If you are refinancing, purchasing or selling this is a must read. I tell all my clients to call me first and double check if they get any suspicious email or phone call. Do not let this happen to you!
Category Archives: Home Seller Tips
The Home Connection for June
Have a wonderful start to summer!
Real Estate news you can use!
Check out these articles for great information about our community and the real estate industry.
New home sales hit highest level in 9 years!
Millennials still believe in the homeownership dream even if they can’t afford to buy
Housing market across the U.S. finally starting to look healthy
MORTGAGE & FINANCE news
Salary needed to buy a home in 19 major U.S. cities
Tips for staying out of debt
Calculate how much house you can afford
HOME trends
King County’s eco-remodeling tool provide tips for going green for your next home renovation
Four colors that may hurt a home’s sales price
LOCAL news
7 percent of Puget Sound homes are underwater, compared with 12 percent nationally
A teardown a day: Bulldozing the way for bigger homes in Seattle, suburbs
BLS stats show Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue is #7 Metro area for fastest job growth
What does Vancouver’s housing market implosion mean for Seattle?
Seattle home-sale market provides small hint of slowdown
You need an annual salary of $83K to afford a home in Seattle
Everett welcomes the film industry, an important economic driver for local businesses
WEEKLY DOSE OF awesomeness
Happy 100th Birthday U.S. National Parks
I hope your week is a great one!
Jen Murrweiss | Remax Elite | 425-422-7243
The Home Connection for June
Real Estate news and more
Happy Friday! I hope you enjoy this Real Estate round up of our area and other interesting articles plus some fun stuff too.
REAL ESTATE news
Real estate getting bubbly but unlikely to pop, Seattle “is on fire across every sector”
Number of million-dollar homes in Seattle area has tripled since 2012
U.S. existing home sales rise for a second straight month
MORTGAGE & FINANCE news
3 financial apps that will transform how you manage money
Will Millennials ever be able to retire?
The 7 biggest investment mistakes celebrities make
HOME trends
From ceiling space to playroom
10 tips for budget-friendly lawn care
7 weird ways to stay cool this summer
LOCAL news
Massive frozen food recall in Washington State
Seattle No. 3 on top 25 best cities to find great jobs
Seattle to host 2018 Special Olympics
Is Seattle a better bicycle city than Portland?
Seattle homes selling faster than anywhere else in the U.S.
Seattle growth was 11th fastest according to just released Census data, now 18th on list of biggest U.S. cities
Facebook unveils Frank Gehry design for its new South Lake Union offices
Snohomish County looking to increase bike tourism
Snohomish county offers top teacher salaries in the state
City of Edmonds to develop an affordable housing strategy by 2019
WEEKLY DOSE OF awesomeness
House made from cardboard for is not your kid’s refrigerator box
Have a spectacular weekend everyone!
#snohomishcountyhomes
Home services a Realtor’s referral list.
REFERRAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLIENTS
An inspector I use, and highly regard, composed this list on tradesman he has used and trusts. If you click on the below link it will bring you a “tool box” in alphabetical order of almost every type of service, you could need in the Puget Sound area. Click here
Below are some that I (with the *) have used, recommendations from other agents and our area neighborhood recommendations.
General Contractors Handy Man
- *RM Landscaping and Renovation – Roland 206-818-5078. Small or large projects. Fences, decks, lawn care, lighting, roofs, waterfalls, ponds, concrete driveways, retaining walls and more.
- *We Honey Do.com http://www.wehoneydo.com
- Justin Powell (GA Powell construction) 425-356-9022. gapowellconstruction.com
- Classic Remodeling NW, INC- Ward Hampson- 425-224-2004; cell-425-530-6818 http://www.classic remodelingnw.com; info@classicremodelingnw.com
- mrhandyman.com; 1-877-MRHANDYMAN (674-2639)
- Jim’ll Fix It- Handyman- 425-220-3749. http://www.jimllfixit.info/
- G-Versitile construction.Gymie Kelly 425-422-2101
- Jerry Green @ Image Fence 425-343-6604
- Josh Ross contractor/painter who likes to take on small remodels projects! Rosscontracting@zoho.com 206-225-1616
Gutters
- *The Gutter Guys- Steven Alley; 206-595-0771; stevencalley@comcast.net
Plumbing/Heating
- *First Response Heating and air solutions 206-643-1525
- Solution Plumbing & Heating. Ryan Hurd 425-231-8599 solutionplumbingheating.com
- 411 Plumber Ambrose Herrera 206-229-4225
- Kings Heating – 206-361-1818
- Hamblen & Sons Heating Office: 360-658-0124 Mobile: 425-501-0123
- *CM Heating- furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioning, fireplaces (chimney sweep)
Landscaping
- *RM Landscaping and Renovation – Roland 206-818-5078. Fences, decks, lawn care, lighting, waterfalls, ponds, concrete driveways, retaining walls and more.
- King Landscaping 206-856-1267
- Lawn aerating-thatching Stewart Armour @ 206-214-5595 aerating-thatching.com/aeration.com
Carpet Cleaning
- *Patrick Kelley Kelley’s Cleaning & Restoration http://www.kelleyclean.com/ 425-303-8294
Crawl Space
- *American Crawlspace- Brian 206-795-5844 or 425-308-1888
Carpentry work
- *Stuart Ross 425-268-2299
Kitchen/bathroom cabinets
- * Jim – architecturalcabinets.com 425-501-3642- Custom made and great prices!
