Captain COVID and adapting to the new normal
Captain COVID and adapting to the new
Today’s a busy real estate day. Since the restrictions on real estate activity loosened in June, every day has been like this. All of the bottled up business with no traditional spring market surged and shifted to June, July and August. We mentioned this was probable earlier in the year.
As I write this piece, I’m fielding offers on a $1.5 million listing. We’ve received eight competing offers with escalation clauses driving the price up substantially. This segment of the market — $1.5 million and below, in good condition, in our target neighborhoods — is hot. There’s a lot of bridge-hopping going on this summer; as people seek more space inside and out, the areas across the lake (the Eastside) are popping too. But as soon as someone lists a house in our neighborhood (assuming it’s dialed-in and priced right), it sells.
The new normal COVID-19 blew up the traditionally
strong spring market. At the beginning of 2020, analysts predicted this spring’s real estate market would surpass the last boom year of 2017. As you know, that didn’t happen. But as people adjusted to the stress levels, and the restrictions on life and business eased, June sales took off. They continued through July and August, usually quieter times due to vacations and a general embrace of summer activities.
With the future unpredictable, the main drivers of people wanting to move are the desire for larger lots, more room in the home itself to accommodate remote work and schooling, as well as a realization that distance work and school will continue for some time.
The protests and political unrest have taken a toll on the Capital Hill district, with many people looking to get out to more stable areas with more room to live. We’re seeing those that were renting, apartment dwellers and condo owners responding to being cooped up and pulling the trigger on home purchases in more residential areas.
The new market
Without the worry of commuting time and getting kids to school, living farther away from the downtown area is more appealing. That could mean a more spacious property for their primary home or branching out and buying a second or third home. My team has spread out all over, crossing over to Bellevue and deep into areas throughout the Eastside, as well as showing and selling homes on Bainbridge, Vashon and throughout the San Juan chain.
As a Seattle native, I’m in the minority. Transplants far outnumber those of us who grew up here and stayed. That gives me a real advantage and is a valuable resource for those looking to buy or sell throughout the area. My local knowledge comes in handy — I just met with listing clients who want to move farther out from the city but don’t know where to go. With a few questions about what they want from a new location, I named three neighborhoods that will suit them perfectly. I also know what that local market is like, so we
can get searching right away.
What to know now
If you’re looking to sell your home, act now. Barring anything unforeseen, we’ll likely see an active market through October. The coming of cooler, rainy weather will chill the real estate market as well. Sellers and buyers will hunker down again as the holiday season approaches. While that happens in a typical year, the threat of flu or COVID outbreaks will reinforce it this year.
If you’re looking to buy, be prepared to move fast and for bidding wars, price escalations and waived contingencies. There are buyers out in the market who sold their homes in January, February and early March who need to move and have ready cash to put on the table. So if you’re financing, get all the documentation and be prepared to be scrappy.
If you’re looking for a second or third home to go to wait things out in more iso-
COVID, Page 4
Sociability and unity Revisiting the Park
By Richard Carl Lehman
Madison Park has always been very social, partly because of its size, but also for the similar backgrounds and interests of the villagers. The love for and the history of our neighborhood has created a mutual abiding consciousness.
My particular introduction to civilization was in Riverton Heights, south Seattle. Mom and Dad would take me out to different diners, adult gatherings and even Mom’s garden parties.
Later when we moved to Madison Park, I became a student at J.J. Mcgilvra Elementary and began to enjoy a new culture.
During World War II, when folks saw the gold star in the window of friends’ homes, they gave them time to cope and then slowly coaxed them back. We kids were involved in the many paper and metal drives, which turned into fun connections and events.
In the summer you could actually hear folks traipse to the lake in their rubber shower shoes, bathing caps, scrub brushes and Lifebuoy soap (the orange color floated) to bathe and co-mingle.
“Come on down” they yelled on their way toward the little dock just west of the ferry landing. Wading out to their thighs, they’d scrub each other’s backs, and, yes, some even brought whiskey to share and ward off hypothermia.
A good friend had access to a truck and offered to help us move into my house. That Saturday in 1963, the girls arranged the kitchen, bed and bathroom into a functional situation. The truck friend bought a keg that he wheeled by way of a hand truck down 42nd offering beer to anyone while announcing Dick Lehman had just moved in. Many accepted the free beer, and some came to welcome me to the neighborhood and perhaps get a refill.
Early Saturday mornings a neighbor could be seen raising the hood of his car to find why something went awry. Soon, another guy would chime in with an opinion, and then another, an by mid-afternoon a couple of half racks were involved. That had to have been their finest enrichment, not to mention sharing at least one pocket-size bottle of whiskey!
Word spread that someone bought a new barbecue and that all should bring some wieners. This was set to the backdrop of the Seattle Rainiers baseball game being broadcast by Leo Lassen.
When I inherited the house, it was indeed, “Party Time!” One morning, while emptying the garbage, a neighbor approached me and said, “Your parties are getting out of hand! If you don’t keep it down, I’m going to tell your landlord!” That moment felt like no other. I was my landlord! I thanked her for not telling on me.
