Uncategorized The First Decade Posted by Geoff Wood  The other day I was searching for my daughter’s cell phone number – which I haven’t memorized because I simply speed-dial it – and I realized it’s been years since I memorized anyone’s phone number. And this was just after I’d booked a flight online and selected my seat, and downloaded some new music […]
Buyers & Sellers 5 Deal Breakers that can Blindside Home Buyers Purchasing a home can be a complex endeavor for even the most well prepared home buyer.  You’ve diligently saved for your down payment, followed the market, researched agents and now you are ready to make an offer on your dream home.  Don’t let these 5 “Deal Breakers” come between you and your new home. Big […]
Selling Going from Homeowner to Home Seller The following post was written by Kathryn Madison, a real estate broker out of the Windermere  Portland-Raleigh Hills office. You can learn more about Kathryn and read more insightful articles on her blog, GoBeyondtheOrdinary.com.   How do we transition from the mindset of a homeowner to a home seller?  Homes bring us shelter, comfort and are […]
Design Sort and Save Your Vision of Home When I first moved into my new place, I was naively excited for making it exactly the way I wanted…immediately. New paint, new furniture and all of it would be so stylish. Then I realized I have a mortgage payment due soon and even though I want a new chair, I need to buy groceries. […]
Buyers & Sellers Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector To get a quality home inspection, ask the right questions before you put your inspector to work. Here are some of the basics. What does your inspection cover?  Insist that you get it in writing. Then make sure that it’s in compliance with state requirements and includes the items you want inspected. How long have […]
Selling Staging Your Home – Pink Flamingos Not Included It can sometimes be tough to hear an agent asking you to hide your prize possessions when preparing your home for sale. I overheard two agents giving each other advice about how to politely help their sellers relocate their pink flamingo display and car collection off the front yard before putting the homes on the […]
Selling Top 5 Words of Advice for a Seller Today As a seller today you are faced with a challenge when it comes to selling your home for a fair price and getting it done in a reasonable amount of time. Even though inventory is lower than it was five months ago, we are still looking at about 9 months of inventory in many areas. […]
Buyers & Sellers 8 Ways to Make the Most of the Home You Have “Staying Put” by architect and writer Duo Dickinson is not your typical architect’s book about design. There’s no obscure language nor design-for-design’s-sake ideas. It is a practical, down-to-earth guide that walks anyone through the rational process of how to remodel your house to get the home you want, from how to think about your house […]
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Buyers & Sellers Tips for Moving into a Smaller Home as a Senior By Michael Longsdon For many seniors, there comes a time when the expense and upkeep of a big home no longer seem realistic. All of your kids have moved out, and suddenly, your multi-bedroom house feels excessively large and empty. Plus, it may be difficult to keep up with mortgage payments if you’re expecting a […]
Buyers & Sellers What’s in a Condo? The In-Between Style of Home that Might be the Right Fit for You Condominium homes are a great, low-maintenance choice for a primary residence, second home, or investment property. This alternative to the traditional single-family home has unique issues to consider before buying, as well as unique benefits. Here’s some background information to help you decide whether purchasing a condo is a good match for you. Increasingly, condos […]
Home Maintenance Making Your House a Home: Best Ideas for Home Resolutions Your home is a reflection of your tastes, your lifestyle and your ambition, and many of us are regularly transforming our homes one way or another to fit our adjusting needs. Whether it is refreshing a room to fit your style, reorganizing a closet to accommodate the holiday excess, going green to save the planet […]
Uncategorized Practical Resolutions: Prepare for the Best in 2019 The transition from the holidays and 2018 is behind us now, and we are well into the first month of the new year. Once 2019 officially started, I believe I heard a collective sigh of relief echoing throughout the following days.  2018 was a good year, much better than we had anticipated it being–for most […]
Buyers & Sellers The Risks and Rewards of Purchasing a Bank-Owned Home The process of purchasing a home directly from a lender can be long and arduous, but could very well be worth it in the end. If you have your sights on a particular home or are looking to find a deal on your first, working directly with the lender may be your only option. Purchasing […]
Home Maintenance 10 Steps to Get Your Home Clean and Ready for Spring Warmer months are ahead, so now is the time to plan for spring cleaning and maintenance. A clean home offers a fresh start for the year, and a checklist of tasks guides your efforts towards efficiency. For many homeowners, spring cleaning can be a personal challenge. It can also be one accomplished with the help […]
Design Five Ways to Incorporate Pantone’s ‘Living Coral’ Into Your Home Photo Credit: Pantone Color Institute Design inspiration comes in many forms, but few carry the cache of the Pantone Color of the Year. For two decades, the Pantone Color Institute has convened to debate and determine an appropriate color that represents the current times. In a tradition harkening to the pageantry and mystique of secret societies, […]
Buyers & Sellers A Beginner’s Guide to Managing a Remodel Browsing photos and ideas can be a fun part of creating your dream room. But making your designs a reality also takes smart planning and organization. Project management is an essential part of remodeling, and there’s nothing like the feeling of implementing a plan to create something new and beautiful. These tips can help you […]
Uncategorized Selling Your Home? Go Through This Safety Checklist with Your Realtor Selling your home can be stressful for many reasons. Not only are you trying to get the best financial return on your investment, but you might also be working on a tight deadline. There’s also the pressure to keep your home clean and organized at all times for prospective buyers.  One thing you can be […]
Design Affordable Tips to up Your Home’s Curb Appeal   You’ll never have a second chance at a first impression, so let’s make it count! When it comes to upping your home’s curb appeal, there are plenty of small changes you can make that have a big impact. And best of all, you don’t need to call in the pros or spend a fortune […]
Design Investing In a Green Home Will Pay Dividends in 2019 As we step forward into 2019, eco-friendly “green homes” are more popular than ever. Upgrading your home’s sustainability improves quality of life for those residing in it, but it is also a savvy long-term investment. As green homes become more popular, properties boasting sustainable features have become increasingly desirable targets for homebuyers. Whether designing a […]
Community Creating Caring Connections with Mary Ann Vandergriff When people in the West Seattle community are in need, they’ve learned they can turn to Windermere broker Mary Ann Vandergriff. After a company backed out of providing turkeys for 40 elementary school families the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the school’s family support worker called Vandergriff in a panic. Just a few phone calls later, the big-hearted broker had […]