Blog - Windermere Real Estate

Living & Community

2024 Seattle & Eastside Farmers Markets: Locations, Times & More

Summer is just around the corner, and so are these farmers markets! Spend an evening or weekend finding your new favorites among the tents. Think it’s all about kale? Think again. Most offer live entertainment along with a mouth-watering variety of local brews, cheese, bread, meat/seafood, honey, hand roasted coffee, and other hidden gems (in […]
Home Buyer Tips, Home Seller Tips

Moving Day: Checklists & Tips to Stress Less

Ah, moving day…that magical mix of excitement, chaos, and occasional panic. Whether it is across town or cross-country, the reality of packing, moving, and setting up a new home can become overwhelming. No list can make a move “stress free,” BUT planning ahead and staying organized can help make your move a little smoother. […]
Home Seller Tips

5 Ways to Prepare Your Trees Before Listing Your Home For Sale

Most sellers know that some strategic home prep—and hiring the right broker—are key to getting you the highest possible price for your home (you can find tips in our Complete Checklist for getting ready to sell). However, one of the items on our list definitely deserves a deeper dive: Tree Care. Many homeowners are […]

Living & Community 2024 Seattle & Eastside Farmers Markets: Locations, Times & More Summer is just around the corner, and so are these farmers markets! Spend an evening or weekend finding your new favorites among the tents. Think it’s all about kale? Think again. Most offer live entertainment along with a mouth-watering variety of local brews, cheese, bread, meat/seafood, honey, hand roasted coffee, and other hidden gems (in […]

Home Buyer Tips Moving Day: Checklists & Tips to Stress Less Ah, moving day…that magical mix of excitement, chaos, and occasional panic. Whether it is across town or cross-country, the reality of packing, moving, and setting up a new home can become overwhelming. No list can make a move “stress free,” BUT planning ahead and staying organized can help make your move a little smoother. […]

Home Seller Tips 5 Ways to Prepare Your Trees Before Listing Your Home For Sale Most sellers know that some strategic home prep—and hiring the right broker—are key to getting you the highest possible price for your home (you can find tips in our Complete Checklist for getting ready to sell). However, one of the items on our list definitely deserves a deeper dive: Tree Care. Many homeowners are […]

Home Seller Tips Remodeling Projects to Avoid When Selling Your Home It’s common for homeowners to feel compelled to remodel their homes before they sell. Renovating the spaces in your home can increase its value and help you compete with comparable listings in your area. However, some remodeling projects are more beneficial than others as you prepare to sell your home. Always talk to your […]

Living & Community Tax Benefits Every Homeowner Should Know About It’s tax season again, but being a homeowner might just make it rain at refund time. Check out the tax-deductible expenses, exemptions, and credits below. Whether you own a house, condo, or mobile home, they can save you big money when you file. Just be sure to compare your total itemized deductions against the […]

Market Reports Top 10 Predictions for 2024 Real Estate Will 2024 be a good year for real estate? This question comes up a LOT, especially from those who are considering buying or selling a home in the near future. Housing economist Matthew Gardner weighed in with his top 10 predictions for what the real estate market will look like in the coming year. Here […]

Home Buyer Tips 2024 Buyer Agency Law Changes: What Every Buyer Should Know Maybe you’ve heard about the class action lawsuits in other states, or maybe you’ve clicked a link discussing how REALTORs® conspired to artificially inflate home prices through price fixing of commissions. What you probably haven’t seen is that in Washington our REALTORs® and our NWMLS have been actively working to make the real estate […]

Home Buyer Tips When is the Best Time to Buy or Sell a Home? Market peaks, holidays, school, oh my! Once you’ve decided that you want to sell or buy a home, the when can be tricky to tackle. Many factors contribute to optimal timing. Scroll down for the pros and cons of selling or buying in each season. While each season has its perks and challenges, your personal […]

Home Seller Tips To Sell or to Rent? The Perks and Pitfalls of Being a Landlord Analyzing whether to sell or rent your home is a BIG deal…and it deserves careful consideration. Ultimately, the right choice for you depends on your financial situation, goals, and personal preferences. Here is a quick run-down to help you decide: Renting Out Your Home Might Make Sense If… You don’t need the funds from […]

Home Seller Tips 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 […]

Home Seller Tips 7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Curb Appeal When it comes time to sell your home, first impressions are crucial. Improving your curb appeal will catch buyers’ attention and go a long way toward selling quickly and for the best price. Here are seven affordable changes you can make that have a big impact… 1. Lush Up Your Lawn A healthy, well-tended lawn […]

Home Buyer Tips Buying a Home: A Start-to-Finish Guide You want to buy a home. Where do you begin? When you’re ready to buy—or maybe just ready to start seriously thinking about it—there’s a lot you can do to prepare. Here is a checklist to help you get started… 1. Determine a Price Range Step one is finding out your budget for […]

Living & Community Your Guide to Going Solar To reduce your carbon footprint, increase your household’s sustainability, and add value to your property, solar power may be right for you. Understanding how solar works and how to maximize its benefits are key first steps in your journey to becoming a solar energy-producing household. How does solar power work? The technology that turns your […]

Home Seller Tips 7 Ways to Make Life Easier When Selling Your Home When it’s time to sell a home, we all dream of a flawlessly executed transaction where everything goes smoothly and ends with a win-win for you and the buyer. Here are seven tips to help make that happen—and avoid surprise expenses along the way… 1. Repair Your Home First Making repairs to your home before […]

Home Seller Tips Preparing to Sell Your Home: A Complete Checklist Getting your home ready to sell can feel like a circus act. Without the right organization, juggling the countless moving parts involved in this stage of the selling process can take its toll. This is the perfect opportunity to create a checklist to keep yourself on track and within your budget. The following information will […]

Living & Community Property Tax Relief Programs in King County Updated 2/2025 More than 26,000 low-income seniors and disabled people in King County who qualify for a tax exemption haven’t claimed it…are you or your family member one of them? If you are homeowner, make $84k or less per year, and are either age 61+, retired due to disability, or 57+ and the surviving spouse/domestic […]

Home Buyer Tips What Is an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM)? Securing the most advantageous financing for your situation is an integral part of the success formula of buying a home. After getting pre-approved but once you’ve found the home you’d like to pursue, one of your primary tasks is exploring different loan products to see which best fits your situation. This is the fork in […]

Living & Community 10 Tips for Sustainable Gardening Sunny days are finally here, the flowers are in bloom, and the timing is perfect to give your garden some love. Having a healthy garden is one of the best ways to create a sustainable home and reduce your household’s carbon footprint. Below are some eco-friendly tips that will help to make your garden even […]

Home Buyer Tips How to Avoid Overpaying for a Home in a Transitioning Market Look Carefully at the Home Itself Here are four home attributes beyond the number of bedrooms and baths that you should have your eye on… Home (building) quality: Very well-built homes are a rare find and typically worth every penny of their price. Don’t confuse them with so-so homes that just measure up to […]

Home Seller Tips Should You Remodel or Sell Your Home As Is? Homeowners who are preparing to sell are often faced with a dilemma about whether to remodel or sell their home in its current state. Each approach has its respective advantages and disadvantages. If you decide to remodel your home, it will likely sell for more; but the increased selling price will come at the cost […]