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JANUARY 10, 2018
VOL. 99, NO. 2
Home in the New Year After the hectic holidays, it’s no surprise that many people commit to getting better organized in the new year. There are plenty of reasons why people obsess over organization and resolve to master it year after year. Household items become easier to find. Rooms all of a sudden seem bigger and more welcoming. Each walk past a tidy linen closet -- where there was once an avalanche waiting to spill forward -comes with a small sense of accomplishment. Whether you’re after smarter storage or looking to cut clutter, successful resolutions begin with a thoughtful approach
Think Small While it’s fun to dream about a largescale routine reset, smaller sustainable actions are key to lasting change. Take it one room or even one drawer at a time to keep momentum positive and to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Doing so also allows you to focus, leading to more creative solutions for taking advantage of under-utilized areas. For example, you may find using over-the door organizers a great way to free up space in home offices and craft rooms.
Say “No” to Clutter Everyone has items they keep around for no real reason that aren’t particularly meaningful and don’t serve a purpose. Being able to objectively identify these items makes everything easier. Paring down possessions doesn’t have to be painful. That cardinal shaped cookie jar that you’ve always been on the fence about? It would make an incredibly thoughtful “just because” gift for an ornithology-obsessed aunt. Often, less can literally be more: Consignment shops and eBay make it easy to
turn four or five pieces of furniture you “kind of like” into one piece you absolutely love.
Store Décor Wisely Everyone loves holiday decorating. Taking down decorations afterward... not so much. It’s difficult to preserve items in a haphazard collection of cardboard boxes, plastic bags and mismatched bins, all crammed into the corner of a garage or basement. Stepping up storage containers can make a big difference. For a wide selection of storage solutions specifically designed for holiday décor, check out Improvements, which offers everything from ornament and gift wrap organizers to wreath and garland storage bags.
Keep a Place for Everything Nobody likes wasting time gathering or searching. Make storage more convenient and efficient by streamlining. Items frequently used together should be kept together, from coffee supplies to vehicle maintenance tools.
Make a Plan Create a schedule so nothing is overlooked. Knowing which project is next gives you time to prepare and purchase any storage items you might need. When scheduling, designate specific rooms and spaces for certain seasons. For example, the first warm days of spring are made for cleaning out the shed or garage. More organizational inspiration can be found by visiting improvementscatalog.com. Successful resolutions are essentially new habits that become part of a lifestyle. Deliberately choosing to incorporate small acts of organization on a daily basis will pay off tremendously throughout the year. (StatePoint)
Real estate market will continue to stay hot in 2018 By David Floan According to the National Association of Realtors, the sale of homes across the United States is expected to increase 3.7 percent in 2018 compared to 2017. Driving the increase will be a continued lack of housing inventory to purchase. Low inventory is a huge problem around the Puget Sound region as listings sit at record low levels with not much change expected in 2018. The result: not many homes to purchase. When homes are available, they are often off the market in a few days. Popular neighborhoods also continue to see bidding wars, cash offers and sometimes foreign buyers. These conditions make it challenging for anyone looking to purchase a home at any price point. Expectations for Madison Park are no exception. Zillow estimates that the median home value in Madison Park is $1.285 million. This is an increase of 5.8 percent over the past year and that price is expected to rise another 3.4 percent in the next year. As the local market remains hot, potential buyers need to take steps to prepare to buy a home before they start trekking from open house to open house. Potential homeowners looking to buy in the Madison Park market in 2018 should sit down with a trusted mortgage lender and ensure they are in the strongest position to purchase a home. At Evergreen Home Loans, we recommend our homebuyers get preapproved so
potential sellers know you are in a strong position to close. Preapprovals involve completing an application and providing income information along with documenting the borrower’s assets. This process goes beyond a basic income verification, so the lender is able to issue a loan approval amount. It also provides homebuyers with their budget constraints as they search for the perfect place to call home. It’s also critical to enlist the services of a local real estate agent who is prepared to move quickly to put an offer on your dream home. As a buyer you need to be prepared to go in with the strongest offer possible. If you drag your feet on a home you love, you will most likely miss out on moving in a few months down the line. The local real estate market is a challenge, but it’s still a great time to buy a home. Interest rates have only slightly increased from record lows and there are strong financing options for all buyers, even first-time homebuyers. Preparation and putting yourself in the strongest position to buy is the key. With a trusted mortgage lender and a real estate professional at your side, you will find yourself with a competitive advantage that hopefully sees you moving into your dream home in Madison Park in 2018. David Floan is executive vice president of loan production for Evergreen Home Loans.