connection
the home
October 2014
EYE ON THE MARKET The Puget Sound real estate market is still humming right along in most areas. Recently released MLS statistics show home prices in August were lower than record-setting July. Inventory is up 7 percent in August over August 2013, but the market is still tight. The King county median house sales price was down 6.6 percent from the previous month and only up 1.6 percent from the same month in 2013. "What we are seeing now with the market is a moderated growth in appreciation, a normalizing of sales volume, and continued health overall," declared MLS director George Moorhead in a recent press release. Interest rates have begun to tick up slightly, perhaps signaling the start of an upward trend. As interest rates rise, buyers will need to adjust to their new level of affordability. This may mean fewer buyers for the current inventory of homes at every price point. Sellers currently seeing multiple offers that have driven prices higher in recent months, may see fewer offers, (and buyers, less competition) but tight inventory is still working to the advantage of the seller. Rising rates may also have another effect: motivated buyers who locked in low rates with their lender may be more aggressive in an effort to hang on to the low rate. Overall, fall is a great time to both buy and sell. According to Realtor.com, next to the spring season, autumn is the busiest season for home buying and selling in many areas. Fall buyers are eager to take advantage of year-end tax breaks they may be eligible for, move before the inclement weather sets in and be settled in time to celebrate the holidays in their new home. These factors may make for more motivated fall buyers, unlike springtime home shoppers who may feel they still have time to wait for new listings to come on the market.
PUMPKIN PATCHES
LOCAL HAPPENINGS 1-31 Earshot Jazz Festival | earshot.org 2 Brew at the Zoo | zoo.org
Support our local farms and enjoy an amazing fall tradition at a farm near you: KING COUNTY Baxter Barn 31929 SE 44th St, Fall City baxterbarn.org Camp Korey 28901 NE Carnation Farm Rd, Carnation campkorey.org Carpinito Brothers 1148 Central Ave N, Kent carpinito.com
4 Puyallup Art & Wine Walk puyallupmainstreet.com 4 Railroad Days | granitefallswa.com
Dr. Maze’s Farm 15410 NE 124th St, Redmond drmazesfarm.com
4 Fife Harvest Festival | cityoffife.com
Fox Hollow Family Farm 12031 Issaquah Hobart Rd ES, Issaquah foxhollowfamilyfarm.com Jubilee Biodynamic Farm 229 W Snoqualmie River Rd NE, Carnation jubileefarm.org Mosby Farms 12754 SE Green Valley Rd, Auburn mosbyfarm.com Remlinger Farms 32610 N.E. 32nd St, Carnation remlingerfarms.com
Serres Farm 20306 NE 50th St, Redmond serresfarm.com (Pierce & Snohomish Counties: next page)
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I s su e
9-16 Tacoma Film Festival tacomafilmfestival.com 10-13 St. Demetrios Greek Festival seattlegreekfestival.com 11 Orting Pumpkin Fest tacomaevents.com 11-12 Sammamish Arts Fair sammamishartsfair.wordpress.com 15-16 Seattle Auto Show seattleautoshow.com 18-19 Zoo Boo | pdza.org 22-26 Tacoma Holiday Food & Gift Festival holidaygiftshows.com 24-25 Snohomish BrewFest snohobrewfest.com 24-25 Northwest Trek Events | nwtrek.org
Trinity Tree Farm 14237 228th Ave SE, Issaquah trinitytreefarm.com
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4-5 Salmon Days Festival salmondays.org 5 Harvest Hoedown | firstharvest.org
18-19 Turkfest Seattle | turkfest.org
Thomasson Family Farm 38223 236th Ave SE, Enumclaw thomassonfamilyfarm.com
Vo lu m e
3-4 Great Pumpkin Beer Fest elysianbrewing.com 3-4 Anacortes Bier on the Pier anacortes.org 3-5 Northwest Chocolate Festival nwchocolate.com 3-5 Everett Sausage Festival everettsausagefest.com 3-5 Oktoberfest Northwest oktoberfestnw.com 3-5 Seattle Home Show seattlehomeshow.com 3-31 Fright Fest | wildwaves.com
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24-26 Best of the Northwest Art and Fine Craft Show | nwartalliance.com 25-26 Swanson Nursery’s Fall Festival swansonsnursery.com 26 Run Scared 5k | runscared5k.com