Living Beyond Alexa – Other Smart Appliances You Can Use In Your Home The nation’s largest home-building company, Lennar, now integrates Amazon’s “Alexa” smart speaker system as a function in new homes they construct. In the United States alone there are reportedly at least 39 million privately owned smart speakers, and the growth seems likely to only continue.
Living Childproofing: Protect Your Family and Your Home from Potential Hazards When you think of your home, it likely conjures up feelings of safety, shelter, and comfort. However, accidental injuries in the home are one of the leading causes of harm to children 14 and younger. By taking certain precautions, many of these accidents can be prevented. While supervision is the best way to keep your children safe at home, you can’t watch them every second....
More Windermere Launches “All in, for you” Branding Campaign Windermere Real Estate has officially launched a new branding campaign on the heels of the company’s brand refresh that was completed in 2018. The “All in, for you” campaign is the next step in bringing the refreshed Windermere brand to life by amplifying the company’s unique “why”. Told, in part, through stories generated by actual Windermere agents, the “All in, for you” campaign sets....
Living Here’s Your Spring Maintenance Checklist Now that spring has sprung, let’s clear the cobwebs and get your home ready! Here is our quick guide to spring home maintenance. Inspection top to bottom: Now that the weather is temperate you will want to check on how your home weathered the winter. Check the roof for leaks, the gutters for damage, and the siding for cracks...
More Destination Living – The Allure of Los Cabos When people dream of paradise, many envision palm trees, stunning sunsets, and long days filled with endless possibilities. In Cabo San Lucas, those dreams are an everyday reality. From pristine beaches to world-class dining and golf courses, there’s no limit to the options for entertainment and relaxation. In an effort to highlight the possibilities of destination living...
Living Simple Steps for Maintaining Air Quality in Your Home Most of us tend to think of air pollution as something that occurs outdoors where car exhaust and factory fumes proliferate, but there’s such a thing as indoor air pollution, too. Since the 1950s, the number of synthetic chemicals used in products for the home has increased drastically, while at the same time, homes have become much tighter and better insulated.
More Windermere Foundation: Celebrating 30 Years of Giving Giving back has always been a big part of who we are at Windermere. In the early days of our company, it was pretty simple; we would see a need and help any way we could. But as we grew, we realized we could accomplish much more if we had a common purpose. That’s how the Windermere Foundation was born.
Selling 10 Tips to Minimize Stress When Selling Your Home When I was growing up, my family must have moved a dozen times. After the first few moves, we had it down to a science: timed out, scheduled, down to the last box. Despite our best efforts, plans would change, move-out and move-in days would shift, and the experience would stress the entire family out. Despite the stress, we always managed to settle in our new home and sell our old one before...
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Market News Hawaii/Maui Real Estate Market Update Hawaii’s economy offered a mixed bag of growth in the fourth quarter of 2018. Employment declined 1.4% but the unemployment rate was a healthy 2.3%. Over the past year, the economy has shed 9,300 jobs, and annual job gains have been negative for the past three months. On Maui, employment growth dropped 1.9% and was negative for the whole of the fourth quarter. That said, there are 78,600...
Market News Montana Real Estate Market Update According to the Labor Department, Montana added 4,700 new non-agricultural jobs in 2018, representing an annual growth rate of 1.5%. For perspective, the U.S growth rate is running at about 1.7%. State employment growth was a little frenetic last year, with monthly employment dropping in three of twelve months. I do not see this as a trend but I don’t expect to see any rapid rise in...
Market News Big Island of Hawaii Real Estate Market Update Hawaii’s economy offered a mixed bag of growth in the fourth quarter of 2018. Employment declined 1.4% but the unemployment rate was a healthy 2.3%. Year-over-year, the economy has shed 9,300 jobs, and annual job gains have been negative for the past three months. On the Big Island, employment growth dropped 2.6% and has been negative for the past five months. That said, there are 85,800...
Buying Are You Better Off Paying Your Mortgage Earlier or Investing Your Money? Few topics cause more division among economists than the age-old debate of whether you’re better off paying off your mortgage earlier, or investing that money instead. And there’s a good reason why that debate continues; both sides make compelling arguments. On the one hand, your mortgage is quite likely the largest expense you will ever incur in your life. So if given the chance, it only...
Market News Oregon and Southwest Washington Real Estate Market Update Oregon added 30,800 new jobs in 2018, representing an annual growth rate of 1.6%. Though the job growth rate norm for the past 20 years has been 2% or more, this slowdown does not concern me. It’s to be expected at this stage in the economic cycle. The Southwest Washington market (Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Klickitat counties) added 6,680 new jobs over the past 12 months, which represents...
Market News Idaho Real Estate Market Update Job growth in Idaho slowed in the fall of 2018 but the state added 13,200 new jobs over the past 12 months, representing an annual growth rate of 1.8%. In November, the state unemployment rate was 2.6%, down from 3% a year ago. The state remains at full employment, which explains why we are seeing a slowdown in employment growth. I fully anticipate that the state will return to...
Design Open Your Home With the Right Tone and a Welcome Mat Right before the guests ring the doorbell or give the front door an old-fashioned knock, they step on your welcome mat. This mat serves two purposes: catching debris and adding style. Here are some ideas for how to give this entry detail a refresh.
Market News Central Washington Real Estate Market Update The Washington State economy continues to add jobs at an above-average rate, though the pace of growth is starting to slow as the business cycle matures. Over the past 12 months, the state added 96,600 new jobs, representing an annual growth rate of 2.9% — well above the national rate of 1.7%. Private sector employment gains continue to be quite strong, increasing at an annual rate of 3.6%...
Market News Utah Real Estate Market Update Utah added 43,700 non-agricultural jobs over the past 12 months, representing a growth rate of 2.9%. For perspective, the U.S growth rate is 1.7%. Monthly employment growth in Utah has started to slow, but I attribute this to the fact that the region is essentially at full employment and it is typical to see job growth slow, especially at this stage of the business cycle. In November, the...
Buying More Than a Yard: Finding the Right Home for Your Pooch For many house hunters, a dream home isn’t complete without being a good fit for the family dog. Some might see the fenced in yard, and consider the box checked. However, if you are looking for your next home, you may want to look a little deeper to be sure the fit is right before signing on the dotted line. It’s worth taking a little extra time to consider your pooch in a little more depth...
Market News Eastern Washington Real Estate Market Update The Washington State economy continues to add jobs at an above-average rate, though the pace of growth is starting to slow as the business cycle matures. Over the past 12 months, the state added 96,600 new jobs, representing an annual growth rate of 2.9%—well above the national rate of 1.7%. Private sector employment gains continue to be quite strong, increasing at an annual rate of 3.6%...
Market News Colorado Real Estate Market Update The Colorado economy continues to grow, adding 69,100 new non-agricultural jobs over the past 12 months, which represents a solid growth rate of 2.6%. That said, we are continuing to see a modest slowdown in employment gains, but that is to be expected at this stage of the business cycle. My latest forecast suggests that Colorado will add a total of 65,000 new jobs in 2019, representing a...