Living • May 10, 2022

Choosing the Right Fence and Gate for Your Home

by Don Koonce

Whether you are looking to improve your curb appeal, create more security or privacy, or cordon off a side garden, a fence or gate can be a practical and creative solution. With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which material is best for your home. By focusing on your budget and which materials best complement your home, you’ll eventually find your answer. Here are some options to get you started in your search.

Different Types of Fencing

Consider your priorities before choosing materials. Perhaps your fencing will serve the exclusive purpose of providing a designated area for pets and/or children to play, or you’re more focused on matching the wood grain with that of your home, or maybe you’ve simply always dreamed of having a white picket fence. When compiling your budget, account for materials and labor if paying a professional. If you plan to install on your own, know that a fence installation can be a physically demanding project. If your fencing is going into soft soil, you’ll have an easier time with installation. But for those who will be post-hole digging into rocky dirt or gravel, you can expect a challenge.

Natural Fences

Consider using a natural fence such as shrubbery, hedges, or trees to create a perimeter around your property. Natural fences create a barrier while bolstering your landscaping design and help to create a flow between your garden beds, yard, and the house itself. In comparison to other fencing solutions, natural fences may be a more affordable option, especially if you can plant them on your own. However, unless you’re buying full-grown shrubbery, natural fencing will take time to grow, whereas other types of hard-material fencing are functional as soon as they are constructed.

White Picket Fence

White picket fences, though traditional and simple in design, are effective. They are easy to maintain while complementing various home styles. Due to their sturdiness, they do well to keep pets in your yard and provide a safe designated area for them to roam. White picket fences reflect light and can make the colors in the shrubbery/plant life surrounding them pop. For the green thumbs that aspire to grow a flourishing garden, a white picket fence may be the perfect solution for magazine-quality grounds. However, with white picket fences, their strength is also their weakness. White is more prone to noticeable stains, meaning you can expect to set aside time for touch up painting at least once a year if you want to keep your fence purely white.

Wood Fences

There are many types of wood to pick from when choosing fencing. Local climate looms large in the decision-making process. It’s important to understand how the wood will hold up throughout the seasons and what kinds of treatments and/or stains are required to keep it from weathering. Wood fences work with many home styles. You’ll often see natural wood-colored fences used to reflect the aesthetic of Craftsman homes, while different paint colors and stains may be used to complement a more modern home style.

Different Types of Gates

Garden Gates

Ivy or Flower Archway: Use a simple wooden arch gate to allow flowers, ivy, or grape vines to grow along the gate creating a framed, lush entryway.
Vintage Gate: Use an old, wired gate to create a rustic vintage feel that leads to your personal garden.
Driftwood: Create your own gate by collecting wood or driftwood. You can then use twine, wire, or rope to create your own design.

Driveway Gates

Security Gates: Using a security gate is one of the easiest ways to make your home safer and more secure. There are many types of security gates, but steel provides protection without the need for much maintenance.
Side Yard Gates: If you don’t have a driveway gate, consider getting a side yard gate for added security and privacy.
Ornate Gates: Ornate gates don’t always create privacy but can create a beautiful entryway while also offering more control over who has access to the property.

For more on home improvement, read our guide to home lighting: How to Find the Right Lighting for Your Home

Real Estate News & Information • May 5, 2022

Q1 2022 Western Washington Real Estate Market Update

by Don Koonce

The following analysis of select counties of the Western Washington real estate market is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. We 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 your Windermere Real Estate agent.

Regional Economic Overview

The post-COVID job recovery continues. Though data showed the number of jobs dropped in January, February saw gains that almost offset the jobs lost the prior month. As of February (March data is not yet available), the region had recovered all but 47,000 of the more than 300,000 jobs lost due to the pandemic. Of note is that employment levels in Grays Harbor, Thurston, San Juan, and Clallam counties are now above their pre-pandemic levels. In February, the regional unemployment rate rose to 4.1% from 3.7% in December. Although this may be disconcerting, an improving economy has led more unemployed persons to start looking for a job, which has pushed the jobless rate higher. I expect the regional economy to continue expanding as we move into the spring and summer, with a full job recovery not far away.

