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Queenannenews.com
June 10, 2015
Vol. 96, No. 24
BRINGING EXTRAORDINARY PROPERTIES AND PEOPLE TOGETHER
MADRONA NEW CONSTRUCTION
1600 31ST AVENUE
|
OFFERED AT $1,450,000
Rcphoto | Dreamstime.com - American Craftsman House Photo
Home Ownership as a Promising Investment
BROADMOOR FAIRWAY ESTATE
2120 WAVERLY WAY E | OFFERED AT $3,850,000
Home values are increasing fast in Seattle and across the country. What does that mean to your net worth?
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or most of us, buying a house is first about having a wonderful place to live. But it’s also a huge investment and a hefty portion of our net worth comes from our home equity. As the value of our home increases, so does our equity, thus home ownership can be a great investment. In addition to the tax benefits, home ownership is a good hedge against inflation. Over most time periods, housing costs grow faster than the rate of inflation. If you have trouble socking away part of your paycheck in savings, think of your mortgage payment as a contribution to your investment portfolio—one that will appreciate substantially, given current market trends.
Kim Wesselman Windermere Real Estate According to economics research firm Pulsenomics, home values nationwide are expected to appreciate 4.3% in 2015, with cumulative appreciation of 19.4% by 2019. That’s probably a conservative estimate for Seattle. Home values in Seattle will most likely grow faster
than the national average. Nationwide, home prices increased an average of 5% over the last 12 months, but prices in the Seattle metro area increased 7.5%, according to the Standard & Poor’s/ Case-Shiller 20-city home price index. Only five cities saw prices increase at a faster pace over the past year than Seattle. San Francisco tops the list, followed by Denver, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa. If we apply the Pulsenomics forecast to a house in Queen Anne or Magnolia that started 2015 valued at $800,000, the home’s value will rise to $834,400 by the end of this year. By the end of 2019, it would be valued at $955,200. That’s $155,200 growth in net worth over the next five years,
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to wood versus composite so you can make the right choice for your home.
Cost Building a deck with composite materials will cost more than virgin wood initially, but not as much as most people think. The substructure is the same cost for either option and the remainder of the project could cost about 25 percent more for composite. That cost, though, is often recouped over time because there is little maintenance required with composites, while maintaining a
ANNE WILLOUGHBY NELSON | 206.660.3055 MEREDITH ERICKSON | 206.999.8832 MADISON HOUSE, LTD. REAL ESTATE SINCE 1981
➧ INVESTMENT, Page 2
Is a wood or composite deck right for your home? utdoor living is a home improvement trend that can’t be ignored. If you plan to add a deck to your house, remember the design is only one aspect of the planning process. The materials you decide to use can affect the project in numerous ways, from the initial investment to maintenance years from now. Deciding between wood and composite decking can seem complex. You may have heard composite is superior but costly. You also may have heard that wood is greener yet more susceptible to bugs. Get the facts when it comes
MADISON PARK CONDOMINIUM
2330 43RD AVE E #302B | OFFERED AT $995,000
wood deck can cost hundreds of dollars each year. Want to see how the numbers compare? Visit www.epa.gov and check out the EPA’s GreenScapes Tools Excel Decking Cost Calculator and an example that compares the cost of building a new deck with composites versus conventional wood.
Maintenance Low maintenance is in high demand for homeowners, and decking is no exception. Wood ➧ DECK, Page 3
Client Nominated & Awarded Seattle Magazine’s 5 Star Real Estate Broker Annually from 2007-2014. Christine Field, REALTOR® ABR, CIPS, CRS
206.999.0290 | ChristineField@cbbain.com
Check out the Queen Anne Real Estate Section featured the second week of every month!