Purchase in Des Moines

Congratulations Faryar Family!

Perfectly charming and well cared for rambler in North Hill. You'll enjoy the bright, large living spaces with oak hardwoods throughout most of the home. The living room is complete with wood burning fireplace and lots of natural light. Open kitchen and dining room with doors out to patio and fenced backyard. Three good sized bedrooms with updated bath and a master with its own half bath. Two car garage along with ample off street parking. New roof! Large corner lot. Close to Normandy Park shops and restaurants. Great home!

INSURANCE: Is It Covered? Do You Have Enough?

When was the last time you reviewed your homeowner’s insurance policy?

Many people hardly give their policies a second thought until the need arises. This can lead to misunderstandings about what’s covered and what percentage of the value is covered.

Questions to ask your insurance company:

Does my homeowner’s insurance cover natural disasters and what kind?

It depends. Standard coverage does include wind damage, including that from hurricanes and tornadoes, said the Insurance Information Institute. However, they don’t typically cover flooding, including water damage from a hurricane, so read your policy carefully to learn its limits. Standard policies cover fires, including wildfires, as well as hail and lightning strikes, but typically not earthquakes. Beyond the actual dwelling, homeowners policies also usually cover detached structures such as a garage or gazebo.

Do I need an umbrella policy?

Perhaps. Umbrella policies provide additional liability protection beyond the monetary limits on your standard auto or homeowner coverage. This can be helpful if you cause a major accident and are subject to a large legal judgment. Do I have enough insurance for my home and personal property?

Find out the cost to rebuild your home and take inventory of your personal property and it’s approximate value. Then call your agent and update your insurance!

What to Keep, Where to Store, When to Shred…

Tax deadline has come and gone, but  you are like me and wading through unfiled papers; I have a great list of what you need to keep, how long you need to keep it for, and where you should put it!

Originals You Rarely Need should be in Safe-Deposit Boxes & Never Discarded.

• Household Inventory: Lists and photos of your possessions (I use Evernote for this task.  It is an amazing tool for many home organization projects.)

• Divorce Decrees & Lawsuits: A copy should be given to your lawyer

Originals You May Need Occasionally should be kept in an In-Home Safe or Locked Cabinet and Kept.

• Birth Certificates Death Certificates: Copy should be given to an Executor

• Diplomas Health & Immunization Records

• Marriage Certificates: Copy should be given to an Executor

• Medical Directives: Copies should be given to both your heir and doctor

• Real Estate Deeds: Keep 10 years after Sale

Tax/Financial Documents stored in Locked Cabinet for 7 years.

• Bank and Credit Card Statements

• Cancelled Checks

• Home Purchase/Improvements

• Tax Returns/Related Documents

For other great tips on organizing your home, check out my Pinterest board dedicated to the subject!

DIY Area Rug Washing

It can easily cost $200 to have a rug professionally cleaned. It’s also a hassle.

You can clean it yourself by placing a plastic drop cloth or tarp underneath it, then using a carpet cleaner. If you don’t have one, you can rent one at many different grocery stores, or borrow one from a friend. Make sure to vacuum it well, first!

April Events

Here is a list of some exciting things happening  this month in  and around Seattle!

1-30: SKAGIT VALLEY TULIP FESTIVAL tulipfestival.org

2-19: SEATTLE RESTAURANT WEEK 3-course meal, 165 restaurants, dinner & some lunch offers. srw.seattletimes.com

20-22: CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL Celebrate Seattle’s friendship with Japan and Japan’s gift of 1000 cherry trees in 1976. Enjoy Japanese art, dance, music, and food. http://www.cherryblossomfest.org/

28-29: NW GREEN HOME TOUR Free and fun for the whole family, selfguided tour features healthier and greener new single-family, multi-family, tiny homes & remodels in the greater Seattle area. www.nwgreenhometour.org

In The Market

WEST SEATTLE LISTING WITH 12 OFFERS! LISTED: $515,000 SOLD: $660,00

Northwest Multiple Listing figures for March show a surge in pending sales compared to February as the spring market heats up. Compared to a month ago, pending sales climbed more than 29% (from 7,980 in February to 10,311 in March).

NWMLS member brokers continue to work on increasing the supply of listings. We added 10,595 new listings during March, slightly more than a year ago when we added 10,321 properties to the market. Last month's additions marked a big gain from February when 7,284 new listings were added.

As has been the pattern, pending sales nearly equaled the number of new listings. Prices overall are up about 13.2% from a year ago, and even more so in the four- county Puget Sound region. Among these four counties, Kitsap had the largest year- over-year increase at 19%, but King County homes are still the priciest.

The median price for last month's sales of single family homes and condos combined in King County is $625,000, up 17.9% from a year ago. For single family homes, excluding condos, the median price for last month's sales was $689,950. Year-over-year prices are up more than 18% in Pierce County and about 14.3% in Snohomish County.

The hot market seems to affect all price ranges. The MLS statistics confirmed sales of luxury homes are rising. A comparison of first quarter figures show the year-over- year number of homes sold, priced at $1 million or more, rose nearly 28%.

Out of the 78 markets surveyed, Seattle is ranked #1 for 2018 by PWC and the Urban Land Institute. The positive outlook crosses all sectors with the strongest for investment and development in Industrial and Single Family Housing.

I am happy to meet for coffee to discuss the market and how it impacts your real estate.