Photo taken by Liza Alley

By Liza Alley 

As a Monroe resident myself, I found some appreciable events coming to Monroe at Choose Monroe.com One of them is for all the dog lovers out there, including myself, called the Wiggly Walk on June 26th, 2021, from 11am - 4pm. It was my neighbor and friend who is the Parks Director that recommend this great off-leash location in Monroe. At the Choose Monroe website, it mentions to,

Grab your furry friends and walk, wag, shop and eat with us through Sky River Park!

 

 

We will have pet friendly vendors, a food truck, doggy kissing booth and more!

 

Some other things that Wiggly Field Riverside off-leash park offers is grassy 2-1/2 acre of reasonably treed parkland. This…

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By Liza Alley

The blog post that I did about gardening just recently, got me wondering about curb appeal. Does curb appeal help sellers? Does it attract buyers? According to Homelight 

In a recent poll of top HomeLight agents from all over the country, 76% said that Improving curb appeal was the best thing homeowners could do to boost a home’s marketability, and another 95% of agents confirmed that putting effort into cleaning and polishing the exterior can bring more attention and a higher value to that home.

 

 

Buying a home is an emotional experience. It is, therefore, critically important that a seller sets the proper stage in generating a positive emotional response from a buyer.

 

Fortune Builders goes into a…

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Do you like gardening? I most certainly do! Gardening can be so incredibly beneficial in so many ways. houzz gives some great Summer garden ideas, from important tips on lighting and water requirements to creating that beautiful patio oasis.

 Japanese Maple Keep it simple with a specimen tree planted in an elegant pot that’s big enough for the tree to grow there for years. (Make sure your pot has drainage holes.)

 

Shady Corner The bright chartreuse foliage of ferns and sweet potato vines brightens up what would otherwise be a shadowy corner alongside this entry garden

 

When I think of gardening,  I think about all the perks that come with it. They add beauty to a house and, it looks very inviting. I know personally family…

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By Liza Alley

As we all know, mortgage rates are constantly going up and down. But right now, they are at the lowest I've personally ever seen them. According to Yahoo! Finance 

  • A popular survey shows rates just fell a little deeper into the 2s, which helps not only homebuyers but also homeowners, who can refinance and save hundreads on their monthly payments 
  • Rates are up from January’s all-time low of 2.65%, but they’re still among the lowest in history. A year ago, the 30-year fixed was averaging 3.21%.
  • With the average 30-year mortgage rate staying under 3%, millions of homeowners have the potential to save thousands of dollars and increase their monthly cash flow by refinancing, according to a recent report.
  • “Few people pay cash…

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By: Liza Alley

Lumber prices have spiked in 2021, driving up housing prices even higher. “Given the rapid rise in lumber prices,” the report says, “the total cost of lumber and manufactured lumber products for an average single family home has soared 184% from April 2020 to April 2021, rising to $48,316.”

 

The report found that the spike in lumber and related materials has added over $34K to the price of a new home over the past year. 

 

With the cost of lumber souring, I couldnt help but wonder and ask myself... just how much has this impacted the cost of new homes? Yahoo! Finance explains in this article  

 In an even more recent article, HERE Fortune talks about how Covid 19 impacted lumber prices and how many people…

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Why spend more when you can get all the service you need at 1% 

By Liza Alley

Other brokerages are inconsistent with their commission rates...

With The Cascade Team, you will always know what you are getting!!!

Getting the most for your home or property means doing more than putting a "For Sale" sign out front. In a competitive market where new homes for sale are added daily, your listing needs to be seen in a variety of places in order to stand out. And sometimes the right buyer is waiting out of state, or even in another country. To ensure sure your home gets noticed and sells without a hitch for full market value, consider working with a top professional. It could mean the difference between no sale, and the payoff you've been waiting…

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The rental market for a single-family home in Washington has gone up significantly

By Liza Alley 

K5 news explains in this article how the rental market for a single-family home has gone up tremendously in King, Piece as well as Snohomish county. 

According to Redfin, the average monthly cost of rent for a single-family home in King County rose $345 from May 2020 to May 2021. Rent increased $300 during that same time in Pierce County and increased $200 in Snohomish County.

A breakdown of average single-family home rental prices for the three counties is below:

King County:

  • May 2020: $2,650
  • May 2021: $2,995

Pierce County:

  • May 2020: $1,800
  • May 2021: $2,100

Snohomish…

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The weather conditions during the summer season encourage homeowners to naturally become a bit lackadaisical with their home security. Opening doors and windows for that summer breeze and causally straying over to neighbors houses, all the while, leaving their home at risk for a break-in. Homeowners can protect summer fun, personal possessions and family members with several easy security precautions.

Summer home safety checklist:

  • Summer security: In warmer months, we tend to see a spike in property crimes. Take the time to prepare for summer security and avoid the mess of a break-in.

  • Summertime maintenance for your home: Basic home maintenance can act as a natural deterrent to burglars. Performing basic tasks such as lawn…

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Many People have been moving to Washington’s rural communities

According to K5 News 

 

  • People are packing up and buying homes outside of Seattle, according to Sotheby's first-quarter report for 2021.

 

  • Snohomish saw an increase of over 10% in sale prices, with an average of seven days on the market, and that trend continues.

 

  • “Being able to work remotely has been a huge factor in people being able to afford homes out in Monroe, and Snohomish and Woodinville. I mean, it’s just incredible.”

 

  • Realtors found the Covid-19 pandemic and working from home has allowed people the freedom to move away from the city

 

 

  • According to Sotheby’s, it’s a seller's market, and people are…

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  • April’s month-end inventory of 5,616 listings was a year-over-year (YOY) drop of 45%; a year ago, there were 10,282 active listings in the MLS database.
  • 16 of the 26 counties in the report had at least a 20% increase in active listings at the end of April compared to March,  
  • Condo supply remains tight at 0.88 months (down 27% from a year ago), with prices up 12% areawide.

KIRKLAND, Washington (May 5, 2021) – Finally, some good news for home buyers! Sizeable increases in new listings compared to a year ago and reports of moderating prices “might mean we are seeing some relief for buyers,” suggested John Deely, a board member at Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

In commenting on the latest statistics from Northwest MLS summarizing…

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