Living How to Stay Safe During the Holidays With Design and Planning While many people look forward to the arrival of a jolly red-suited visitor one night this winter, for all of us the holidays are a gift and a danger. All of us want to stay safe from burglary, and there's nothing paranoid about taking a bit of extra time to stay safe. The holidays are a time for relaxation, peace of mind, and sharing love and affection. From old-school security tricks to new...
Living Go for Gold This Thanksgiving We're in the thick of autumn now, with Thanksgiving just days away. That means it's time to start considering how to best showcase your home before the calendar shifts fully into winter. One of the cheeriest bits of fall is the shifting colors that bring a canopy of rustic rainbow hues to a walk through the neighborhood. You can bring that cozy feeling inside yourself with some golden-dipped...
More Windermere Donates $25,000 to California Wildfire Relief Fund Like much of the nation, we’ve been heartbroken by the horrifying images and statistics rolling in as California suffers from the worst wildfires in the state’s history. For our staff, agents, and franchise owners who live and work in the affected areas, it’s a threat to their clients, their families, and their communities. Everything that Windermere is is thanks to the hard work and...
More Windermere Foundation to Donate $25,000 to California Community Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund Like much of the nation, we’ve been heartbroken by the horrifying images and statistics rolling in as California suffers from the worst wildfires in the state’s history. For our staff, agents, and franchise owners who live and work in the affected areas, it’s a threat to their clients, their families, and their communities. Everything that Windermere is is thanks to the hard work and...
Selling 5 Home Improvements That Will Boost Your Property Value A home is the largest investment most people will make in their lifetime, so when it comes time to sell, homeowners often wonder what they can do to get the most return on their investment. Many have the misconception that remodeling is the way to go, but that isn’t always the case. Rather than going all-in on upgrading your home, you should know which home improvements are worth it, and which...
Market News Montana Real Estate Market Update According to the Labor Department, Montana added 7,400 non-agricultural jobs between September 2017 and September 2018, representing an annual growth rate of 1.6%. For perspective, the U.S growth rate is about 1.7%. The state experienced pretty substantial monthly increases in employment over the last few months and I hope this will continue even as we see a slowdown in employment in the...
Market News Oregon and Southwest Washington Real Estate Market Update Oregon added 42,000 new jobs over the past 12 months, representing a very solid annual growth rate of 2.2%. In the second quarter Gardner Report, I stated that job growth in Oregon was starting to taper, but since then the state has made adjustments to figures from the last three years that now suggest job growth was stronger than originally reported. The Southwest Washington market...
Market News Idaho Real Estate Market Update Job growth in Idaho remains fairly strong. Over the past 12 months the state has added 22,000 new jobs, representing a solid growth rate of 3.1%. In August, the state unemployment rate was 2.8%, down from 3.1% a year ago. The state is, essentially, at full employment, and it appears my forecast predicting that Idaho would add just over 20,000 new jobs in 2018 will likely come true.
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Living Designing the Perfect Home Office to Work From Home In Style Working from home is an aspiration for many of us, but to do so effectively takes work. A disorganized space at home can be just as troublesome as a hectic office. The most disciplined telecommuters will tell you that you need a structured routine and organization to rise and grind and get into work mode. Having a designated workspace is quite possibly the most important piece...
Market News Central Washington Real Estate Market Update Washington State continues to be one of the fastest growing states in the nation and there is little to suggest that there will be any marked slowdown in the foreseeable future. Over the past year, the state has added 105,900 new jobs, representing an annual growth rate of 3.2%. This remains well above the national rate of 1.65%. Private sector employment gains continue to be...
Market News Utah Real Estate Market Update According to the Labor Department, Utah has added 51,800 non-agricultural jobs over the past 12 months, representing a very solid growth rate of 3.5%, which makes Utah the fastest growing state in the country. For perspective, the U.S growth rate is running at 1.6%. Monthly employment gains in Utah have averaged 4,125 new jobs per month so far in 2018 and I believe we will end the calendar...
Market News Eastern Washington Real Estate Market Update Washington State continues to be one of the fastest growing states in the nation and there is little to suggest that there will be any marked slowdown in the foreseeable future. Over the past year, the state has added 105,900 new jobs, representing an annual growth rate of 3.2%. This remains well above the national rate of 1.65%. Private sector employment gains continue to be...
Living Trick or Treat! Five Frighteningly Decorated Halloween Homes Who doesn’t love a good scare every now and then? One of the best parts about fall is the chance to celebrate Halloween. While some folks are in it for the costumes and bags of candy, the eerie spirit of the season also sparks some imaginative home decorations. From the creatively crafted to the downright fright-inducing, there’s no shortage of spooktacular stylings out there...
Market News Colorado Real Estate Market Update The Colorado economy continues to perform quite well, having added 72,200 non-agricultural jobs over the past 12 months — a solid growth rate of 2.7%. Through the first eight months of 2018, the state has added an average of 6,700 new jobs per month. There has been a modest slowdown in employment gains, but I really don’t think this is a cause for concern and still hold to my forecast that...
More Helping Students Realize Their Dreams Through Scholarship Programs Through donations from Windermere agents, staff, franchise owners, and the community, the Windermere Foundation has been able to donate to local scholarship programs that help students in need realize their dreams of furthering their education.
Living Planning for the Life Expectancy of Your Home Nothing in life lasts forever – and the same can be said for your home. From the roof to the furnace, every component of your home has a lifespan, so it’s a good idea to know approximately how many years of service you can expect from them. This information can help when buying or selling your home, budgeting for improvements, and deciding between repairing or replacing when problems arise...
Market News Nevada Real Estate Market Update Job growth in the Las Vegas metropolitan area continues at a very brisk pace. A total of 32,300 new jobs were added over the past 12 months, representing a very strong annual growth rate of 3.3%. For perspective, the U.S. as a whole is growing at around 1.6%, or half the rate of Las Vegas. Even as jobs are added to the local economy, the unemployment rate is still higher than one would expect...
Market News Southern California Real Estate Market Update The counties covered by this report—Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, Orange, and Riverside—added a very modest 47,400 new jobs between August 2017 and August 2018. Even as job growth slowed, the unemployment rate dropped from 4.9% to 4.4%. Employment growth in Southern California has started to taper, due primarily to a slowing in employment gains in the large Los Angeles County market...
Market News Western Washington Real Estate Market Update Washington State continues to be one of the fastest growing states in the nation and there is little to suggest that there will be any marked slowdown in the foreseeable future. Over the past year, the state has added 105,900 new jobs, representing an annual growth rate of 3.2%. This remains well above the national rate of 1.65%. Private sector employment gains continue to be robust...
More How a Windermere Agent Helped a Single Mother Pursue Her American Dream Owning a home provides a sense of security, but the process of building towards homeownership can be overwhelming. There are obstacles that can get in the way of even the most diligent prospective buyer. For Zaharra Karungi, there were dozens of opportunities to see her dream of buying a home for herself and her daughter waylaid. But with hard work, a thoughtful lender, a baseball game, and a...