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Volume 10 | Issue 11
NOVEMBER 2019
EYE ON THE MARKET
LOCAL HAPPENINGS In Pierce County, high demand and low inventory have led to price increases of more than 10 percent. Buyers continue to be interested in this area thanks to available and affordable homes. Between Pierce and King counties, there was a reported difference of $213,800 in median pricing. There is no shortage of buyers in King County, however. Surprisingly, prices in King County fell 2.7 percent, while pending sales rose nearly 10 percent.
Fall is here, bringing with it lots of change. The most recent Northwest MLS stats report shows gains in pending sales, closed sales and prices, while also reflecting 18 percent less inventory than the year prior. Only three of the 23 counties served by Northwest MLS reported a year-over-year gain in inventory. Home buyers may not have as many listings to choose from; however, in the fall, there is less competition for those listings and a greater chance that buyers will be able to close the sale.
A strong job market and low interest rates continue to drive real estate in our region, making some question if this is the “new normal” for a balanced market. With the current low mortgage rates, we are seeing more first-time buyers enter the market. These rates are projected to stay low for the remainder of the year. The September Northwest MLS reports that single-family home sales are on the rise, while condo sales remain flat – increasing the cost of single-family homes by 5.5 percent.
2 Ballard Brewed Winter Beer Festival eventbrite.com 2-3 Antique and Collectible Show christinepalmer.net
7-11 Sea to Sky Swing Dance Convention
seatoskydance.com 8-9 Snohomish Brew Fest snohobrewfest.com 9 Blacklight Run blacklightrun.com 11 Free State & National Park Day parks.state.wa.us & nps.gov 14 Paint Night at the Co-Op liveineverett.com
DAYLIGHT SAVING SAFETY The days before and after daylight saving time can often see an increase in accidents at home and on the road. Here are a few tips for staying safe during this time: HOME: Check and replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also recommends that you check the age of your detectors and that you replace smoke detectors older than 10 years and CO detectors older than five years. Check the small gauge on all fire extinguishers to ensure the needle is still in the green. Inclement weather can lead to power outages and, in some areas, flooding. Prepare a safety kit for your home that includes water, food, flashlights, batteries, blankets and first aid supplies.
PERSONAL: There are reports every year of an increase in car and home accidents around the daylight saving time clock changes (in both fall and spring). Leading up to turning the clocks back, gradually adjust your sleep schedule to the new time. Try to avoid building up a sleep deficit before the time change. Just being aware that you need to be more alert when the clocks change appears to increase your safety. continued on next page
14-17 The Great Junk Hunt thefair.com 15-16 Seattle International Auto Show seattleautoshow.com
15-18 Harlem Globetrotters harlemglobetrotters.com 21-23 Pacific Marine Expo centurylinkfield.com 23 TEDXSeattle 2019 tedxseattle.com 23 Gobble Up Seattle eventbrite.com 24 Hopelink Turkey Trot 5K hopelink.org 28 Gobble Gobble 5K/10K letsdothis.com