Blog - Windermere Orcas

Buying, Financial

Homebuyers May Benefit from Stock Meltdown

This was sent to us by Tammy Pollard, Sr. Mortgage Advisor with Paramount Bond & Mortgage Co, LLC Despite the facts that the Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates, U.S. stocks are tumbling and new worries about the Chinese economy seem to emerge daily, there is still a positive outlook for homebuyers. All the worries […]
Housing Market, Lifestyle

King County Had Almost Half of 2015’s 30 Most Competitive Neighborhoods in America

We probably don’t need to tell you that 2015 was a crazy year in real estate, especially in our city. Bidding wars and listings lasting mere days on the market is something we’ve all grown accustomed to. But it turns out we’re not alone. Redfin recently came out with a list of the 30 most competitive […]
Lifestyle, San Juan Islands

15 Islands You Need in Your Life: No Passport Required

CHECK OUT #11! By Kelly Hickey Deal Expert, Chicago posted on December 21, 2015 on travelzoo.com Stunning, shimmering sunsets across the water, the peaceful lullaby of waves crashing and the wind blowing, the feeling of truly being removed for your everyday life … yep, islands are pretty much the best. While it’s wonderful to get […]
Buying, Financial, Housing Market, Selling

2016 Home Sales Will Be Best in a Decade, With Surprising Hot Spots, Realtor.com Predicts

CNBC December 2, 2015 Total homes sales next year are expected to reach the highest levels since 2006 on the back of new construction and the existing housing market, Realtor.com reported Wednesday. The report contains several surprises. Among them, Providence, Rhode Island, ranked as the hottest market for 2016, and millennials are expected to make […]

Buying Homebuyers May Benefit from Stock Meltdown This was sent to us by Tammy Pollard, Sr. Mortgage Advisor with Paramount Bond & Mortgage Co, LLC Despite the facts that the Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates, U.S. stocks are tumbling and new worries about the Chinese economy seem to emerge daily, there is still a positive outlook for homebuyers. All the worries […]

Housing Market King County Had Almost Half of 2015’s 30 Most Competitive Neighborhoods in America We probably don’t need to tell you that 2015 was a crazy year in real estate, especially in our city. Bidding wars and listings lasting mere days on the market is something we’ve all grown accustomed to. But it turns out we’re not alone. Redfin recently came out with a list of the 30 most competitive […]

Lifestyle 15 Islands You Need in Your Life: No Passport Required CHECK OUT #11! By Kelly Hickey Deal Expert, Chicago posted on December 21, 2015 on travelzoo.com Stunning, shimmering sunsets across the water, the peaceful lullaby of waves crashing and the wind blowing, the feeling of truly being removed for your everyday life … yep, islands are pretty much the best. While it’s wonderful to get […]

Buying 2016 Home Sales Will Be Best in a Decade, With Surprising Hot Spots, Realtor.com Predicts CNBC December 2, 2015 Total homes sales next year are expected to reach the highest levels since 2006 on the back of new construction and the existing housing market, Realtor.com reported Wednesday. The report contains several surprises. Among them, Providence, Rhode Island, ranked as the hottest market for 2016, and millennials are expected to make […]

Lifestyle Just Hanging Out This was taken by Diane from her home on Buck Mountain.

Buying How to Survive the 4 Common Mortgage Killers A lot of detailed documentation is required when applying for a home loan these days. You can expect to show everything from full tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, to letters of explanation regarding credit, debt, income and assets. However, that leaves quite a bit of room for challenges to pop up. Here are four […]

Lifestyle Sun in the Madronas taken by diane whitley

Housing Market It Pays to List in Winter Spring may still be peak home-shopping season, since most families want to move when school is out. Yet it actually pays to list in the winter, when buyers tend to have more urgency. A study by online brokerage Redfin found that average sellers net more above asking price during the months of December, January, February, […]

Lifestyle View from the Orcas Island Ferry This was taken by Deborah Hansen, a broker in our Windermere Real EState/Orcas Island office.

Lifestyle Providing Food for the Holidays and the Rest of the Year. It’s that time of year again when many of our Windermere offices are out in their communities helping to collect donations and raise money for their local area food banks. Many people rely on the food they get from food banks to feed their families. Not having the luxury to purchase their own food means […]

Lifestyle Dog Friendly Vacations Did you know that according to Sunset magazine. Orcas Island is the number 1 dog friendly vacation spot on the west coast? Yeppers, it’s true! http://www.sunset.com/travel/dog-friendly-vacations Top 22 dog-friendly vacations You can take your best pal with you on these getaways around the West Dog-friendly trips: Turtleback Mountain Preserve Photo by John Clark; written by […]

Lifestyle Halloween on Orcas Island One of the many reasons I love living on Orcas Island is Halloween. All the merchants in town decorate then pass out candy to all the little and big monsters! Fire pits are set up, hot apple cider is passed out, pumpkin carving and of course Trick or Treaters are everywhere. The costumes are inventive […]

Lifestyle Sunrise on Orcas Island This was taken by Bob Shipstad at his home on Orcas Island

Lifestyle Why I Love Living On Orcas Island On Orcas Island, we LOVE parades. Any excuse, we are going to have a parade. The entire community comes out and supports them. Yesterday was Homecoming, which is a big deal just about anywhere, but for a small community like ours, it’s huge. The parade started at the high school down Prune Alley, right on […]

Financial 7 Renovations That Reduce Your Home's Value Most people think home-renovation projects will always add value to a home, but this isn’t necessarily true. According to Scott McGillivray, host of the HGTV series Income Property and author of How to Add Value to Your Home, these 7 renovations should never be done… 1. DO NOT expand your master bedroom if that means […]

Buying Do you welcome a new home with any of these traditions or superstitions? Written by Anne Reagan for Porch.com October 20, 2015 It can be very stressful to find a new home, pack up belongings and coordinate a move to a new location. Despite the stress of a move, many of us take the time to ensure that our new home is ready for our family. Maybe you’ve […]

Buying What You Need to Know about Real Estate Appraisals Posted in Selling and Buying by Tara Sharp Appraised value vs. market value Appraisals are designed to protect buyers, sellers, and lending institutions. They provide a reliable, independent valuation of a tract of land and the structure on it, whether it’s a house or a skyscraper. Below, you will find information about the appraisal process, […]

Environmental Is the Solar Industry’s Crazy Growth Going to Come to a Crashing Halt? A Report From the Trenches This is from Porch.com Posted by Jon Meyer on 10/10/15 The Solar Industry is at an inflection point. We explore whether the growth can continue by talking to Markus Virta, a sales tech in the middle of it all. Although Porch doesn’t have more than a gaggle of solar panel installers on our network, it’s […]

Selling Getting Your Home Ready to Sell Are you ready to move on to your next stage in life? Getting your home ready to sell can be a big task, from getting the physical space ready and preparing for the emotional aspects of selling your home. We recommend you work with a listing agent through this process to make sure you are […]

Home Improvement 3 Quick Maintenance Tips to Make Your Roof Last Posted in Porch.com by Porch.com Written by Peter Kim A brand-new roof is a massive investment, but no other element of your home is quite as valuable. While the average lifespan of a roof is about 15 years, careful homeowners have a few ways to extend the life of their homes without enduring too many […]