Springtime parties moved from the back yard to the front ,which was conducive to a lovely sunset backdrop. We carried my 6’x3’ coffee table out to the yard and sat cross-legged under it to partake of food and such. We attached another piece to enable more diners, so it was sometimes 11 feet long. With the many flight personnel in the ‘hood, we never had to buy Champagne as it was always available to them — we never asked why. The barbecue was overflowing with chicken and steaks, and the table was covered with as many candles as we had room for.
The front door was open, and the speakers were set on the porch playing jazz and the latest pop music. Feasting at its best, we toasted to whatever came to mind. Those walking or driving by stopped to ask what the occasion was, to which we invited them to see for themselves. Few said no thank you as maybe there was a
girlfriend in the car.
One evening the lady who was going to tattle on me and her husband walked by. I greeted them with two paper cups full of Champagne and insisted they join us. Their smiles were tentative but they did end up enjoying themselves, and later we partied with them regularly.
A Saturday was good for croquet in the back yard. Only six could play, but there were plenty of onlookers. A neighbor living across the alley from me yelled, “Hey, what are you doing?” My friend started to say something sarcastic when I stopped him. The gentleman said, “Come over here!” The rather large man opened his trunk and handed me a container of mixed nuts, several pints of vodka and a large bottle of gin. He was a liquor distributor, so this was a common procurement. “Now, that’s a party!” he said laughing.
He became a best friend and never missed a gathering. He had just lost his wife of many years, and sometimes at 10 p.m. or later he’d call and say, “Let’s go eat Chinese!” My roommates and I rarely said no thanks. He was a great man and is sorely missed.
Roommates came and went in those days, and the last few years I lived alone, but 45 years of single life was about to end. I found someone who is all my social life rolled up into one. Six months or longer after we married, I ran into a friend I used to see at Rossellini’s 410. He asked where I’d been. I answered, “I found the right one!” to which he replied, “No, really, where have you been?” That was single life for you. Now, 40 great years later, my wife Karen is finally retired. I really am married.
ust a few short months ago, we were questioning how the pandemic would impact real estate. In short? Not quite as we may have originally suspected. Though the typically busy springtime market slowed down initially, July proved to be one of the strongest months on record, with the National Association of Realtors® reporting a 24.7% increase in home sales compared to the previous month. With pent-up demand from would-be spring buyers and sellers, greater flexibility in remote working environments and near all-time low interest rates, now could be an opportune time to capitalize on the market and make your next move.
PROVEN RESULTS
A CONTINUED LEGACY
RSIR ranks amongst the largest, most productive and fastestgrowing real estate companies in Washington with access to 22,700 brokers in 72 countries that generate US sales of $100 billion+ annually.
WHAT MY CLIENTS ARE SAYING
We both give Laura highest possible recommendation because: Laura is an excellent listener and communicator. These qualities plus her candor and obvious market knowledge earned our trust early on. She was highly skilled, patient, and discreet while guiding us through what was, for us, a complex, lengthy, and trying process. She brings an ideal balance between professionalism, with laser focus, while being consistently personable and pleasant to deal with. She was ALWAYS prompt and ran the extra yard in exceeding our expectations. We both feel very fortunate to have had her on our side during this process.
Sotheby’s Auction House Presents Jewels of Curiosity: Ode to Nature, a collection of exquisite jewels inspired by the natural world.
lation or with more room, I can help — even if it’s another state. I’m currently working with a longtime client on a purchase in Idaho. Although I’m not licensed there, I have a vast network of top-producing brokers across the
country. I’ve vetted licensed brokers in those areas to partner with for the negotiations to get my (now our) client exactly the right property. I’ll be doing something similar for another client who’s selling a spread in Rancho Santa Fe, California, vetting and interviewing local brokers.
In the time I’ve written this,
I’ve received three more offers on that $1.5 million property, one all-cash, no contingencies and for a significant amount (11 percent) over the asking price. Things are hot, and if a sale or purchase is in your future, now’s the time to act. My home, my office and my team is focused here in Madison Park. If you’d like to set a time to
talk through any matters involving buying or selling your home, my door is always open. From all of us at King County Estates, we want to thank our devoted clients, families and community for the tremendous support during this time. Stay safe, stay healthy, and let’s stay together and work through this.
By Sarah Armstrong and Margie Carter
The question, “When will this be over?” is not just coming from kids. Adults are also feeling the fatigue of trying to stay safe and responsible during this global pandemic. Who could have imagined we’d be in month seven of living in ways that feel so abnormal and antisocial! A combination of the need to be hypervigilant and the extended cancelation of many activities that bring us pleasure in the company of others has us weary, perhaps frustrated and ready to toss caution to the wind. If only we had an “end date,” perhaps we could stay pumped with this discipline. It’s overwhelming and utterly depressing to think about doing this
for another year, right?
