Kari's Blog January 18, 2022

Tips for Moving Without the Headache

Top Moving Tips:

Packing up your life into cardboard boxes and schlepping it across town or across the country can be a hassle. But, as Huffington Post suggests, you can make your move a lot simpler if you plan ahead. With that in mind, here are some tips from realtor Kari Haas for moving without the headache.

 

Purchase a HomeKari Haas Real Estate

Before you begin the moving process, you’ll have to buy a suitable home. To get started, your first step is finding a realtor. It’s really important who you choose to represent you. A professional team with a good track record of being able to negotiate and market successfully for your benefit can put far more in your pocket than you might save with a discount broker or friend of a friend. This is many people’s largest investment and it always amazes me that a lot of people choose their cousin’s wife’s brother’s best friend without checking their success rate or reviews, based on relationship alone without regard for their financial well-being. A good realtor will also have connections within the industry and will have mortgage professionals that they recommend and who will help you with the preapproval process.

 

Pay a Pro

Kari Haas Real Estate

If your budget permits it and you have a lot to pack, consider hiring a professional moving company. Consumer Reports recommends selecting a company with good references and making sure they are properly licensed and insured for damage. Of course, the Kari Haas Real Estate Team has a list of resources and vendors, as well as a professional support team to help streamline the process.

Movers are well-trained and know the best methods and techniques for packaging and shipping your valuables. Their inventory process ensures you won’t have boxes that get knocked around in a friend’s truck or get left behind at the old place by mistake. You’ll avoid the potential for mishaps and injuries.

Get Organized

Kari Haas Real Estate

If you elect to do this without professional movers, create a checklist and start packing well in advance of moving day. Pack heavy items in small boxes and lightweight items in larger boxes. Pack your glasses and dishware in your table linens and kitchen towels for extra padding.

Color-code your boxes by room and load them with respect to what you’ll need access to first. Fill an overnight bag with a change of clothes, toiletries, medications and cleaning supplies and keep it with you close at hand; these are the things you’ll need as soon as you arrive in the new place.

Look After Your Devices

Kari Haas Real Estate

Before disassembling electronic setups, take photos of how they are configured. This will make it easier to get everything back up and working in the new place. Use small baggies to store screws and other hardware, and tape them to the component they were removed from.

Make sure to back up your data beforehand, and if you have manuals it’s a good idea to box them with their items. Consider removing batteries to prevent them from breaking down (or exploding) in warm conditions or on bumpy roads. Wrap all electronics carefully in protective materials designed for that purpose. Also, some electronic items respond badly to being shaken, so you should minimize movement in their boxes.

Know Where the Important Stuff Is

Kari Haas Real Estate

Gather up important documents, such as birth certificates, licenses, passports, wills, insurance papers, and vaccination and medical records, because it’s important to transport these yourself, keeping them close at hand. For example, it is better to have them with you than lost in a box you may not open for a few days.

Ensure your pets’ shots and certifications are up to date and take pictures of them in case of emergency. Make sure not to lose track of your pet’s information. Microchipping can be helpful in this instance, so make sure your vet is updated with your new contact information.

Get HelpKari Haas Real Estate Team

Hire a babysitter if you have children and consider hiring a pet sitter if you have pets. Moving day is usually a little bit chaotic and stressful. It’s always easier if the kids and the pets aren’t underfoot. If you can’t take children and critters to the sitter, consider enlisting one of your moving buddies to act as chief child chaser and pet wrangler on the day.

 

With the right preparations and proper planning, your move will go smoothly and your property will be protected from damage. You’ll cut down on the time spent unboxing and organizing in your new home and prevent needless rummaging through unidentified boxes. To prepare your move in advance, use a checklist, pack items carefully, and identify them correctly for the trip. This will make moving day less stressful and time-consuming for you and your family.

The Kari Haas Real Estate Team has a team of professionals prepared to help you every step of the way. Whether it is junk removal, professional organization, or packing services our team is here for you!

 

Not only does Kari Haas have more than 300 real estate deals under her belt, but she has an outstanding success rate. When multiple offer situations arise, Kari’s clients win in over 95% of those instances! Put the Kari Haas Real Estate team behind you. Call or email us today!

