Blog - Nancy LaVallee

Real Estate, Tips, Trends & Living

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 Updates

How’s the Market? An Annual Review of Seattle Area Real Estate

Median home sales prices across the region saw a year-over-year dip compared to 2022, with prices settling just above their 2021 levels. That being said, most homes still sold within the first 10 days on the market and either at or above the listing price. Today’s higher rates, in concert with constricted inventory, have slowed […]
Market Updates

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 […]
Buying

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 […]

Real Estate 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 Updates How’s the Market? An Annual Review of Seattle Area Real Estate Median home sales prices across the region saw a year-over-year dip compared to 2022, with prices settling just above their 2021 levels. That being said, most homes still sold within the first 10 days on the market and either at or above the listing price. Today’s higher rates, in concert with constricted inventory, have slowed […]

Market Updates 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 […]

Buying 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 […]

Buying 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 […]

Market Updates How’s the Market? Q3 2023 Review of Seattle Area Real Estate While median sales prices varied quite a bit from area to area, they stayed relatively stable with most communities posting either modest gains or slight declines compared to this time last year. Low inventory is keeping us in what you might call a “flat” seller’s market…supply is low but prices aren’t appreciating as fast as […]

Real Estate 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 […]

Real Estate 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 […]

Community Extended! Kicks for Kids Shoe Drive August 1-21 Help us give kids the confidence they need to start the school year right! My Windermere team and I invite you to participate in our Kicks for Kids back-to-school sneaker drive. It connects low-income youth in our local communities with new shoes for the upcoming school year. Through August 21st, we’ll be accepting donations 3 […]

Real Estate How’s the Market? Q2 2023 Review of Seattle Area Real Estate While median sales prices rose in Q2 compared to Q1, they were still down about 10% from last summer’s peak. Most areas saw fewer new listings and sales this year than we saw last year. Supply levels are still low enough to keep us technically in a seller’s market — our Windermere Chief Economist, Matthew […]

Real Estate 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 […]

Buying 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 […]

Real Estate 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 […]

Market Updates How’s the Market? Q1 2023 Review of Seattle Area Real Estate The first quarter of 2023 saw a price correction compared to last year’s spike, with year-over-year median prices down by 9% in Seattle and 14% on the Eastside. That being said, prices are already beginning to climb again with steady growth since the beginning of the year. Buyer demand remains strong despite higher interest rates—competitively […]

Selling 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 […]

Selling 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 […]

Community Property Tax Relief Programs in King County 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 $58k or less per year, and are either age 61+ or retired due to disability, there is a good chance you qualify. […]

Market Updates Q4 2022 Western Washington Economic & Real Estate Update The following analysis of select counties of the Western Washington real estate market is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. I 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 me. Regional […]

Market Updates How’s the Market? Annual Review of Seattle Area Real Estate While 2022 began on the heels of an extreme seller’s market we saw in the wake of the COVID pandemic, the second half of the year showed a marked shift back toward normalcy. Rising interest rates and tech layoffs significantly slowed down the number of home sales. The good news for buyers is that we […]

Market Updates Matthew Gardner’s Top 10 Predictions for 2023 This video shows Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner’s Top 10 Predictions for 2023. Each month, he analyzes the most up-to-date U.S. housing data to keep you well-informed about what’s going on in the real estate market. 1. There Is No Housing Bubble Mortgage rates rose steeply in 2022 which, when coupled with the massive run-up […]