Western Washington Home Sales

❱ In the first quarter of 2022, 15,134 homes sold, representing a drop of 5.8% from the same period a year ago, and down 31.7% from the fourth quarter.

❱ Yet again, supply-side constraints limited sales. Every county except Snohomish showed lower inventory levels than a year ago.

❱ Sales grew in five counties across the region but were lower across the balance of the counties contained in this report. Compared to the fourth quarter, sales were lower across all market areas.

❱ The ratio of pending sales (demand) to active listings (supply) showed pending sales outpacing listings by a factor of 6.7. Clearly, the significant jump in mortgage rates in the first quarter has not yet impacted demand. Rather it appears to have stimulated buyers partly due to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)!

Western Washington Home Prices

❱ Although financing costs have jumped, this has yet to prove to be an obstacle to buyers, as prices rose 16.4% year-over-year to an average of $738,152. Naturally, there is a lag between rates rising and any impact on market prices. It will be interesting to see what, if any, effect this has in the next quarter’s report.

❱ Compared to the same period a year ago, price growth was again strongest in San Juan County, but all markets saw prices rising more than 10% from a year ago.

❱ Relative to the final quarter of 2021, all but Kitsap (-2.7%), Mason (-1.5%), Skagit (-1.8%), Jefferson (-6.3%), and Clallam (-0.1%) counties saw home prices rise.

❱ The market remains supply starved. While increases in “new” listings suggest that more choice is coming to market, it remains insufficient to meet demand.

Mortgage Rates

Average rates for a 30-year conforming mortgage were 3.11% at the end of 2021, but since then have jumped over 1.5%—the largest increase since 1987. The surge in rates is because the market is anticipating a seven- to eight-point increase from the Federal Reserve later this year.

Because the mortgage market has priced this into the rates they are offering today, my forecast suggests that we are getting close to a ceiling in rates, and it is my belief that they will rise modestly in the second quarter before stabilizing for the balance of the year.

Western Washington Days on Market

❱ It took an average of 25 days for a home to go pending in the first quarter of 2022. This was 4 fewer days than in the same quarter of 2020, but 2 days more than in the fourth quarter of 2021.

❱ Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties were the tightest markets in Western Washington, with homes taking an average of 11 to 15 days to sell. The greatest drop in market time compared to a year ago was in San Juan County, where it took 23 fewer days for homes to sell.

❱ All but five counties saw average time on market drop from the same period a year ago, but the markets where it took longer to sell a home saw the length of time increase only marginally.

❱ Quarter over quarter, market time dropped in Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties. Jefferson and Clallam counties also saw modest improvement. In the balance of the region the length of time a home was on the market rose, but seasonality undoubtedly played a part.

Conclusions

This speedometer reflects the state of the region’s real estate market using housing inventory, price gains, home sales, interest rates, and larger economic factors.

The numbers have yet to indicate that demand is waning amid rising interest rates, but this is sure to become a greater factor as we move into the spring. A leading indicator I pay attention to is changes to list prices and, in most counties, these continue to increase. This suggests that sellers remain confident they will be able to find a buyer even in the face of higher borrowing costs. If this pace of increase starts to soften, it may be an indication of an inflection point, but it does not appear to be that way yet.

Given all the factors discussed above, I have decided to leave the needle in the same position as the last quarter. The market still heavily favors sellers, but if rates rise much further, headwinds will likely increase.

About Matthew Gardner

As Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, Matthew Gardner is responsible for analyzing and interpreting economic data and its impact on the real estate market on both a local and national level. Matthew has over 30 years of professional experience both in the U.S. and U.K.

In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities, Matthew sits on the Washington State Governors Council of Economic Advisors; chairs the Board of Trustees at the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington; and is an Advisory Board Member at the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Washington where he also lectures in real estate economics.

