase since July 2013.

Market Mondays: Bothell

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In April of 2010 The City of Bothell began the implementation of an extensive Downtown Revitalization Plan, with the commencement of a $150 million dollar investment in public infrastructure improvements. Bothell is one of my personal favorites in the greater Seattle area and I foresee a lot of growth and development in it’s future.

Bothell has seen a 15.6% increase in home values since July of 2013 and is expected to continue to increase through next year, dropping slightly from 15.6% to 9%.  In the past 90 days, 194 residential homes and condos have been sold with the median sale price being $465,000.  As of July 21st 2014, there are 139 active listings with the median listing price at $510,000, which leaves a 2.14 months supply of inventory.  Months of supply is the number that tells us how many months it would take all of the current homes to sell, given a monthly sales volume.  A healthy market is about 6 months supply of inventory while Bothell is at 2.14 months supply! This tells us that things are going very quickly, at a rate of about 65 sales per month! Wow!

The graph below displays Months of Inventory based on closed sales from April 2013 through June 2014 in Bothell.  If you are interested in what’s happening in your neighborhood or an area of interest, feel free to contact me for a complimentary market analysis!

Market Mondays: Around The Sound

Rachel Leave a comment

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Pending sales of homes in Western Washington have seen a 13% increase compared to one year ago and listing activity continued to increase, According to NWMLS, along with the increase in the number of mutually accepted offers, data shows an increase in year over year CLOSED sales (up 4.6%) and prices (up 2.5%).  Inventory levels have declined, however, dropping about 1.2% throughout Western and Central Washington.

In September 2014, we saw 6.551 pending sales, compared to 5,193 pending sales in September 2013 and an impressive 6,020 closed sales, a 4.6% increase when compared to the 2013 numbers.

Sale prices have also increased 2.5% in 2014, with the median sale price being $285,000, compared to $278,000 in 2013.  5 counties have seen double digit increases, with King County increasing 9.1% in 12 months, rising from $384,925 to $420,000.

The luxury market has also been very strong, primarily the demand for homes over the $2 million mark.  This can be attributed to the economic boom we are seeing in Seattle, an interest from International buyers and foreign investors as well as an increase in executive level positions for large companies.  This is great news for Seattle home sellers, as well as a positive indicator regarding Seattle’s real estate market health.

Although it is a great time to sell your home, pricing your home correctly from DAY 1 is more important than ever.  Today’s buyers are educated and have a good understanding of market value.  Homes that are priced above market value are not getting offers, resulting many times in the homes being sold well below market value.

Industry experts have been weighing in on WHERE the real estate market is headed.  Many agree that we are seeing a slight correction in the market, with a balance of pricing, inventory and overall health.  J. Lennox Scott, CEO and Chairman of John L Scott Real Estate shared that “As we head into fall, we expect sales to remain strong-and market conditions are already shaping up for a brisk market starting the first of the year.”

Stay tuned this week, I will be sharing some valuable information about the economic projections for 2015, with Dr. Krishna Rao, Ph.D, economist at Zillow.  I am looking forward to sharing with you all the insight I learn as they relate to current market conditions and what we can expect for housing in the area next year!