House Cleaning Service
- *Jessica Shields 425-346-0485
- *King & Queen Cleaning and household services kingandqueencleaning.com 425-954-3337
- Alpine Cleaning http://www.alpineclean.com/
Pest Control
- *AA Advantage Pest Control- Stephen Gillis – 360-658-8811- aadvantagepest.com
- Eagle pest eliminators 425-398-7365 eaglepesteliminators.com
Electrician
- Dad’z Electric in Mukilteo (425) 493-1541
- Left Coast Electric 360-920-8484 Toby Foulke
- Renfro electric. 425-923-5088
Garage Doors
- *Allphase garage doors too. Kevin 360 651 7830
Security Systems
- *Jimmie Beam 206-261-1903. Jbeem@freedomsystemsinc.com
Septic
- Tri County Septic monitoring & septic services 360-659-7077
ORGANIZATION
- Top Shelf Organizing. Jill 425 283 9265 topshelforg.com
ROOFING
- Davison Roofing Inc. 425-344-6151
- *Always Roofing in Snohomish info@allwaysroofing.com 425-345-5863
TREE TRIMMER
- All in 1 Tree Service 347.7253
- Evergreen Tree Care 800-684-TREE (8733)
Windows and glass replacement and insulation
- *Superior Weatherizationjayaskus@yahoo.com 425-350-1194
- Washington Energy Services washingtonenergy.com 800-398-4663
Have someone you would recommend to a friend? Let me know I am always looking for great people to recommend. As I love to recommend great people and services please remember me for your Real Estate needs or those of your friends and family.
I am never too busy for your referrals!
Jenifer Murrweiss REMAX Elite Realtor Consultant 425-422-7243
snohomishcountyhomes@hotmail.com
Miracle Agent at your service!
Looking to buy? Looking to sell? Or know of anyone who might? I am here to personally assist you. Giving exceptional service and donating to Seattle Children’s on your behalf. Join my growing group of clients involved in helping families when they need it most. show less
Snohomish County Homes INC.com
Tax Day! What to keep and for how long.
With Tax Season coming to a close and all that paper everywhere do you feel like just throwing it all up, away or into the fire? Boy I know I do but, we have to keep some important docs and I hope this list is a good reminder.
Tax returns- 7 Years– Keep tax returns and all supporting tax docs, including W-2’s, 1099 forms, property tax info, bank statements, mortgage interest statements, cancelled checks, receipts, home purchase and home improvement info.
Paycheck stubs– 1 Year
Home Ownership
- Mortgage docs 10 years- After property has sold 7 years.
- Mortgage statement’s 7 years- After property has sold 10 years
- Repair bills/contracts 10 years
Insurances
- Home 5 Years
- Life of policy +3 years
- Medical 5 years
Investment/Retirement Accounts
- IRA contribution’s permanently
- 401K annual summaries-keep until you close the account
- Investment statements 7 years after last account is sold.
Permanently Never Shred
- Adoption/Guardianship Papers
- Birth Certificates
- Citizen/Naturalization
- Health Immunization
- Lawsuits
- Marriage/Divorce Decree
- Pension Plan Docs
- Veteran Papers
Do you know about an exemption that can save you money when you sell?
TAX TIP: The 121 Exemption When Selling Your Home
The reason to do a 1031 exchange is to avoid capital gains taxes on investment property. Almost once a week I get asked about the sale of a primary residence. When you sell your home, you have an exemption from most capital gains taxes. A great resource to get more details about that is an IRS Publication, updated annually, called Selling Your Home (Pub 245). You could go to IRS.gov to download that.
In short, there is a 121 Exemption for capital gains taxes up to $250K per individual or $500K per married couple filing jointly. You do have to have lived in the property as your primary residence for 2 out of the last 5 years, and you can only take this exemption, once every 2 years.
This has been used in a long term strategy to avoid paying capital gains on rentals by converting the property from investment to primary residence. The IRS got wise to this strategy and put some constraints on this.
It could still be part of a plan, but reach out to your tax advisor with questions and see if this is an option for you
Home Maintenance Tips
Roof Maintenance
Most all roofs can, and will develop leaks in them; and a simple home inspection won’t guarantee to find them all. Leaks normally start as very small crevices or cracks, without the homeowner’s knowledge. In the early stages of a leak only small amounts seep through the crack, this is not a sufficient amount to alert the homeowner as it doesn’t travel through all the layers of the ceiling.
It is recommended that you have your attic, and roof thoroughly checked twice a year for such leaks. The most common source of leaks is flashing as they are often overlooked when repairing/replacing the roof, so be sure to inspect your flashing from time to time.
Garage door maintenance
When it comes to home maintenance, your garage door might not be at the top of your list or even on it at all! However regular maintenance could save you headaches down the line, and the following tips may help keep your garage door working properly for decades to come. Applying a solvent like WD_40 to the roller tracks, and latches should prevent them from sticking over time due to rust and corrosion. While you’re there examine each component and replace any bent or broken parts as needed. Also be sure to apply some lubricant to the garage door opener if it is operated by a chain or drive screw. Wooden garage doors should be sealed and painted on a regular basis, and DIY network suggest caulking all cracks. Also, check the weather sealant at the bottom of the door and if it is damaged, replace it before the rainy season.
About.com recommends adding garage door maintenance to your yearly maintenance schedule. Spring or autumn are perfect times to make a date with your garage door, in between the harsher weather periods.
Finally this is one I see homeowners forget a lot. Your HVAC system worked very hard last winter. Have it inspected and cleaned by a professional HVAC contractor and keep those filters changed for the spring and summer months as well.
Get it done and enjoy the spring!
Jen Murrweiss RE/MAX Elite 