This month’s Where Next visits Washington DC to hear from one of the area’s foremost boutique brokers, The William Fastow Team! What better time to visit our esteemed colleagues than during the change in leadership at our nation’s capital?
Winter Lawn Care: How to Get your Seattle Lawn Ready to Thrive in Spring
Written by Eugene Bryson
Winter won’t last forever. Shoveling snow is part of life in Seattle, but winter is also a good time to get your lawn ready for spring.
Maintaining a healthy lawn showcases your home as a sparkling gem in a golden neighborhood. And with Seattle growing by leaps and bounds, your jewel of a home and yard will stand out for would-be new homeowners.
Here’s how to get your yard in shape for spring and summer:
Where Next: Nashville, Tennessee
This month, Where Next visits Nashville, Tennessee with Zeitlin SIR Managing Broker, Stephanie Brooks. The SeattlebyDesign team invited Stephanie to share insights with us about what makes Music City such a special place.
Where Next: Tucson, Arizona
This month, Where Next visits Tucson, Arizona with Russ Lyon SIR’s, Marta Harvey. The SeattlebyDesign team invited her to share insights with us about this warm weather locale that many PNW residents flock to annually.
Where Next: Sun Valley, Idaho
This month, Where Next visits Sun Valley, Idaho with Sun Valley SIR’s, Coralea Graham. A few weeks ago, the SeattlebyDesign team invited Corey to share her insights with us about this popular and enchanting destination. Read on to learn a bit about the area and more still about Corey.
What to Know About Property Taxes 💲 in Washington State
WASHINGTON STATE PROPERTY TAXES
Taxes for property in the State of Washington are paid in bi-annual installments and based on the calendar year as follows:
Where Next: Hood River, Oregon
This month, Where Next visits Hood River with Greater Seattle native, Molly Donnell, and her distinguished team at Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty. The SeattlebyDesign team puts great effort into ensuring we have a solid network of brokers from around the corner to around the globe so we can assist our clients wherever their journey may take them. When it comes to Hood River, there’s one go-to advisor we are eager to recommend to our clients, Molly Donnell. Without hesitation, Molly was willing to share a little insider knowledge with our team for those considering a move or secondary home in Oregon.
When asked to share about her now-home of a dozen years, Molly offered this:
Where Next: Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast
Who doesn’t love a visit to the Oregon Coast? This month, Where Next delivers extraordinarily beautiful and quaint Cannon Beach, courtesy of one of its most prolific agents, Sally Conrad!
Cannon Beach, Oregon is the premier coastal destination of the gorgeous Pacific Northwest. A little more than an hour drive from Portland and just over three hours from Seattle, the area experiences an influx of over one million visitors per year from locations around the world. Impressive for a town with a full-time resident population under 2,000!
Private Mortgage Insurance and the Alternatives
Let’s talk about Private Mortgage Insurance, or as we know it, PMI and it’s alternatives. When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will typically require a down payment equal to 20% of the home’s purchase price. If a borrower can’t afford that amount, a lender will likely look at the loan as a riskier investment and require that the homebuyer take out PMI, also known as private mortgage insurance, as part of getting a mortgage.
It’s important to realize, though, that mortgage insurance — of any kind — is neither “good” nor “bad”. Mortgage insurance helps people to become homeowners who might not otherwise qualify because they don’t have 20% to put down on a home. But as it adds to the total cost of your monthly payments, many wonder what options they have.
SeattlebyDesign Welcomes a New Team Member
We’re thrilled to announce our newest team member, Danny Varona! Formerly a Microsoft Advertising researcher, Danny uses innovative marketing techniques and new-school technologies to give his clients an edge in buying and selling real estate. An award-winning graduate with multiple degrees in Human-Computer Interaction, Economics, and Psychology from the University of Waterloo, Danny possesses a rare combination of analytical and people skills with a deep understanding of the economic factors that move real estate markets. Armed with triple citizenship, three passports filled with stamps, and bilingualism, Danny Varona is a top local real estate advisor with a global perspective. Please join us in welcoming him!