 

This post was originally submitted by Lisa Walker and has been edited by the Kari Haas Real Estate Team.

 

Real Estate Market Updates & Insight February 1, 2019

2018 Windermere Gardner Report Quart 4

The following analysis of the Western Washington real estate market is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. We hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact your Windermere Agent.

Economic Overview

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%. Public sector employment was down 0.3%. The strongest growth sectors were Real Estate Brokerage and Leasing (+11.4%), Employment Services (+10.3%), and Residential Construction (+10.2%). During fourth quarter, the state’s unemployment rate was 4.3%, down from 4.7% a year ago.

My latest economic forecast suggests that statewide job growth in 2019 will still be positive but is expected to slow. We should see an additional 83,480 new jobs, which would be a year-over-year increase of 2.4%.

Home Sales Activity

  • There were 17,353 home sales during the fourth quarter of 2018. Year-over-year sales growth started to slow in the third quarter and this trend continued through the end of the year. Sales were down 16% compared to the fourth quarter of 2017.
  • The slowdown in home sales was mainly a function of increasing listing activity, which was up 38.8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2017 (continuing a trend that started earlier in the year). Almost all of the increases in listings were in King and Snohomish Counties. There were more modest increases in Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, Skagit, and Island Counties. Listing activity was down across the balance of the region.
  • Only two counties—Mason and Lewis—saw sales rise compared to the fourth quarter of 2017, with the balance of the region seeing lower levels of sales activity.
  • We saw the traditional drop in listings in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter, but I fully anticipate that we will see another jump in listings when the spring market hits. The big question will be to what degree listings will rise.

Home Prices

  • With greater choice, home price growth in Western Washington continued to slow in fourth quarter, with a year-over-year increase of 5% to $486,667. Notably, prices were down 3.3% compared to the third quarter of 2018.

  • Home prices, although higher than a year ago, continue to slow. As mentioned earlier, we have seen significant increases in inventory and this will slow down price gains. I maintain my belief that this is a good thing, as the pace at which home prices were rising was unsustainable.

  • When compared to the same period a year ago, price growth was strongest in Skagit County, where home prices were up 13.7%. Three other counties experienced double-digit price increases.

  • Price growth has been moderating for the past two quarters and I believe that we have reached a price ceiling in many markets. I would not be surprised to see further drops in prices across the region in the first half of 2019, but they should start to resume their upward trend in the second half of the year.

Days on Market

  • The average number of days it took to sell a home dropped three days compared to the same quarter of 2017.

  • Thurston County joined King County as the tightest markets in Western Washington, with homes taking an average of 35 days to sell. There were eight counties that saw the length of time it took to sell a home drop compared to the same period a year ago. Market time rose in five counties and was unchanged in two.
  • Across the entire region, it took an average of 51 days to sell a home in the fourth quarter of 2018. This is down from 54 days in the fourth quarter of 2017 but up by 12 days when compared to the third quarter of 2018.

  • I suggested in the third quarter Gardner Report that we should be prepared for days on market to increase, and that has proven to be accurate. I expect this trend will continue, but this is typical of a regional market that is moving back to becoming balanced.

Conclusions

This speedometer reflects the state of the region’s real estate market using housing inventory, price gains, home sales, interest rates, and larger economic factors. I am continuing to move the needle toward buyers as price growth moderates and listing inventory continues to rise.

2019 will be the year that we get closer to having a more balanced housing market. Buyer and seller psychology will continue to be significant factors as home sellers remain optimistic about the value of their home, while buyers feel significantly less pressure to buy. Look for the first half of 2019 to be fairly slow as buyers sit on the sidelines waiting for price stability, but then I do expect to see a more buoyant second half of the year.

 

As Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, Matthew Gardner is responsible for analyzing and interpreting economic data and its impact on the real estate market on both a local and national level. Matthew has over 30 years of professional experience both in the U.S. and U.K.

In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities, Matthew sits on the Washington State Governors Council of Economic Advisors; chairs the Board of Trustees at the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington; and is an Advisory Board Member at the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the Unversity of Washington where he also lectures in real estate economics.

This post originally appeared on the Windermere.com Blog.