Colette Rarden

February 2022 – Real Estate Round-Up

It’s been a hard February for buyers, and we’re not just talking about the weather! They’ve been dealing with limited inventory, rising interest rates, and fierce competition for the best homes. It is not a market for the faint of heart, that’s for sure. But there is hope on the horizon.

Signs of Spring

How do we know spring is on the way? Our jackets are covered in horse hair and our boots are covered in mud! Also the horses are muddy. And the dogs are muddy. Basically, mud is everywhere. We are pretty sure that early spring is only 10% flowers and baby animals, and 75% mud. (The other 15% is reserved for slivers of sunlight peeking through the rain clouds.)

January 2022 – Real Estate Round-Up

Is winter over yet? The snow and short daylight hours make the season stretch out longer. At least, it can feel that way. We’ve been keeping a close eye on the market, and have to report that January was a lean month. This is good news for sellers, because it means listing your house now will get lots of buyer attention. It’s distressing for buyers, because they may have to compete to win the home they want or compromise on the amenities. Those sellers who are also buying are caught squarely in the middle.

Year-End 2021 Round-Up – Upper Kittitas County

f you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you know that we post small snippets of market information all throughout the year. Now it’s time to look at the whole year There is no doubt that it was a stand-out seller’s market all year long. Let’s look at some of the major trends for 2021.

If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you know that we post small snippets of market information all throughout the year. Now it’s time to look at the whole year There is no doubt that it was a stand-out seller’s market all year long. Let’s look at some of the major trends for 2021.

Making the Holidays a “Treat” for All!

We don’t spoil our pets—but we do treat them like family. We especially love to treat them with all sorts of seasonal goodies. If you love your animal companions as much as we do, then you are probably guilty of sneaking them a little holiday food. This can be more common when friends and family try to use food to get on your animal’s good side.

Upper Kittitas County – Real Estate Market October 2021 Round-Up

We crunch the numbers so you don’t have to, and so you know what is really going on in the market. Usually, the autumn market enjoys a slower pace, and after houses flying off the market at break-neck speed all summer long, we were kind of looking forward to a seasonal break. However, that’s not quite what happened in October.

This year, we’re still seeing higher-than-usual activity in some areas. We’re starting to recover from the extreme market of last year, but we’re not out of the woods yet. As a result, we’re going into the winter market with low inventory and high demand.

Winterizing Your Home

Winter is rough on houses. Moisture, freezing temperatures, high winds, and heavy snow all take their toll, not to mention small animals looking for a way inside. Sometimes it seems easier to take a reactive approach to home maintenance: waiting until something goes wrong to fix it. But that’s also a stressful and an expensive approach—it’s far more economical to fix a dripping faucet now than wait until it’s gushing water.

Upper Kittitas County – September 2021 Real Estate Market Round-Up

It wasn’t just the autumn air—last month was brisk! Even though the market is slowing down as usual for autumn and winter, two-thirds of homes listed in September accepted an offer in 14 days or less. The sweet spot seemed to be around 6 days, with 23 of the 45 new listings accepting an offer before they were a week on the market. This turnover rate is similar to what we saw in the summer.

Upper Kittitas County – August 2021 Real Estate Market Round-Up

Autumn is upon us, and we’re starting to see the first signs of the market slowing down as usual around this time of year. Everyone is starting to prepare for the holiday gauntlet—Spooktober, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. We’re looking forward to upcoming events with friends and family, but first, we need to assess the market for the last month of summer.

Digital Detox in the High Country of Kittitas County

Technology is everywhere, and for some people it’s everything. Social media, entertainment, groups, forums, chats, texts, swiping left—right—up—down! Even for us, running a real estate business means emails, texts, phone calls, ads, marketing, and more—all facilitated by the internet. That much content consumption can eventually lead to information overload and burn out. Fortunately, we live in an amazing part of the country where it is possible to travel off the grid for a refreshing digital detox.