the
Volume 8 | Issue 8
EYE ON THE
AUGUST 2017
market
Our market is just as hot as our fabulous Puget Sound summer weather. The most recent stats from the Northwest MLS show that an encouraging number of sellers got off the fence and decided to list their homes for sale this summer.
Brokers are reporting that the pace of sales is slowing as some buyers plan to take a break for the late summer. This may bring a bit of breathing room to those hopeful buyers who remain. Brokers note that many tech workers are continuing to look beyond King County, as condos closer in to Seattle are becoming increasingly scarce. Pierce and Snohomish County builders and
LOCAL sellers have seemingly anticipated this and spurred a slight uptick in new condominium listings for June. New listings for single-family homes were up year-over-year for King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Even with all the new homes entering the market, total active listings were down in all areas compared with last year. Our region’s strong job market continues to draw more residents looking to buy than it has housing to sell. Prices continue their upward trend, with the Northwest MLS reporting singlefamily home prices increasing by 13.86 percent in King County, 11.54 percent in Pierce County and nearly 14 percent in Snohomish County in June compared with the same month last year. Brokers note that it’s still common for listings to have an offer accepted within 30 days, but they caution that listings need to be properly priced and in good condition to attract the most eager and qualified buyers.
national night out IS AUGUST 1 The “dog days” of summer are prime season for home burglaries. Here are a few helpful tips to share with your neighbors when you join them Tuesday, August 1, for National Night Out Against Crime:
If you are home and someone knocks
1-6 Seafair Fleet Week in Seattle seafair.com/p/schedule/294
4-6 Magnolia Summerfest magnoliasummerfest.org 4-6 Seafair Weekend Festival seafair.com 5 Brew Five Three: Tacoma’s Beer & Blues Festival broadwaycenter.org 11 South Lake Union Block Party slublockparty.com 11-13 Kirkland Summerfest kirklandsummerfest.com
11-13 A Taste of Edmonds edmondswa.com 11-13 Festival at Mt. Si festivalatmtsi.org 12 AuburnFest auburnwa.gov 15 North City Jazz Walk in Shoreline northcityjazzwalk.org 18-20 Gigantic Bicycle Festival in Snoqualmie giganticbicyclefestival.org 19 Celebrate Woodinville Festival celebratewoodinville.com
on the door, make sure they know someone is home. If you don’t want to answer the door, tell them you are busy and cannot answer. Turning the TV or radio on loudly also sends a signal that the home is not empty.
Purchase a reinforced door jammer for each door that leads outside. (They work on sliding doors as well.) These should be put in place on every door, except the front, when you leave home. It’s also a good idea to put them on at night when you go to sleep–they can be easily removed if there is an emergency situation.
happenings
Photograph valuables (including electronics) and keep them safe, along with original receipts and serial numbers. If they do get stolen, most insurance companies will want both for the claims. (continued on next page)
19-20 Viking Days in Seattle nordicmuseum.org 24-9/4 Evergreen State Fair in Monroe evergreenfair.org 26 Poverty Bay Blues & Brews in Des Moines | drinktomusic.org