Attention: City of Monroe Residents

There will be a North Hill Area Design Workshop on Wednesday Jan 26th 2022

Facebook has a great Web Page called City of Monroe, Wa. There you find recent and past updates on what is happening in Monroe. For example, they recently posted about the North Hill Area Design Workshop. The City of Monroe is welcoming all residents to participate in the design workshop for the North Hill Area Neighborhood Park. The location is at the southwest corner of 134th St SE and 191st Ave SE.

Just last year, the City of Monroe had purchased five acres of land to develop a park to serve the surrounding neighborhoods. "This collaborative, online event will include an overview of the existing site conditions and help

Buyers Pour into the Housing Market Amidst Rising Mortgage Rates

Just two weeks ago we predicted that January would be a competitive month as buyers rush to find a home before mortgage rates climb—and that's exactly what we're seeing.

Prices surged last week 16% over 2021, kicking off what could be the most competitive month in housing history.

You can find our full report in this week's housing market update. 

Projections are homes listed by March and closing in April will see the maximum number of bidding wars and escalating prices.

According to NWMLS, despite historically low inventory levels, home sales in the Central Puget Sound region increased to levels not seen since 2006, with Pierce and Kitsap counties seeing the most sales

• Year-over-year inventory, pending sales, and closed sales all fell by double digits. Only prices rose – up 17.4% overall!
•          We will experience strong demand and very active home sales in 2022
•          Available inventory “Drastically low.”
•          Smart buyers are making their best offers using pre-inspections, family support, bridge loans, leveraging 401(k) accounts, and other resources

KIRKLAND, Washington (January 6, 2022) – Severe shortages of inventory, record-low temperatures and snow restrained December housing activity around Washington state beyond expected seasonal slowdowns, according to a new report from Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Summary statistics from the MLS show the volume of new listings added

Greater Denver Housing Market Data For December 2021

HOMES CLOSED

In the Denver Metro area this December, 4,616 homes sold, a 12% decrease compared to last December and down 12% from last month. The number of contracts written on homes also saw a decrease. Throughout December we saw 3,312 listings move to the Pending status, down 4% from last year, and a seasonal 26% decrease compared to last month.

PRICES

Home prices in the Denver Metro area are up year over year but stayed relatively steady compared to last month. In December the Average Closed Price for a home was $622,740, up 15% from December 2020, but down 1% month over month.

Single-Family Residences sold for an average of $700,461 in December, up 15% year over year.

The price of

STORING WINE IN YOUR DENVER HOME

If you are a big wine connoisseur or just saving a few bottles to crack open on special occasions, it’s important to understand how best to store them safely until you’re ready to partake. Follow the guidelines below!

Ambient Temperature

To ensure each wine bottle maintains the proper flavor and aroma, storing it at the correct temperature is essential. Regardless if it is red, white, or sparkling, storing your bottles at 53°F to 57°F is most ideal. Keeping your bottles in a room where the temperature is much warmer than that may cause the flavor to become flat. Keep your wine in the dark and away from direct UV rays as much as you can to protect the wine’s flavor. If you have a basement with storage closet, that

With very little inventory in the market right now, why bother thinking about what the seller would need to do to make sure they are attracting buyers. 

Wrong!!

With Spring just around the corner, more homes will be coming on the market, and you want your house to stand out. The very first thing a buyer sees is the overall CURB APPEAL. "These two words that matter more than any others when you're listing a home," says Apartment Therapy.

It's very important to make sure that a buyer walks up and into your house and instantly gets a great impression. A buyer's first impression sets a huge tone for the buyer's overall experience. 

In a blog that I wrote last June, I expressed the importance of Curb Appeal (How beneficial

WHAT TO DO WITH AN UNFINISHED BASEMENT IN YOUR DENVER HOME

Although currently dimly lit and a little rough on the eyes, your unfinished basement still has a lot of potential to turn it into an eye popping space that you'll want to spend time in. With just a little love and the help of the following ideas, you can crank it up in no time and get some great use out of the space.

1. Add a pop of color to the walls. Give your basement a whole different look without a big renovation by adding some color to space. Consider painting and sealing the floors, opening up the room by painting the rafters white or a light color, or creating a bold accent wall.

2. Divide the space into distinct areas. Want to make your basement a multi-use room? Partition out

When we think about buying a home, we often consider style, size and of course, location, etc. But what about the loan that you receive for your new home? How important is a mortgage rate? Money best explains just how important a mortgage rate is when buying a home. They explain that the rate on your mortgage can make a huge difference in how much home you can afford and what the size of your monthly payments will be during the life of the loan.

Money gives a great example to help consumers understand the price differences: 

If you bought a $250,000 home and made a 20% down payment — $50,000 — you would end up with a starting loan balance of $200,000. On a $200,000 home loan with a fixed rate for 30 years:

• At 3% interest rate

Posted by Rob Greer on Friday, January 7th, 2022 at 8:49am

Only Prices Rose: 2021 Ends with Depleted Inventory, Rising Prices

•          Year-over-year inventory, pending sales, and closed sales all fell by double digits. Only prices rose – up 17.4% overall!
•          We will experience strong demand and very active home sales in 2022
•          Available inventory “Drastically low.”
•          Smart buyers are making their best offers using pre-inspections, family support, bridge loans, leveraging 401(k) accounts, and other resources

KIRKLAND, Washington (January 6, 2022) – Severe shortages of inventory, record-low temperatures and snow restrained December housing activity around Washington state beyond expected seasonal

Only Prices Rose: 2021 Ends with Depleted Inventory, Rising Prices

•          Year-over-year inventory, pending sales, and closed sales all fell by double digits. Only prices rose – up 17.4% overall!
•          We will experience strong demand and very active home sales in 2022
•          Available inventory “Drastically low.”
•          Smart buyers are making their best offers using pre-inspections, family support, bridge loans, leveraging 401(k) accounts, and other resources

KIRKLAND, Washington (January 6, 2022) – Severe shortages of inventory, record-low temperatures and snow restrained December housing activity around Washington state beyond expected seasonal slowdowns, according to a new report from Northwest Multiple