How Coronavirus May Change the Way We Think About Home Function

The current COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the world is living. For the first time in decades, Americans are spending far more time at home and only leaving the house only out of necessity. This time surrounded by our families has required our homes to function in new ways. People are working from home much more than they ever had before, the dining room has become homeschool headquarters and the kitchen is getting a lot more mileage these days. Will some of these needs become permanent or will we have a short memory? Here are some ways that pandemic is changing the way we function in our homes:

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Should You Buy a Home Now or Later? What to Know About Buying in a Recession

These are general rules of thumb in a market that has high inventory and fewer buyers. For most recessions in the history of recording them, housing market did not dip below the trendline of 5% growth, EXCEPT for the housing crash of 2008. Overall there is slowdown of growth, which means that the value of your home just doesn’t climb as high as expected in an up market. In Seattle it’s yet to be seen if the economy can overall income can support a balanced market.

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What You Shouldn’t Sweat When Finding a Home

There are turn-offs, then there are deal breakers. When are looking for a house and can overlook a turnoff, you have a leg up over your competition. A realtor friend had a funny comment today about a listing that had its’ challenges “under the hood”, but was staged and beautifully presented. It had numerous offers and was loved by many buyers despite a little work that needed to be done. When I told her about this house, she said, “Super Cute Sells!” So so so true. When you can get past needing the dazzle, you might find a diamond in the rough. Here is what not to worry about when your are house hunting.

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Prepping Your Home and Putting your Best Foot Forward

One of the biggest challenges I have when discussing the listing process with sellers is explaining how much goes into preparing a home. Most sellers work extremely hard to prepare so that their house looks ready for a potential buyer. 99% of the houses I list need paint, deep cleaning, windows washed, furnaces serviced, and landscaping. That can add up, but rest assured, it promises to put your best foot forward so that the buyers can find no objections to writing it up.

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