Living • May 3, 2022

Tips For Emergency Preparedness

by Don Koonce

With homeownership comes the responsibility of having to plan ahead for life’s unknowns. Emergencies come in many forms, depending on your local climate. So whether its more likely that you and your household need to prepare for the potential of a wildfire, a flood, or a winter storm, it’s crucial to have resources on hand to limit the damage to your home and to protect your household.

Tips for Emergency Preparedness

A good place to start when putting together your emergency kit is to compile basic resources you and your household will need to support yourselves outside of your home. Keep all items together in an easily accessible location. The general rule is to have at least one gallon of water per person, per day. This is useful for drinking, food preparation, and general hygiene. The Red Cross suggests keeping a two week’s supply of water at your home and three days worth in the case of evacuation. The following information is based on the American Red Cross’s emergency preparedness website.

What to include in your home emergency kit

A two-week supply of non-perishable food that is easy to prepare
Flashlight and extra batteries
Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
5 antiseptic wipe packets
2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
1 blanket (space blanket)
1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
1 instant cold compress
2 pair of non-latex gloves
2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
Scissors
1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
Oral thermometer (non-mercury/non-glass)
2 triangular bandages
Tweezers
First aid instruction booklet

To-Go Bag

Keep a to-go bag on hand to ensure that you and your household have easy access to essential items such as medication, toiletries, chargers, cash, and more.

If you or family members have medications, make sure you have at least a seven day supply
Multi-purpose tool (Swiss army knife)
Sanitation and personal hygiene items
Hand sanitizer
Toothbrushes and toothpaste
Personal wipes

Personal documents

Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
Family and emergency contact information
Extra cash
Extra cell phone chargers
Emergency blanket(s)

Car Kit

In the case of an evacuation or car emergency you should have a supply kit that can last up to three days.

A three-day supply of water in the case of an evacuation (one gallon per person per day)
Three days’ worth of non-perishable food
First aid kit
Flashlight with extra batteries
Extra phone charger
Emergency blanket
Map of your area

Pets

If you have pets, you will want to pack additional supplies to ensure their safety in the event of an emergency. It’s a good idea to have a week’s worth of food for each pet, a gallon of water per day, medication on hand, an additional leash, a crate, and any relevant sanitation materials (pet bags, litter, etc.).

Keeping Your Sanity

If you have small children, you may want to include activities for them to stay occupied without the help of electricity. Small games, coloring books and supplies, and other items can be stashed in the emergency kit to keep the family occupied.

For more information on preparing for potential emergencies and disasters, read our blog post about preparing for a fire at home.

Fire Safety: Preventing & Preparing for Fires at Home

SOLD • April 28, 2022

SOLD: Homes in Seattle, Puyallup, Tukwila & Auburn

by Don Koonce

Pending Listings:

14642 8th Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98166
$490,000

Beds: 4
Baths: 1
1,360 sqft
Days on Market: 5

Squeaky-clean rambler in excellent location! Walk to fun coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants & shops in downtown Burien, or stroll to beaches at Seahurst Park when you’d rather recharge with water-sky-trees than Starbucks. This home has been gently lived in, everything newly polished for next owner. Freshly painted interior, hardwood floors, cozy wood-burning fireplace, big picture windows for lots of light, formal dining plus bistro kitchen seating, modern dble-paned windows and doors, easy-care siding. Huge fenced yard with patios and deck for entertaining and/or gardening. 4 real bedrms, 1 located in its own zone for flex use: recroom, home office, more private guestroom, etc.

12301 133rd Avenue E
Puyallup, WA 98374
$999,999

Beds: 4
Baths: 4
3,676 sqft
Days on Market: 15

A unique lodge style retreat on a private peaceful shy acre. Owners have worked tirelessly to create a luxurious home built with platinum quality inside & out. Big Mt. Rainier views from most every room, soaring cedar T&G vaulted ceilings, rich wood floors/millwork, new hi-end 2022 kitchen barely unwrapped, new baths, Primary 5-piece ensuite w/jetted tub & steam shower. Huge view decks w/multiple interior entries, 5 skylites, most systems updated within 0-6yrs, state of the art technology, deluxe media rm, gas heat & appl, A/C, tankless H20. Breath-takingly beautiful park like grounds, pond, lighted fountain, etc., all just 10 min to major commute routes & Sumner Sounder transit station. Pamper yourself -destination living year round!

