Introducing Place Pins, for the explorer in all of us

We’re excited to introduce Place Pins, which let you get a map of your Pins on all of your travel boards. Now, it’s even easier to plan a vacation with friends, create a collection of memorable places or plot out any of your interests by location. Ready to get started, jetsetter? Go to any of your travel boards and edit its settings to add a map to your board. Then, add your Pins to the map! With Place Pins, you can: ·        Map the things you love, near and far Get a beautiful, interactive map on your board when you add places to your Pins. Use it to save some of your favorites: the best burgers and brews in the Big Apple, Britain’s finest national parks, or a local guide to Paris.   ·        Get more from your Pins Each Place Pin comes with extra details on the Pin, like the address and phone number, so you can look up important info before a night out or on a weekend adventure. Even better, you can look up directions to places right from your Pins!   ·        Find and collect places whenever, wherever Place Pins are available on web and mobile, so it’s simple to add and view places from just about anywhere. Take your Pins with you as you the navigate the busy streets of a foreign city or stroll through a quiet park in your hometown.     Happy (Place) Pinning!

 

2 Types of Energy Tax Credits to Take by Year End

In February, the federal tax credit was reinstated for energy efficient home improvements made in 2012 and 2013. A tax credit is a direct reduction of taxes due. It can be better than a tax deduction that only reduces taxable income. 

The energy tax credit now has a $500 lifetime cap for qualified energy efficient upgrades to your existing principal residence, but the deadline is December 31. New homes and rentals do not qualify. You'll find all the details on: http://www.energystar.gov/taxcredits. The highlights: 

1. Tax credits for 10% of the cost. You may claim a tax credit of 10% of the cost of certain energy-saving upgrades. These include qualified insulation, windows, roofs, and doors, with a $200 limit for all doors.
  
2. Tax credits for the full cost. You can claim tax credits for the full cost of specified types of "qualified residential property," but only up to certain caps. For example:

• advanced main air circulating fan – $50
• natural gas, propane, or oil furnace or hot water boiler with annual fuel utilization rate of 95 or greater – $150
• electric heat pump water heater with minimum 2.0 energy factor – $300
• electric heat pump or central air conditioner that achieves the highest efficiency tier of the Consortium for Energy Efficiency – $300 each
• natural gas, propane, or oil water heater that has either a minimum energy factor of 0.82 or a minimum thermal efficiency of 90% – $300
• biomass stove that uses "plant-derived fuel available on a renewable or recurring basis" (see site for details) – $300

You'll need to file IRS Form 5695 with your tax return and have the Manufacturer's Certification Statement that the item meets the efficiency requirements on the energystar.gov website. That site also lists a few alternative energy items (such as solar panels) that qualify for tax credits after December 31. 


Please consult a tax professional before making any purchases you think will qualify for a tax credit. 

6 Key Fall Cleanup Areas

1. Lawn. Mow until the first frost, keeping the length above 2.5". Rake leaves that smother and kill grass. Rake up excess grass clippings using an iron rake or thatch rake. Check with a garden pro whether to aerate and fertilize.

2. Garden. Ask a local expert which plants to fertilize before the first frost. For example, you won't want to fertilize roses because it discourages winter growth and makes them vulnerable to extreme weather.

3. New plantings. For a nice spring bloom, plant bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. Day lilies and dahlias are also good for fall planting. To fill bare spots in your lawn, plant cool-season grasses such as perennial rye, bluegrass, and fescue. 

4. Deck or patio. Sweep off leaves and debris. Cover patio furniture or remove and store if you have space. Wipe each piece with damp cloths and dry with towels. Remove or cover your grill and store it if possible. Remove mildew on decks with a solution of 3 quarts of water to 1 quart oxygen bleach and 1/4 cup of ammonia-free liquid dishwasher detergent. Put this in a garden sprayer and apply liberally. Let it set for 10 to 15 minutes. 

5. Gutters. After most of the leaves have fallen, clean out and repair your gutters. Clogged and leaky gutters can flood the basement and cause other water damage to your home when snow melts. 

6. Hoses and Mowers. Disconnect garden hoses and store inside. Turn off water supply at shutoff valve inside the house and open the outdoor spigot to drain it. Drain the gas from your lawn mower and sharpen or replace blades on garden tools.

If you're thinking about buying a home in today's market, here's some great advice from CNN Money. Click here to view.

Home sales “pause” with government shutdown, but brokers mostly bullish on market recovery

Home sales “paused” during October but prices continued to rise, according to the latest statistics from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Commenting on year-to-date totals for 2013 compared to 2012, one industry expert remarked, “I would say the real estate market is recovering nicely.”

Pending sales during October dipped 2.7 percent when compared to the same month a year ago, but rose nearly 3.2 percent from September’s volume. October’s decline was the first negative change in year-over-year comparisons since April 2011. (That drop-off was attributed in part to a frenzy during April 2010 when buyers were scrambling to take advantage of a federal tax credit that was expiring.)

Brokers point to the federal shutdown during the first two weeks of October, below-normal inventory, and shaken consumer confidence as factors in the slowdown. MLS figures summarizing last month’s activity across the 21 counties in its service area show year-over-year improvement in inventory (up 5.5 percent), double-digit increases in the volume of closed sales (up 12.5 percent), and moderate increases in selling prices (up 7.7 percent).

Many experts indicate the market has taken a “slight pause,” but emphasized one month’s numbers don’t indicate a trend. “We are two years into what has been a very steady recovery. It’s okay – and actually healthy – to have a slight slowdown.”   The government shutdown “definitely hurt consumer confidence” and put many would-be buyers on the sidelines.