“We’re equipped to avoid and respond to acute danger, such as natural disasters, but we haven’t evolved a logical system to respond to prolonged, chronic stress, such as COVID-19,”
Dr. Steven Sutherland said in an Aug. 6 article of the Duluth News Tribune.
While it’s true people living with generations of racism, poverty and violence have evolved some considerable resilience, Sutherland’s point got us thinking back to the small head of steam Madison Park neighbors were getting on behalf of earthquake preparedness in 2019. PreCOVID, how many of us really properly equipped ourselves to respond to the epic disaster of a long-predicted major magnitude
9 earthquake hitting our region?
Because it’s long overdue, do we assume it probably won’t happen, like a pandemic couldn’t get out of control in the United States? Well, we certainly have seen the fallacy of making that assumption!
Recognizing it’s hard for humans to prepare, let alone sustain our readiness, for a major disaster, what if we channeled our sagging pandemic discipline into a fun challenge for ourselves and each other? This fall, accept our challenge of completing one simple but essential earthquake prep action for the next three months.
Meet the Challenge
year-over-year, while also witnessing a spike of 7.7 million views of our lifestyle and property videos. Our local experts welcome the opportunity to share a few examples of how your home can be uniquely presented through a custom marketing plan.
For each of the next three months, we’ll concentrate on one simple but powerful act of earthquake preparation you can do without getting overwhelmed. Let’s imagine an earthquake happens in the dead of night. After the shaking stops, you’ll likely find yourself without heat, water, light and phone service, and uncertain if your home is safe. Broken glass will be everywhere. In this and two successive MPT articles, we will provide simple guidance for how to: 1.) stay warm and protected from injury; 2.) have clean water to drink; and 3.) prevent serious illness from improper human waste management. We call this the three W’s: warmth, water and waste. Why these three actions? In the best-case scenario, a federal response to the needs of single-family neighborhoods in the Seattle area is unlikely to arrive in less than 14 days. Why? It will take a minimum of eight days for naval supply ships to come from Southern California. Arriving in Elliott Bay, they will serve the thousands of people in downtown Seattle before fanning out to the neighborhoods. Roads and bridges will likely be compromised.
The metal hub box by the Madison Park tennis courts contains no emergency supplies, only paper, cardboard signs, pens, a few tarps and such to be used by our Ham Radio volunteers who will bring their gear and set up a communication center in the park. Again, the hub box contains no water, no food, no medical supplies or any warm clothes. You are on your own for these basic needs. Therefore, depending on the season, weather and available shelter, you will first need a way to stay warm. Your second need will be for water. Our bodies can survive several weeks without food but
Emergency communication hub network GoFundMe campaign
Madison Park is one of 75 emergency communication hubs across our city. The hub network is an all-volunteer force dedicated to helping Seattle communities prepare for a disaster. Hub volunteers have personally shouldered the operating expenses for 14 years. For the first time ever, the network is asking for donations for a more-sustainable business model. Network costs include website maintenance, video-conferencing capabilities, translation services to engage more Seattle residents and multi-language printed materials. They are requesting $5,500 to cover these costs for the next two years. Funds raised in excess of this amount will increase outreach to the communities that will be most impacted by a disaster. Thank you for considering a donation! https://gf.me/u/yp8d8t.
only a few days without water. Third, by managing human waste properly, you protect yourself from disease and bites caused by rats that are attracted to it.
September’s Simple Prep: Warmth
For each member of your household, we recommend you fill a bag with the essentials listed below and secure it to each bed. Imagine the quake happens at night when you’re asleep. Let’s also assume you survive the quake because you have wisely stayed in bed. After the shaking stops, you and each household member will be able to reach down and find that bag secured to
their headboard or a leg of their bed. Then each will quickly put on all those items and be ready to help one another.
Here are the essentials for each bag: a light source (headlamp or flash light), sturdy shoes and warm socks, gloves to keep hands warm and protected from broken glass, a warm hat, a warm shirt, a water-resistant, warm jacket, a pair of pants and two masks. Regarding the masks, one should be a simple cloth mask to prevent COVID transmission and the other an N-95 quality mask to protect lungs from smoke in case fires are burning nearby. Consider these necessities to be what you’ll wear for the next few days and perhaps your only “bedding.”
Once you all assemble after the quake, you have a critical next action to take if your home has natural gas. Should a gas line in your home have broken with the shaking, any spark could ignite gas that may have accumulated in your home. So, if you smell gas, send everyone outside to safety while you shut off the gas supply to the house.
Congratulations! You have protected yourself and household from hypothermia, a potential gas explosion and injuring yourselves in the dark from sharp objects like shards of broken glass.
In the October issue of the Madison Park Times, look for our recommendation for ensuring you have clean water to drink after the quake.
Ready, Set, Go!
Will you accept this challenge? Who will join you? Share this article, and encourage any and all to take this simple action this September.
Email us at saraharmstrong215@gmail. com or margiecarter@comcast.net with questions or to let us know how you and your friends and neighbors were able to meet the September Simple Earthquake Prep Challenge.