Sold / Closed Representing Buyer:

5671 S 150th Place
Tukwila, WA 98188
$875,000
Listed For: $777,999
Sold for 12.5% over asking

Beds: 5
Baths: 3
2,545 sqft
Days on Market: 2

Centrally located craftsman home tucked away in a quiet cul-de-sac, with an easy drive to freeways, Seattle, Seatac Airport & Westfield Mall. Come enjoy the exquisite touches including one of a kind Brazilian cherry floors. Solid oak stairs with wood inlay designs. Beautiful crown moulding accents throughout with many arches and pillars. Downstairs boasts 2 bedrooms & bath as well as a large living space with new laminate floors, new led lighting package and freshly painted walls. So much to see and enjoy! Central vac system, wood burning fireplace in the main living space and 3-4 cords of firewood to warm your home. In the summer bring your outdoor furniture and enjoy meals while relaxing under your gazebo!

5103 S 360th Street
Auburn, WA 98001
$450,000
Listed For: $439,950
Sold for 2.3% over asking

Beds: 3
Baths: 2
1,536 sqft
Days on Market: 18

This lovely Auburn/Federal Way rambler sits on an oversized lot w/detached 2 car garage! This open concept updated 3-bedroom, 1.75-bath rambler features a large kitchen with refinished backsplash, built in front deck, ample storage space, vinyl plank flooring and extra entertainment room. All appliances come with home, including washer and dryer. The backyard is ready for entertaining with a built-in deck and fire pit. This is a great home to live in and has great potential as an investment or first-time buyer.

Pending Representing Buyers

9021 21st Avenue SW #A & B
Seattle, WA 98106-2202
$810,000
Listed For: $800,000
Sold for 1.2% over asking

Days on Market: 7

Outstanding investment opportunity in rapidly appreciating West Seattle neighborhood! Unit A features 3 beds, 2 baths, in spacious 1, 500 sqft floorplan plus a full 1, 500 sqft unfinished basement. Unit B features 2 beds, 1 bath with territorial and Olympic Mountain views. Both units have a carport spot plus there is room to park additional cars off the street. Both units have new gas forced air furnaces and separate washer and dryers. Large flat lot with garden space and the covered back deck is west facing to enjoy stunning sunsets. Located just blocks to Westwood Village – Walk Score is 89 – and multiple transit options make this easy to lease. The duplex is well managed and maintained! Please do not disturb tenants.

Sellers • April 26, 2022

Selling Your Home: Capital Gains Tax

by Don Koonce

When you sell your home, you stand to receive an influx of cash. Though there are several costs associated with a home sale, you can likely still bank on the fact that you’ll be depositing a lump sum in the near future. But before you start planning how you’ll use the money or start looking for a new home, you’ll want to understand whether you fall under the criteria of the capital gains tax. If so, the profit from your home sale could end up being smaller than you expected.

What is a capital gains tax?

A capital gains tax is a fee on the profits gained from the sale of an asset. This tax appears in transactions involving various assets—bonds, stocks, boats, cars, and real estate. In real estate, it’s common for homes to appreciate, often leading to a situation where the seller sells the property for more than they originally purchased it. The capital gains tax on the sale of a home is assessed on the difference between those two prices.

Avoiding Capital Gains Tax on a Home Sale

The 2-in-5 rule: If you have owned the home and it has been your primary residence for two of the five years leading up to the sale, you can exclude up to $250,000 of gains if you’re single, or $500,000 if you’re married and file a joint return. If the profit exceeds these amounts, then the excess is reported as a capital gain. The two years of living in the home don’t have to be consecutive, nor do they need to be the final two years leading up to the sale.
Two-year window: You can claim the $250k or $500k exclusion as long as you haven’t already claimed it on the sale of another home in the past two years.
Cost of repairs/improvements: In the context of the capital gains tax, the “cost basis” of your home includes the purchase price, certain legal fees, improvement costs, and more. Including the expenses incurred making repairs and improvements to the home will increase the home’s cost basis, thereby reducing the capital gains.