Consumer confidence “deteriorated considerably” in October as a result of the shutdown and debt ceiling squabbles, according to The Conference Board. A recent Gallup poll found some improvement in Americans’ economic confidence, but reported it is still well below mid-September, before the shutdown.

Despite improving inventory the limited supply of homes for sale is also hampering sales. “Numerous buyers are looking but just can’t find the right home to fit their needs,” many reported.

Northwest MLS brokers reported 8,086 pending sales during October, down from the year-ago total of 8,312 sales, but outgaining the number of mutually accepted offers in September by 247 transactions for a 3.2 percent increase. Eleven counties had fewer pending sales last month versus a year ago.

Prices on sales that closed last month rose 7.7 percent ($19,375) from a year ago. Area-wide, the median price for single family homes and condominiums (combined) was $271,000.

Northwest MLS director George Moorhead said more moderate and balanced growth helps “mitigate huge home price fluctuations.” The slowdown is also reflected in the time it is taking listings to sell, he noted. “We are seeing inventory staying on the market longer, which will continue through the holiday season until late January to mid-February,” said Moorhead.

More inventory is still needed to meet demand, suggested Dick Beeson, principal managing broker at RE/MAX Professionals in Tacoma and a past chairman of the Northwest MLS board of directors. In Pierce County, where his office is located, inventory is about even with year-ago levels, but 2,019 more sales have closed so far this year for a jump of 25.4 percent.

Three counties – King, Pierce and Snohomish – have less than three months of supply, well below the 4-to-6 month level that is generally considered to be an indicator of a balanced market.  “It still looks like a potential housing shortage in Puget Sound come 2015 if building doesn’t increase,” Beeson commented.

At least one segment of the new construction market shows signs of rebounding: condominiums.

“Most residential developers went into hibernation during the real estate bear market of the past five years, but this past month heralded a bullish resurgence of several developments,” said John Deely, a member of the Northwest MLS board of directors. Last month was like spring in the South Lake Union neighborhood, he reported.

Deely cited the opening of sales for a new 41-story condominium community and the restart of two other major residential developments as positive indicators. The projects include a high-rise residential development near the Space Needle and the restart of a hotel-condo building in the Denny Triangle area of downtown Seattle. “This is good news as the market is starving for new condominium inventory,” he stated.

Beeson also commented on upticks in condo activity. He said some condo developers who placed units in the rental pool during the 2008-2010 downturn are converting them back to for-sale housing and trying to sell them in today’s improved market. “The price points have still not returned to 2006-2007 levels but the chance to move some product now exists,” he commented.

MLS brokers added more than 1,000 new listings to condo inventory last month, a jump of 24.3 percent from a year ago. Total inventory is 9.1 percent higher than at this time last year. Closed sales during October jumped 15.3 percent, with prices rising about 5.3 percent.

Condos that closed during October had a median price of $200,000. In King County, which accounted for about two-thirds of those sales, the median price was $234,000.

“The real estate market has been moving in the right direction,” observed Gain, adding, “It has been a huge improvement over the past several years.” To underscore his point, he noted pending sales year-to-date are up by nearly 6,000 units (at 5,994) for a 7.3 percent increase. YTD closed sales are already up 10,167 units from a year ago for an increase of almost 19 percent (18.8), and prices are up by $27,000 for an increase of 11.1 percent.

 “I would say the real estate market is recovering nicely,” he concluded.

Statistical Summary by Counties: Market Activity Summary – October 2013 Single Fam. Homes + Condos			LISTINGS				PENDING SALES		CLOSED SALES				MONTHS SUPPLY
New Listings		Total Active			# Pending Sales			# Closings			Avg. Price			Median Price
King	3,047			5,799		3,306		2,798		$461,138		$380,000			1.75
Snohomish	1,217			2,629		1,219		1,041		$293,894		$270,000			2.16
Pierce	1,217			3,571		1,324		1,014		$236,761		$217,898			2.70
Kitsap	400			1,483		373		328		$286,658		$244,975			3.98
Mason	113			710		91		75		$194,380		$165,800			7.80
Skagit	174			796		180		150		$268,572		$232,710			4.42
Grays Harbor	115			757		109		77		$121,497		$118,000			6.94
Lewis	89			696		79		54		$156,788		$148,700			8.81
Cowlitz	111			456		114		107		$172,207		$153,000			4.00
Grant	102			501		74		54		$161,476		$148,000			6.77
Thurston	380			1,276		370		302		$222,805		$203,495			3.45
San Juan	27			389		22		25		$450,260		$384,000			17.68
Island	150			757		139		112		$270,065		$255,000			5.45
Kittitas	64			440		57		60		$238,981		$201,675			7.72
Jefferson	52			428		58		38		$259,120		$267,000			7.38
Okanogan	54			482		34		23		$211,470		$128,000			14.18
Whatcom	272			1,440		276		280		$282,221		$249,000			5.22
Clark	60			207		55		36		$269,104		$239,000			3.76
Pacific	44			429		37		31		$142,745		$124,000			11.59
Ferry	8			69		2		3		$89,667		$79,000			34.50
Clallam	56			397		63		58		$216,245		$200,000			6.30
Others	142			679		104		86		$222,125		$194,500			6.53
MLS TOTAL	7,894			24,391		8,086		6,752		$339,607		$271,000			3.02

 

Northwest Multiple Listing Service, owned by its member real estate firms, is the largest full-service MLS in the Northwest. Its membership includes more than 21,000 real estate brokers. The organization, based in Kirkland, Wash., currently serves 21 counties in Washington state.