June 22, 2018
Beyond Alexa - Other Smart Appliances You Can Use In Your Home
Posted in Living by John Trupin
A month ago the nation’s largest home-building company, Lennar, announced they would begin including Amazon’s “Alexa” smart speaker system as an integrated function in new homes they construct. In the United States alone there are reportedly at least 39 million privately owned smart speakers, and the growth seems likely to only continue. With an eye to the future, we decided to shine a light...
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June 20, 2018
Windermere Hosts Fourth Annual Washington Waterfront Home Tour
Posted in Luxury by John Trupin
Do you find yourself drawn to the water? Are you at your happiest launching a boat on the beach or fishing off a dock just yards from your back door? If you dream of a waterfront life, then you’re in luck! This June 23-24 we are hosting the fourth-annual Washington Waterfront Home Tour. More than 60 homes from as far north as Birch Bay, down throughout the Puget Sound, and even...
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June 18, 2018
The Office Away From the Office - Prioritizing a Home Work Space
Posted in Living by John Trupin
Most people dream of working from home but ask anyone who does it on a regular basis, and they’ll tell you how hard it can be to stay productive when you work where you live. The most disciplined telecommuters will tell you that you need a structured routine and organization to rise and grind and get into work mode.
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June 13, 2018
Finding an Affordable Vacation Through a Home Exchange
Posted by John Trupin
Summer is here, which means vacations are on the mind, but as always the cost can feel prohibitive. As folks take less and less time off work, people shortening their vacations, staying closer to home, or going nowhere at all for “staycations”. Another way to save money, while still getting away, is to leverage your own home for a home exchange.
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June 11, 2018
A Beginner's Guide to Securing a Mortgage Loan
Posted in Buying by John Trupin
Entering into debt is a concept I grew up diametrically opposed to. I was raised, like many with frugal family members, to understand that anything you couldn’t pay for on the spot was something you couldn’t afford. But as we age we learn the pathway to financial growth requires a commitment beyond what many of us can deliver up front. Building and stabilizing wealth is, for many families...
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June 08, 2018
Today is Windermere’s Annual Community Service Day!
Posted in Community by Marilou Ubungen
Today, you may notice that your local Windermere office is closed, or it may take a little bit longer for your Windermere agent to get back to you. That’s because it’s our annual Windermere Community Service Day, and Windermere offices across the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Hawaii, Utah, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona are taking a day off from selling homes...
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June 06, 2018
Preparing Your Home for Summer
Posted in Living by John Trupin
The calendar may claim summer begins on June 21st, but for most of us, it's already fully in gear. Kids are getting out of school, families are making summer vacation plans, and backyard barbeques are on everyone’s minds. This is also a great time of the year to get your house in order and ready for the summer season. The following are a handful of ideas and tips to help you with this process.
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June 04, 2018
To Sell or to Rent? The Perks and Pitfalls of Being a Landlord
Posted in Selling by John Trupin
Electing a full sale or a property management situation is a life-changing decision that shouldn't be taken lightly. In choosing whether or not becoming a landlord is right for you, there are a number of factors to consider, but primarily they fall into the following three categories: financial analysis, risk, and goals.
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May 30, 2018
The Value of Homeowners Insurance Can't Be Overstated
Posted in Property Management by John Trupin
In addition to providing shelter and comfort, our home is often our single greatest asset. It’s important that we protect that precious investment. Most homeowners realize the importance of homeowners insurance in safeguarding the value of a home. However, they may not know is that about 2/3rds of all homeowners are under-insured. According to a national survey, the average homeowner only...
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May 28, 2018
Understanding the Modern Home
Posted in General by John Trupin
Sleek design, open floor plans, and great natural lighting are all appealing characteristics of modern architecture. Over the years, modern design concepts in home building have become more popular, as is the resurgence of interest in modern real estate. More companies, like 360 modern, are specializing in modern properties. Modern homes vary greatly in style; however, they have...
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