Paying Capital Gains Tax on a Home Sale

Sometimes, avoiding the capital gains tax may not be possible. If these criteria fit your situation, the gains from the sale of your home may be fully taxable:

The home you sold is not your primary residence
You owned the home or lived in it for less than two years in the five years leading up to the sale
You purchased the property through an investment exchange (known as a 1031 exchange)
You are subject to expatriate taxes
You sold another home within the previous two years and used the capital gains exclusion on that sale

Capital Gains Tax Rates

Capital gains tax rates break down into two basic categories: short- and long-term. Short-term capital gains tax rates apply if you owned the home for less than a year. The rate is usually the same as your ordinary income. For example; if you purchase a home, home values in your area go through the roof within the first few months, and you decide to sell right away to take advantage of the competitive market, you’ll be required to pay capital gains tax on the sale. Long-term capital gains tax rates apply if you own the home for longer than a year, and are taxed at 0%, 15%, and 20% thresholds.

For more information on the financial characteristics of a home sale, read A Guide to Understanding Escrow.

Buyers • April 21, 2022

Renting vs Buying: Which is better for you?

by Don Koonce

Deciding whether to rent or buy can be a difficult decision, but with the right analysis, you can determine which is best for you. Knowing whether it’s the right time to rent or buy depends on your buying power, what you’re looking for in a home, your local market conditions, your plans for you and your household, and the responsibilities you’re prepared to take on at your residence.

Renting vs. Buying: Which is Better for You?

Renting gives you greater flexibility to relocate, fewer home maintenance responsibilities, and can often be more the more affordable option, depending on where you live. The extra costs associated with owning a home—interest payments, taxes, repairs—may be too much for some renters to handle. Becoming a homeowner has its respective advantages. You’ll have stable monthly payments and greater freedom to customize your living space. Advocates of buying will contend that purchasing a home is an investment in equity, which can increase in value every year you live in the home, whereas if you rent a property, you’re essentially paying for someone else’s mortgage.

Ultimately, the right decision depends on your situation. If you don’t plan to be living in the same place for at least five years, renting might be more logical, as it allows you more flexibility when it comes time to move again. If you’re looking to settle down for the better part of a decade or longer and can afford to buy a home, becoming a homeowner may be the better option. Here are a few additional considerations to guide your renting-versus-buying decision making process.

What are the local real estate market conditions?

Investigate the local sales and rental markets. Industry groups put out reports every quarter stating the average national sales price for a home and the average monthly payment for a rental. These reports are typically based on an average of all the cities in the U.S. But what really matters is what the numbers show when you dig into them on a local level. When looking at these reports, you’ll see there are some cities that fall below that average, while others rise above it. When comparing housing costs, be sure to base your evaluation on what’s happening in your city and neighborhood, not the nationwide averages.

For a quarterly breakdown of local market conditions, explore our Market Updates page. With data analyzed by our Chief Economist Matthew Gardner, each report breaks down the latest figures in home sales, home prices, and days on market for regions throughout Windermere’s footprint. Gardner also provides his estimation of where each market sits on the buyer’s-market-to-seller’s-market spectrum.

What can you afford?

Making the jump from renter to homeowner is often a question of affordability. Your mortgage rate will depend on your financial strength, your credit score, and other factors, so make sure to talk to a loan officer before you start looking for a home. Getting pre-approved for a mortgage will identify what you’re able to afford and helps strengthen your offer when the time comes.

To get an idea of what you can afford, use our free Home Monthly Payment Calculator by clicking the button below. With current rates based on national averages and customizable mortgage terms, you can experiment with different values to get an estimate of your monthly payment for any listing price. By using the Home Monthly Payment Calculator, you can make a well-informed estimation of whether it’s the right time to buy.

Will you need to make repairs to your new home?

Buying a fixer-upper may seem like a great way to get a deal on a house, but if the money you spend on the repairs is too great, your profit could be diminished when it comes time to sell. The same is true for remodeling and improvement projects. There are various renovation financing loans available to you that can help with the costs of home repairs, though extra consultations, inspections, and appraisals are often required in the process of securing these loans. Ultimately, if you can only afford a home that demands major improvements, and you don’t have the skills to do much of the work yourself, you may be better off renting.

Can you rent part of the house you’re buying?

If you buy a house with rental-capable space (extra bedroom, mother-in-law unit, etc.), you could use the rental income to pay off your mortgage faster and contribute more to your savings. But, of course, you need to be willing to share your home with a tenant and take on the responsibilities of being a landlord or working with a professional property manager to help you with those duties. Renting out a space in your home will also require you to purchase landlord insurance on top of your existing homeowners insurance policy.

Making Your Decision to Rent or Buy

At the end of the day, the decision is up to you. Based on the conditions laid out above, it simply may not be the right time for you to buy. Fortunately, when it comes to being a homeowner, it’s not now or never. A real estate agent will be your ultimate resource in gauging whether it’s the right time to buy and guiding you through the process toward homeownership.

Design • April 19, 2022

What is Industrial Design?

by Don Koonce

Although primarily found in lofts, large apartments, commercial buildings, and other industrial spaces, you can easily borrow elements of industrial design when decorating your home. Born out of the Industrial Revolution, industrial’s unique style can create dynamic and visually striking interior spaces that feel clean, minimalist, and above all, modern.

What is Industrial Design?

The industrial style is based on the revolutionary concept of showcasing the building materials themselves as a design element. It creates an atmosphere akin to that of shipyards, places with reclaimed and repurposed materials, ports, etc. The common thread between all these places is openness. Industrial design prioritizes open spaces and a minimalist approach to filling the negative space. Whereas craftsman and cottage style homes were designed to evoke comfort, industrial design seeks to highlight architecture.

Industrial Design Elements

When you walk into an industrial space, you know it right away. The ceilings are higher than your typical single-family home. This stretches the scale and proportion of the space, which opens up new possibilities when decorating. Industrial spaces allow for vertical décor: ladders, vertically arranged gallery walls, and loft beds. A tenet of industrial design is the harnessing of natural light, so you’ll often see a preference for floor-to-ceiling windows. Features like weathered wood floors, bare ceilings, prevalent light bulbs, and structural beams help to tie industrial spaces together. These features are generally exposed, which helps the room from feeling too empty. Go-to materials for industrial décor include wood, aluminum, copper, steel, brick, and stone.

In modern and contemporary residential design, there has been a shift toward fusing elements of industrial design with other styles, such as mid-century modern or farmhouse, to create edgy yet comfortable living environments that look and feel sustainable. This is further proof that even if your home doesn’t have typical industrial features, you can blend in pieces of it to create something unique.

For more information on using modern design elements in your home, read out blog post on modern color design trends.

Colorful Modern Design Trends for Your Home

Sellers • April 14, 2022

Landscaping Tips That Can Increase Your Home’s Value

by Don Koonce

When you own a home, there’s a natural desire to invest in landscaping projects that help beautify your yard. But for those who are preparing to sell, the emphasis should be on specific projects that boost your home’s curb appeal and add to its value. The following landscaping tips can help you position your home to sell at the best price. We also recommend talking with your agent about the best landscaping ideas for your home that buyers in your area are looking for.

Landscaping Tips That Can Increase Your Home’s Value

Flower Beds

Beautifying your flower beds is a matter of making improvements in two areas: the flower beds themselves and the border surrounding them. Flower-lined pathways leading toward your home’s front door help guide buyers’ eyes and create a natural aesthetic order to your front yard. Plant colorfully to inspire a vibrant look or choose fewer flowers for a more uniform consistency. Add fresh mulch or beauty bark to your flower beds to make them pop. Creating a border with stone, brick, clay, or another similar material will help delineate flower beds from grass while delivering a clean, refined aesthetic to your property.

If you’re designing new borders to your flower beds, think about the traffic patterns, the orientation of the house in relation to the rest of your neighborhood, and your front yard’s location to ultimately settle on the best sight lines. Spend time weeding the area where your border will go. To dissuade future weed growth, consider adding a thin layer of sand or gravel between the dirt and your border pavers. Finally, clean your hardscaping with an outdoor cleaner or pressure washer to get rid of built-up dirt and moss.

Lawn Care

A fresh lawn will make a solid first impression on prospective buyers. Here are a few basic lawn care tips:

Fertilize at the appropriate time of year for your local climate
Set your lawn mower blades at the proper height to ensure you’re not cutting your grass too short
Water regularly to keep your lawn healthy

If you live in an arid climate, grass alternatives may be a more popular local choice. No matter where you live, once you’ve decided to sell, you can rest assured that spending time and energy on caring for your lawn will pay dividends once you’ve staked your “for sale” sign.

Landscaping Lighting

Once you’ve fixed up your garden beds and tended to your lawn, you’ve done well to ensure that your home’s landscaping will look its best—during the daylight, that is. To ensure that buyers feel the work you’ve put into your home around the clock, consider installing landscape lighting. This will help to put your home’s qualities on full display during the nighttime, while also adding a welcoming touch for potential buyers and passersby.

Front Porch

Add planters to your front porch to create flow from your front yard to your entrance. For the ultimate front porch aesthetic, think of ways that you can create symmetry with your planter boxes. Nest them along the borders of windows, select planter boxes with dimensions that compliment a seated bench, or place identical boxes on either side of your front door. This will direct attention to your home’s front entry and helps to instill that all-important first impression in buyers’ minds.

To learn more about quality landscaping projects, read our blog post on 5 Design Projects to Improve Your Backyard.

Living • April 12, 2022

A Quick Guide to Urban Farming

by Don Koonce

Urban farming can be a fun way to produce your own nutritious and sustainable food supply for your household while learning about self-sufficiency and gardening. Though urban farming likely won’t replace your household’s entire food intake, it is an environmentally friendly complement that can help lower your reliance upon commercial grocery stores over time.

A Quick Guide to Urban Farming

What is urban farming?

Urban farming or urban agriculture comes in many forms. Whether it’s a backyard or rooftop garden, a community agricultural space, or a small balcony plot, urban farming is the practice of cultivating food by those who live in cities or densely populated areas. Typically using raised garden beds to house produce, urban farming promotes sustainability, health, and a connection to nature. Whether you’re looking to grow a few simple fruits and vegetables or seek to cultivate a flourishing garden, here’s how you can get started.

Plot Out Your Garden

Whether you have a spacious backyard waiting to be tilled into gardening heaven or a smaller, unused section of your flower beds, how much space you’re working with will determine the arrangement of your urban farm. Research the crops you intend to plant and how much space they require, then take measurements in your gardening space before buying materials. Your raised gardening beds should be anywhere from six to thirty-six inches deep. Keeping them less than four feet wide will make it easier to reach across when watering, weeding, and planting.

Planting Your Garden

Once you’ve plotted out your garden space, there are a series of decisions to make about your garden; namely which crops you want to grow, how you’ll pot other plants and flowers, whether you’re going to start from seeds or seedlings, and deciding between manual and automatic watering. If you’re starting from seeds, know that the growing process will take longer, whereas seedlings can help to speed things up. Creating an automatic watering system requires an upfront investment, but you’ll save time, and you won’t have worry about under-watering or dehydrating your garden.

Raising Chickens and Keeping Bees

Keeping animals on your property presents new opportunities for sustenance, but it also introduces new challenges. Two animals urban farmers often choose to raise are chickens and bees, which take up a lot less space that other livestock. Before starting either venture, check your local zoning laws.

If you intend to raise chickens, you’ll need to build a coop first. The size of your chicken coop will depend on whether your chickens are able to forage outside the coop or not. If you have the space to let the chickens out, allow two to three square feet per bird in the coop. If the chickens must stay in the coop, you’ll want to make sure they have plenty of space, so it’s recommended to allow five to ten square feet per bird.

The key features of a chicken coop include roosts, nest boxes, dust baths, lighting, and protection from local predators. Search online or locally for pre-made chicken coops that fit your property’s needs or make it a DIY project. A commercial poultry feed will provide your chickens with the basic nutrients they need, but keep in mind that many foods outside of their normal diet can alter egg flavor and have adverse health effects. So, if you’re thinking about incorporating table scraps into their diet, make sure those foods agree with their systems before doing so.

To keep bees at home, start by reaching out to local beekeeping associations to inquire about purchasing bees and when you can expect your colony to arrive. Once you have a timeline set, you can go about gathering supplies. There are two common hive systems used for keeping bees: a Langstroth hive; which is a system of stacked rectangular boxes with removable frames, and a top-bar hive; which is a series of horizontally connected boxes. Gear up by purchasing protective beekeeping clothing, tools, and feeding supplies. After you introduce your bees to their new hive, continually monitor their behavior and tend to their seasonal needs. Spring is generally the best time of year to start a hive, since it gives bees plenty of time to build up their colony and produce and store honey before winter arrives.

For more information on sustainable gardening practices, read our blog post below:

10 Tips for Sustainable Gardening

Buyers • April 7, 2022

What to Consider When Buying a Second Home

by Don Koonce

In some ways, the process of buying a second home is like buying a primary home. However, there are several key differences that require consideration before you make an offer. Whether you have visions of curating your ideal vacation home, are planning for retirement, or view the property as an investment opportunity, a second home can be the answer to your real estate ambitions. Owning two homes, however, means your responsibilities as a homeowner will double. Keep the following information in mind as you work with your agent toward purchasing a second home.

What to Consider When Buying a Second Home

Costs of Buying a Second Home

Purchasing a second home will typically come with all the expenditures you encountered during the process of buying your primary home. However, you may have to pay more up front for a second home, since loans for a secondary residence are riskier for lenders. Consider how making a lump sum payment may affect your financial health before beginning the buying process.

To get an idea of what you can afford, use our free Home Monthly Payment Calculator by clicking the button below. With current rates based on national averages and customizable mortgage terms, you can experiment with different values to get an estimate of your monthly payment for any listing price. By adding your resulting figures to your current monthly mortgage costs, you can make a well-informed estimation of your total monthly mortgage costs for both homes.

Financing Your Second Home Purchase

Finding the right financing for your second home purchase will depend on how you intend to use it. You and your lender will explore the different home loan types available to you to find the one that best suits your needs. Your lender’s rates and qualification requirements will vary based on how often you plan on living there and whether it’s an investment property, among other factors. If you plan to rent the property periodically, talk with your lender about what parameters would result in it being classified as an investment property. You’ll need to obtain a landlord insurance policy as well, on top of your existing homeowners insurance. These additional costs—along with rental maintenance expenses—need to be accounted for, even though renting out the property will help generate income.

Other Factors that Influence a Second Home Purchase

Besides being financially prepared, how will you know you’re ready to buy? For starters, finding and buying the right secondary residence is a matter of timing. It’s vital that the purchase of your second home aligns with your life goals. If you’re planning on purchasing the home for retirement, take time to investigate the area’s assisted living resources. If the area is a popular vacation destination, talk to your agent about how seasonality affects the local market conditions, whether you’re buying in a buyer’s market or a seller’s market, and how you can formulate your best offer.

If you aren’t familiar with the area, get to know the locale before you start sending offers. It’s helpful to schedule your visit off-season to get the clearest picture of what everyday life is like there. Plan to stay for enough time that you can get a sense of the atmosphere beyond a tourist’s first impression. Your experience there will help inform whether it’s the right time to buy.

For more information on second-home ownership, read our blog post on renovating your vacation home, with a seasonal breakdown of common home improvement projects.

Renovating Your Vacation Home